The Haunted House Murder Case

Fujino forcefully pushed open the stone slab, revealing a winding staircase that met his eyes.

He walked down the stairs, which led to a dim tunnel at the end.

The tunnel was riddled with puddles, and the dew dripping from the stone walls fell into them, creating a rhythmic dripping sound.

Fujino looked around and discovered a half-open iron door.

Through the iron door, a faint light was still visible.

Suddenly, a wail echoed from within.

Fujino's heart tightened.

Peeking through the gap in the door, he saw a room that resembled a prison cell.

A man with long beard and hair was confined within a cage.

He was currently tearing at a tattered bedsheet and, towards the gray-haired woman outside the cage wearing a long, black linen dress, he cried out in anguish, "Mom! Let me turn myself in!"

"No! Akio!"

Tears welled up in Mrs. Yamada's eyes. "As soon as the statute of limitations passes, we can welcome a new, beautiful life!"

"I've had enough of living like this, dreaming of Father's face every night!"

Saying this, Akio desperately slammed his head against the iron bars, shouting as he did, "Just let me die!"

"Akio!"

Outside the iron cage, Mrs. Yamada, at a loss, covered his head with her hands. Her already rough hands were left with a series of wounds from the repeated impacts.

A moment later, Akio Yamada finally quieted down.

At this point, Mrs. Yamada crouched down, gently stroking his long hair to comfort him. "What's done is done. No matter how painful it is, the dead cannot be brought back to life. Just wait a little longer. Once the statute of limitations passes, everything will be alright!"

Could it be that these two were the culprits of the Haunted House Murder Case?

In the corridor, Fujino looked at the scene inside the room, his mind now clear.

Fujino had some understanding of the statute of limitations.

In any country, there was a statute of limitations for pursuing criminal cases.

Beyond this period, prosecution would cease.

In other words, if someone committed a crime, was not discovered, and the statute of limitations passed, the perpetrator would no longer bear responsibility, and the judicial authorities would have no right to prosecute.

But for someone like Akio Yamada, who still possessed a conscience, what did it matter if the statute of limitations passed?

The irreversible trauma would forever linger in his heart, and he would relive the face of the murdered person in his dreams every day.

"The dead will not be resurrected, but the guilt will forever permeate the killer's heart."

Putting away his thoughts, Fujino leaned against the wall and sighed.

"Who's there?!"

Hearing the sound, Mrs. Yamada immediately wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, grabbed a fruit knife from the ground, and turned around.

[Notification: Detective time has begun. Countdown: 0-0-59]

Hearing the system prompt, Fujino silently gripped the card in his hand and took a deep breath.

Did he need to hurry?

Then, he took a deep breath and pushed the door open. "My name is Fujino, and I'm a detective!"

"A detective?!"

Mrs. Yamada sized up the young man before her, feeling a surge of panic. "Why is a detective like you here?!"

"Of course, I'm here to investigate the murder case from five years ago."

Upon hearing this, Fujino looked at Mrs. Yamada and slowly stated, "Five years ago, a home invasion murder case occurred here. The victim's wife and child have since moved away, and the perpetrator has yet to be apprehended... Curiously, however, since the mother and son moved out five years ago, strange ghost stories have circulated in this house."

He paused, then chuckled. "But it seems the truth behind the ghost stories has now become clear."

"If I'm not mistaken, you two should be the Yamada mother and son from the case five years ago?"

"The case from five years ago was not a home invasion, but a premeditated murder disguised as a robbery! The killer is one of you two!"

"Shut up!"

Mrs. Yamada turned to look at Akio Yamada, then pointed the fruit knife at Fujino, gritting her teeth. "The killer is me! He's just being held captive by me!"

"Is that so?"

Fujino stroked his chin. "A wife murdering her husband and imprisoning the son who witnessed it all – that is indeed a plausible explanation."

A moment later, he looked up again, his sharp eyes fixed on Mrs. Yamada. "However, there's another explanation: that you, Mrs. Yamada, are trying to take all the blame, deliberately excluding your son who is the actual murderer!"

"Five years ago, Akio Yamada murdered his own father. When he was at a loss, you helped him stage the murder scene and escape prosecution!"

"Logically, with this setup, no one would suspect the truth of the matter... But you didn't expect that he, unable to bear the guilt, would want to turn himself in!"

"And to prevent him from ruining his future, you imprisoned him in the iron cage in the basement, planning to live in seclusion until the statute of limitations passed before bringing him back into the sunlight!"

"I heard your conversation just now. The real culprit in the case from five years ago is actually your son!"

"Shut up!"

Mrs. Yamada's expression contorted. Seeing that the situation could no longer be concealed, she tightened her grip on the fruit knife, her scarred hand trembling uncontrollably.

When she realized her secret was out, she had intended to take all the blame herself.

But this detective had shattered her last shred of hope.

A fierce glint flashed in her eyes as she raised the fruit knife and lunged towards Fujino's chest. "Die!"

"Mom, no!"

Akio Yamada gripped the iron bars, shouting at Mrs. Yamada.

But Mrs. Yamada, having lost all reason, couldn't possibly heed his words.

Her only thought now was to kill the detective before her to silence him.

"Still refusing to see reason?!"

Fujino crushed the Ability Amplification Card in his hand.

[Perception amplification activated for host, Strength amplification 100%; Countdown 0-0-59]

Suddenly, the world around him seemed to slow down.

With the dual amplification of strength and perception, Mrs. Yamada's movements were crystal clear in Fujino's eyes. He could even discern every nick on the blade of the knife she held.

"Come to your senses!"

Fujino kicked the hand holding the knife.

The silver blade flew high into the air, landing on the ground a moment later with a long, crisp clang.

"Give it up."

Fujino retracted his leg, staring at Mrs. Yamada expressionlessly.

"I won't let you send Akio to prison!"

Mrs. Yamada struggled to her feet, hysterically dragging her dislocated wrist as she lunged at Fujino again.

"Honestly, I really didn't want to use my full strength…"

Fujino frowned slightly, watching Mrs. Yamada approach, looking somewhat troubled.

He had already shown her considerable restraint by not kicking her into a hospital with his last move.

But if she insisted on being stubborn, he wouldn't indulge her any further.