Conan: Chief of Rice Flower's Science Points

Chapter 294: "Innocence" Ten Years Ago

When Igari heard what Shiraishi said, he naturally agreed - although he was not from the Personnel Department, and had even retired and was not on the job at all, but in the Identification Department, his words were still very powerful.

After all, the backbones of the current identification class, such as Tomi and the like, were mostly brought up by Ishigaki.

Basically, as long as Igari gives the nod, no matter whether it is the current section chief or the personnel department of the General Affairs Department, they will not block the transfer of a forensic police officer.

……

Just as Ikari nodded, Shiraishi's phone rang, and he took it out and saw...

Criminal Division Office!

"Sorry, I have to take a call." Bai Shi gestured helplessly.

"Please."

"Hello, this is Shiraishi." After Shiraishi answered the call, it was indeed Kunikida on the other end, and he brought news of a murder.

Shiraishi did specifically instruct that in order to avoid missing out on important cases, the Criminal Division should notify him when a murder occurred.

especially……

If there was a detective passing by the scene!
There were several times during this period when the case was solved at the scene after it happened. Shiraishi and even the Mika Police Department did not have time to carry out the case investigation stage, and went directly to the stage of identifying the scene, sending it for inspection, writing a report...

However, this time, there was no detective present in the case, and the deceased died in his own home rather than in a public place, which was very uncreative.

The reason why Kunikida didn't even wait for Shiraishi to return to the police station for such an "ordinary" case, but called directly to inform him, was because...

"Huh? The deceased is the son of the president of Tulip Insurance? Okay, you guys investigate normally. If there is anything happening on the Tulip Insurance side, let them contact me directly." Shiraishi said as a matter of course.

Because Shiraishi specifically allowed the salesperson from Tulip Insurance to enter the police station, Kunikida thought that this insurance company had some relationship with the chief, so he made a special phone call to inform him.

Bai Shi didn't take it too seriously, after all, he wasn't really his brother-in-law...

However, after Shiraishi hung up the phone, he found that Ihori's expression was a little strange.

"The president of Tulip Insurance...is his last name, Kanno, right?" Igari suddenly asked.

"Hmm? I think so... The murder victim just mentioned is called Yuya Kanno... Do you know him?" Shiraishi's tone was more careful.

Shiraishi didn't know the president of Tulip Insurance and didn't care about him, but if Ihori knew him, Shiraishi would care more about him.

"Yuya Kanno...that's right...I didn't expect it..." Igari pondered for a moment.

Seeing this, Shiraishi did not disturb him. After all, Ishihara was already old and it was understandable that he would often express his feelings.

"This man killed someone ten years ago." Zhu Shou suddenly said.

"Eh? Ten years ago? Are you still on parole now?" Bai Shi was surprised when he heard that.

"No... because of a loophole in the evidence collection at the scene, he was eventually found not guilty in court." Ikari said with a nostalgic look.

Judging from Ishihara's expression, we can tell that ten years ago, it must have been Ishihara, who had not yet retired, who was responsible for the on-site investigation of this case!

"Not guilty?" Bai Shi asked in surprise.

Zhugari recalled and said: "It was in a restaurant. Yuya Kano had a conflict with the waiter because of a free meal and stabbed him to death with a kitchen knife. Later, after being arrested by the police, he also admitted the crime and the Touto Prosecutor's Office prosecuted...

"The key point of the confrontation between the defense and the prosecution in court was whether it was self-defense, because there were no other witnesses in the store at the time. The defense insisted that Xiangye was financially well-off and just forgot to bring his wallet when the incident happened. He said he would go back to pay later...

"But the victim took out a kitchen knife first and swung it wildly at Yuya Kanno, and Kanno just fought back in self-defense in panic. By the time he reacted, the victim had already been stabbed to death by the kitchen knife." Igari said slowly at this time.

Although it was a case from ten years ago, Zhu Shou knew it like the back of his hand - he might not be so impressed by all the cases, but... of course he was impressed by the cases that he investigated and ended up with a not guilty verdict!

