Tokyo Mystery Writers

Chapter 221 An Impeccable Reader Challenge!

The voice of the black cat.

Akira Uesugi, the eldest son of the Uesugi family, sat on the sofa watching television.

The television was showing a five-hour continuous broadcast of a World War II movie.

"Is it already 8 a.m.? Staying up all night is really exhausting."

His fingernails looked somewhat pale, and after turning thirty-five, his anxiety had accumulated day by day. All of this was clearly written on Uesugi Akira's face.

Mitsunari Uesugi drowsily wiped his red and bloodshot eyes.

"If a police officer gets sleepy at this level, what will you do in an emergency?"

"Brother, you're a doctor, do you have the right to judge others?"

"I can always report to the hospital on time, and even if I make a mistake, I can easily smooth things over."

"Then I, as a police officer, am the same."

The two bickered incessantly, but it was clear that they had a very good relationship.

As the older brother, Uesugi Akira looked at Uesugi Mitsuru, who was four years younger than him, and felt that he was just a cute child.

Despite his short stature, Uesugi Mitsuru became a detective, and a direct subordinate of Kodera Inspector, a well-known figure in the police force.

As for his older brother, Akira Uesugi, he works as the chief surgeon at a hospital under the Uesugi Group.

He met Inspector Kodera while participating in the autopsy of a difficult case.

Both of Uesugi Akira and Uesugi Mitsuru were unmarried, and their father on the family register was Uesugi Kenshin.

However, there is no blood relation between the two generations; they are both adopted sons.

As for why the two didn't inherit the Uesugi Group's business, but instead chose to become a doctor and a detective, who have no connection to the business?

Some readers may find this puzzling, but it has nothing to do with this case. In short, neither of them inherited the Uesugi Group's business.

Of course, there are also rumors that this is the source of Kenshin's troubles.

Okay, let's get back to our original topic. Now, the main part, which features the deceased, begins:

The living room where Uesugi Akira and Uesugi Mitsuru watched television was located on the east side of the Ano Mansion. Thick curtains blocked the view, making it impossible to see inside.

However, there is a glass door that connects to the courtyard.

The main gate to the "Oku no Miya" is just 30 meters away from the door.

"The Gates of the Underworld".

That's what Uesugi Akira called that ornate bronze door.

The guys surrounding his adoptive father showered him with compliments, calling it a work of art, but in Uesugi Akira's eyes, it was just an incredibly vulgar building.

Once inside the "Palace of the Deepest Valley," there is a corridor about fifteen meters long. At the end of the corridor is the entrance to the "Misty Chamber," and at the other end is the door to the "Misty Chamber."

The violin played the film's end credits theme.

Hearing the cat meow, Uesugi Akira pulled back the curtain and looked out through the glass.

A cat walks towards the "Okunomiya" on the snow outside the window, leaving its paw prints like stilts on the snow.

Meow~

The cat meowed again, as if to declare something.

What caught Uesugi Akira's attention was not the cat, because in the deep mountains and valleys of Kitasaga, let alone cats, pigs, dogs, monkeys, and even deer would not be uncommon.

The problem is that it was a black cat.

Although Uesugi Akira is a doctor, he is also an extremely devout believer. For Uesugi Akira, the black cat has violated his taboo!

In Edgar Allan Poe's short stories, black cats are portrayed as messengers of death.

In particular, the adoptive father who lives in "Okunomiya" has recently been suffering from neurasthenia.

Kenshin was an outstanding capitalist who amassed a fortune single-handedly and was known as the "Iron Man".

Compared to his previous boundless energy, his heart is now extremely weak.

In addition, at three o'clock in the morning, a rumble of thunder was heard from the south.

It is strange for thunder to occur in the middle of winter when snow is falling.

But the flash of lightning was like a god wielding a hammer and descending!

In short, strange things have been happening one after another lately.

Akira Uesugi sensed a terrifying omen approaching the "Okunomiya" silently.

