Detective Conan: Developing a younger version of Ran Eri, and the stunning Yukiko.

Shiraishihara stood across the building, encouraging Sato Miwako. He was certain that even if Sato Miwako failed, he would immediately lend a helping hand.

"Alright. I am the Phantom Thief Idol."

Sato Miwako mustered her courage, and an iron mask quietly appeared on her face.

The moment she donned the Persona of High Priestess Joan, a powerful force surged within her. Like Shiraishihara, she leaped into the air and landed gracefully on the opposite side of the building.

"Wow, this is amazing!" Sato Miwako exclaimed in surprise.

“That’s right. Officer Sato, you can use the power of Persona to deal with criminals.”

However, the identity of the Phantom Thief Idol and the affairs of the Phantom Thieves of Hearts must be kept strictly confidential.

Shiraishi Hara solemnly reminded them. After all, the power possessed by the Phantom Thieves of Hearts goes against the conventional laws of this world, and it is indeed not suitable to make it public.

"I know it well."

Miwako Sato is no fool; she is well aware of the stakes involved and will not easily use this force unless absolutely necessary.

"Yes, we need to hurry and chase after them, otherwise the criminal will escape far away again."

As Shiraishi spoke, he gently patted Sato Miwako's shoulder.

"Hmph, he can't escape even if he grows wings!"

Sato Miwako gave a soft snort, and then dashed out like an arrow released from a bow.

With the help of her high heels, she moved with incredible speed, her figure flashing past, leaving behind a faint fragrance.

Not long after, with a loud "bang," Sato Miwako successfully apprehended the criminal and then executed a beautiful agab throw, slamming the criminal hard into the building's restroom.

"At 6:43 p.m., the escaped suspect was successfully apprehended."

Sato Miwako said with a smug look on her face, appearing to be in a particularly good mood, and even took out a small notebook to write it down.

Shiraishi walked over calmly, inwardly marveling at Sato Miwako's outstanding physical abilities; she was indeed a top-notch officer.

He looked at the dejected criminal and offered some words of advice:

"Sir, you can't escape. You've run into one of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's top detectives."

"Officer, I'm innocent! I didn't kill anyone, I really didn't kill anyone!"

The criminal shouted weakly.

"Ok?"

Upon hearing this, Miwako Sato frowned slightly.

She was not in charge of investigating this case; she only knew the general situation and was not clear about the specific details of the investigation, so it was difficult for her to determine whether the criminal's statement was true or false.

"Tell me in detail how you were wronged."

"Officer, please listen to me, everything I'm saying is the truth!"

The criminal looked at Miwako Sato with pleading eyes, hoping she would believe him.

"On the day of the incident, I woke up in the morning and found that Ms. Muranishi was already dead. Her death really had nothing to do with me."

"Stop making excuses here. Mr. Higashida, according to my colleague, the deceased was Ms. Muranishi Mami, who lived in the same apartment as you, and she was also your boss at the company. The crime scene was her bathroom. When she was found strangled, you were drunk and lying on her bed."

The key to the entrance gate and the chain lock inside the house were both locked at the time. It was a completely sealed room, and no one else could have entered except for you.

Most importantly, your fingerprints were found on both the door lock and the murder weapon. How do you explain this?

Sato Miwako questioned him seriously.

She is conscientious and responsible in her work. If it is indeed a misjudgment by the Metropolitan Police Department, she will definitely give Mr. Higashida justice.

"I got completely drunk that night and can't remember anything."

"Officer, think about it, how could someone who's so drunk he's unconscious possibly commit murder?" Dongtian muttered listlessly.

"Shiraishihara, what do you think?" Clearly, Miwako had come to regard Shiraishihara as a reliable pillar of support.

"Shiraishihara...you are that famous detective?"

Upon hearing Shiraishihara's name, Higashida's eyes lit up with hope. "Detective Shiraishi, you must believe me! Please help me clear my name!"

