Tokyo: Rabbit Police and Her Evil Partner

Chapter 571 The First Murder Case

As a newly debuted novelist, Naoki Mouri's creative passion is exceptionally strong.

She became an instant sensation, but before she became a seasoned writer rushing to meet deadlines, she was only thinking about creating better works, surpassing those renowned predecessors, and becoming a true titan in the world of mystery novels.

Currently, the groom, together with two outstanding actors, has recreated the entire process of the church shooting in a one-to-one scale.

After the performance, all the audience members received the first booklet, which detailed the relationships between the characters, the process of the murder, the clues to the case, key physical evidence, and even the news pressure that followed the case and the whole process of the criminal police trying to extract a confession.

Mouri felt like she was playing a tabletop role-playing game, and everything in front of her seemed like a large-scale real-life tabletop game.

She didn't care about the bonus; she didn't think such a good thing would fall into her lap. After all, her main job was just writing novels, and she was self-aware of her professional abilities in deduction and investigation.

For Naoki Mouri, the process is more important than the result.

She anticipates a thrilling manhunt, hoping the investigation will be shrouded in mystery, leading to the discovery of yet another unsolved case.

Before arriving at the scene, Mouri was worried that her expectations would be dashed, until the groom announced that there were four murders and guaranteed that they were real cases that had actually happened—at that moment, she felt her hair stand on end and goosebumps rise all over her body.

Only those who truly enjoy mystery and suspense novels will understand this feeling.

Mouri Nai had a premonition that after the wedding, regardless of whether the murder was solved or not, this hall would become a pilgrimage site for mystery fans all over the world.

In order to catch a serial killer, a married couple invites all the most famous detectives in Japan to solve the case on their wedding night. This gimmick alone is enough to grab people's attention.

There were so many novelists present; if the material was compelling enough, it would definitely ignite their creative passion, inspire them, and lead them to write many classic works… Just like Jack the Ripper, who became a classic source of inspiration, appearing time and again in detective novels.

Before Mouri had even finished reading the booklet, all sorts of wonderful ideas were flooding her mind. It was as if the muse was kissing her forehead, with all sorts of amazing ideas popping up one after another, making her excitedly keep writing them down.

The investigation into the first murder case has officially begun.

The master detectives—or more accurately, retired frontline criminal investigators—gathered around the stage, where two white lines depicting human figures represented corpses. Every drop of blood on the floor and curtain was hand-drawn to recreate the bullet trajectory as accurately as possible.

To avoid errors in hand-drawn illustrations, each person also receives a booklet containing crime scene photos, ballistics reports, autopsy reports, fingerprint analysis, and handwriting analysis, all sourced from Hokkaido Police Department files, ensuring their authenticity.

Kotaro Kanesaka mentally replayed the entire incident and discovered a small discrepancy.

The other detectives were also quite skilled and quickly noticed this suspicious point.

One by one, the detectives looked up at the groom, who was holding a bottle of cola. They seemed to understand each other perfectly, none of them speaking first, but instead scrutinizing Fushimi Shika.

"What's wrong?" Fushimi Shika asked, releasing the cola and looking around.

It looks normal.

Not everyone has Kazama Takusai's special intuition, and even if a small number of people have more experience than Kazama Takusai, it's not a big problem for Fushimi Shika.

When he committed his first crime, he wasn't good at concealing his arrogance and harbored a lot of resentment.

He is now skilled in psychological counseling, hypnosis, and social charm. He has learned a lot of good qualities from Yusuke Kamei, one of which is how to disguise himself and look at people with a very sincere gaze.

Even when standing in front of all of Japan's elite detectives, Shika Fushimi would not show any fear.

Without him, only familiar with Seoul.

The group, holding the booklet, looked at each other in bewilderment.

This is, after all, a wedding; the reasoning contest is secondary. Interrogating the groom at the wedding seems a bit disrespectful to the host.

If a bad impression is left, the investigation might be hindered, and the awarding of the bonus might even result in 'special treatment'...

Kotaro Kanesaka thought the same thing, so he didn't speak up immediately.

But then he thought of the rent he owed, his ex-wife whom he had divorced, and the embarrassment he felt when he went on blind dates, and the hesitation in his heart vanished instantly.

This is not the time for social etiquette; he needs the money, and solving the case must be his priority.

Kotaro Kanesaka inexplicably felt like he had returned to his youth, when he first joined the Metropolitan Police Department and was just as enthusiastic about solving cases.

