Waiting by the Stump for a Rabbit

"Yes, Fujino is right."

Yoshino Chie agreed with this statement, "If the formaldehyde levels were really too high, I wouldn't be experiencing dizziness from time to time, and my husband should also be showing some symptoms."

At this point, she chuckled softly, "I still feel the same way Fujino said, it's probably because of the stress I've been under lately. Now that I've already bought the herbs, I'll try brewing them tonight."

"But what if it was the construction team's negligence... that they accidentally... in the kitchen and in your bedroom, Ms. Chie..."

Ran didn't dare to bring the matter up directly.

I can only vaguely mention this matter.

After all, the young couple seemed very much in love, and it would be a terrible sin if her suspicions caused a rift in their relationship.

But we can't just leave this matter as it is...

"I think this is most likely not a renovation issue."

Fujino glanced at Ran and knew exactly what she wanted to say.

She just hadn't grasped the key point yet.

"It's not a renovation issue?"

Ran asked in confusion, and judging from Fujino's tone, "Then... Fujino- Senior, do you already know what the problem is?"

"I do have some ideas."

Fujino asked Yoshino Chie, "You mentioned before that your dizziness doesn't occur when the weather is cool or during school holidays, right?"

Yoshino Chie recalled for a moment, "Yes, that's how it is..."

"Car air conditioning."

Fujino crossed his arms and said in a deep voice, "If there are no problems on rest days or when I'm at home, I only feel dizzy when I go to Shizuoka, and I don't feel dizzy when it's cool. In other words, on days when I don't have symptoms, I don't need to turn on the air conditioner. Therefore, the problem may be with the car's air conditioner."

Conan was standing nearby, thought for a moment after hearing this and suddenly realized what was going on.

No wonder he felt something was off; it was the air conditioner!

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but nod, secretly wondering why he hadn't thought of this.

"Thinking about it carefully, it seems like every time I feel dizzy, I've had the air conditioning on."

Upon considering this guess, Yoshino Chie pondered for a moment, then became somewhat puzzled. "But why would it be a problem with the car's air conditioning...? That car has never had any problems before, could it be because it hasn't been cleaned?"

"Why don't you go and see for yourself?"

The group arrived at Yoshinoya's garage.

Yoshino Chie took out her car keys and unlocked the car.

Fujino then sat in the driver's seat and looked at the air conditioner in the center of the control panel.

He paused for a moment, then brought his nose close to the air conditioner vent.

He had just taken a sniff when he detected a strange smell.

Immediately afterwards, I felt dizzy.

Sensing something was wrong, he immediately covered his nose with his sleeve and then moved away.

Fujino got out of the car and said in a low voice, "Someone has drugged the air conditioner..."

"Drug..."

Although Conan and Ran had expected this, they were still taken aback when their suspicions were confirmed.

Sonoko and Chie, on the other hand, seemed somewhat at a loss.

"Who exactly is this person...?"

Sonoko was about to say something, but remembering what Fujino Ran, and Conan had said yesterday, she didn't continue.

At this moment, Chie took two steps back, a look of confusion flashing in her eyes, and stood there stunned.

"Miss Chie, judging from the current situation, it seems someone is trying to murder you..."

Fujino turned around and took out his phone. "In my opinion, this drug smells like pesticide... You don't mind if I call the police and have them come and test it, do you?"

"Ah...?"

At this moment, Chie finally came to her senses. "Then I'll tell my husband first..."

"It's better not to tell anyone."

"Until it is determined whether this is a harmful substance or who put it, anyone is a suspect."

Fujino knew that, under the current circumstances, the only person with a motive was Chie's husband, Yoshino Akio.

Even though he knew the truth, he didn't say it aloud.

He didn't want to be the villain who exposed the truth.

Let's leave this to the facts.

"All right..."

Chie nodded and didn't ask anything more.

But she didn't understand why Fujino wouldn't let him tell her husband.

After all, it's necessary to talk to your husband about such an important matter.

After thinking about it, I didn't say anything more.

She had seen this young man on TV and in newspapers before; he seemed to be a Great Detective.