Shiraishihara remembered that Mr. Higashida was probably not the murderer, but he couldn't recall the specific details very clearly, so he asked Sato Miwako for help:

What was Mr. Dongtian's motive for murder?

"The suspect, Mr. Higashida, frequently clashed with the victim, Ms. Muranishi, at work. On the day of the incident, Mr. Higashida was at a bar, telling his friends that he would definitely teach Ms. Muranishi a lesson."

Miwako explained softly.

"Did Mr. Higashida's colleagues know whether he was half-drunk or completely drunk at the time?" Shiraishihara continued to press.

"He must have been completely drunk. No bottles were found at the crime scene, which suggests that he did not continue drinking after the murder."

He wasn't sober even when our Metropolitan Police Department officers arrived, which shows how much he drank last night.

Miwako pondered for a moment, then answered softly.

"I see." A look of understanding flashed in Shiraishihara's eyes.

"Is something wrong?" Miwako couldn't help but ask, seeing this.

"Being half-drunk and being completely drunk are two different things. When a person is half-drunk, they may do some bold things, but if they are completely drunk, they may not even be able to walk, let alone kill someone."

Just as Mr. Higashino himself argued, it was indeed unlikely that he would commit the crime while he was so drunk that he was unconscious.

"so……"

Sato Miwako's expression changed slightly. Compared to trusting the Metropolitan Police Department, she was more willing to believe the high school detective in front of her.

"So... Mr. Higashida was not lying."

Shiraishi sighed softly. It seemed there was a reason why the Metropolitan Police Department had such a bad reputation; without the help of detectives, solving cases would be extremely difficult for the Metropolitan Police Department.

No. .

145 Miwako screamed repeatedly and knelt down begging for mercy.

Chapter 145

Miwako Sato realized that Mr. Higashida was likely innocent and asked in bewilderment, "Mr. Higashida, if you are innocent, why don't you just explain it to the police? Why are you running away? Your behavior could easily lead the police to mistakenly believe that you are fleeing to avoid punishment."

"Because I have to go somewhere."

Dongtian looked serious, his tone carrying a hint of determination.

Where are you going?

Miwako was quite surprised that he would choose to flee in order to get to this place, a place that must be of great importance to him.

“For my daughter who lives in Chicago. After my divorce, my daughter was raised by my ex-wife. Recently, my daughter sent me a wedding invitation. I had thought that for the past 17 years, my daughter had been hating me. Now, at such an important moment in my daughter's life, how can I be absent? So I have to go. Please, please understand me.”

"I speak," Dongtian said with pleading eyes, his eyes welling up with tears as he spoke.

"This……"

Hearing this, Miwako had no choice but to turn her gaze to Shiraishihara.

“Mr. Dongtian, while spending time with your daughter is certainly important, you are now suspected of a murder case, and you must be aware of that.”

If you can't clear your name, you'll be arrested for murder. As a murder suspect, do you think you'll ever have the face to see your daughter again?

Shiraishi Hara felt that Mr. Higashida seemed to be presumptuous. It was only natural for his daughter to send him a wedding invitation. What special meaning could there be?

After 17 years of no contact, a sudden reconnection inevitably leads to unrealistic expectations, which in turn inevitably result in disappointment.

In contrast, finding a way to clear one's name is the most urgent task; otherwise, how can one expect the state to solve the problem of old-age care?

Upon hearing what Shiraishihara said, Sato Miwako's initial sympathy for Mr. Higashida vanished instantly, and she felt that Mr. Higashida was simply being unreasonable.

"Mr. Dongtian, you are involved in a murder case and are a prime suspect. This is a matter of life and death, so please cooperate fully with the police investigation and don't cause any unnecessary trouble for others. Do you understand?"

"Yes……"

After being admonished, Mr. Dongtian immediately became obedient.

Miwako Sato took out her mobile phone and notified her colleagues at the Metropolitan Police Department to come and take the person away.

After Mr. Higashida was taken away by the Metropolitan Police Department, Miwako Sato said to Shiraishihara:

"Detective Shiraishi, my colleagues are really unreliable. In order to prevent Mr. Higashida from being wrongly accused, I have to rely on you again."

