When the Detective Work is Done, I'll Die

Chapter 8

At first, I thought Miiko's words were filled with disappointment toward me. I looked back fearfully. I steeled myself, resolved that even if she were wearing a demon's mask, I absolutely wouldn't be surprised.

However, she placed a hand on my shoulder with an exaggerated bright smile that radiated cheerfulness. It seems she was neither angry nor sad.

Which means......?

"Thank you for getting the deduction this far! Just as I aimed for!"

"W-What are you saying!? I saw it even when the culprit spouted nonsense! No matter what you say now, you can't overturn this fact!"

The detective interjected from the side, lodging an objection to her. Frustrating as it is, given the current situation, it's the most reasonable thing. No matter how much the opponent piles on sophistry, it's still the testimony of someone the police trust. Against that, the words of someone actually suspected by the officers.

Unless the logic is perfectly sound, no one will listen. Until now, no evidence that could overturn everything had come to mind.

"Miiko......are you okay? You do have decisive evidence that can prove our innocence, right?"

Miiko already holds crucial evidence I don't know about......? When I ask her, she shakes her head sideways.

"It's fine."

A carefree word escapes her lips. Her attitude leaves me utterly astonished.

"Eh!? Hah!? It's not fine at all!? Why are you so fired up when you don't have anything!?"

"Because......!"

Before she can begin her explanation, a single officer enters the parlor. He's holding one sheet with simple investigation results written on it and what looks like an antique plate.

"Ah, detective. The results came out just like you said. You claimed this would narrow down the culprit, but are you sure?"

The detective, seemingly having no memory of asking for this, widens his eyes with "Hah!? Huh!?" and keeps making strange noises.

"I have no memory of requesting such a thing!"

"Huh, but that girl over there said the detective needed evidence......"

Miiko hurriedly photographs the crucial evidence paper with her smartphone. Then she misleads the officers.

"Ah, I thought it might be helpful and asked them to check the fingerprints on the antiques. I told them the detective would explode with rage unless we used the fastest method possible, no matter how simple."

"D-Don't go making people angry without permission! Besides, wh-what's up with that evidence!? I witnessed the incident itself, so whatever you say now is pointless, got it!? I keep saying it's pointless! Don't make me talk anymore!"

The detective flusters. While he's clearly panicking, Miiko parts her lips with a very cool expression.

She reads aloud the information written on the paper shown on her smartphone.

"Is that so? 'Two sets of fingerprints were detected on the antique. One belongs to the housekeeper, Mr. Hida. And the other is a single unknown fingerprint.'"

"So what if that's the case!?"

I see. That's what this was about.

Just as Miiko said, the detective had been shot by an arrow without realizing it. She had fired the poison arrow of decisive evidence from the very beginning, yet the detective kept talking through his mistaken deduction without caring.

The detective opens and closes his mouth, perhaps crushed by the shock. It's ridiculous. I can fully understand Miiko's delight at having fun after being certain of victory.

She stretches both arms horizontally and taunts the detective with "Still don't get it?"

Next she explains the meaning of the fingerprints the detective had demanded.

"This blood-stained shelf and the antique were side by side, so if the shelf is jolted, the antique shakes too. If someone bumps into the shelf in such a place, you know what happens, right?"

Without a doubt, the antique shelf would shake and items would clatter down. Mr. Furudou seems to be imagining the sight of expensive antiques breaking again, unable to stop the unpleasant shivering. Same for me. Thinking of the sound of antiques cracking, a weird voice leaks out.

"Hie......"

"Mr. Furudou, you understand too, right? They roll and fall. But when we entered, the antiques were properly arranged. Right? Look, I sent a photo to Hyoga's phone. Show everyone."

"Ah......! This one!"

Following her order, I display on my smartphone the photo of the shelf taken right after the incident to the suspects.

"The state immediately after the incident is recorded in the smartphone photo, so the fact they were neatly arranged is certain. In short, the culprit must have returned the antiques to their original positions for some reason after the crime!"

"Ah!"

Now the issue becomes the unknown fingerprint. With this......we can surely turn the tables.

The detective, cornered by Miiko's deduction, takes the paper from the officer and throws out a rebuttal.

"The unknown fingerprint is you guys! You touched it, didn't you!"

"Without gloves?"

"Yeah! I saw it! This is......"

His momentum fizzles out. The detective's mouth shrinks.

Miiko giggles and reveals the truth.

"Could you look at the bottom of the sheet? Look. It says this fingerprint doesn't belong to any high-school girl or high-school boy......right!?"

She declares it flatly. Up to that point it's fine, but I have one question for Miiko. With a delicate feeling, I whisper softly.

"How does the police know my fingerprints?"

"Ah. I fiddled with your belongings without permission. Had them pulled."

"Good. I thought I was on some watch list."

Once the haze in my head clears, Miiko resumes her deduction.

"Which means, the person most likely to touch it......would be Mr. Furudou. You touched it too, didn't you? This antique."

Perhaps because Mr. Furudou was suddenly called, his "Yes" came out hoarse.

"That's right. I did touch it......which means......the person who touched it and could have pushed him is the culprit......"

The heavy words Mr. Furudou spoke must have weighed on him as well.

Right. Riding on the result Miiko produced, I also speak up.

"So either Mr. Hida or Mr. Furudou. One of them is the culprit who killed Mr. Koyama......!"

The culprit is among us.

And Miiko and I are not the culprits.

The detective who gave absurd testimony is sprawled on the floor, tasting mental damage.

"You bastards...... smearing mud on my deduction......!"

Before I know it, my emotions surge and I'm gripping the detective's clothes.

"You......! Stop spouting random crap! Huh!? Ever consider how the suspects feel!?"

At those words, the detective moves his mouth again. At the same time, I realize we've let our guard down in the worst way.

This guy still hasn't learned his lesson. He won't admit he was pushing a nonsensical deduction!

"Hah!? What's random!?"

"You said you saw it! Do you know how desperate we got over that lie!?"

"Ah......that. If you didn't do it, just say you didn't. If a suspect blurts out info only the culprit could know thanks to my wild deduction, the mystery gets solved fast!"

That absurd lie was also part of his strategy.

A detective who deliberately chose a method that hurts people......there's no way I can forgive him.

My grip on his clothes tightens.

"You......!"

"What about you? I'm a detective, you're just a fool."

The bastard's head-butt slams into my forehead. For a few seconds my mind goes blank.

It hurts so much my head feels like splitting, it was strong. My hands naturally let go of his clothes.

"It hurts!? Wh-What......!?"

"You grabbed my only good suit, so I just did that. No problem, right? Officer!"

The officer jumps at his voice and yells "R-Right!" What do you mean no problem. A suspect is fighting right in front of you and you say no problem...... I can't trust the officer assigned to him.

I can't leave the investigation to them!

Time spent grappling with this guy and time spent protesting to the officer are all wasted. Let's quickly unravel the mystery of the incident and find the culprit.

"Ah......go ahead and search. Search all you like......"

The detective muttered those suspicious words. Was that said because he's certain we'll never find the truth......or......?