Chiba the Little Fatty's Social Death
Fujino analyzed the scene, using his medical knowledge to reason things out.
As he spoke, he picked up the fruit knife and asked the woman named Shimura Yui, "Miss Shimura, did this fruit knife belong to the victim?"
"I'm not too sure about that, either."
Her fiancé was dead, and Shimura Yui was in great distress, but she still tried her best to think it over and cooperate. "It was only a fruit knife, after all. I didn't usually pay much attention to it."
"Then this gets a little troublesome. If it was a fruit knife brought here, then this was premeditated murder. If it was the fruit knife at the scene, then it was a crime of passion."
Fujino instinctively tried to raise a hand to his chin, but then he remembered that his gloves were covered in blood and stopped himself. He reasoned bluntly, "There are no signs of damage to the room's lock. Judging by where they fell, the two of them probably came inside and talked for a while. There are no signs that he resisted, either. It looks like the killer was someone familiar to him."
"A man, possibly an acquaintance, and very tall. The clues are much clearer now."
Sato Miwako was very satisfied with Fujino's deductions. She turned around and continued asking, "Then can we determine the time of death?"
"I'm not a professional coroner..." Fujino complained. "Aren't you asking too much of me?"
"No problem." Sato Miwako clenched her fist and encouraged him, "I believe in you, Go, Fujino!"
"You're treating me like a tool, aren't you?"
Fujino felt somewhat helpless at Sato's enthusiasm and muttered his complaint. Then he carefully examined the corpse and reasoned, "Considering the season and the temperature inside the room, judging