"How difficult is this?"

Shiraishi shrugged. He was already aware of the Metropolitan Police Department's incompetence and wasn't surprised at all.

Moreover, he was more than willing to help in order to obtain the rewards given by the system.

Immediately afterwards, Sato Miwako and Shiraishi Hara walked together toward the bar that Mr. Higashida had visited before the incident.

"That's the tavern where Mr. Higashida stayed before the incident."

Without any hesitation, Sato Miwako reached out and grabbed Shiraishihara's hand, then walked straight ahead.

After the two entered the tavern, Sato Miwako immediately asked the proprietress about the situation.

"That's right, he was indeed completely drunk at the time, and he was muttering that he was going to teach Miss Muranishi a lesson today, but I really didn't expect Higashida to actually do such a thing."

The proprietress sighed softly, never expecting it to lead to someone's death.

"Did he leave alone later?" Miwako followed up with another question.

"No, in the end, it was Mr. Kitagawa, who had been drinking with him, who helped him leave," the proprietress replied softly after a moment's thought.

"Madam, does Mr. Kitagawa often come to the bar for a drink?"

Sato Miwako's bright eyes flickered slightly, which confirmed Shiraishihara's previous speculation: a person who was so drunk that he needed help to walk would not have the strength to commit murder. Therefore, the most important thing at the moment was to find the person who framed Mr. Higashida.

"Yes, he's a regular customer. He works at the same company as Mr. Dongtian, and they often come to the bar together for drinks." The proprietress nodded in agreement.

"So, it seems that Mr. Kitagawa was the first person to discover the body." Shiraishi Hara's lips curled up slightly. Although the suspect had been identified, solid evidence was still needed to make an arrest.

“That’s right. According to my colleague, the day after the incident, since neither Mr. Higashida nor Ms. Muranishi came to the company, he asked the building manager to open the door. That’s when the body was discovered. Are you suspecting him?”

"Should we go up and ask them?" Sato Miwako explained, while also understanding Shiraishihara's intention.

"Don't act rashly, lest you alert him. Even if you ask him now, he will only repeat what he said before, which is meaningless and will only alarm the other party."

Shiraishi shook his head.

He knew in his heart that since the perpetrators had dared to commit the murder, they must have already prepared a set of excuses. No matter how many times he asked, the answers he would get would probably be the same.

In addition, the proprietress also told some other details about Miss Muranishi.

……

To find clues and evidence, one must return to the crime scene. Ms. Muranishi's apartment is not only the starting point of the entire case, but also the key to finding the truth.

"Why are it the Metropolitan Police Department again? Didn't the people who came during the day just leave not long ago?" The building manager couldn't help but complain when Miwako Sato and Shiraishi arrived at the apartment.

"I'm sorry to bother you because there are still some things that need to be checked again."

Miwako Sato remained polite, with a gentle smile on her face.

"Forget it. You've worked hard too. Just give me back the key when you're done." The administrator led them to the room where the incident occurred and then left.

"The forensic team has already checked, but they didn't find much of value. Even the floor is unusually clean. It seems that finding new clues will be quite difficult."

After entering the room, Sato Miwako looked around carefully and then spoke.

"Currently, there are four suspicious points."

Shiraishihara looked at her and made a judgment.

"Hmm?" Miwako blinked her beautiful big eyes, completely bewildered as to how there could be four suspicious points all of a sudden.

"First of all, look at the items on the bed. The comforter, sheets, pillows, and curtains are all gray. However, look at the entire room's layout, including the kitchen utensils and other interior furnishings. The main color scheme is beige. Don't you think this combination is too strange?"

Shiraishi pointed to the room's layout and made a comparison.

"It is a bit strange, but perhaps it's just a coincidence."

Miwako Sato did not think about it in depth.

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"That being said, I did see the beige sheets and curtains in the closet."

Shiraishi shook his head. This obvious abruptness made people feel very unnatural, and often there was a hidden mystery behind it.