The case was not closed yet and she had to tell them the truth before it was too late and the wrong person went to jail for a crime that they did not commit.
But something's strange with my fever. I feel strange.
I'm burning up !
My heart feels like it's going to burst !
It was getting harder to breathe. And every breath that she took was sharper and more painful than the last one that she took and she had to force herself to breathe and not breathe at the same time because with her entire body on fire she felt like she had to get a breath out or she would die.
The vivid visions of fire that she was seeing was showing her just how painful it was that she was having hallucinations to deal with the pain but at the same time she knew how a hallucination felt and this did not feel similar to the ones that she had before.
It was as if smoke was going down her throat and she was breathing it out like fire.
And then the flames turned into darkness and she could not see anymore. But the pain still continued to grow and intensify as she could feel like her bones were melting and she knew this was familiar in an unfamiliar way that was all too familiar.
Meanwhile a deluded Hattori was thinking of his victory in the competition that he had already won without ever competing with another Detective on his level. He had not even met Kudo Shinichi in person or had a conversation on the phone and he already thinks of him as the best Detective.
What he did not know that she was in the same building as him, lying in pain in another room in bed and unconscious with something happening to her that she did not expect to happen to herself.
What's wrong, Kudo ?
Are you giving up on our competition?
The others were demanding to find out who the murderer was while he was thinking this and he was just keeping them waiting for the truth to come out.
Ran was worried about Christie more so than ever and she could not do anything to help her right now because she did not know what was wrong with and only a Doctor could help her and she had to find one immediately. She was worried about Shinichi all of the time and missing her every single minute of the day and only being with Christie helped fill that whole of worry and doubt. When she was with Christie or Shinichi she did not feel alone and she felt that she had already lost Shinichi now she could not lose Christie.
She was not going to lose Christie and she was going to make sure that this Doctor did everything in his power and more to help her to make sure that Christie would be fine.
All of this talk and worry was making her worry about Shinichi more than ever. She needed to see her as quick as possible even if she had to hunt her down to make sure that she was fine. She had to make Shinichi stay this time and promise that she would not leave town or leave her again like she did their date and she was still mad about that.
She dragged the nearest doctor that she could get to on time and ran as fast as she possibly could to get to Christie. But when they both got the room Christie had disappeared and was nowhere to be seen just like Shinichi and she was more worried than ever.
"Doctor she's here" said Ran to the out of breath Doctor.
She looked in the room.
"Christie?" said Ran.
They were both gone and she was all alone.
"To kill the victim and finish this trick it would take at least five or six minutes. The time of death is a thirty minute span between 15:30 and 16:00 " said Hattori.
"Since we came at 16:00 with Tsujimura, she isn't a suspect. The Butler didn't do it either because he was talking to the neighbours during the time of the murder. The son and girlfriend came right back before we did and so there was little chance that they got the opportunity to do it. Both of them were on the second floor with the Butler which rules them all out as well given they were there only one or minutes at the most.
Meanwhile Ran continued to search with the Doctor for Christie not noticing the ribbon that was lying in the corner of the closet behind her.
"So there is only one person left. That person came in after 14:00 and watched TV then went to the study were we ran into them going up the stairs to the study "said Hattori.
"That person is you old man !" revealed Hattori and shocking everyone as he changed the tone of his voice.
And then he at looked the Father of the deceased that was standing behind him and leaving everyone else in shock as they all gasped upon hearing this. And the old man as well was shocked as well with what he was hearing as he could not utter a single word with his mouth lying wide open.
"The evidence is a needle and the string that I found in the tatami room earlier" he said smirking as he should them the evidence in his hand.
Hattori could not help but smirk.
"It is actually a special kind of fishing string that made of new material and its thin and every durable. You fish old man, so don't act like you don't know. We all saw you on the stairs "said Hattori.
The old man was starting to sweat while he still had his mouth wide open in shock.
"In other words you went to the tatami room after committing the crime. You were confident that you committed the perfect crime. The fact that this was in the trash is conclusive evidence" said Hattori.
Behind Hattori Ran came in looking for Christie, she started to take spotlight and attention away from Hattori while he was telling everyone his deduction.
