Well hello! Here is a new chapter of Azure Redi-fanfiction. I start planning the next chapter. See you in the next chapter.
"Ran-san, look at your father", Shizuka said after opening the door to Ran's father's room, to see Kogorō sleeping partly on the bed and partly on the floor of his room.
Shizuka was wearing an orange top, a red miniskirt, and brown leather boots.
"It's not the first time my father sleeps like that", Ran was leaving for the city.
"Huh! Morning", Kogorō said.
"Morning, Mōri-san. Ran-san, are you going shopping?" Shizuka asked.
"I'm going to see an acquaintance of mine", Ran said.
"Are you going to see your grandfather?" Shizuka asked.
"I certainly haven't seen my grandfather in a long time", Ran said to the town from now on.
"Mōri-san, what is Mr Kisaki like?" Shizuka asked.
"Just what you'd expect from a grandfather", Kogorō said.
"Alright. Breakfast is already ready in the kitchen. I'm going to the cafe", Shizuka said starting to walk towards the cafe.
The weather was sunny.
Shizuka went to a nearby cafe, and I sat on a seat at one of the tables.
"Could there be something?" The waiter asked walking up to Shizuka's table.
"I'm Miyamizu Irene. I take iced tea, please", Shizuka paid for her order.
"Alright. Just a little moment", The waiter went to announce the order to the kitchen staff.
"Irene-chan, why did you come here?" Ran asked as she saw Shizuka sitting on a seat by the cafe table.
"Because I decided to visit the city", Shizuka said. "How is your grandfather?"
"I was just talking to my grandfather at a nearby phone booth when I saw you come here. My grandfather is fine. In fact, I have a meeting here with the person I mentioned earlier", Ran said. "I'm going to buy a cake from a nearby pastry shop, and then I'll come back here".
Ran left the cafe and spoke to the waiter:
"Sorry. I'll be back in a little while".
"Yes", Waiter said.
"So Ran didn't even go to see her grandfather. Then who does Ran have a meeting with? Didn't Ran just meet Kaito-kun?! In that case, Kaito-kun will definitely forget me because of Ran, because Ran is cuter than me, and Ran might very well take Kaito-kun take it from me, unless Kaito-kun already has a girlfriend! No! I'm definitely not giving Kaito-kun to Ran! All is fair in war, and in love, and I want to be the girl Kaito-kun loves! As long as I keep Kaito-kun awayrrom Ran, I'll definitely be able to tell my feelings to Kaito-kun!" Shizuka thought worriedly. "I shouldn't think like that because Ran is my friend!"
Clink! A woman came to the cafe. He looked 24 years old. The woman was a medium height person with long, brown hair. He had a green T-shirt, a white jacket, red pants, and red shoes. As accessories, he had a red scarf and small glasses with black lenses.
"Welcome", Waiter said.
"It's a woman", Shizuka mused.
"Are you alone?" The waiter asked. "If that is so, then what should it be... Miss?"
The woman sat down on a seat at a table with the waiter following her:
"Coffee".
"Huh?" The waiter asked.
"Coffee! What do you think I said?" The woman asked grumpily.
"That woman has a bad attitude", Shizuka thought."Is that woman the one Ran has a meeting with at this cafe?"
The waiter brought iced tea to Shizuka, then went to the kitchen.
"She seems to be worried about the time", Shizuka thought as she saw the woman looking at her watch, and then the woman looked around:
"Maybe she really is the one Ran has a meeting with? It can't be, because I don't remember such a woman being part of our karate team. So she can't be the one Ran has a meeting with".
Clink! A man came to the cafe.
"Welcome, are you alone? If so, yes", Waiter spoke to the man who had just entered the cafe. The man in question had books with him. He looked like 25 years old. He was a medium height person with straight hair, and black hair, and a small beard. He was wearing a light blue jacket, white shirt, brown belt, dark blue jeans and black shoes.
"Uhm, I have to finish writing my thesis so could I have a quiet seat?" The man asked.
"A daigaku student?" Shizuka thought.
