"Are you all ready for the triaaaaaal?" Monobear asked dramatically, spreading her arms to both side. Just as one may suppose when more than half of the commanders are deadly sick the response wasn't exactly enthusiastic.
"They're way too sick to do this, Monobear" Lily said with a certain satisfaction "Wouldn't you rather to postpone this for a few days?"
"No! The trial will be done right now. There are some who are able to talk and discuss. Let's leave it up to them to lead the trial to a resounding success! Or to a hope-crushing failure. Three guesses which one I want to happen and the first two doesn't count"
Mitsuhiko sighed. "Okay, let's get started. The facts of the case are simple: Mitsuishi-kun was murdered in the Carpentry Workshop. Most of the commanders have an alibi in the sense they were in way too much freaking agony to go around murdering people. So, who's left?" That was a rhetorical question, but may as well try to lead everybody to a possible conclusion.
"Um, those of us that weren't sick?" Sugita replied "Tanaka-san, Mimori-san, Fukuyama-kun, you and me"
"Right. Let's narrow this a bit more. The body found announcement happens when three innocent people find the body, are you following me so far?" General nods from those who were paying attention "Fukuyama-kun, Mimori-san and Tanaka-san found the body, but the announcement wasn't triggered. It only happened when I saw it. So! What's the conclusion from this?"
"The culprit is one of those three" Koshimizu responded. Mitsuhiko felt his mood enlighten a bit, at least they had Koshimizu available.
"Congrats, Sugita-san! You're innocent!" Emiko said but it didn't get more than a mere nod. Sugita sat aside and took Sasuga's hand, the Roboticist barely registering it, almost asleep on the table.
"Fukuyama-kun was poisoned, he can't be the culprit" Mimori quickly said "And I'm not the culprit either, so it was her"
"I didn't do it, I didn't even go into the Lounge or anywhere else near that" that was all Emiko said regarding that accusation.
"It's between us two and unlike you I can prove I didn't go into the Carpentry Workshop at any time. I have an alibi" Mimori pointed at Monobear with her pen "Hey, bear. Who were you with around the time of the crime?"
"Eh?" Monobear, despite being the main observer of the trial, wasn't expecting to be dragged into it. He stared for a moment before laughing softly. "Upupu...I was with nobody, just alone by myself. Why do you ask?"
"Bear" Mimori narrowed her eyes "Are you trying to deny you attempted to bother us at that time?"
"I wouldn't do such a rude thing. I have bedside manners, you know!"
"I don't know why I expected you to be helpful" the journalist slammed her pen on the table
"Either way; even if he denies it I was with Monobear when the crime happened"
"If he doesn't admit it then it doesn't count" Emiko crossed her arms.
"Because it's convenient to you"
"This won't get anywhere, Hikari-kun" Koshimizu said to Mitsuhiko while the two female suspects argued between themselves about who has an alibi and who doesn't. Mitsuhiko, knowing it was true, had to take the decision as to who blame for the murder.
"Okay, sorry to inform you, Tanaka-san, but you're the one I have to suspect here" the hunter stated. Emiko, who apparently didn't expect to be accused so quickly, looked at him with wide eyes.
"You have to be kidding me...why am I the suspect?"
Okay, let's see...I'll try to prod her a bit. The main piece of evidence will have be presented in a moment, so let's go for another one for now.
Monobear File #3
Circular Saw
Erased Message
Blood on the Hand
Table
Window
The Mud Outside
Sleeping Bag
Whittling Knife
Caretakers Arrangement
Fukuyama ' s Testimony
Chemistry Laboratory
Hemlock
Teapot
File About Kaiji Kudo/Heiji Hasegawa
Laboratory Rats
Dismantled Solar System
Caretakers Arrangement
"You were supposed to take care of Mitsuishi-kun. Sure, you said you fell asleep but it's odd. It sounded like a bad excuse to me" Well, it wasn't the whole truth but that could be useful to try to gauge reaction from her.
