Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 115: An Actor and a Detective

On set of the film crew at Riverside.

Gao Mo tried to get information about "Detective Zuo Wenzi" from the director, but he never got anything useful.

No matter how many times I ask, I still don't know.

Whether in the past or present, he is not good at interpersonal communication, while the man with the mustache is much better at it.

If it's a mustache, you can probably get some information out of it.

After lunch, Gao Mo was thinking about whether he could find another way when suddenly a police siren sounded nearby.

The crew, already used to this, didn't react, but the director was getting anxious: "What's going on? We said we'd continue filming after lunch, why isn't Mr. Hijikata back yet?"

The assistant director wiped his sweat and said, "I called, but Mr. Hijikata and the others' phones are all here with the crew..."

"Where's the landline?"

"The teacher didn't give us our home phone number... I'll go check it out now!"

Gao Mo glanced across the river and was surprised to see several police cars parked in front of an apartment building.

Homicide?

It's over.

I finally got a role... but it seems like it's going to fall through like last time.

"Director, something terrible has happened!" a staff member shouted hurriedly, "Okita seems to have killed Hijikata-sensei's wife... The reporters have all rushed over there!"

The director felt a chill run down his spine and almost fainted: "Can you confirm if the news is true or false?"

The pressure was already immense, and then this happened.

Why can't we wait until he finishes filming the movie and it's successfully released before causing trouble?
"Hurry...hurry up and go check the situation!"

……

Hijikata Kosaburo's apartment.

Gao Mo followed behind the director and the others, and managed to enter the building before the police locked the doors. Soon after, a group of reporters gathered outside, frantically banging on the doors, and the glass doors could barely withstand the pressure.

"Everyone, calm down!" Takagi shouted from behind the door to control the situation. "We'll release the information once we've investigated the matter thoroughly!"

"We want to see Mr. Hijikata!"

The reporters crowding outside the door completely ignored Takagi.

Everyone wanted to get the first-hand report; no one wanted to wait for news from the police.

"Open the door!"

"Boom!"

The glass door banged loudly.

The director had long experienced the terror of these uncrowned kings, but this time he still couldn't help but look bitter.

Investors were already pressuring us, and now this has happened.

It seems like we've been targeted by bad luck.

As individuals involved in the case, the group took the elevator upstairs under the guidance of police officers.

Gao Mo instinctively looked around and noticed an inconspicuous black stain on the elevator floor display panel.

Upon reaching the 5th floor, the director was questioned by Inspector Megure, while Gao Mo took the opportunity to learn about the situation.

The deceased was Hijikata Kosaburo's wife, Nagakura Yumi, who was also a famous actress and now uses the surname Hijikata. She was 38 years old.

She met with her husband, who had brought the supporting actors home. Half an hour after they parted, she suddenly collapsed on the balcony of room 502 next door. The actors and Hijikata witnessed this scene together.

The group then ran next door and knocked, but received no response.

Tu Fang stood guard outside apartment 502, while the others ran downstairs to get a spare key from the building manager and went to the police station next to the apartment to find a policeman.

When everyone rushed back to 502 and opened the door, the victim, who was lying on the balcony, had already lost all vital signs.

"I already said I didn't kill anyone! How would I know what happened? I was injured while filming and I've been resting in my bedroom!" Okita shouted, protesting his innocence. "Besides, why would I kill Yumi? I had absolutely no motive!"

"..."

Gao Mo silently turned around, his eyes glancing at the weeping Hijikata Kosaburo.

This case... how should I put it? It feels like an insult to intelligence.

He was able to identify Hijikata Kosaburo without much investigation.

This guy might be a great actor, but he's a complete novice at crime.

They created so many complicated things, leaving a bunch of loopholes without even realizing it.

It seems that he found several people to act as eyewitnesses for him.

However, such witness testimony only interferes with the police investigation and cannot convict Okita at all.

I only saw the victim fall from inside the house onto the balcony; I didn't witness the actual killing process, and the victim was lying on their back on the balcony...

Gao Mo quickly scanned the victim's body and the evidence marked at the scene.

The cause of death was strangulation by fishing line tangling around the neck... It's hard to imagine why the body was lying on the balcony with its head tilted back.