"Christie" said Ran while looking for Christie.
She searched in the room.
"Excuse me, did you see Christie come in here ?" said Ran asking two police officers.
They looked at each other and then both said "No"
"Old man !" said Hattori demanding the truth.
The old man bowed his head in shame "Your right it was me" said the old man.
"I win, Kudo" thought Hattori.
"I was the person that killed by son" said the old man.
But then.
"No, that's wrong" said a female voice.
The female voice surprised them all with the voice coming from the door, shocking them all because it was not a voice they were expecting to hear and was from a person that had not seen in a while.
It was Kudo Shinichi.
"That's wrong" she said smugly as she smiled facing them all as she leaned against the door frame.
"KUDO !" said Megure shocked.
'Shinichi' thought Ran as she looked at her in shock not believing what she see was currently seeing.
Hattori was shocked as well.
'So, this is Kudo…..Kudo Shinichi' he was thought to himself.
Ran looked Shinichi up and down not believing what she was seeing.
'It's really Shinichi' she thought believing it finally.
She started to cry tears of happiness and sadness at the same time "Shinichi" she said sadly.
"I thought you disappeared, then you suddenly show up here…I-I was worried about you" said Ran in tears confessing.
"What's wrong" she said smugly.
She could tell that they were all in shock and looking at her as they had seen a ghost. They had not seen her coming and she could not help be amused by the mere shock in the air and emotions that she could feel that were coming from each and every one of them as she could practically smell and feel their emotions individually.
But they were not the only ones that were surprised as well. Christie, no Shinichi was especially more than surprised. She was back in her former body and everyone was the way she left it.
Many unresolved emotions and situation that had to be resolved. Right now she had to deal with the most important situation and as of right now it was the case of the murder that was lying right at her feet right here and now.
Then she would deal with this other High School Detective and somehow resolve how a seven had disappeared into thin air without noticing (even though that tends to happen a lot) and does not return.
But she needed to speak to Ran. To confess her feelings and tell her the truth about everything that was going because she wanted it to come from Shinichi's lips and not Christie's.
She was back !
Shinichi was back ?
But Christie was also gone.
In many ways she was a ghost of her former self.
She woke up and she was in complete shock. The moment she opened her eyes she could not see anything and her reflexes kicked in automatically, it was first like the first time that she opened her eyes and could not see anything but the darkness that was in front of her. The memory of that moment came back and so did the emotions that came with it. The memory of her finding out that she was blind and now for the second time she was blind again and it scared the hell out of her.
Her need jerk reaction was to sit up and get out of the bed and stand on the ground. She did and with this she knocked a lamp down at the same time. She couldn't believe it the moment her feet hit the ground so easily and so fast. She knew in an instant just what had happened that burning feeling, the sweat and non crippling pain that she had felt was familiar and was the result of her growing back.
This would have to be investigated and studied later. But the quickest assumption that she could come to was the alcohol that she was given by Hattori Heiji.
She touched the wall following the wall to the cupboard so that she could find some clothes as she was in a dire need of change of clothes.
She was able to remember the way to the Study Room without needing any help or assistance.
"There is no need to cry" said Shinichi.
"What ?" said Ran.
" Ya suddenly appear saying that am wrong " said Hattori sounding annoyed.
"Are ya saying my deduction is wrong ? " said Hattori.
Shinichi who was leaning against the door then stood up straight and casually walked forward with her hands in pockets.
"Wait for me, Ran" said Shinichi walking past Ran.
Ran was concerned when she noticed that Shinichi was sweating.
"Soon it will be over" said Shinichi.
But Ran was still worried about her.
And then she Shinichi walked forward to Hattori sounding exhausted with her breathing and barely talking a breath as she puffed.
"Which of ma deduction did I get wrong, Kudo !" demanded Hattori
Shinichi just smiled at this and continued to.
"That trick you just explained is all make-believe. Im saying that it is one hundred percent impossible" said Shinichi.
"W-what ?" said Hattori gobsmacked.
Megure then stepped into defend Hattori waving his hands in the air.
"Sorry Kudo to butt in but his deduction was perfect" said Megure.
And he then went onto explain the deduction.
