Criminal Investigator's Method of Solving Cases

The atmosphere at the scene suddenly became rather strange.

Okiya Subaru appeared calm on the surface, but his heart was in turmoil.

Miyano Akemi was tense and uneasy, instinctively casting a questioning glance at Lin Xinyi.

Lin Xinyi seemed to understand the concern in her eyes, but he merely stood there with an inscrutable look and gave no further reaction.

Vermouth stood there with an equally calm expression, but her hand silently hovered over the pistol concealed at her waist.

And just then—

A voice broke the delicate silence.

It belonged to an officer assisting with the investigation:

"Officer Lin, Inspector Megure, we have already called the client Mr. Imai mentioned."

"The testimony he provided was correct. That client can vouch for him:"

"He and the victim, Mr. Dejima, had been working at the client's company from this morning until this afternoon."

"It was only an hour ago, half an hour before the murder, that they left the client's company together."

The information the officer brought back was not particularly important.

But it pulled everyone's thoughts back to reality, back to the case before them.

Lin Xinyi took the opportunity to withdraw his gaze and asked Imai Tetsuo:

"Mr. Imai, it seems what you said was correct."

"Let me ask one more thing."

"After you and Mr. Dejima left the client's company together, were you still together the entire time?"

"Were you traveling the whole way, or did you go somewhere else and stop elsewhere along the way?"

"Well..." Imai Tetsuo hesitated slightly.

Then he replied, "No. After leaving the client's company, we were hurrying back the whole time. We didn't separate on the way, nor did we stop anywhere else."

"All right." Lin Xinyi nodded, sounding as though he did not care much. "Then, Mr. Imai—"

"Please continue."

"This..."