Juzo Megure: Hmm, It Was Suicide. Case Closed!

"Is there something you need?"

Ran didn't respond, but Fujino noticed Conan.

"Hahaha..."

Conan smiled, but felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. "I'm just worried about my homework."

Upon hearing this, Fujino suggested, "Then I'll take you back later."

"Need not!"

Conan refused repeatedly, feigning childish confusion, and continued in a childish voice, "Actually, I suddenly remembered that tomorrow is Sunday, so I don't need to finish my homework so early..."

Conan thought for a moment.

If Uncle Mori stays here overnight, Ran will most likely stay here too...

He looked up at the pretty boy, then at Fujino.

In this situation, it would be better if he weren't here.

If even Fujino isn't here, what would happen?

Although Fujino is indeed a bit of a dog.

But his character is actually pretty good.

As for that smiling pretty boy...

Hmm, he was a little unsure.

"Forehead..."

Fujino still felt a little uncomfortable looking at Conan's over-the-top acting skills.

He paused, then took out his phone and glanced at it.

The time is Saturday.

That's it, I'm even less used to it now.

Time in the Conan World has somehow become normal, as if it had been cut short!

The New Exit Family's dinner today is a regular Japanese-style dinner.

The cook was Honoka Motobuchi, the maid who had accidentally broken the flowerpot earlier.

The one who assisted was the short-haired woman Yoko Araide we had seen earlier.

"Dr. Yihui is really slow..."

Mori Kogoro was already hungry. He glanced at his watch and said with a hint of resentment, "The consultation time has already passed, why hasn't he come to eat yet?"

The food on the table was ready, but the bowls and chopsticks were still upside down.

Japan's dining culture is a bit strange; meals can't be served until the head of the household, Yoshiteru Araide, returns.

"That's just how that man is."

An elderly woman with white hair walked into the kitchen, her voice full of resentment. "She always likes to take a bath before everyone else before eating, making a basin of clean bathwater dirty."

"Grandma... why are you saying things like that again?"

Tomoaki Araide turned to look at the old woman, appearing somewhat helpless.

"He's the first one to take a shower?"

Mori Kogoro remarked, "Truly worthy of being the head of the family..."

"What kind of head of the family is he?"

The old woman interrupted Mori Kogoro, saying with some disgust, "If Chiaki hadn't insisted on marrying him, he wouldn't have had the chance to come to our house... After Chiaki died, the New Exit Family was handed over to him... He really gave him face, a son-in-law who came to live with his wife's family actually dared to remarry."

"Grandmother!"

Tomoaki Araide said resentfully, "Don't say that."

"You should protect him."

The old woman sighed softly, looking somewhat lost. She then turned to leave, muttering, "In the end, the only one in this family who is related to me by blood is you, my eldest grandson. Now that you're leaving too, how will I, a lonely old woman, live on..."

The old woman's name was Mitsuru Araide, and she was Tomoaki Araide's maternal grandmother.

However, since Yoshiteru Araide married into the family, he calls her "Grandma."

The older generation still values blood ties quite a bit, regardless of the country.

Yoshiteru Araide married into the family, so in terms of status, he was essentially an outsider. As for Yoko Araide, she remarried after the death of his Chiaki Araide, so she was also an outsider.

Only Tomoaki Araide is the sole heir of the New Exit Family.

In a sense, the current situation is equivalent to outsiders seizing the family property, so it's no wonder that the old man looks down on Yoshiteru Araide.

Therefore, Fujino dislikes the idea of marrying into another family the most.

As for the Mitsuru Araide of Chikage mentioned.

In his mind, Chiaki should be Yoshiteru Araide's ex-wife Chiaki Araide.

Yoko Araide married Yoshiteru Araide after Chiaki Araide's death.

Furthermore, Chiaki Araide and Yoko Araide used to be very good friends...

The entertainment industry is truly chaotic.

"Don't take it to heart. The reason my grandma is so angry is because my father converted the bathroom into a Western style a few days ago."

Tomoaki Araide closed the kitchen sliding door and gave everyone an awkward smile, "When the renovation was first started, my grandma was still angry and said, 'They've even renovated the bathroom, so are they going to turn this place into a church tomorrow...' and things like that."

Just as Tomoaki Araide Abe sat down, the maid, Honoka Motobuchi, brought hot tea to everyone.

The kitchen light suddenly went out with a "click".

"Is there a power outage?"