"It's probably not him either", Shizuka thought as the waiter led the man to sit at the back table of the cafe. Shizuka then heard the man's order. "He ordered Cafe au lait. No one would write their thesis in front of their friends".
Clink! An older woman came to the cafe.
"This time the customer is an older woman", Shizuka thought.
The woman had a brown bag with her, and a light brown envelope.
"Welcome!" The waiter said walking in front of the woman.
"I'm supposed to meet my daughter here, but it looks like my daughter isn't here yet", The woman said, sitting down at one of the tables as the waiter followed her.
"What would you like to?" The waiter asked, handing the menu to the woman.
The woman read the menu, then gave it back to the waiter:
"I'll just have a coffee".
Woman was tall and thin. His eyes were blue, and his skin was pale. She was wearing red lipstick. In her ears were white earrings. There were glasses in front of his eyes. Her long, brown hair was tied in a bun with a black hair bow. Around her neck was a string of white pearls. She wore red nail polish. She was wearing a purple jacket, a purple skirt, light brown tights, and black high heels. He looked 37 years old. There was a ring on her left ring finger.
"Wow! She's beautiful. Huh? A law firm? So that woman is a lawyer", Shizuka mused as she saw the text on the woman's brown envelope as the waiter walked into the kitchen as she took the papers from the envelope and began to read them. "Ran wouldn't meet a lawyer. Oh right! Ran's mother is a lawyer, so is that woman Ran's mother, or one of Kisaki Eri's colleagues?"
Shizuka drank her tea.
Then the daigaku student went to the bathroom.
Clink! Then a 38-year-old man came to the cafe. The man was tall and solid. He had short, black hair. A black mustache that was split in two. He had a gray jacket, a dark blue blouse, green jeans, and black shoes. He also wore a black hat. A bandage was tied around his left ring finger.
"Hello, Master", the Man said, going to speak to the man standing behind the long table in the cafe, who was currently drying his drinking glass with a dish towel.
"Hello, Tonoyama-san", The man standing behind the long table said. "What happened to your finger?"
"I hurt it playing rugby yesterday", Tonoyam said. "Because of that, I can't wear my wedding ring now".
"So that man is married, so Ran can't come to see that man either. Would Ran have asked Araide-sensei out on a date?" Shizuka thought.
"Hey, did you cut your hair?" A cafe worker asked Tomoyama.
"Yeah, because my previous hairstyle was getting annoying", Tomoyama said.
"Hey, where's the toilet?" A rude woman asked the cafe employee.
"Over there on the right", The cafeteria worker said, pointing to the right.
"I see", The woman said, then went to the bathroom.
"But it's both a men's and a women's bathroom", Cafeteria worker said.
"I know", Woman said.
"He didn't know where the toilet was, but he knew the latter thing?" Shizuka thought in amazement. "It doesn't matter. Anyway, back to the person Ran meets here. The fact that that person hasn't come here yet means they already know Ran is coming here".
Clink! A man who was a bit tall and had long, black hair came into the cafe. He had a red shirt, a light brown suit, and dark brown shoes. He had a golden necklace around his neck. He looked like 21 years old.
"Welcome", Waiter said. "Are you alone?"
"I'm meeting a girl", Man said, looking around. "But it looks like he's not here yet".
"Then sit here", Waiter said.
"Ok", Mies said, sitting down at the table behind Shizuka.
The waiter put the menu on the table in front of the man.
Shizuka drank some tea, then put the cup on the table.
"I'll have a hot coffee for now", Man said as the waiter took the menu, and then the waiter went into the kitchen.
"Is that man the one Ran is going to meet? Well at least it's not Kaito-kun", Shizuka mused with relief."So I can still have time to tell Kaito-kun my feelings!"
Beep beep! The man's phone rings:
"It's me, Wakaouji. Oh, it's just you, Yoshio. Don't call me when I'm seeing a girl", The man said as the daigaku student came out of the bathroom, and then the lawyer went into the bathroom. "Oh. It's her. You know, that sweet girl that was on the TV station the other day?"
"Does that man work at a TV station?!" Shizuka thought.
