53: Chapter 53: Tanaka Eats... History?

"Inspector! His younger brother is back!"

Just as Fujino and Megure Juzo were searching one of the rooms, a uniformed officer entered, accompanied by a refined-looking man.

The man looked identical to the grumpy homeowner they'd encountered earlier.

"Hello, officers. My name is Tanaka Tomofumi. I work at a securities firm..."

(Tanaka Tomofumi. Fujino processed the name. Tanaka eats... history? What a weird name...)

As Fujino stared, slightly bewildered by the name, the man greeted them politely. Then, looking around at the officers searching the house, he asked with concern,

"What on earth happened here? Why are the police tearing our house apart?"

"Tanaka-san,"

Megure explained,

"we received a report from the public stating that a dead body was discovered inside your residence."

"What? A dead body?"

Tanaka Tomofumi looked shocked.

"It's just my older brother and me living here. How could there possibly be someone else's body?"

Before he could finish, a shout echoed from upstairs:

"Hey! It's too noisy! Can't you all keep it down?!"

"Sorry, brother!"

Tanaka Tomofumi called back upstairs apologetically. He then turned back to the officers, scratching his head sheepishly.

"My apologies. My older brother has quite a temper. Even the slightest noise tends to set him off. If possible, could you please try to be quieter during your search?"

"Understood,"

Megure nodded, then asked curiously,

"By the way, what does your brother do for a living? Why is he so irritable?"

"My brother is a freelance writer. He mostly stays home writing poetry and such these days."

Megure nodded again, understanding dawning. Freelance writer.

A nice way of saying 'unemployed aspiring author who deludes himself while mooching off family'. No wonder he was grumpy.

"We've checked the attic and under the floorboards. The only place left is your brother's room."

The search continued, but despite turning the house upside down, they hadn't found the body Conan and the others had reported. Finally, Megure's attention focused on the brother's room – the only area left unsearched.

"Brother!"

They gathered outside the closed door. Tanaka Tomofumi knocked first. No answer. He pushed the door open slightly, peered inside, then quietly waved the others in.

"Come in quickly. He's asleep."

"Asleep?"

Fujino, Megure, and one other officer entered the room.

It was sparsely furnished: a row of cabinets lined one wall, opposite a bulky CRT television. A floor lamp stood beside the TV, and a single armchair sat in front of it. On a small table next to the chair rested a landline telephone.

And there, slumped in the armchair facing the TV, was the man who had been yelling just moments before, apparently 'fast asleep'.

Fujino studied the seated figure, frowning. After a moment's thought, he walked over to the man and remarked pointedly to Tanaka Tomofumi,

"You know, Tanaka-san, you and your brother look remarkably alike."

"Yes, people often say that,"

Tanaka Tomofumi replied calmly, though a bead of sweat trickled down his temple, betraying his inner panic. He quickly moved towards Fujino.

"Alright, sir, please step away from my brother. He has a heart condition. Waking him suddenly could trigger an episode..."

"Is that so?"

Fujino reached out and gently patted the man's shoulder.

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠moment his hand made contact, the body in the chair slumped forward, tumbling lifelessly onto the floor.

"..."

After a stunned silence, Tanaka Tomofumi rushed forward.

"Brother! What's wrong?!"

He grabbed the body, shaking it frantically.

"Wake up! Wake up!"

"Let me see!"

Megure hurried over. He checked the man's pulse, then looked up at Tanaka Tomofumi with grim sympathy, shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, Tanaka-san. Your brother... he's already deceased."

"How can this be?!"

Tanaka Tomofumi collapsed backward onto the floor, his face a mask of disbelief.

"My brother... how could he..."

His grief quickly turned to accusation as he pointed a trembling finger at Fujino.

"It must have been you! You startled him while he was sleeping! That's why he suddenly died!"

"No, that's not possible,"

Megure interjected, examining the body.

"If he had just died, the body would still be warm. Judging by the rigor mortis setting in, he's been dead for some time."

Megure might not have been a brilliant detective, but years on the force had taught him the basics.

"How?!"

Tanaka Tomofumi buried his face in his hands, sobbing.

"Then... then did my brother ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠die from a heart attack earlier?"

"If it were a heart attack, his pale complexion would fit the symptoms,"

Megure sighed, feeling uncomfortable.

"That's not it."

Fujino suddenly pulled back the curtains, drawing everyone's attention. He turned, his voice low and firm.

"The victim didn't die of a heart attack. He was drowned!"

"Oh?"

Megure looked surprised.

"Fujino-kun, have you figured out the truth?"

"If I'm not mistaken, the murderer is none other than the victim's younger brother, Tanaka Tomofumi!"

"Impossible!"

Tanaka Tomofumi retorted immediately.

"My brother was just talking moments ago! And I was with you the entire time!"

He appealed to Megure.

"Isn't that right, officer?"

"That is true,"

Megure nodded, looking confused.

"Fujino-kun, are you sure you're not mistaken? You heard his brother shout just like we did."

"I heard it, yes. However..."

A knowing smirk played on Fujino's lips. He pulled out his cellphone and pressed a call button.

Instantly, the same angry voice echoed through the room:

"Hey! It's too noisy! Can't you all keep it down?!"

But this time, the voice came from the landline telephone sitting on the table beside the now-empty armchair.

"If I'm not mistaken," Fujino stated coolly,

"the body Conan and the others saw earlier... belonged to this Tanaka-san's older brother!"