"You fell asleep? Was dealing with two sick guys too much for you?" Mimori sneered. Apparently the fact there was a limited amount of commanders available to talk gave some leeway to antagonize other people, especially when it meant not being the suspect.
"Shut up" Emiko quickly replied before focusing back onto Mitsuhiko "It is a bad excuse for my failure as a caretaker but it's the truth. You have no idea how badly I slept last night"
"I talked to Amy and he said there was nobody near him. You weren't there" That was an outright lie but it wasn't like Kobayashi was going to deny it. The illusionist yawned when he was mentioned but he didn't say Mitsuhiko was lying.
Emiko wasn't impressed, though "Nice try, but I know Kobayashi-kun was deeply asleep. I tried so many times to talk to him I know he was knocked out"
"He was asleep and you knew it very well, eh? Maybe you took advantage of it to, perhaps, leave your spot?" Mimori took the chance to barb Emiko. Mitsuhiko facepalmed, they weren't going to make any progress if Mimori tried to stir everything up every time there was an opening.
"Mimori-san, please don't. So, Tanaka-san, just because he was asleep at one point doesn't mean he was going to be asleep at all times"
"Does he look on condition of being wide awake for long? Look at him and tell me" Emiko pointed at Kobayashi. She did have a point. Kobayashi was now drooling on the table, deeply asleep.
Well so much for that. My strategy failed. "That's not the only thing I have against you, Tanaka-san. There's something else that points at you"
Monobear File #3
Circular Saw
Erased Message
Blood on the Hand
Table
Window
The Mud Outside
Sleeping Bag
Whittling Knife
Caretakers Arrangement
Fukuyama ' s Testimony
Chemistry Laboratory
Hemlock
Teapot
File About Kaiji Kudo/Heiji Hasegawa
Laboratory Rats
Dismantled Solar System
Fukuyama ' s Testimony
"Amy was sleeping but there was somebody who wasn't: Fukuyama-kun. He saw you entering the Carpentry Workshop"
Emiko looked at Fukuyama who nodded, confirming he had said such thing. "Really? What did he say, exactly?"
"You read it. I have his testimony right here" Mitsuhiko passed the written content to the courier, who read it a couple times. Mitsuhiko carefully looked at her expression; it was darkening the longer she spent reading it. It looked like she really didn't like what she was seeing. Once she was done she left the paper on the table, trying to keep a straight face.
"W-well, I see. So he says I dragged Mitsuishi-kun in there but he never says I killed him. That has a lot of problems so let's start with one of them"
Nonstop Debate
Hemlock / Erased Message / Monobear File #3 / Fukuyama's Testimony / Teapot
EMIKO: I'm not saying what he said is true...
FUKUYAMA: I saw it... *WHEEZE*
EMIKO: Right. But even if I was with Mitsuishi-kun in there...
EMIKO: ...I think it's clear I couldn't have killed him
EMIKO: If you take a look you'll see I had no blood on me
EMIKO: And his death was pretty bloody!
KOSHIMIZU: Cutting an artery with a saw would spray blood
EMIKO: If I had slit his neck I'd be covered in blood
KOSHIMIZU: Did you see any blood, Fukuyama-kun?
FUKUYAMA: ...no...
EMIKO: There you have it
MIMORI: I didn't look around but...
MIMORI: ...I don't think there was anything she could use...
MIMORI: ...to avoid staining herself with blood
EMIKO: That's only one of the many problems with the theory
EMIKO: Got a counter? Anything?
"I do" Mitsuhiko said. It was time to start figuring out just what exactly Emiko had done with Mitsuishi in the Carpentry Workshop. He did believe she had been the one who dragged Mitsuishi away and Fukuyama's testimony supported that thought, but that didn't confirm she was the killer. Mitsuhiko needed to solve all the problems.
"You found something she could cover herself with?" Sugita asked.
"Not exactly, but she could at least wound Mitsuishi-kun without being bloodied. Look at the file" Mitsuhiko showed it to everybody "The neck wasn't the only wound he had. He was also stabbed"
"He died because of the neck, not that" Mimori pointed.
