"So the man was already dead after they entered the room?" Megure asked his sergeant, who nodded as he flipped through his notepad.
"Yes, sir. We're still figuring out the exact time of death. The heat in this room could have accelerated the rigor mortis of the body."
The portly inspector tugged on his collar, he sighed as he could feel sweats running down his brows. He eyed dubiously at his sergeant's attire, the young man is wearing his winter long coat and scarf despite the heat. Sometime, he is envious of the young man's heat resistance.
"Did you figure out the identity of the victim?" Megure asked as he kneeled to the body.
"Yes, sir. Fujie, Akiyoshi. Age 22. After graduating from Kounan high school, he went to work at the Kakubeni company. Although, he recently left the company."
"What's his relationship with Okino-san?"
"Okino-san and her manager, Yamagishi-san, claimed they don't know the man. However…" Takagi kneeled next to his superior, he leans closer to whisper. "Chiba-san did some digging. Okino-san and Fujie-san have attended the same high school together."
Megure nodded before glancing back at the body. On the surface, the death is obvious. The worse trauma is the knife embedded in the Fujie's back. The victim was stabbed from the behind and judging by the state of the living room, there was a violent struggle. He and Takagi glanced at the victim's hand, Officer Tome mentioned there were few strands of hairs clenched in the man's fist.
Takagi lifted the hand and inspected it with puzzling look. While Megure inspected the dried watermarks and dent on the floor.
"I can't figure out where the watermarks and the dent came from. So strange."
"That's not the only thing that's strange, Inspector."
Megure nearly tumbled to the side when he noticed Conan kneeling between him and Takagi.
"W-wha do you mean?" Megure asked.
"Well, the entire room was trashed except for that chair." Conan pointed at the chair behind the victim. "Plus, why would the killer leave the heater to blast on?".
"T-true…"
Conan leaned closer to Takagi, staring at the hand dangling from the officer's grip.
"Something wrong with that hand, Takagi-keiji?"
Takagi stared blankly at the child that strongly resembles Kudo. "Uh, well, there are these strands of hairs in the man's hand, which suggested that the victim had fought off his killer and snatched some hairs in the process...but that's actually impossible."
"How so?"
"Well, if the victim was stabbed in the back, then how was he able to touch the killer, much less grabbed their hairs?"
Conan perked up. That is an good point. It is physically impossible...unless…
"Do you think the hairs were planted after the murder to frame someone?"
Before Takagi could answered, a fist bashed Conan in the head.
"OW!"
"DON'T PLAY AROUND THE CORPSE, BRAT!" Kogoro snatched him up by the back of his shirt. He bowed and apologized to the inspector.
"Sorry about him, he loves to play detective."
Megure let out a defeated sigh, "He is Yusaku's son, alright."
Great, another one.
Kogoro handed Conan to Ran, "Keep an eye on him, and make sure the idiot don't give himself away." Conan scowled at him over Ran's shoulder.
"You need to be careful, you don't know if they are watching, Conan." Ran whispered to him. She knows she is a bit paranoid, but it only has been three days. Dad mentioned the men in black will get suspicious of Shinichi's missing corpse and will sought out to make sure Shinichi is still dead.
Looking over Ran's shoulder, Conan saw Mouri-san is taking Takagi to the other room. While Megure is trying to figuring out who could have killed Fujie-san.
While all the adults distracted, Ayumi sneaked pass Ran-neechan. Earlier, she thought she saw something under the couch. Curious, she crawled on her knees to check it out and discovered some kind of jewelry.
She was ready to reach out for it, but then she hesitated...maybe she shouldn't touch it. What if there are blood on it? Then she spotted a officer nearby, a man with the cute, red scarf wrapped around his neck. Ayumi was surprised, didn't know officers like wearing something as cute as handmade scarves at work.
Although, the man is acting weird, sniffing around…
"Uh, excuse me." Ayumi tugged on his coat. The man turned around at her, Ayumi screamed at the horrific scars on the man's face. The expression on the cold, harsh face shifted, Ayumi instinctively thought the man grew angry at her. She flinched, closing her eyes tightly as tears leaking at the corner, waiting to get yelled at.
"Ah! Sorry! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"
Ayumi sniffed, blinking in surprise at the officer stuttering an apology.
Other officers snickered behind Takagi, "Aww, I guess the Mutt isn't good with children."
"With that face? Babies will cry."
Ayumi saw the scarred officer looked embarrassed and felt bad for him. She quickly get his attention.
"I-I saw something under the couch." She pointed at the furniture. Takagi checked it out and saw the strange object underneath, reaching out from under and grabbed it in his gloved hand. He was surprised to see an earring. A rather expensive looking earring.
