The Great Detective's Deduction

## Chapter 4: The Great Detective's Deduction

Inspector Megure was warily observing Lin Xinyi's every move.

Meanwhile, Kudo Shinichi, now the center of everyone's attention, slowly articulated his thoughts for all to hear:

"This deduction is actually quite 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 wave of blood."

"Right, Ran?"

Kudo Shinichi turned to look at Ran.

Ran recalled the shocking scene from earlier, her face slightly pale:

"That's right, it was because there was noticeable red in the river that we spotted the body. Otherwise, it was still a bit dark then, and we wouldn't have noticed it without looking closely."

With Ran's corroborating testimony, the scene of the body's discovery was clearly reconstructed before everyone.

Inspector Megure, while covertly keeping an eye on Lin Xinyi, habitually played along with Kudo Shinichi's deduction:

"Brother Kudo, I know what you mean."

"You're saying that the body parts were only recently discarded into the river by the killer, right?"

"Exactly." Kudo Shinichi nodded, following Inspector Megure's lead. "Just as chefs usually soak pork to remove excess blood, if body parts are submerged in water for too long, the blood attached to them will be diluted and washed away by the current."

"In that case, Ran and I wouldn't have seen the river water stained with blood."

"Therefore, the body parts couldn't have been in the water for long."

"And that means..."

Kudo Shinichi paused slightly, casting a meaningful glance at Lin Xinyi:

"The killer just disposed of the body recently."

"They might not have gone far—and, there's a high probability the killer is still at the scene, right here!"

"Huh, no way?"

Someone in the crowd of onlookers questioned with disbelief:

"After disposing of a body, wouldn't they run away quickly? Wouldn't it be troublesome if the police arrived?"

"The killer must be incredibly bold then."

"No, quite the opposite."

"This, in fact, indicates the killer's inner apprehension and cowardice."

Kudo Shinichi shook his head, elaborating on his psychological profile of the killer:

"The killer disposed of the body at dawn—"

"While the dim light at this time facilitates action, it doesn't eliminate the risk of encountering the rare early risers who exercise."

"Clearly, this was not an ideal time for body disposal."

"Choosing such an unfavorable time to dispose of the body suggests the killer likely had no other option."

"They most likely committed the murder impulsively in the middle of the night, hastily dealt with the body, and then, for some reason, dared not hide it at home. That's why they rushed here to dispose of the body before daybreak."

"And the killer's purpose in dismembering the body was most likely to conceal the victim's physical characteristics, preventing the police from identifying the victim."

"So, everyone, imagine yourselves as the killer."

"After impulsively committing murder and disposing of the body, wouldn't you worry if there were any oversights in your method? Wouldn't you worry if the police could still find out the victim's identity?"

"Hmm, that's true."

Once they put themselves in that position, everyone couldn't help but nod in agreement, deeply understanding:

"It's inevitable to feel guilty when doing something bad, which is why the killer would want to stay at the scene, mingling with the crowd to observe the police's investigation!"

"If they find the police investigation is failing, they can rest easy and continue their life."

"If they find the police investigation is going well, they can prepare for their escape in advance."

"But, Brother Kudo..."

Inspector Megure pressed on with a hint of doubt:

"Just this isn't enough to pin suspicion on Mr. Lin, is it?"

"With so many people here, anyone could be the killer!"

"Of course."

"Currently, everyone present could be the killer."

"But Mr. Lin Xinyi is undoubtedly the most suspicious!"

Kudo Shinichi's deductive rhythm was not at all disrupted by the challenge:

"And the reason I say that is..."

"The water stains on Mr. Lin's legs!"

As soon as Kudo Shinichi finished speaking, everyone's gaze, following his lead, locked onto Lin Xinyi's calves.

Although they were in Tokyo, the weather wasn't hot; in fact, it was a bit chilly due to the early morning hour.

Because of this, Lin Xinyi's soaked pant legs and shoes hadn't completely dried yet, still showing a large, visible wet patch.

"Wet stains, his legs were soaked in water!"

Some of the more quick-witted bystanders had already caught on:

"This guy must be the killer!"

"It hasn't rained today, so it's impossible for an ordinary citizen out for a morning run to get their legs wet."

"Only a killer discarding a body in the river would step into the water to throw the body further!"

Oh, wow! Amidst gasps of surprise, everyone understood the critical point.

The gazes fixed on Lin Xinyi immediately became more intense and hostile.

Lin Xinyi remained silent.

Kudo Shinichi, seizing the moment, pressed on:

"So, Mr. Lin Xinyi."

"Can you explain why your pant legs got wet just now?"

Lin Xinyi didn't answer.

He simply said calmly:

"The court can't convict based on pure deduction."

"To accuse me of being the killer, you need concrete evidence."

"Naturally."

Kudo Shinichi shrugged, smiling confidently:

"The hardest part of a dismemberment case is identifying the suspect."

"Once you have a target, finding evidence isn't that difficult."

"After all, a murder and dismemberment create a huge mess; it's not easy to erase all traces."

"As long as you quickly search the suspect's home thoroughly, you can usually find bloodstains that haven't been completely wiped away."

"That makes sense!"

The onlookers gasped in realization again:

"No wonder that guy just now refused to answer the inspector's questions, even to his death."

"He must be afraid the police will search his house right now and find the dismemberment site that hasn't been cleaned up yet!"

This deduction show seemed to be drawing to a close.

Everyone was more or less looking at the famous high school detective with admiration:

He truly lives up to his reputation as Heisei Holmes.

The killer, thinking himself clever, stayed at the scene to observe the police's reaction, but never imagined someone would notice the water stains on his legs, inadvertently exposing himself to the famous detective.

It truly had to be said that evil begets evil, and justice descends from heaven in its own mysterious way.

"Mr. Lin Xinyi, you can answer our questions now."

Inspector Megure stepped forward at the opportune moment.

He changed his previous emotional approach, instead threatening in a serious tone:

"You do have the right to remain silent."

"But please note, your current behavior will be recorded by us."

"Blind silence will only put you in a disadvantageous position. I hope you don't make such an unwise choice."

Lin Xinyi: "..."

To be honest, he himself felt like a criminal now.

But there was nothing he could do.

He knew very well that without the original self's memories, he couldn't possibly answer the police's many questions.

Moreover, most importantly, speaking now was utterly meaningless.

Evidence, everything depended on evidence.

Even if Lin Xinyi were to eloquently clear his name now, once concrete evidence was presented, he wouldn't be able to argue against "his own" crime—

Yes, without the original self's memories, he couldn't completely rule out "his own" guilt either.

Though slightly annoyed, Lin Xinyi had to admit that Detective Kudo's deduction was not flawed.

"From the clues presented so far, there's a high probability that he's the killer.

I hope I'm not that unlucky.

If he really transmigrated into a murderer's body, there'd be nothing he could do to change it.

A ripple of unease spread through Lin Xinyi's heart.

Yet, he calmly raised his head, meeting the suspicious and wary gazes. "Just wait a little longer."

"Wait for what?" Inspector Megure asked, puzzled.

"Wait for you to pull the body out of the water."

Lin Xinyi cast his gaze towards the river beside them, where the Water Patrol Team was busy with the salvage operation.

"Whether I'm the murderer or not...

...the body will answer that question."