"I know! I'm trying to clarify that it's possible Tanaka-san stabbed Mitsuishi-kun. Would that make blood gush like an artery?" he asked to Koshimizu. The Medical Demon thought for a moment.
"There'd be blood but it'd be mostly on her hands"
"It's be easy to hide your hands. Fukuyama-kun wouldn't see any blood if you did that"
"If, if, if" Emiko rolled her eyes. She was taking everything pretty coldly. "As Mimori-san said: he didn't die because he was stabbed. Would that even matter?"
"It would if it proves you had ill intent towards Mitsuishi-kun. A stab first, doing the fatal strike later"
"Oh, come on! Why not to kill him all the way in that very moment? It makes no sense to wait for later"
"Besides the stab would make him bleed out in a few minutes. There was no time to wait around" Koshimizu added.
If she killed Mitsuishi-kun then she must have returned to the workshop to use the saw. I won't be able to go any further if I can't prove she came back. "Fukuyama-kun, did you see anything else?" Mitsuhiko asked. The actor shook his head. "Damn it"
Emiko closed her eyes and smiled placidly. "It was not that bad of an effort but the facts can't be twisted so they fit your truth. Let's find the correct answer, okay?"
"But I'm rather sure it's you. Nobody else entered the Carpentry Workshop, right Fukuyama-kun?"
"Um..." Fukuyama rubbed his throat "I don't know. I dozed off and...ohnlee wok ap when" his voice started croaking, having difficulty breathing. Mimori hit him on the back, trying to help, and passed him her notepad and pen. While Fukuyama wrote she gave new data.
"Fukuyama-kun was asleep when I found him. I woke him up and he immediately dragged himself off to try to open the workshop"
"Seriously?" Mitsuhiko sank in his seat, frustrated "Is everybody except me falling asleep randomly today or what?"
"I use method acting and I'm so good at it I fell asleep" Fukuyama wrote that on the notepad. Before that there were several crossed words, saying more or less the same Mimori had said.
"I don't think that's method acting"
"Let's not get sidetracked, okay?" Mimori put her feet on the table. Her behavior resembled the confident mood she had during the first trial when she was accusing Kobayashi of having murdered the first victim "Tanaka-san, you may have a point but it's between you and me. I have no other option that pursuing you as the culprit because it definitely wasn't me.
Any other defense you may have?"
"You haven't disproved my first point" Emiko replied.
"Fukuyama-kun already admitted he fell asleep and I confirmed it. Let's say he fell asleep shortly after you left after stabbing him. When that happened you returned and killed Mitsuishi-kun with the circular saw and set the closed room"
"...ah" Emiko narrowed her eyes "Since he fell asleep you could have gone in there yourself as well"
"I suppose you'd be right about that if it weren't because I was fending Monobear off and was done with it shortly after the murder. I can't have done it"
"He hasn't admitted it yet!"
"Not. Again" Mitsuhiko punched the table, startling Mimori and Emiko. If the whole trial was going to be like this then it'd get old way too fast "Do you have other arguments for your innocence, Tanaka-san?"
"Well there's another one" Emiko looked at Lily "Lily, could you project the crime scene"
"I didn't see it so I can't"
"I investigated it so I can give you the parameters" Mitsuhiko said and started reciting everything he had seen and found, as well as the quirks that made it a closed room. When he was done Lily projected a perfect replica of the Carpentry Workshop crime scene, including a small gray figure symbolizing Mitsuishi. "There. What do you have to say, Tanaka-san?"
"As you can see this is a closed room murder. Fukuyama-kun says he saw me go out of the workshop but if I had killed him then that wouldn't have been possible"
Nonstop Debate
Fukuyama's Testimony / Caretakers Assignment / The Mud Outside / Laboratory Rats / Circular Saw
EMIKO: The way he died doesn't matter
EMIKO: What matters is the table you see here!
MIMORI: What about it?
EMIKO: How could I escape the room...
EMIKO: ...if a table was blocking the door?
KOSHIMIZU: She's right about that
KOSHIMIZU: With that table in the way...
