Are People in Tokyo Really This Bold?

"By the way, Fujino, you said you've already made some progress?"

After the two groups of people had walked away, Hattori Heiji Fujino with a strange expression, "You don't actually believe Uncle Mori's outrageous claim, do you?"

"Why would I believe in Bando codes or anything like that?"

Fujino looked at Hattori Heiji as if he were an idiot. "Actually, besides this code, I also saw other information in that death code."

"What information?"

Hattori Heiji asked, puzzled.

"In fact, the death information had already revealed who the murderer was..."

Fujino hesitated for Hattori Heiji's ear and delivered a powerful prophecy. "The real culprit is Ray Curtis."

"It was him?"

Hattori Heiji was taken aback. "What exactly does the code mean? How could it point to him?"

"This is a bit complicated to explain."

Fujino said somewhat helplessly, "Maybe this is a detective's intuition. Didn't you just rely on your intuition too?"

Hattori Heiji: "..."

My intuition tells me the killer is among these three people. You deciphered the death information with just one instinct and directly identified the killer?

Can these be the same?

Intuition, right?

You actually tried to pull this on me!

Hattori Heiji felt that Fujino was definitely trying to fool him.

Because I didn't just say why I suspected those people.

They're using this tactic of settling personal scores again!

"But giving you a hint won't hurt."

Fujino looked at Hattori Heiji, whose already dark face darkened even more.

He gave some hints, seemingly reluctantly. "Actually, this code is related to sushi."

"Sushi? So that's what it is!"

Hattori Heiji, then suddenly realized, "The belt is also called a band, and that guy's gesture was grabbing sushi! In a sushi restaurant, a band represents the eighth course, which means he's implying that the murderer is Ray Curtis!"

"Hmm, this child is teachable."

Fujino had a kind smile on his face.

It wasn't that he didn't want to explain what the code meant; it was just that in his mind, the only thing related to the code was sushi.

Reasoning was impossible for him; he didn't even quite understand what "BAND" meant, and even if he wanted to reason, he had no clue.

So, this job was handed over to Osaka Black Chicken!

It has to be said that Heiji is quite adept at imagining things in Dihua; given a few hints, he can recount the detailed process.

In the end, the credit will still go to him anyway.

Hattori Heiji: "..."

Why do I feel like I'm being exploited like cattle?

And what's with that Senior look of yours?

Hattori Heiji's lips twitched slightly.

He took a deep breath and calmed himself down.

He continued, "Although we've identified the suspect, it doesn't really count as evidence. Even though the code has been cracked, the method of murder remains a mystery..."

As he spoke, he looked at the three athletes talking not far away. "However, the motives are quite obvious. Barrera was suspected of match-fixing and retired without a single defeat. Ray was expelled from the European football world for drug use. Mike got divorced because of an extramarital affair scandal."

"These three people all have a grudge against that reporter. It's possible that the three of them teamed up to take him down."

"Impossible!"

At this moment, Conan also came down from upstairs and heard Hattori Heiji's speculation. He seriously corrected him, saying, "Although that reporter did fabricate their scandal, they won the case. Logically speaking, even if they dislike someone, they wouldn't kill them over something like this."

Hattori Heiji sized up Conan and frowned.

To clear his idol's name, he abandoned his principles as a detective.

Is it really worth it?

"Heiji, Consultant Fujino."

At this moment, Goro Otaki walked over. "Most of the people on site have already completed the reaction test, and no one has tested positive for gunpowder smoke."

"What about the other three?"

Hattori Heiji was not surprised. He looked at the three athletes beside him and asked Goro Otaki.

"No response."

Goro Otaki shook his head. "I just had someone test them, but the result was the same, they're very clean."

Hattori Heiji asked, "And what about a body search?"

"There was only a simple body search, and there was no problem."

Goro Otaki looked at a police officer who was sandwiched between several foreigners not far away. "The managers of those three have been causing trouble since earlier. Even we are not having an easy time. If we search them thoroughly, it will definitely anger them."

Do they have any special privileges?

Fujino glanced at the group with a calm expression. "Cooperating with the police is the most basic obligation, even for foreigners. If they are considered superior just because they are 'athletes,' then where does that leave the face of the Japan police?"

"But..."

Goro Otaki wiped away his cold sweat, somewhat hesitant to say anything.

The police officer's face and stuff...

Do the Japan police have any shame?

While that makes sense, the other party is, after all, an international friend, and also a well-known figure!

"Alright!"

Hattori Heiji wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, changed the subject, and pulled Fujino away from the scene. "I think we should go and see if we can find any evidence near the crime scene!"

"Call..."

Goro Otaki couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

They were afraid that the consultant would actually go and forcibly search those three people, and take the opportunity to confront the agents.

How daring!

These are international friends!

Are all my colleagues in Tokyo this brave?

They even dare to offend international friends!

After searching, Fujino Hattori Heiji arrived at the room where Ray Curtis had been staying at the K3 Restaurant Hotel.

"This is the room where Ray Curtis was staying."

Hattori Heiji entered the room and looked around. "All the light switches in the room are in the same location. If he is the murderer, then he needs to go upstairs after turning on the lights, then knock on the door and shoot the guy, and then return to this room."

He rubbed his chin and continued to ponder, "But the timing doesn't match at all. If he went upstairs from here, there wouldn't be enough time after he turned on the light. Besides, we just checked, and the main power switch hasn't been tampered with."

"If these three were to commit murder together... Mike could simply pull back the curtains from downstairs..."

"Impossible!"

Conan suddenly appeared at the doorway behind the two and said in a deep voice, "I went to Mike's room after the incident. There were no signs of wire being used. Ray's left knee was injured, so he couldn't have run that fast. Mike is currently undergoing rehabilitation because of a torn tendon. Barrera is a boxer; he simply doesn't have that kind of speed."

As he spoke, he put his hands in his pockets and walked towards the two men. "In other words, none of these three are suspected of committing the crime."

"Little Brother Conan, although I usually think your reasoning skills are quite good, did you overlook something this time?"

Fujino glanced at Conan and said, "What if the culprit didn't run on foot, but used some kind of mechanism?"

"Organ?"

The two people present were taken aback upon hearing this.

"The other party is a professional football player."

Fujino looked up at the open doorway, facing the stairs leading upstairs, and murmured, "From this position, if we used a soccer ball, we might be able to make it happen."