Miwako Sato crouched down in front of Akashi, her strikingly beautiful face appearing before the young shota.
As expected of the Metropolitan Police Department's famed beauty, Miwako had a distinctive, eye-catching appearance—tall, long-legged, and undeniably charming.
The only thing missing was… well, certain 'curves' in front.
She asked, "Akashi, what do you think is going on?"
Akashi turned his gaze toward the pudgy bank manager before posing a question of his own.
"Officer Sato, Officer Takagi, the moment you arrived, why did you go straight to the second floor?"
Takagi thought for a moment before answering, "As soon as we got here, Mr. Masuo told everyone to split up and search."
"Now that you mention it... he specifically asked us to check the second floor!"
Akashi chuckled. "Now, that's strange!"
"Mr. Masuo, just a moment ago, you clearly stated that your wife always rides the exercise bike in the living room at two o'clock every afternoon."
"So why did you send everyone away the moment you came back?"
"Wouldn't the natural reaction be to walk into the living room together?"
At those words, sweat suddenly began forming on Keizo Masuo's forehead.
Conan, the little detective, quickly added, "What's even stranger is that the moment you open the living room door, you should have seen the body immediately."
"But instead, you only screamed after a delay, like you did something before reacting! Alelele?"
Hearing Conan echo the same suspicion, everyone's eyes turned sharply toward Keizo Masuo.
The middle-aged bank manager's face darkened, and his embarrassment quickly turned to anger.
"What are you trying to say!? That I killed my wife?!"
"I was at the Metropolitan Police Department when she died!"
"What kind of investigation is this? Aren't you supposed to be professionals?!"
"If you let these brats keep spouting nonsense, believe it or not, I'll file an official complaint against you!"
At those words, Shiratori moved to eject the two children from the scene.
But before he could act, Akashi sneered.
"Oh? Looks like the dog's cornered and ready to bite."
"Who said anything about you having an alibi?"
"You didn't personally kill her—but you staged an alibi to make it look that way!"
Keizo Masuo's expression froze for a brief moment.
Then, regaining his composure, he turned his focus back to Shiratori, pressing him.
"Are you seriously going to let this kid keep talking? Do you have any idea who my connections are? I know your father!"
Shiratori's face twisted in discomfort as he hesitated.
Ran immediately frowned, stepping forward protectively in front of Akashi.
But before she could say anything, Miwako reached out and scooped Akashi into her arms.
Her intention was obvious—she wasn't going to let Shiratori throw him out.
Miwako stared coldly at Keizo Masuo.
"Mr. Masuo, if you're truly innocent, why are you so angry?"
"What harm is there in letting this child speak? At worst, it'll only take a few minutes."
Keizo Masuo's face turned red with fury as he pointed at Miwako and roared:
"You're hell-bent on going against me, huh? You really think I won't make a single phone call and have you suspended?!"
His words were laced with confidence and authority—so much so that even Takagi looked shaken.
Nihongo's Metropolitan Police officers were often in a vulnerable position when it came to dealing with powerful figures.
Especially when facing members of major corporations, high-ranking bank executives, or influential government officials, they were expected to tread carefully.
And Keizo Masuo clearly had connections.
Shiratori discreetly shook his head at Miwako, signaling her not to push too hard.
But Miwako only tightened her hold on Akashi.
With a click of her high heels, she stepped forward—this time, standing protectively in front of Ran.
Miwako smirked, her gaze unwavering as she met Keizo Masuo's furious eyes.
"Go ahead. Make that call. Let's see if you really have the power to get me suspended."
Her voice was firm, unwavering.
"But you'd better hope you're innocent. Because if you're threatening a police officer while being guilty of this crime, I'll make sure your words today are added to the indictment!"
Miwako wasn't the type to back down.
She had no patience for arrogant bank managers who thought their wealth could bend justice.
Of course, she knew that standing up for what was right often came at a cost.
But she had learned from her father—learned through his sacrifice—that justice was worth any price.
No matter the situation, Miwako would always stand on the side of justice.
Akashi looked at the brave and resolute Miwako, then at the hesitant Takagi and the uneasy Shiratori.
