The police concluded that Miku Sawaguri’s death was a suicide.
However, IsaoSawaguri was far from convinced. While he acknowledged that the room was indeed locked, there were several suspicious details at the scene.
"When I found my sister lying in the bathroom, I panicked and called an ambulance. But just then, I heard a soft cracking sound by the window. I rushed over and saw glass shards scattered on the balcony outside—now isn’t that weird!? I had broken the window from the outside to get in, so how could any glass end up outside on the balcony?"
"And there’s more. Before the police arrived, I noticed bloody palm prints on the bathmat in front of the bathroom. I believe those were left when my sister tried to crawl out after the killer slashed her wrists!"
"Otherwise, how would blood end up on the mat!?"
As he explained, it was clear—if this were really a suicide, too many things didn’t add up.
"Didn’t the police investigate those inconsistencies?" Yoshiki asked.
"They did! And when they couldn’t figure anything out, they just closed the case!"
"So sloppy?" Kogoro Mouri exclaid in disbelief.
It was rare to hear him call soone else sloppy.
Hayashi Yoshiki, watching IsaoSawaguri, casually pulled out a notebook.
"What was the na of that officer?" he asked.
"Yamamura Misao," Zakuri spat, teeth clenched in frustration.
"That useless excuse for a police officer..."
A total muggle in the force...
"Never mind then," Yoshiki muttered.
IsaoSawaguri glanced at the notebook, but seeing it posed no threat, didn’t stop him.
He then shifted topics—explaining why he had gathered the three won at Mouri Detective Agency.
"All three of you visited my sister’s room shortly before she died, didn’t you!?"
He suddenly raised his voice and aid the gun at them.
The three middle-aged won’s expressions tensed.
"Yes!" one confessed. "In fact, all four of us—including Miku-san—agreed that whoever sold a million copies of their novel first would treat the others to a hot spring trip!"
"In the end, Miku-san was the first to hit that mark. So we decided to ask her to autograph her breakthrough novel during the trip—we thought we could post it on SNS to create so buzz."
"So yes, each of us visited her room that day—but our visits were spaced out."
Each woman then produced the signed book she received that day.
Seeing this, IsaoSawaguri pulled out a printed page—posts that his sister had made using his SNS account, where she vented her frustrations.
"The first one to co bother for a signature was the elephant. I had just gotten out of the bath—my hair wasn’t even dry yet. What a nuisance of an elephant."
"The second one was the fox. She started making ridiculous demands—so annoying! I already signed the book, now just go!"
"The last one was the mouse. A swift attack. I should’ve kicked her out right after signing... Damn it, she won’t leave. And now... I’m starting to feel sleepy. What should I do...?"
Kogoro Mouri read the docunt aloud.
With so many detectives present, attention naturally turned toward the three won.
Amuro temporarily shifted his focus from IsaoSawaguri’s detonator to study them, trying to match the animal nicknas with their identities.
Natsuki Koshimizu did the sa.
"Honestly, Miku Sawaguri doesn’t sound like soone who was planning to end her own life," Natsuki Koshimizu said.
"And she ntioned feeling sleepy after the ’mouse’ ca to visit... Could it be the mouse used so thod to drug her, then staged the suicide?"
In the room:
—The plump woman, Mitsui Tamami, fit the elephant.
—The tall and thin woman, Sumika Nihei, had sharp features like a fox.
—The short woman with rodent-like front teeth, Shinobu Yuchi, likely matched the mouse.
While everyone was focused on the three suspects, Hayashi Yoshiki quietly started writing in his notebook.
Scratch, scratch, scratch...
Then the three won showed their signed books again.
Interestingly, the signature page in Sumika Nihei’s copy was wrinkled, likely from getting wet and drying.
Shinobu Yuchi’s book was immaculately preserved.
But Mitsui Tamami’s book was damaged.
"That’s because Miku-san had already signed the book, but when handing it back, she deliberately teased and wouldn’t give it to right away. That day, I had a stomach ache—when I asked to use her bathroom, she refused! She said she needed it herself. But she had already bathed in the public hot spring! She just wanted to embarrass !"
"How do you know she lied?" Yoshiki asked.
"Because when I left, I accidentally put on her slippers. They were damp and warm—just like soone who’d just returned from the bath."
With the gun pointed at her, Mitsui didn’t dare lie.
But her comnt made Sumika Nihei frown.
"That’s odd. When I visited her room, her slippers were neatly by the door. They weren’t wet or warm."
"You probably just wore your own slippers," Shinobu Yuchi said.
"Maybe you sweat more—"
"That’s insulting! I have dry skin!"
"Enough with the bickering, you old hags!"
Seeing them on the verge of starting a fight, Isao Sawaguri shouted angrily.
His eyes flashed as he scanned the three won—then suddenly turned his gun toward Hayashi Yoshiki.
"You’ve been scribbling in that notebook this whole ti. Aren’t you the guy who can solve a case in an instant!?"
"This isn’t a cri scene," Yoshiki replied calmly, setting down his pen.
"To solve it, we at least need to understand the full picture first, don’t you think?"
"Then what’ve you been writing!? Let see it!"
Though he wasn’t very sharp, Isao Sawaguriknew enough to be cautious. If Yoshiki was trying to use his notes to pass ssages or plan a counterattack, he needed to check it.
Yoshiki paused.
"Hand it over!"
Gun raised, Isao Sawaguribarked the command.
With a calm expression, Hayashi Yoshiki held out his notebook.
Isao Sawaguritook it and glanced at the contents—
And imdiately... his brow furrowed.
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