Well hello! Here is a new chapter of Azure Redi fanfiction. I took some inspiration for this from The Magic of Chocolate(Japanese: ショコラの魔法, Hepburn: Shokora no Mahō)-manga. I do not own the rights to that manga. I start planning the next chapter. See you in the next chapter.
"Be quiet", Kogorō said sitting behind his desk looking bored. Kogorō's boredom was due to the fact that Kogorō had not received any assignments recently.
The sun was going down.
"You're right", Shizuka thought, sitting on the couch reading a makeup magazine.
Knock knock! Shizuka stood up, and walked to the door of Kogorō's study, opening the door:
"Evening. Come in".
Behind the door stood a woman wearing sunglasses and a hat. Standing next to him was a man wearing a turtleneck.
Commissioner Megurekin was there with a couple of other police officers.
"Keibu-dono?" Kogorō asked after seeing Megure.
Shizuka closed the door.
"Sorry for coming here so late, but I need your help", The woman said.
"I should know your name first", Kogorō told the woman as Ran brought coffee into the room, and Ran looked at the woman after placing the coffee cups on the table.
The woman took off her sunglasses and hat. She had dyed her hair blue and had fair skin and brown eyes. He was tall, and thin. He was 32 years old. He was wearing a black t-shirt, gray jeans, and gray ankle boots:
"Excuse me, but are you the Kashiwazaki Aika I've been seeing on TV lately?" Shizuka asked sitting on the sofa.
"Yes. I'm in the entertainment business. I've been getting some weird stuff sent to me lately", Aika said.
"Strange things?" Kogorō asked.
"I mean this", Aika said, pointing to the bone in a clear plastic bag that Commissioner Megure was holding in his right hand, with burn marks on it.
"T-that looks just like a human's bone!" Kogorō shouted in disbelief.
Shizuka's skin raised goosebumps with excitement, and Ran looked surprised.
"Yes! I get sent one like that every day!" Aika yelled.
"How about you start by telling me when exactly this started?" Kogorō suggested.
"Sorry. Nowadays I perform as a solo artist, but originally I sang in a 2-person band called Roxy. My performing partner was Asahi Narei. She was good at singing and dancing, but a bit antisocial in nature", Aika said.
(Flashback)
Aika and Narei greeted their fans at an autograph session for the band Roxy, which was in a shopping mall.
"You sing well, Aika-san. Here's a present for you", A man said, handing a teddy bear to Aika.
"Oh, thank you", Aika said, taking the teddy bear in her arms, and hugged the teddy bear. There was already a big pile of presents behind him.
"You only get 10 seconds to shake hands! Next!" Narei said. She had short, black hair that only reached her shoulders. His eyes were blue, and his skin was tanned. He was tall, and thin. He was wearing a black and white sweater, his legs were gray jeans, and sneakers. He was 33 years old.
"Cold treatment!" The man who had just washed Narei's hands said.
"However, it suits Narei-san very well", Another man said.
"Aika-san is gradually becoming more popular than Narei-san", Aika and Narei's manager said while watching the autograph session.
"Yes. Narei-san is like that by nature", Makeasistant said.
(A couple of hours later in the dressing room.)
"Yesterday's concert went really well, but you are missing something. Namely, more publicity. Of course you are popular, but only among die-hard fans", The manager said. "A cosmetics company has recently launched new eyeshadows, and they want you to advertise those eyeshadows in an advertising contest. Then the viewers vote online, and the one with the most votes gets a solo record deal and becomes a model in a photo catalog".
"Really?" Narei asked sounding interested.
"You don't have to agree, but such opportunities come very rarely", The manager said.
"I agree. I want more publicity, and I even want to perform in a big concert hall", Narei said. "Of course I want free evenings to spend time with my boyfriend, so my schedule has to be planned accordingly".
"Fine. I agree", Aika said.
(End of the flashback)
"How did that advertising contest go?" Kogorō asked.
"The eyeshadow went like hot stones, and was really popular", Said a man wearing a turtleneck jacket:
"I'm Aika-san's manager Tomoe Kenji. The difficulties started when we watched the votes cast by the viewers. Aika-san and Narei-san were pretty evenly matched during the promotional competition".
(Flashback)
"You guys are really evenly matched, but Narei-san is leading in the advertising competition now", The manager said, looking at the voting results on the computer screen in his office. "You can't help it. Even the eye shadow sells well".
