I Don't Know What a Dog Is, You're the Real Dog!

"Ah!"

As soon as Fujino arrived on the second floor, he heard a scream.

He looked in the direction of the scream and saw that it came from Tanigawa Noe was still wearing a bathrobe.

The crowd gathered around the doorway in front of her, all showing expressions of horror.

Fujino stepped forward and saw that in the simple room, Sunaoka was lying on the floor in front of the balcony window, with his whole body in a relaxed shape.

There was a clearly visible bullet hole in his head, from which some blood was still flowing.

"Ran! Call the police immediately!"

Uncle Mori was the first to react and instinctively called out to Ran person who was calling the police.

"Yes!"

Ran frantically pulled her phone out of her pocket and dialed the police.

"Ran has a cell phone now..."

Fujino glanced silently at the phone in Ran's hand, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The times have inexplicably progressed.

A dozen minutes later.

Police arrived at the scene.

"Mr. Mori, it's been a long time!"

The man leading the group was a square-chinned man with a coral-shaped haircut, wearing a brown suit, thick eyebrows, and large eyes.

He was followed by a large group of police officers.

Fujino did have some recollection of this person; he should be Yokomizo Sango, a detective from Shizuoka Prefecture.

"Oh! Inspector Yokomizo!"

Mori Kogoro responded, then pointed to the room next door, "This is the crime scene..."

Yokomizo Sango glanced at the crime scene, then called out to the group sitting in the second-floor lounge, "Please wait in the downstairs living room. We have some questions for you to ask later."

Fujino took out gloves and shoe covers from his pocket and handed a set to Mori Kogoro: "Mouri-niisan, here are your gloves."

"Fujino, you're really a professional..."

Uncle Mori took the shoe covers and gloves, and was somewhat moved.

"It's always better to be prepared."

Fujino offered an explanation.

Conan, standing to the side, squinted at his bare little hands.

Last time too, why does Fujino always wear so many white gloves with him...?

He subconsciously wanted to ask Fujino for a pair as well.

But thinking about it, I realized Fujino definitely wouldn't give it to me, so I gave up.

"Mr. Mori, who is this...?"

Yokomizo Sango also noticed Fujino distributing Fujino at this moment, and asked Mori Kogoro in a puzzled tone.

"This is my friend Fujino."

Mori Kogoro patted Fujino on the shoulder. "He lives right across from me, and he's a detective too!"

"Detective Fujino... I remember now!"

Yokomizo Sango thought for a moment, then seemed to suddenly remember something and exclaimed excitedly, "Isn't that the detective who solved the plane murder case in Okinawa a while ago and landed the plane at the airport?!"

"This matter has already spread among us... I originally thought that the rumor that you, Mr. Mori, and Fujino are close friends was false, but I didn't expect it to be true."

"Of course!"

Mori Kogoro raised his head and said smugly, "My relationship with Fujino is not just ordinary; we usually call each other brothers."

"Ahem."

Fujino coughed lightly, interrupting Yokomizo Kengo, who was getting closer and whose Yokomizo Sango almost flew onto his face, "Detective, let's hurry up and take a look at the crime scene."

"Ah, yes, yes, yes!"

Yokomizo Sango realized what was happening and entered the crime scene with the two of them, awkwardly introducing himself. "I'm Inspector Yokomizo Sango from Shizuoka Prefecture. As expected, Mr. Mori's entourage is no ordinary person..."

"So it was Inspector Yokomizo."

Fujino gave a perfunctory reply, but in his heart he was thinking about the message that had spread throughout the police system.

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense, since the plane landed after the case was solved.

Although it wasn't a plane that had crashed that landed, it was still a remarkable feat.

Furthermore, due to a certain Japan Airlines's attempt to divert attention from the negative news caused by the death of its captain, they have been focusing on Fujino's act of saving the plane... His reputation has now expanded beyond its immediate circle.

Interviews were almost constant.

Fortunately, thanks to a phone call from Ooka Momiji, not many reporters were willing to come and block the door to arrest people.

Arriving at the crime scene.

Fujino activated Eagle Vision.

"This time, the evidence Hawkeye provided includes broken glass, the bullet in the victim's head, the mattress over there, glass shards on the ground, and root-like objects scattered near the scratches?"

Fujino stared at the evidence in Hawkeye's eyes, thinking to himself.

"The cause of death was a gunshot wound to the head."

The Forensic Science Division, dressed in white coats, quickly completed their investigation and reported, "Judging from the lack of burn marks near the wound and the presence of bullet fragments from when it left the barrel, the deceased was likely sniped from a considerable distance."