In that moment, he understood why so many people admired Miwako.
She truly was the flower of the Metropolitan Police Department, with eyes as bright as the stars.
And being held by her, he couldn't help but feel an inexplicable sense of security.
But Miwako shouldn't have to bear all the pressure alone.
So Akashi immediately spoke up.
"This guy went as far as robbing a bank and killing his own wife."
"And yet, he acts like he has the power to suspend officers? Please—he's just bluffing!"
At those words, all eyes turned to Keizo Masuo.
Sweat once again beaded on the middle-aged man's forehead.
Shiratori hesitated before asking, "But how did he kill her? Didn't you say he was at the Metropolitan Police Department when the crime happened?"
Akashi let out a small sigh, shaking his head.
"Seriously? Haven't you ever heard of setting up a mechanism?"
He gestured toward the exercise bike.
"Look over there. See that spinning bike?"
"All he had to do was use a fishing line to rig the bookcase and footrest, fixing the dagger in place on the shelf."
"Knowing that Mrs. Masuo always exercised at this time, he called her while she was cycling, keeping her distracted."
"As the fishing line tightened with each pedal stroke, it eventually pulled the bookcase down, triggering the mechanism and sending the dagger straight into her body."
"If you don't believe me, check the wound. The dagger that killed her should have been inserted horizontally—totally different from a normal assassination, which is typically a vertical stab."
Takagi rushed to examine the body.
Moments later, his eyes widened in shock.
"He's right! The dagger did penetrate horizontally!"
Akashi nodded.
"Now, take me to the exercise bike. There should still be some fishing line left on the pedals that he didn't have time to remove."
Miwako carried Akashi over, and the others gathered around.
Sure enough, tangled fishing lines were still caught on the pedals.
Keizo Masuo's face turned pale.
His body trembled before he slumped onto the floor in complete defeat.
It was over.
Akashi continued, his tone sharp:
"If I'm right, when he pushed you two earlier, he used that moment to lift the bookcase."
"There should still be bloodstains on it. Have the forensic team test it."
"And while you're at it, search for that guy's body. He should still have something on him that was used to fix the dagger in place—maybe tape, maybe thumbtacks. Either way, he didn't have time to dispose of it. It's still on him."
"As for the motive… it has to be connected to the Haido Bank robbery."
"This guy should have collaborated with others, helping them from the inside to steal the cash."
"But fate played a cruel joke—Mrs. Masuo was kidnapped in the process."
"During the kidnapping, she unknowingly recognized one of the robbers as her husband's friend. That's when she pieced everything together."
"She probably planned to use this as leverage against you, didn't she?"
"That's why she set up a meeting with Officer Takagi at five o'clock in the afternoon."
"But instead of letting her expose you… you killed her first!"
Keizo Masuo, still slumped on the ground, slowly lifted his head.
His gaze darkened as he stared at his dead wife's lifeless body.
Then, gritting his teeth, he growled:
"That greedy woman… We stole 500 million yen and had the audacity to demand 400 million for herself!"
"How could she possibly expect to take such a large cut when she was holding a pistol to my head?!"
"I warned her. I told her over and over again."
"But she wouldn't listen. She just couldn't figure it out. She was practically begging for death! So tell me—who's really to blame here?!"
With a bitter chuckle, Keizo Masuo reached into his pocket and tossed out a roll of tape.
"Heh… I pulled off the perfect crime, only to get outplayed by a damn kid."
"Guess that's just my rotten luck."
The police immediately moved in, restraining Keizo Masuo before beginning their interrogation.
They needed to know the names of his accomplices in the bank heist.
And with no other options left, the defeated Keizo Masuo confessed everything, hoping for a reduced sentence.
Not long after, Inspector Megure arrived with his team, having heard about the breakthrough in the case.
With Keizo Masuo's confession, they could now track down his co-conspirators and finally bring the Haido Bank robbers to justice.
And so, both the robbery case and the murder of the bank manager's wife had finally reached their conclusion.
Meanwhile, Akashi absorbed another wave of Yin energy infusion—a reward well earned for his deductions.