"She's an unusually innocent girl", Wakaouji said. "Are you saying those girls are keeping you on your toes? When I make that girl mine, I'll do whatever I want with her. If you corner the girls, they're all yours!"
"Alright playboy!" Shizuka thought in disgust. "Thankfully, I don't like men like that!"
"Yeah. I'll make sure the other girls don't find out about her", Wakaouji said as the lawyer came out of the bathroom.
"Fuck off", Wakaouji hung up the phone. She then tied her hair into a ponytail with a red hair bow.
"He seems to be dating many girls at the same time!" Shizuka thought.
Suddenly the waiter came to talk to Shizuka:
"Miyamizu-san, there is a call for you".
"Thank you", Shizuka said, and followed the waiter to the front of the cafe, and started talking into the phone:
"Hello?"
"Irene-chan, I'm sorry, but it looks like I can't go back yet. The cash register at the patisserie is broken and I can't get change. Is there someone already in the cafe looking for me?" Ran asked.
"I'm not sure, but there's a lawyer who has a date here with his daughter. He might be one of your mother's colleagues. There's also a playboy here who works at a TV station who dates a lot of girls at the same time, and now has apparently a date here", Shizuka whispered into the phone.
"I see. I'll get there at some point", Ran said. "But it seems it will take some time to repair the cash register".
"Alright", Shizuka said. "There's also a cheeky woman here, and a man who hurt his finger, who seems to be a friend of this cafe's employee. There's even a daigaku student here".
Wakaouji went to the bathroom when Tomoyama came out of the bathroom.
"Really? Well, see you later", Ran said, turning off the phone.
Shizuka put the phone back in its place.
"Aaaah!" Wakaouji shouted from the toilet, surprising the others.
Shizuka ran to the bathroom with Tomoyama, and saw Wakaouji sitting on the floor of the bathroom.
"Is something wrong?" Tomoyama asked, causing Wakaouji to point to the farthest toilet stall with blood pouring out from under the door.
"Blood?" Shizuka asked, and walked closer to the restroom.
"Hey girl!" Tomoyama shouted.
Shizuka tried to open the door, but it wouldn't open:
"The toilet door is locked from the inside!"
"No help! Aaaah!" Shizuka kicked the toilet door open to see a rude woman lying on the floor of the toilet. Clack! "What?!"
The woman's belongings were strewn on the toilet floor, and there was even a bloody knife.
"What has happened?!" The owner of the cafe asked when he arrived. But seeing the woman lying on the floor of the toilet stall, the owner of the cafe became nervous:
"Aaaah!"
"I'm sorry I had to kick this door open. Would 20,000 yen be enough to cover that toilet door repair?" Shizuka asked.
"Yes, and that's okay", The cafe owner said as he accepted the money he received from Shizuka.
"Fine, but call the police, and the ambulance here!" Shizuka said.
"Yes", the cafe owner said, and went to call the police as Shizuka followed the cafe owner, sitting back at the same table as before.
(Later)
Commissioner Megure looked at the photograph taken of the woman:
"As you can see from the picture, the victim was on the floor with his back to the door. Isn't that right, Irene-kun?"
"Yeah, and the door was locked, which is why it wouldn't open when I tried to open the door after seeing blood pouring out from under it, so I had to kick that door open with a karate kick", Shizuka said.
"I see. The fact that you couldn't open that door was because the victim was lying right in front of the toilet door. That's probably why it looked like the toilet stall door was locked", Megure said. "The fact that you kicked that door open explains why there's a shoe print on that door. You found the body, Irene-kun?"
"No. He found the body", Shizuka said looking at Wakaouji who was still shaking.
"Is that so?" Megure asked Wakaouji.
"Yes. I'm Wakaouji Shiro. I found blood spilling out from under the door, and I screamed in shock, causing that girl to run over here, and kick open the door to that bathroom stall after that guy followed her here", Shiro said, looking at Shizuka, then at Tomoyama. Shiro tried to look under Shizuka's skirt at the same time.