Narei = 34% Aika = 33%
"Now it goes without saying, for I am good at singing and dancing. Defeat is out of the question. I'm going to win this ad contest!" Narei said walking out of the room.
"Narei-san?" Aika asked nervously.
(End of the flashback)
"The words Narei-san said then scared me a little. The advertising competition was really even, but then Narei-san unexpectedly fell under the fallen sets used in the filming, and was seriously injured, ending up in the hospital, where Narei-san fell into a coma", Aika said.
"Where exactly did the falling of the sets happen?" Kogorō asked.
"In one of the filmings held at an ice rink in Tokyo, because Narei-san likes to skate, and wanted to show off his skating skills to get more votes to win the advertising contest. Narei-san got stuck under the fallen sets after coming to sit on the chair at the edge of the skating rink, behind which were the Stages used in those filmings. A possible solo record deal I think it's going to Narei-san's head", Aika said. "So I'm not being honest, but its advertising competition ended with my victory. However, about a month after I won the advertising competition, these strange mail deliveries started happening".
(Flashback)
"Aika-san, I think you were startled by the fact that Narei-san fell under the fallen sets during the filming during the advertising contest", Interviewer said.
"Yes. I didn't want to win the advertising contest like this", Aika said, crying, holding a handkerchief in front of her eyes, and her handbag in her lap, sitting on a chair at a television station.
"Cheers, Aika-san!" Some fans in the stands cheered.
Time later went to the dressing room with his manager.
"Aika-san, the topic of your recent conversation clearly appealed to the audience. Let's talk about Narei-san in the next interview as well. Maybe Narei-san will be happy when Narei-san wakes up from the coma to hear how Narei-san is being encouraged to recover, and that Narei-san has not been completely forgotten, even if Narei-san lost that advertising contest to you", Manager said.
"I don't want Narei-san to fall under the fallen sets during the filming of Narei-san while in the ice rink, to do any entertainment", Aika said.
"Don't say that. After all, you won the advertising contest, and you know very well how much Narei-san hates pity. Narei-san would surely be angry with you after hearing you pity Narei-san now", Manager said.
Surprisingly, Aika saw a gift on the makeup table in the dressing room with her name on it, which Aika picked up:
"Is this a gift?"
"Who left that gift in a place like this? I hope there is nothing dangerous inside the gift wrap. Let me take a look", Manager said, taking the package in his own hand, and opened it to see a bone with burn marks:
"W-what does this mean?!"
"What?! A bone?! Really disgusting", Aika said shaking a little.
"Probably some bad prank. I'll report it to the police just to be sure. Now we should focus on the next job", Manager said.
"Alright", Aika said.
Beep beep! The manager opened the message that had just arrived on his cell phone:
"This is from Narei-san's boyfriend. What?! Narei-san has disappeared from the hospital! A laundry cart was found in the hospital lobby containing only Narei-san's hospital clothes!"
"Really?!" Aika asked.
The manager nodded palely.
(End of the flashback)
"So Narei-san disappeared from the hospital? Would Narei-san have been enraged after waking up from his coma, and hearing that he lost the advertising contest to you, and therefore left Tokyo for a while, deliberately not telling you?" Kogorō suggested.
"I've thought so myself, but Narei-san has never seemed like the type to be easily offended", Aika said.
"Excuse me, but is Narei-san perhaps the type that nothing seems to faze?" Shizuka asked.
The manager nodded:
"The disappearance of Narei-san caused quite a scandal. It was talked about on television, in newspapers, and in other media".
(Flashback) Aika sang on stage while the manager read a newspaper with an article about Narei's mysterious disappearance in the hospital.
"Aika-san is really popular", One stage said manager.
"Yes. Aika-san has gained even more fans since starting her solo career after winning that advertising contest. And the eye shadow is also selling really well", Manager said.
(Later in the dressing room)
"Excellent, Aika-san. Performing alone is clearly better for you", Make-up artist said to Aika, who was sitting on a stool in front of the make-up table.
"N-Now don't flatter", Aika said, blushing a little. (End of the flashback) "It's a bit complicated, but I was incredibly happy. But bones were sent to me every single day. To my apartment, my workplace, wherever I happened to be. Somehow, someone always knew how to send the bones to exactly the right place", Aika said:
"In the previous package, which was brought to my workplace 2 days ago, there was something really shocking. There was a support frame inside that package".
"A support chain?!" Ran cried out in shock.