KOSHIMIZU: ...she wouldn't be able to escape
MIMORI: The door is not the only way out
MIMORI: There's also a window
MIMORI: I bet you got out through the window
EMIKO: But Fukuyama-kun says it was through the door!
MIMORI: He was asleep when you returned
MIMORI: You set the closed room and made it like it couldn't be you
MIMORI: It isn't that hard
"It isn't so simple, Mimori-san. She can't have gone through the window"
"Why not?" Mimori raised her eyebrows.
"Because she didn't, just like that. I checked the ground outside of the window and I'm sure jumping from a window from the second floor would leave some sort of print. Nothing like that was found there!"
"...oh" Mimori supported her head with her hands "M-Maybe she felt lightly and...yeah"
"That didn't happen. There's another thing that shows she can't have escaped through the window"
Monobear File #3
Circular Saw
Erased Message
Blood on the Hand
Table
Window
The Mud Outside
Sleeping Bag
Whittling Knife
Caretakers Arrangement
Fukuyama ' s Testimony
Chemistry Laboratory
Hemlock
Teapot
File About Kaiji Kudo/Heiji Hasegawa
Laboratory Rats
Dismantled Solar System
Window
"The window was locked when the body was found and it can't be locked in the outside. Tanaka-san can't have escaped"
"That's a good point" Koshimizu commented "I think it's clear what Fukuyama-kun saw wasn't Tanaka-san killing Mitsuishi-kun"
"But if it wasn't her then who…? And what was she doing with him in the workshop?"
"Yeah, she hasn't denied she dragged him there" Sugita added "What was that, Tanaka-san?"
Emiko fidgeted with her sleeves, looking to a side "I suspected Mitsuishi-kun had something to do with the poisoning so I dragged him there to interrogate him"
"How long was Tanaka-san in the workshop?" the Tea Demon asked to Fukuyama, who raised a single finger. "A minute? A nod was the only response. Sugita shook her head, confused "A minute isn't enough to interrogate anybody. She's lying"
"I didn't lie! It's just that he was too weak to answer anything so I left him alone"
…nothing she's saying makes sense. She's trying very hard to hide something, just like Romi-san was doing in the other trial. "Tanaka-san, I see no good reason for you to do any of that. It's painfully obvious something happened when you and he got in there" Mitsuhiko said.
"And I tell you nothing happened"
"Come on! One doesn't need to be a genius to know what happened. I should have known it earlier"
"Then say it, what did I do in the workshop?" Emiko challenged. She seemed more annoyed than anything else, as if she knew what was coming and knew she wouldn't be able to stop it. That part is easy. I think I can guess.
"You dragged Mitsuishi-kun in there and..."
You killed him
You wounded him
You knocked him out
You tried to get him to safety
You wounded him
"...and you wounded him. You were the one who stabbed him with that knife, right?"
"Let's suppose I did" Emiko crossed her arms, defiant "What does that change?"
"Mitsuishi-kun didn't die because of that wound, it doesn't change much" Mimori pointed, doodling in her notebook.
"But the stab wound would have killed him. The blood was flowing freely" Koshimizu grunted, rubbing his legs.
"So even if I did it doesn't matter, right?" Emiko shook her head "So yeah, I'm not the culprit. Move on"
...she isn't trying to even cover it now. She isn't outright saying she did it but she isn't trying to hide it either. Mitsuhiko felt there was something going on and unlike Romi in the other trial he had the feeling Emiko knew very well what she was doing. Feeling that pressing Emiko wouldn't help any further he decided to go for another matter. "If Tanaka-san stabbed him then why didn't she finish him?"
"He was going to die either way" Koshimizu said again.
"I know that! But had she any way to know that?"
Emiko's eyes immediately darted to a side before focusing back on the front. Feeling that may be a potential clue he followed to who she had looked at.
It had been Monobear. "Tanaka-saaaan...have you had medical training in any way?" Mitsuhiko asked. He wasn't sure how significant that had been. For all he knew that meant nothing.