"Wakaouji is clearly the type who loves to flirt with girls even if it hurts their feelings", Shizuka thought embarrassed after seeing what Wakaouji was trying to do.
"I see", Megure said.
"Who is the victim, Megure Keibu?" Shizuka asked the cloth covered woman who had just been brought out of the toilet stall onto the floor of the toilet.
"The victim was Yayoi Himeno, a 24-year-old part-time worker", Megure said. "He was stabbed once through the heart with a knife".
"Keibu, there are strangulation marks on the victim's neck", One policeman said.
"From the appearance of the blood marks, the perpetrator must have strangled the victim, rendering him unconscious so the killer could stab the victim, and the victim was bleeding when the killer pulled the knife out of the victim", Megure said. "The killer must have panicked when the victim saw the killer's face. It looks like it was a small thing for money. An open window, a locked door, a deserted alley outside this toilet window, a knife, the contents of the victim's bag, her wallet and a body blocking the toilet door . In other words, the culprit who came in through the window was waiting for someone to use the toilet. The culprit killed Himeno-san who happened to come in, stole the money, and left in a hurry through the toilet stall window. Okay, you guys. Start by questioning the people here".
"Wait a minute, Megure Keibu! Look at that window! isn't it too clean?" Shizuka asked after noticing the matter in question.
"That's good, right? Restrooms should be clean", Megure said.
"I don't mean it!" Shizuka said. "There are no blood stains on that window, and no traces of dirt from shoe soles, so I don't think the murderer escaped through this toilet window. Maybe the murderer just opened that window somehow to make it look like the murderer escaped through the toilet window. That means that the murderer might be one of the customers of this cafe who went to the toilet".
"The girl is right, Assistant Megure Keibu", Lawyer said as he entered the boat. "Oh. Are you a full-fledged police inspector now? I heard that from my daughter".
"Ahhh! You're a lawyer Kisaki", Megure was surprised. "Why are you here?"
"I was supposed to meet my daughter here", Kisaki said.
"Keibu-san, do you know him?" Shizuka asked.
"Yeah, because her husband used to work as a police officer, and she's the mother of one of your classmates", Megure said.
"So you're my daughter's classmate at Teitan Koko", Kisaki said to Shizuka.
"Yes, but I'm still a new student at Teitan Koko. I moved here to go to high school, because there are no high schools in my former home village. That village is in the country, a small village where people almost know each other. My uncle lives here. I'm currently living at my friend's house", Shizuka said .
"As I recall, there is no one in my class whose last name is Kisaki. So Kisaki must be that woman's own last name. Is she possibly divorced? At least not from what Megure Keibu said, and that woman has a wedding ring on her left ring finger. So she must be married. Does that live a woman perhaps separated from her husband? Then her daughter lives with that woman's husband. That must mean that woman's daughter uses her father's last name. Lawyer Kisaki looks somewhat familiar", Shizuka thought.
"Is something wrong?" Kisaki asked seeing Shizuka looking at Kisaki.
"I was just wondering if we've met before", Shizuka said.
"My daughter looks a bit like me, so maybe you think I look familiar because of that, since I don't remember meeting you before. Your hairstyle does resemble one of my friends, though. She was an actress before she married Kudō Yūsaku", Kisaki said.
"So Kisaki-san knows my mother. Wait a minute! Ran's mother's own last name is Kisaki, so is that woman really Rani's mother? That would explain why she looks a bit like Ran. Did Ran have a meeting with her mother today at this very cafe? Is Ran still hoping for Kogorō to get back together with Ran's mother?" Shizuka thought as she noticed that Lawyer Kisaki looked a bit like Ran.
"In any case, based on how much the victim bled, his blood must have splashed on the murderer as well. However, there doesn't seem to be any trace of blood on the toilet the victim used, or on the window. This is not normal", Kisaki said.
"But it's possible that the culprit wiped the blood off the window", Megure said.
"Do you think a person confused enough to leave a knife at a crime scene would do such a thing?" Kisaki asked. "The reason the murderer left the knife at the crime scene was because he couldn't carry it with him for fear of someone seeing that knife. It's true. The murderer is an insider. The murderer is one of the customers of this cafe! That's what you were trying to say, wasn't it, girl?"