Criminals would normally hide the body in a room, or at most throw it out the window when no one is around.

Even if someone accidentally falls onto the balcony, they should be lying face down. "Whoosh!"

Gao Mo noticed the bloodstains from the ropes rubbing against the body's armpits, then looked closely at the location of the body marked by the police.

My entire body is outside the balcony.

He already knows what happened.

The room the witness saw was not 502; the body was moved there later.

That's why Hijikata Kosaburo sent the others away at that time.

Putting everything else aside, in such a short time, there must be many traces of crime that haven't been cleaned up.

No matter what method is used, searching this apartment building will definitely reveal the problem.

[Framed Okita Hajime for the crime], [Received his wife's insurance money], and [Invested in films that became bestsellers, leading to a successful career] – Hijikata Kozaburo.

This bastard was planning to use the insurance money for investment; no wonder he disregarded filming and plotted a crime.

The movie is doomed. — Director.

[Case Solved] - Inspector Megure.

……

Gao Mo crossed his arms and tried to draw the task.

[Case Solved] - Inspector Megure.

"Hey! How dare you wander around like that?"

Inspector Megure, annoyed, called out to Gao Mo.

"I heard that Mr. Okita and Mr. Hijikata had a conflict this morning. Do you think it's possible that Mr. Okita killed Mrs. Hijikata because of this?"

"Officer, don't you find it strange? Where did Mr. Okita get the fishing line? And why did he have to kill someone in his own home?" Gao Mo responded speechlessly.

"Domoto," Hijikata said angrily, tears welling in his eyes, "what do you mean? Are you trying to exonerate that guy?"

"I'm just telling the truth."

Gao Mo ignored Tu Fang, who was almost rushing towards him.

Determine the task selection.

There's no need to hesitate; let's get the stars first.

It's practically free; why not take it?

"Master Hijikata, if your wife really died in this room, where are her shoes? I don't think I saw them."

"This……"

Hijikata Kosaburo's body trembled violently, and his fingers, which were reaching for Gao Mo, froze in mid-air.

"Maybe he threw it away or..."

"Find it immediately!" Megure snapped out of his daze, ignoring Hijikata, and hurriedly gave the order to the officers.

Is it reasonable to throw away the shoes separately?

Gao Mo's voice was calm.

"If this wasn't the primary crime scene, and the body was moved here later... Mr. Hijikata, were you really guarding outside room 502 the whole time?"

"Nonsense!" the middle-aged supporting actor stepped forward. "We saw Mrs. Hijikata collapse on this balcony with our own eyes!"

"Are you sure this is the room?"

Gao Mo turned his gaze to the next room.

"This building seems to have a symmetrical layout. Could it be rooms upstairs or downstairs? I remember you said that an entire floor belongs to Mr. Hijikata, right?"

"Damn it, don't we even know the floor number?"

"I don't know about that. Maybe something was tampered with in the elevator... The police could investigate all the floors Mr. Hijikata lived on. I don't think he had time to completely cover up the traces."

"Boom!"

Hijikata Kozaburo's hands trembled as he knelt on the ground, his heroic demeanor from his performances completely gone.

The original plan was to wait for the police to arrest Okita Hajime, giving him enough time to handle the aftermath.

I never expected that the carefully prepared script would be exposed by this young actor.

"Hijikata-sensei?" The middle-aged actors swallowed hard, looking at Gao Mo again with a strange sense of fear. "Domoto is talking nonsense, right? How could the teacher..."

"Mr. Hijikata?"

Megure looked blankly at Takamori standing in front of Hijikata. Perhaps because the two were still wearing costumes, he had a strange sense of déjà vu, like watching a period drama.

"Check which floor is..."

“No need to investigate anymore, it’s the 6th floor. He’s right, there’s plenty of evidence in 602: the device that made the body fall down automatically, and… those shoes I overlooked…”

Hijikata Kosaburo lowered his head, clenching his fists tightly in resentment, tears streaming down his face.

"Am I really out of touch? This realistic fashion scene was so easily seen through by a newcomer actor. If it were a famous detective, I could accept it... I'm really, really bad..."

(End of this chapter)