Conan: Chief of Rice Flower's Science Points

Chapter 523 Crow’s Mouth

"Let me make a guess. I think it was you who had a secret deal with [Hikari Industrial] back then, and you also betrayed the undercover police officers, including Ihara."

"In the transaction, the person you contacted was Hibiki Hibiki. After you betrayed Ihara, in order to avoid being exposed, you killed Ihara who was illegally undercover investigating, and by exchanging the gun barrels, you made the identification result show that Ando accidentally killed Ihara."

"After that, Ando resigned and Kanzaki Kenzo applied for a transfer, and you breathed a sigh of relief. However, not long ago you discovered that Kuroki was still investigating what happened back then and was about to catch Hibiki Hibiki!"

"No matter what the crime is, as long as Hikawa Hibiki is caught, Kuroki will definitely interrogate him about things related to the case from back then. Therefore, just before the operation, you sent Hikawa Hibiki a secret signal, which allowed him to escape, and he thought you were going to pick him up."

"However, your actual choice was to silence Hibiki Hibiki and, while the evidence was at the Kamurocho station, to switch the gun barrel with Kuroki's..."

"Because the frame-up failed, and you were worried that if the news of the deceased being Hikawa Hibiki and the gun swapping got out, Ando would become suspicious, so you lured him out and killed him."

"As for Uemura, you told him that you had discovered Matsubara Hikaru. As the police leader who arranged for Ihara to go undercover illegally back then, Uemura wanted to compensate Matsubara Hikaru, so he notified Kanzaki, who had a very good relationship with Ihara."

"However, I never expected that this was originally a trap you set to frame Matsubara Hikaru!"

"Although Uemura notified Kenzo Kanzaki, causing him to arrive at the scene first, which slightly disrupted your plans and left you no time to fabricate the scene, when you saw Kenzo Kanzaki leaving in a hurry instead of calling the police, you understood that he already believed that Hikaru Matsubara was the murderer."

"So you took advantage of Kanzaki Kenzo's psychology and got him to convict Matsubara Hikaru..."

"Even if you fail to silence Kenzo Kanzaki later, you still have one last option—to solidify the evidence against Hikari Matsubara and kill her!"

"Even if Kanzaki Kenzo wakes up in a couple of days, the case will be too late to prove anything. Besides, he was indeed protecting Matsubara Hikaru at the beginning, and there is no evidence to support his suspicions about you, so it won't shake anything."

"So you anonymously contacted Matsubara Hikaru and told him 'Zeden is here at this time,' and you also handed the gun that killed Uemura and Ando to Matsubara Hikaru through a locker, betting that she would come to attack you."

"Of course, I suspect you've tampered with the barrel of this gun..."

As Shiraishi spoke, he put on white gloves, took the pistol from Fuji, removed the barrel, and sure enough...

"Hmm? This gun barrel..." Teng immediately noticed that something was wrong with the gun barrel, but she was not knowledgeable about firearms and did not immediately realize where the incongruity lay.

Shiraishi pointed the gun barrel at Zeden's eyes, leaned close to him, and said, "This is not a professional gun barrel at all. It has no rifling. As a result, even if a sharpshooter uses it, the bullets will be completely inaccurate, and the range will be greatly reduced."

"Furthermore, the bullets have been sharpened, making it easier for them to pass through the body rather than remain inside, thus reducing their lethality."

"In other words, if you're shot at long range, you won't hit anyone at all, and if you're shot at close range, even a sharp bullet is unlikely to cause a fatal wound..."

"Of course, these are just in case. In reality, your first choice is to kill her before she fires... As for the rifling issue, just use your old method again: replace the barrel of this gun with a rifled one that is also a murder weapon."

Zeden's face darkened as he said, "That's just your speculation!"

Shiraishi nodded, then added, "That's right, these are just my guesses, but... why did you sneak here this morning and put an unrifled gun in the locker? I wonder if you can give any other explanation."

"I……"

Before Zeden could say anything more, Shiraishi interrupted him, saying, "Besides... I think you should have brought the real murder weapon, the rifling gun, with you, right? If we send the evidence to the police station first and then tamper with it, the risk will be even greater, especially since there are officers from the Beika Police Station at the scene. The evidence might end up being sent directly to the Metropolitan Police Department."

Zeden's fat was jiggling, and his forehead was covered in greasy sweat.