"This...must be supported by on-site evidence, right?" Bai Shi asked conservatively.

Shiraishi didn't know the other situations, but it should be true that Yuya Kanno was in good financial condition - after all, he was a rich second generation!
Moreover, things like "self-defense" are not something you can just say casually if there are no witnesses. There must be evidence at the scene to support this statement.

"There were indeed only the victim's fingerprints on the kitchen knife at that time, but... they were fingerprints from the right hand, and the victim should have been left-handed!" Zhu Shou's tone was somewhat dissatisfied at this time.

"Eh? In that case..." Shiraishi was stunned when he heard that - if that was the case, the court should not have accepted the defense's statement in the absence of any witnesses.

Seeing this, Zhu Shou also knew what Shiraishi was thinking, and shook his head helplessly, saying, "The first person to discover the situation was the deceased's father, the restaurant manager. Before he could act, the manager picked up his son and took away the kitchen knife that was originally in his son's hand...

"Because the scene had been destroyed by the victim's family, the defense lawyer insisted on this point, so the evidence at the scene that was unfavorable to the defendant was not accepted. At that time, the victim's past of fighting in high school and being expelled was dug up, which aroused public opinion and made people think that he had violent tendencies."

Shiraishi frowned and said, "Wait a minute... the first person to discover the murder was the father of the deceased? In other words, after killing someone, Yuya Kanno didn't report the crime immediately? Can this also be considered self-defense?"

Not to mention stirring up public opinion, what Shiraishi was more concerned about was that it was not Yuya Kanno himself who called the police?

According to Bai Shi's knowledge, under normal circumstances, even if it is truly self-defense in the circumstances of the crime, you have to call the police immediately. Once you run away or fake the scene, you will not be able to explain it afterwards, and it will basically not be recognized as self-defense!

Can this also win innocence?

"After all, the defense hired a professional team of lawyers... I also watched the trial, and the whole process was at their pace. The prosecution was not well prepared, and they deliberately blurred the fact that the deceased's father had touched the scene. As a result, they were caught off guard. In the end, the defendant was acquitted, and the prosecution did not appeal." Igari said regretfully.

"So... in the final analysis, it's because the defendant had a lot of legal resources, but the prosecutors were hoping to defeat the master with random punches, so that's why they messed up, right?" Shiraishi couldn't help but curl his lips when he heard this.

Igari did not answer... Although this matter had little to do with the on-site forensic personnel, and the fact that the other party's lawyers overturned the case in court could only be blamed on the prosecutor's response, Igari himself was still brooding over it, probably thinking that if he could have done better, perhaps the other party's legal team would not have been able to overturn the case.

Subjectively, Ihori did not say it explicitly, but Shiraishi could hear that he did not agree with the term "self-defense" in his heart!

The deceased was left-handed, but there were only fingerprints from his right hand on the knife, which was clearly a sign that someone had stuffed a knife into his hand...

However, this evidence was turned into invalid evidence by the opposing legal team because it had been moved at the scene by the victim's family and the prosecution was eager to convict and wanted to conceal it.

After the prosecutors were caught with evidence, they did not dare to continue to entangle themselves, and they have not even continued to appeal...

Including the testimony of Yuya Kanno, who initially admitted to the murder to the police, was later overturned, claiming that it was due to "induced confession."

Igari did not talk about what happened that year, but just emphasized: "After the identity of the victim is confirmed, the police station should also know that he is the murderer who was acquitted that year... This case, Officer Shiraishi, has taken a lot of trouble. Please make sure to catch the real murderer!"

"Don't worry, the Mika Police Department will definitely find the real culprit." Bai Shi said confidently.

Ishihara didn't say it explicitly, but...

He was obviously worried that because of the case that year, the victim's family would be regarded as suspects in the murder of Yuya Kanno.