The black cat disappeared near the door to the "Okunomiya" room.

The cat disappeared in front of the door of the "Okunomiya" room.

Uesugi Mitsuru also noticed something amiss: "Brother? Was that door not closed properly? Was it ajar?"

Akira Uesugi nodded and put on his coat.

"I'll go take a look."

Uesugi Akira slowly walked towards the "Okunomiya" on the snow where only cat paw prints were left.

Uesugi Mitsuru watched his older brother leave for the "Okunomiya," his heart filled with worry for their father's safety.

Mitsuru Uesugi believed that Kenshin suffered from neurasthenia because of him.

Because he became a policeman, he was still unmarried at the age of thirty.

Perhaps these are the reasons why my father turned out this way?

Therefore, Mitsuru Uesugi always felt apologetic towards his father.

Even so, I have never regretted becoming a policeman or being unmarried at over thirty (though this problem will be resolved in six months).

Anyway, I've always been proud of my identity as a criminal investigator.

However, the fact that the detective and the unmarried man seemed to have hurt her adoptive father.

Mitsuru Uesugi snapped out of his daze.

She discovered that her brother was standing at the entrance of the "Hall of the Deepest Valley" and waving at her.

That feeling was like an invitation to enter a death zone.

Mitsuru Uesugi ran straight to his brother's side without even putting on a coat.

Uesugi Akira's lips trembled slightly, whether from cold or nervousness, it was hard to tell: "That's strange, he didn't respond when I called him."

Before Uesugi Akira could finish speaking, Uesugi Mitsuru ran towards his adoptive father's room!

However, the door handle could not be turned at all.

"elder brother!"

Mitsuru Uesugi looked anxiously at Akira Uesugi, because he felt that he was about to face the death of a loved one.

Akira Uesugi gripped Mitsuru Uesugi's shoulders tightly, and said, with a voice that even he himself didn't believe, "Maybe—he's just asleep?"

The "Kasumi Room" uses an old-fashioned door that can only be locked from the outside. You can use the door from the inside, but if you use the door, the handle is impossible to turn.

In other words, the only explanation for the current situation is that someone has locked the door from the outside.

"I'll go get the keys!"

Mitsuru Uesugi ran onto the snow again and headed towards the main building.

There are two keys to "Kasumi no Ma" (霞間): one is in the possession of Kenshin, and the other is kept in the key room on the ground floor of the main building.

A few minutes later, Mitsuru Uesugi held a bronze key engraved with the word "spare".

Akira Uesugi inserted the key into the door's keyhole.

"Click!" "Click!"

Uesugi Akira opened the door and stood motionless in the doorway.

Mitsuru Uesugi leaned over his older brother's broad back and asked anxiously, "Brother, what's wrong?"

In the center of the room was a glass coffee table, and Kenshin sat in an armchair next to it, just as he always did.

But unlike usual, his body was already cold, leaving only a soulless shell.

His head drooped downwards like a withered leaf, and the gunshot wound on the back of his head was still fresh.

It reminds one of a bursting watermelon.

Rough hands swayed weakly, and the morning sun shone through the east-facing window, illuminating the old man's back.

Meow~

The Duke of Kenshin had become a puppet. The black cat that had been on his knees hissed like a funeral trumpet before jumping down and disappearing outside the door.

In the completely silent room, the only sound was the ticking of the clock.

After reading the first chapter, Maruta Chika showed a relieved expression.

Maruta Chika didn't want Maishiro Kyosuke's sake, but she didn't mind giving him a good bottle of sake.

But a challenge is a challenge, and Maruta Chika was determined to win, just like Mibukuro Sanjo challenged Mercato, as she read the story "Nostalgia".

But the prologue to "Nostalgia" really confused me.

They're not speaking human language at all!

However—fortunately, in this chapter, Maijo Kyosuke returned to his original style.

Now I understand—

In this chapter, Kyosuke Maijo presents two riddles.

Both of these puzzles are standard "impossible crime methods" or "locked room mysteries" in "classic detective fiction".