"Yes", Shizuka said.
"But Kisaki-san, there was a corpse blocking the toilet door", Megure said. "It doesn't look like the body was moved, and the toilet next to it doesn't have a window. How do you think the culprit left the toilet?"
"There is one way: from above", Kisaki said.
"From above?" Megure asked, then looked at the top of the toilet stall door that wasn't closed to the ceiling. "You mean that spot above the toilet door? There's no way an adult can fit in there!"
"Hey you!" Kisaki said to one officer. "Could you try climbing through that point?"
"What?" The policeman asked, pointing at himself with his right index finger.
"Use the next restroom so you don't mess up the crime scene", Kisaki said.
Later, the policeman Kisaki had spoken to climbed over the door of the adjacent toilet and out of the toilet:
"I can just get through".
"Look", Kisaki said.
"But if the murderer had blood on his clothes, then the walls he climbed out of the bathroom would also have blood on them", Megure said.
"I saw the victim come into this cafe a little while ago. He seemed really rude and like he was waiting for someone to come here because he looked at his watch. When the victim asked the owner of this cafe where the bathroom was, the victim got an answer from the owner of this cafe, and when the victim was coming to this restroom, the owner of this cafe said it was a unisex restroom, which the woman said she knew. Maybe the person the victim was waiting for had previously told the victim that this restroom was a unisex restroom. So maybe the culprit has frequented this cafe often", Shizuka suggested.
"I see. And there's water and paper here to clean up the blood", Kisaki then looked at the crime scene. "It is possible to do it so that no traces are left after climbing the wall".
"But what happens if someone happens to walk in?" Megure asked.
"Oh, didn't you notice that the toilet door has a lock?" Kisaki asked.
"Oh?" Megure looked at the lock on the toilet door, which a policeman was pointing at with his left index finger.
"If you lock it, then the room would be closed", Kisaki said.
"O-Okay, find out who entered the restroom before and after the victim", Megure said.
"I saw who went to the bathroom besides the victim", Shizuka said.
"Really? Megure asked.
"One of those people is that Tomoyama-san with a bandage on his left finger", Shizuka said opening the bathroom door to see the police questioning Tomoyama:
"This is strange. As I recall, the gauze on Tomoyama-san's finger used to be around his left ring finger, but now that gauze is around his left middle finger. Is Tomoyama-san the murderer?"
"Who else went to the bathroom after the victim?" Megure asked.
"That daigaku student wearing the light blue jacket, and that man with the ponytail, and Kisaki-san", Shizuka said.
"Ah!" Megure was surprised, and looked at Kisaki. "Did you go to the bathroom too?"
"Yes I did", Kisaki said. "You have a good memory, girl".
"Thank you", Shizuka said. "However, one thing is strange".
"What?" Megure asked.
"When Tomoyama-san came to this cafe, he had a bandage around his left ring finger, and he claimed that's why he couldn't wear his wedding ring. So Tomoyama-san is married. I heard him talking about his injured finger to the owner of this cafe before the body was found in the toilet. "Tomoyama-san claimed he hurt his finger playing rugby yesterday. But now he has a bandage on his left middle finger", Shizuka said.
"Alright. Let's start the interrogation then", Megure led the suspects to the bathroom. "Ok, you are now in the order in which you entered this toilet before. Tell the reason why you came to this cafe today".
"S-sure. I came here today to do my thesis", Daigaku student said.
"The victim was walking behind that student, and I walked past the student as he was leaving the restroom. I came to this store because I had arranged to meet my daughter here", Kisaki said.
"I came next", Tomoyama said. "I come here all the time to talk to the master".
"I was the last one to come to this cafe", Wakaouji said. "I was expecting a girl".
"Is the order correct, Irene-kun?" Megure asked.
"Yes", Shizuka said.
"I was indeed right about Tomoyama-san's left ring finger having the gauze around her left middle finger now", Shizuka thought looking at the suspects.