Because Ihori couldn't guarantee that this possibility would never happen, he didn't say anything about "clearing the suspicion" or anything like that, but just asked Shiraishi to "catch the real culprit."

If they are really the family members of the victims, then...

Pig hunting would probably be even more uncomfortable!
After all, if Yuya Kanno had been convicted of murder back then, this kind of thing would not have happened now.

"Then I'll take my leave first." Bai Shi stood up and said.

Since he had already promised Igari that he would pay attention to the case, Shiraishi did not stay any longer - judging from Igari's reaction, it was clear that spending an afternoon drinking tea with him would not have a better public relations effect than solving the case as soon as possible.

"Wait..." Zhushu suddenly called out to Shiraishi.

After Shiraishi stopped, Igari called out to the outside, "Sakuma, come and get two cans of tea for Superintendent Shiraishi." After that, Igari specifically said to Shiraishi, "The Chief of Police has been thinking about my tea for a long time."

Obviously, Igari did Shiraishi an extra favor this time - a favor from the Minister of Police!

The Minister of Police may not really like this "tea", but he definitely owes Zhu Shu a favor...

Even though Ishihara is just a retired forensic police officer, he is so old after all, so Shiraishi would not be surprised by what he has experienced.

only……

Bai Shi is a little strange...

How did you keep your tea in the safe? Is it possible for someone to steal your tea in the Metropolitan Police Department?

Shiraishi took the tea leaves that Sakuma took out of the safe... Sakuma was still young after all, and he smiled embarrassedly at Shiraishi's surprised look.

Seeing this scene, Shiraishi couldn't help but sigh - it's really sad that the security of the Metropolitan Police Department is so unreliable.

……

Because of Igari's instructions, Shiraishi did not continue his "public relations" at the Metropolitan Police Department, nor did he return to the police station. Instead, he went directly to the crime scene - Beika Tower Apartments!

Mihua Tower Apartment is one of the "Mihua super high-rise buildings" along with the New Mihua Hotel. It is considered a very high-end apartment with a rent that is about twice that of the Yingmihua Apartment.

You know, Yingmihua Apartment is not cheap!

Although the advantage is that it overlooks the entire rice flower, Bai Shi did not choose this place because he felt bad about the rent.

When Shiraishi arrived at the door of the apartment, he saw several police cars parked outside, but there was no cordon at the door - after all, this kind of apartment has 50 or 60 floors and there are many people living in it. It is not only inconvenient to set up a cordon outside the apartment, but it is also a problem to check the entry and exit of people. Judging from the body, the person has been dead for a while, and it is not an immediate case, so naturally, the other residents in the apartment were not immediately cleared out and checked.

When I arrived at the door, I realized that this was a closed apartment and I needed to swipe my finger or dial the intercom to be let in.

When Shiraishi was about to make a phone call, an old lady in a kimono said in surprise, "Ah! You are Director Shiraishi, right? My grandson likes you very much!"

Although Shiraishi was wearing casual clothes, anyone in Japan would definitely be able to recognize him given his height.

"Hmm? Oh, thank you." Bai Shi nodded.

"Are you here for the murder on the 44th floor? Come on, I'll take you in!" The aunt was very enthusiastic.

After Shiraishi followed in, in the elevator, the kimono lady took out her cell phone and asked, "Can we take a picture?"

"Of course." Seeing that she wanted to take a photo, Bai Shi squatted down - this way he was only a head taller than her.

"Are you a resident of the 45th floor? Do you have any impression of the case?" Bai Shi saw that she pressed the 44th and 45th floors. The former should have been pressed for him.

"Not at all." The old lady said regretfully, and she seemed to want to cooperate with the police.

"Then do you know anything about the person who died on the 44th floor?" Bai Shi did not say his name. If she didn't know him, there was no need to tell her his name.

However, the kimono lady immediately revealed a gossipy expression upon hearing this, and whispered to Shiraishi, "I know! That boy is not a decent person. Not only does he always go out in the middle of the night, but half a year ago he always brought people home to fool around. The neighbors have complained many times, and he also quarreled with us... and in the past few months, it seems that he has been asked to pay back his debts!"