"No, I'm a simple courier. Administrative skills are all I have" she replied dryly, carefully keeping her voice and expression stony.
"Then do you know anybody who has medical training other than Koshimizu-san?"
A pause of a few seconds before her eyes once again focused on Monobear for a second. Now he knew there was something going on. "No. Nobody at all"
"If Tanaka-san knew a spot where she could hit him so he'd bleed out then that'd solve that problem. It wasn't a random wound, she planned this" Sugita concluded, not having noticed Emiko's suspicious behavior.
"But then why didn't she outright kill him? Why did she merely leave him with enough life for a few minutes?" Mimori inquired "It doesn't make sense"
"It doesn't matter, I'm not the culprit!" Emiko claimed "I didn't cut his neck, who cares what I did or didn't do!"
"Then tell us what you did. Don't try to pretend you're innocent of taking part of the murder in any way because none of us will believe that. Give us a testimony" Mitsuhiko requested, focusing on the courier. In his opinion everything now depended on what Emiko was going to say. Come on, slip up or something. Give us a clue!
Nonstop Debate
Whittling Knife / Hemlock / Erased Message / Blood on the Hand / Table
EMIKO: I admit I dragged Mitsuishi-kun to the workshop
SUGITA: But why did you do that?
EMIKO: Not answering that
EMIKO: Once I was inside I took him out of the sleeping bag
EMIKO: And...And I stabbed him
EMIKO: Only once.
KOSHIMIZU: Were you trying to kill him?
EMIKO: ...I was.
EMIKO: But since I didn't it doesn't matter, right?
MITSUHIKO: Sounds to me you had an ulterior motive
EMIKO: Once I stabbed him I left the workshop
EMIKO: But I'll tell you something:
EMIKO: When I left the workshop...
EMIKO: ...the culprit was already in there.
"You definitely had an ulterior motive. Since you said the culprit was in that workshop then you basically brought the victim to the culprit" Mitsuhiko said. Emiko snorted. Something about her behavior greatly bothered Mitsuhiko. Why while it was being proven she was a willing accomplice to the murder she still behaved like it was no big deal? She surely knew Monobear would let only one person escape! And that person wouldn't be her.
"Fukuyama-kun didn't see anything" Emiko pointed "Right?" The actor nodded, coughing.
"And what guarantees he was in his spot? How can we be sure he isn't the culprit and he cooperated with you to kill Mitsuishi-kun?"
"Hikari-kun, you're an idiot" Mimori rolled her eyes "This guy almost died because he was poisoned, did you forget that already?"
"She's right, he wouldn't be in condition to kill somebody and create a closed room" Koshimizu agreed "I couldn't even move my legs in the slightest an hour ago. It must have been the same for him"
"But why? Why did she help the culprit? What does she gain?" Sugita inquired, touching the point Mitsuhiko had missed "You know you won't be getting out of here, right?"
"I know that. Call me suicidal but I got into this murder knowing very well what I was doing. So I repeat again: the culprit was in that workshop when I left that place. Fukuyama-kun was in the Lounge yet he saw nobody enter"
"Then who is the culprit?"
She's trying to lead us somewhere…and it's impossible. It can't be serious she¿s trying to suggest this is the culprit...
Monobear
Daisuke Mitsuishi
Emiko Tanaka
Kumakichi Fukuyama
Daisuke Mitsuishi
"Tanaka-san, you're daft if you think we're going to believe Mitsuishi-kun committed suicide" Mitsuhiko growled. It was clear to him Emiko was trying to mislead them to think the victim had killed himself and he wasn't going to accept it. Emiko shrugged, knowing she wasn't convincing anybody.
"Believe what you want to believe"
"Mitsuishi-kun was almost dead, being poisoned and all" Sugita reminded them "He wouldn't have the energy to create a closed room"
"He wouldn't even be able to kill himself!" Koshimizu added.
