Conan: Chief of Rice Flower's Science Points

Chapter 78: Can I surrender?

"It's like this. At 12:23, Mrs. Muraoka heard sounds of suspected attack from her husband's phone, and then called Secretary Muraoka, and the two met downstairs of the office building. At about 12:50, the body was discovered by Secretary Muraoka and Mrs. Muraoka." Takagi explained honestly.

Honest Takagi seemed unaware that there was no need to report this matter to Shiraishi!

Bai Shi nodded upon hearing this, but still said, "Hmm? At this time... it should be during everyone's lunch break. I didn't notice when he left... What did he say?"

Could it be that the guy gave an alibi that is totally unconfirmed?
"Ah! Muranaka's secretary said that he received a call from the victim's wife at 12:25, and then left the public hall. At that time... Ms. Okino Yoko, who was the one-day director, saw him answer the phone." Takagi said immediately.

"So... you didn't find Miss Yoko?" Shiraishi looked at him strangely.

"No, um... I came to say hello to Director Shiraishi... hehe..." Takagi said awkwardly.

What a useless courtesy!

"I'll accompany you to find Miss Yoko." Shiraishi looked at the time. It was already past 1:40. They had to leave after testifying quickly.

Shiraishi brought Takagi to the lounge next to Okino Yoko...

dong dong dong-

"Come in." Yoko answered immediately even though she didn't know who it was.

Seeing that it was Shiraishi who came in, Yoko quickly stood up and greeted him: "Director Shiraishi, are you ready to go?"

"No hurry, this is Officer Takagi from the First Investigation Division, I have something to ask you..."

Shiraishi was just halfway through his words when Yoko blushed and bowed 90 degrees, saying, "I'm so sorry!"

"Eh?"

Takagi and Shiraishi were stunned when they saw this - what was going on?
"Director Shiraishi, at noon... I really walked into the wrong lounge. I thought there were lunch boxes on the table, and I was hungry at the time, so I just took your lunch box. Please don't call the police!" Yoko admitted embarrassedly.

Shiraishi, Takagi:......

"I felt something was wrong when I found shark fin soup at the end of the meal. Later, Section Chief Marubi brought me my lunch box, and I realized that it was a mistake. I didn't admit it because I was too embarrassed... But I asked Mr. Yamagishi to order another one according to the order number... Can it be considered as surrendering?"

Yoko raised her head, looking at Shiraishi with a pitiful look... and a bit of "naturalness".

Gao Mu was stunned for a moment, but immediately shook his head and said, "No, no, no, it doesn't matter about the bento or anything like that! Ahem, I mean... about the bento or something, Miss Yoko, you can explain it to Director Shiraishi in private, I'm not here for that!"

Takagi was also powerless to complain - although Chief Shiraishi's meal standards seemed very high, but... I am also a detective from Souichi after all, and there is no need to ask Souichi to come if a bento is lost, even if it is a high-end takeout bento!

"Eh? Isn't it about this matter?" Yoko's face turned even redder when she heard that.

"I thought it was a takeaway delivery." Bai Shi also held his forehead with his hand.

"Ms. Yoko, it's like this..." Takagi quickly interrupted and asked Yoko about the "village's alibi".

"Mr. Muranaka... Yes, that's right. He came to see me during lunch break."

Yoko recalled at this time - when Murakami's secretary came in, he mainly complimented her on how nice her records were, and said that he would buy more in the future... In short, he was just trying to flirt with her!
Yoko had seen this kind of situation many times, so she just chatted with him for a few minutes, and then...

"Indeed, he received a call from a lady and then left in a hurry. He was only in there for about five minutes." Yoko said affirmatively.

"I see... Do you remember approximately what time he came?" Takagi further confirmed.

"As for the time...that's right! Twelve twenty!" After thinking for a moment, Yoko gave the exact time.

"Then it seems there is no problem... Thank you very much for your cooperation!" Takagi breathed a sigh of relief and looked like he was going to finish his work.

At 12:20, I came to chat up the idol anchor, and at 12:25, I received a call from Mrs. Muraoka...

Very reasonable, the alibi is completely established!

But at this moment, Bai Shi looked at Yoko and suddenly frowned and said, "Wait a minute..."

"Huh? Director Shiraishi, what's wrong?" Takagi also looked at Shiraishi in confusion.

"Ms. Yoko, do you remember when you took the wrong lunch box?" Shiraishi suddenly asked.

"Eh?" Yoko's face turned red again when she heard that.

"Ahem, Chief Shiraishi, if there's nothing else..." Takagi laughed awkwardly - I won't disturb you and the little idol playing police and gangsters, I have other tasks at hand!