Daigaku student went into the restroom, and easily climbed out from above the restroom door after Megure told the suspects what the suspects should do to find the culprit.
"You climbed easily", Megure said. "You're next, Wakaouji-san".
"Ok", Wakaouji said. He went into the toilet cubicle and closed the door behind him, but when he tried to climb out from above the toilet, his back got caught in the toilet ceiling:
"Looks like I can't move".
Wakaouji got down, and walked out the door of the restroom.
"Why does the victim have a strangulation mark on his neck if he was stabbed once?" Shizuka asked.
"Perhaps the killer initially just tried to strangle the victim, but after realizing that didn't work, the killer stabbed the victim," Megure suggested.
"Um, do I have to do the climbing thing too?" Tomoyama asked.
"No, because you wouldn't fit in", Megure said. "Ah, Kisaki-san, you don't have to do that either".
"Yeah, because I could easily climb over that toilet door", Kisaki said. "It seems that the suspects have been narrowed down to Sumeragi-san, and me".
"NO, NO, I'm not saying you're a suspect", Megure said.
Suddenly, a policeman came in the water holding a thin rope:
"Keibu, I found this Sumeragi-san under the table".
"What?" Megure asked taking the rope in his hand. "Sumeragi-san, is this yours?"
"It's just the rope I used to tie my books and notes together", Sumeragi said. "I'm not a killer! It's true!"
"He can't be the murderer because he went to the bathroom before the victim", Shizuka thought. "The victim earlier asked the owner of this cafe where the toilet was. That must have signaled to the killer that the victim was going to the toilet. If so, then there was only one person in the cafe who could do that. So it should to be a Lawyer Kisaki! But what about the gauze on Tomoyama-san's finger?!"
"Keibu, should we send this knife to the police station?!" A police officer brought the knife found earlier at the crime scene, now inside a plastic bag, into the toilet of the cafe.
"Yeah. That's good", Megure said.
"Knife?!" Shizuka thought, and took a picture of the murder weapon with her phone's camera, and she enlarged the picture she took, looking at it more closely:
"There's something strange about that knife. Why is there blood on the handle? And why is there a small part of the knife blade that doesn't have blood on it? That policeman has blood on his hands! But he didn't touch the body. The only time the policeman could get blood on his hands was when when they moved the body out of the toilet. But why is there blood on that policeman's hands? What...a body? I get it! Now I know the trick the murderer used. The only one who could have done it is Tomoyama-san. But there's no physical evidence. Oh yeah. The gauze on Tomoya-san's finger is physical evidence".
Shizuka looked at the policeman who was holding the murder weapon than:
"Is that plastic bag in good shape, because I just saw blood on your hand?"
"Indeed. I must have gotten blood on my hands when I put this knife in this plastic bag", Police said.
"Well then, Sumeragi-san, could you come with us to the police station?" Megure asked.
"What? But I didn't kill anyone", Sumeragi said.
Surprisingly, Shizuka saw blood running down the top of the toilet stall at the crime scene:
"Megure Keibu, there's blood running down that toilet door",
"Really?" Megure asked.
"I also saw it when I was taking pictures of the crime scene", Police said.
"Why didn't you tell us about it sooner?" Megure asked. "Anyway Sumeragi-san, this seems to point the evidence against you even more".
"No way", Sumeragi said.
"But isn't that strange?" Shizuka asked. "The blood was on the door of the toilet, in front of which the body was. If it made the situation seem like the door was locked, then I would climb into the next toilet next to the toilet".
"It...it's true", Megure said.
"And I wonder if the murderer actually got blood on himself when he murdered the victim", Shizuka said.
"Huh?" Megure asked.
"Because look at the knife that policeman is holding in that plastic bag", Shizuka showed the photo she just took to the others. "Even the handle of the knife has blood".
"Yeah, that's a little weird", Megure said looking at the knife. "And what is this part about the knife with no blood?"
"There is a small part of the knife blade with no blood on it. Maybe something was tied to the knife?" Shizuka asked.