The snow outside the "Okunomiya" building, where there are no footprints, represents the "Snowy Secret Room," or the "Footprintless Trick."

And the "secret room" formed by the locked door of the "Mist Room".

Although she hasn't seen the specific details yet, Maruta Chika is already confident that she has seen through Maijo Kyosuke's scheme!

Because—whether it's the "no-footprint trick" or the "locked room mystery," there are only a few ways to break it!

These methods have already been written down by "King of Escape Rooms" Dixon Carr!

As long as the clues provided by Maijo Kyosuke are fair and just, I'm sure I'll be able to figure it out with my exceptional intelligence!

Driven by the determination to defeat Maijo Kyosuke, Maruta Chika opened the second chapter of "Nostalgia," titled "Kodera's Appearance."

"Lord Kenshin has actually fallen? That's truly unexpected."

Inspector Kodera sat in the car, gently closing his eyes, and muttered to himself in shock and sorrow.

Those in power often face both positive and negative evaluations.

Like two sides of a coin.

But regardless of praise or criticism, he has always been a leading figure in Kyoto.

Asakura, Inspector Kodera's 35-year-old subordinate, asked, "Didn't expect that?"

Inspector Kodera nodded: "His death is not surprising, given that he suffered from severe neurasthenia. However, I did not expect him to be murdered."

Asakura shook his head: "Boss, aren't you jumping to conclusions too quickly? It could also be suicide."

Asakura, who was holding the steering wheel, had obviously learned part of the case and therefore felt that it would be difficult to commit murder at that scene.

"If Uesugi Mitsuru says it was murder, he can't be wrong, right?"

Inspector Kodera spoke with a smile, recalling his reaction when Mitsuru Uesugi called him.

Although Uesugi Mitsuru was very emotional, he did not lose his calm observation skills, which made Inspector Kodera feel that he had not misjudged him.

"Hey boss, you're trusting Uesugi a little too much—"

"You talk too much! Just watch where you're going and drive properly!"

Asakura pouted sullenly, drove towards the Sagano Mansion, its Gothic spires appearing and disappearing in the distance.

At 10:30 a.m., the second act began, and our protagonist took to the stage.

"Kodera Police Department!"

As soon as Inspector Kodera got out of the car, he heard someone calling his name.

Looking back, he saw Uesugi Mitsuru staggering towards him.

Xiao Chong, you must be feeling really bad.

Inspector Kodera hid his own thoughts and grabbed Uesugi Mitsuru's shoulders with both hands, only to find that Uesugi Mitsuru's eyes were already filled with tears.

Inspector Kodera knew that only by helping Uesugi Mitsuru solve the case could he soothe Mitsuru's heart, so he asked directly, "Where is the crime scene?"

Led by Mitsuru Uesugi, Inspector Kodera headed toward the crime scene.

Officer Imagawa, who arrived at the scene first, happened to walk out of the mansion.

In fact, more than two hours had passed since the body was discovered.

The investigators and reporters who were searching for evidence have already left.

Of course, the body should be in the cold autopsy room right now.

The group arrived at the entrance to the "Midsummer Room" inside the "Palace of the Deep Palace".

A dim-witted police officer handed the bronze key to Officer Imagawa.

Inspector Kodera touched the surface of the dark brown door and knocked on it twice. He found that the door was designed to be quite sturdy, with no gaps between the door and the frame, making it difficult for even a needle to pass through.

"Is this the door that separates the secret room?"

Officer Imagawa nodded to Inspector Kodera.

Imagawa was somewhat dissatisfied with the term "locked room," since, for the police, it was a term only used in novels.

With a metallic click, the "Mist Room" was opened.

"This is the crime scene, but the body has already been removed."

The floor was covered with a classic red velvet carpet.

Its interior area is approximately twenty square meters.

The room was filled with expensive furniture, and on the right side hung violent oil paintings, each one in a bright red hue.