"So, and it already started vomiting", Aika said.
"I asked Aika-san to give me all the bones sent to Aika-san so far, and those bones formed a whole skeleton when I put those bones in a certain order. And inside the package Aika-san just mentioned was written in blood-red spray paint like this:
"I know your secret, Aika". I immediately called the police", Manager said looking at Megure.
"We arrived at Kashiwazaki-san's place of work, and those bones seemed like real bones. We couldn't find any clues in the packages where those bones were sent to Kashiwazaki-san, so the sender of those bones must have been very careful when sending those bones to Kashiwazaki-san. The sender of the bones probably used gloves when sending them those bones to Kashiwazaki-san so that the sender of those bones would not leave his fingerprints on the packages that the sender used to send those bones to Kashiwazaki-san. So the sender of those bones has been very careful when sending those bones to Kashiwazaki-san", Megure said. "First we had to investigate whose bones they really were".
(Flashback)
"Aika-san, I just found out whose bones have been sent to you recently", Manager called Aika who was sitting on the sofa in her living room.
"Really?!" Time asked.
"Yes. The autopsy results were completed, and the police just called me to tell me about the autopsy results. They are Narei-san's bones", Manager announced.
"Yeeek!" Aika screamed in fear, dropping her phone on the floor.
"Aika-san, I'll be there and we'll talk more", Manager said.
(Later)
"I'm pretty sure that Narei-san was murdered by someone. And I'm terribly afraid that the murderer's next target will be you, considering that the murderer sent Narei-san's bones to you", Manager said, standing on the floor, and looked at the couch sitting, wrapped in a blanket Aika.
"And not!" Aika said in shock.
At the time, curtains were drawn in front of the windows of the apartment.
(End of the flashback)
"I see. So you want me to find out who could have murdered Narei-san. What about Narei-san's boyfriend you told us about earlier?" Kogorō asked.
"Narei-san's boyfriend is Satomi Daiki. Daiki-san would never have done anything bad to Narei-san, but Daiki-san has been a little tight-lipped since Narei-san disappeared from the hospital", Aika said.
Surprisingly, Shizuka saw a burn on Aika's right index finger, and that Aika's clothes smelled a little like tobacco, and then Aika looked at her empty cigarette case:
"Sorry, but my pack of cigarettes seems to be empty now".
"Unfortunately so. Also, I lost my lighter a while ago. Oh, how careless I am. I seem to have accidentally burned my right index finger with my lighter", Aika said after noticing the burn on her index finger.
"What if this case isn't what Kashiwazaki-san claims it is?" Shizuka thought.
Beep beep! Commissioner Megure took his phone out of his pocket when he heard it just ringing:
"Hello Megure. What? Asahi Narei's car has been found near an abandoned factory in town?!"
(Later)
Everyone looked at the car in front of the abandoned factory, which was completely burnt.
"The car was burned on purpose, because we found traces of gasoline in some parts of the car, and there are charred bones inside the car as well. Those are Narei-san's bones", The coroner said, looking at the research results he had just written on his writing pad:
"Narei-san's boyfriend has already come here to give his statement. Narei-san's boyfriend said he was at Kafe Poirot about a month ago when the crime happened. Poirot's keeper confirmed it, so Narei-san's boyfriend has an alibi. However, Narei-san's boyfriend said that Narei had been following someone suspicious -san shortly before Narei-san disappeared from the hospital. Narei-san's boyfriend heard it from Narei-san, and Narei-san's boyfriend told us when we interrogated Narei-san's boyfriend earlier. This arson probably happened shortly after Narei-san disappeared from the hospital. An office worker found this car a couple of hours ago".
"I see. The killer probably kidnapped Narei-san from the hospital after picking up Narei-san's car near this apartment, and transported Narei-san out of the hospital on a hospital laundry cart found in the hospital lobby, and then the killer drove Narei-san's car here, and poured gasoline on that car burning Narei-san in that car. But how was the car found until now?" Megure asked.
"Are those push marks?" Shizuka asked when she saw the push marks on the ground leading out of the front door of the abandoned factory, which looked just like the tracks of a car tire.
"What?" Kogorōk also asked after seeing the tracks:
"Maybe that car was burned inside that factory, and was only brought out later, which is why that car was only found today. So the car has been hidden in that factory for about a month".
"Alright. Check out the factory, and why is the fire department here?" Megure asked after seeing the fire truck, and the fire department near the factory.
