With the head of the Yashida family dead, chaos erupted in the household. Suddenly, a guest spoke up, telling everyone to stay still, stating that Yashida hadn't died of natural causes, but was murdered. Everyone turned to look at him.
"Liu-san, what are you saying?" Yukio asked, worried that Liu A'dou was just talking nonsense.
Shinzen also jumped up. "What are you talking about? Do you have any evidence to prove that my father was murdered?"
Liu A'dou stepped into the center of the crowd and surveyed everyone. It had been a while since he'd felt this way. "At dinner, Mr. Yashida looked in great health. How could he suddenly drop dead? And Dr. Midori is highly skilled. If there had been anything wrong with Yashida, she would've noticed. Look at these high-tech devices, even the mini-robots inside his body controlling the tumor."
"That makes sense, but my father has been ill for a long time, so it's not impossible."
Liu A'dou smiled slightly. "Medical devices might malfunction, but a body doesn't lie."
"What do you mean?" people asked.
"Dr. Midori, didn't the machine only show that his heartbeat had stopped just a while ago?"
"Yes, it happened no more than fifteen minutes ago," Dr. Midori confirmed.
"But the stiffness of the body suggests that he died over two hours ago. This means he had been dead for two hours before the machine showed the time of death. Dr. Midori, could you explain that?"
Everyone turned to look at Dr. Midori, wondering if she was the murderer. Liu A'dou's reasoning was sharp, and he made a convincing case that it truly was a murder. Dr. Midori seemed suspicious.
"But Mr. Yashida had been alone in his room after dinner. I was in the room next door waiting. Shinzen, however, went into his room for more than ten minutes."
"Don't try to shift the blame to me. I was just checking to see if my father's breath had stopped."
To help Logan understand, everyone switched to speaking English.
Logan couldn't keep up with the pace but sensed that this situation was far from ordinary and that the murderer was among them.
At that moment, Yukio glanced at Mariko. She had also seen Mariko leave her grandfather's room earlier. Who had killed him? There were now three suspects.
Mariko lowered her head, deep in thought.
Liu A'dou's sharp eyes missed no details. "Everyone unrelated to the investigation, please leave. I'll examine the scene. Minister of Justice, stay to assist. Logan, watch them. If anyone shows suspicious behavior, apprehend them immediately."
"Understood."
Liu A'dou quickly took control of the situation. He was a seasoned detective. To commit a crime, one had to think like a detective. He had competed intellectually with many famous detectives from the detective world, and he had seen his fair share of such situations.
"Since it's a murder, shouldn't we call the police first?" someone asked.
Clearly, they didn't understand the ways of the wealthy. It was all about face. Before they could find the killer, they needed to prevent anything that could bring shame to the family name. So, they couldn't make a public scene.
Shinzen looked at Liu A'dou. "I don't know who you are, but you seem to be a detective. I want you to find the killer. Once you succeed, you'll be well rewarded."
"Finding the killer is what I should do. All I need is your cooperation. Now, everyone except the Minister of Justice, please leave."
"Leave," Shinzen said, already knowing that he hadn't killed his father. Someone else had done it. This situation was beneficial for him. No matter who the killer was, it would help him get a larger share of the inheritance.
Dr. Midori's expression shifted. It was unreadable.
The Minister of Justice looked at this young man, noticing how professional he was. He was even more capable than the police from the Metropolitan Police Department. "Are you a detective?"
"Amateur, but I do have some insight when it comes to solving cases," Liu A'dou said as he noticed the first clue: a paper cup that had rolled under the bed.
"The deceased has no external injuries, and there's no strange odor in the mouth or throat, so it doesn't seem like normal poison. The victim's clothes are intact, and there are no signs of struggle or pain. It seems that death was caused by poisoning and was instantaneous, without any suffering," Liu A'dou stated.
"Does this paper cup mean it was used to poison him?" someone asked.
"We don't know yet, but there are other things in this room that seem off," Liu A'dou replied. He looked around carefully, noticing many things that shouldn't be there.
The Minister of Justice, however, had seen nothing, but Liu A'dou's actions were reliable, and everyone felt that he was trustworthy.
Outside, the others were anxious. The death of Yashida was a major event, and if they got involved, these poor people couldn't handle it. Mariko had been sitting quietly, and Yukio was worried that her childhood friend might be the murderer, but she didn't know what to do.
Liu A'dou had said that the killer was among them, which made Yukio's feelings even more conflicted. Her adopted grandfather had died, and the killer could very well be his son or granddaughter. How was she supposed to face that?
Logan watched the scene. The atmosphere was too complicated, and his senses didn't give him any clues. He would have to rely on Liu A'dou's reasoning, even though Logan had never seen him deduce anything before.
After more than one hour, the Minister of Justice went around, calling in several people for questioning, including Dr. Midori, Shinzen, Mariko, Yukio, and others—more than ten people in total.
Finally, Liu A'dou gathered everyone together.
Dozens of eyes were fixed on Liu A'dou, dozens of ears were waiting for an answer, and dozens of hearts were uneasy.
Logan leaned closer to Liu A'dou, his curiosity getting the best of him. "Do you know the truth now?"
"Of course, how else could I have let you all in?" Liu A'dou smiled and said loudly, "Everyone, I've figured out the cause of Mr. Yashida's death. I know some of you are nervous and worried, but please stay calm. I will unravel the mystery and bring the truth to light."
Liu A'dou had the manner of a seasoned detective, his every move guiding the crowd into the case. Last time, he had impersonated a police chief, and with his plump figure and ordinary appearance, he couldn't exude much charm. But this time, he was determined to show the world the true style of a 'Detective.'
"The killer is in this room," Liu A'dou's words made the others glance around, exchanging looks and guessing who it might be.
"Silence," Liu A'dou said, and everyone fell quiet. He nodded in satisfaction. "From the beginning, this case has been surrounded by suspicion. I wonder if any of you have noticed that."
Clearly, no one had noticed.
"First, there are a few things I'd like you to hear." Liu A'dou took out a voice recorder. "This was found in the room. It contains a few conversations between Yashida and his son and granddaughter, which also proves that they entered the room tonight."
Shinzen's face immediately changed. He had argued with his father about inheritance rights when he visited. This recording was definitely not something good.
Mariko's expression also changed. Her grandfather had planned to pass the family business to her, and if this came out, she could be misunderstood as killing him to inherit quickly. Her father would probably resent her. That was why she had remained silent—she had been afraid of this, but Yukio had misunderstood her.
The recording played, and everyone's face changed.