"Lord Kenshin—ah, no, the victim, he was sitting in the armchair by the table."

Officer Imagawa stood beside the armchair.

Although the body has been removed, the white lines marked at the scene still give a rough indication of the deceased's sitting posture.

Inspector Kodera knew that Mitsuru Uesugi was just putting on a brave face and couldn't be relied on, so he said, "If you're tired, go and rest for a bit. I'll question you later."

Uesugi Mitsuru nodded upon hearing Inspector Kodera's words and staggered out of the room.

Inspector Kodera sighed, then took out a Camel cigarette and lit it.

"He was shot in the back of the head at a very close distance, and there were obvious burn marks at the site of the gunshot wound. He was undoubtedly killed on the spot."

"But one thing is strange: the deceased's neck was turned 90 degrees to the left."

Officer Imagawa stood beside the chair where the deceased had been sitting and explained, "His body was facing the west wall, but only his face was facing the south window."

"Could this be some kind of strange 'secret code name'? Oh, and one more thing—"

—

"The exact time of death cannot be determined at present, but it was probably in the middle of the night. According to Dr. Akira Uesugi, it should have been around three or four in the morning."

Inspector Kodera clearly trusted Akihiro Uesugi: "Akihiro Uesugi is probably right. I don't think he would lie about something that can be verified at any time."

But Officer Imagawa disagreed: "If Uesugi Akira is right, then there is no other possibility besides suicide."

Inspector Kodera tilted his head: "How so?"

Inspector Imagawa continued, "Because when the body was discovered, the area within a 30-meter radius of the 'Okunomiya' was covered in snow, and there were no footprints on the snow that could be those of the perpetrator."

Imagawa recounted the scene where Uesugi Showa and Uesugi Mitsuru discovered the bodies.

Inspector Kodera pressed further, "With such heavy snowfall yesterday, wouldn't the footprints have been covered up?"

Imagawa shook his head: "If it had really been snowing heavily at the time, the footprints would have disappeared completely in just five minutes, but—I checked with Uesugi Showa and Uesugi Mitsuru, and I also called the weather bureau to verify. Last night, to be precise, at 2:40 a.m. this morning, the snow stopped, and it hasn't snowed since."

"When we arrived, we also discovered the inner palace of the secondary building, Okunomiya. There were six sets of footprints between here and the main building."

"Four of the groups should belong to Mitsuru Uesugi, and the remaining two to Akira Uesugi."

"The overlapping footprints match the testimonies of the two individuals. Furthermore, the extent of snow melting indicates that we stepped on them before we arrived."

"The possibility of covering footprints with new snow, walking backwards, stepping on old footprints—all these possibilities of disguise have been overturned by us."

Hearing Officer Imagawa's explanation.

Inspector Kodera's fighting spirit ignited: "If there really are no other footprints, then it could also be suicide."

"No! What I'm saying is, suicide is impossible; this case is clearly murder!"

"A person contemplating suicide can't exactly shoot themselves in the back of the head, can they?"

"And the handgun used as a murder weapon?"

Officer Imagawa shook his head: "No leads yet. We've searched, but it doesn't seem to be in this house."

"It's likely that the murderer took them away."

"I've already had people search the area, but as you know, it's surrounded by bamboo forests."

"It's impossible to dispose of the murderer after committing suicide."

"Even if you can dispose of the murder weapon after committing suicide, this is still a completely sealed room."

"The door has been locked, and the two windows have been drawn for over half a month; it's practically airtight!"

"Unless Uesugi Showa and Uesugi Mitsuru conspired to commit perjury—"

"However—if they committed perjury, why didn't they create some clues about the murderer's intrusion from the outside?"

""

Inspector Kodera, hearing Officer Imagawa's words, continued, "Could it be—that the murderer locked the door before leaving?"

Imagawa shook his head, seemingly having something difficult to say: "There are only two keys to this room. One is in the victim's bathrobe pocket, and the other is in the spare key vault in the basement of the main building."

