Chapter 240
Once Conan Edogawa realized the problem, he immediately rushed back. The old policeman couldn't keep up, and he couldn't care less about the other person. His short legs left afterimages as he finally ran back.
But by the time he returned, it was too late. The third murder, accompanied by a suicide note, had led Inspector Megure to declare the case closed.
"Um..." Kenji Hagiwara tried to stop him, embarrassed, "We're going to write our wills, is it really necessary to use a code?"
Matsuda Jinpei also said speechlessly, "And it's said to be suicide, but there wasn't even anything to stand on. Did he jump and stick his head into the rope?"
Inspector Megure: "...Ahem, that makes sense."
Conan Edogawa breathed a sigh of relief.
Good heavens, thank goodness there was a reliable person here, otherwise if he had come back any later, the scene might have been destroyed!
Conan Edogawa quickly examined the scene and reviewed the coded suicide note—just as he suspected. Sure enough, the dead men had conspired with Keiji Aso to traffic drugs. They had used Aso's global tour to import drugs from abroad and then smuggled them back by hiding them in a secret compartment of a piano. Aso had wanted to quit, so he was silenced.
As for why he committed suicide, there's no need to look into that; it's clearly an excuse the murderer made up. Conan Edogawa already knows who the murderer is. Now he just needs to confirm a few more points and then lure Kogoro Mouri to the broadcasting room so he can use the identity of "Sleeping Kogoro" to deduce the truth.
There was only one question he couldn't quite grasp.
...Did Hanchuan Shenliu actually participate in this matter?
Even after Conan Edogawa knocked out Kogoro Mouri with a tranquilizer dart, he still hadn't figured it out.
But he still understood the primary and secondary contradictions. He prioritized solving the case first, and then dealt with these trivial issues.
So Conan Edogawa turned on his voice changer and, through the radio, began his deduction.
After a long period of reasoning, Conan Edogawa finally came to his conclusion.
"...The murderer is Dr. Asai Narumi!"
"What?! Miss Asai?!"
"Asai is just his adoptive parents' surname. He is male, and his real name is Asai Minami!"
Everyone was shocked, and Kenji Hagiwara's pupils dilated in disbelief—how could someone nicknamed "the friend of women" not even notice that he was dressed as a woman?
A cross-dressing man was standing right in front of them, and no one had noticed anything amiss for so many years. Everyone instinctively looked at Asagi, but even knowing the truth, he still looked exactly like a girl.
Asagi didn't refute, but instead pulled out a gun from somewhere.
However, he didn't intend to use the gun to threaten anyone; instead, he pressed it against his chin, knowing that if he pulled the trigger, the bullet would pierce his brain.
"Wait!" Kenji Hagiwara exclaimed in surprise. "Although you are the murderer, according to the law, you don't deserve the death penalty. Put the gun down... Where did you get this gun?!"
Conan Edogawa was also taken aback by the commotion. He hadn't expected Asami Narumi to have such a strong personality, wanting to commit suicide after being exposed in front of everyone!
And could this gun have been given to me by Hanchuan Shenliu?!
“It was Nishimoto’s gun. He anticipated that the last person I was going to kill would be him, so he secretly brought a gun for self-defense. However, I discovered it and took it from him before he could react,” Asagi said. “That’s right, I killed them all.”
His expression was calm; despite the meticulousness of his murder plan, he seemed prepared for his identity to be discovered.
"I'm sorry, I didn't really mean to scare everyone. If it's okay, could I go back to the room where the piano is? I want to die with my dad's piano."
Conan Edogawa was frightened by Asami's mental state.
Based on his experience, prisoners usually cry, kneel, and repent after he exposes them. This is the first time he has seen someone directly attempt suicide. He even feels that if Asano Masato were to die, he would bear some responsibility.
So he quickly comforted her: "You should have already seen your father's last words. He hoped that you could live well!"
“I know I have tried my best. This is the island where my father was born and raised. I hope I can live a peaceful life here... but I can’t.” Asagi said in a suppressed voice, “When I saw them walking around on the island, I realized that as long as they are alive, my soul will not be at peace. Even if I call the police to arrest them, they will not be sentenced to death. Since that’s the case, I think it’s worth it to exchange my life for their three lives to avenge my father, mother and sister.”
"...Was the death of the former village chief related to you?"
“I asked him about my father, but I didn’t do anything. He really did die of fright,” Asagi Shimizu replied, backing towards the door. “You don’t need to worry about me running away. As long as the boat doesn’t sail, there’s no escape route on this island. I just don’t want to leave anyone with psychological trauma—”
An arm suddenly reached out from behind Ma Shengshi and deftly snatched the gun.
Asagi turned around in shock, and a familiar face came into view: "Mr. Han... Mr. Hanchuan..."