Mori Kogoro and Yokomizo Sango both nodded and then went to the window.

Staring at the bullet hole in the glass, Mori Kogoro said, "Judging from the height, Mr. Sunaoka's height matches the height of this bullet hole."

"So, Mr. Sunaoka was sniped from across the street by the murderer while he was standing behind the French windows on the balcony?"

Yokomizo Sango pushed open the balcony door, stepped outside, and gazed at the canyon across the canyon. "Judging from this, the sniping spot is the forest on the other side of the canyon."

"We all heard a gunshot when the incident occurred."

Mori Kogoro followed them out and chimed in, "The direction the sound came from is across the canyon."

Fujino slowly walked to the body, squatted down, and focused his gaze on Hawkeye's markings.

This time, Eagle Eye Vision didn't provide any footprints to reverse-engineer the case, but that was enough.

The bullet lodged in the deceased's brain cannot be removed for the time being.

Even if he could dig, he wouldn't; it's too disgusting.

As for mattresses, there's no reason to investigate them at the moment.

The only thing we can analyze now is what was under the deceased's feet.

The clues marked by Eagle Eye included shards of glass shattered by a bullet, scratches nearby, and some strange, tiny root-like objects.

Normally, you wouldn't see anything wrong with it.

However, Fujino felt that the bullets shattered the window too densely, and there were no broken pieces of glass around them.

In other words, it wasn't penetrated by a bullet, or rather, it was penetrated and then someone tampered with it.

Moreover, there were unusually large, fine scratches on the wooden floor, which shouldn't exist, since the deceased was shot in the head and fell backward.

Of course, it's possible that these scratches were already there.

But since Hawkeye marked it, it must be an important clue.

As for those twisted roots, Fujino didn't know what they were either.

"Fujino, did you figure something out?"

Conan then came over, his gaze also fixed on the shards of glass, and asked Fujino.

Fujino looked up and glanced at Conan, who seemed lost in thought, "What do you think is scattered among those glass shards?"

"Those few thin things?"

Conan thought for a moment, "I think it looks like some kind of plant fiber, definitely not body hair or anything else."

"You don't know either?"

Fujino shook his head regretfully, then called out to Mori Kogoro, "Uncle Mori, Conan has sneaked in again!"

"Conan?"

Upon hearing this, Mori Kogoro turned around and, upon seeing Conan, roared angrily, "You brat!"

"Ah!"

Conan gave Fujino a resentful look.

You can't see any clues, so you're backstabbing me?

I don't know what a dog is, but Fujino, you're a real dog!

Then, he hurriedly ran away.

"That brat!"

Uncle Mori said resentfully, then turned to Fujino and asked, "Fujino, have you found any clues?"

"The clues we have so far offer very few insights..."

Fujino stood up. "However, I feel that the bullet in the victim's head is a key clue. Could you please arrange for someone to examine the bullet as soon as possible, Inspector Yokomizo?"

"Bullets?"

Yokomizo Sango twitched his chin, then gestured to the Forensic Science Division officers around him to quickly remove the bullet...

Cut it out?

Ah, this...

Support Ke Xue.

The bullet in Sunaoka's head was successfully removed and placed in an evidence bag.

Yokomizo Sango handed the evidence bag to Fujino: "This is the bullet that was lodged in the victim's head."

"Yes, thank you for your help."

Fujino took the evidence bag from Yokomizo Sango and glanced at it.

The exact size of the bullet in the evidence bag could not be determined. The yellow bullet's tip was deliberately sharpened, and a hole was drilled into the inside of the tail, with threads inside.

This level of modification...

If the modifications were made before launch, then the perpetrator was incredibly audacious.

However, this did provide Fujino with a clue: the bullet dispersion was illogical, and there was a marked scratch on the ground, indicating that the bullet had been modified, perhaps to be adapted to some kind of weapon...

"So that's how it is..."

Fujino narrowed his eyes and glanced at the mattress next to him, vaguely recalling the method of the crime.

Next, we should go check out the guns over there.

After a 30-minute journey, the group arrived at the crime scene on the other side of the canyon.

The grass rustled.

This made everyone tense.

Mori Kogoro nervously parted the bushes.

Then, a wild Ran appeared in the grass.

"Orchid?!"

Uncle Mori stammered, "What are you doing in a place like this?!"

"Because people saw Conan suddenly run out all by himself..."

Ran explained sheepishly, "I was really worried, so I came along."

"So why were you hiding behind the bushes?!"

