Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

When Lady Akutagawa heard the phrases "a child she watched grow up" and "died under mysterious circumstances," her body visibly stiffened, and a trace of grief flashed in her eyes.

She was silent for a few seconds, then finally nodded.
“You’re right, I’ve watched Young Master Falcon grow up. From his first steps to studying abroad, and then returning to take over the family business, I’ve seen it all. He may be a bit willful at times, but he’s definitely not the kind of person who would commit suicide.”

Mrs. Akutagawa took a deep breath and began to recount her memories.
"At around 7:15 this morning, as usual, I went upstairs to call Young Master Falcon for breakfast."

"When I went upstairs, I ran into the master, who said he had something important to discuss with young master Falcon."

"When the two of us arrived at the door of Young Master Falcon's bedroom, the master found that the door was locked from the inside."

He knocked on the door and called out Young Master Falcon's name a few times, but there was no response from inside.

"The master told me to knock on the door as hard as I could, and I knocked for several minutes, but the house was still quiet."

"The master frowned and said something was wrong."

At this point, a flicker of lingering fear flashed in Mrs. Akutagawa's eyes, and her voice lowered slightly.
"Then the master told me to call the driver and the gardener. It took them a lot of effort to break down the door."

"As soon as the door opened, we saw... we saw Young Master Falcon hanging from the ceiling chandelier, his neck covered in blood, he looked terrifying."

"When the master saw that scene, his legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground, fainting immediately."

"I was so scared I almost lost my mind. I immediately told the driver to call an ambulance and also called the police."

"The gardener stood guard at the door to prevent other servants from getting close and disturbing the scene."

After she finished speaking, she sighed softly, and her eyes reddened again.

That's the whole process.

Lin Xiuyi and Ikenami Gangji exchanged a glance, and saw a hint of seriousness in each other's eyes.

Mrs. Akutagawa's account this time was almost identical to her previous statements, with no contradictions whatsoever.

It seems that no clues can be found in the process of discovering the body.

Lin Xiuyi pondered for a moment, then decided to ask a different question: "Madam, may I ask what time Mito Shinzo and Mito Hayato returned home last night?"

Mrs. Akutagawa recalled carefully, her brows furrowing slightly: "Young Master Hayabusa returned quite early, around 2 a.m.

“When he came back, I was in the kitchen preparing a late-night snack for the night shift maid. I saw him come in alone from outside, looking very upset. He didn’t greet me and went straight upstairs to his bedroom.”

As she spoke, she turned to look at the gardener sitting beside her, her tone tinged with uncertainty.

"As for the master... he must have returned around 5 a.m., right? I was just about to start preparing breakfast when I heard the door open."

The gardener nodded quickly and continued, "Officer, I opened the door for the master. It was around 5:10 a.m. His car was parked in front of the gate, and I was trimming the holly bushes that had been bent by the wind in the yard, so I went over and opened the gate for him."

"The master's complexion wasn't good at the time, and he smelled a bit of alcohol. He told me not to make a fuss, and then he tiptoed upstairs."

"Mito Shinzo is three hours later than Mito Hayato?" Upon hearing this time, Lin Xiuyi's pupils contracted slightly, and he couldn't help but confirm it again.
Are you sure? It's around 5:10 a.m.?

“I’m sure, absolutely right.” The gardener nodded vigorously, his tone certain. “I also glanced at the clock on the wall at the time, because even when the master goes out for social engagements, he rarely comes back until five in the morning. So I remember it very well.”

Lin Xiuyi and Ikenami Gangji exchanged a puzzled look, their brows furrowing even more deeply.

This is not right, this is really not right.

According to the testimony of the police officer outside the police headquarters, yesterday evening, Shinzo Mito drove away first, and Hayato Mito took a taxi ten minutes later.

Logically speaking, Shinzo Mito should have arrived home earlier than Hayato Mito.

How come it turned out that Mito Hayato got home at 2 a.m., while Mito Shinzo was three hours late, not returning until 5 a.m.?
What's even more suspicious is that Minamino Momoko just fell to her death from the Riverview Hotel last night. As her husband, Mito Shinzo should at least be at home handling the funeral arrangements, if not devastated.

How could he still have the mind to stay outside until 5 a.m.?
And he smelled of alcohol when he came back. Where did he go and what did he do during those three hours?
Takeshi Ikenami's face also darkened. He looked at Mrs. Akutagawa and asked in a deep voice, "Didn't you two sleep last night? How do you remember the exact time that Mito Shinzo and Mito Hayato returned so clearly?"

Mrs. Akutagawa gave a wry smile: "Officer, Mrs. Momoko had an accident at the hotel last night, and the news has spread like wildfire. Those of us working for the Mito family are all in a mess, and no one can sleep."

“I and several servants sat in the kitchen for most of the night, discussing this matter. When Young Master Falcon returned, we all heard the commotion.”

She paused, then added.

"The gardener didn't sleep for long because the plants in the garden have been growing fast lately, and he's used to getting up early to tend to them."

This explanation sounds reasonable and there's nothing wrong with it.

Lin Xiuyi remained silent for a few seconds, then turned his gaze to Mrs. Akutagawa and posed a crucial question:

"Madam, when you met Mito Shinzo this morning, he said he wanted to talk to Mito Hayato. What was his demeanor like at the time? Was he very eager or very calm? Was there anything unusual about him?"

This question hit the nail on the head. Takeshi Ikenami immediately perked up his ears, staring intently at Mrs. Akutagawa's face, afraid of missing a single detail.

Mrs. Akutagawa closed her eyes and carefully recalled the scene from that morning.

After a long while, she slowly opened her eyes, her tone somewhat uncertain: "...It does seem a bit abnormal."

Her words made Hayashi Hideichi and Ikenami Takeshi's hearts jump.

"The master looked very unwell at the time, with dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept all night," Mrs. Akutagawa said, frowning. "But his tone was very calm, even... too calm."

“He clearly wanted to talk to his son, but he wasn’t in a hurry at all. Instead, he stood at the bottom of the stairs for several minutes, as if he was waiting for something.”

She paused, then remembered a detail: "Oh, right, I also noticed that the master's cuffs seemed to have a bit of dust on them."

"He's usually very particular about his appearance; even if he's stayed up all night, he would never let his clothes get so sloppy." (End of Chapter)