Chapter 138: Revenge or Passion?
The deceased's parents had passed away many years ago, and he was subsequently raised by his aunt.
Recently, because the aunt's husband's business had run into financial trouble, the aunt murdered her nephew, intending to inherit the large fortune left by his parents to cover the business debts.
The case itself was simple, but the details were somewhat complicated. The perpetrator wasn't just the deceased's aunt—there seemed to be a classmate involved as well—but it was ultimately the aunt who successfully committed the murder.
So what did any of this have to do with Yor?
She was just attending a party. She had no motive, no connection to the victim, and Yor had such a wonderful personality—always polite and kind to everyone. How could she possibly be involved in a murder case?
Outrageous!
Inspector Megure's expression was grave as he pointed toward the apartment's window. "The deceased, Minagawa Katsuhiko's aunt—Mrs. Minagawa—firmly believes that Miss Yor killed Minagawa Katsuhiko, and she's currently making quite a scene about it."
"What's her reasoning?"
The three stood at the doorway. Natsukawa needed to understand the situation first.
Minagawa Katsuhiko's aunt was currently hysterical, making an enormous racket. Even with the door closed, her voice could still be heard clearly. If they went inside to listen to the case analysis, they probably wouldn't even be able to hear Inspector Megure speak.
"According to Miss Yor's statement, Minagawa Katsuhiko was apparently quite a creep. He had inappropriate intentions toward her and even tried to touch Miss Yor's thigh. Miss Yor noticed and kicked him away in self-defense. He then coughed up blood and died."
"..."
Damn it!
Minagawa Katsuhiko, huh!
Dead, huh!
Just wait until the day you're buried—I'll see if I don't dig up your grave. Not only will I dig it up, but I'll dance on it and send two manure trucks as a special delivery.
Suppressing his fury, Natsukawa continued pressing for information. "Did the medical examiner inspect the body? Was the cause of death really just that kick? Or was there another factor?"
The three of them slowly approached, and Mrs. Minagawa's voice grew increasingly loud. After opening the door, her shrill voice assaulted their eardrums.
"It was you! You killed Katsuhiko! He was only a college freshman! His promising life ended before it even began! How could you do this?!"
The sounds of a child crying and a woman screaming were enough to make anyone frown, but Natsukawa suppressed his impulse and went straight to Yor's side.
Yor kept her head down, remaining silent, while Anya stood beside her, seemingly trying to comfort her.
"Are you alright? Why don't you step outside for a bit? It's too noisy in here," Natsukawa said gently.
Hearing Natsukawa's voice, Yor slowly looked up.
"I'm fine, I..."
Yor was interrupted before she could finish.
"Who are you? Are you some kind of hired help this woman brought in? I knew your Metropolitan Police Department was corrupt! This murderer should have been arrested immediately! What's the point of investigating?
Everyone saw her attack Katsuhiko! One kick and he was coughing up blood! If it wasn't her, who else could it be?!"
Natsukawa turned and stared intently at Mrs. Minagawa, his sharp, hawk-like eyes piercing through her like swords.
Mrs. Minagawa took two steps back, her face draining of color, and her ranting stopped abruptly.
"Was the cause of death really just that kick?"
Natsukawa slowly walked up to Mrs. Minagawa, his overwhelming presence causing cold sweat to trickle down her forehead.
Natsukawa didn't press her further, glancing at her briefly before looking away.
That glare had been too harsh, but at least it stopped his eardrums from vibrating.
Looking around the living room, he noticed quite a few people present.
Besides Ran and her group of five, there were several young men and women—Minagawa Katsuhiko's college classmates and friends who had come together to make chocolates.
The crying child nearby was Minagawa Katsuhiko's younger brother.
Shifting his attention, Natsukawa walked straight toward Minagawa Katsuhiko's body against the wall.
Several medical examiners were collecting evidence. They seemed to have just arrived. A certain big-headed elementary schooler was crouching nearby.
Sorry, Conan. You won't get a chance to solve this case this time.
"How long has he been dead?" Natsukawa asked.
