SailorStar9: With Chapter 29 uploaded, this is Chapter 30 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Disclaimers: I own absolutely nothing, except this plot and potential pairing.
Pairing: Developing!Furuya Rei/Mizuno Ami
Chapter 30: The Wedding Reception and the Two Gunshots
Time passes...
"Congratulations, Masaru-san." Sonoko called out to the happily wedded couple.
At the wedding reception afterwards...
"The meal here is average." Sonoko took a bite of the steak on her plate.
"But, we're almost strangers here." Ran pointed out. "Is it OK that the both of us come along?"
"It's OK." Sonoko assured. "Had I been alone, to which table do you think I would have been placed? Not with all those elderly people who do not stop bragging. Moreover, if I come alone to this kind of reception, people will come and greet me and constantly disturb me, so I won't be able to eat in peace."
"Being the daughter of the Suzuki Financial Group must be difficult." Ran noted.
"It must be the same with Masaru-san." Sonoko wiped her mouth. "They fell in love at first glance when they met in the villa."
"How romantic." Sonoko and Ran gushed.
"Honored guests, I would now like to pay a few words." the emcee declared. "I think you have come here to congratulate the newlyweds, but there is one thing you do not know. Earlier at the church, we celebrated the marriage of groom Masaru-san and bride Miho-san. But actually, the day before yesterday, the marriage certificate was signed at the City Hall."
"Did you know that, Mother?" Ishihara Rikako turned to Hatakeyama Yuko.
"I did not." Hatakeyama replied. "Honestly, they do what they want."
"I ask for a round of applause for the two." the emcee finished his speech.
"The wine bottle is empty again." Hatakeyama Arisa complained.
"Arisa, you shouldn't drink so much." Hatakeyama Kenjirou chided.
"Be quiet." Arisa snapped. "Why did I have to accompany you at all, Daddy?"
"This girl really disgraces Masaru-san." Sonoko muttered.
"You want some wine, right?" Ito Yoshifumi stood up. "I'll take care of it immediately."
"Yoshifumi-kun, since you're the little brother of the bride, it's good if you leave it to the others." Ishihara Tatsuya stated.
"I can manage." the younger Ito assured. "It makes me feel good with I can help."
"He should sit quietly, at least, today." Tatsuya noted.
"He's a steward, after all." Rikako reminded. "He cannot sit still. The fact that the fortune of the Hatakeyama family is in the hands of this woman. Father must be turning in his grave."
"And now, a few words from the uncle of the groom and head of Hatakeyama Bank." the emcee invited Kenjirou on stage. "Hatakeyama Kenjirou-sama. Applaud him, please."
In the corridor...
"Boy." Yoshifumi spotted Conan. "Where are you going? Looking for the toilet? I'll show you the way. If I remember correctly, you accompany the young woman of the Suzuki Family."
"But why do you know this villa so well?" Conan wondered.
"Initially, the owners of the villa were like my parents and they welcomed me here." Yoshifumi replied. "I become a steward after they died in an accident."
"And what were you doing before that?" Conan inquired.
"I was a farmer." Yoshifumi answered. "But apes and wild boars did terrible damage in the neighborhoods. It made me stop farming and that's why I became a steward. But weren't you looking for the toilet?"
"I forgot." Conan muttered and hurried off.
In the reception hall...
"So, how is it going?" Hatakeyama Masaru approached Sonoko's table. "Were you satisfied with the meal?"
"I'm satisfied." Ran nodded. "Thank you."
"I am delighted to hear it." Masaru beamed. "When we're back from our honeymoon, I would be glad if you visit us in Tokyo."
"Of course, it would be an honor." Sonoko replied. "But please, bring me a souvenir."
"I will remember." Masaru chuckled.
"But is it OK to leave the bride alone?" Sonoko teased. "I would be jealous if I were not constantly with such a beauty."
"It is not so." Miho stepped in. "Masaru-san trusts me."
"Miho-san, you have a miserable face." Ran noticed.
"I'm just a little tired." Miho answered.
"Then, leave the rest to me and rest a little at the hotel." Masaru suggested. "Yoshifumi-kun." he turned to his brother-in-law. "How about sake?"
"I don't drink." Yoshifumi refuted.
"Can you then please take Miho along in your car?" Masaru requested.
"We should set out soon, too." Ran reminded, seeing Sonoko yawn after some time.
"But before that, we still have to say goodbye to Masaru-san." Sonoko stated. "But where is he?"