As Shiraishi spoke, he stood up and looked at the Kamuro Police Station detectives who were still holding their guns, though most of them had lowered their muzzles, and said, "All Kamuro Police Station officers present, immediately put down your guns and submit to a body search! This includes a thorough search of all places where personal belongings are kept, including the rest room!"

"Wait...you don't have..." Okura still wanted to argue—indeed, the Beika Police Station did not have a search warrant.

but……

Before Okura could even speak, Kanzaki turned his gun on him: "Put the gun down! Take your finger off the trigger!"

Okura: ...

At this moment, fearing that he might use his position for personal revenge, Okura had no choice but to slowly squat down and put down his gun.

Meanwhile, after a search, Yuan found the gun barrel attached to a baton inside his jacket in the Zedden lounge!
“Zeden, do you think the rifling will eventually match the murder weapon?” Shiraishi placed the gun barrel in front of Zeden.

However, Zeden's eyes were now lifeless, as if he had realized that all was lost.

"Detective Kanzaki, go and let the witness rest. We'll be taking statements at the police station this afternoon," Shiraishi reminded Kanzaki.

There is another "witness"...

Matsubara Hikaru came here because of Zeden's anonymous message.

……

Shiraishi had expected to be called to the Metropolitan Police Department and get a scolding the next day...

After all, Zeden's arrest this time caused a huge uproar!

Not only did he expose the high-ranking police officer as a murderer in front of so many ordinary people, but he also exposed the "illegal undercover investigation" that took place back then.

How much does the police care about "saving face" in this regard?
After Ihara died, no one revealed his identity because it was a secret investigation. So they didn't tell his family the truth either, as if he really was a member of a violent organization!
In comparison, one can imagine how outrageous Shiraishi's actions were in the eyes of others.

However, as it turns out, Shiraishi's "assumption" was actually wrong...

I wasn't called in the next day!

That night, Bai Ma worked overtime and called Bai Shi over to be scolded!
June 29th, around 6 PM, at the main entrance of the Metropolitan Police Department...

Shiraishi carefully cooperated with the security check, and then went to the Superintendent General's office with a guilty look on his face.

It wasn't until after nine o'clock that Shiraishi left the Metropolitan Police Department, dejected...

Whether or not he was actually scolded, Shiraishi acted as if he had been severely reprimanded.

In fact, for more than two hours, Director Bai Ma's mouth was constantly running around.

From ensuring public safety during searches to the principle of recusal for relatives...

The results achieved by the Mikasa Police Department in this case were completely worthless!
but……

It was simply "worthless," with no other mentions. On the surface, it was neither good nor bad.

Shiraishi then made a show of "slinking away." Hakuba's reprimand quelled some of the real criticism...

After all, it wasn't just Hakuba and Shiraishi who were working overtime; major newspapers and news websites also immediately reported on the "Kamurocho Chief Murder Case," digging up everything from the three most recent murder cases to the illegal undercover case from twenty years ago!
The entire Public Relations Division of the Metropolitan Police Department is working overtime, facing public scrutiny...

Fortunately, Shiraishi can't be punished in public, but... forget about any rewards.

The Metropolitan Police Department highly praised Shiraishi and the Beika Police Station, but in practice, the credit for the case was given to the head of the Hikawa Hibiki Case Investigation Headquarters... namely Ninomiya. The publicity also focused on this aspect, weakening Shiraishi's presence.

Ninomiya, who was already slated for a transfer, has now completely left the First Investigation Division, and even... left the Metropolitan Police Department!

After leaving the Metropolitan Police Department around 9:00, Shiraishi went to a small bar with only seats around the counter. He waited for more than half an hour before Iwata sneaked to the door, looked left and right, and then came in with his head down and sat down next to Shiraishi, one seat away.

“No one is following you…” Shiraishi rolled his eyes.

"Forget it, I'd better stay away from you. The propaganda chief said he's going to hunt you down," Iwata said, pursing his lips.

That's right, it was Shiraishi who invited Iwata out, but at this time, Iwata was very careful, making it seem like a secret rendezvous.

……

"What? Chief Kamuro? He's been transferred to another post?" Shiraishi was surprised when he heard about the Metropolitan Police Department's subsequent arrangements.

That's right, Ninomiya was promoted, but he was also transferred to a post outside the capital.

He succeeded as the head of the Kamuro Police Station, which is equivalent to a superintendent police officer...

For Ninomiya, who was in the aspiring professional group, this wasn't a particularly bad result—after all, he wasn't a professional to begin with, and his highest rank was only Superintendent!
If he could become the "Chief of the First Investigation Division," it would certainly be an excellent position for him personally.

