Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Lin Xiuyi did not ask any further questions, but instead fell into deep thought.

He leaned against the door frame of the reception room, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the wall, his mind replaying Mrs. Akutagawa's testimony and the details of the on-site investigation.

Mito Shinzo didn't get home until 5 a.m., reeking of alcohol and with barely noticeable dust on his cuffs.

Around 7 a.m., he again took the initiative to talk to Mito Jun. His demeanor was unusually calm, and he even waited deliberately at the stairwell, as if he was timing it and waiting for a certain outcome to occur.

After bursting through the door and seeing Mito Jun's body, he immediately fainted, perfectly avoiding the police's first round of questioning.

All these doubts, like scattered beads, are strung together by an invisible thread, pointing to a chilling possibility.

Shinzo Mito is very likely the murderer who killed Hayato Mito.

His three-hour absence last night was not for any social engagements, but rather for meticulously planning this murder.

Mito Shinzo, along with Mrs. Akutagawa and the servants, went to break down the door, perhaps to make these people witnesses to the locked-room suicide and to solidify the illusion that Mito Hayato had committed suicide.

As for the seemingly remorseful suicide note and the deliberately staged traces at the scene, they were probably all forgeries he created himself.

Lin Xiuyi's eyes grew sharper and sharper. This Mito Shinzo was far more cunning and ruthless than he had imagined. He could even bring himself to harm his own son.

Ikenami Takeshi stood to the side, his brows furrowed and his expression grave.

Clearly, he shared the same thoughts as Lin Xiuyi.

As the head of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Osaka Police Headquarters, he had handled countless cases and could naturally smell the conspiracy in these unusual details.

“It seems we need to adjust our investigation direction.” Takeshi Ikenami lowered his voice, his tone serious. “Immediately send someone to the hospital to keep an eye on Shinzo Mito. There might be something wrong with his coma. Also, we need to find out where he went and what he did during those three hours after leaving police headquarters last night.”

"Also, the dust on Mito Shinzo's cuffs must be sent for testing to determine its source," Lin Xiuyi added.

Takeshi Ikenami nodded, and was about to instruct his officers to carry out the order when a young officer rushed in.
"Minister! Several Kyoto University students have arrived at the Mito family's gate. They say they're looking for Mr. Hayashi Hideichi... and that it's related to last night's case."

"College Students?"

Takeshi Ikenami paused for a moment before realizing what was happening, then looked at Shuichi Hayashi and Shizuka Ikenami standing to the side with a puzzled expression.

"Are they the students who were investigating the case with you at the Riverview Hotel last night?"

“Yes, they’re from the Kyoto University Mystery Club.” Lin Xiu nodded and briefly introduced the club’s members. “Their president is Hattori Heizo, and he’s very good at deduction. Let them in; perhaps they can discover new clues we’ve overlooked from a different perspective.”

Upon hearing this, Takeshi Ikenami hesitated.

Logically speaking, police investigations should not allow unrelated personnel to interfere, especially when it involves a group of college students who have not yet graduated.

But then he thought again that the case was now at a standstill. Mito Hayato's death seemed like a suicide, but in fact there were many suspicious points. And Mito Shinzo was unconscious, so the clues had almost run out.

More importantly, he is currently at a crucial stage in his career advancement, and whether he can solve this serial murder case as soon as possible is directly related to his future.

For a young man like Hayashi Hideaki, who has already demonstrated extraordinary abilities, to personally praise the student's reasoning skills, Hattori Heizo must indeed possess some real talent and might actually be of great help.

“…Alright then.” After weighing the pros and cons, Ikenami Takeshi finally nodded and instructed the police officer, “Let them in, but be careful not to let them disturb the scene.” The officer responded and left. A short while later, Hattori Heizo and his group entered the Mito family villa.

As soon as they entered, they were affected by the somber atmosphere, and their expressions became serious.

Lin Xiuyi stepped forward, gave Hattori Heizo a brief greeting, and then led them upstairs to Mito Hayato's bedroom.

"Be careful, there are still traces at the scene, don't touch anything," Lin Xiuyi warned before opening the bedroom door.

A strong, pungent smell of blood wafted over, even more acrid than in the morning.

Mito Jun's body was still lying on the floor, the bloody mess around his neck looking particularly gruesome in the dim light.

Kawada Yuko, who usually clamored to investigate major cases and appeared the most daring and lively in the club, turned pale instantly when she merely caught a glimpse of the bloodstained outline of the corpse inside the room and the lingering smell of blood in the air. Her legs went weak, her body swayed, and she almost collapsed to the ground.

Fortunately, Ono Kayoko, who was standing next to her, reacted quickly and reached out to firmly support her arm, preventing her from making a fool of herself.

Even so, Kawada Hako held Ono Kayoko's hand tightly, her breathing rapid, and she dared not look into the room again.

Yoshida Aoi's condition isn't much better either.

Although she tried her best to remain calm, she covered her mouth tightly with one hand, her face was as pale as paper, and her chest was heaving violently, clearly trying to suppress the churning in her stomach and the urge to vomit.

The remaining two boys, Konoe Daishi and Maeda Yoto, were calmer than the girls, but their complexions were not good either, and their eyes showed obvious fear and discomfort.

Of the group, only two people remained calm.

One of them was Hattori Heizo. He merely frowned, his gaze calmly sweeping over the corpse and every corner of the room, without the slightest hint of panic.

The other one is Yoshiko Ono.

She supported Kawada Yuko, her gaze fixed on Mito Hayato's corpse. There was no fear in her eyes, only a complex emotion that was hard to describe, which flashed by in an instant.

Lin Xiuyi took in all of this and secretly memorized it.

This Ono Kayoko is definitely suspicious...

He didn't linger, leading everyone out of the bedroom and into the corridor, where he explained the suspicious points that had been discovered so far.

Hattori Heizo listened attentively, occasionally asking a question or two that always hit the nail on the head.

For example, the specific location of the dust on Mito Shinzo's cuffs, the handwriting in his suicide note, the distribution of fingerprints on the wire saw, and so on.

After listening to Lin Xiuyi's account, Hattori Heizo remained silent for a moment, then turned his gaze towards the third floor: "Since Mito Shinzo is the most suspicious, let's go check his bedroom. Perhaps we can find clues about his whereabouts last night in his room."

After thinking about it, Ikenami Tsuyoshi felt that Hattori Heizo's suggestion made a lot of sense.

If Mito Shinzo is indeed the murderer, then his bedroom likely holds a secret that no one knows about.

"Mrs. Akutagawa, thank you for your trouble." (End of Chapter)