Solving cases with Detective Conan's science? No, I'm a cultivator!

He called Yui Uehara to ask her to check on Masahiko Arima's financial situation.

Kuriyama Midori sighed: "But we're not qualified to investigate..."

Eri Kisaki said, "We can only contact the police first and then take further action."

"No need, I'm already checking." Kitagawa Taki waved his hand.

Based on the fact that Arima Masahiko didn't even deal with that clock, he didn't believe that Arima Masahiko could handle that money without finding out.

Kitagawa Taki laughed and said, "We just need to wait for the court hearing. Prosecutor Kujo gave us an information gap today, so we'll get our revenge next time."

Eri Kisaki smiled and shook her head. "Kitagawa Taki is naughty, naughty."

"In that case, Kitagawa, you can be our special defense attorney."

A special defense attorney is a legally qualified representative who can act as the defendant's defense attorney, even if the defendant is not a lawyer, as long as they apply for and obtain permission.

"Teacher's suggestion is great!" Kuriyama Midori clapped her hands.

“Alright then.” Kitagawa Taki was naturally not intimidated.

……

Tokyo District Court.

Kitagawa Taki and his two companions met Kujo Reiko in the lobby on the first floor.

"I heard that Attorney Fei applied to the court for Mr. Kitagawa to appear as a special defense attorney?"

Reiko Kujo looked at Taki Kitagawa; she had seen him in the audience last time.

However, in her view, the advantage still lies with the prosecution.

"Hello, Ms. Kujo!" Kitagawa Taki said with a smile, extending her hand.

Reiko Kujo extended her hand and shook hands with Taki Kitagawa.

She smiled slightly and said, "I look forward to Mr. Kitagawa's performance in court."

"I won't let you down." Kitagawa Taki smiled meaningfully.

Reiko Kujo wore a gray women's suit today, which perfectly outlined her figure. The matching gray trousers were straight and reached just above her ankles, revealing a small section of her fair skin. With the addition of a pair of black high heels, she looked even taller.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two groups entered the courtroom separately.

Reiko Kujo organized the documents in her hands, recalling Kitagawa Taki's smile just now, and wondering if the defense had obtained any new clues.

She looked up at Kitagawa Taki across from her; he was leaning back in his chair with his eyes closed, seemingly not taking the trial to heart.

"stand up!"

The judge enters.

The second public trial officially began.

The first witness to appear in court was Takuya Akiyama.

Reiko Kujo was the first to ask: "Mr. Akiyama, you saw the murderer beating the victim several times through the small hole in the president's office door that night, right?"

“Yes.” Takuya Akiyama nodded.

She continued, "How many times did the killer hit him in total?"

Takuya Akiyama said, "I saw it three times that day."

Reiko Kujo: "And then, you heard the sound of the victim falling to the ground, right?"

Takuya Akiyama nodded slightly: "Yes."

Reiko Kujo looked at the judge: "I have no further questions."

The judge said, "Now, I would like to invite the defense attorney to conduct cross-examination."

"Yes!" Fei Ying replied, stood up, and asked Akiyama Takuya, "Mr. Akiyama, did you see Inoue Takashi hit President Otsu with an ashtray that night?"

Takuya Akiyama answered truthfully, "No, I just saw a shadow on the wall."

"So are you sure that shadow is the defendant sitting here?" Eri Kisaki pointed at Takashi Inoue.

Takuya Akiyama shook his head: "I don't know, what I saw that day was just a shadow."

Eri Kisaki said, "So you can't be sure that the person who hit someone is the defendant, right?"

Takuya Akiyama said, "Yes."

Reiko Kujo looked at the composed Taki Kitagawa. In her opinion, there was no difference; the defendant, Takashi Inoue, had already admitted to hitting Toshiyuki Otsu with an ashtray.

If this is the defense's tactic, then this debate could have ended much earlier.

Kitagawa Taki noticed Kujo Reiko's gaze, and he smiled and raised his hand to greet her.

Kujo Reiko was stunned.

Kitagawa Taki was wearing a formal black suit today, and given his reputation, Kujo Reiko thought he was a respectable person.

But she was somewhat speechless at Kitagawa Taki's underhanded tactics in court.

Therefore, she completely ignored Kitagawa Taki and shifted her gaze to the side.

“I’ve finished asking my questions,” Eri Kisaki said to the judge.

Reiko Kujo stood up and said, "I request that Mr. Masahiko Arima be allowed to testify in court!"

Arima Masahiko then appeared in court.

Reiko Kujo asked, "Mr. Arima, on the night of the incident, you and Mr. Akiyama went to the president's office together. After hearing the sound of the victim falling to the ground, you broke down the door with your body and rushed in, right?"