“You’re a doctor. Saving more lives after you get out of prison will be more valuable to society than your own life. Otherwise, you’re just another dead person.” Han Chuan Shenliu calmly put away his gun. “Alright, this is confiscated—who among you is wearing handcuffs?”
The sudden turn of events left everyone stunned.
Kenji Hagiwara, as expected of Shinryu Samakawa's former partner, was the first to come to his senses and rushed over to help handcuff Asano Minami, lest he suddenly have another urge to commit suicide.
Conan Edogawa left the broadcasting room and rushed downstairs to the scene. When he saw that Asano Minami was still standing there safely, he breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if he had just been on a roller coaster.
My God, he almost drove someone to their death...
Telling the truth and using words to corner the criminal and force them to confess has always been his habit; he never imagined it would lead to a new murder.
For a moment, Conan Edogawa felt extremely conflicted, and even began to reflect on his habit. He decided that in the future, he should try to leave room for criminals, and if possible, persuade them to turn themselves in, and avoid using such provocative language...
“It’s already quite late, and it’s not convenient to take him back to the Metropolitan Police Department. Let’s just leave him at the police station on the island for the night.” Kenji Hagiwara sighed. “Ms. Asai… no, Mr. Aso, is there something we police officers have done wrong that makes you distrust us?”
The suicidal urges came in waves, and after being interrupted, he lost the will to continue. Besides, the previous attack was unexpected, but now with so many people watching, he couldn't find any new props, so he had no choice but to give up and cooperate obediently.
“No…” Asagi Minami looked apologetic. “Inspector Hagiwara and Inspector Kankawa… Mr. Kankawa, I admire them very much. I just… can’t accept that they can still live well even after being arrested.”
Kenji Hagiwara was then unable to respond.
After all, some of these people are rich and some are powerful. Killing someone, plus drug trafficking, would indeed be very difficult to be sentenced to death in Japan.
“…I’m sorry.” Kenji Hagiwara sighed.
“It has nothing to do with Officer Hagiwara. Officer Hagiwara has done a great job. On the contrary, it was me…” Asagi Minami hesitated for a moment when she saw Kanekawa Shinryu walking over, and then lowered her head. “…I’m sorry, Mr. Kanekawa.”
Conan Edogawa: "...???"
Why would he specifically apologize to Kagawa Shinryu?! Could his previous guess have been true? Did Kagawa Shinryu already know that the culprit was Asano Minami, and therefore deliberately avoid the opportunity to solve the case...? Is this dereliction of duty? Cover-up?
Kenji Hagiwara also noticed something amiss: "Wait, why are you apologizing to him?"
"Because, two years ago, Mr. Kankawa discovered that I was dressed as a woman. He thought I had some unspeakable secret, so he asked me about it and told me to contact him if I needed help... But I wasted his kindness." Asagi Minami bowed to Kankawa Shinryu again. "Even though it's come to this... thank you anyway, Mr. Kankawa."
"You're welcome," Han Chuan Shenliu said calmly. "Get out of prison soon so you can treat and save lives."
Asagi Narumi gave a bitter smile: "I'm no longer qualified to save people. These hands of mine have killed countless people..."
Kanakawa Shinryu turned to Hagiwara Kenji and said, "We need to arrange a psychologist for him. We can't waste resources. It's so difficult to support a doctor these days."
Kenji Hagiwara nodded in agreement: "Indeed."
Asano Narumi: "…………"
My emotions suddenly became disjointed...
However, he was still very grateful to Mr. Hanchuan.
Because Mr. Hanchuan had actually been suspicious of him for a long time, saying many meaningful things... He even suspected that Mr. Hanchuan had already seen through something two years ago.
It was because he discovered that Mr. Hanchuan was there that he decided to commit suicide after taking his revenge, knowing that no matter how perfect his plan was, it would be useless, as Mr. Hanchuan would definitely solve the problem.
Even so, Mr. Hanchuan still gave him time to take revenge and even helped him find a reason to live and atone for his sins...
What a considerate person.
"...Thank you for your comfort. Hope we meet again someday, Mr. Hanchuan."
—I can't thank him any more. The little boy next to me is giving me a strange look. If I keep thanking him, I'll cause trouble for Mr. Hanchuan... What is this little boy thinking? Could it be that he guessed that Mr. Hanchuan went easy on him?
--------------------
I've finally finished writing this chapter!
.
Narumi didn't die; according to Japanese law, she'll be released in a few years.
Training a doctor is no easy task in any country...sigh.
For Cheng Shi, this wasn't just about the murder of his father; his entire family had been killed! His mother and sister were gone!
The murderer who killed his entire family is right in front of him, living a very comfortable life, and even dealing drugs and harming others... This...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