"However, when Mitsuru Uesugi went to retrieve the key at dawn, the spare key was already in the key cabinet of the key vault and had not been used for several weeks."

Inspector Kodera smoked a cigarette, finding the case increasingly intriguing.

"Normally, only the deceased used the secondary key; he didn't need it."

"The key cabinet contains spare keys, and no one will open it unless there are special circumstances."

"So the last time I opened the key cabinet was two months ago. The dust on the cabinet had been accumulating for two months, and the handles were no exception. On the handles, there was only Uesugi Mitsuru's fingerprints, and the residual skin oil was very obvious, clearly left at dawn."

"There were no signs of tampering with the cabinet."

Inspector Kodera, a devoted reader of Van Dine, began his analysis with a line Van Dine had interrupted him with: "So? Nobody's used the keys in the key cabinet, right?"

"So, this despicable murderer locked the door, returned the key to the deceased's pocket, and then escaped from the inner palace, which was completely surrounded by snow, without leaving a single footprint?"

"Interesting. Not only did they successfully design two such troublesome locked rooms, but they also successfully carried out the murder."

Upon hearing Inspector Kodera's words, Imagawa angrily retorted, "You really don't want to admit it, huh?"

"One secret room wasn't enough, they actually created two secret rooms."

Inspector Kodera sighed and issued the order: "Just admit it. Next, we're going to thoroughly search this room, including the walls and ceiling—search everything!"

"Although I also think it's unlikely, maybe we can find the secret passage somewhere."

"Also, the possibility of breaking in using ropes or something similar cannot be ruled out, since this method wouldn't leave footprints in the snow."

Upon hearing Inspector Kodera's words, Officer Imagawa shrugged: "Request reinforcements."

Inspector Kodera nodded: "Yes, send all those idle guys from headquarters over here!"

"Even if we can find some clues, that would be good! In any case, the person who died was a financial tycoon, we can't just let it go."

"Alright, let's not talk about that now, Officer Imagawa. Are there any other leads?"

Inspector Imagawa shook his head: "That's it. Nothing was found inside the 'Kasumi Room.' No fingerprints, and nothing the perpetrator left behind."

Inspector Kodera frowned: "Neither of the two locked rooms left any clues. Is this a high-IQ crime?"

"Could this person be a genius?"

Asakura, standing nearby, asked curiously, "Boss, I have a question. Why would the killer go to the trouble of creating a secret room?"

"What exactly is the necessity of it?"

Inspector Kodera shook his head: "It's not clear yet, but I think there must be a reason for its existence, and it's not for faking a suicide scene."

"We'll figure it out eventually, but let's go see Uesugi Akira first."

After reading the first three chapters of "Nostalgia," which is half of the entire story, Gonda Manji smiled smugly.

Because of who I am?

He himself is a critic who has won the Japan Mystery Writers Association Award, served as a judge for the Edogawa Ranpo Award and the Japan Mystery Writers Association Award multiple times, and is a third-generation master critic who has written biographies of Edogawa Ranpo, Sakai Fuki, and Oshita Utau!

The categories of "no footprint escape room" and "escape room" are extremely familiar to us!

Gonda Manji has read at least eight hundred, if not a thousand, books of this type of "trick"!

Even if Maijo Kyosuke pulls all the tricks, Gonda Manji is confident he can see through the whole truth!

Which bottle of wine should I choose?

I think that bottle with added benefits is good, so I'll choose that one!

With the mindset of already having won, Gonda Manji turned to Chapter Four of "Nostalgia" —

The main building's living room was used as a temporary investigation room.

Akira Uesugi was called in.

Akira Uesugi, sitting opposite Inspector Kodera, asked, "Inspector Kodera, are you asking about my alibi?"

Inspector Kodera sat on the sofa and nodded: "Yes."

Uesugi Akira looked haggard, but still forced a smile and said, "Just ask me whatever you want to know."

"I'm Xiaochong's older brother, so I'm prepared for questions about alibis and such."