"Besides it has already proven without a doubt the culprit is one of you three" Mitsuhiko finished but Emiko merely laughed. However Mitsuhiko could feel it was very strained and there was no authentic mirth in it. I don't doubt Emiko took part of this murder but I must remember it isn't as simple as that. There must be some sort of reason she's doing this because it's clear to me she isn't a bad person.
IS THAT SO?
"Hikari-kun, nothing has been proven. You're getting ahead of yourself"
"I didn't say we have discussed it here" Mitsuhiko replied. Emiko seemed to be taken aback by those words but soon feigned her smug behavior again.
"Okay, let's see then. I want it to be truly undeniable, show me how either Mimori-san, Fukuyama-kun or me did it"
Rebuttal Showdown
Monobear File #3 / Table / Window / Dismantled Solar System / Whittling Knife
EMIKO: We all agreed from the beginning…
EMIKO: …we were the only suspects
EMIKO: Fukuyama-kun couldn't have done it
EMIKO: He's the only one that has been proven…
EMIKO: …is completely innocent
EMIKO: Mimori-san was not seen by him
EMIKO: And it's obvious by now I didn't do it!
MITSUHIKO: I don't get it
MITSUHIKO: Why are you defending the culprit?
MITSUHIKO: Only the culprit can be guilty
EMIKO: Is that why you're so confused?
EMIKO: What if I told you…
EMIKO: I caused Mitsuishi-kun's death
EMIKO: I left him to bleed out
EMIKO: Even if I didn't give the final strike…
EMIKO: I contributed to his death
EMIKO: That should be good enough, right?
Mitsuhiko shook his head. Emiko wasn't even getting a good argument; her words were jumbled and confusing. He wasn't sure what the point of the words was. "Tanaka-san, you're not the culprit and no matter what you did you won't ever be"
"Proof" that was Emiko's reply. Mitsuhiko took out the bear's file.
"We already defined you couldn't have caused the cut on his neck. The most you may have done is stab him but the file here clearly states what killed him was the saw. Did you get it already? To Monobear's eyes you're innocent"
"It isn't like he can say that…" Emiko said but the hunter wasn't done.
"The body announcement! It only sounded when I saw the body. You three had entered and it didn't trigger it. If Mitsuishi-kun had killed himself then I wouldn't have needed to see the body"
Emiko stared at Mitsuhiko for a moment before turning to Monobear. "Hey, bear. Tell them: in a crime with multiple commanders involved who would be the real culprit?"
Monobear, who had been lounging on his seat like nothing was happening, turned his head around. "Oh? The mastermind, of course. The person who plans and keeps control of everything according to their plan would be the real culprit of the case"
"Just what I wanted to hear" Emiko nodded "And if the mastermind didn't leave any option to somebody other than…killing? It being all part of a plan?"
"If it goes according to the mastermind's scheme then it counts"
"Tanaka-san, you're not trying to say… Mimori had her eyes wide open and soon Mitsuhiko understood what Emiko was going for. But it doesn't make sense for her to admit it Why is she so protective of the real culprit? Doesn't she understand she's going to die?
"Yes" Emiko nodded "I forced Mitsuishi-kun to use the saw to kill himself"
"No way!" Sugita shouted "How would you manage to do that? He was too weak to do it!"
"Right, right. So you say that" Emiko said "Consider this: was Mitsuishi-kun even sick on the first place?"
"You're saying he was pretending to be poisoned" Koshimizu concluded, eliciting a nod from the courier.
"Even if he was Monobear's body announcement condition clears Mitsuishi-kun's name" Mitsuhiko said. He wasn't going to let Emiko distract them with that possibility "Yes, Monobear himself has ruined your plan to frame Mitsuishi-kun"
A strange noise emerged from Monobear, it was like the person talking through him had cleared their throat. "I knew it was a mistake to do that. From now on the culprit will count towards the number of people finding them"
"That's no problem, it counts in this case and that's what matters"
Emiko shook her head, taking her cap off. It seemed more like she was resigned to see her plan partly ruined; nothing was going well for her. "But he did kill himself. That should mean voting for him is what we must do, because he did it. Sure, I forced him but…I didn't give the killing blow. Do you get what I'm saying?"