"First he took the needle and stuck the end with no needle to the key holder with cello tape. Next he took the end with the needle and passed it through the inside of his pocket. Then he took both ends, left the room, locked the door, pulled the side with the needle and the key automatically went into my pocket. Finally, pulling on the string harder it came off the tape, and all he did was roll up the string of evidence disappear" said Megure.
But Shinichi just leaned against the wall and looked doubtful while continuing to physically and heavily sweat.
"Is the key really in your pocket, Inspector Megure ?" asked Shinichi.
Megure was speechless and confused.
"I could've sworn that I heard that the key was inside the victim's inner pocket" said Shinichi.
"Y-yeah" said Megure still confused.
Hattori then stepped into defend his deduction.
"Of course" said Hattori.
And then Hattori started to dig around Megure's pocket.
"If ya think it's a lie, look at this" said Hattori.
But he Hattori knocked the key onto the floor, upon witnessing this penny finally dropped into revealing that his deduction was wrong. The key holder was disorganised, unlike before and was in the incorrect pocket.
"Huh ?" said Hattori kneeling down on the ground looking at the key
"It's because when you made the key go in his pocket, Inspector Megure was sitting down" explained Shinichi.
"What ?" said Hattori shocked.
And Shinichi went onto more detail to explain her deduction.
"Because he was sitting, the pocket folded, narrowing the pathway for the key and thus, the string came off the key holder before it got into the inner pocket. Also, if the victim was overweight like Inspector Megure then all the more reason"
And Megure looked like he was agreeing with her and began to think.
"Now when I think about it, when I put my hand in the victims pocket they were tight" said Megure
Hattori was not happy with this thought.
"But even one in ae thousand it could happen" said Hattori determined to prove that his deduction was the correct one.
Shinichi just shook her head dismaying him and tutting at him.
"No matter how many times you do it, the result would be the same" said Shinichi.
Hattori was confused.
"Try and remember when the key was in the inner pocket, remember how it was facing" said Shinichi.
Talking to himself and to Megure "How it was facing ?" he asked.
And then he remembered and Shinichi knew that the switched on his head clicked as he gasped remembering how it looked, neatly tucked up in the pocket.
"That's right" said Shinichi smiling.
"There's no way that key and the key holder could get into the inner pocket in such a narrow space. The fact that the key was in his pocket means that the murderer put the key in the victim's inner pocket before the murder" said Shinichi
Hattori was still confused
"Then what's wae the string and needle that I found in ae Tatami room ?" asked Hattori.
Shinichi was now serious.
"That was part of murderer's heinous trick" said Shinichi.
And then Shinichi looked back at the old man that was standing behind her to face him and explain her deduction, making the old man look up at her and unable to look away as he stared her straight in the eye.
"It was a trick to make the old man take the blame for the crime" said Shinichi.
Shinichi then pulled the string out from her pocket and should it to everyone, mainly Hattori.
"I found five or six of them, too. They were in various places in the house. The murderer put them in different places around the house. So, that it didn't matter where the old man was during the murder" said Shinichi.
And she then looked straight back at him.
"But the old man admitted to crime" declared Hattori not believing what he was hearing.
He was determined to prove that she was wrong and was beginning to act like an angry and hot headed child. Hattori was pointing the finger accusingly at the old man.
"The old man went along with the murderer's trick" said Shinichi seriously.
Then she looked back to the old man again.
"I don't know his reason though" said Shinichi unsure.
The old man looked like he was going to talk though.
"This room was locked. You are not saying it was suicide, are you ?" said Hattori confused.
Everyone looked at Shinichi for answers because no one knew what had happened, except for Shinichi.
"No, it wasn't suicide, and there are still remnants of the murderer's real trick" said Shinichi.
"Real trick ?" asked Hattori confused.
Shinichi looked bored and like she was talking to an idiot with an annoyed look on her face.
"Are you forgetting ?" said Shinichi.
Hattori said nothing; he was waiting for the answer.
"When the victim was found, there was opera playing and books stacked right in front of him, The opera was playing the cover up the victim's screams in case he woke up when he was being poisoned. Those books were place there to cover up his face in case it twisted in pain" explained Shinichi.
