"It was nothing more than a simple trick involving ice."
Ritsu looked around at everyone present and slowly explained, "When you entered the room, you all noticed how unusually hot it was, right? If this case absolutely must have a killer, then that killer would be the victim himself, Akiyoshi Fujie."
After hearing Ritsu's explanation, Megure suddenly realized the truth.
"I see now! Akiyoshi used ice blocks to secure the kitchen knife in place and committed suicide that way!"
'Looks like Inspector Megure really did have some ability after all.'
Ritsu nodded approvingly and continued, "That's right. All Akiyoshi needed to do was secure the kitchen knife upright using square blocks of ice, turn the central heating up to the maximum temperature, then stand on this chair and throw himself onto the knife in one motion."
Walking over to the body, he crouched down and pointed toward the dent in the floor.
"This indentation was used to stabilize the knife handle. As the room temperature continued rising, the ice melted away, which is why the blood became diluted. The remaining moisture around the body is further proof that Akiyoshi committed suicide."
Ritsu then looked toward Eiichi, who had visibly relaxed in relief. His gaze landed on the man's right pocket, which he had been deliberately concealing.
"I assume Akiyoshi grabbed something related to Okino-san before he died. Yamagishi-san, you were the one who removed it, weren't you?"
Eiichi froze briefly before reluctantly pulling a strand of brown hair from his pocket. "I'm sorry, Inspector. I thought Yoko was the killer, so I…"
"Harboring a criminal is punishable by law," Ritsu said coldly. "Fortunately for you, this case turned out to be nothing more than the victim's own staged performance."
People's awareness of the law really was weak these days. Then again, from another perspective, he certainly was a very dedicated manager.
Yoko asked in confusion, "Wait, Inspector Onizawa… why would Fujie-kun do something like this? Why would he commit suicide in my apartment and try to frame me?"
"Probably because he still loved you very much."
Ritsu cast an indifferent glance at the corpse before continuing his deduction.
"Ikegami-san and you have very similar silhouettes from behind. I think he mistook Ikegami for you. Afraid that you would ignore him, he tried to restrain her through force."
"After meeting resistance, Akiyoshi was likely deeply shocked. He realized that the love he desperately wanted to recover meant nothing to you anymore, so his affection twisted into despair and resentment."
"But—!" Yoko recalled the bittersweet memories of her first love from high school and asked in confusion, "But he was the one who broke up with me! Then why would he still…"
"You're mistaken, Yoko." Filled with guilt, Yamagishi finally gathered the courage to reveal the truth.
"I was the one who asked him to break up with you. It was for the sake of your idol career and your future. I'm sorry."
"How could this…"
Naturally, Ritsu didn't know much about love. But he could not understand Akiyoshi's actions. Looking at the quietly grieving Yoko, he asked in a low voice,
"Is he really worth crying over?"
"?"
He walked over to the cabinet, shook a cigarette loose from the pack, and lit it with the oddly shaped lighter. Sliding his glasses back onto his face, he spoke calmly.
"If I liked someone, then even if she didn't feel the same way, I should respect her choice instead of resorting to something so extreme."
"If your manager hadn't removed that strand of hair… if the lead investigator hadn't been me… then perhaps you would've become the central figure in a major wrongful conviction and spent the rest of your life in prison."
Ritsu lazily exhaled a stream of smoke. His crimson eyes stared directly at Yoko as he asked in an even tone,
"So are you still going to grieve over a love twisted beyond repair?"
Yoko widened her eyes, unable to answer for a moment.
The others present were equally surprised as they looked toward Ritsu. Most people's first instinct had been to view the dead man as tragically devoted and misunderstood. Yet Ritsu was the first to recognize that even if such a relationship were revived, it would only rot and decay all over again.
It seemed he didn't actually need her answer. Because he never cared what the answer was to begin with. Ritsu yawned and pretended to look sleepy before waving toward Megure.
"Inspector Megure, I'll leave the rest to you. I'm heading back to rest."
"Got it. Sorry for dragging you into this so late tonight. Be careful on your way home."
"Mm."
As his foot stepped past the entryway, Ritsu suddenly seemed to remember something. He stepped back inside, rummaged through his pockets, and handed his cigarette pack to Yoko with a smile.
"One more favor, Okino."
"Eh… do you want me to buy you cigarettes?" Yoko asked in confusion while looking at the cigarette pack.
"No. Please sign your name on it. I'm a fan of yours."
His face was filled with insincere politeness as Ritsu once again spoke words completely against his true feelings. If he wanted to build a persona entirely different from his former self, perhaps he should learn from Vodka and start following idol celebrities he previously had no interest in whatsoever.
"Ah… o-okay."
After signing the pack and handing it back absentmindedly, Yoko watched as Ritsu left without looking back even once.
Tilting her head slightly, she muttered inwardly,
'What a strange inspector… He clearly isn't actually a fan, yet he still asked for my autograph.'
After all, no real fan would remain that calm while their idol was caught in such a crisis. And no fan would use a cigarette pack for an autograph, then stuff it back into their pocket without even checking the signature afterward.
Naturally, Ritsu didn't care what Yoko thought.
He took the elevator down to the lobby and stepped out of the apartment building through the long corridor. The bitterly cold night wind outside made him shiver involuntarily.
Adjusting the glasses resting on his nose, he found they at least blocked some of the wind well enough to keep it from blowing directly into his eyes.
Raising a hand, he hailed a taxi. The moment he got inside, his glasses immediately fogged over again.
"Tch."
So much for praising them. They failed in less than a minute.
Ritsu removed his glasses and wiped away the mist with a handkerchief before glancing at the driver, who had turned to look at him.
"Take me to 5-44 Mita Town, Minato Ward."
Rather than continuing to stay in a hotel, he had purchased the penthouse suite of a luxury apartment complex.
Taking the elevator to the very top, the forty-seventh floor, he entered a thirty-two-character password made up of letters and numbers. The fully automated smart door slowly slid open like something straight out of a futuristic capsule.
Back when he first got into the taxi, he had already used a mobile app to remotely turn on the heating in the apartment. After removing his trench coat, Ritsu glanced at the time on his wristwatch.
1:37 AM.
There were less than seven hours left before work tomorrow, yet he felt no trace of sleepiness.
Barefoot on the black walnut hardwood floor, he walked over to the bar counter tucked into the corner of the living room. The wine cabinet was packed full of expensive red wines of all varieties, along with numerous brands of liquor.
After selecting three bottles, he loosened the black necktie around his collar with one hand and tossed it onto the counter. Unbuttoning the cuffs of his shirt and rolling up his sleeves, he began mixing a drink.
Dry gin, cherry brandy, and dry vermouth were poured into a mixing glass with several ice cubes. After stirring the ingredients together, he strained the cocktail into a stemmed glass.
Kiss in the Dark.
A cocktail perfectly suited for the night.
Bzzzt. Bzzzt.
Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Tokyo's nighttime skyline, he pulled out his phone and saw an email from Vermouth displayed on the screen.
[Vermouth: I assume you're not asleep.]
His slender fingers tapped across the keypad. After sending his reply, he immediately powered the phone off.
For now, he wanted to enjoy a quiet night undisturbed by anyone.
----
Far away in Los Angeles, Vermouth had just finished lunch. Seeing his response come through, she set down her knife and fork.
The moment she read the contents of the email, a smile spread across her lips.
[Augier: Isn't it thanks to you that I developed insomnia?]
"But I also kept you young forever, isn't it?"
----
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