No matter how complex the case was, or how many hidden secrets lay behind it, he only focused on investigating the case.

Now he has another reason to investigate the case at all costs.

While everyone remained silent, Kotaro Kanesaka was the first to raise his hand and said, "Can I ask you a few questions privately?"

"Is this a formal interrogation or just casual conversation?" Fushimi Shika pretended not to understand the implied meaning and deliberately exerted social pressure.

"Formal interrogation." Kensaka Kotaro showed no mercy.

“Okay.” Shika Fushimi put down his cola and said with a smile, “The back hallway is quieter, we can go there to chat.”

Kotaro Kanesaka nodded and left side by side with Shika Fushimi via a side path.

Yuan Yuzi was just flipping through the brochure. Although she was an organizer, she also wanted to participate in the investigation... Just as she said on stage earlier, this was probably the last case she would be in charge of in her life.

She wanted to find out the truth.

After Kanesaka Kotaro and Fushimi Shika left, Minamoto Tamako realized what had just happened.

She didn't want everyone to feel social pressure while solving cases, so she loudly encouraged them: "Yes! That's how it should be! Do you usually have any concerns about your identity when investigating cases? Eliminating suspects is the correct investigative step. Don't worry about our feelings; we don't want to be treated differently!"

The crowd's reaction was lukewarm, so Gen Tamako added, "The reward will never be distributed based on personal preference. As long as the truth is found and the culprit is caught, I guarantee that the person who solves the case will receive a reward of ten million yen! If it is a case solved by several people, the reward will be split equally!"

As soon as he finished speaking, all the investigators swarmed around him. There were detectives and novelists alike. They bombarded him with questions about the details of the Minamoto no Tamako murder, hoping to find a breakthrough from the smallest clues.

There were also those who, like Naoki Mori, gave up the investigation; the vast majority of them were writers who simply stood by and observed, faithfully recording the reactions of the crowd.

Gen Tamako felt like she was holding a press conference again. This time, she didn't need Hira Sakurako's prompting; she could handle it on her own.

"Stop arguing, stop arguing, one at a time. Otherwise, I can't answer your questions and it's wasting everyone's time... I'll start calling on people randomly now and answer all your questions."

After saying that, Yuan Yuzi chose a kind-looking uncle who caught her eye: "Sir, you can ask first."

"Hello, Ms. Yuan, my name is Tsutsui Michitaka. This is my business card. I look forward to working with you in the future." Tsutsui Michitaka took out a personal business card from his inner lining, bowed slightly, and handed it over with both hands.

This is a normal social procedure in Japan. In formal settings, people usually exchange business cards to establish a hierarchy of status, which facilitates communication and interaction later on.

"Oh, no need for formalities. What I said earlier was true. This is not a social occasion. There are only murder cases and suspects here, not brides and grooms."

Gen Tamako repeated herself, then asked gently, "So, Mr. Tsutsui, what would you like to ask?"

Michitaka Tsutsui didn't even finish reading the booklet. He wasn't interested in this kind of childish stuff. The photos were full of blood and corpses, which was nauseating to look at. The various details of the murder case were also extremely tedious, making it easy to fall asleep.

He just wanted to get closer to the bride, so he squeezed in.

"Uh, this... May I ask what was the relationship between Ms. Yuan and the deceased?" Tsutsui Michitaka asked.

“It’s written in the booklet, including the deceased’s life story.” Yuan Yuzi was somewhat dissatisfied with his attitude towards the case, but she didn’t show it. Instead, she said loudly, “Alright, next, sir, please ask your question.”

The second person called out was also Aoshima Hara. He was lucky; he always managed to stand in the most prominent position: "If I'm not mistaken, this case was ultimately closed. The murderer surrendered himself. May I ask..."

Before he could finish his question, Tsutsui Michitaka interrupted, "The case is closed? Then what's left to investigate?"

Everyone turned around at once. Those who knew Tsutsui Michitaka wore gloating smiles, while those who didn't looked puzzled, wondering how such a fraud had managed to sneak in.

Gen Tamako patiently explained, “Even though the police have declared the case closed, there are still some doubts about the details. For example, the fingerprints on the murder weapon, the pistol, don't match anyone at the scene, which is enough to prove that there was a ‘fourth person’ involved at the time of the crime… Furthermore, as I said at the beginning, there were a total of four murders, and the words ‘divine punishment’ appeared in blood on each one, which is enough to conclude that the murderer is still at large.”