"This is very important... If you really can't remember the exact time, think about whether it was before or after the village came to find you?" Shiraishi further confirmed. When Yoko heard that the village was mentioned again, the blush on her face faded a little - at least it sounded related to the case, not that I was being "judged" for taking the wrong lunch box.

"After that." Yoko said without hesitation this time.

She went to the bathroom and went to the wrong lounge when she came back. She saw several lunch boxes and thought they were going to be distributed later. Since she was very hungry, she took some herself first...

"That's not right..." Bai Shi muttered at this time.

"Director Shiraishi, what's wrong?" Seeing that it was related to the case, Takagi asked hurriedly.

"I had lunch at around 12:20, and there were only three boxes left by then," Shiraishi said affirmatively.

"Eh? Three boxes?" Takagi looked at Shiraishi in shock - you want to eat four boxes of high-end bento with shark fin soup by yourself?
Shiraishi:……

"Ahem, I mean... maybe you remembered the time wrong?" Seeing Shiraishi looking at him speechlessly, Takagi quickly changed the subject.

"Officer Takagi, the most important thing for a criminal policeman is the grasp of time...right?" Shiraishi glanced at him.

Gao Mu stood at attention immediately and dared not speak - if he questioned Chief Shiraishi's qualifications as a criminal police officer, he would probably be beaten up right now...

"But..." Yoko still looked confused at this time - she didn't think that she had remembered it wrong.

"Ms. Yoko, you just said that you asked Mr. Yamagishi to order another copy for you, right?" Shiraishi then raised another "suspicious" point.

"No, that's right..."

When it comes to things related to bento, Yoko immediately becomes embarrassed.

"Why?" Bai Shi asked.

"Eh? Because when my lunch box was delivered later, I realized I had taken the wrong one..." Yoko was also wondering what Director Shiraishi was asking.

Gao Mu, who was standing by, complained in his mind: So you have the highest meal standard, right? And you ate four portions by yourself!
"No, I mean, you seem to care a lot about this matter and don't want others to know... Then why did you ask Mr. Yamagishi to help you order it?" Shiraishi emphasized the problem.

Normally, Yoko wouldn't want anyone else to know, not even her agent!
Yoko suddenly realized, "Oh, it's because my cell phone was accidentally broken this morning."

When Bai Shi heard this, he thought to himself, "As expected" - he just remembered what happened in the village when he approached Yoko in the morning, and it seemed that he even took photos for Yoko with his mobile phone!

"The damage to the cell phone is related to the village?" Bai Shi asked directly.

"When Mr. Muranaka handed it back to me, I accidentally didn't catch it firmly..." Yoko explained kindly, but the subtext was naturally...it was indeed dropped when Mr. Muranaka handed it back to me!
"Is the cell phone still with you?" Bai Shi asked.

"No, even though I said it was okay, Mr. Muranaka said he would find a place to fix the screen and give it to me in the evening." Yoko said truthfully.

Hearing this, Bai Shi also looked at her with a little surprise - Are you really an idol? Can you just take your phone to be repaired? Are you so sure that there is nothing in it that can make you famous?

Bai Shi immediately shook his head and stopped thinking about this question. Instead, he confirmed, "Well, okay, that means you didn't bring your phone with you after that. Then how did you know the time when the village came to look for you?"

Yoko was also startled when she heard this, and seemed a little distracted. Shiraishi reminded her, "Your answer just now was very specific. You should have seen the time somewhere."

Human memory is like this. If the time is emphasized specifically, they will remember what time it was, but they will forget how they knew it and need a little reminder.

This is also the importance of the "interrogation" technique. It is not just about asking what the other party is hiding, but also about stimulating what is hidden in the other party's memory...

"Ah! That's right." After getting the hint, Yoko showed a look of sudden realization.

She stood up and opened the door, then said to the round clock hanging in the corridor outside the lounge: "I saw the time on the clock!"

"Wait, Ms. Yoko, you should be the type who says 'come in'?" Shiraishi remembered that Yoko did not open the door for him just now.

"That's right... I also shouted at that time, but Mr. Muranaka didn't seem to hear it." Yoko also followed Shiraishi's thoughts and recalled the situation at that time.

[Sorry, sorry, Miss Yoko, are you taking a rest at this time? ]

"Ah!" Yoko suddenly remembered that this was what Muranaka said after she opened the door, and then she turned her head and looked at the clock.

Because "this time" was mentioned, Muranaka himself also took action, so...Yoko also instinctively followed and took a look!
"It seems that you have remembered it too. The villagers must have tricked you into looking at the clock at that time." Bai Shi guessed it by looking at her expression.

"It seems... so to speak... I was indeed following him in looking at the watch." Yoko seemed cautious when giving the testimony.

It seems that the level of suspicion in the village has increased sharply!
(End of this chapter)