"I saw him ten minutes ago." Conan supplied. "He was talking to Miho-san on the phone."
"It's terrible." two chefs rushed in. "Outside in the parking lot. The bridegroom, he collapsed."
Outside...
"Masaru-san!" Yoshifumi hurried to the parking lot.
"Stop." Conan, having arrived first, stopped Yoshifumi and Tatsuya from coming further. "Nobody should enter the crime scene until the police have arrived. Ran-nee-chan, call the police, fast."
"Masaru-kun has collapsed?" Kenjirou echoed. "Is that really true?"
"Where did that sound come from?" Conan gaped, when the group heard another loud boom in the distance.
"From the other side of the river." Tatsuya answered.
"It came from the hotel." Yoshifumi realized.
"Possibly..." Conan gasped and headed off on the Turbo Engine Skateboard.
In the villa opposite the river...
"Miho-san." Conan knocked on the villa's door. Finding the door unlocked, he entered the cottage and was shocked to see Miho lying on the bed, a bullet hole in her chest.
A while later...
"All of you heard a noise that sounded like a gunshot and proceeded here after Conan-kun called you." Megure summarized.
"Conan-kun called us and said we should let the police know." Ran nodded.
"Let's look more carefully at the crime scene." Megure told Takagi and Chiba.
"What do you know so far, Detective Takagi?" Conan inquired as morning dawned, the forensics were still gathering evidence in both crime scenes.
"The culprit does not seem be have hidden in the area." Takagi replied.
"We have it." one of the forensic officers called out, locating a pistol in the bushes.
"That will no doubt be the murder weapon." Takagi concluded. "We need the forensics to take photos."
In the meeting room...
"Tatsuya-kun, this is perhaps not a good moment, but who would take over the firm of Masaru-kun?" Kenjirou asked his nephew-in-law. "I'm just worried about the employees."
"Since the two had no children, the inheritance falls naturally to me and his mother." Rikako stated.
"Considering that Masaru-kun died before Miho-san, all of Masaru-kun's possessions belong to Miho-san." Tatsuya corrected. "Didn't he say it in yesterday evening's ceremony? The two were already married."
"So, what will happen the Masaru's heritage?" Rikako pressed.
"Miho-san died before Masaru-kun." Tatsuya reminded. "So, Miho-san's heirs will take over."
"This is ridiculous." Rikako stammered. "I never would approve of such a thing."
"Whether one agrees or not, this is the law." Tatsuya hissed.
"I don't care about that stupid law." Rikako snapped.
"Thank you all for gathering here at such a time." Megure entered the room with Takagi.
"My mother is still in shock." Rikako explained. "She is resting in her room."
"First, I would like to know exactly where you all were last night and confirm that you have alibis." Megure started.
"Do you suspect us?" Tatsuya glared.
"Two people were killed and I'd like to know who had the motive." Megure remarked. "Everyone was in contact with someone; your anger is natural. We only ask for you cooperation in the investigation."
"I was with Tatsuya-kun, near the body of Masaru-kun when Miho-san was murdered." Kenjirou replied. "At least I have an alibi for the murder of Miho-san."
"The bullets extracted from the bodies of the two victims were both fired by the weapon that was discovered in the flowerbed." Megure confirmed. "This means that these two murders were committed by the same person."
"So, we..." Tatsuya was relieved.
"However, at that time, Rikako-san and Arisa-san had returned to the hotel." Takagi stated.
"And that would mean I'm the murderer?" Arisa snapped.
"Calm down, it's only a possibility." Megure pacified. "This is Megure." he picked up the call.
"Inspector, you might want to change the direction of your investigation." Ami voiced over the phone. "My initial inquiry suggests that Ito Miho-san was killed before Hatakeyama Masaru-san. Ballistics has confirmed that both victims were shot by the Norinco Type 54/Model 213 handgun found on scene."
"Understood." Megure nodded. "That was from our daytime coroner; she has confirmed that the bride was killed before the groom." he addressed the group present. "Very little time had elapsed between the murder of the bride and groom, but we still do not know the motive of the murderer. I wanted to ask Yoshifumi-san, the little brother of the bride. According to the survey when we arrived last night, you were in debt of one million yen to several financial institutions. Can you answer, please?"
"Yes I am." Yoshifumi admitted. "But I didn't kill anyone. Why would I... when my sister is my only family..."
In the concierge...
