Kazue Takashi listened to his practiced social pleasantries, somewhat at a loss.
A courtesy returned? He hadn't given this detective anything, had he?
On the contrary, the other man had clearly had a hand in Reika Shifui's death, and from every angle, he had done him an enormous favor.
"Don't think of it as me helping you, Mr. Kazue. Miss Shifui was truly not a very likable person." Tangze tactfully indicated that his courtesy returned was directed at Reika Shifui. "As for your question, if you truly need to thank someone, perhaps you should thank me for pulling you back from the role of perpetrator."
According to Kazue Takashi's original plan, although only Reika Shifui and Nikaido would still have died, there would have been other victims.
To make everyone believe that Reika Shifui and Nikaido had died in the same manner, he would have mixed sleeping pills into the drinks, then held whichever unlucky person chose one underwater for a few gulps, misleading everyone.
The reason Ran Mouri had originally been the victim was mainly because her luck was just like that—guaranteed to draw the winning ticket.
And if one of Reika Shifui's other backups had drawn the coffee, there was no telling whether Kazue Takashi might have flown into a rage and killed them too.
"It is only natural for resentment to arise from hatred. Becoming a demon is also one's own choice. But it is best not to drag innocent people into it."
"Mr. Akechi... you saw through me..." Kazue Takashi lowered his head. He was somewhat ashamed, but not surprised.
With observation alone, he had noticed his distraction. A few probing words had uncovered the fact that Yaeko had died because of Reika Shifui and the others' scheming. Detective Akechi was that perceptive a man.
Harboring