However, being sent out to serve as a director is not exactly a waste of time; it's just that there's probably little chance of him going back.

"Yes, and the personnel department will be talking to Kuroki and Kanzaki soon. They'll definitely be transferring one of them. But... if Kuroki is transferred, he should have a chance to get promoted." Iwata casually revealed another piece of news that was more related to the Beika Agency.

After all, Kuroki's biological father was almost killed, and Kanzaki's biological father had been exposed as an illegal undercover agent whose identity as a police officer was concealed until he was killed. Some compensation should be given. The "illegality" was due to the illegality of the entire system at the time, not because Ihara had a wild idea and wanted to become an undercover agent.

As for why Kanzaki wasn't promoted?
He's only been with the company for less than a year!
"These people from the personnel department, they actually do some personnel work," Bai Shi muttered.

"I heard that this time it was Minister Odagiri who, contrary to his usual behavior, almost got into a fight with Minister Tanaka at the meeting," Iwata said, sharing the gossip he had heard.

Shiraishi knew, of course, that Odagiri and Tanaka had never gotten along well, but Odagiri wasn't an impulsive person, so arguing with the head of general affairs at a meeting was indeed "unusual."

but……

“No wonder…” Shiraishi didn’t find it strange at all.

When the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's anti-smuggling regulations were introduced, Odagiri took charge of the organization's countermeasures department, and Shiraishi joined the department at that time, so he was aware of what happened during that period.

The Team Combat Department was established at that time, but the Team Combat Section had existed for a long time, it was just under the Criminal Investigation Department. If you include the predecessors of the Team Combat Section, such as the Firearms Countermeasures Section, then it has an even longer history.

The Organized Crime Countermeasures Department wasn't created out of thin air; it was formed by combining departments such as the Anesthesia Countermeasures Department with other related departments.

The first thing Odagiri did was to whitewash the massive number of "illegal searches"!

While it's true that we shouldn't look back on the past, the fact that certain methods were permitted at the time doesn't mean they were legal before, like undercover investigations...

However, Odagiri's first task was to standardize the procedures for a large number of unidentified undercover police officers, that is, to give them identities, thus using this as the starting point to "win over the hearts of the people".

This is why, when Shiraishi heard the words "your father is a police officer," he immediately understood their true meaning—Shiraishi had seen too many things like this before.

From a pragmatic perspective, Odagiri was indeed trying to win people's hearts, but this also shows that Odagiri really disapproved of this kind of "only talking about personal sacrifice".

The statement that undercover investigations are not allowed means that undercover agents are not allowed to be dispatched, not that "high-ranking police officers are not responsible for undercover agents who are forcibly dispatched."

"In any case, the police killing case is finally over." Iwata breathed a sigh of relief.

……

Friday, January 6th.

Recalling Iwata's remarks last night, Shiraishi just wanted to drag him out and tell him properly—the taboos of cryptic language for detectives!

If you're going to drink, then drink. Why are you putting up a flag?

It was drizzling in Dongdu on Friday evening.

Just as Shiraishi was preparing to come downstairs, and even half of his mind was already immersed in the upcoming weekend...

Section Chief Zongfang knocked on the door hurriedly.

"Please come in." Bai Shi recognized Zong Fang's footsteps and immediately sensed something was wrong.

If it weren't a major case, Zong Fang wouldn't have insisted on reporting it at this time!

"Chief, there's been a shooting near Mihana Park!" Zongfang said hurriedly.

"Shooting? What are the casualties?" Shiraishi asked immediately upon hearing this.

"It was a targeted shooting. The victim was a detective from the main store. He was pronounced dead in the ambulance... The Junior Detective Club called the police." Zongfang's heart was pounding—he hadn't gone to pick up Kotomi, so naturally, Kotomi was also involved in this "Junior Detective Club's report"!

"A detective?" Shiraishi's expression furrowed.

Previously, the deaths of Uemura and Ando—a serving senior police officer and a former detective—had already drawn significant public attention. Now…

Another police officer has died, and it's another shooting!

If the Metropolitan Police Department hadn't confirmed that the rifling marks on the gun barrel submitted by the Beika Police Station matched those of the murder weapon, and if Zeden hadn't already confessed, they might have thought they'd arrested the wrong person...

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Dongdong: School starts now, please vote for me! (It's not really related, but I'm just asking)~~~
(End of this chapter)