The judge's tone remained calm, a faint light reflecting off his shiny scalp. He half-closed his eyes and said, "So, you believe the defendant's presence at the scene was not a coincidence?"
Reiko Kujo nodded: "According to our investigation, some believe that the defendant harbored resentment towards the deceased and had a motive to take revenge."
Inoue Takashi became somewhat agitated: "You're talking nonsense. I don't know that kind of person at all."
"dad."
A woman's voice, sounding somewhat disappointed, came from behind the courtroom.
Reiko Kujo smiled, extended her hand, and said, "Then, let's have the person in question explain."
The corners of her mouth curved upwards even further, as if the victory in this trial was already assured.
Eri Kisaki felt a sense of pressure, and a bead of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.
This showdown between the beautiful prosecutor and the queen of the legal profession has temporarily ended with the prosecutor having the upper hand.
The second half is tomorrow, and barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will be the last game.
...
In a café next to the courthouse, Eri Kisaki sat facing Noriko Endo, the daughter of Takashi Inoue.
Noriko Endo is very beautiful, with fair skin, a high nose bridge, and cherry-colored lipstick on her perfectly sized cherry lips.
She was dressed fashionably, revealing a deep cleavage, and wore a silver necklace around her neck.
She wore a pair of silver-rimmed sunglasses over her peach blossom eyes.
Nowadays, there's no need to wear sunglasses in a coffee shop.
Just now, Eri Kisaki confirmed Reiko Kujo's words.
Eri Kisaki nodded: "So, what the prosecutor said earlier was all true?"
Mitsuyu stared at Noriko Endo, also wondering why such a woman would give herself to an old man.
Noriko Endo nodded: "Yes, I later found out he was lying to me."
After hearing her words, Guangyou couldn't help but sigh. With such a large age gap, could the old man possibly have any true love?
Guangyou shook his head, clicking his tongue in amazement: "This time it really is a case of a beautiful flower stuck in cow dung."
Noriko Endo frowned. "He said he would let me run a shop, but he was lying to me."
Guangyou, who was standing to the side, was speechless. This woman was quite pretty, but why was she so stupid?
His exclamation was based on the premise that Noriko Endo was beautiful. If it were someone else who wasn't so good-looking, Mitsuyu would just silently watch the drama unfold.
Eri Kisaki asked, "When did you meet your father again?"
Noriko Endo did not hide anything: "I met my father two years after my mother passed away, and ever since then, he would come to see me whenever he had time."
Eri Kisaki frowned slightly, reached out her slender hand to pick up her coffee, and took a sip: "So you told your father about President Otsu, right?"
"That's right, because he's going to help me ask him for compensation."
Guangyou and the others, sitting on the other side, listened and discussed.
"Now that there is a motive and the facts of the crime, it will be very difficult to win this case."
Guangyou stirred his drink with a straw, took a sip, and said, "Let's keep watching. Maybe there's still a chance."
Xiaolan held the cup and said, "Well, I hope Mom can finish this case soon so we can go to the hot springs together."
Kōyū nodded to Conan, thinking to himself, "Yes, we will."
On the other side, Eri Kisaki suddenly looked at Noriko Endo and asked, "Finally, the one thing I hope you will tell me honestly is whether you also believe that your father murdered President Toshiyuki Otsu that night."
Noriko Endo became somewhat agitated and quickly retorted, "No, my father may do some petty theft, but he would never kill anyone."
Eri Kisaki comforted her, "Don't worry, I'm just asking about your attitude. We'll investigate the details thoroughly. If your father is innocent, we'll clear his name."
"Thanks."
...
Before leaving, Kōyū handed a note with writing on it to Endō Noriko. Endō Noriyuki looked at the note, somewhat confused about the meaning of the sentences.
Kōyū didn't say much, just smiled at her, and then turned around and followed Eri and the others.
After saying goodbye to Noriko Endo, Eri Kisaki treated the group to lunch, as she had only had a little drink and her stomach was empty.
During the meal, Eri Kisaki seemed somewhat absent-minded, and everyone knew that she was troubled by the case.
Of course, it wasn't because she was going to lose to Reiko Kujo—she didn't care about that—but rather because her woman's intuition told her there was something fishy going on behind the case.
After finishing their meal, Kōyū and the other two parted ways with Eri Kisaki and prepared to return to their agency.
As soon as he opened the door, Kōyū heard Uncle Mori's incessant snoring.
Uncle Mori slumped in his chair, head tilted back, mouth agape, hands hanging down, with a notebook on the floor to his left.
Guangyou picked it up and saw that it was information about that case. He smiled knowingly and said, "Uncle still cares about her, but why haven't they made up yet?"
Ran, who was right behind him, stood next to Uncle Mori and complained a few times.
The complaints gradually woke Kogoro from his sleep. The moment he saw Ran and the others, Uncle Mori snatched the file from him, coughed twice, and explained, "I like to close my eyes when I'm thinking."
This explanation is weak and forceful, as if it said nothing at all.
Ran, hands on her hips, glanced sideways at Uncle Mori and said, "Hey~ so you've figured it out? How can we help Mom this time?"
Uncle Mori was speechless, flipping through the files to distract himself, and said, "About this... well..."
Knowing that Uncle Mori was currently clueless, Kōyū helped him out by saying, "Uncle, judging from the way you're getting ready to go out, do you want to go and take a look at the scene?"
“Cough, yes, Kousuke is right.” Uncle Mori clenched his fist and put it to his mouth, saying, “Originally, there was no chance of this case being overturned.”
“We have a motive, and his fingerprints are clearly visible on the safe’s rotating wheel, so I don’t think there’s any need to investigate further.”
Uncle Mori stroked his chin, his expression serious. "It will be difficult to turn things around."
Xiaolan asked curiously, "Then, Dad, will you help Mom?"
"Help that woman?" Uncle Mori chuckled and said, "I just don't want to see a beautiful woman sad because of her father who might be unjustly imprisoned."
Xiaolan wrinkled her nose and snorted, "Dad, you're really something. I'm not talking to you anymore. You'll have to make your own dinner tonight."
After saying that, Xiaolan turned around and walked upstairs, with Uncle Mori following behind her out of the office.
Guangyou smiled and shook his head: "Uncle is still the stubborn type."
"Let's go, I guess Uncle is going to the crime scene."
After telling Mitsuyu, Conan quickly followed.
Guangyou understood that he still had to go to the scene. Only when the fragmented memories in his mind found their place could they be pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle to form a perfect picture.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