Inspector Kodera cut to the chase: "In that case, I'm very sorry, but please start from the beginning."

"Start from the beginning? Sure. It happened after we watched a midnight movie—"

At Inspector Kodera's request, Akira Uesugi began to recall the nightmarish tragedy and how the body was discovered.

"—Then, I looked around the room. All the windows were tightly closed; they had been closed for half a month."

"Then I looked through the closet. Although I knew I had to protect the crime scene and not disturb it, I was worried that the murderer might be hiding somewhere. After all, the closet was big enough to hide a person."

Inspector Kodera was very impressed by what Uesugi Akira said; after all, someone had died, yet he was still able to remain so calm.

"Did you also find the key in your father's robe pocket?"

Uesugi Akira shook his head: "No, it was Mitsuru who found it. I picked up the key, and Mitsuru reached into my father's pocket, and the key was inside."

Upon hearing Uesugi Akira's words, Kodera Inspector felt that he had a preconceived judgment about Uesugi Akira, assuming that he was the murderer, and had made too many conjectures about his testimony.

No! No! We must return to the blank state.

If we viewed things with prejudice, we might wrongly accuse Uesugi Akira of being unjustly accused.

"Then, I wanted to call the police, so I went back to the main building, which is the building we're in now. After I finished the call, Chong came over."

"Perhaps he was reluctant to leave because he was still attached to the police force, or perhaps it was just his professional habit as a police officer? Did he want to look for more clues? I don't know—but the police arrived very soon."

After Uesugi Akira finished speaking, he let out a breath and looked at it with relief. Those little gestures were still quite similar to those of Mitsuru.

"Besides that room, are there any other places in the 'Okunomiya' that could hide prisoners?"

Inspector Kodera raised another question.

Uesugi Akira shook his head: "No, the 'Mist Room' over there in the corridor is closed, and it was probably locked this morning too. Also, the key to the 'Mist Room' is in the key vault; there's only one, since many valuables are kept there."

Inspector Kodera stretched his neck: "By the way, can you tell me what you did last night?"

Uesugi Akira wanted to smoke, so after asking permission, he lit a cigarette: "As I just said, I've been staying in the living room since midnight last night until dawn."

"I wanted to watch a late-night movie on TV. The movie started at 3 a.m. and was a five-hour epic. By the time it was over, it was already 8 a.m."

"As for Chong—Chong got the movie started at the wrong time, arriving in the living room half an hour early at 2:30. Then he realized the time was wrong, went back to his room, and came back at 5:55."

"Then we just kept watching movies until dawn."

"When we were putting down the GG, we each left for two or three minutes to go to the restroom, so our alibis aren't very solid."

"After all, this place is just a stone's throw from the Palace of the Deepest Palace."

Akira Uesugi's voice changed slightly, brimming with confidence, almost as if he were about to say, "What can you do in two or three minutes?"

Inspector Kodera pressed further: "What motive can you think of for the murder?"

"I imagine your father must have made quite a few enemies in his career, right?"

Akira Uesugi shook his head with a wry smile: "As the heir to the estate, wouldn't that be considered a motive for murder?"

"However, apart from that, my father didn't like discussing work at home, and after I became a doctor, I didn't listen to those things much either—but I find it hard to imagine killing someone for work—"

"What about your private life? What's the latest on you?"

Although Inspector Kodera asked the question, he didn't have much hope.

Because Mitsuru Uesugi once said, "My father didn't like talking about the past with others."

After all, there are many negative rumors surrounding his past.

"Qianxin Gong" is an enigmatic figure, revered by his peers, and is very likely to be deeply involved with criminals—he used this power to rise to become a major figure in the financial world!

After that, he began to build welfare facilities, invest in culture, and engage in volunteer activities—he is now called "Lord Qianxin," which is also a respectful term.

If the feud really stemmed from Kyoko, it would have to be traced back over two thousand years, right?

"There is only one person who hates his father to the core."