"Thank you, little lady. You're a great help." Takagi praised her with a warm smile which softened his scarred face. Ayumi beamed back at the officer. Despite the scary face, the officer is nice. And he probably like cute things since he wore such a cute, fluffy scarf.
Takagi brought the earring to Megure-keibu's attention was interviewing with the Pop-star and her manager. Okino recognized the earring belonged to another pop-star, her rival named Ikezawa Yuko. Megure ordered his men to bring her in.
She wasn't very happy about it.
"When this ugly man with scars appeared at my door, I thought he was going to assault me! And now you accused me of murdering some asshole?!" Poor Megure is getting chewed out by the agitated deva. Behind him, Takagi was nursing a bruise on his jaw where the pop-star socked him out of fright.
She can really give a mean right-hook. But then again, anybody would either run away or attack if they found a tall, scary man with scars at their doorstep. He sighed to himself, ignoring snickering and sneers from his co-workers. A loud coughing from Kogoro shut them up instantly and they scurried way under his glare.
Takagi gave the detective a weak smile in thanks.
Kogoro rejoined his daughter, Conan, and the nodded at the other pop-star. "So what's her deal?" He asked Ran.
"Ayumi-chan found an earring." Ran noticed a confused look in her father's eyes. "She is Conan's classmate."
"Oh"
"Anyway, she found the earring and alerted Takagi-keiji and Megure-keibu, then they brought in the owner of the jewelry in for questioning."
"Ah."
"So where were you, Otchan?" Conan asked. He saw the old man disappeared for awhile after talking with Takagi-keiji.
"None of your damn business." Kogoro grumbled. Ran elbowed him. "Be nice."
Kogoro frowned, before he sigh. "I was...looking around."
"Looking around?" Conan raised an eyebrow.
"...look at each room to see if anything is out of place...some of the room appeared to be ransacked…"
"Wait….if there was a robbery before the murder...then could it have been the stalker?" Ran asked. "Then the stalker killed the man during a struggle?"
"No, I don't think the stalker killed him." Kogoro said. "There was hairs in the vicitm's hand...it was made to look like he had a struggle with a killer...but there was a obvious flaw."
Kogoro glanced at the covered body. "It is physically impossible to grabbed the killer hairs while being stabbed from behind."
"Then the hairs were planted?"
"That what Takagi thought so too...until he noticed the nail marks in the vicitm's palm."
Conan's eyes widened in realization.
Ran blinked, "What about it?"
"...it means the victim was already clenching onto those hairs before he died. It is impossible to make those mark if the killer just planted the hairs in his hand." Kogoro stated. Ran gasped as she slowly realized.
"Wait….then that….then he…."
Kogoro nodded. "But I can't figure out how…"
"Heh, I knew how~" Both looked down Conan with a smug grin on his face.
"Really?!"
Conan nodded, but then he frowned. "But one thing I can't figure out….was motive behind it...what drive a person to do all that."
"I told you already that I never been here before! And just because my earring was here doesn't make me the murderer!" Yuko screamed at Megure, she glared at Yoko.
"The murder took place in her apartment! Maybe she stole my earring and pin it on me!"
"I-I would never do that!" Yoko protested. Yuko snorted. Then she stormed off to use the bathroom to cool off. Ran blinked, she noticed how Yoko and Yuko looked identical from the back.
Wait...how did she know where the bathroom was?
"...you realize too, Ran?" Conan whispered to her. Ran nodded.
Kogoro sighed. "...this has became sad." He shared a glance with Takagi who has been watching them from afar.
Soon Yuko came back and she isn't any happier with Megure and his questions.
"You morons are wasting my time! If I wasn't so nice, I would call my lawyers and complained about police harassment!" Yuko needed a smoke to calm down. She pulls out her cigarette and pick up the miniature statuette which turns out to be a lighter and use it to lid it. Taking a deep breath before letting out a long sigh.
"Megure-keibu, we've figure out this murder."
Everybody turned to Kogoro. The portly inspector raised a eyebrow at the detective. "You do?...wait a minute, 'we'?"
Kogoro ignored Megure as he turned to Yuko. "Ikezawa-san. It is obvious that you have been in this room."
Yuko snorted in disbelief. "You are idiot! You can't prove that I have been here over a earring!" Yuko snarled in frustration.
"Mmm, interesting." Yuko frowned at Ran who picked up the miniature statuette. "You said that you never been in this room before…" Ran turned to Yuko with a eyebrow raised. "Then how did you know this was a lighter?"