"Oh yeah. I forgot to mention one thing", Coroner said after remembering something. "When the office worker found the car today, it was on fire. The office worker was on his way home from work when that office worker saw the smoke rising into the sky from the fire, and immediately rushed here to check the matter, thinking that some building had caught fire, but when he arrived, the office worker found the car on fire, and called immediately to the place of the fire department, so that the fire would not spread to the city. The fire department arrived quickly, and extinguished the fire, so that it would not spread to the city. The office worker in question is currently at the police station giving his statement to the police who are currently interrogating the office worker in question".
"Megure Keibu!" Some policemen ran out of the factory carrying burnt clothes in their hands:
"We just found these burnt clothes in that factory, and we already sent the hair we just found from them to the main police station for analysis. There was also a charred paint barrel inside the factory, next to which Asahi Narei's mobile phone and personal papers were found. In the barrel, again, these burnt clothes were found, and the car keys, which probably belong in that car".
"I see. The killer picked up Narei-san's car near the hospital, dressed Narei-san in the clothes you just found, and then kidnapped Narei-san by carrying Narei-san in a hospital laundry cart out of the hospital, and then brought Narei-san here, and burned Narei-san in it in a paint barrel, leaving Narei-san's car in that factory, but the perpetrator didn't expect that someone would find that car. I guess the person who found the car burned that car to get us to come to this place, and find this crime scene. Take that car to the main police station for investigation", Megure said to his subordinates .
The car was moved onto the truck bed, but then something fell out of the car and rolled in front of Shizuka's feet, and Shizuka picked it up with her handkerchief:
"A lighter? It says Kashiwazaki-san's name. Is this Kashiwazaki-san's lost lighter?"
Shizuka wrapped the handkerchief completely around the lighter, and put it in her coat pocket after remembering something interesting:
"Megure Keibu, now could you offer me a ride to my uncle's house, because my uncle has a little business for you?"
"Okay", Megure said, leading Shizuka to Megure's car, after which Megure drove his car to Agasa Hakane's house.
"I could be wrong, but better make sure because I think I know who the perpetrator is", Shizuka thought as she rang Professor Agasa's doorbell. Pom Pom!
Agasa opened the door:
"Irene-kun, Keibu-dono, how can I help?"
"Did you hear about that recently burned car?" Shizuka asked.
"It's on the news right now. Why do you ask?" Agasa said letting Shizuka and Megure in, closing the door behind them.
"You told me something interesting about the participants in the recent advertising competition. Namely, that some companies are now making goods with Kashiwazaki Aikan and Asahi Narei's names on them, right?" Shizuka asked, sitting like Megure on Agasa Hakane's sofa.
"Of course. Those things are watches, lighters, and the like. Why did you ask that?" Agasa asked.
"Since this recently fell from Asai Narumi's car found today", Shizuka showed the men the lighter she had recently found:
"Kashiwazaki-san said he lost his lighter recently, so could this be the lighter? Mōri-san asked me to give this to you, Megure Keibu".
Shizuka gave the lighter to Megure.
"If Mōri-kun is right, then Kashiawazaki-san is starting to look suspicious. Maybe we should talk more about Narei-san's boyfriend. Thank you, Hakase-san", Megure said from Agasa's home.
Shizuka was still sitting on Agase Hakane's couch, and began to think about the situation.
"Megure Keibu is right about Kashiwazaki-san looking really suspicious right now. We should do some background research to understand this situation", Shizuka mused.
Shizuka opened her computer on the table, and started researching Kashiwazaki Aika's background:
"Apparently, Kashiwazaki-san used to be a make-up assistant, and became Asahi-san's singing partner after Asahi-san suggested it to their manager. It seems that Kashiwazaki-san became famous because of Asahi-san".
"That's what it really looks like", Agasa Hakase said.
Shizuka looked at the picture of Narei being interviewed after Aika became Narei's performance partner. In the picture in question, Aika looked at Narei angrily:
"Did Kashiwazaki-san want more fame, since the background research gives that impression?"
"It could very well be possible, because Narei-san often got a lot more fan mail, and popularity than Aika-san after they started singing together. Aika-san's popularity actually started right before the advertising competition you mentioned earlier, because Aika-san performed alone at an event where Aika-san was supposed to perform with Narei-san alone.
Narei-san was found passed out in the dressing room after that live concert, and Narei-san was taken to the hospital. The investigations revealed that someone had put sleeping pills in Narei-san's coffee", Agasa said.