Hattori then laughed at this deduction, not believing what he was hearing.
"That's ridiculous!" he laughed.
Hattori then approached Shinichi, who had her back turned to him as she was faced towards the bookshelf.
And Hattori nervously laughed again.
"Who does ae murderer have tae trick wae that trick ?" asked Hattori
"The person that wanted to fool was you, Hattori" said Shinichi.
And then Shinichi faced Hattori with him to be shocked and surprised.
"What ?" said Hattori taken back.
Then Shinichi turned back towards the bookshelf.
"But not just you, Hattori" said Shinichi.
"The murderer used the trick on Ran and Detective Mouri who entered the room with you" she said then faced him.
There were many gasps in the room.
"Then that means….!" Said Hattori, he now realised that he was indeed wrong all about the murder and his deduction.
"The Murderer walked directly right up to the victim after entering the study" said Shinichi.
"That is right the murderer is you…"
And then she turned around, pointing her finger to the murderer, shocking everyone in the room
"Tsujimura" said Shinichi.
They were all shocked.
"So then the victim was still alive when we came in ?" asked Kogoro mortified.
They all looked at Shinichi waiting for answers.
"Yes. He was just knocked out by some drug that he was giving earlier. If you run some test you will be able to get the proof and evidence that you need to prove this" said Shinichi.
Shinichi turned facing the murderess.
"Then she pricked him with the poisoned needle when pretending trying to wake him up. It's no surprised that no one would notice if the sleeping drug was very strong, and the poison were especially virulent, the victim would die in his sleep right after being pricked" Shinichi said smirking confidently.
Then her demeanour changed as she got serious.
"She prepared the opera and the stack of books in case he woke up" said Shinichi.
Megure then spoke his mind "But we could've figured it out when we identified the drug in his system"
"Naw, ya wouldny have known. Since we were convinced that he was dead already when we entered ae room. We wuda assumed that he was drugged earlier so he wudny put a fight up when ae murder happened" said Hattori interrupting.
"In other words she went out of her way so that there would be Detective here when she committed the murder and took advantage making the think that it would a locked murder case and not her murdering him right in front of us. Made us think it is locked murder case, is what you are saying, Kudo " said Hattori.
Shinichi nodded in agreement "Yeah" she said in agreement.
"So come show us the evidence already, since she showed no of taking out a poisoned needle" said Hattori curiously and annoyed waiting for the truth to be revealed.
The anticipation was killing him and secretly she was enjoying every minute of it, putting him on the edge and beating him. She was sort of enjoying herself and feeling the rivalry and interception between them, this was something that she did not ordinary experience with someone her own age.
"That's correct. When she entered the room, she tool out the poisoned needle without anyone noticing"
And then she faced Hattori with the keys in her hand.
"She took it out with her key" said Shinichi.
Hattori was shocked.
"Her k-key" he said gasped and grasping to a conclusion.
"Yeah. The key holder that she has is the same design as the one that the victim had" said Shinichi.
She could tell that the woman was starting to breakdown as she was beginning breakdown with the sweat dripping down the side of her face and her emotional status that she could practically feel in the air. She had forgotten how this feeling and how she was able to feel with such a magnitude using her other four senses.
"As such, her key holder should have opened as well" said Shinichi.
And then she opened the victim's key holder.
"Alright. Please show us your key" said Shinichi.
"Show us the inside of your key holder !" said Shinichi knowing that it was all over.
" Madam I need to take a closer look " said Megure taking the keys off Kimie Tsujimura.
Without protest or a single struggle Megure searched Tsujimura's bag and took out the key holder to inspect it. He was shocked to see what was inside the key holder as he saw a small hollow space that had been created that would was created to fit the exact size for a needle.
"That's probably a groove created so that she was able to keep the needle in. She prepared the key holder like that so that she had quick access to the needle after entering the room. In other word the key holder is all the evidence that you need" said Shinichi.
" But why did she do it, kill her own husband? " asked Megure.