"Huh? His financial situation is so bad?" Bai Shi was a little surprised when he heard that - he should be a rich second-generation, right?
Tulip Insurance paid Abe Yutaka 500 million without hesitation, it doesn't look like they are doing a bad job...

"Yeah, I don't know how he rented this place." The aunt in kimono looked at her with disdain but also with pride, after all, she was also a resident of a high-end apartment.

Ding--

Soon after, the elevator reached the 44th floor. Shiraishi came out, and the kimono lady waved her hand and said, "Come on! Rice Flower Kong!"

The nickname she used was still one version behind.

Shiraishi smiled awkwardly, and when he walked out, the police officer outside who was watching the cordon immediately saluted and said, "Chief!" Then he lowered the cordon...

A cordon has been set up on the 44th floor, and this floor has obviously been blocked.

"Well, thank you for your hard work." Bai Shi nodded and came to the room where the murder took place.

At this time, the two groups of people from the violent criminal department, Kuroki, Kanzaki, Suzuki, and Makio, were here. In addition to the police officers, there was also a woman dressed as a lady with a worried look on her face - I think she was the first discoverer of the case, Rumiko Kanno, the mother of the deceased Yuya Kanno.

At this time, Makita Miwa was comforting Mrs. Kanno, Kuroki and Suzuki were still checking the scene, and Kanzaki was arranging the work of the forensic personnel.

"Director."

When they saw Chief Shiraishi coming, the police officers at the scene saluted and greeted him.

When Rumiko Kono saw Shiraishi, she immediately stood up and said, "Director Shiraishi, you must catch the murderer who killed my son... wuwuwu..."

"You can rest assured that we will do our best, but we also need the cooperation of your family members." Bai Shi looked at her and felt that her crying seemed a little fake.

Then Bai Shi asked bluntly: "Mrs. Xiangye, as far as I know, your son seems to be in poor financial condition recently?"

This is what Bai Shi is most confused about...

With the financial resources of Tulip Insurance, even if he was a gambler, he should not be penniless or even have to go into debt.

Mrs. Xiangye paused when she heard this, but soon nodded and said, "Yes, the father of this child... has actually severed ties with him, and I also... wanted to tell him today, but this is just the last time I want to give him living expenses!" At this point, Xiangye Rumiko showed a sad look and said, "But I didn't expect that this time I would meet... Oh!"

When Bai Shi heard her say this, he couldn't help but reveal a look of understanding.

In this case, it is no wonder...

It not only explains why Yuya Kanno was being chased for debts, but also explains why his mother looked sad but not very grief-stricken - his father did not break off relations with him overnight, and it was definitely not something that happened all at once. I'm afraid that the couple had already been extremely disappointed with this child.

It's just that Rumiko Kono doted on him a little more, so she didn't completely cut off his financial support, but...

Judging from the fact that he has been chased for debts in the past six months, the amount he gave should not be much.

Under the circumstances, it is no wonder that his mother looked so sad.

Even Shiraishi felt that this might explain why this rich second-generation dine-and-dine free in the case ten years ago!
Originally, Shiraishi thought that there might have been a misunderstanding at the scene, but...

After listening to the neighbor's description, Bai Shi suspected that he had been restricted in his consumption by his family ten years ago, and as he was a troublemaker, he was probably still spending money lavishly. It seemed reasonable that he would eat and dine when he ran out of money.

However, ten years ago, his father probably had not completely given up on him. After he killed someone, he still hired a team of lawyers to win him a "not guilty" verdict in court on the grounds of "self-defense"...

After Shiraishi comforted Rumiko Kanno with a few words, he winked at Makaka. Seeing this, Makaka helped Mrs. Kanno aside and prepared to ask other questions.

And Bai Shi walked into the house...

Because Shiraishi arrived quickly, the body had not yet been taken away, the positioning tape had just been put on.