In matters like this, from the perspective of a flower arrangement teacher, Fujino, the Great Detective, is clearly more professional.

It's best to leave professional tasks to professionals.

Fujino dialed Inspector Megure's number.

As someone who is practically part of the police force, his words still carry some weight.

Although it used to carry considerable weight, it was all about personal relationships back then, but now it's official business.

In response to Fujino's request, Inspector Megure immediately decided to send a forensic team over.

After all, murder cases like this, where drugging may have occurred, do fall within the scope of our duties to conduct forced searches.

Shortly after, Sato Miwako and the Forensic Science Division team arrived at the scene.

According to Fujino, they did not drive a police car.

Sato Miwako was dressed in a well-fitting suit that accentuated her figure, and she was accompanied by some forensic officers dressed as construction workers.

Without attracting the attention of those around them, they quickly determined what the substance inside Chie's air conditioner was. "Advisor Fujino, Officer Sato, the test results for the substance inside the air conditioner are in. It is diluted organic salt pesticide."

Sato Miwako nodded and asked again, "Are you sure it's an organochlorine pesticide?"

"That is certain."

The Forensic Science Division officer glanced at the report and continued, "Our initial assessment is that it was sprayed into the air conditioner using some kind of spray device, mixed with water. Although most of it has evaporated, judging from the residue on the surface, we are pretty sure we're right."

"Then this is a case of poisoning."

Sato Miwako was not surprised to hear this.

After all, Fujino had already confirmed the poisoning before he arrived...

Fujino's reasoning is usually correct.

"Poisoning?!"

Chie was surprised to hear this.

Clearly, she couldn't understand why someone would poison her.

After all, she hasn't been living here for very long...

Having been given a heads-up, Sato nodded and turned to Chie, asking, "You must be Yoshino Chie, who lives here and is currently working as a flower arrangement teacher in Shizuoka, right?"

"Um."

Chie nodded, then added, "Besides me, there's also my husband."

Sato Miwako routine questioning. "What is your husband's name, and what does he do for a living?"

"My husband's name is Mingfu, and he works at an insurance company..."

After giving a brief answer to the basic questions, Chie couldn't help but ask the Forensic Science Division officer, "But why were there no problems when I went to the hospital for a checkup?"

"This is perfectly normal."

The Forensic Science Division officer explained, "These pesticides are diluted and don't have a strong smell. Inhaling them can indeed cause the symptoms mentioned earlier, but the effects of those symptoms will lessen after leaving the vehicle. Unless a thorough examination of the respiratory tract and blood is conducted, no residue can be detected."

Upon hearing this, Fujino pondered for a moment.

This seems to align with his guess.

The unusual pulse sensation I had felt earlier was indeed confirmed.

Thinking of this, Fujino asked the Forensic Science Division, "What kind of harm can this kind of organochlorine pesticide cause to the human body?"

"If it were undiluted, it could be fatal to a normal person if inhaled for a long time in a confined space. However, what was detected in the air conditioner this time was diluted. The pesticides blown out by the air conditioner, while they could cause mild pesticide poisoning, would not be fatal."

An officer from the Forensic Science Division explained, "While it might not be enough to cause death from poisoning, prolonged inhalation could very likely cause dizziness, migraines, nausea, weakness, nerve damage, or even coma. This happened in a car; if someone were to lose consciousness while driving, it would be extremely dangerous."

Conan, who was listening nearby, interjected, "So, Ms. Chie mentioned having headaches and falling asleep while driving, almost causing an accident that led to her crashing into us. Was that because of these pesticides?"

The Forensic Science Division officer nodded in agreement. "Judging from the residue on the surface of the car's air conditioner, it must have been there for a long time, which is why Mrs. Yoshino experienced headaches even when she wasn't inhaling it."

"If that's the case, then Miss Chie is in danger..."

Ran frowned. "If she suddenly faints on the way to Shizuoka, there might be a car accident."

"It seems the person who administered the drug was well-prepared."

Squeezing her chin, Sato Miwako pondered, "If Chie suddenly fainted while driving and died in a car accident, it would only be considered a simple traffic accident afterward, and the air conditioner wouldn't be thoroughly inspected."