Ran looked up at the light that had just been turned off.

"It seems like only this place is without power..."

Conan jumped off the chair, climbed to the window, and looked towards the next house. "After all, the lights are still on in the next house."

"There might be some kind of circuit malfunction."

Fujino glanced out the window, narrowed his eyes, and activated his Eagle Eye Vision.

"I remember the flashlight should be in that cabinet over there..."

Using the faint light streaming in from the window, Tomoaki Araide groped his way to find a flashlight.

"Kata!"

Just then, a shattering sound came.

Fujino turned his head and saw that Honoka Motobuchi had accidentally broken a hot tea cup.

In her panic, she momentarily lost her composure and recalled what Yoshiteru Araide had said, "If you break anything again next time, don't work here anymore!" She panicked and hurriedly hid the cup in her clothes. The scalding hot cup had just touched her when she was burned and her brows furrowed, but she held back and didn't make a sound.

The Honoka Motobuchi stayed here was actually because of Tomoaki Araide.

Otherwise, why would any cattle or horses be constantly being lectured by old geezers like Yoshiteru Araide, staying here earning meager wages as servants?

"Found it..."

At that moment, Tomoaki Araide found a flashlight, turned it on, and provided a faint light to the room.

Upon seeing this, Honoka Motobuchi Homoto quickly stood up, holding a cup in his arms, and went to Tomoaki Araide's side. He hurriedly suggested that he take a flashlight and check the main power switch, and then left the kitchen.

Fujino: "..."

Is this what they call being love-struck?

He was willing to injure himself just to stay here...

Heavy rain began to fall from the sky, and the faint moonlight that had been shining through the window was obscured by dark clouds.

The kitchen was plunged into darkness.

Fujino, using his Eagle Eye Vision, discovered that Yoko Araide, who had been standing at the kitchen doorway, had vanished...

He must have gone to carry out his Murder Plan.

In his memory, Yangzi and Qianjing were best friends. Before Qianjing had her car accident, she had called Yangzi.

—Have her help take care of her son, Tomoaki Araide, so he doesn't become a pervert like his father.

As for the nature of the phone call, Fujino dared not speculate.

All we can say is that on the very night after that phone call ended, Chiaki Araide died in a car accident while intoxicated.

The reason is simple: Chiaki Araide saw through Yoshiteru Araide's true nature as a perverted maniac who could identify the sun by a woman.

This can be seen as revenge for her best friend, plus the fact that she cheated on her with that perverted old bastard Deng.

Therefore, Fujino did not intend to stop this Murder Plan.

Just as Fujino was pondering, Ran, taking advantage of the darkness, began to approach Tomoaki Araide step by step.

She swallowed hard and headed toward the sweater that Tomoaki Araide was wearing.

Fujino looked up and noticed this.

He did know Ran's purpose.

But what Ran is doing is really too outrageous...

Goto Fujino silently took out the Shining Staff from his pocket.

"Snap!"

With a crisp sound, the Shining Staff emitted a warm light, illuminating the dark kitchen.

Ran paused upon seeing this, abandoning her idea of using the excuse of mistaking someone for someone else to go over and touch the sweater.

A moment later, the kitchen light flickered and then came back on.

Fujino silently put away the Shining Staff.

Yoko Araide was outside the door, returned to her original position and continued making the phone call.

Mitsuru Araide came downstairs because of what had just happened.

Honoka Motobuchi returned to the kitchen doorway at that moment.

Because Yoshiteru Araide suffers from heart disease, Tomoaki Araide, who was somewhat worried, asked Honoka Motobuchi to check on the situation. Fearing that Honoka Motobuchi might be suspected of murder, Yoko Araide went along with him.

"Ah!"

Accompanied by a scream, as expected.

In the bathroom.

Yoshiteru Araide was naked, leaning against the steaming bathtub, his right hand resting outside the tub, half of his head and nostrils submerged in the water.

An electrical cord extends from a nearby power strip, ending at a razor submerged in water, with a connector in the middle.

Above his head was a mirror that was not fogged up.

"Daddy! Daddy!"

Tomoaki Araide was so excited that he was about to rush forward.

Do you want to die?

Fujino grabbed him.

"Ah?"

Tomoaki Araide turned his head and looked at Fujino with surprise.

"Mr. Yihui may have died from electrocution."