Judging from the scene, the cause of death was very clear - he was lying on the ground with signs of struggle on his limbs, a large pool of blood behind him, and splattered blood around him. He must have died from excessive bleeding after being stabbed in the back!

"Have you found the murder weapon?" Shiraishi asked Kanzaki.

"We found it. This blood-stained dagger was left at the scene... Although we haven't conducted a formal comparison yet, judging from the wound condition observed with the naked eye, this should be it." Kanzaki said, handing an evidence bag to Shiraishi.

There was a number "2" on the evidence bag, and a plate with the same number "2" was placed not far from the body. There was also some blood stains there, so it seemed that the kitchen knife must have fallen there originally.

"This kitchen knife..." Bai Shi looked at the blood-stained kitchen knife a few more times.

"It's a very professional Japanese kitchen knife. The blade is 12 centimeters long and is polished very sharply..." Kanzaki also gave the basic information at this time.

"Putting aside whether it's professional or not, it looks like it's been used for a long time, right?" Shiraishi said, taking a look at the open kitchen in the apartment.

Japanese kitchen knives, which are the kind with pointed tips, are not only thin but also need to be sharpened to be very sharp.

Generally, only professional restaurants use this type of kitchen knife. Ordinary people will not use this type of kitchen knife at home. Even if it is included in a set, its usage rate is relatively low.

For example, in the previous "gas station manager murder case", the kitchen knife set in the home of the station manager Hayashida was a Japanese kitchen knife that was rarely used and was at least half longer than this one.

The kitchen knife in front of you looks too short at first glance!

"That's right. Japanese kitchen knives usually become shorter as they are sharpened, and this one...it must have been used for a long time and many times to be sharpened so short." Kanzaki also said - Kanzaki understood the basic structure and characteristics of this kind of equipment that could become a murder weapon.

Previously, Shiraishi was reluctant to recommend Kanzaki to the Appraisal Class. Firstly, it was because Kanzaki still had a lot of room for improvement, and he could "squeeze" achievement points by putting him in the Beika Department; secondly, it was also because the issue of Kanzaki's biological father had yet to be resolved, so it would be better to let him continue to partner with his "brother" for the time being.

"This guy doesn't look like he can cook for himself." Shiraishi said as he looked at the kitchen which was so tidy that there was no sign of use.

Kuroki then interjected, "Director, this Yuya Kanno was arrested before, and although he was found not guilty, but..."

"He killed someone while dining free, and was finally sentenced to self-defense... I know." Bai Shi nodded.

"Eh?" Hei Mu was stunned when he heard that - could he really be your nephew?

Shiraishi:……

"I just came back from Mr. Ikariri from the Forensic Science Department. He was the one who investigated the scene of this case back then," Shiraishi explained.

"I see... By the way, the father of the deceased is still alive and has continued to run the restaurant. Gen and Yamada have already gone to the 'Okada Shokudo' to find out the situation." Kuroki reported at this time.

canteen……

It sounds like a small restaurant.

Ten years ago, it was a "father and son duo". When the father went out to purchase goods, the son was the only one in the store. When the father came back, he found that his son had been stabbed to death!

Shiraishi glanced at the kitchen knife again...

Indeed, judging by the knife, it looked like one that was used in a professional restaurant, but...

Is it a bit too deliberate?
Deliberately using an external weapon and leaving the knife at the scene?

Judging from this point of view alone, the owner of "Okada Shokudo" not only has a strong motive for murder, but even... seems to have physical evidence!
"This knife...check it carefully." This was all Bai Shi could say in the end.

No matter how unreasonable its appearance is, the murder weapon is right in front of us, and there is no reason not to check it.

Then Shiraishi had a vague guess in his mind, so he called Mr. Ikarii again...

"Mr. Igari, do you still remember the murder weapon? Um... a Japanese kitchen knife that has been used for a long time? Okay... I know..."

(End of this chapter)