"Um, Shino-chan, are you sure it's okay to be here?"
Ouji-kun asked.
You remember that kid three years older than I am and who's friends with a Pygmy Marmoset? Yup, we're friends for two— almost three— years already. I'm in my first year in middle school and only nine years old, yey. (Note the sarcasm it that last word, please.)
We went to the same middle school and even ended up in the same class. Shin-chan is in fourth grade already and earned himself the title of Teitan's Detective. I'm proud of him for following in his dearest sister's footsteps. Anywaaaaaays, Teitan Middle is a lot bigger than the elementary version.
And you might be wondering where I am with Ouji-kun and Yūjin-chan, FYI, we're currently on a murder case. Otou-san couldn't make it so he sent me on his behalf. Seriously, what kind of parent sends their child to solve a freaking murder case? And the child only being nine years old?
Yup, that's my parents.
"Of course it is." What confuses me though is how Ouji-kun seemed to be unaffected by the bloody murder scene in this pharmacy. The victim was stabbed precisely on the heart and the murder weapons was left just besides the corpse. My twelve year old friend didn't even blanch at the sight of it.
That's something I need to investigate it. However, I have to focus on this case right now. I searched for the forensic team (Yes, if you're wondering why they didn't kick us out yet, Otou-san notified them of my arrival) to ask whatever they found. I approached the head of the team and asked for the details.
He said that the woman is named Juujiro Kana, 36 years old and works as a part-timer here at the pharmacy. Her job's a nurse and is— was— currently looking for a job in the hospital. There were no finger prints present on her person or anywhere near the corpse.
It was said that she was last seen at the supermarket buying groceries, went back home to drop whatever she bought and went straight to this pharmacy. It was all whatever they could gather at the moment. The owner of the pharmacy was visiting a sick friend in the hospital this morning and left this place to the now dead worker.
I was too deep in my thoughts to notice Ouji-kun looking at me with unreadable eyes.
Need more clues. There's no suspect yet and they might write this off as suicide since Kana-san is wearing gloves and the distance of the knife from her body made it quite possible to determine this. However, there was something bothering me. Something, just something. I can't put my finger on it yet.
I noticed Megure-keibu and approached him. "Ne, Keibu-san, did you inform her family yet?" Megure-keibu nodded. "Yes, but the husband hang up before I can tell him the location."
The door to the pharmacy rang and a voice filled with worry boomed inside here. "Kana! Kana!" The police officers guarding the entrance held back the man from ruining the crime scene. The body had been covered by a white cloth as soon as I finished observing it.
The man had a ring on his finger and yet, Kana-san doesn't have any ring on her. They don't share any kind of particular features to be siblings so what? Who was this man who looks so worried about Kana-san?
And then, my eye caught sight of some thing near the corner of the pharmacy. I realized that it was a ring and concluded that it must have been the victim's. So, this man is her husband so his worry is now understandable. "Shino-chan..." I flinched when I felt a hot breath near my ear. I looked back and saw Ouji-kun crouching low near me.
"... don't you think it's strange?"
My attention was suddenly on him. "What's strange?" I inquired. I knew there was something weird but I don't know what it is. "You know, how that man came." Everything suddenly clicked together. The ring. The man's suspicious arrival. Everything was in place.
It was all far too simple.
I tugged on Megure-keibu's sleeve to get his attention. He was about to make this crime a suicide. "Keibu-san, it's no suicide. It's a murder." Everyone gave me shocked expressions. "What do you mean, Shinobu-kun?"
"This crime was supposed to look like suicide to make the true culprit innocent. The culprit wore gloves and so did Kana-san since it became a habit. This way, we cannot determine if it was murder or if it was suicide."
I inhaled before resuming my deductions. "The culprit casually approached Kana-san and told her that they had something to say to her. The person took this chance to strike and kill her." Her death is so simple that it annoys me. It annoys me how a human can die so easily, yet live life so hard.
