"Once Vermouth's matter is settled, I'll ask Jiang Xia whether he's willing to leave." Akai Shuichi began looking ahead to the next stage of work. "If he isn't willing... then when it comes to dealing with Uzo, we might gain a powerful ally."
With a certain Detective's friendly assistance, the two FBI agents successfully cleared themselves of suspicion.
Everyone's attention focused on the victim's four acquaintances.
Jiang Xia also looked at the three hospital staff members and the senior student, his gaze sweeping over them. "This method didn't require an accomplice. While the nurse and security guard were handing out the drinks, they could see each other, so neither had a chance to lift a cup lid and add ice to the drinks. That leaves only the clerk and Ninagawa with the opportunity to commit the crime."
Four out of the six suspects had been eliminated in the blink of an eye. Inspector Megure felt immensely relieved and looked at his detective brother with satisfaction. "And then?"
As expected, Jiang Xia never disappointed. "As the person selling the coffee, Ninagawa-senpai would have had no trouble tampering with the ice. But this time, in order to speak with the victim, she switched all of the victim's coffee for cola without permission, hoping he would return the drinks... If she were the murderer, there would have been no need to make things so complicated and introduce an unexpected complication into her plan."
"In other words, the real culprit is..."
The police turned their heads and all looked toward the short-haired female clerk who had bought drinks for her colleagues.
The short-haired woman staggered back a step, cold sweat covering her forehead. She opened her mouth to argue, but for the moment, she had no idea where to begin.
Jiang Xia looked at