Age Is Not a Problem, but Crime Is

A gray-and-white villa stood in one of Tokyo's residential districts.

Fujino parked the car, and they were greeted by an elderly butler named Ueki Kusuhachi, a tall, thin man with graying hair.

According to him, he had worked at this villa for fifty years.

After learning that they were acting on behalf of Mori Kogoro, he led everyone into the villa.

The villa's garden, with its flowers and trees, was meticulously maintained.

According to the old butler, the late former mistress had loved gardening. She would often tend the villa's garden together with him and a gardener named Dohi Kozo.

The three of them seemed to have been quite close.

Dohi Kozo was an elderly man with a gloomy expression, a plump build, and a knit cap.

From what the old butler implied, the gardener had once been a cheerful young man. But after the current master, Fujieda Mikio, married into the family, he became withdrawn. After the former mistress passed away some time ago, he had grown cold toward everyone.

"He must have loved my sister very much."

A low male voice sounded out. A man in a well-tailored suit, with a beard on his chin, emerged from the villa and looked toward the gardener silently tending the plants.

The old butler introduced him to everyone. "This is Fujieda Shigeru, the younger brother of the late former mistress."

Fujieda Shigeru politely greeted them, then asked with a smile, "Who might these two beautiful ladies, this gentleman, and this young boy be?"

The old butler explained, "They are representatives of Mr. Mori. Mr. Mori fell ill today, so he was unable to come..."

"I am Mori Detective Agency's legal adviser. My surname is Kisaki."

Eri Kisaki directly cut him off. "I came this time to learn more about the situation."