21st Century Necromancer

With Chen Yu's assistance, the comparison of the DNA obtained from the UDI to that of the killer was quickly completed, and the police acted rapidly, arresting the suspect at the earliest opportunity and bringing him back to the police station.

"Yamada Yonegoro, right? Can you tell me where you were last Friday night?" Inside the interrogation room at the police station, Officer Maori looked at the man before him—dressed in a suit and glasses, and well-mannered—finding it hard to connect him with crimes of burglary and sexual assault leading to death. To Officer Maori, he just didn't seem like someone capable of burglary.

"Last Friday night?" Yamada Yonegoro adjusted his glasses, not quite understanding why the police had arrested him. Although the officers had explained upon his arrest that they needed his cooperation in an investigation involving a burglary turned sexual assault resulting in death, he still couldn't comprehend his connection with this case.

However, Yamada Yonegoro also knew that in such situations, it was best to tell the truth to clear oneself of suspicion to the greatest extent possible. Thus, he began to speak, "Last Friday, I was working overtime at the company all the way until after 2 o'clock in the morning. Since it was too late, there were no buses or subways running, so I took a taxi home."

"Working overtime until 2 in the morning?" Officer Maori frowned upon hearing Yamada Yonegoro's statement, exchanging a puzzled look with his assistant.

According to the previous UDI autopsy report, the time of death was estimated to be between 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. If Yamada Yonegoro was truly working overtime as he claimed, then he would have an alibi, making it impossible for him to be the murderer.

Considering this, Officer Maori pressed him, "Can anyone verify your story? Were you really working overtime?"

"Yes, it was a very important project, so the company has been working overtime lately." Yamada Yonegoro explained to Officer Maori, and despite feeling somewhat scared and uneasy, he appeared quite composed, without any panicked inconsistencies in his statements: "At the time, the design brief I was responsible for wasn't finished, so I worked until after 2 a.m. There were also several colleagues working overtime at the company; they can testify for me."

"After leaving the company, where did you go? Did you head straight home?" Though Officer Maori couldn't find any holes in Yamada Yonegoro's story, he still wasn't willing to overlook any detail.

Yamada Yonegoro nodded and reflected for a moment before continuing, "Our company is in Setagaya Ward, and I live in Musashino City. Without buses or subways, I had to take a taxi home. It was so late by then, all I wanted was to get home and sleep."

Upon hearing that Yamada Yonegoro's company was in Setagaya Ward and his home was in Musashino City, Officer Maori's face immediately soured. Miyoshi Yoko's home was in Sumida Ward, which was half of Tokyo away from the Setagaya and Musashino City locations mentioned by Yamada Yonegoro. To travel there, even taking the subway would require an hour or two.

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Upon receiving the report from Officer Maori, everyone at the UDI was taken aback. The suspect identified by DNA comparison now had a perfect alibi, leaving everyone in confusion.

Yamada Yonegoro might indeed have been lying, but after Officer Maori investigated his company and found both the taxi he took home that Friday night and the receipt he kept in his wallet for reimbursement, both Officer Maori and the UDI personnel had to admit that Yamada Yonegoro indeed had no opportunity to commit the crime.

Because it was impossible for an ordinary person to travel from Setagaya Ward and Musashino City across half of Tokyo to Sumida Ward on the east side, commit a crime, and return without anyone noticing.

The investigation had reached a deadlock.

Dr. Misumi trusted her forensic report because while people might lie, material evidence does not. If there was a mistake, it had to be somewhere else.

Dr. Misumi reviewed her forensic report again. Everything was correct, the tissue from under the victim's nails matched the DNA of the body fluids found on the victim left by the killer, confirming they were from the same person, and that person was the killer.

Although no fingerprints or footprints were recovered, the DNA was conclusive evidence on its own. Each person's DNA is unique; there are no two people in the world with identical DNA, not even in twins, so the suspect identified through the DNA comparison was definitely the perpetrator.

But why did Yamada Yonegoro, the man caught by the DNA match, have a perfect alibi?

Dr. Misumi was plunged into frustration and confusion.

Kube Rokuro, who was apt to overthink, found it all very strange, and couldn't help but entertain some ideas. He scooted his chair closer to Dr. Misumi and quietly asked her, "Dr. Misumi, do you think there is something wrong with the suspect Officer Maori caught? Could it be that he used some method we're unaware of to commit the crime, or maybe he is...?"

"He is what?" Dr. Misumi glanced at Kube Rokuro, accustomed to his wild flights of fancy often spurred by reading too many detective novels. However, in this current impasse, she figured that listening to his new ideas might not hurt and could perhaps provide some inspiration.

"It's that thing!" Hesitant due to Tokairin Yuko being present, Kube Rokuro spoke softly and cautiously.

Nevertheless, Dr. Misumi understood his intended meaning, and she nodded in sudden realization but felt the possibility was slim.
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Kube Rokuro's guess was essentially that Yamada Yonegoro was a Transcendent. He speculated that Yamada Yonegoro used special abilities of Transcendents to commit the crime undetected by police.

But in Dr. Misumi's opinion, if Yamada Yonegoro was a Transcendent and had used Transcendent abilities to commit a crime, then surely he wouldn't have left such conspicuous evidence behind. The police had also investigated Yamada Yonegoro's financial status; he had no financial issues, his wife at home was very young and beautiful, and they had a loving relationship, indicating no motive for burglary or sexual assault and murder.

"Not very likely. From the results of Officer Maori's investigation, he doesn't seem to be the one." Dr. Misumi shook her head, dismissing Kube Rokuro's speculation. She thought for a moment and then said to him, "Rokuro, could you please go to the master's place again this afternoon and inquire if there was a mistake during the DNA comparison earlier?"

"Oh, I understand," replied Kube Rokuro, his mood visibly deflating upon being dismissed by Dr. Misumi.