Jiang Xia looked at the killer's ashen face and continued, "So the killer is also an athlete skilled at diving."
Everyone froze, then turned in unison toward the Pretty Boy beside President Saeki.
The Pretty Boy hurriedly waved his hands. "Not me! I-I'm not good at diving at all!"
He had never been so grateful to be such a hopeless failure in his field.
The Detective nodded under his grateful gaze.
Then Jiang Xia looked toward the athlete wearing earrings. "Besides the victim and Mr. Naruse, there was actually another diver here—I remember Mr. Kijima only switched to swimming recently. You used to specialize in diving, and your technique was even better than the victim's."
Kijima Hisashi's expression darkened. "Isn't it too arbitrary to identify the killer based solely on diving skill? And Naruse only made too big a splash—his aerial movements actually weren't bad. What gives you the right to rule him out so easily?"
"?!" The Pretty Boy argued indignantly. "Who said my aerial movements weren't bad? Don't slander me!"
The onlookers: "..."
After waiting for them to finish arguing, Jiang Xia finally spoke beneath Inspector Megure's faintly resentful gaze. "Besides the testimony about 'diving with the lights off,' that painter actually gave us another important clue—the draft he brought with him."
Jiang Xia beckoned to Sato Miwako.
Officer Sato understood. She unfolded the drawing beside him and showed it to everyone, studying it curiously herself, but she still could not see what was wrong with it.
Jiang Xia pointed at the diving figure in the drawing. Everyone followed his finger and noticed a crossed mark on the figure's earlobe.
Jiang Xia said, "That shape should represent a gleam of light. If that painter had finished this sketch, the portrait would likely have shown a man wearing earrings