"Heiji—you just said Miss Tomoko Ikezawa killed Mr. Akiyoshi Fujie because she was afraid the threatening letters would be exposed, and then framed Miss Okino," Kazuha said quietly, trying to keep him on track.
"Oh. That?" Heiji shrugged. "I made it up. I needed her to admit she sent the letters."
His answer sucked the air out of the backstage area.
"Made it up?" Kogoro Mouri barked. "Then why were you acting so damn serious?"
"If I didn't sell it, she wouldn't have believed me," Heiji said, like it was obvious.
No one had a reply.
A moment ago, they'd nearly pushed Tomoko Ikezawa over the edge.
Hearing that, Inspector Megure's face tightened. "Then if you're saying Tomoko Ikezawa isn't the murderer… does that mean the killer is still Yoko Okino?"
The case was still a fog. They were still blind.
Heiji shook his head. "It's not Okino. She was set up."
Only three people had gone in and out during the window of the crime. If it wasn't Yoko Okino, and it wasn't Tomoko Ikezawa, then—
Heiji's gaze shifted.
"Eiichi Yamagishi. Why did you go backstage at that time?"
Inspector Megure stepped closer, expression hard.
Yamagishi's face drained. "W-What are you doing? I didn't kill anyone. I went in to get Okino's jewelry. I never went near that dressing room, and I didn't know Fujie was dead in there."
He waved both hands as if he could physically push the accusation away.
"It's true," Yoko Okino said, nodding. "I asked him to get the jewelry for me."
Kogoro narrowed his eyes at Yamagishi. "So you grabbed the jewelry, killed Fujie, and walked out like nothing happened?"
"Don't be ridiculous!" Yamagishi snapped. "I was in there for two minutes. You think anyone can do all that in two minutes?"
"It's not impossible," Officer Sato said evenly. "Not if Okino was working with you."
Kogoro latched onto it immediately. "Exactly! How else could she be involved? He must've used some trick. Maybe Fujie was already dead."
"Stop throwing garbage theories around," Yamagishi shot back. "Keep this up and I'll sue you."
Kogoro's confidence folded on the spot.
Unbelievable. He's pathetic, Conan thought, propping his chin on his hand. Still… Sato's point stands. If Yamagishi and Okino were working together, it fits. So what's off? What am I missing?
Something had been nagging at him the whole time—just out of reach.
Inspector Megure exhaled, clearly at his limit. "Hattori… what is going on?"
Heiji looked over, expression cool. "You keep cutting me off. Hard to explain anything when you won't let me finish."
"Fine," Megure said quickly. "Go on. No one interrupts. Understood?"
He threw a sharp look at Kogoro.
Heiji turned to Tomoko Ikezawa. "When you slipped earlier—was there a puddle of water on the dressing room floor? And you were the one who knocked over the stool, right?"
Tomoko's eyes widened. "How did you know that?"
She had clipped the stool in the corner when she fell. She was sure nobody had seen it.
Heiji's voice didn't change. "When that stool tipped—was it supporting Fujie's feet? Or was he already hanging?"
"He… he was already hanging," Tomoko said fast, panic rising. "It really wasn't me!"
Heiji didn't even acknowledge the plea. He turned back to Inspector Megure.
"The killer in this case is…"
Everyone froze, eyes locked on him.
"…Akiyoshi Fujie."
"Akiyoshi Fujie?!" Inspector Megure shouted, riding the momentum without thinking. "Arrest him immediately!"
A strange silence followed.
Officer Takagi leaned in, careful. "Inspector… Mr. Fujie is the victim."
Megure stiffened. "What?"
He stared at Heiji, eyes wide now. "Hattori, don't joke. How could Fujie be the murderer? He couldn't have killed himself."
Killed himself…
Conan's eyes sharpened.
He bolted for the dressing room and started scanning it again, faster this time—like the room had changed while no one was looking.
That kid… sprinting around again, Kogoro thought, irritated. And worse—up to now, Kogoro still hadn't found a single solid lead. He could only watch Heiji take control of the room.
Heiji spoke calmly. "Based on everything we've seen, Fujie did commit suicide."
Officer Sato frowned. "But the fatal wound was to his chest. If he stabbed himself first, how could he then stage the scene to look like a suicide? A corpse can't walk."
Heiji's mouth curved—just slightly. "Then what if he staged the suicide first… and stabbed himself last?"
Sato's brow tightened as she held his gaze. "There's a big hole in that."
Heiji didn't flinch.
"If Fujie stabbed himself in the chest with the ice pick, then hid it in Okino's drawer, then went back to the dressing room," Sato continued, voice crisp, "there would be blood along the way. A lot of it. But when we came in, there was nothing—no trace on the floor."
"That's correct," the forensic officer added. "Even if someone cleaned it, we'd expect at least some residue. But the floor is clean."
Sato gave Heiji a small, almost apologetic smile. "So it looks like your deduction is wrong this time."
Heiji's expression didn't change. "Officer Sato… I don't remember ever saying the murder weapon was the ice pick."
Everyone's faces shifted at once.
The ice pick had shown up, so they'd all assumed it was the weapon. The entire investigation had been orbiting that assumption.
And now Heiji was cutting it loose.
He turned to the forensic officer. "The blood on Fujie's chest—did it clot unusually fast?"
"It did," the forensic officer said. "And his clothes are wet, like someone deliberately poured water over the wound."
Heiji nodded, then looked back at Inspector Megure. A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"The real murder weapon is already gone. You won't find it."
Gone?
The words hit the room like a shockwave, leaving everyone more confused than before.
The weapon vanished…? Conan's thoughts raced. He could feel the shape of what Heiji was pointing at, but the final spark still wouldn't catch.
"Damn it," Conan burst out, frustration snapping through his voice. "This is driving me insane!"
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The Crime System now has 200 chapters.
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