"How did you know that?" Shizuka asked.
"I heard it from Narei-san's interview that I aired live on TV before the start of the recent promotional competition", Agasa said.
"Would Aika-san have put sleeping pills in Narei-san's coffee to be able to perform alone in that live concert?" Shizuka thought.
"Thanks for the information. I'm going back to Ran's home now", Shizuka said starting towards Ran's home.
Shizuka opened the door of Mōri Tantei Jimusho, and went inside, closing the door behind her:
"Did anything work out?"
"I just got a call from Keibu-dono, and based on that call, Narei-san's malefriend said in his recent interrogations that he heard from Narei-san that Narei-san's car keys went missing in Narei-san's locker room at Narei-san's workplace a little while ago when the promotional contest started shortly before Narei-san, and Aika-san participated in that advertising competition", Kogorō said. "That's why Narei-san got a ride home from her boyfriend in his boyfriend's car, before Narei-san was trapped under the fallen sets while filming in the ice rink".
"Pretty suspicious", Shizuka mused. "Excuse me, but were those car keys found in the locker room at Narei-san's workplace?"
"No, although everyone present helped look for those keys", Kogorō said. "Nevertheless, Narei-san's boyfriend said in his recent interrogations that he found Narei-san's car in an abandoned factory, drove that car in front of the factory I just mentioned, and set the car on fire to lure the police to that crime scene. Narei-san's boyfriend reportedly did not murder Narei-san. Instead, DNA-the hair examined in the analysis, found today in a paint barrel in an abandoned factory, belonged to Narei-san".
"Alright. Who could have done something like that?" Shizuka asked.
"That's what I've been thinking here too", Kogorō said.
(On the next day)
Shizuka, and Ran were with Kogorō at the Tokyo Main Police Station, listening as the police interrogated Aika-san.
Narei's boyfriend was also there.
"Do you have any idea who could have stolen Narei-san's car keys?" Megure asked Aika.
"It isn't", Aika said.
It's time for the show to start", Shizuka thought, and fired a stun arrow from her watch into Kogorō's neck without the others noticing. Jack!
Kogorō leaned against the back of the chair behind him, falling asleep in said chair.
"Now what, Mōri-kun?" Megure asked.
"I think you guys just came up with something", Shizuka said placing a small speaker on Kogorō's neck. "Megure Keibu, I'm going to the bathroom".
Megure nodded.
Shizuka walked out of the room, and locked the door of the nearby restroom, starting the performance, sitting on the lowered deck of the toilet seat:
"Aika-san, what do you think about Narei-san getting caught under the fallen sets while filming at the ice rink?"
"It was horrible. I didn't want to win that commercial like that", Aika said.
"What if Narei-san's falling under those fallen sets in the ice rink wasn't a normal set falling? Could someone have deliberately dropped those sets on top of Narei-san?" Shizuka asked.
"I'm not sure about that", Aika said.
"Alright. I recently found out an interesting thing about the time you sang together at the Roxy. It went something like this:
"Narei-san often got a lot more fan mail and popularity than Aika-san after they started singing together. Aika-san's popularity actually started right before the advertising contest you mentioned earlier, because Aika-san performed alone at an event where Aika-san was supposed to perform with Narei-san alone. Because Narei-san was found passed out in the dressing room after that live concert, and Narei-san was taken to the hospital. Investigations revealed that someone had put sleeping pills in Narei-san's coffee", Shizuka said.
"Maybe Narei-san pissed off someone really bad then, and that someone decided to stop Narei-san from performing at that live concert", Aika said.
"You're a skilled makeup artist, which can be easily seen from the fact that you're a former makeup assistant. Kashiwazaki-san, I looked into your background earlier just to be sure, and I found out that you became Asahi-san's singing couple after Asahi-san suggested it to your manager. It seems like you just became famous thanks to Asahi-san", Sizuka said.
"Yes. I know all kinds of makeup methods", Aika said.
"When I researched your backgrounds, I even saw a picture taken of you interviewing Narei-san after you became Narei-san's performance couple. In that picture, you looked at Narei-san angrily, Kashiwazaki-san. After seeing that picture, I thought of you like this:
"Did Kashiwazaki-san want more fame, because the background research will give you one impression?" Shizuka said. "You guys started to become more popular when you performed alone at that live concert when Narei-san was found passed out in the dressing room from the coffee that Narei-san drank that had sleeping pills in it".