"Um…" Sugita looked away "To be honest you have been very confusing. I don't even understand now what you have been trying to say"
"Same, what's the point of all this?" Koshimizu inquired, frowning.
"It…isn't clear? My bad" Emiko replied but it was obvious she wasn't really sorry about that. Mitsuhiko once again felt something nagging in his head. He knew Emiko was protecting somebody but her actions in the trial were confusing and her arguments flimsy.
"You're trying to confuse us, make us forget facts and stuff" the hunter declared "That's what you're doing, that's why everything you have said is disconnected. You're trying to mislead us"
"Ooooh…right? Why's that?"
"You know who the culprit is. You cooperated with them. You're trying to mislead us"
"Do you mean Mimori-san and her are working together?" Sugita asked but the journalist threw a ball of paper at her.
"I had nothing to do with all this, okay?"
"Stop that! We won't get anywhere until we put some order in this" Mitsuhiko hit the table "Let's start with an easy question: why would Tanaka-san cooperate with the culprit in the first place?" That was a good starting point. Emiko had taken control of the trial so far, it was time for Mitsuhiko to lead everybody in a direction and not let the courier confuse anybody.
"She should know by now that only the culprit will receive the prize" Sugita added "There's only one spot in the Main Board"
"Then there must be something else that encouraged her to assist them. Maybe she was threatened?" Koshimizu mulled. Mimori was doodling in her notebook without doing any effort to help.
Threatened…maybe… "I think you have the right idea" Mitsuhiko said slowly "Maybe Tanaka-san was…blackmailed into helping?"
"I wouldn't let myself be blackmailed by anybody" Emiko declared bluntly "I have nothing anybody could use against me"
"Is that so? Are you sure you don't have a certain detail like...something in your past?" Mitsuhiko had a pretty good idea of what it could be. It was pretty much laid on the table, but much to his surprise Emiko didn't flinch or anything. In fact it didn't seem like she was too affected by that...at least in the context of being blackmailed.
"No, there's nothing in my past that anybody could use to blackmail me" that was the courier's reply, and judging by her tone...she was honest about that.
"There must be a reason why she was a willing accomplice. If there's no blackmail then...what, did she approach a random person and say 'Hey, let's kill people'?" Sugita said, causing Mitsuhiko to suddenly look at her. That's it!
"I think I get it now. Why Tanaka-san took part of this plan. I was wrong, she wasn't blackmailed. In fact I think it's more likely she was approached because she'd be useful for the culprit, but first they had to know she was willing to kill"
"That's a dangerous thing to ask, the culprit must have been pretty sure she'd help" Koshimizu pointed.
"Yes, exactly! The culprit knew something...and talked with Tanaka-san. If I had to guess...the culprit used this as leverage to get her on the plan. Not this object, literally, but I think you'll understand"
Monobear File #3
Circular Saw
Erased Message
Blood on the Hand
Table
Window
The Mud Outside
Sleeping Bag
Whittling Knife
Caretakers Arrangement
Fukuyama ' s Testimony
Chemistry Laboratory
Hemlock
Teapot
File About Kaiji Kudo/Heiji Hasegawa
Laboratory Rats
Dismantled Solar System
Hemlock
"The hemlock?" Mimori's eyes widened "You don't mean that...that Tanaka-san is the one who..." Mimori wasn't an idiot; she knew very well what Mitsuhiko was saying. What she wanted was him to say it plainly so she could evaluate Emiko's reaction.
The courier wasn't an idiot either. She looked away, pulling the brim of her cap down to her eyes. "I see what you're trying to pull. You're trying to pin that on me now, aren't you?"
That was truer than Mitsuhiko liked to admit. "I don't need to pin on you something you actually did. You added the hemlock to the tea. You almost killed eight people" There was absolutely no evidence that Emiko was the poisoner. In fact all he had was a very faint possibility. She must have been the poisoner. Otherwise the culprit wouldn't have contacted her. The culprit somehow found out she did that and that led to she helping them.
I can't be wrong about this.