69: Chapter 69: Conan: The Pain is Real!

"Fujino-kun, you're here!"

Inside the coffee shop, Inspector Megure spotted Fujino arriving at the crime scene and greeted him warmly.

From the moment he saw Fujino, he knew the resolution of this case wasn't far off.

Conan, who had been analyzing the scene nearby, looked up at the sound.

He saw Fujino and Ran walk into the coffee shop together.

Why is that guy Fujino with Ran?

Didn't she say she was coming to see me?

Could it be?!

Instantly, Conan frowned.

Something felt wrong.

Suddenly, that deeply buried sense of crisis surged again. He felt a heavy weight on his head, as if a green light had just exploded above it.

Thinking this, Conan's gaze towards Fujino sharpened with a hint of hostility.

The desire to kick someone is hard to hide.

"Ran-neechan! You brought the cake back!"

Suppressing the urge to activate his power-kicking shoes and give Fujino a piece of his mind, Conan forced a childish smile and walked towards Ran.

"By the way, was the person you were meeting Big Brother Fujino?"

"Eh?"

Ran tilted her head slightly, laughing softly as she explained,

"No, I just ran into Fujino-senpai outside."

Not Fujino? Then who could it be?

Conan pondered internally.

"Mom! Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"

Just as Conan's little brain was whirring, Ran's cry interrupted his thoughts.

"Mom?"

He looked up, surprised, following the direction of Ran's voice.

He saw a beautiful professional woman wearing glasses and a deep purple business suit...

It was the attractive lawyer he'd noticed earlier!

"Ran, how did you get in?"

Eri Kisaki walked over, looking questioningly at Ran, who had entered the crime scene.

"Didn't they put up police tape outside?"

"It was Fujino-senpai,"

Ran explained with a small laugh, glancing towards Fujino, who was now entering the main crime scene area with Inspector Megure.

"I see!"

Eri Kisaki followed Ran's gaze, frowning slightly as she looked at Fujino in his black vest.

Another detective...

Why do I run into these detective brats everywhere?

Meanwhile, Conan was completely dumbfounded.

Was I wrong about Fujino again?

Recovering, he looked closely at Eri Kisaki again.

Though it had been a long time, her face hadn't changed much.

He was certain: that was Ran's mother, Eri Kisaki.

Staring at Eri, Conan couldn't help but swallow hard.

His small body, barely reaching Ran's thigh, trembled involuntarily.

Memories, buried for ten years, suddenly assaulted him with ferocious intensity!

Damn it, my head is starting to hurt again!

Meanwhile, Fujino had already followed Inspector Megure into the immediate crime scene.

The murder occurred inside a toilet stall.

The stall layout was typical, except for one odd feature: a window above the toilet that opened outwards...

Why would a toilet stall have an outward-opening window?

Is it designed for perverts?

Fujino was beyond making sarcastic comments.

"The victim's name is Himeno Yayoi, twenty-four years old, freelance."

Arriving at the scene, Inspector Megure first briefed Fujino on the victim's identity, then handed him a photograph.

"This is the state the victim was found in, just like this photo shows. Her body was slumped against the inside of the stall door."

The photo showed a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠woman lying sideways in the bathroom stall, pressed against the door.

A large amount of blood flowed from a knife wound in her chest.

Fujino studied the photo, stroking his chin.

After a moment's thought, he asked Megure,

"What was the cause of death?"

"Stabbed through the chest with a single blow. Died from excessive blood loss."

Megure frowned, then signaled a nearby officer before handing Fujino the murder weapon in an evidence bag.

Through the plastic bag, Fujino could clearly see the bloodstains on the dagger.

The drying blood covered the blade and handle, except for a strangely clean ring around the base of the blade, near the hilt.

If Fujino remembered correctly, this clean ring was the key to solving the case.

"Inspector!"

At that moment, a forensics officer called out from nearby.

"We found ligature marks on the victim's neck!"

Megure immediately hurried over. Looking at the marks on the corpse's neck, he began his own deduction aloud:

"I believe the killer must have strangled her unconscious first, to prevent her from seeing their face, before delivering the fatal stab wound."

Megure stood up slowly, glancing around the stall – the open window, the empty wallet lying on the floor.

He theorized:

"It seems the culprit initially just wanted ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to steal Ms. Himeno's money. But when she saw their face, they decided to kill her."

"Looking out the toilet window, you see an empty alley. The killer tossed the weapon and the empty wallet out the window onto the ground below, then used Ms. Himeno's body to block the stall door."

"So, the killer was likely hiding in this restroom stall, waiting for a victim. After murdering Ms. Himeno, they took all her money and escaped through the window."

"However, in their panic, they made one mistake – they left the murder weapon behind at the scene."

Finishing his deduction, Megure looked confidently at Fujino, seeking validation.

"Am I right, Fujino-kun?"

"I believe... that's likely incorrect,"

"Given the amount of blood Ms. Himeno lost, in such a confined space, the killer's hands should certainly have been covered in blood."

"Even if they wore gloves, they likely would have stepped in some blood... Yet, look at the windowsill. It's remarkably clean, isn't it?"

"Perhaps they wiped it clean,"

Megure suggested, looking puzzled.

"Unlikely."

Fujino shook his head firmly.

"If they were in such a panic, they wouldn't have had time to carefully wipe away blood traces. And if they were calm enough to clean the windowsill, they certainly wouldn't have carelessly left the murder weapon behind."

"Then what actually happened..."

Megure muttered, looking down. He noticed the expression on Fujino's face and paused.

That confident look... it seemed familiar!

"Fujino-kun, have you already figured out the method?!"

Megure asked, surprised by Fujino's confident demeanor.

"Yes,"

Fujino nodded.

"If my reasoning is correct, we just need to investigate who entered this restroom during the time after Ms. Himeno went in. That should identify our suspect."