People are in Conan, but Ace Attorney

Chapter 1024 Two Pieces of Evidence
Rice Flower Theater.

As a place that is not very popular in Beika Town, the theater is now sealed off by the police, and many police officers are coming and going inside, which has actually added some popularity to the Beika Theater.

After all, the total number of members in the period drama travel troupe is less than ten.

In principle, the police should not allow a lawyer to enter the crime scene to collect evidence if the lawyer has not signed a power of attorney, but Xiang Yuanguang is an exception.

"Wow, this is amazing..."

Ito Megumi followed behind Mugen Hikaru, exclaiming in amazement.

Previously, when she tried to come in, she was stopped by the police. Even if she used her martial arts skills to find a small place to squeeze in, the police would ruthlessly drag her out.

However, all of this disappeared when she followed Xiang Yuanguang inside.

The police seemed to completely ignore her, Xiang Yuanguang, and Conan's existence.

—In fact, everyone simply ignored the existence of Ito Megumi.

As long as the little girl doesn't cause trouble, they'll pretend they didn't see anything. As for Xiang Yuanguang and Conan, they're regulars at crime scenes; everyone knows them, so nobody bothers with them.

Xiang Yuanguang walked all the way to the stage.

This area has been sealed off.

However, the two police officers in charge of the cordon kept their eyes fixed straight ahead.

Even if Xiang Yuanguang led two little devils to crawl under the blockade line, it would be the same.

"Naraku..."

He whispered to Yuan Guang.

This is the place where Ogiwara Itoe was killed.

The so-called Naraku is an automatically rising and falling metal plate. At concerts, people often use variations of this mechanism to quickly move from backstage to the venue, thus quickly getting into concert mode.

However, it's different from the kind of mechanism used in concerts.

The lift platform here is completely lowered below the stage. There's nothing below, just a square metal grid that's quite deep. When it's time to go on stage, you stand up and strike a pose in advance.

Without a doubt, this height could kill someone.

If the head is down.

Xiang Yuanguang's gaze fell on the outline of the deceased drawn in white below. After a moment's thought, he turned to look behind the stage curtain next to him.

He approached the curtain and lifted it slightly.

Something was hidden in the gap between the back and front of the stage—a wooden plank, a bloodstained plank with visible cracks, undoubtedly one of the culprits that led to Ogiwara Itoe's death.

However, the police did not take this item as evidence.

A hint of doubt appeared in Xiang Yuanguang's eyes.

He had originally thought that Reiko Kujo, as a prosecutor, would be much more effective in supervising police officers than Prosecutor Sugiura, but so far, she doesn't seem to be doing very well.

Lower the curtain.

Xiang Yuanguang then moved towards the backstage area of ​​the stage.

Police officers are already patrolling and guarding the area. The script room where the person died is locked up, but this is possible when approaching Yuan Guang.

The police officers at the door opened the lock on their own initiative.

In short, there shouldn't be any major problems, as it has always been the case.

Xiang Yuanguang entered the script room, glanced at the white outline of Shi Tiefu's body on the floor, and then his gaze fell on the computer next to him.

It seems that floppy disks were still used for storing information in this era.

The script that Ito Tamanosuke had Chikaishi Tetsuo write was recorded on a floppy disk, and now, that floppy disk is not on the table. However, this does not necessarily mean that the floppy disk was taken by the murderer. Prosecutor Kujo Reiko may or may not have been to the scene.

However, the police must have already taken away the evidence they found, and the floppy disk may also be one of the pieces of evidence taken away by the police at the scene.

"This computer is for Chikashi Tetsufu's personal use, it's very precious, and no one else has ever touched it."

Megumi Ito, who was standing next to him, offered an explanation.

This explanation caused Xiang Yuanguang to raise an eyebrow slightly.

—Perhaps, collecting fingerprints from this computer will yield unexpected results.

Currently, he only has two pieces of evidence at the crime scene that can be added to the court record.

A wooden board placed behind the stage curtain.

The fingerprints on this computer that Chikashi Tetsufu used are now visible.

As for the script floppy disk and witnesses, those are probably things that can't be seen on-site. The period drama travel troupe only has a few people in total, and now, apart from Ito Megumi, they have all been taken away as witnesses.

It could even be argued that Ito Megumi wasn't taken away because she was too young to be a witness or a suspect.

"In this respect, Prosecutor Reiko Kujo really values ​​you."

"However, as things stand, there doesn't seem to be any substantial evidence to refute Ito Tamanosuke's murder. Even if the fingerprints on the computer belong to someone else, it doesn't prove anything."

Conan said at this moment,
“I even suspect that, given the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department’s level of evidence collection, the fingerprints on the keyboard could be used to verify the fingerprints of the forensic officers.”

"We need to hurry up and go to the detention center."

If the murderer and the police had even a tiny bit of sense...

So most of the evidence at the scene must have been destroyed or taken away. The wooden board might even have been left there because Reiko Kujo thought it wouldn't make much of a difference.

Upon hearing this, Ito Megumi cautiously requested,

"Um, can I go with you?"

“I wanted to visit my brother in the detention center before, but the police officers there said I was too young and did not meet the visitation criteria, so they wouldn’t let me in. They just brought me the letter of authorization on my brother’s behalf.”

"With Attorney Xiang Yuan here now, there shouldn't be any problem, right?"

Xiang Yuanguang nodded slightly in response.

Of course there's no problem. What problem could there be?
He's brought Conan in there more than once or twice, so bringing Ito Megumi in wouldn't be a problem either. Besides, he wants Ito Tamanosuke to tell the whole truth.

Megumi Ito is also an indispensable part.

—However, are there any other pieces of evidence at the Mihana Theater?
He glanced at Yuan Guang.

He glanced at his wristwatch, quickly estimated the time, and then said,

"Conan, please go and talk to Inspector Shiratori about the evidence I need to collect."

"Xiao Hui, come with me and tell me about the inside of the Mihua Theater, and also introduce the Era Drama Traveling Theater Troupe. I need to know more about it, such as... the other members of this troupe."

Ito Megumi was somewhat surprised by Genji Hikaru's request.

However, she nodded and earnestly introduced the other members of the troupe.

Or rather, those members who are still alive.

Conan, somewhat annoyed, went out to find Shiratori Ninzaburo.

It's essential to clarify with Shiratori Ninzaburo now that we need to collect those pieces of evidence; otherwise, if Kujou Reiko launches a second raid, we'll have nothing left.

(End of this chapter)