An infinite journey starting from paradise

"sister?"

"It's okay, I'm fine... Wakana, um... I love you."

Leaving these words behind, Shizhi carried Takemaru back to the second floor.

Although Wakana felt something was strange, she did not delve into it, but continued to watch TV with a blank expression.

……

An hour ago.

A love hotel in Yūka-cho.

The dragon is tired and the phoenix is ​​sleepy, the clouds disperse and the rain stops.

Matsuo Fukuda picked up his glasses and put them on, then lit a cigarette. The girl beside him was already asleep due to exhaustion.

The woman's hair shimmered with sweat. Her tanned skin remained smooth and creamy, and her perfume was sweet...

At this moment, Shizhi's cheerful and leisurely smile suddenly appeared in Songfu's mind.

Songfu felt both guilt and disgust towards his wife of many years - the two feelings surged simultaneously in his heart, making him miserable.

Shizhi complained daily about the tight household budget, the inability to make ends meet. His words were filled with resentment, a hint of accusation, as if he were secretly cursing him for being bewitched by some vixen outside—yes! Perhaps she had already noticed.

However, Song Fu was currently unwilling to break up with this beauty beside him - this beautiful girl was an employee in the company, fifteen years younger than Song Fu, extremely charming and attractive. Song Fu knew that the relationship between them was just a passionate one, a mutual need, not true love.

He was simply captivated by that delicate and tender body and couldn't extricate himself... He thought of the famous saying "Lust is a knife that scrapes bones", and he twisted his lips to make fun of himself.

The money on the bedside table is gone.

For Songfu, this was a painful experience.

If you want to get a piece of jade, you have to pay a lot of money.

But the Isono family's finances were already devastating. They had a massive loan outstanding, and their father-in-law's substantial debts were also unpaid. The tuition and upbringing costs for Kazuo, Wakana, and Taruo were growing ever larger, and no amount of money would be enough.

The financial situation alone was enough to cause the entire family to panic. This sense of crisis, in turn, evoked an indescribable feeling in Matsuo. He had always been an ordinary office worker, a gentle and considerate husband and father. He had always suppressed himself, lived a law-abiding and well-behaved citizen, and yet, in this situation, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

But this kind of pleasure still couldn't solve the actual problem. He needed money, whether to maintain the family that had long been in name only or to maintain his relationship with his mistress. He needed money, lots and lots of money.

Where will the money come from?

Songfu thought about the criminal offenses he couldn't commit. Robbery—he didn't have the strength; theft—he didn't have the skills; fraud—he simply didn't have the brainpower. Songfu was surprised to find that even if he wanted to do something bad, he would be a worthless piece of shit in the world of villains. Then, a flash of inspiration struck him: he set his sights on insurance fraud.

"Yezhi's life insurance... if she dies in an accident, the insurance money will be quite substantial~"

Killing, killing without leaving any trace, the perfect crime, this is a profound and unfathomable knowledge. Fortunately, although Songfu did not have the brains to set up a fraud, he had a plan to kill his wife and defraud the insurance...

“Wow…mm…huh…”

The beauty beside him twisted her body slightly, twirling her delicate body, and a delicate and slightly nasal moan came from her lips, which made Songfu's ears itch unbearably. He wanted to pick up his gun and fight again, but was interrupted by the ringing of the phone.

"Hello." Songfu asked in a calm tone, "Dear, what's up? I'm busy."

"Matsuo...can you come back early tonight? I have something to discuss with you..." Shizhi's slightly trembling voice came from the other end of the phone.

……

"This must be Yi Yuan's house." He Huan looked at the house number outside Yi Yuan's mansion.

"It seems so." Tachibana Maya said. At this time, she had become Hehuan's personal assistant and temporary bodyguard - although with Hehuan's current equipment she didn't need anyone's protection, but she still needed a little sister to carry her bag, right?

"I'll go knock on the door."

Odagiri Toshi, who was carrying gifts and holding flowers, also said this.

The three of them walked into the Yiyuan family's mansion.

"It's quite impressive," Tachibana Maya commented, "but it looks like it hasn't been properly cared for in a while. The corners are dirty. There's even debris in the sink."