Conan smirked when he sees Yuko turned pale and Megure caught on. Busted it. Yuko stuttered out an excuse. She claimed her friend has the similar lighter.
"Really? So does your friend's home have the same layout as Yoko-san's? Since you clearly knew where the bathroom was earlier." Ran said, sarcastic. With that, Yuko knew it is over. Megure would asked her for her 'friend's address and phone number to confirmed her excuses but really, even he could see there is no point. He finally knocked the deva off her high horse.
"In fact, you were the stalker who harassed Okino-san for weeks, aren't you?" Kogoro asked. Yuko bowed her head, she nodded. She confessed she did it out of anger for having all her acting roles taken and losing fans.
"I came here to take pictures of anything that would caused a scandal when...that man attacked me!"
"Fujie-san attacked you?" Megure was surprised, he didn't expected that.
"Y-yes! I don't know who he was, he just came out of nowhere and jumped me!" Yuuko shuddered, holding herself. "I was so scared, but I managed to fend him off and fled. But I didn't kill him, I swear!" Megure wasn't convinced.
"She is telling the truth, inspector." Kogoro spoke, Megure stared at him for clarification. "Didn't Takagi-Keiji mentioned how it was impossible for Fujie-san to grabbed the killer's hairs while being stabbed in the back at the same time?
"True….but it is also possible that Ikezawa-san could have planted Okino-san's hairs in the man's hand to pin the murder on her." Megure pointed it out.
"That is unlikely." Kogoro turned to Takagi. "You were going to explained to Conan and inspector that you found marks on the victim's palm where Fujie must have clenched his hand so tight that his fingernails left marks."
"Y-Yes, which means that victim was already holding onto the hairs in his hands by the time he died. The killer wouldn't be able to make those marks by just closing the hand."
"W-Why didn't you told me about that, Takagi-kun?!" Megure exclaimed. Takagi bowed his head, "S-Sorry, sir. But Kogoro pulled me aside to asked me questions, and then he asked me to search the room for any evidence of Ikezawa-san's presence."
Yuko gasped, turning to Kogoro. "Y-You knew that I've already been here? How?!"
"Well, I notice the living room is trashed because there was a struggle. But when I check other rooms, it seem like someone was snooping around….you didn't really bother to cover up your tracks since you wanted to freak Okino-san out." Kogoro spoke in deadpan. "Also, the perfume. You and Okino have different scented perfume, although your is stronger than her."
Kogoro sneezed, rubbing his nose. "If you were in a struggle with Fujie-san, chances are you might have dropped something. So I asked Takagi to search around the living room."
"I-is that why the officer was sniffing around?" Ayumi spoked out. Other officers almost burst out laughing. "Wow, he really is a mutt" A glare from Megure and Kogoro shut them up.
"Beside, even if she was the killer and if Fujie-san did jumped her. She is more likely to stabbed him in the chest than in the back." Kogoro pointed it out. "And she will be too scared to stab her [attacker] from behind and rather ran away than taking that chance."
"T-True. But then...who killed Fujie-san?!"
"It was….Fujie-san, himself."
Everybody looked at Kogoro as if he was insane, with exception of Ran, Conan, and Takagi.
"I can explain for you, Otchan!" Conan jumped in. "This is just like the story of the sad man that papa used to read to me!" Conan explained how the story goes.
The sad man made a hole in a block of ice and stick a knife in it. Then the sad man climbed onto something high and fall backward onto the knife. Megure, the officers, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko were disturbed of hearing the story from a mouth of a child.
Kogoro pointed out the strange dent in the ground where the blunt end of the knife hit the ground when Fujie stabbed himself. And it match where the chair is facing where the corpse laid. Plus the heater was set on full blast by Fujie melted any remaining crushed ices, which explained the watermarks on the floor.
"Okay, now we know how he….killed himself, but why? What was the motive? And why did he attacked Ikezawa-san?"
Kogoro gestured Yoko and Yuko to turned around, exposing their backs to the police. "When you look at them from behind, you can see they are identical."
"W-which means Okino-san was the target? So after he failed, he figure he killed himself and framed Okino-san for his murder?" Megure suggested.
"I don't think so, inspector. You see, Fujie-san didn't came to harm her, but to talk to her." Kogoro said.
Now Megure is lost. Kogoro turned to Yoko. "...you have been dishonest this whole time….you knew the man, didn't you?"
Yoko bowed her head, admitting her guilt.
"Y-Yes, he...we were…"
"Lovers. You two were a couple in high school, correct?"
Yoko was shocked. "Y-Yes, h-how did you know?"
