A Bold Idea

Yoko Okino's room was simple, with pink walls, wooden strip flooring, and not much furniture to speak of.

Perhaps it was only a temporary residence.

The moment he entered the room, Fujino felt a wave of stifling heat.

Looking up, he saw that the central air conditioning was continuously blowing hot air.

"If I remembered correctly, this should be the key breakthrough in this case."

Fujino studied the central air conditioner, murmuring to himself before turning his gaze toward the corpse lying in the middle of the room.

The body lay flat on the floor, a fruit knife lodged in its back.

As he examined the somewhat stiff corpse, an indescribable tremor rose within Fujino.

Suddenly, his head spun, and he even felt a little nauseated.

He took a deep breath. Only after the physical discomfort faded did Fujino sigh. "So I still haven't gotten used to it?"

To be honest, despite having lived two lives, this was the first fresh corpse Fujino had ever seen.

Though he had originally been a High School Detective, the cases he usually handled were requests involving lost cats and dogs, or investigating affairs.

He had never taken on a murder case like this before.

Still, Fujino adapted quickly. After a moment, the discomfort vanished without a trace.

Once the strange feeling subsided, Fujino glanced behind him.

Seeing that there was no one else in the room, he walked over to the sofa in the corner.

He then bent down slightly and felt around underneath it.

Before long, his fingers touched something hard.

He pulled it out and found an earring.

Fujino frowned as he examined the golden earring in his hand.

If he remembered correctly, it should have belonged to Yuko Ikezawa.

He had thought that since Yuko Ikezawa had hired him, she would not come here to investigate herself... but reality was never as pleasant as one imagined.

After hiring him, Yuko Ikezawa had still come here to search the apartment herself, inadvertently setting off the Bloody Idol case.

Did that stupid woman not trust him?

Fujino slipped the earring into his pocket, feeling somewhat unhappy.

But now that things had developed to this point, the original trouble had resolved itself instead.

After thinking for a moment, a bold idea sprang up in Fujino's mind.

Perhaps he could make a fortune this time.

Five minutes later, accompanied by waves of police sirens, the police arrived at the crime scene.

Leading them was a fat man named Juzo Megure.

"So, you're saying that when you returned home, you discovered that this man had already been murdered?"

Juzo Megure looked Yoko Okino over as he asked the routine question.

"That's right."

Yoko Okino lowered her head, concealing a trace of sorrow in her eyes. "After I came back from Detective Fujino's place, I had just opened the door when I saw him dead in the room..."

"Detective Fujino..."

Hearing that, Juzo Megure turned to Fujino. "You were the detective Yoko Okino went to when she discovered the crime scene?"

"Mm."

Fujino nodded and introduced himself. "My name is Fujino. I'm a detective."

"Don't tell me you're a High School Detective?"

Juzo Megure studied Fujino's somewhat youthful yet unusually mature-looking face and asked skeptically.

"That's right... I'm still a high school student for now..."

Fujino nodded and continued, "I attend the same school as that guy Kudo Shinichi."

"I see. So you're Fujino, then."

Juzo Megure looked Fujino over, recalling the familiar image of a certain young detective.

Come to think of it, Kudo had not shown up in quite some time, had he?

The recent efficiency of solving cases had been making him terribly anxious.

He wondered whether this kid was another young detective like Kudo Shinichi.

After pondering for a moment, Juzo Megure asked Fujino again, "If I remembered correctly, you were the one who called the police. Did you notice anything unusual at the scene?"

"Something unusual..."

Fujino rubbed his chin. "Perhaps the room temperature was a little too high."

"The room temperature is too high..."

Juzo Megure wiped the sweat from his temple. "I could tell from the moment I came in. It really is rather hot in this room."

As he spoke, he asked Yoko Okino, "Miss Yoko, was the air conditioner set this high from the start?"

"No!"

Yoko Okino froze for a moment. "I remember the power went out in the room when I left this morning."

"Then that is strange..."

Taking a deep breath, Juzo Megure asked the Forensic Science Division officer examining the cause of death beside the corpse, "How is it? Have you determined the victim's cause of death?"

"We have."

The Forensic Science Division officer in blue work clothes looked up from beside the corpse. "The victim was killed by a single fatal stab from the fruit knife in his back. As for the time of death, the room temperature is too high for an accurate estimate."

Juzo Megure nodded, then fixed a suspicious gaze on Yoko Okino. "Miss Yoko, if I'm not mistaken, the knife on the murderer should also be yours..."

"Officer! Are you suspecting Yoko?!"

At that moment, the manager looked flustered as he questioned Juzo Megure in surprise.

"Based on the current evidence, Yoko Okino has a strong motive for murder..."

As he spoke, Juzo Megure frowned and asked the shifty-eyed manager with displeasure, "But who exactly are you? Why do you care so much whether we suspect Yoko Okino?"

"I... I'm Yoko's manager, Eiichi Yamagishi."

"So you're Yoko Okino's manager. No wonder..."

Juzo Megure murmured, then asked, "By the way, do either of you know the victim?"

The two of them carefully examined the victim, and both immediately showed extremely shocked expressions.

For some reason, however, that astonishment was concealed a moment later.

"I... I want to get a clearer look."

The manager noticed a strand of long hair in the victim's hand and moved toward the corpse as he spoke.

Suddenly, his foot slipped, and he nearly fell onto the body.

But just as he was about to fall, Fujino grabbed him from behind.

Pulling the manager upright, Fujino smiled. "Mr. Manager, slipping beside a corpse could interfere with the investigation!"

"Or did you approach the body because you had some other motive for deliberately obstructing the police investigation?"

As he spoke, Fujino's lips slowly curled upward. He narrowed his eyes in a faint smile, like a crafty fox.

"H-how could that be!"

The manager panicked and hurriedly explained, "My foot just slipped!"

"Did it really just slip?"

Fujino's narrowed eyes grew deeper, while the smile at the corners of his mouth became colder. "Why do I get the feeling that you know the victim..."