"Yeah...it should have been a harmonious and happy family." He Huan said, looking at the toilet paper floating in the pool. "Bloodstains? Could it be that the tissue used to wipe the nosebleed was thrown directly into the pool?"

The three of them walked to the front door of the house, and Odagiri Toshi rang the doorbell. The door was immediately opened by a middle-aged man with an unremarkable appearance. Behind him were several children. It seemed that they had just entered the house and were changing their shoes.

"Um...who are you looking for?" asked Songfu.

"My name is Odagiri Toshiya, and we are Wakana's friends. I came here to visit her today." Odagiri Toshiya replied.

"Huh? Odagiri-nii? Ayaka-nii?"

"That babyish voice..." Odagiri Toshi also looked behind Matsuo, "Aren't you Conan from the Mori Detective family?"

Odagiri Toshi was also deeply impressed by Conan, this somewhat precocious little adult. Boss Lin specifically asked him to take good care of the boy and not let him wander around the crime scene. Therefore, he could only patiently play with Conan and tell him stories. However, he was actually stumped by the boy's reasoning questions.

"Hello, Odagiri-nii."

Conan has a good impression of Odagiri Toshiya, the second-generation police officer. Although he looks very aggressive, he is actually a gentle and kind person. He is just a little bit stupid, as if he did not inherit the intelligence of Minister Odagiri at all.

However, compared to Odagiri Toshiya, Conan obviously values ​​Hehuan more. After all, she is Lin Shangren's sister, and he can inquire about Lin Shangren's information through her.

"I have to ask Miss Hehuan about Mr. Lin's situation later." Conan thought.

Looking at the Death God elementary school student in front of him, He Huan also thought in his heart: "Conan... the Death God has come... It seems that he came to the right place this time. Is it another case that is not in the original work? Who is the victim? Could the case have already happened?"

While thinking, Hehuan exchanged a few words with Matsuo, and then she and Tachibana Mayo followed Odagiri Toshi into the living room and met Miss Isono Wakana.

"She's quite pretty, a beautiful girl next door. If she weren't disabled, she'd be a perfect match for that Odagiri kid."

Odagiri Toshi also brought a gift to Wakana, who was in a wheelchair. The four members of the Junior Detective League followed Taruo to his room on the first floor, intending to play some games. Matsuo went upstairs, intending to return to his bedroom to have a good talk with his wife.

Just as Odagiri Toshiya and Isono Wakana were being affectionate with each other, and Hehuan and Tachibana Maya were eating watermelon in the front row, a scream was heard from the second floor.

"Shizhi! Shizhi, what's wrong with you?! Cheer up, Shizhi!"

The author says:

Author's Note: This case is a ripped-off from Ayatsuji Yukito's short story "Detective's Nightmare," serving as a lead-in to "Another." After all, Mizaki Mei laid the groundwork for the story long beforehand. The plot holes buried in "Kara no Maiden" and the relationships between several characters will be clarified later. After all, the worlds in this book aren't just traversed once and then abandoned. Bringing characters from one world to another to create new adventures was part of the original plan for the book. For example, Manaka Akagi and Kagano Kirie appearing together (a voice actor meme), or having Princess Knight Olivia pilot a Gundam to crush the demonic coalition.

Chapter 269: Detective He Huan (Answer)

In the living room on the first floor, Wakana was startled by Matsuo's shout. She hurriedly asked, "Brother-in-law, what happened?! What happened to my sister?"

"Huh... a murder has indeed occurred," He Huan thought to herself. She then instructed Odagiri Toshi, "You stay here to take care of Miss Wakana. Tachibana and I will go up and take a look at the situation. Oh, and... you should know the number to call the police. The First Investigation Division, right?"

"Call the police... Big Sister... Yeah, I get it."

Hehuan and Tachibana Maya ran up to the second floor in a few steps. Hearing the shouts, the Young Detectives also poked their heads out of the room. Conan took the lead and followed Hehuan and Tachibana Maya.

Going upstairs, they saw the Izono family's master, Matsuo, slumped in the bedroom doorway. When they reached the door, they saw Fukuda Seiji lying facedown in the center of the room, blood gushing out from his neck.

"Ju, protect the scene."

Hehuan walked into the bedroom and came to the side of Seiji Fukuda. With the help of the black shadow gloves on her hands, she changed into medical gloves and then began to check the condition of the victim Seiji Fukuda.

