"Based on our preliminary judgment, the culprit who murdered Mr. Sunaoka is very likely fleeing along the riverbank at this very moment."
Inspector Yokomizo spoke while glancing up at Tsuneo, who was standing on the second floor, before turning his attention back to the group gathered below.
"Although the police have already issued an emergency APB and search orders, I must still ask everyone present to provide a clear account of your actions prior to the incident."
The repairman made a valid point, Yokomizo thought. That sniping location was suspicious, but since that remains a deduction, the standard search protocols must still be carried out.
"Very well. I was in Mr. Tahara's room all morning discussing the script. At noon, I went hunting in the forest with Sunaoka. I didn't return to the villa until after six-thirty."
Katsuaki Nagatsuka laid out his itinerary for the entire day.
After six-thirty, everyone had gathered together for dinner.
Toshiaki Tahara nodded and added, "After Mr. Nagatsuka and I finished discussing the script, I stayed in my room until evening, brainstorming content."
"As for me," Noe Tanigawa began, "Sunaoka came to my room in the morning. I heard he was planning to switch agencies, and we got into an argument. In the afternoon, I went to the archery range, where I ran into Mr. Mouri and his group."
When Tanigawa mentioned the argument with Sunaoka, her eyes darted away evasively for a split second.
Inspector Yokomizo nodded and turned his gaze toward the villa owner standing to the side.
"M-me?"
The owner looked up, searching his memory before speaking. "I was working almost the entire day. I was the only one on duty today, so I was even busier than usual..."
Up on the second-floor landing, Conan was looking down, intently following the police interrogation, when suddenly a small hand grabbed his.
"Alright, Conan, time for you to go to bed!" Ran declared, dragging the famous detective back toward their room without leaving any room for negotiation.
"Heh, you poor guy." Tsuneo saw the pleading look in the boy's eyes but pretended not to notice.
Just go sleep peacefully. I'll take care of playing with this case!
Inside the room.
Conan lay tucked inside his futon, looking helplessly at Ran, who was sitting properly by the bedside.
"I think Dad and the others are going to pull an all-nighter again, so let's try our best not to cause any trouble," Ran instructed him gently.
Her father had already been quite angry earlier because they had snuck up the mountain.
"I understand. I'll be good and go to sleep. You should go back to your room too, Ran-neechan," Conan said with a smile, putting on his best well-behaved act.
Ran wore an expression that said she saw right through him. "No. I'm going to stay right here until you fall asleep."
Conan: "..."
Once the two of them had retreated to their room, Tsuneo walked downstairs to sit in on the proceedings.
"The critical issue lies in the time after dinner," Kogoro Mouri said, beginning his reconstruction. "Mr. Sunaoka and Ms. Tanigawa left the garden restaurant around 7:50 PM. Not long after, Mr. Tahara went into the villa to get beer and soda for everyone."
"At 8:00 PM, Mr. Nagatsuka went to the front desk to answer a phone call from the TV station."
"One or two minutes later, I received a call from Mr. Sunaoka. Just as he abruptly hung up, a gunshot rang out."
"Ms. Tanigawa, who had just finished her shower, heard the noise and stepped out onto her balcony."
Mouri recapped everyone's movements leading up to the discovery of Sunaoka's body. Fortunately, he hadn't drunk much that night and was still thinking clearly.
"You three seem to have had some conflicts with Mr. Sunaoka. Could you elaborate on that?" Tsuneo looked at the three suspects.
We absolutely cannot skip the finger-pointing phase.
"What is that supposed to mean?!"
"Are you implying that one of us is the culprit?"
All three realized the implication in his words and glared at him.
"He simply wants to investigate the matter thoroughly," Mouri quickly interjected, trying to smooth things over for the repairman.
"No, I actually do believe the culprit is among them." Tsuneo turned his head to glance at Mouri and Inspector Yokomizo.
I'm counting on you two to watch them. I'm going to go for a wander.
"Mr. Tsuneo?" Inspector Yokomizo called out to the repairman's retreating back, looking confused.
When the gun went off, all these people were inside the villa. It was impossible for any of them to have fired from a distance. Why was he still suspecting them?
"The logic is simple!"
Tsuneo stopped on the stairs. He pulled a small pebble from his trouser pocket, flicked his wrist, and hurled it directly at the villa's window.
CRASH.
The sound of shattering glass was incredibly crisp.
"That sound..." Mouri looked as if his pressure points had just been hit.
When the gunshot rang out, they were standing in the garden restaurant, only about ten meters away from the french doors of Sunaoka's room.
At such close range, the target—the window—had been shattered, yet they had only noticed the sound of the gunshot.
Mouri, a marksman himself, wouldn't have missed this detail under normal circumstances; he had simply been limited by his assumptions and overlooked it.
" The sound of breaking glass?"
"Mr. Mouri, could it be?" Inspector Yokomizo saw Mouri's expression and looked equally shocked.
"That's right. At that time, that crucial sound was definitely missing." Mouri nodded solemnly, his face grave, as he turned to look at the three suspects.
This case was indeed full of suspicious points.
From this moment on, the interrogation needed to be much more detailed!
The villa owner looked at his smashed window and his hands shook once again.
What a business to be in!
Just then, the main door of the villa was pushed open, and two officers walked in. "Inspector Yokomizo, the forensic results on the rifle are in!"
"Oh! Just in time!"
Inspector Yokomizo hurried over and picked up the report to read.
"The rifle originated from the hunting management center not far from this villa. It appears the rope was taken from there as well," the officer who had just entered explained the source of the weapon.
"The bullet that struck the victim's forehead was indeed fired from that hunting rifle."
"But... what is this?"
"The tail end of the bullet has a hole drilled into it, and the tip has been deliberately sharpened?"
Inspector Yokomizo looked at the photo attached to the report in his hand, falling into deep thought.
Why would the culprit go to such great lengths to do something like this?
"This really can't be judged by common sense." Mouri looked at the photo, then looked back at the three people sitting on the sofa, feeling a headache coming on.
Suspicious points everywhere... my head hurts!
"Inside the hole at the tail of the bullet, there are spiral grooves carved into it..." Inspector Yokomizo prepared to take it over to show Tsuneo.
"It looks just like a screw hole, doesn't it?"
A tender, childish voice piped up. Conan, having snuck out at some point, was standing on a side table, peering at the photo in the inspector's hand.
Sleeping obediently was never an option...
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