Uncle Mori was speechless for a moment.

It was that brat Conan again! Ran too, hiding in a place like this gave him a huge fright!

"Because of Conan, he..."

Ran wanted to say something, but looking around, she couldn't see Conan anywhere. She shouted to those around her, "Conan, where did you go?!"

"Over there."

Fujino shone his flashlight down the hillside, and Conan's figure came into view.

"Hey-hey!"

Conan chuckled awkwardly and pointed to the hunting rifle in front of him, "That gun is right here!"

"Conan..."

Uncle Mori angrily climbed down the hillside, picked up Conan like a dog, and threw Ran: "Ran, keep an eye on this brat!"

Meanwhile, Fujino arrived at the hillside with Yokomizo Sango and the police from the Forensic Science Division.

"It seems this gun is the murder weapon."

Yokomizo Sango glanced at the hunting rifle, then at the hotel across the street, before calling out to the police officer beside him, "Quickly send this gun for appraisal."

"Yes!"

The officer responded, then picked up his pistol and asked in surprise, "The bottom of this gun is dry?"

"Dried?"

Yokomizo Sango in surprise, then asked Fujino, "Around when did that heavy rain stop?"

"It started raining when we arrived, around 3 or 4 pm, and ended around 6 pm, lasting about one to two hours,"

"That's strange..."

Yokomizo asked doubtfully, "If that's the case, then the bottom of this shotgun should be wet."

"That's true, but what if the gun was left here before it rained?"

"You put it here before it rained?" Yokomizo Sango in surprise.

Fujino narrowed his eyes, inwardly complaining that it had been raining for an hour or two and yet the ground was still dry. Then, he gathered his thoughts and said in a deep voice, "I have a pretty good idea of the murderer's method."

"Ah?"

Yokomizo Sango to the side, exclaimed in surprise.

Mori Kogoro, who had just returned from reprimanding Conan, was also surprised. "You already know the method of the crime?"

Conan was sitting on Ran's arm, also turned his gaze to Fujino upon hearing this, and a question arose in his mind.

"The area under the gun is dry, which means the gun has been here for a long time. This is just a smokescreen by the murderer."

As he spoke, Fujino stood up and looked at the gun in the Forensic Science Division officer's hand. "If he wanted to destroy evidence, he could have just thrown the gun into the river. There was no need to leave it behind. Leaving it behind unreasonably is just to create an alibi."

"Alibi?"

Yokomizo Sango rubbed his chin. "If that's the case, then the murderer is someone from the inn..."

He paused, then asked in confusion, "But if this gun wasn't the murder weapon, how exactly did the killer murder Mr. Sunaoka?"

"Yes."

Mori Kogoro walked over and chimed in, "Besides, we all heard the gunshot."

"I only heard gunshots. To me, the sound was more like firecrackers or something else, because the canyon was too open to determine the direction."

Fujino explained, "Actually, what confirmed my suspicions wasn't the gun itself, but the bullet. The previous bullets had been modified, with threads at the base. If fired, it would definitely affect the accuracy, or even prevent the bullet from firing at all."

"If that's the case, then indeed, that level of modification would make normal launch impossible."

Yokomizo Sango nodded, then asked with a puzzled look, "Then, how exactly did that bullet penetrate Mr. Sunaoka's head and cause his death?"

"To kill silently and ensure a single, decisive blow, I think the real weapon must be a powerful bow and arrow; the threads under the bullet are the best proof of that."

"After this reasoning, we should head back to the hotel. There are some things I still want to prove."

The group returned to the hotel.

Fujino arrived at the crime scene and lifted the mattress.

What was revealed to everyone was a bullet hole under the mattress.

Furthermore, some coconut fiber was visible through the bullet hole.

"So that's how it is!"

Conan suddenly understood, his mind seemingly exploding.

"Fujino- kun, there really is a hole under the mattress!"

Yokomizo Sango glanced at the hole. "But how did you know that?"

Conan also glanced curiously at Fujino.

"It's just simple reasoning and intuition to make up for it, something like reverse thinking, but only if you get other evidence."

Fujino pointed to the glass next to him and continued, "I found some plant fibers in those glass shards... The only thing in this room that could stop a bullet at that height and leave plant fibers is the mattress."

"That's amazing..."

Yokomizo Sango was somewhat incomprehensible yet impressive, but he couldn't help but sigh in admiration.

"..."

Conan, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes slightly, feeling that Fujino's strange reasoning methods were becoming more and more numerous.

"Let's go and ask those people for their alibis now."