Kogoro stared at her with a sad look. "It is the only way to explain his death. You see, when he mistaken Ikezawa-san and hurt by her action, he thought you had rejected again….and that sadness turned to hate and despair."
Kogoro pull out the hair-brush, holding the handle with handkerchief wrapped around it to prevent his fingerprints mixing with the evidence.
"Fujie-san probably got the hairs from this brush so he can framed you for the murder."
"B-But wait! He broke up with me!" Yoko protested. "So why did he do this?"
"Actually.." her manager, Yamagish finally spoke up. He revealed that he was the one who pressured Fujie to break up with her. Yoko stared at her manager in disbelief.
"H-How could you?" Yoko voice quivered in sob.
"Then he came here, hoping that he could talk to you and to clear up this...misunderstanding." Kogoro gave the manager a glare.
Later, Chiba-keiji arrived with a diary belonged to Fujie to confirmed Kogoro's deduction. The diary was overflowing with Fujie's pain. After they got separated, Fujie couldn't stop thinking about Yoko and wanted to be with her again. Fujie wanted to clear up the misunderstanding and how he couldn't lived any longer without her...and that how it ended.
The room was coated in seldom silence...all the the lies and misunderstandings piled up on top of each other led to this tragedy….What a senseless death…
Kogoro and Ran walked Conan's classmates home, the children were chatting up with Conan about the case. About how cool it was when Conan and his family solved the case together! Genta was disappointed of missing the show, his friends promised to fill him in later.
"Well, Conan-kun! We are officially, you best friends now!" Ayumi smiled. Conan facepalmed.
"Wait, you guys followed me just for that?!"
"Well, of course! We will make you our best friend, no matter what!" Genta grinned, holding Conan's head in a headlock. "You seem to be an interesting guy, but man after tonight, you are freaking amazing!"
"Although, your dad is pretty cool of letting you read such disturbing story." Mitsuhiko said.
"Wait, what story?" Genta asked.
Conan groaned. Great, he now he had to babysit bunch of kids.
Next day, Otchan was right when they found Fujie's fingerprints on the hand brush. But Kogoro wasn't in a mood to celebrate, then again nobody is in the mood to celebrate after a life was taken away like that.
A four days later...
Few days have passed, and Yoko didn't pressed charges against Yuko. Both just wanted to move on and put it behind them. Yuuko, surprisingly, became quiet and leave her rival alone….unless they are competing for same acting role.
Light shower of snows have fallen on the busy street. Ran and Conan were heading home after little grocery shopping, until they saw Yoko performed on the big screen. Ran smiled sadly, watching the idol performed. Despite the pain and loss, she was able to smile...if Shinichi actually died…
She wasn't sure if she will ever be strong enough to handle it...
"Ran?" Ran blinked, feeling tears leaking from her eye. She sniffed, quickly wipe away her tears.
"S-sorry, it's just...if something happen to you...if those men in black actually killed you, I-I don't know if I'll…" Ran blurt out a chuckle.
"Look at me, crying over something like this...I know, it's stupid." Shinichi usually teased her at this moment to pissed her off. It used to annoy her, but right now Ran doesn't mind it. If it will get her mind off something that made her sad.
Then she felt a tug, pulling her toward the ground. She was taken by surprise when Conan leaped up and wrapped his arms around her neck. Ran blushed slightly, "C-Conan?"
"I'm still here, Ran. And I'm not going anywhere...I promise." Conan...no...this time….it's Shinichi, hugging her. Despite his tiny body...his soul is still Shinichi. Ran smiled and she hugged him close. Even if she is holding a small body...she can imagine Shinichi held her in his arms, keeping her safe.
"You better keep that promise, or I will never forgive you, you stupid jerk."
Both shared a laugh. Neither of them cared that they are hugging in the middle of the street. A high school teen girl hugging a elementary school boy. For the moment, everything felt right.
Somewhere else...
Kogoro casually scrolling down an semi-busy street with cars occasionally driving passed him. Letting out a long sigh, watching warm air flowing from his lips. The winter coat kept him nice and warm...although, the cold never usually bother him thanks to his hot blood.
Then a car stopped by him. So casually, Kogoro climbed inside without a word or fear. He even strapped himself in just as the car drove off.
He glanced at the gentleman sitting in the back through the rear-view mirror, "Good evening. Glad we have a chance to talk."
"Had to wait for things to settle down before we can meet." The mysterious figure grumbled from the back. "You and your kids pull quite a show."
Kogoro threw a small smirk at the driver. "Did you enjoy the show?" The driver didn't respond to that...but he get to the point with a question.
"Mouri-san...care to explain about the boy...who reeks of poison?"