"Then, Shinobu-kun, why would the culprit walk up to her so casually? Wouldn't she suspect that he's up to something?" I shook my head to deny Keibu-san's claim. "No, because this person is someone she's close with." I mentally smirked when I saw him flinch. Yes, be scared, you filth.
"What are you talking about? Who's the murderer?" I smirked and pointed at Juujiro-san, Kana-san's husband. "Juujiro-san, you're the murderer." Everyone around me gasp and I was too focused on this case to notice a pair of eyes glaring at the perpretor, who was glaring at me.
"Oh? What does an elementary school kid know?" I frowned, not liking how he was sneering at me. "FYI, I'm in middle school. Besides, you knew Kana-san's daily routine. It would have been easy for you to ambush her here." I stated. The man snickered, all worries for his wife gone in an instant.
"Then, little detective, let's hear your deductions right from the beginning."
I mentally grinned sadistically. I'm so gonna send that guy to jail.
"As earlier said, she was last seen buying groceries, went home and went to work here at the pharmacy. You're an engineer and there will be times when you'll have a break, however, it can be on random days.
You did this crime while at work, however. You excused yourself, saying you had an emergency and went here at the pharmacy. You waited for Kana-san and when she arrived, the two of you talked for a while before striking her down.
You left the knife to make it seem like she commited suicide and you left through the backdoor and went back to work. Kana-san, who somehow knew of whatever you were going to do, threw her ring discreetly as a clue. There's no reason for you to remove her ring so the other only logical thing is for the victim to do it herself as the main clue of who did it."
I paused and let the man answer. His hands were sweaty, so were his neck and forehead. He was nervous. "What if she just wanted to frame me and make it look like I murdered her? What if it just accidentally fell?" He was getting defensive. "You don't have enough proof, you brat!" My eye twitched at being called brat.
"Don't talk about Shino-chan like that."
Our attention averted to... Ouji-kun? When I looked at his eyes, I couldn't help but freeze at his cold expression. His eyes were dull and sharp and Yūjin is no where to be found. I managed to unfreeze myself and coughed to get their attention. I sent Ouji-kun a look and he only smiled at me.
I faced back to my audience. "As concrete evidence, how did you know of this place?" Time seemed to slow down as I ask him. "W-What?"
"Earlier, Megure-keibu mentioned that he had hung up before he can tell you the location of where your wife had been killed. I ask again, how did you know of this place?" I demanded. "O-Of course I would know she was here! She went home earlier, didn't she?!" B. I. N. G. O.
"Ah, but you were at work, weren't you?"
And just like that, the man gave up. He fell on his knees with his forehead touching the ground. "That woman..." My eyes softened when I heard how broken his voice sounded.
"... dared to burrow money from my already in debt sister. My sister is too kind and it was up to me to support her but that woman was far too selfish! She burrowed money from everyone and spent our money on gambling, alcohol and cigarettes! I've had enough of her selfish actions!" So, it was all for his sister.
"But Mister..." I trailed off as he looked at me with a defeated expression. "... taking someone s life isn't always the answer. Violence isn't always the answer. Murder is never the answer. Face the obstacle presented in front of you and face it like a man you are; not like a coward who ends it with murder."
Tears slowly trailed down his cheeks as he cried while being handcuffed by the police.
Why do people go to far lengths for their family, even going as far as to kill someone? That notion was added to my list of 'mysteries'.
Ouji-kun and I walked to the park with Yūjin on his shoulder after the case. I looked at him from the corner of my eyes. "Shino-chan, please don't let anyone look down on you." I raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't matter to me. Let them underestimate me because I sure as hell won't lose. I'll solve anything and I won't let cases go unsolved."
I smiled at him with my hands behind my back. Sure, I have been an unmotivated girl in my past life but now, now I feel thrills whenever I solve murder cases or any other cases.
"Language, Shino-chan. Please use proper words whenever you talk." I lightly smiled. "Alright, Ouji-kun."
What I didn't know was that, somehow, Ouji-kun isn't the person I expected him to be and yet, I still find myself accepting him for who he is.