"What do you mean?" Megure asked. "I see! The culprit tied a string to the knife, stabbed the victim, and then pulled the knife out of the victim's upper body! Blood poured out of the victim when the knife was pulled out of the victim. But if the blood didn't splash on the murderer, then why is there blood above the bathroom door?"
"It means that the person who went over the toilet door was not the murderer", Kisaki said. "It was a body".
"C-corpse?!" Megure asked.
"The killer apparently opened the toilet window while talking to the victim in the toilet before trying to strangle the victim. The blood on the toilet stall door fell onto that stall when the body was thrown into the toilet stall", Kisaki said. "The culprit lifted the victim from outside the toilet to the inside of the toilet after attaching a string to the victim. Then the murderer pulled the string from outside the toilet to retrieve the knife. If he didn't do that, and even if we found out it was an inside job, the real murderer wouldn't have been suspected because he couldn't climb over the toilet door".
"Is there a culprit then?" Megure asked.
"It can only be you, Tonoyama-san", Kisaki said.
Tonoyama was taken aback.
"Ok, take this man to the police station", Megure told the officers.
"Hey hey! Can you arrest me without evidence?" Tonoyama backed off a bit.
"Of course we have evidence", Megure said. "Isn't that right, Kisaki-san?"
"There is only one proof", Kisaki said. "Even if he was arrested, he would be released in a few hours if I were his lawyer."
"What proof?" Tonoyama asked. "There is no mistake. Of course I only came here today to talk to the Master".
"Yes. I heard that conversation earlier. You told the owner of this cafe that you hurt your finger playing rugby yesterday", Shizuka said.
"Yes. That's why I can't wear my wedding ring now", Tonoyama said, but was nervous to see that the gauze of his left ring finger was now on his left middle finger.
"When I heard you talking to the owner of this cafe about your wedding ring, I assumed you were married. But why have you moved your gauze from your left ring finger to your left middle finger? Is it because you took the gauze off your finger to wash your hands after murdering the victim, and then accidentally put the gauze on the wrong finger?" Shizuka asked.
"That's it!" Megure shouted. "The one you strangled the victim with, and the string that tied it to the knife, was the gauze you're holding around your finger now. That means the victim's blood should be on that gauze somewhere",
"Oh, what a stupid murderer", Kisaki said. "You carry such, physical evidence. No matter how good a lawyer I am, even I couldn't defend you".
"Move, woman!" Tomoyama tried to attack Kisaki, but Kisaki dodged the man's attack quickly, throwing the man over his shoulder with a judo throw to the toilet floor. Dhak!
"Wow! He's been taking judo lessons!" Shizuka thought as the police grabbed Tomoyama.
"Let me go! Oh shit!" Tomoyama exclaimed.
(Later)
The policemen took Tomoyama to a police car, and then to the police station.
"Thanks to Lawyer Kisaki, the murderer was caught without an immediate incident. The motive was that the victim started a relationship with the murderer. But the victim wanted to get married, and the murderer was afraid his wife would find out", Shizuka thought as she stood outside the cafe on the sidewalk. He had just heard the murderer tell Megure his motive.
"Who did Ran come here to meet?" Shizuka thought.
"Sorry I'm late Irene-chan!" Ran ran in front of Shizuka. Ran was holding a white cardboard cake bag in her other hand.
"Ran-san, that's the playboy who dates many girls at the same time. He tried to look under my skirt earlier", Shizuka whispered to Ran when she saw Wakaouji.
"Really?" Ran asked.
"Nice to meet you", Wakaouji said to Ran.
"He really does seem like a playboy", Ran whispered to Shizuka.
"Is that true, Irene-chan?" Sonoko asked as she arrived. Sonoko had overheard her friends's recent conversation.
"Hey, Sonoko-chan!" Wakaouji said.
"It IS true, isn't it?" Angry Sonoko asked.
"Ah, that was a misunderstanding", Wakaouji said.
Slap! Sonoko punched Wakaouji on the left cheek, then walked away.
"Wait, Sonoko-chan!" Wakaouji went to follow Sonoko.