Fujino pointed to the razor in the bathtub and the razor extension cord hanging in the water, then walked to the side and saw that the razor's power cord was unplugged. "In this situation, you would also get shocked."

"Oh oh!"

Tomoaki Araide nodded quickly and then pulled Yoshiteru Araide out of the bathtub.

"I'll try CPR first, Mom, go get the heart stimulant!"

While performing first aid, Tomoaki Araide called out to Yoko Araide.

Fujino glanced at Yoshiteru Araide with his eagle eyes.

There were no vital signs.

They're completely dead.

Even if adrenaline were to come today, it wouldn't save him.

The rain was falling steadily.

Yoshiteru Araide was transferred to a nearby large hospital, but ultimately could not be saved.

Juzo Megure and Takagi arrived at the crime scene.

"Fujino- kun, Mori-kun, what exactly happened when the body was discovered?"

Juzo Megure leaned against the bathtub, looking at Fujino and Mori Kogoro with a somewhat helpless expression.

He had already finished get off work, gone home, and eaten dinner, and was planning to leisurely watch TV before going to bed.

Who knew that a single phone call would force me to work overtime again.

How come these two always seem to run into murder cases...?

"Mr. Shinichi was lying here at the time, with his head hanging in the water."

Uncle Mori pointed to the wall with the mirror hanging on it and said.

Why would he use a razor in the bathtub?

Juzo Megure seemed somewhat speechless.

In Japan, almost every family shares a single water tank.

Shaving in the bathtub is indeed a rather outrageous thing.

And he even accidentally electrocuted himself.

There are so many more ways to die these days...

"It's his habit; he always does this when there are guests at home."

Standing at the door, Yoko Araide said, "That's why even the mirror in the bathroom was replaced with one that doesn't fog up during the renovation a few days ago."

"But this is strange..."

Juzo Megure was speechless again. "Who would make their guests wait while they go to take a bath?"

"Perhaps it's to establish the authority of the head of the household..."

Fujino leaned close to Juzo Megure's ear and whispered, "After all, he married into the family. His first wife seems to have died, and his current wife is actually his second wife..."

"Oh!"

Upon Juzo Megure nodded, giving him an "I understand" look.

Tomoaki Araide, standing to the side, frowned slightly, watching the two whispering conversation with a puzzled expression.

"If you ask me, the reason he died was because he brought it on himself!"

At that moment, Mitsuru Araide walked into the bathroom and whispered, "I think it must be Chiaki punishing him from beyond the grave!"

"Chiaki?"

Juzo Megure thought about what Fujino had said before and asked, "Who is that?"

"She is my birth mother."

Tomoaki Araide explained, "He passed away just four years ago."

Yoko Araide chimed in, "Chiaki used to tell him all the time that 'shaving in the bathtub with an electric razor is too dangerous,' but he never listened."

Upon hearing this, Mori Kogoro snapped out of his daze and asked Yoko Araide with a puzzled look, "Then, Yoko-san, you..."

"I am his second wife, whom he married two years ago..."

Yoko Araide lowered her head and thought for a moment, "Chiaki and I graduated from the same nursing school in the same class, so I often hear her complaining about Yoshiteru."

"Inspector, please look at this!"

Just then, Takagi's voice came from behind.

The group turned around and saw Takagi standing in the bathtub, holding a razor. "He was shaving in front of the mirror above the bathtub, and the part of the razor that met the extension line was right at the edge of the bathtub."

"That's really dangerous..."

Juzo Megure glanced at the connector between the razor and the extension cord. "If it's not done properly, you could definitely get an electric shock."

He twitched his chin, then turned to the crowd behind him and asked, "Where were you all when the power went out?"

"Everyone is in the kitchen."

Yoko Araide replied, "The only one not in the kitchen was my mother-in-law, but she was on her way back to her room when I saw her climb the stairs in the opposite direction from the bathroom, in the hallway."

"I see."

After thinking for Juzo Megure deduced, "In that case, Mr. Araide must have accidentally pulled the extension cord into the water while shaving, which led to his electrocution."

As he spoke, he turned to look at Mori Kogoro and Fujino: "Isn't that right! Brother Fujino, Brother Mouri?"

"I don't think that's wrong..."

Mori Kogoro thought for a moment and then echoed his agreement.

Juzo Megure nodded in satisfaction upon hearing this.

Yes, it was suicide. Case closed!

Sorry, I was in a bit of a rush today, there are quite a few typos, I'll correct them.