Chapter 28 Tragedy Reflected in Water
Conan quietly approached the two women who were chatting and eavesdropped on their conversation.
"I was wondering why I saw Youli only once when I walked in this afternoon. Before that, she was always pestering customers to chat. I thought she listened to my advice, but I didn't expect..." The younger and thinner of the two women, named Jinqiao Zhimei, said with a frown.
"Shimei..." Qianhe Shiyi also sighed softly, "Oh, yes, who would have thought. Youli was so silly and cheerful all day, how could... how could she commit suicide."
"Suicide?" Conan was alert, "Didn't Aunt Youli drown accidentally? Why do you think she committed suicide?"
The two women were startled by Conan who suddenly appeared from behind. They looked at each other, and Jinqiao Zhimei chose to answer: "The reason why Tomokazu committed suicide is that she has always been a swimming enthusiast. She won...some award in high school. She has been bragging about this to us before, but I didn't listen carefully and don't remember it very well. Anyway, she is very good at swimming. If she didn't commit suicide, why didn't she swim up by herself?"
Qian He Shiyi took over the topic with an unhappy look on her face, "It was the third prize in the National Girls High School. Before Master Morita came, she talked about it every day, saying that there was a handsome guy chasing her at the time, but she didn't like him. After Master Morita came, she didn't say much. Tsk, who would want to see her in that state...ah, let's not talk about this anymore. You shouldn't talk about this after a dead person, bah bah bah"
Their relationship doesn't seem to be very good. Conan has no intention of letting Qianhe Shiyi go. "Auntie, don't you like Aunt Youli? You obviously call her Youli instead of Manager Kurokawa?"
Qianhe Shiyi pursed her lips and rolled her eyes, then squatted down and leaned close to Conan and whispered, "Because she always thinks she is very young and beautiful, and she asked us to call her Youli-chan. Doesn't she even know that she deserves it? We can only call her Youli. As for her, it's not that I don't like her, but... Master Morita obviously likes Shimei, but she keeps getting close to Master Morita, and she's not ashamed. Originally, I was the one who came with Shimei to talk to Youli about this matter today. Shimei agreed to Master Morita's confession a few days ago, and wanted Youli to stop pestering Master Morita. But Shimei said that she saw him once when she entered the store. I came an hour later than her and didn't run into Youli at all."
That is to say, between 3 and 4 o'clock, Ms. Shimi and Mr. Morita had enough time to work together to kill Ms. Tomouri. During this time, Ms. Chihe could have asked Ms. Tomouri out of the shop and then killed her. But how did Jing Yayoi, who arrived at the barber shop at 5 o'clock, know about the murder between 3 and 4 o'clock?
"Oh, I wanted to dye my hair a bright color to celebrate finding a boyfriend, but now this has happened, it's so inappropriate." Jinqiao Zhimei curled up the ends of her hair and sighed.
Qian He Shi Yi comforted him, “It’s okay, the color is a little darker than the reference picture you sent me, so it’s not that noticeable.”
"Too."
The two women continued chatting among themselves, unaware that the police had already suspected them.
"Ms. Tomoki did die of drowning. Could you please tell us what happened before this?" Inspector Megure hung up the phone with the hospital and turned around to talk to everyone.
Mr. Morita spoke first: "They were customers in the store this afternoon. Miss Jinqiao and Miss Qianhe wanted to go to see the moon and invited me to go with them. The three of us came to Wuzhang River together. Not long after we put our things out, we saw something floating in the river. I walked over and saw it..." Then his face changed, and he looked unwilling to speak. However, as a kind-hearted person who came face to face with the corpse and fished it out, this expression was normal. After all, not everyone can remain calm when seeing a corpse.
Inspector Megure did not question anything and said to Ms. Kanebashi and Ms. Chihe, "Do you have anything to add?"
Jinqiao Zhimei thought for a moment and said, "I arrived at the store at three o'clock this afternoon as scheduled. At that time, Youli was writing something at the counter at the door, but I didn't pay much attention. I met her, and before I could say anything, Mr. Morita... came out, and I followed him. I was dyeing my hair, which took a long time, so when I came out of the first shampoo, I didn't see Youli. I fell asleep during the second shampoo, but at that time, Miss Qianhe seemed to have arrived, and she woke me up later."
Qianhe Shiyi spread her hands, "I have never met Youli, my appointment was at four o'clock. At that time, I heard Master Morita chatting with Zhimei in the hair salon, so I planned to go in and chat with her. As a result, Master Morita came out to look for Youli, so I looked for him for a while. When we found that there was no one in the shop, Master Morita said that if it really didn't work, he would help me cut my hair. Then the two of us went to the hair salon, but Zhimei had fallen asleep, so I woke her up after I finished washing her. Then the three of us, including the male student who came at five o'clock, none of us left the shop."
