Inspector Megure warily kept an eye on Lin Xinyi's movements.
Meanwhile, Kudo Shinichi, now the center of everyone's attention, slowly voiced what was on his mind beneath the crowd's watchful gaze:
"This deduction is actually very simple."
"First, as I just reported to Inspector Megure:"
"When we discovered the floating corpse in the river ten minutes ago, the first thing we saw was a crimson tide of blood."
"Right, Ran?"
Kudo Shinichi turned to look at Ran.
Ran recalled the horrifying scene from earlier, her face growing slightly pale.
"That's right. We only noticed the corpse because there was such a conspicuous patch of red in the river."
"Otherwise, it was still somewhat dark out then. We wouldn't have noticed it without looking carefully."
With Ran's supporting testimony, the scene of the corpse's discovery was clearly reconstructed before everyone.
While secretly keeping an eye on Lin Xinyi, Inspector Megure habitually played along with Kudo Shinichi's deduction.
"Brother Kudo, I understand what you mean."
"You're saying the murderer only threw those body parts into the river recently, right?"
"That's right." Kudo Shinichi nodded and continued along Inspector Megure's line of thought. "Just as cooks often soak pork in water to remove the excess blood, if those body parts had been submerged for too long, the blood clinging to them would have been diluted and washed away by the current."
"In that case, Ran and I couldn't possibly have seen the river water stained red with blood."
"So, those body parts could not have been in the water for long."
"And that means—"
Kudo Shinichi paused slightly and cast Lin Xinyi a meaningful look.
"The murderer only finished disposing of the body not long ago."
"He might not have gone far yet—and more likely than not, the murderer is still at the scene, right here!"
"Huh? No way, right?"
Someone among the onlookers questioned him in confusion.
"Wouldn't it be a huge problem if he didn't run after dumping the body and waited for the police to arrive?"
"That murderer is way too bold."
"No, quite the opposite."
"This is actually a sign that the murderer is anxious, timid, and afraid."
Kudo Shinichi shook his head and calmly laid out his profile of the murderer's state of mind.
"The murderer disposed of the body at dawn—"
"While it was still dark enough to make moving around easier, there was still the risk of running into the few citizens who got up early for morning exercise."
"Clearly, this was not an ideal time to dispose of a body."
"Choosing such an unfavorable time suggests that the murderer likely had no other choice."
"He most likely killed impulsively in the middle of the night, panicked while dealing with the body, and then, for some reason, did not dare keep it hidden at home. That was why he hurried here to dispose of it before daylight."
"The murderer probably dismembered the corpse in order to conceal the victim's physical characteristics, preventing the police from identifying the victim."
"So, everyone, think about it. If you were the murderer—"
"After impulsively killing someone and disposing of the body, wouldn't you worry that there might have been some flaw in your method? Wouldn't you worry that the police might still find a way to identify the victim?"
"Mm, that really is true."
Putting themselves in his shoes, everyone nodded in agreement.
"Anyone who does something bad is bound to feel guilty. That's why the murderer would stay at the scene, blend into the crowd, and observe the police investigation!"
"If he found the investigation was going nowhere, he could relax and continue living as usual."
"If he found the investigation was progressing smoothly, he could prepare to run in advance."
"But, Brother Kudo—"
Inspector Megure followed up with some lingering doubt.
"Just that alone isn't enough to pin the suspicion on Mr. Lin, is it?"
"There are so many people here. Any one of them could be the murderer!"
"Of course."
"Everyone present could be the murderer."
"But Mr. Lin Xinyi is undoubtedly the most suspicious!"
Kudo Shinichi did not let the question disrupt the rhythm of his deduction.
"And the reason I say that is—"
"The water-soaked marks on Mr. Lin's legs!"
As soon as he spoke, everyone's gaze followed Kudo Shinichi's indication and locked firmly onto Lin Xinyi's calves.
Though they were in Tokyo, the weather was not hot. Since it was early morning, there was even a slight chill in the air.
That was why Lin Xinyi's soaked trouser legs and shoes had not fully dried yet. Large, visible patches of dampness remained.
"Wet marks—his legs were soaked in water!"
Some of the quicker-witted bystanders had already caught on.
"This guy has to be the murderer!"
"It didn't rain today. An ordinary citizen out for morning exercise couldn't possibly have gotten his legs wet."
"Only a murderer disposing of a body in the river would have stepped into the water to throw it farther out!"
A wave of startled cries broke out as everyone finally understood the connection.
The gazes fixed on Lin Xinyi immediately became hotter and more hostile.
Lin Xinyi remained silent.
Kudo Shinichi pressed on while the momentum was still with him.
"So, Lin Xinyi."
"Can you explain why you got your trouser legs wet just now?"
Lin Xinyi did not answer.
He merely said calmly:
"Deduction alone cannot secure a conviction in court."
"If you want to accuse me of being the murderer, you need definite evidence."
"Naturally."
Kudo Shinichi shrugged and smiled confidently.
"The hardest part of a Dismemberment Case is identifying the suspect."
"Once you have a target, finding evidence is not difficult."
"After all, murder and dismemberment make quite a mess. It isn't easy to erase every trace."
"As long as you search the suspect's home carefully and quickly enough, you can usually find bloodstains that were not completely wiped away."
"That makes sense!"
The onlookers had another sudden realization.
"No wonder that guy refused to answer the inspector's questions even when threatened with death."
"He must be afraid the police will search his home right now and find the dismemberment scene he hasn't cleaned up yet!"
This deduction show seemed to have reached its finale.
Everyone looked at the famous high school detective with varying degrees of admiration.
He truly deserved to be called the Heisei Holmes.
The murderer had cleverly stayed at the scene to observe the police response, never imagining that someone would notice the water stains on his legs and accidentally expose him before the great detective.
It truly was karmic retribution. Justice had descended from above.
"Mr. Lin Xinyi, you may answer our questions now."
Inspector Megure stepped forward at the right moment.
Abandoning his earlier strategy of emotional involvement, he switched to a stern, intimidating tone.
"You do indeed have the right to remain silent."
"But understand that everything you do now will be entered into the record."
"Blind silence will only put you at a disadvantage. I hope you will not make such an unwise choice."
Lin Xinyi: "..."
To be honest, even he felt like he looked like a criminal now.
But there was nothing he could do about it.
He knew full well that, without the original owner's memories, he simply could not answer the police's many questions.
And more importantly, speaking now was meaningless.
Evidence. Everything depended on evidence.
Even if Lin Xinyi eloquently cleared himself of suspicion now, once solid evidence was placed before him, he would have no way to argue against "his own" crimes—
Yes. Without the original owner's memories, he could not completely rule out the possibility that "he" was the murderer either.
Though he felt slightly annoyed, Lin Xinyi had to admit that Detective Kudo's reasoning was not wrong.
Based on the clues revealed so far, there was a strong chance that he was the murderer.
I hope I'm not that unlucky.
If he had truly transmigrated into the body of a murderer, then there would be no saving him.
Waves of emotion rose within Lin Xinyi.
Yet he still lifted his head calmly and faced those doubtful, wary gazes.
"Wait a little longer."
"Wait for what?" Inspector Megure asked in confusion.
"Wait until you pull the corpse out of the water."
Lin Xinyi turned his gaze toward the river beside them, where the Water Patrol Team was busy salvaging the body from the surface.
"Whether I am the murderer or not—"
"The corpse will answer that question."
Before you continue