SailorStar9: With Chapter 108 uploaded, I present Chapter 109 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 do not own Sailor Moon or Detective Conan, I only own this plotline and the pairing.
Pairing: Established!Furuya Rei/Mizuno Ami
Chapter 109: The Detective Boys Become Models
Time passes...
"I'll summarize the case." Takagi informed Mouri, Ran and Conan, having interrupted them at dinner to bring them to the crime scene. "The victim is Kitasono Seiho-san, seventy-two years old. He died when he was stuck in the back of the head. We believe the weapon was the plaster bust over there."
"Seiho-san was pretty famous in the Japanese painting world." Ami supplied. "He acted as a chairperson on judging committees for a number of exhibitions. His estimated time of death was around 3:30 pm."
"His body was found by his apprentice, Higashio Kengo-san." Sato added. "It was around 3:50 pm when Higasho-san entered the studio and found Seiho-san on the ground, bleeding from his head. Higasho-san then left the studio and returned to the house where he reported what he found to the housekeeper, Minamida Shizu-san. At the same time, Seiho-san's wife, Kinuko-san, returned home. They confirmed Seiho-san was dead and Shizu-san called the police at 3:58 pm."
"Later, his other apprentice, Nishiyama Daiki-san, arrived." Chiba added. "He arrived after us around 5 pm."
"Why is Conan-kun a witness in a murder case?" Ran was confused.
"Well..." Takagi started.
"It's already finished." Conan gawked at the landscape painting resting on the easel.
"It's Conan-kun and his friends." Ran blinked.
"This is the painting the artist, Nishiyama-san, was working on at Lake Okuho today." Takagi explained. "We had Conan-kun come to confirm the time."
"I think we met Nishiyama-san around 11 am." Conan recalled. "We left after fifteen minutes of sketching, so I don't know how long Nishiyama-san was painting there."
"He finished this painting." Mouri added. "He must've been there for a while."
In the living room...
"Detective, have you figured it out?" Higashio asked.
"We're still gathering information." Megure informed. "Nothing so far."
"In any case, Kitasono-sensei isn't someone anyone would've hated to kill." Higashio argued.
"So, you say." Kitasono snorted. "Higashio-san, aren't you the one who killed my husband? You resented him for not recommending you for the teaching position at the Beika Art School."
"In that case, weren't you fighting with your husband over the money you were throwing at a young host?" Higashio fired back. "You're most suspicious than I am."
"Let's not discuss this right now." Nishiyama cut in. "Kitasono-sensei just died."
"Seriously, Nishiyama-san?" Kitasono retorted. "You're suspicious as well. My husband told you he'd select your piece to win an exhibition if you paid him. Maybe you killed him because you couldn't afford it."
"Let me ask you again." Megure interrupted. "When Higashio-san arrived, the door wasn't locked."
"Normally, it's locked." Higashio confirmed. "On days like today when he knew we were coming, he sometimes left it open."
"According to forensics, the windows were unlocked." Megure remarked.
"He did sometimes work with the windows open." Nishiyama nodded.
"Working with oil paints will fill a room with the smell of paint and oil." Higashio explained.
"He would've noticed it immediately if a stranger entered through the door or windows." Megure mused.
"Not necessarily." Kitasono refuted. "When he was caught up in his work, he'd forget to eat or use the bathroom."
"Was there anything valuable in the studio?" Megure inquired.
"I'm not sure if they're valuable, but my husband keeps a few of his paintings there." Kitasono recalled. "Even if anything was missing, I wouldn't know."
"During the estimated time of death between 3:10 and 3:40, where were all of you?" Megure questioned.
"I was at home all day today." Higashio answered. "I left after three and drove here."
"I went out after noon." Kitasono replied. "I ate at the Beika department store and visited two department stores after that."
"I was on the train from Lake Okuho to Beika City." Nishiyama recalled.
"I left just before three to go shopping at the nearby supermarket." Minamida replied. "I returned about five minutes before Higashio-san arrived."
"Do you have anything or anyone to verify your alibis?" Megure asked.
"You were there this afternoon." Nishiyama recognized Conan.
"You already finished the painting of us." Conan nodded.
"I was late coming here because I was working on that." Nishiyama explained.
"I'd like to show the others." Conan reasoned. "Can I take a picture?"
"Of course." Nishiyama nodded. "That reminds me." he recalled. "Detective, this is a picture I took at Lake Okuho Station." he showed Megure the selfie on his digital camera. "Does this verify my alibi?"
The next day...
"Nishiyama-san's alibi fell apart?" Megure echoed, after Takagi reported his findings.
"This is how Nishiyama-san fabricated his alibi." Takagi replied, having taken the Detective Boys to Lake Okuho.
"First, he made that painting last week." Conan explained.
"That's not enough to prove an alibi." Mitsuhiko added.
"That's why he asked us to model yesterday and painted us on top of the scenery he'd already painted." Conan reasoned. "But, there's something there that shouldn't have been: the tree that was cut down last week."
"Then Nishiyama-san returned to the station, vandalized the crossing gate and delayed the train." Mitsuhiko continued.
""He waited for the sign to change and took a photo." Ayumi took over.
"Since he actually boarded the 1:17 pm train, he was able to board the 1:55 pm special express at Aohata Station." Mitsuhiko stated.
"That train would allow him to arrive at the studio in time to commit the murder." Genta declared.
"We don't know the motive, but if he did all that work beforehand, then Nishiyama Daiki-san definitely killed Kitasono Seiho-san." Conan concluded.
In the police headquarters interrogation room...
"It wasn't my fault." Nishiyama broke down. "It's all Kitasono-sensei's fault. He made people pay in exchange for selecting them as winners. I couldn't afford it, so I always lost."
"Nishiyama-san, why did you decide to become a painter?" Megure asked. "Because you loved painting? Didn't you become an artist so the children who saw your paintings would smile? You betrayed the children who modeled for you. You deceived your audience and stooped to using them to commit a murder."
Later that weekend...
"It's been quite a while since your last sketch." Amuro noted appreciatively, the couple having situated themselves near the Nabegataki waterfalls and Ami brought out her sketchbook. "And just in time for the Autumn Cultural Exhibit, too." he smirked knowingly.
SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Read and review.