Fujino suggested, "That way, we can determine who the murderer is."

Hotel living room.

The group of people who had traveled with Sunaoka, along with the only hotel staff member, an old man, were called over and sat on the sofa.

According to the investigation by Yokomizo, this can be known.

The only people staying at this hotel today are Fujino and Sunaoka.

Producer Nagatsuka Katsuaki discussed the script with screenwriter Tahara in the morning, went hunting with Sunaoka at noon, and returned together in the afternoon. After the rain stopped, they went to the restaurant with everyone.

After discussing the script, screenwriter Tahara Toshiaki stayed alone in his room until the rain stopped in the evening before getting up to eat.

Tanigawa Noe spent the morning with Sunaoka, and they had an argument about the script. In the afternoon, she went to the archery range, and one arrow almost gave Fujino a wild idea. After that, her schedule was similar to everyone else's.

The old man who found Fujino and the others was Akashi Yusaku. He was the only one on duty today and didn't remember anything else.

Fujino listened silently to their explanations without saying a word. Only after everyone had finished did he stand up and say in a deep voice, "Yes, your itinerary is now confirmed. I know who the murderer is."

"Detective Fujino, do you already know who the murderer is?!"

Tanigawa Noe, who had already changed her clothes, anxiously asked Fujino.

"Yes, I've been able to identify the murderer."

Fujino nodded, glanced at the four people present, and said in a deep voice, "The murderer in this case is among the four of you."

"Well?!"

The group gasped in surprise, and producer Nagatsuka Katsuaki couldn't help but say, "The police officer just said that Sunaoka was shot by a sniper rifle, right?"

"Yes."

Tanigawa Noe chimed in, "How could it be possible to teleport there, snipe him on the other side, and then teleport back?"

"Actually, Mr. Sunaoka wasn't sniped from the other side. That was just an alibi created by one of you. The method was very simple..."

Fujino glanced at the group and deduced, "The murderer first stole the spare key to the lobby, broke into his room, and placed the mattress in front of the window. Then he went to the other side of the canyon, shot the window with a shotgun, jammed the bullet inside the mattress, removed the bullet, put the room back in its original position, collected the broken glass, drew the curtains, and modified the bullet, mounting it on the arrowhead..."

"Bow and arrow?!"

Producer Nagatsuka Katsuaki exclaimed in surprise, looking at Tanigawa Noe with suspicion. The others followed suit, adding, "Of all of us, only Tanikawa knows how to use a bow... Doesn't that mean..."

"The murderer is not Ms. Tanikawa."

Fujino took a deep breath, somewhat annoyed that his reasoning had been interrupted. He activated his Detective Time and continued, "After modifying the arrow, the murderer came to the restaurant with us. He knew that Sunaoka couldn't hold his liquor. After Sunaoka got drunk, he made an excuse to leave, went back to his room to retrieve the murder weapon, entered Mr. Sunaoka's room, shot him, placed the body in a suitable position, put the collected glass shards back in place, then spun the arrow out of the room and left the crime scene."

Fujino paused for a moment, then continued, "Afterward, the murderer hid the murder weapon in a place where no one would suspect him, then returned to the dinner scene as if nothing had happened, made an excuse to leave, casually dialed my number, and replayed the pre-recorded lines from the TV drama that Mr. Steel Shot was going to air that night. After that, he threw firecrackers or something else off the cliff."

At this point, Fujino asked everyone, "The script for tonight's TV drama you've written should include lines like, 'How about it? Come to my room and let's talk about detective stuff... Wait, what's that...?'"

"Yes, there are..."

Noe Kawana nodded. "That line was indeed mentioned in tonight's episode... about the murderer..."

Fujino silently took out his phone and dialed back the call that had come from his call log.

"Ring ring..."

The pleasant sound echoed in the living room.

The source of the sound was Tahara Toshiaki.

Tahara Toshiaki: "..."

To be honest, Fujino was speechless at this guy's methods.

She actually called him on her own initiative... Is she crazy?

"Tahara?!"

Everyone looked at Tahara Toshiaki in surprise.

"Neither Ms. Tanikawa nor Mr. Nagatsuka had sufficient preparation time. Mr. Tahara, do you have anything else to explain?"

Fujino looked at Tahara Toshiaki and said in a deep voice, "There should still be shards of glass from the crime scene under your feet."

"As expected of Great Detective... I thought my methods were flawless... I never expected to lose because of this..."

Tahara Toshiaki was somewhat unwilling, lowered his head, and his face gradually darkened. "I lost."