Attempted murder?
Heiji's words hit even harder, leaving everyone present frozen in place.
"The victim has a hematoma on his head. That kind of injury comes from being struck with significant force by a blunt object. If the intent were only to hurt him, it's unlikely they would have done something that made him fall into the water. And what happens when a disoriented person falls into water doesn't need to be spelled out."
"But Mr. Heiji, it's possible it was unintentional," Inspector Yokomizo argued. "And it's also possible the person didn't help because they panicked—because they were afraid they'd be exposed as the attacker."
Heiji turned to him, the faintest curve appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Inspector Yokomizo, are you seriously saying this: someone hits a man in the back of the head with a blunt object, fully aware he'll die if he ends up in the water—and then, to avoid being identified, stands by and does nothing. And you want to call that mere assault, not attempted murder?"
Inspector Yokomizo stiffened. His expression changed immediately, and he lowered his head. "You're right, Mr. Heiji. I misspoke."
"This is an attempted murder case…"
"Hold on." The editor, Josaku Yokota, frowned. "Officer, are we really going to accept the conclusion of some teenager? He's just a high school student. Why should we listen to him?"
"You don't recognize him?" Inspector Yokomizo asked, genuinely puzzled.
"Is he some celebrity? Why would I know him?" Yokota replied, baffled.
Inspector Yokomizo fell silent for a beat.
"Aren't you an editor? How could you not know Mr. Heiji?"
"Our company, Akechi Publishing, handles editing and publishing books. We're not a newspaper agency," Yokota said with a weary shrug.
"Oh. That explains it."
Inspector Yokomizo scratched his head and gave an awkward chuckle.
Heiji, for his part, had nothing to say. This inspector could be charmingly dense at the strangest moments.
"His name is Heiji Hattori," Inspector Yokomizo said, straightening. "He's the genius high school detective who exposed the Night Baron incident and stopped Kaitou Kid."
It was obvious Yokomizo held him in very high esteem.
Yokohama Ueno and Josaku Yokota both changed expression. Even if they didn't recognize the face, they knew the name.
"The genius high school detective with a one-hundred-percent clearance rate?" Yokota stared at Heiji, incredulous.
Yokohama Ueno adjusted his glasses, suddenly more cautious.
"Mr. Heiji," Mrs. Nohara asked nervously, "you said someone tried to kill my husband. Who did it?"
Heiji walked to the edge of the pond, hands buried in his trouser pockets.
"Mr. Ueno. The chairs you use for fishing—cross-legged folding stools, right?"
"That's right," Yokohama Ueno nodded.
Heiji lightly touched one of the stools near the pond. It tipped over immediately.
Everyone's attention snapped to the chair, utterly confused by what Heiji was doing.
"Officer, he's contaminating the scene!" one of the policemen protested, stepping forward.
"Don't," Inspector Yokomizo said sharply, holding him back. "Mr. Heiji has a reason. Don't interfere."
In truth, that was an unusual call for an officer to make. But Heiji's reputation carried weight, and his deductive ability had earned the genuine respect of veteran investigators. Minor procedural issues were quietly overlooked.
"This kind of cross-legged folding stool—popular among anglers—doesn't topple easily if it's pressed straight down. But if it tilts even slightly off-axis, it becomes extremely easy to knock over. It's designed that way to discourage fishermen from shifting around and making noise that scares fish away…"
"Mr. Hattori, I understand your point. I'm a fishing enthusiast too," Yokohama Ueno cut in. "But what does this have to do with President Nohara being attacked?"
"That's right," Josaku Yokota added, impatience creeping in. "If you can't provide actual evidence, don't waste our time. I still want to visit President Nohara at the hospital."
"President Nohara's chair is this one, isn't it?"
Heiji walked to a stool that was still upright.
"That's right—that is President Nohara's chair. But what does that prove?" Yokota asked, still not following.
Heiji looked to the inspector. "Inspector Yokomizo. Do you see it now?"
Inspector Yokomizo stared at the chair, brows drawn tight.
The air went still.
"I've got it!" Inspector Yokomizo suddenly shouted. "All of you—check the surrounding area immediately. See whether anyone suspicious entered or left!"
The officers jolted into motion.
"Officer, what's going on?" someone demanded.
"I'll explain later," Yokomizo snapped, then moved closer to Heiji. "Mr. Heiji—thank you."
"It seems you've already worked it out," Heiji said mildly.
"Yes." Yokomizo nodded. "President Nohara was struck in the back of the head from behind. Then, as he tried to get up, the attacker pushed him from behind and sent him into the pond—trying to make it look like he slipped and fell…"
"Wait." Josaku Yokota frowned. "There's a major hole in that theory. Wouldn't President Nohara have noticed a stranger coming up to him?"
"Well…" Inspector Yokomizo hesitated. "The attacker probably approached from behind."
It was a weak answer, but not impossible.
"Then why attack him at all?" Yokohama Ueno asked, confused. "What motive would anyone have?"
"Mrs. Nohara," Inspector Yokomizo asked, turning to her, "did President Nohara have any enemies? Anyone he'd been in conflict with?"
"My husband is an old man," Mrs. Nohara said, irritated. "He fishes at home or stops by the publishing house. What kind of disputes would he be getting into?"
Just then, the officers who had been dispatched returned.
"Inspector Yokomizo. We reviewed the security camera footage. No suspicious individuals entered the premises."
Inspector Yokomizo's brow furrowed. "Do the cameras cover the yard?"
"No. They only cover areas outside the property line."
"That's for residents' privacy," Mrs. Nohara added. "The entire villa complex is designed that way, and we're satisfied with the arrangement."
"If that's the case…" Yokomizo exhaled, frowning. "This gets difficult."
"Officer, if there's nothing else, may we leave now?" Josaku Yokota asked.
"I also need to get back to my manuscript," Yokohama Ueno said earnestly. "Otherwise I'll disappoint President Nohara."
"Were you truly not present when it happened?" Inspector Yokomizo pressed.
"Officer, I already told you. I only came out after I heard Mr. Ueno shouting," Yokota said, annoyed. "Mrs. Nohara can confirm that."
"Yes," Mrs. Nohara said. "I was cooking in the kitchen at the time. I couldn't see the pond directly, but I would have noticed if any outsiders came in."
"I wasn't catching anything," Yokohama Ueno said. "So I went to the flowerbed in the corner to dig up worms for bait. Mrs. Nohara can confirm it."
"Yes," Mrs. Nohara recalled. "Mr. Ueno did pass by the kitchen, and he came running out after I heard the splash."
"So both of you have alibis," Inspector Yokomizo muttered, his head starting to ache.
"Then may we go now?" Yokota asked again, already shifting his weight as if to leave.
"Yes. Sorry for holding you," Yokomizo said.
"Inspector Yokomizo," Heiji said suddenly, voice calm, "if you let them leave, there's a good chance the culprit in this case will never be found."
The two men who were about to walk off froze mid-step. They turned back, staring at Heiji with confusion—Heiji, who had been silent all this time.