He Huan squatted down, grabbed Fukuda Shizhi's hand, and began to feel his pulse. Shizhi's hands were gloved, and his skin was still warm, but there was no pulse at all.

He Huan shook his head: "There's no need to call an ambulance."

She then checked the victim's body for any other injuries. "Gloves? Was she cleaning before she was killed? Hmm... rigor mortis hasn't set in yet, so she must have been dead no more than an hour. What is this?"

The long sleeves of the deceased Shizhi's clothes slipped down, and Hehuan found many dark purple needle holes at the elbow of her white left arm.

"Traces of intravenous drug use? Could she be an addict?"

Hehuan pondered this and looked around. It was obvious someone had been rummaging through the room. The drawers of the Western-style wardrobe and the Japanese-style dresser had been pulled out, and the paper door of the Japanese closet had been opened, leaving all the items inside exposed and scattered all over the floor. It looked like a thief had done this.

Furthermore, the large amount of blood on the tatami was spurting out from the corpse's carotid artery. The carotid artery seemed to have been severed by a sharp knife, but no murder weapon, such as a sword, could be found in the room.

Hehuan looked up and found that there was a window on the wall facing the courtyard at the crime scene. The window was open and the opening was about 20 centimeters wide.

"Izono Wakana should have been in the living room downstairs the entire time. So, did the murderer escape through this window? Did the murderer break into the house, commit murder, and then escape through the window?"

Hehuan walked to the window and looked out. There was a small balcony outside. If he could slide down the drainpipe next to the balcony, he could escape. Jumping directly from the balcony to the ground would also be an option.

"Is that true?"

Hehuan rubbed her neck, and at this moment a sad wail came from behind her.

"Shizhi!!! Wife...why...how could this happen?!"

Fukuda Matsuo embraced his wife, who lay in a pool of blood. No matter how he called out, she wouldn't respond—she was truly gone. Never again would we hear her hearty laughter, which had echoed throughout the mansion. And... no matter how many affairs she indulged in, she wouldn't have to worry about Shizhi's wrath. More importantly, Shizhi's life insurance...

Thinking of this, the corners of Fukuda Matsuo's mouth became harder to suppress than AK, but he had to act as if he was heartbroken at this moment.

"Shizhi! How am I supposed to live without you? Ahhhhhh!"

"Ju, get Mr. Fukuda out and don't destroy the scene." Hehuan ordered.

"Yes."

Tachibana Maya subdued the wailing victim and forcibly dragged him away from the crime scene. Fukuda Matsuo didn't resist. On the one hand, his body, hollowed out by alcohol and sex, was unable to escape the clutches of Tachibana Maya, a professional killer. On the other hand, he didn't want to continue pretending to be a cadaver while holding it.

"Is this guy acting?" thought Tachibana Maya.

As a professional killer, Tachibana Maya's observation skills were undoubtedly impressive, not to mention her five senses enhanced by Angel Dust. As she approached Fukuda Matsuo, she could smell a violet scent of women's perfume and even saw a hint of lipstick on the back of his neck.

"This guy must have been having an affair just now, right? Haha... there's still a little foundation left on the front of his clothes. He really doesn't even bother pretending... isn't he afraid of being discovered by his wife?" Tachibana Maya pondered, "Not afraid of being discovered having an affair... it seems their marriage is already broken. Wait! 'Not afraid of being discovered'... what if he means 'no need to cover it up'? After all, he's going to kill his wife, so it doesn't matter if he's discovered, so there's no need to cover it up.

Could this guy be the murderer?!"

At this moment, a childish voice interrupted Tachibana Maya's thoughts.

"Oh my! That's so strange! If the murderer was after money, then why didn't he take the pearl earrings from this aunt's ears? And, and there's also the gold ring on the bedside table... ah!"

Before Conan could finish his words, Tachibana Maya "grabbed" him from behind and forcibly took him out of the crime scene: "Don't hang around in there, you'll cause trouble for the adults. Aren't you afraid of corpses, kid?!"

"Let me go, big sister. My name is Edogawa Conan, but I'm a real detective. I'm wearing shoe covers and gloves, and I won't touch the evidence at the scene!"