Remembering how the room looked before Shinichi was easily able to walk over to the bookshelf and take the photograph in the frame from the shelf easily. One that she would be able to reach before when she was Christie but now that she was Shinichi was able to do with such ease without having to climb or to ask someone for their help. And this was comforting for her and made her more comfortable in her own skin and in her own body, which made her feel more confident.
She did this while still having one hand casually in her pocket and the other one with the picture in it to show to the others.
"If my hunch is correct, the motive lies within this photo" said Shinichi and then handed it to Megure.
Ran and Megure looked at the photo.
" Look closely does she look like someone say someone in this room " said Shinichi.
They all looked closer.
" Oh, it looks just like Yukiko Katsuragi " said Ran.
Everyone in the room was shocked, except for three people.
"The hair is a different colour" said Ran.
None of them could believe it at first until they had second look at it.
Kimie Tsujimura finally broke as she looked down at her feet no more.
" Enough already...of course she does look like me that is because she ...is my daughter " said Kimie Tsujimura.
" WHAT?! " said everyone said gasping in shock.
Shinichi remained silently.
Yukiko could not help but mutter "Mother !"
"Then you had her with your husband ?" asked a shocked Megure.
Kimie Tsujimura looked back to Yukiko" No. I had her with my former husband" she said looking at the shocked girl without looking her in the eye.
"That's right my current husband, Tsujimura Isao, framed my husband for corruption twenty years ago. His name was Yamashiro Kenji and she is his daughter" she said with anger in her voice.
"He was the one who….?" Said Megure shocked.
"Yes, who died in prison fifteen years ago" confirmed Kimie Tsujimura.
And then went to further explain her motive for the murder.
"Yes, Tsujimura wanted to drive in him into despair because they were rivals, and he wanted me to be his wife" she said with hate in her voice.
She then proceeded to look Megure in the eye as she let the truth come off her chest.
"My husband didn't know this; he was taken into custody and Yukiko was taken in by distant relatives"
She then closed her eyes "And I fell into despair" she sadly with a look that she was having memories of the horror time and experience that had been haunting her.
"I left my wife just for you"
She was told by her Tsujimura while she was in despair and was weakened everything that had happened that she became emotionally vulnerable and easily to manipulate.
"I was taken by his words and before I knew it I was married to that monster" said Kimie Tsujimura.
"I learned this when Takayoshi brought a picture of his girlfriend, Yukiko. At first I thought she looked like me by coincidence by when Tsujimura said"
"He can't be with this girl"
"There's no way that I'll let Takayoshi be with that man's daughter"
I what he said when he accidentally confessed the truth to her about setting up her husband and manipulating her into marrying him.
"I couldn't believe that it could be true, so when I asked Tsujimura the truth he started admitting to everything about how he framed Yamashiro for corruption, and how also his father was part of it" she said with her eyes open again and calmly.
She gave her Father in-law a look of hate.
"I'm Sorry" he said weakly while bowing his head in shame.
"Back in those days, I am not the same person that I was then" he said looking for forgiveness was in the tone of his voice.
Now they had the motive and reason for murder.
"I see" Megure having everything he needed for the case to be wrapped up.
They now knew the reason why the Old Man that was framed for the murder of his son had taken the blame for the murder, when he was innocent of this murder.
"You felt guilty for your past crimes, so you pretended to be caught in her trap and admitted to the murder" said Megure.
"Father, it's no use pretending to be good person now" said Kimie Tsujimura sadly.
And she then held her hands out as an office came over with handcuffs ready to arrest her. She did willingly and without any hesitation or regret in her eyes.
"My former husband left this world a guilty man although he was an innocent man!" she said as she was cuffed and he led out the door having been arrested for the murder of her husband.
And she then stopped a moment before she was escorted out the room.
"Takayoshi !" said Kimie Tsujimura softly.
"Y-yes ?" he said unsure and questioningly.
"I may not have the right to say this to you now but please take care of Yukiko" she said pleadingly looking him the eye almost crying.
He nodded in agreement.
And Yuikio started to cry as her Mother finally acknowledged her as her daughter and gave her a loving look.
Kimie Tsujimura was then escorted out the room by the officer.
"I get it. She treated Yukiko like dirt so no one wud discover ae truth" said Hattori.
And the case was closed.