"Undeniably, I wasn't very popular at first, because before I started working as Narei-san's performance partner, Narei-san had by then performed alone, so Narei-san was in a way the main performer of our group, and like an idol. That's why I was really noticed only after, when I performed alone in that live concert after Narei-san passed out in the dressing room after Narei-san drank coffee fortified with sleeping pills. My sudden popularity didn't seem to bother Narei-san in any way", Aika said.
"Okay, but have you found your new lighter that you mentioned you lost when you visited my workplace yesterday?" Shizuka asked.
"I haven't found that lighter yet, but how do you know it's new?" Aika asked in surprise.
"I heard that during that advertising contest they started making items with your and Narei-san's names on them. Tell me, did Narei-san ever offer you a ride home in his car?" Shizuka asked.
"He didn't offer, but my manager often offered me a ride home in his car", Aika said. "I've never even been inside Narei-san's car".
"Are you sure, because if that's true, then why was your new lighter inside Narei-san's car when we found that car after the fire department extinguished that car after someone set that car on fire? That lighter fell from Narei-san's car onto the street when that car was transferred onto a truck, and brought here for further investigation. Irene saw that thing, and gave that lighter to Keibu-dono", Shizuka said, guessing Megure was showing Aika the lighter inside the clear plastic cap.
"Huh?! I know this doesn't look good for me now, but how would my new lighter have gotten into Narei-san's car?" Aika asked.
"I think you forgot it there when you drove Narei-san's car inside the factory we saw yesterday, and it must have fallen out of your bag when you burned Narei-san in the paint barrel in that factory. You probably accidentally burned your other index finger then", Shizuka said:
"Perhaps you wanted to win that promotional contest by any means, so you could have dropped the Stages in the ice rink on Narei-san to win the promotional contest. You did it to fulfill your own wish, and become famous on your own. Can anyone confirm where you were when Narei-san left under the fallen sets during filming in the ice rink?"
"N-no", Aika said trembling nervously.
"Perhaps even after your false victory in the advertising competition, you were still afraid that Narei-san might somehow become more popular than you. So you stole Narei-san's car keys from the break room at your workplace, and then you went shopping in a fake costume. Then you drove Narei-san's car to the hospital, laid over Narei-san different clothes, you carried Narei-san in the hospital laundry cart out of the hospital, leaving said laundry cart in the hospital lobby, and then you put Narei-san in his car in the backseat of that car, and you drove Narei-san's car to the warehouse we saw yesterday, then you put Narei-san in a paint barrel in the factory, which you lit with your new lighter on fire, accidentally burning your other index finger, and then after putting out the burning paint barrel, you left the warehouse, accidentally dropping your new lighter into Narei-san's car, but someone had to follow you, if that person once knew how to send Narei's bones just for you knowing the truth about your little secret. That someone must be you, Narei-san's boyfriend, am I right?" Shizuka asked.
"Yes. It was me. I did it to scare Aika, to make Aika confess to the police. You see that night when Aika-san kidnapped Narei-san from the hospital, I was on my way to the hospital to see Narei-san, and I saw Aika kidnap Narei-san, and then the murderous Aika-san", Narei's boyfriend said. "However, Aika didn't do that, but acted as if nothing had even happened. That's why I set fire to Narei-san's car, so that the police would find it, and so that suspicions would turn on Aika when the police saw that Aika's new lighter was in Narei-san's car".
"It's about this lighter, am I right?" Megure asked, showing Aika the lighter inside the transparent plastic bag again:
"If your fingerprints are still found on the steering wheel of Narei-san's car, then you are in a trap. We have already examined that car, and indeed your fingerprints were found on it, as they were even found on the keys of that car".
"I didn't think you guys would ruin my hard-earned reputation", Aika said as both of her hands were placed handcuffs. "But this was the only way I could get out of Narei-san's shadow. I managed to cry in that interview I mentioned earlier by bringing a small piece of onion to the TV station in my handbag, which I wrapped inside my handkerchief so that I could cry, to make it look like I was worried about Narei-san".
Shizuka returned to the room, and put the speaker around Kogorō's neck back into her jacket pocket:
"Jealousy and the lust for fame made Kashiwazaki Aika seek fame and get involved in cataclysms to achieve his goals. But in reality, Aika lost to his own desire for fame".
The police took the handcuffed Aika out of the interrogation room.