Uesugi Akira slowly began, "My father once let slip while drunk that fifty years ago, he had an argument with a man over a woman."

"My father was only in his twenties at that time, and he was just the son of a small landlord. On the contrary, my rival in love had a better background."

"So the father used a treacherous scheme to bring his rival and his entire family to ruin."

"His rival in love is named Takeda Shingen!"

"Later, my father's wife died in an accident, and he also lost all his family in an accident, so he had to start over—"

Inspector Kodera frowned upon hearing Uesugi Akira's words: "You mean? That man named Takeda still harbors resentment towards Lord Kenshin? And murdered him? But fifty years have passed!"

Uesugi Akira's tone wasn't joking; it was extremely serious: "It's not impossible, is it? Human hatred can't be erased by time."

"But according to my father, that person should already be dead."

"Dead?!"

Inspector Kodera was so shocked he almost dropped the cigarette from his mouth, and Asakura's hand, which was taking a statement, also stopped.

But Uesugi Akira clearly didn't find it strange: "Yes, he's dead. What I'm afraid of isn't the living Takeda, but his spirit after he died. That black cat is the messenger of the spirit."

"And that thunder last night! It very likely means that Takeda has returned from hell!"

Akira Uesugi spoke with a serious expression.

The term "thunderbolt" refers to the lightning strike that occurred east of the Sagano Mansion.

The timing does indeed match.

"Are you serious?"

"Do undead use pistols? That's enough for today."

17

Inspector Kodera spoke sarcastically, telling Uesugi Akira to go back.

Asakura sighed, unsure how to handle the transcript regarding Takeda.

"I always felt that this person was a bit abnormal."

"If Officer Imagawa heard that nonsense, he'd probably be furious."

"Let's not discuss whether what he said is true or false for now, but I think he definitely knows something."

"Boss, it's very likely he killed the man, right? But how do we explain his alibi?"

Inspector Kodera pondered for a moment after hearing his subordinate Asakura's words: "In any case, all we know for now is that there are two secret rooms." The only plausible explanation is that the ghost of Takeda is haunting the place.

"7

Asakura shook his head: "A 'bang' shot? In the past, ghosts would count plates or carry lanterns, but now even ghosts are using guns?"

""

Just as Inspector Kodera was communicating with Asakura.

Officer Imagawa burst in, yelling, "We found the handgun! It's a Deringer pocket pistol!"

"It was dumped in the bamboo grove behind the building. The forensic department is currently comparing the bullet marks, and they're most likely consistent!"

Inspector Kodera's face lit up with joy upon hearing Imagawa's words: "Where is that bamboo grove?"

Imagawa took a breath and continued, "In the opposite direction from 'Okunomiya,' there's this Sagano Mansion in between."

"There were no fingerprints on the gun, nor any footprints in the bamboo forest."

"It was probably thrown out from the west side of the mansion."

"For example, throwing it out from the entryway."

"In that case, the killer can only be one of the two Uesugi!"

Don't jump to conclusions!

Inspector Kodera rebuked him sternly!

Imagawa pursed his lips and continued, "We found nothing at the 'Inner Palace' either. There's absolutely no secret passage. It's completely sealed off, and to be precise, within a radius of twenty meters, there are no footprints on the rooftops or the ground. All the snow is perfectly intact."

"This also means that the possibility of using ropes or other tools to suspend themselves and dive in is ruled out."

Imagawa left some time later.

A young policeman burst through the door.

"Inspector, we have news from the forensic department."

"The autopsy report indicates that the time of death was between 3:00 AM and 3:30 AM this morning."

"The cause of death was a handgun shot at close range into the medulla oblongata below the back of the head, resulting in immediate death. The murder weapon was the Deringer pocket gun that was just discovered, and the bullet marks were consistent."

"Because the gun had a small caliber, the bullet failed to penetrate and remained inside the victim's forehead."

Inspector Kodera pressed his hand to the center of his forehead: "Is it here?"