The medical examiner paused for a moment, then looked at Inspector Megure for permission.
"Go ahead and tell Natsukawa. Although he's not officially a detective, his deductive skills are quite impressive. Right, Mouri?"
Having interacted with Natsukawa many times, Inspector Megure knew that even though he hadn't formally solved any cases, he often noticed strange details others missed. Plus, Miss Yor appeared to be Natsukawa's girlfriend, so he had to show some consideration.
"Y-yes! Although he's slightly inferior to me, Natsukawa is still pretty competent. It must be because he's spent so much time around me that his reasoning ability has improved through osmosis."
Conan rolled his eyes internally. Uncle Mouri, you really have no shame saying that.
The medical examiner nodded and began explaining. "Time of death was approximately half an hour ago. According to witness statements, Minagawa Katsuhiko was kicked by Miss Yor, then vomited blood, and died suddenly."
"Did Minagawa Katsuhiko have any history of heart disease or other conditions that could cause sudden death?" Natsukawa inquired.
The examiner replied, "I've checked his medical records. There's no indication of such conditions."
Minagawa Katsuhiko was slumped against the wall, the blood around his mouth already somewhat congealed.
His shirt had been partially lifted by the examiner, revealing a red mark on his abdomen that had turned slightly purple—vaguely resembling a shoe print.
Needless to say, that mark was definitely from Yor's kick.
Apart from that, Minagawa Katsuhiko appeared to have no other visible injuries.
After circling the body, Natsukawa breathed a sigh of relief. "Yor's kick wasn't fatal at all. At most, it would have caused pain for a day or so. It definitely wasn't a lethal injury."
Conan nodded in agreement. Natsukawa's assessment resonated with him. He'd personally witnessed Yor kick Minagawa Katsuhiko, and the idea that a single kick could kill him seemed unrealistic.
Natsukawa approached and crouched down, pulling white gloves from his pocket and putting them on, looking every bit like a professional medical examiner.
Then Natsukawa systematically examined Minagawa Katsuhiko's arms, hands, lips, and eyes, his technique befitting someone with proper training.
"Natsukawa-san, you know how to perform autopsies?"
Natsukawa answered without looking up. "My father taught me when I was in Hawaii."
"..."
"The fingernails are showing faint signs of turning purple. The dark red lips are gradually becoming more purple. There's an unpleasant odor when you open his mouth, and his eyes are bloodshot. Saying he was kicked to death by Yor is less accurate than saying he died from poisoning."
"What?!" Conan was stunned, then seemed to recall something, his mind racing.
After a few seconds, he also re-examined the body using Natsukawa's method.
The medical examiner watched the entire process without attempting to stop them.
"These signs weren't as pronounced earlier, but they're definitely becoming more apparent now. The symptoms of poisoning are slowly manifesting."
Conan looked at the examiner and said, "The body should be tested for toxins immediately. Someone might have been planning to kill Mr. Minagawa Katsuhiko today.
After all, Minagawa Katsuhiko doesn't seem to have been very well-liked."
After saying that, Conan's gaze lingered several times on two of Minagawa Katsuhiko's university classmates—Sekiguchi Kaori and Wakamatsu Naomichi.
The overweight man named Naomichi, who had apparently been bullied by Minagawa Katsuhiko, had a strong motive and was a prime suspect for a revenge killing.
The woman named Sekiguchi Kaori appeared to be Minagawa Katsuhiko's childhood friend, but he didn't seem to reciprocate her feelings, instead preferring another woman present at the scene—Watanabe Yoshimi.
Today was Valentine's Day, so a crime of passion was also highly probable.
Although he hadn't yet discovered their methods, having clear motives and a defined suspect pool would make the investigation much simpler.
Speaking of motives, only these two were worth considering. Minagawa Katsuhiko's aunt wasn't even on his radar, given that Mrs. Minagawa's behavior had seemed perfectly normal up until the body was discovered.
Furthermore, her emotional breakdown after Minagawa Katsuhiko's death was consistent with genuine grief over losing a loved one.
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