The maid sighed worriedly as she recalled, "I remember that around four o'clock, the lake turned blood red. I had a bad feeling right then—I was sure some monster had appeared."
Aonoki Ryoichi said, "At about four o'clock sharp, I checked the time. There was still no one hanging from the roof beam in the Tea Room."
The maid nodded. "After that, Mrs. Yamazaki returned from outside and had an argument with Mr. Yagura. Right afterward, we saw Master hanging from the roof beam through the window of Lake Heart Studio."
Inspector Megure considered the timeline. "The victim died sometime between three-thirty and four, but the body wasn't hung from the roof beam until after four... So, from three-thirty until four, where were each of you, and what were you doing?"
The Antique Dealer said, "It was too hot today, and I'm fat, so I sweat easily. I was afraid my sweat would upset Master, so I went to soak in the bath."
With Jiang Xia on her side, Mrs. Yamazaki was completely unruffled even without an alibi. She said frankly, "I had some personal business and went out."
Inspector Megure gave an "Oh?" "Where did you go? Was anyone with you?"
"I went alone," Mrs. Yamazaki said. "As for where I went, that's my private business. There's no need to explain, is there?"
Curacao watched her casual demeanor, then thought of how restless she herself had been after getting dragged into a case. Feeling somewhat unbalanced, she shifted in her seat.
"Hmm..." Inspector Megure made a heavy mental note about Mrs. Yamazaki, then turned to the maid. "What about you?"
The maid said, "I was making tea in the Side Room. Later, the doorbell and the alarm went off one after another, so I went to let Miss Shirai