Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

“I won’t throw it away.” Eri Kisaki shook her head. “After discovering Kosuke Iguchi’s death, Yuuki Matsuzaka didn’t leave the cafe; she stayed there.”

“She would never dare to carelessly leave something so important.”

“But didn’t the police search them?” Yukiko frowned. “If they were still carrying it on their person, it would have been found out long ago.”

"I remember Inspector Megure saying that they searched the three suspects and found nothing suspicious..."

Halfway through her sentence, Yukiko suddenly blushed and quickly reached out to press her lower abdomen.

"Hey..." The girl's voice changed, "You don't mean to say that she hid the thing there, do you?"

Eri glared at her, her eyes full of disdain: "Use your brain! How could you possibly hide it there! It's such a thin and sharp thing; what if you accidentally hurt yourself?"

"Besides, in that kind of place, it would fall out if you moved even slightly. Who would be that stupid?"

Yukiko was speechless after being rebuked, and could only wait for her explanation with a red face.

“What I’m talking about is the bra,” Eri Kisaki pointed to her chest. “The bra has wires inside for support and shaping. If she pulled out a section of those wires and sharpened it, wouldn’t that be a ready-made weapon?”

"Is that even possible?" Yukiko was stunned.

“Just think about it,” Eri Kisaki continued, “she only needs to take advantage of the moment when she’s pretending to save Kosuke Iguchi and stab him on the back of the neck with the sharpened end.”

"The wound is so small, and there's not much bleeding, who would notice?"

"After that, everyone's attention was on the deceased. All she had to do was find an opportunity to tuck the wire back into her bra."

The girl's voice grew increasingly resolute.

"That way, even if the police search her, they won't find anything. Who would think to check the wire in a woman's bra?"

Yukiko was stunned.

The reasoning was so perfect that she both admired and envied it.

I admire Eri Kisaki for thinking of this, but I'm also jealous that it wasn't my idea.

"Then what do we do now?"

Eri looked at the medicine bottle in her hand, then looked in the direction of the alley entrance.

Sunlight streamed in from outside, casting bright patches of light on the ground, creating a stark contrast with the dark and damp alleyway.

“Go back first. Give this medicine bottle to the police. Then, ask the waiter to confirm whether Matsuzaka Yuki had been near the body. Finally…”

She paused, a confident smile appearing on her lips.

"Finally, let the police check Matsuzaka Yuuki's bra."

……

Lin Xiuyi leaned against the bar, her brows furrowed.

His brain had been working at high speed for nearly half an hour, repeatedly scrutinizing every detail.

The testimonies of the three suspects, the waiter's statement, the deceased's identity and background, and the girl who mysteriously left.

But all the clues seemed to be shrouded in a fog; every time he thought he had grasped something, he eventually found it was just nothing.

Kujo Yoshiyuki stood not far away, his brows also furrowed.

This usually composed prosecutor was now deeply perplexed.

His gaze shifted back and forth between the three suspects, as if conducting some kind of silent interrogation.

But no matter how he looked at them, he couldn't glean any concrete information from those three faces.

Kohei Sato sat by the window, constantly checking his watch, his face etched with anxiety. He had to go to work that afternoon and deal with the rumors circulating in the company about his rivalry with Kosuke Iguchi.

But now, he is stuck here, waiting for the police investigation to continue for an unknown period of time.

Naoto Miyazaki sat on a high stool next to the bar, arms crossed, his gaze somber.

Yuuki Matsuzaka sat near the door, head down, shoulders trembling slightly.

She seemed to be the most vulnerable one, best fitting the role of "abandoned ex-girlfriend".

But Lin Xiuyi always felt that her vulnerability was somewhat deliberate.

In the midst of this tense atmosphere, a middle-aged man in a white work uniform pushed open the glass door of the coffee shop.

It was Officer Denmi from the forensic unit, holding a folder in his hand.

He strode up to Inspector Megure, saluted, and handed him the folder.

"Inspector, the blood samples sent back have been tested."

Officer Denmi's voice wasn't loud, but in the quiet coffee shop, every word was clearly audible.
"The results are in."

Inspector Megure's eyes lit up, and he quickly took the folder and began flipping through it.

But soon, the expectation on his face turned into confusion.

“Digoxin?” He looked up at Officer Denmi. “What’s that? Poison?”

“No, it’s a medication used to treat heart disease,” Officer Denmi explained. “It’s a digitalis drug, widely used clinically to treat heart failure and certain arrhythmias.”

"Digoxin was detected in the deceased's blood, and the concentration was indeed somewhat high, but still within a reasonable range."

"Kosuke Iguchi has a heart condition?" Inspector Megure frowned; he hadn't known this before.

Yuuki Matsuzaka, who was not far away, heard their conversation and suddenly looked up.

Her movements were so fast that they seemed unnatural.

For a fleeting moment, a barely perceptible glint flashed in her eyes, but it vanished in an instant.

“That’s right.” Matsuzaka Yuuki confirmed, “Kousuke…Iguchi does have a heart condition, and it’s been going on for several years.”

She paused, as if recalling some painful memory.
“He was on medication all the time when we were dating. Every time he forgot to take his medication, he would feel palpitations and shortness of breath.”

“I’ve advised him many times to take care of his health, work less overtime, and drink less alcohol… but he never listens.”

"what?"

Sato Kohei, standing nearby, looked utterly astonished; clearly, this was the first time he'd heard of such information.
"This guy has a heart condition? And he still works overtime at the company every day? He drinks a lot at every department gathering, more than anyone else!"

His tone was filled with disbelief, mixed with a few indescribable emotions.

Matsuzaka Yuuki pursed her lips: "That's just how he is, a workaholic who takes his work extremely seriously."

"In his heart, company matters always come first; he never cares about his health."

She lowered her head, her voice becoming even softer.

“I used to argue with him a lot about this… Now that I think about it, maybe that’s why he…”

She didn't finish speaking, but her hesitant expression evoked a sense of sympathy from those present.

Inspector Megure shook his head, his face full of emotion.
"He already has heart disease, and his lifestyle is still this bad? Working overtime every day and drinking heavily... He's practically playing with his life." (End of Chapter)