"Detective Chiba." Conan spotted Chiba walk out. "What are you doing?"
"I was checking the video surveillance tapes." Chiba answered. "There was a security camera in the lobby. So, we can see who put the gun in the flowerbed. I thought we would see everything on last night's video, but there was no one who approached the flowerbed."
"Then, how was the gun found there?" Conan wondered.
"Somebody certainly threw it from the window of the first floor of the hotel." Chiba concluded.
In the meeting room...
"It is foolish to believe that I killed Masaru." Rikako insisted.
"The truth is, you never could allow Masaru-san to be the leader of Hatakeyama Group." Arisa snapped.
"Don't speak of things you don't know, you stupid girl." Rikako fired back. "As for you, you have never wanted Masaru and Miho-san to be happy. And all because you couldn't have Masaru."
"It is you who is disappointed in Masaru-san." Arisa retorted.
"Stop acting so indignant!" Sonoko silenced the argument by slamming her hands on the table. "I am now going to make everything clear." she slumped back onto her chair after Conan hit her with the tranquilizer dart. "I will not let you wait any longer and present to you the real culprit. Inspector Megure, you should arrest them as soon as possible before they destroy the evidence. Just as Coroner Mizuno had confirmed, it was Miho-san who was murdered first. The crime occurred shortly after Miho-san had reached the hotel. That's why she was unable to change her dress. The car she took must have taken off shortly after that and she was killed at that time. Isn't that right, Yoshifumi-san? You have accumulated a lot of debts, so when your sister married a wealthy man, you thought you would able to repay your debts. But that didn't happen as planned. You ensured your sister drank very much and arranged it so that you would drive her to the hotel. Then, you killed her with a gun that you had hidden, stifling the sound with a pillow or something similar. Then you used Miho-san's phone to call Masaru-san and killed him in the same way."
"Wait a moment, how may I have had the gun?" Yoshifumi asked. "You found it in the flowerbed of the hotel. Until the police arrived, was I not alongside Masaru-san and everyone else? I would not have had the time to throw the weapon."
"That was what struck me the most." Conan admitted. "How did the culprit throw the gun here? It was then when I understood: the weapon at this location was not abandoned, but left on purpose. The villa and hotel were separated by the river and are opposite one another. So, after killing Masaru-san, you threw the weapon on the opposite bank. With human strength, it's impossible, but that is what you used here."
"Why would I have done..." Yoshifumi questioned after Conan revealed that he had used a bamboo stalk to drop the gun on the flowerbed.
"Isn't it obvious?" Conan continued. "Rikako-san and the others had said it earlier: so that the fortune of Masaru-san becomes temporarily the heritage of Miho-san's. It was done in order to claim that Miho-san died after Masaru-san. For this, the weapon was to be found on the other side of the river."
"Wouldn't it be your imagination?" Yoshifumi stammered. "Do you have any evidence?"
"You do no remember the man with the step ladder outside the hotel?" Conan reminded. "He came to change the lamp that was on the way to the hotel. This hotel employee recalled having seen someone coming out of this room: that was before Masaru-san was killed. This means, in that time, it was Miho-san who was killed."
"So, what was the shot that everyone heard in the parking lot?" Yoshifumi demanded.
"The shot was smartly prepared for forging you an alibi." Conan replied. "You can enter." he opened the door for Chiba. "This was found in the barn next to the villa." he continued; Chiba was seen carrying a T-shaped air cannon. "You should recognize it. It is used for threatening the sparrows. In autumn, sparrows come to eat rice and to keep them away, it is used with fireworks. It is surely used here to keep wild animals from entering. While we were talking, you prepared it so it sounded only once. And it's the sound everyone heard."
"My sister hadn't done anything." Yoshifumi confessed. "For a few million I spent, I had forgotten what it was like to have a family. And now, I don't have any more. What have I done?"
Later that evening...
"Rich people sure have it tough." Ami remarked, taking a bite of her salmon nigiri sushi. "Inheritance disputes are seriously scary."
"Whatever do you mean?" Amuro stopped in mid-bite of the ikura of his kaisendon.
"The Hatakeyama family lawsuit; apparently Ishihara Rikako-san just filed a lawsuit to contest her share of the family inheritance." Ami sighed. "And right after both Hatakeyama Masaru-san and Ito Miho-san were killed. Last I heard from the Inspector, they've escalated it to the Supreme Courts."
"That is scary." Amuro conceded.
SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Read and review.
