Gray Life (I)

There had been four people near the crime scene at the time.

The head of the security team, who had been in the surveillance room.

The cleaner, who had been working overtime.

The former curator, who had been demoted.

And the sponsor's daughter, who was preparing to acquire the famous painting.

If nothing unexpected had happened, the culprit had to be one of them.

But what puzzled Oreki was...

"Everyone has an alibi?"

"That's right."

The middle-aged man nodded.

He took out a notebook.

It contained the statements those people had given.

"First, the security guard... He was playing a game in the surveillance room at the time and wasn't paying much attention to the footage in front of him."

"What's the evidence?"

"...I think it was a match replay."

"Can I see it?"

Oreki held out his right hand.

He was rather curious.

Since when had this kind of thing counted as evidence?

—CS:GO?

No?

That was something else.

Oreki took the phone with an internet connection and fell silent.

At the time of the crime, the guard really had been controlling a character in a firefight.

Not only that.

He'd dropped his gun to go fishing and used a silenced pistol to ambush the other players.

Unbelievable.

"Was anyone else in the surveillance room at the time?"

"No."

"Then we can rule him out for now."

"...Right. Next is the cleaner..."

After hearing the man's account, Oreki sorted through the details.

Put simply.

At the time of the crime, the cleaner had been working near the fire escape.

The former curator had been drinking coffee on the second floor.

The sponsor's daughter had insisted on staying on the first floor.

She'd looked determined to buy that famous painting at all costs.

But after the police searched her, they hadn't found anything suspicious.

That included the luxury car she'd driven there.

"Let's head back."

"Hm? Now?"

"This case won't be solved in a hurry."

"Then when will it be solved?"

"Probably in a day or two."

Oreki said casually.

He was interested in the case, but he hadn't said he'd devote himself to it completely.

He still had to attend his classes.

And there was another troublesome matter he hadn't dealt with yet.

Namely, Karuizawa Kei.

After watching Oreki and Sakayanagi leave, the middle-aged man couldn't help wondering if he'd expected too much of the chairman.

Perhaps the chairman didn't take this seriously at all.

Could it be...

"That can't be."

He shook his head.

Only the principal knew about that matter.

And it had only been carried out with the principal's approval.

The principal was also the one who benefited most.

He'd bought a car and a house, and even...

Meanwhile.

"Did you find anything?"

"More or less. For example, the bus driver who picked up Class A."

"Who?"

"The one we saw on the bus before. And he's the cleaner's son."

"Really?"

Sakayanagi looked surprised.

Most people wouldn't pay attention to the faces of strangers.

Let alone learn about their family members.

This was practically half a case of doxxing.

"I mentioned it at the time. Thinking about it now, he was probably going to be that young lady's private driver."

"Can a thirty-year-old still be called a young lady?"

"Uh... I guess?"

"Oreki, you really do know how to joke."

Sakayanagi laughed without holding back.

Oreki didn't know what expression to make.

It was just a form of address.

It could be anything.

After parting ways with Sakayanagi, he rode his bicycle back to the dorm.

Sakayanagi had offered him a ride.

But Oreki had turned her down.

He felt that...

When he was alone, his mind worked most nimbly.

Oreki was recalling the newspaper he'd read the day before.

The bus incident had been mentioned in it.

But only in the most obscure section.

The headline had been about some celebrity's scandal.

Well...

That was realistic.

Just getting mentioned at all was already a great favor.

Wasn't it?

Just kidding.

Oreki gave a disdainful chuckle.

Back to the point.

—A classic story. First, he was tempted by money, then abandoned, and finally jumped...

He didn't know how many similar stories he'd heard.

But this was the first time he'd seen one unfold right before his eyes.

Was that lucky?

Or unlucky?

Anyway, it was...

Uh, interesting?

That wasn't a very good attitude to have.

But it didn't matter.

He didn't know the other person well anyway.

"That anonymous letter... It must have been written by someone who uses their left hand. The handwriting, and the signature..."

"Oreki?"

"Who?"

Oreki frowned as his train of thought was interrupted.

He looked at the person who'd approached him with some annoyance.

But soon enough.

That annoyance disappeared.

Because it was Karuizawa Kei.

He'd been about to go find her.

"Um, well..."

"If you came all the way here to ask me about Sakayanagi, don't worry."

"Huh?"

"It was just one of her pranks."

"But Kikyo..."

"She probably exaggerated things. But I don't have time to go ask her what she exaggerated."

Oreki held out his right hand toward Karuizawa Kei.

He gestured for her to get on.

"I may need your help next."

"Me?"

"Yeah. I can't get into the girls' dormitory."

"Ah... Huh?"

Karuizawa Kei looked incredulous.

She'd clearly misunderstood.

Oreki explained helplessly.

"I just need a girl to verify my guess."

"Oh, I see..."

Karuizawa Kei let out a long breath of relief.

But then her face turned red.

Oreki had been talking about something serious, but Karuizawa Kei herself had...

I hope the next time I get the wrong idea, it isn't about something like that.

"But, Oreki... who are you looking for?"

"A girl from Class D."

"Someone in our class?"

"Yeah. Do you know Sakura Airi?"

"Little Airi..."

Karuizawa Kei looked troubled.

She and Sakura Airi weren't part of the same social circle.

More accurately...

Sakura Airi often spent time by herself.

It was hard to tell what she was feeling.

As soon as classes ended, she always went straight back to the dorm.

As if she were hiding some secret.

"Here we are."

Oreki stopped his bicycle.

"Okay... I'll go see if I can."

Karuizawa Kei hopped off the bicycle.

She headed toward Sakura Airi's room.

She didn't really know what kind of person she was.

But she was still easier to talk to than Kiyoko, right?

Some time later.

The elevator doors opened.

Oreki immediately spotted a girl with glasses hiding beside Karuizawa Kei.

She looked very shy.

"How did it go?"

"No problem at all."

Karuizawa Kei gave Oreki an "OK" sign.