Looking at the well-prepared elementary school student who resembles a god of death, Tachibana Maya was a little confused. Are all the elementary school students in Japan nowadays so hardcore?

In the bedroom, Hehuan walked back to the corpse.

As Conan said, the jewelry on the deceased was not taken away, and there were indeed several valuable items in the room that were obviously safe and sound.

"A fake scene? Hmm... I need to learn more about the situation... If it was Shangren, what would he do?"

Twenty minutes later, the Investigation Division arrived at the crime scene.

After all, it was the son of the Metropolitan Police Department's Criminal Director who called the police personally, so Inspector Megure had to be efficient.

The police quickly cordoned off the scene and conducted an evidence collection investigation.

According to the examination by Asai Makoto, the newly appointed forensic pathologist for the First Investigation Division, Fukuda Seiji died of excessive blood loss due to a severed left carotid artery. There were no signs of decomposition, confirming that the murder scene was the same as the location where the body was found: the second-floor bedroom of the Isono residence.

The estimated time of death was between 3:00 and 4:00 p.m. This was supported by the testimony of Izono Wakana.

"My sister came downstairs at three o'clock, said a few words to me, and then returned to the second floor with our cat, Takemaru. She didn't come down again until around four o'clock in the afternoon, when my brother-in-law and Mr. Odagiri arrived.

Around 3:30, I heard a rustling sound coming from the second floor, like someone rummaging through drawers. At that time, I thought it was just my sister looking for something... I didn't expect... I didn't expect... my sister... wu... wu... wu..."

Isono Wakana, who was already depressed, burst into tears. Judging from her appearance, she would not be able to assist in the investigation for the time being, so Odagiri Toshi had to take her aside to comfort her.

The weapon used to sever the victim's carotid artery was a thin, sharp blade, such as a traditional razor blade. No such weapon was found at or near the scene, and it may have been taken away by the murderer.

No suspicious fingerprints, footprints, or hair were found at the crime scene or in the other rooms or corridors on the second floor. Furthermore, a bloodstain was found on the tatami mat between the body and the open window. A slight bloodstain was also found on the window frame.

"Wait, Miss Forensic, I have a question."

Maya Tachibana interrupted Masamichi's speech.

"Well... I'm actually a man... Never mind, it doesn't matter. Miss, do you have any objections?" Masashi asked a little embarrassedly.

"Are you sure the murder weapon was a thin blade like a razor blade?" asked Maya Tachibana.

"It can basically be confirmed. The wound on the deceased's neck is quite obvious." Ma Shengshi replied.

"That's strange. If the perpetrator is a burglar, they'll usually choose a visible weapon like a dagger or butterfly knife for self-defense and to intimidate the victim if discovered. There are thieves who use blades, but they usually cut open bags and steal things in train stations or other busy areas. It's rare for them to do that in burglaries."

Moreover, thieves are after money and rarely kill. Even if they want to kill, why would the murderer resort to slitting the throat with a razor blade? This is not something an ordinary person can do!" said Tachibana Maya.

"Huh? Hmm...that makes sense."

Although the police were somewhat curious about why Miss Ju, who claimed to be the personal assistant of Inspector Lin's sister, was so familiar with the theft industry, the doubts she raised were indeed to the point.

"What Ju said makes sense," He Huan added. "One more thing. Normally, if you discover a thief breaking into your home, you should at least shout loudly. But Miss Wakana on the first floor didn't hear any such sound. Moreover, the deceased's clothes were neatly arranged, with no signs of a struggle. This means that the murderer killed her with a single knife before she could even begin to resist..."

Tachibana Maya continued, following He Huan's lead, "The only person who could do this is a professional killer. Or perhaps someone acquaintance of the deceased, who attacked them when they were off guard."

The deceased was wearing pajamas. Just imagine, what kind of acquaintance could allow the deceased to meet him in his bedroom without any warning in his pajamas?

Hearing this, the elites of the First Investigation Division all looked at the deceased's husband, Fukuda Matsuo, with unfriendly eyes.

"You...what are you looking at me for?! I...I have an alibi! I...I was in Shinjuku between three and four o'clock!" Matsuo Fukuda argued stutteringly.

"Oh? Who can testify for you?" Tachibana Maya stared at Fukuda Matsuo, "Could it be your cheating lover?!"

"I…"