People are in Conan, but Ace Attorney

Chapter 381: Great Ace Attorney... No Way! (12)

"Then, the defense will examine the witness's sixth statement [the note said the book was placed inside the car in the garage and asked me to get it quickly or it would be gone]."

"May I ask why you didn't submit this evidence to the police for investigation as soon as the case happened?"

Xiang Yuanguang took a sip of coffee and looked calmly at Fujisawa Toshiaki at the testimony stand.

Fujisawa Toshiaki replied without hesitation.

"Because that note said that there were similar notes in other people's rooms."

"Plus, Ayako Ooki suddenly went to the garage to look for that first collection of books."

"I just thought the police should have found the other notes, so it doesn't matter whether I hand this one in or not..."

"Is that so? Isn't that right?"

Prosecutor Sugiura at the prosecutor's seat began to sweat again.

If that's the case, doesn't that mean the police didn't just miss Fujisawa Toshiaki's note at the scene?
The notes in other people's rooms were not found either? Isn't that a major dereliction of duty?
Shouldn't the criminal in charge of this case be directly punished for his poor performance?
"There shouldn't be... no other notes with similar content at the crime scene, right?"

"I have asked other witnesses in this case, and they all said they had never seen a similar note."

"Witness, where is your note now? Can you take it out and see what it says?"

It was as if he had sensed the changes in Prosecutor Sugiura's psychological process.

Xiang Yuanguang gently tapped his forehead with his finger and then shook his head.

"Prosecutor Sugiura, don't panic. It is true that only the victim, Fujisawa Toshiaki, received the note at the crime scene."

"The police investigation did not go wrong because the murderer's purpose was very clear."

"Kanaya Hiroyuki and Fujisawa Toshiaki are the murderer's real targets."

"Ayako Oki was just an unexpected accident."

The Hedgehog Head snapped his fingers and held up the evidence he had prepared long ago.

"Watch this! The evidence that can prove everything is this!"

Show the evidence [the note received by Fujisawa Toshiaki]!
The contents inside are projected directly for everyone to see.

[A first edition of Sherlock Holmes' novel is hidden under the back seat of a car in the garage.]

[If you want to get this novel, please get it as soon as possible. ]

[Because other people have received this note, if you are late you will get nothing. ]

Then the presiding judge blinked his eyes, his confusion visible to the naked eye.

"Uh, Attorney Xiang Yuan, how can this piece of evidence prove that Fujisawa Toshiaki is the real target of the murderer?"

"How can we prove that the police investigation was flawless when there was only this one note?"

"According to Mr. Fujisawa's testimony, Miss Oki Ayako also went to the garage for this reason and died, right?"

"Then there is at least one note like this that hasn't been discovered yet, and it's in the possession of Ms. Oki Ayako!"

What the bald old man said was naturally what Prosecutor Sugiura thought.

He subconsciously reached out and fiddled with his wig——————

Then I realized that I didn't seem to be wearing a wig when I came in, I was just blowing the air.

According to this idea, only the person who received the note would go to the garage to look for the book.

And the person who finds that book will die as a result. Isn't this a very normal logical chain?

Why did Xiang Yuanguang say that the existence of this note itself could prove his hypothesis?
"Is it possible that Oki Ayako never received any note from the beginning?"

"Fujisawa Toshiaki saw the note in his room in the early morning of the third day."

"And during the same time period, where was Oki Ayako? In the restaurant."

"How could she get the note like Fujisawa Toshiaki?"

The hedgehog-haired lawyer took a sip of coffee and put the cup down.

He looked at Fujisawa Toshiaki calmly and then asked.

"Did Ms. Oki Ayako behave in any strange way before going to the garage?"

...strange behavior?

Fujisawa Toshiaki scratched his head and accidentally touched the wound.

He couldn't help but cry out in pain, and then said in an unusually serious tone, "Yes, after I, Kento Toba, and Ayako Ooki checked the condition of the vehicle."

"We returned to the restaurant and notified others to come over, and then Ooki Ayako suddenly said——"

"[I already know who the real murderer is, but I can't tell you now]."

I already know who the real murderer is, but I can't tell you now...

Wow, these are great lines for a minor character in a detective novel. In this respect, he is truly a qualified detective novel fan.

Not only does he have a hobby, he also puts his hobby into practice, and it develops exactly like in the novel...

Hattori Heiji couldn't help but shake his head, feeling speechless.

Now that you know the murderer, you should say it out loud when everyone is around.

Why are you delaying this? Don't believe that the murderer is your boyfriend, or even your husband.

"Witness, what's next?"

Prosecutor Sugiura asked nervously nearby.

Then, Fujisawa Toshiaki continued the preface seriously.

"Then Oki Ayako said she needed to go to the bathroom, and her boyfriend said he wanted to protect her safety so they went out together."

"About a minute later, her boyfriend came back, and then another five or six minutes later."

"Oki Ayako hasn't come back yet, so half of us went to the bathroom to look for her, and we found..."

...Found that the person is missing? The person is dead?
The presiding judge concentrated intently, waiting for the final result which he already knew.

"She just went to the bathroom a little late and came out, and she said we were making too much noise and making a fuss."

"He also said, 'I have resolved the matter and the murderer will not kill again.'"

"Not long after they sent us back, someone saw Oki Ayako running past the window."

"Then there was a loud bang, the garage burst into flames, and the rest is what you know."

Fujisawa Toshiaki's words immediately made Prosecutor Sugiura frown.

Although his rank is not quite up to par with Xiang Yuanguang's pace, this clue is right in front of him...

Doesn't this mean that Genmitsu believes that it was Kento Toba who killed Ayako Oki?
Because it was during the time between the death of Hiroyuki Kanaya and the death of Ayako Oki.

Aren't Toba Kento and Ooki Ayako the only ones who have time alone outside the restaurant?

If Ayako Oki knew that the source of the rare first edition of "A Study in Scarlet" in the garage was not the note.

The only person it could be was Kento Toba, who had left the restaurant during this time and went to the bathroom with her.

(Could it be that my judgment was wrong? Is the murderer really Kento Toba?)
The elite prosecutor wiped the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief.

"Your Excellency the Judge, Ms. Oki Ayako died in a vehicle explosion, and here is the vehicle inspection report."

"It was submitted together with the autopsy report of Oki Ayako. You will know if you take a look at it."

"The cause of the car explosion was a leak in the fuel tank and the evaporation of gasoline."

Xiang Yuanguang put his hands on his hips, looking quite confident.

What he says is always confident and convincing.

"That is to say, in order to cause a car explosion in this situation, an open flame is necessary."

"Coincidentally... there were only two people with [open flames] inside the Mycroft Hotel at the time."

"The two people who brought lighters to light cigarettes were Fujisawa Toshiaki and Oki Ayako."

"So the murderer's target was Mr. Fujisawa Toshiaki. Of course, Prosecutor Sugiura can refute this."

"For example, since Oki Ayako also used a lighter to light her cigarette, she might also be the murderer's target."

"Then the question is, Ooki Ayako only lit a cigarette out of anxiety after Kanaya Hiroyuki died."

"How did the murderer know in advance that Oki Ayako would use a lighter and set up the crime scene in the garage in advance?"

Hearing this, Kawazu Hiroo nodded repeatedly.

The prosecutor's claim is that he killed Hiroyuki Kanaya and Ayako Oki, and injured Toshiaki Fujisawa.

But if Attorney Xiang Yuan's claim for Oki Ayako is approved, then he can be directly ruled out as a suspect in killing Oki Ayako. If this continues, his acquittal will be just around the corner!

(End of this chapter)