Inspector Megure nodded and concluded, "Well... it sounds like no one had enough time to commit the crime. If Miss Kanebashi's testimony is correct, then Miss Tomouri is still alive at three o'clock. Mr. Morita was there from three to four o'clock, and Miss Kanebashi testified. After four o'clock, Miss Kanebashi and Miss Chihe testified. Miss Kanebashi needed to do her hair the whole time, and the only time she was alone was in the hair salon for more than ten minutes. But because her hair was wet, she couldn't move around easily, not to mention that Mr. Morita and Miss Chihe were still looking for Miss Tomouri in the store. Kazukage is not mobile, and she chose this store at random today based on the recommendation of a child, without any motive. So... Miss Chihe, as for you, can you provide an alibi from three to four o'clock?"
"You policeman, what do you mean?" Miss Qianhe heard that she became the only suspect, and angrily pointed at Inspector Megure and cursed, "Are you kidding me? Tomoki committed suicide! Besides, I have no grudge against her, why would I kill her?"
Inspector Megure smiled good-naturedly, "Don't be angry, Ms. Chihe, we are just checking all possibilities. It is true that Ms. Tomoka can swim, but besides committing suicide, there is also the possibility that she was drowned. Moreover, although those who drown are all able to swim, the way Ms. Tomoka died does not seem to be caused by natural drowning. We have reason to suspect that she died of human drowning."
Conan asked tentatively: "Because her nails were turned up, but there was no sand or mud inside?"
Inspector Megure looked at Conan in surprise and nodded: "Yes, her nails are turned up, which proves that she desperately scratched something when she was drowning. If it was a normal drowning, she would usually scratch the rocks or water plants at the bottom of the water, which would definitely leave mud or water plant fragments. But there is only a small amount of dye inside her nails and on her fingertips. Considering her identity as a hairdresser, it should have been stuck on her while she was working."
Inspector Megure looked at Jinqiao Zhimei and asked, "Miss Jinqiao, when she saw Miss Youli, she was writing, right? If her ten fingers were already turned outward at that time, no one could bear such pain to write. In other words, she died between three and four o'clock, and the nails were also caused at this time. Miss Jinqiao, can you recall in detail the situation when you saw her?"
Hearing this, Jinqiao Zhimei recalled, "When I entered the store, she was panicked and was wiping tears. I asked her what she was doing, and she put something behind her and kept telling me that it was okay. But I didn't pay much attention to it. She is not a person who can hide her temper. If she has something to say, she will say it directly, so I didn't take it to heart."
"Because she was wiping her tears, I noticed her hands, and there was nothing wrong. I originally wanted her to stop bothering Morita, but seeing that she was in a bad mood, it was not easy to talk about this matter. I didn't pay much attention to other things, but she was writing, it seemed to be a letter?"
"In that case, why don't you all go to the barber shop with the police and look for the letter, maybe there are important clues in it." Inspector Megure suggested. Although it was just a suggestion, who dared to refute the words of an inspector?
"Do I want to join in?" He Jing Yayoi sighed softly. It seemed that this case could not be solved in a short time.
"This..." Inspector Megure also knew that Kazukage Yayoi was unable to move and was unable to commit a crime, so he wanted him to go home. But Conan interrupted him: "Brother Yayoi, your home is not far from the barber shop, why don't you follow the police uncles to the barber shop, otherwise there won't be enough cars."
Inspector Megure scratched his head awkwardly, "The situation is indeed as Conan said. Because it was reported as a drowning, two police cars were sent here. Kazukage-san, why don't you follow us to the barber shop first? That way, the police car will be free and can take you and Conan home."
Does Kazukage Yayoi have any right to choose? He sighed, "Okay."
"In that case, I'll lead the way for you guys." Mr. Morita took out his keys and prepared to get in the car, but was stopped by Inspector Megure. "Let Officer Nagasawa drive. Please stay by the side and show the way."
Mr. Morita paused, then awkwardly handed over the key. "Okay, okay, thank you for your help, officer."
A police officer in his forties, whom Conan had never seen before, stepped out with a smile and took the key from Mr. Morita: "Thank you for showing me the way~"
"Hmm? This police officer's accent doesn't sound like a Tokyo native." Conan asked casually.
"Yes~ I'm a deputy inspector of the Kanagawa Police Headquarters, and I was transferred to the Metropolitan Police Department to study~ You are Conan, right? I heard about you and Detective Mori on the first day I came to the Metropolitan Police Department. You are really amazing~" Officer Nagasawa looks quite old, but his tone is particularly lively and he seems to have a very good temper.
"I don't have good professional skills. I've only managed to become a deputy inspector at my age. I wish I was as smart as Detective Mori~" Officer Nagasawa sighed in frustration. Inspector Megure patted him soothingly and said, "Brother Nagasawa, you can't say that. Only a few people can get promoted. We are good police officers if we just do our job well."
"Ah, ah, Inspector, you're right. We should really do our job well..." Inspector Nagasawa took over with a smile, "Ah~ But it's so difficult. I don't understand this case at all."
Inspector Megure scratched his head awkwardly. In fact, he was also confused. Seeing this, Conan twitched his lips. This is totally unacceptable, adults.
He already knew who the murderer was.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