She paused, then guessed, "If that's the case, then the culprit must be nearby..."

"The perpetrator definitely intended to cause a car accident using this method; that's for sure. As for the identity of the culprit, we'll have to catch them red-handed to confirm it..."

Fujino interrupted Sato Miwako to continue, turning to Chie: "By the way, Ms. Chie, you're supposed to be giving a lecture at the school in Shizuoka tomorrow morning, right?"

"Um..."

Chie nodded in response, "If classes aren't canceled tomorrow, I will definitely go to class."

Sato Miwako was interrupted, was taken aback.

She figured the person who could have poisoned her must be nearby.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to poison someone so frequently without arousing suspicion.

Moreover, the car is usually locked...

The only possible perpetrator is the male head of the household.

Thinking about this, Sato felt that Fujino's intentions were definitely not simple, so he asked suspiciously, "Advisor Fujino, do you have a plan?"

"Yes, I do have a plan."

After a moment of hesitation, Fujino decided not to reveal the killer's identity himself.

After all, for a wife like Chie, it would be unacceptable if her husband were a criminal.

Anyone with a discerning eye could easily guess that the culprit was Akio.

But even if she had thought of it, she certainly wouldn't have thought that way.

Telling her now would only make things more complicated.

So, Fujino came up with a plan. "The Forensic Science Division officer said that this wasn't the first or second time that the poisoning had happened. In other words, the culprit has been poisoning Ms. Chie all along. Otherwise, she wouldn't have shown symptoms every time she went to class in Shizuoka. In that case, we can wait for her to come to us tomorrow morning."

"Waiting for a rabbit to run into a tree stump?"

With a soft murmur, Sato Miwako nodded, agreeing with Fujino's plan, "That way, we can catch them red-handed and also seize the tools used in the crime at the same time."

With the plans finalized, it was already late afternoon, nearing dusk.

Sato Miwako returned to the Metropolitan Police Department to prepare.

Fujino then drove Ran, Sonoko, and Conan home.

Before leaving, he specifically instructed Chie not to tell anyone about this, and not to make any deliberate moves.

Otherwise, the criminal would obviously have noticed the police operation.

Chie naturally promised not to tell anyone.

The dual titles of "Great Detective" and "police consultant" are enough to earn the trust of ordinary people.

On the way back, everyone was silent.

Fujino sat in the driver's seat and drove silently.

Sonoko was the first to break the silence in the car, saying with her head down, "Although I don't know what happened, it must have been her husband who poisoned Chie-nee..."

"Um."

Fujino responded, "Given the current situation, he's the most likely suspect."

"Well, now it seems that he is the only suspect, and the motive should be the 100 million yen he received a few days ago to help boost sales."

Conan, arms crossed, looked rather grumpy. "She went to work at a flower arranging school in Shizuoka, moved to a new house, and even took out a 100 million yen insurance policy. Her intentions are all too obvious."

Ran also lowered her head, looking somewhat disappointed. "If we hadn't found out, wouldn't Chie-nee have been..."

"Yes, sooner or later her body will give out and she'll have an accident on the highway. Even if she's lucky enough to survive, she'll inevitably suffer irreparable damage."

Fujino also sighed, "At that time, her husband can use that insurance to get a large sum of compensation. Even if he doesn't die, he can still get a considerable insurance payout and then walk away without a care in the world."

"Poor Chie-san."

Sonoko sighed, her voice tinged with indignation. "She was such a good person, and that bastard killed her for 100 million yen, it's outrageous!"

"Fujino- Senior."

Ran looked at Fujino: "You didn't tell her who the murderer was just now because you were afraid she couldn't handle it, right?"

"Perhaps."

After muttering to himself, Fujino continued, "We can't just guess since we haven't confirmed who the culprit is yet. Anyway, we'll be able to confirm who the culprit is by tomorrow morning."

The group then engaged in an indignant conversation, but Fujino remained silent.

He simply gazed calmly at the streets bathed in the red glow of the setting sun.

I don't even know what I'm thinking.