The young policeman nodded, saluted, and was about to leave when Inspector Kodera called him back: "By the way, Higashimurayama 3-chome officer, please call Uesugi Mitsuru in for me when you leave."

This is what is meant by a name that sounds like it will bring bad luck.

Compared to the morning, Mitsuru Uesugi showed some signs of recovery, but he was still clearly deeply affected and had not yet recovered to his usual state.

What Mitsuru Uesugi said was almost identical to what his older brother Akira Uesugi said, to the point that there was no difference at all.

As for the time Uesugi Mitsuru spent going to the living room and then returning to his room around 2 PM, he was organizing the statements from a case he had previously handled.

As a result, after verifying the testimonies of Uesugi Showa and Uesugi Mitsuru, no new findings were discovered.

An extremely heavy atmosphere lingered in the room.

"Boss, what do you think?"

Asakura's question was unclear; perhaps he was waiting for Inspector Kodera to speak.

Mitsuru Uesugi had already left the living room.

Only Asakura and Inspector Kodera remained in the room.

Inspector Kodera sighed and lit a Camel cigarette: "After all, it's impossible for two people to team up and lie at the same time, right?"

"There are countless ways to impersonate an outsider and commit a crime, aren't there?"

"At this point, we can only deduce two conclusions."

"One of them is lying, and the other is that both of them are telling the truth of what they saw with their own eyes. This makes the case very tricky."

Asakura nodded and continued, "Then we'll have to confront the secret room head-on."

Inspector Kodera sighed, "That's right, two 'locked rooms' are troublesome, but there's a way to explain the design of locked rooms, even if it's a bit forced."

"But the crux of the problem lies not in 'how' the locked room was formed, but in 'why' it was formed."

"This is the most crucial question."

"Shall we investigate from this angle to identify the killer?"

There are four possible motivations behind the creation of a "typical locked room" scenario.

"One possibility is that they wanted to stage a suicide scene, a common trope in classic detective novels, but since the pistol used as the murder weapon was thrown into the bamboo grove, that's impossible."

"Secondly, it is to make suspicion point to a specific person, such as the person who had the key, or the person who was in the room with the deceased."

"This rule doesn't apply either, because there are no suspects who meet the criteria in this case."

"Thirdly, it's to obstruct the presentation of evidence. Even if a suspect is identified, they cannot be prosecuted unless the 'mystery of the locked room' is solved."

"But this motivation is extremely negative; after all, once the 'locked room' is created, it becomes restrictive."

"By creating a locked room that could be easily breached at any time to protect themselves, can the prisoner truly rest easy?"

"If the prisoner can really create a perfect locked room," why not consider other more effective methods?

Therefore, the case remains unfounded!

"The fourth motive is purely accidental."

"The locked room wasn't intentionally designed by the criminal; putting aside the doors—the key simply happened by chance to be inserted into the lock and lock the door, and then, by pure chance, ended up in the pocket of Kenshin's robe."

"It doesn't make any sense no matter how you look at it, so it should be ruled out."

Asakura, who was listening attentively, interjected, "So, how should this case be explained?"

Inspector Kodera's expression held a hint of smugness: "Ultimately, we still have to go through the fifth option—this case is a special case, isn't it?"

"It's a completely new escape room concept!"

"We can try thinking in reverse and find a different way to solve the mystery of the locked-room mystery!"

"For example, if there weren't any secret rooms—ah!"

"I've got it!!!"

The inspector's tone took a sharp turn. A brilliant idea flashed into his mind, in a completely traditional way!

Just like being struck by lightning!

And so, the puzzle section comes to an end.

Readers who have reached this point, please consider the following two questions:

1. How is a sealed room formed?

Second, who was the murderer of Uesugi Kenshin?

Of course, we use logic to reason.

I have provided the necessary information; now you just need to add some appropriate imagination to find the answer.

Of course, there is another question: do you have the appropriate imagination (reasoning ability)?

I am perfectly aware that mere mortals cannot solve my riddle.

I wish you a pleasant time solving the mystery.

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