"So Wakaouji had a date with Sonoko", Shizuka mused.
"Our meeting didn't go the way we wanted", Kisaki said, stopping in front of Ran.
"You're right, mom", Ran said.
"So she really is Ran's mother?!" Shizuka thought in surprise.
"Mom, this is Miyamizu Irene, Akasa Hakases's niece, and dad's assistant. Irene-chan plans to become a detective someday, and that's why she's currently working as dad's assistant. Irene-chan, this is my mom, Kisaki Eri", Ran introduced.
"Nice to meet you", Shizuka said.
"Likewise", Eri said.
The girls and Eri started walking along the Tokyo sidewalk.
"Why do you look like that?" Ran asked Shizuka.
"Your friend helped me solve the recent stabbing case. Right, Irene-chan?" Eri winked at Shizuka.
"Y-yes, Kisaki-sensei. Please", Shizuka said.
"Thank you", Eri said. "I didn't scare you with my judo skills I learned from my husband, did I?"
"Of course not", Shizuka said. "It's really embarrassing! I haven't seen Ran's mother for a long time, so I already had time to forget what Ran's mother really looks like. When Ran and I were little, Eri bought us dresses, but the color of none of them suited me then".
"Mom, you haven't been home in 10 years since you started living in separation room from my father", Ran said.
"What do you mean? You still don't wish for me to get back together with your father, do you?" Eri asked her daughter.
"Of course I hope so. Is it wrong for a child to wish his parents live together?" Ran asked.
"Kisaki-sensei, I'm sorry, but why did you start living in a separation room with your husband?" Shizuka asked.
"Because my husband doesn't think I'm a very good cook. And let's face it, sometimes I fail at cooking", Eri said. "My husband, on the other hand, is a lazy, dirty freak, and a drunkard! I hate your father, Ran! Then the things your father gave me were just you, and 'one hand over the back', throwing-type judo skills".
"Then why did you marry father?" Ran asked.
"Because your father is my childhood friend", Eri said.
"Why are you still wearing your wedding ring?" Ran asked.
"It stops other guys from flirting with me", Eri said.
"Kisaki-sansei, your husband can do judo, right?" Shizuka asked.
"Yes. Why did you ask that?" Eri asked.
"I hear your husband didn't participate in any judo tournaments. That's why I was thinking about it", Shizuka said.
"My husband studied at Beikan Daigaku at one point, where he was the ace of his judo team, although he was very prone to stage fright. That's why he didn't participate in judo competitions", Eri said.
Shizuka nodded. It was a little hard for him to imagine Kogorō being shy.
"Have I already told you what happened at the last reunion between father and his judo club?" Ran asked her mother.
"You are. Your father was said to be pretty quiet after he found out that Nakamichi killed Yumi because Yumi tried to ruin Nakamichi's upcoming marriage by threatening Nakamichi by claiming to have sent pictures of Yumi of herself with Nakamichi to Nakamichi's fiancée. Your father said he cheered up after seeing the wind lift one woman's skirt a bit, so you don't have to guess your father's ways of cheering up for long", Eri said.
"Wait, Matsuo-san! If you", Kogorō said on the electronics store's TV.
"It's the VTR station murder case", Ran said, remembering her father solving that murder case recently. "Mom, didn't you say you wanted to see it too?"
Eri blushed a little.
"Now let's look at the phone scene that led to finding a clue to solve this murder case", Man said to Kogorō. After solving the murder case, Ran's father started talking on the phone.
"My wife?" Kogorō asked the woman who had just called him while holding the phone in his other hand. "It's okay. Me and my wife are separated now anyway. Tonight we're going to have a hot night together! Heh heh!"
Ran was embarrassed by her father's recent words:
"No, this was..."
"Looks like I'm not coming home yet", Eri said. "Ran, there was a rumor around here at one time that you were bitter towards Shizuka, and you you forcibly moved in her company to make her feel uncomfortable. Don't risk your friendship".
"W-wait, mom!" Ran walked behind Eri.
"Now you did it", Shizuka thought looking at Kogorō on the TV.