Arima Masahiko said, "Yes, but by then the murderer had already escaped through the window, and my father... no, President Otsu had already collapsed."

Reiko Kujo continued, "What was the situation with the safe back then?"

Arima Masahiko replied, "The safe has already been opened."

Reiko Kujo: "I've finished asking."

The judge said, "Please have the defense counsel conduct cross-examination!"

Kitagawa Taki stood up and smiled at Arima Masahiko.

Arima Masahiko swallowed hard. He had a feeling that Kitagawa Taki was a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Kitagawa Taki asked, "Mr. Arima, did you see Inoue Takashi that night?"

Arima Masahiko said, "No, I only saw people inside."

Is that right?

Kitagawa Taki turned to look at Kuriyama Midori, who smiled sweetly and placed a large bag she was carrying on the table.

Chapter 392 The Upright Gentleman Kitagawa Taki

Kuriyama Midori opened the bag and took out a clock that was exactly the same as the one on the bookshelf in the president's office, as well as a flashlight.

Upon seeing the clock, Arima Masahiko immediately sensed something was wrong, and his heart began to pound.

Kitagawa Taki made a startling statement: "Actually, what the two of them saw that night wasn't the murderer, but this clock!"

Whispers immediately broke out in the audience.

"Silence!" the judge said, maintaining order in the courtroom. "Please continue, defense attorney."

Kitagawa Taki picked up the clock. "Prosecutor Kujo, Mr. Arima, you should know what this is, right?"

Reiko Kujo's face twitched slightly. Just cross-examine the witness; why ask her what?

Arima Masahiko forced a smile and said, "This is the clock on the bookshelf in President Otsu's office. It's a prize he won in a golf tournament, and he used it for decoration."

“That’s right, this is the same clock.” Kitagawa Taki said, “Chief Judge, could you please turn off the lights? I’m going to demonstrate the shadows that the two witnesses saw that night.”

Reiko Kujo looked at the flashlight on the table and figured out the key point.

At the judge's instruction, the bailiffs turned off the lights.

Kitagawa Taki picked up the flashlight and shone it on the little figure on the clock.

The shadow of a person striking a bell was cast on the wall.

Kitagawa Taki said, "As long as we block part of the bell, Mr. Akiyama will be able to see it."

The courtroom erupted in uproar.

"Silence!" The judge had no choice but to strike the gavel again.

Kitagawa Taki said, "You can turn on the lights now."

Arima Masahiko's expression had subtly changed, but he still tried to remain calm and asked, "What is Mr. Kitagawa trying to say?"

Kitagawa Taki glanced at Arima Masahiko and said, "The witness should not ask questions, just answer my questions."

"As far as I know, Mr. Arima was not well-off before, but after your father-in-law was murdered, he suddenly became very wealthy."

Then he asked, "Mr. Arima, I'd like to ask, how did you suddenly pay off your five million yen debt all at once? And what about your sudden extravagant spending habits?"

Arima Masahiko's restaurant was opened with the help of his father-in-law, but it was not well managed and he was heavily in debt, which he could not pay off on his own, let alone spend lavishly.

Arima Masahiko panicked for a moment, gritted his teeth, and said to the judge, "Your Honor, the defense attorney's question is irrelevant to this case!"

Before the judge could speak, Kitagawa Taki sneered, "How could the missing 1200 million yen be unrelated to this case?"

Arima Masahiko glared at Kitagawa Taki with hatred, then shouted at Kujo Reiko, "Prosecutor, you summoned me here as a witness, but now you're treating me like a criminal!"

Reiko Kujo naturally understood the situation on the field, but in her view, the outcome of this lawsuit was far less important than the truth.

She naturally wouldn't speak up for Arima Masahiko.

Kitagawa Taki continued, "Arima Masahiko, your spending records are easy to find, including the five million you used to pay off your debts. We can recover them by checking the fingerprints... I don't need to say more, right?"

Arima Masahiko's expression shifted several times before he finally lowered his head. "It's all my father-in-law's fault. He was too greedy and said he wanted to kick me out of the restaurant..."

“Mr. Kitagawa is right, I killed my father-in-law.” He admitted his crime in court.

Seeing this, Inoue Takashi smiled and turned to thank Kitagawa Taki and the other two.

Reiko Kujo stood up: "Your Honor, the prosecution has decided to drop the robbery-murder case against Takashi Inoue and indict him on attempted robbery instead, while simultaneously proceeding with the indictment of Masahiko Arima for intentional homicide."

Kitagawa Taki glanced sideways; this woman, though competitive, lost quite readily.