"Ah, I see..." Tsutsui Michitaka was a little embarrassed.

Genji didn't take it to heart, assuming it was just that Tsutsui Michitaka wasn't feeling well.

She often saw the glorious achievements of Tsutsui Michitaka's agency in TV commercials and newspapers, so she subconsciously thought that this middle-aged man was a remarkable detective. Over time, this left a deep impression on her, and she naturally invited Tsutsui Michitaka when inviting guests.

“Then I’ll continue,” Aoshima Hara cleared her throat, “Ms. Hara, have you questioned the murderer who turned himself in?”

He flipped through the booklet again and said:
"The case report was full of platitudes; the murderer Kazuo Ishizuka's confession was basically coerced by the prosecutor, and the details of the crime were all ambiguous..."

"His surrender suggests he likely knows the inside story, which is a crucial breakthrough. Ms. Yuan, have you questioned him?"

Gen Tamako shook her head: "No, at that time I wasn't a formal detective, just a trainee, and I didn't have the ability to interfere in police investigations. By the time I was able to investigate, Ishizuka Kazuo refused to visit me in prison, and there was nothing I could do."

Aoshima knew what was going on. The crime was a major stain on the police station's record. Even if the relevant departments couldn't openly refuse to allow Gen Tamako to investigate, they could still create obstacles behind the scenes, such as claiming that the prisoner refused to be visited...

He nodded, indicating that there were no problems.

Then, more people asked questions, which Gentama answered one by one.

The area in front of the auditorium became lively as the investigation proceeded in full swing; meanwhile, in the corridor behind the auditorium, Kensaka Kotaro and Fushimi Shika leaned against the window, neither of them saying a word.

This is a common tactic used by Kotaro Kanesaka: using silence to make the suspect uneasy and constantly apply psychological pressure, thereby revealing a flaw.

Fushimi Shika seemed to be under no pressure at all. Kensaka Kotaro didn't speak, and neither did he. He just leaned on the windowsill and looked at the scenery, as if he was reminiscing about the scenery of his hometown.

After a long silence, it was finally Kensaka Kotaro who couldn't hold back any longer: "As the person involved, could you recount the events of the incident again?"

“Okay.” Fushimi Shika readily agreed.

“Recite it backwards,” said Kotaro Kanesaka.

“That won’t do.” Shika Fushimi shook his head: “I hit my head back then, and I don’t remember anything after that, so there are no lines in the last scene.”

Kotaro Kanesaka had some doubts, but that was all: "What a coincidence, you just happened to forget how the murder happened?"

“I might have already passed out at that time.” Fushimi Shika shrugged.

"Alright." Kensaka Kotaro didn't pursue the matter further, but instead asked that small question: "I have a small question. Why did you go to the church back then?"

"The instructor threatened me, so I had no choice but to go," Fushimi Shika said truthfully.

"You don't seem like the kind of man who's afraid of threats," Kensaka Kotaro pointed out this small point of doubt.

Just now, when Fushimi Shika was giving his speech, he was completely fearless and completely at ease. This kind of person cannot be easily threatened. All detectives are good at reading people, and Kanesaka Kotaro is no exception.

“Back then I was still very naive, just a student.” Fushimi Shika still spoke the truth: “I have experienced a lot in the past few years, and I can boast a little that I have grown a lot compared to before.”

“I see,” Kanesaka Kotaro nodded. “Then I have no further questions.”

He said that, but what he really thought was something else entirely.

Before returning to the auditorium, the two reunited with the others.

The investigators asked questions for three hours straight, all of them tedious details, but everyone present found it fascinating.

He felt out of place, except for Michitaka Tsutsui.

Mouri Nai wrote with lightning speed; she was already outlining the plot of her new novel.

If the next case is just as compelling, she might scrap the existing outline, or even develop it into a case-within-a-case narrative...

Wonderful, really wonderful!

Suddenly, the muse descended once more, bestowing the greatest gift upon talented and passionate creators.

A thought popped into Mouri Nai's mind, a thought that made her tremble as if she were being electrocuted, her pupils dilated with excitement, and goosebumps surged across her skin in waves.

Absolutely!

She had always felt that something was missing from the story... If the story were designed this way, it would be perfect!
While everyone was intently recording the details, Mouri Naka couldn't help but shout out:

"The murderer is among us!"

(End of this chapter)