Chapter 289: Detective Agency Hostage Incident 6
"Um... Conan said he found some information on the suspects. Maybe we can figure out who the 'Fox' is."
Sera Masumi held up her phone, relaying the information Conan had just rattled off to her.
"Ms. Mitsui Tamami, forty-one, unmarried. She helps with the business at her family's stone shop."
"Ms. Yuchi Shinobu, thirty-six, divorced once. She works at a bakery."
"Ms. Nihei Junka, thirty-nine. Her husband is a seal engraver."
Mouri Ran stroked her chin, her brow furrowed in thought. "It's all just basic information. I can't see Ms. Sawaguri's pattern for giving out nicknames from this."
Albedo, who had been observing quietly, took a slow, deliberate step toward Sawaguri Kaoru. His voice was calm, cutting through the tension in the room. "You want to find the person who killed your sister, don't you?"
At the mention of his sister, Sawaguri Kaoru's violent struggling ceased. His head lifted, and a flicker of desperate hope ignited in his eyes as he gave a slight, almost imperceptible nod.
Seeing the opening, Albedo pressed his advantage. "Alright. I'm going to ask you a few questions now. You must answer them truthfully."
Sawaguri Kaoru didn't hesitate, nodding quickly to show his willingness to cooperate.
With that, Albedo reached out, his movements unhurried. He gently took hold of the wad of paper stuffed in the man's mouth and slowly pulled it free.
The gag removed, Sawaguri Kaoru's mouth was finally his own again. He gasped, sucking in a deep, shuddering breath as if he were being reborn.
Albedo waited a moment for the man to recover before posing his questions. "Did your sister ever give you a nickname? Also, what are your profession and your hobbies?"
Sawaguri Kaoru's mind worked, dredging up a memory. "Yes," he rasped, his voice raw. "My sister once complained I was too noisy... she gave me a strange nickname—'Warbler'." He paused, then added, "I used to be the leader of a survival game team. The team had a name... 'Green Peaked Cap'. Is there anything else you want to ask?"
On the other end of the phone, Conan heard every word. The new information clicked into place with the details he already had. A flash of insight, bright and sudden, struck him, and he knew instantly who the 'Fox' in the message referred to.
"I've got it!" Conan's excited voice burst from the phone's speaker. "Sera-san, the Fox is Ms. Yuchi Shinobu!"
"The killer is Yuchi Shinobu." At almost the exact same moment, Albedo spoke his deduction aloud in the quiet office.
Sera Masumi blinked, her head swiveling between the phone and the scene before her. Hearing the same conclusion from two different people simultaneously, she and Ran couldn't help but ask in unison, "Why?"
Albedo glanced at the phone in Sera's hand, his tone dismissive. "It's a very simple deduction. Even an elementary school student could find the connection."
[Is that so? Then Traveler, did you figure it out, too?] Paimon's voice echoed in Natsume's mind, laced with doubt. She couldn't see the connection even after hearing the answer, and she was beginning to worry she was just slow.
Natsume's eyes shifted slightly. [Paimon, you know I'm not good at solving puzzles. The only reason I solved those treasure map clues before was because Alhaitham was helping me, so...]
[Oh, I see! That's great!] Paimon sounded immensely relieved. [So I'm not an idiot! The Traveler is right there with me.]
As if sensing her thoughts, Albedo's gaze flickered over to Natsume. He let out a silent, almost imperceptible sigh before turning to explain the deduction process to the room.
"Ms. Sawaguri Mihono's nickname pattern is related to the work or hobbies of the people she named. Sawaguri Kaoru's survival game team was called 'Green Peaked Cap', so he became 'Warbler'. The toast sold at the bakery where Ms. Yuchi works is baked to a golden-brown, a color often described as 'fox-colored'. Therefore, she is the 'Fox'."
He continued, his logic unfolding with cool precision. "By that same token, the seals her husband engraves are traditionally made of ivory, which is white. Thus, Ms. Nihei is the 'Elephant'. And the stone sold at Ms. Mitsui's family shop is a particular shade of 'mouse gray', making her the 'Mouse'."
After laying out the connections, Albedo's gaze settled on Yuchi Shinobu. His voice was polite, yet held an unyielding finality. "So, do you have any questions regarding my deduction?"
Yuchi Shinobu's first instinct was to argue. After all, even if his reasoning was sound, there was still no concrete evidence.
But when she looked up and met Albedo's calm, deep teal eyes, a chill shot through her. It felt as if those eyes could see straight through her, peeling back every layer of deceit and denial. He seemed to have seen everything, and any explanation or rebuttal she could offer would be utterly weak and futile. The feeling filled her with a deep, bone-deep fear, and she realized that continuing to argue was pointless.
Her head slumped forward, a puppet with its strings cut. Yuchi Shinobu gave up all resistance and confessed to what she had done.
"You killer! You bastard! Mmph—!"
The moment the confession left her lips, Sawaguri Kaoru erupted, his voice a torrent of curses.
Fortunately, Albedo was quicker. In a flash, he had snatched the wad of paper and stuffed it back into the man's mouth, cutting off the vitriol before Mouri Ran and Natsume could hear anything more they shouldn't.
Even gagged, Sawaguri Kaoru did not give up. His eyes, burning with a murderous hatred, remained fixed on the gun lying on the table. It was terrifyingly clear that if his hands weren't bound, he would have already snatched it up and put a bullet through Yuchi Shinobu without a second thought.
[Inorin's Note:
Enjoying the story? Dropping a quick review, comment, or Power Stone means the world to me!
Want to read ahead on our official home, or unlock 50 advanced chapters (plus an Ad-Free experience) to feed your addiction? Help keep this shameless translator alive here:
(P.S. Replace the [.] with a regular dot . to use the links!)
🌐 Official Website: elysianreads[.]com
✨ Patreon (50 Advanced Chapters & Ad-Free): patreon[.]com/InorinTL
☕ Ko-fi (Support / Sponsor): ko-fi[.]com/InorinTL
Thank you so much for reading and keeping this project alive!]