Science: The Little Shota of the Maori Family

"Yes," Watanabe Toru nodded. "The room was locked from the inside. After the incident, you and Mrs. Takashima used a key to open the door, but the murderer wasn't in the room. The only window for entry and exit is too narrow for an adult to pass through. Therefore, this is a closed-room murder case. Although the murderer's identity is still unclear, it is certain that the murderer must be very familiar with this house to be able to leave the scene after the crime. Therefore, the most likely suspects are the people who were home today."

Mrs. Yoshida was stunned.

She just wanted to tease Watanabe Toru, but she didn't expect him to have his own opinion. She couldn't help but ask, "So what should we do next?"

Watanabe Toru pinched his chin and said, "Uncle should first confirm everyone's alibi at the time of the crime."

As soon as he finished speaking, Maori Kogoro returned the phone to Takashima Chimi, and then said to everyone: "According to the testimony of the two ladies, Mr. Youta died at around 12:30 in the morning. I would like to ask everyone, where were you at this time?"

You really guessed it right!

Mrs. Yoshida opened her mouth in surprise, feeling that she had underestimated Watanabe Toru.

Lawyer Yukimura Shibuta replied, "I was sleeping in my room when Mrs. Takashima knocked on the door and I learned that Mr. Yota had met with an accident."

"As for me, I just came out of the hot spring pool and met your wife and Mr. Yukimura in the corridor, and that's when I learned about the situation," Kitahara Jun said.

"So, neither of you has an alibi?"

Yukimura Shibuta and Kitahara Jun nodded.

"What about you, Mr. Heisuke? Where were you at the time of the incident?" Kogoro Mouri shifted his gaze to Heisuke Takashima.

Takashima Heisuke still had a cold expression: "I was also resting in the room at the time, so I don't have an alibi."

Maori Kogoro understood, his expression serious, and said solemnly: "In other words, except for the two ladies, the three of you are all suspected of murdering Mr. Youta."

"Wait, wait a minute." Kitahara Jun said quickly, "But I have no reason to kill Youta at all."

· ········Request flowers·· ·········

"Me too." Yukimura Shibuta felt even more innocent: "Before today, I didn't even know what Mr. Youta looked like."

Indeed, these two had no motive to kill Takashima Heisuke.

Maori Kogoro pondered and looked at Takashima Heisuke again: "Mr. Heisuke, I heard that your father let Mr. Youta inherit all his property. If he dies, the one who benefits should be you."

Takashima Heisuke understood the meaning behind Maori Kogoro's words and frowned in dissatisfaction, asking, "You mean, I killed Youta? Do you have any evidence?"

Kogoro Mori was speechless. He had no evidence, but he just felt that Heisuke Takashima was more suspicious.

"Also, the crime scene is a secret room, right? If I am the murderer, then tell me how I got out of this room?"

Maori Kogoro lost all his energy under the questioning and scratched his head, saying, "Well... we have to wait for the police to arrive and conduct further investigation. In short, no one can leave this house before then..."

……

"Auntie, when you and Mrs. Takashima opened the door and went in, were you sure that there was no one hiding inside?" On the way back to the guest room, Toru Watanabe asked Mrs. Yoshida some details of what happened at that time.

Mrs. Yoshida affirmed, "It's certain that there aren't many things stored between the doors. If someone were inside, there would be nowhere to hide."

How did the murderer escape? Did he really escape through that window that a normal adult couldn't get out of?

Watanabe Toru pondered in his heart.

The two returned to the guest room. Xiaolan sat cross-legged on the quilt, looking at the sleeping Ayumi. When she heard movement at the door, she stood up and greeted them, "Xiaotetsu, Aunt Yoshida, you're back. How's it going? Where's Dad? Didn't he come back with you?"

"Uncle is with the others." Watanabe Toru said, "He must be keeping an eye on the suspects."

"Suspect?" Xiaolan was stunned: "Could the murderer of Mr. Yangtai be in this house?"

"Yes, that's what my uncle said." Watanabe Toru nodded. "He also said that the case is complicated and that we have to wait until daybreak, when the police arrive, to discuss it."

080. Funny Police Officer and Confused Detective

The next morning, the police rushed to Mizawa Village.

Seeing the young police officer leading the team, Watanabe Toru almost covered his face with his hands.

Who else could come, but the one who came was the funny guy in the police force, Shancun Cao.

Shancuncao understood the situation and wrote it down in his notebook: "You said that when you heard the victim screaming from the locked room, you hurriedly went to get the key, right?"

"Yes." Mrs. Yoshida nodded, "But after opening the door, I didn't see the murderer."

"Didn't see the murderer?" Shancuncao was startled, his neck shrank back, and there was some fear in his eyes. "How is this possible? The murderer can't walk through walls, how could he disappear? Oh, by the way, I heard that your village is holding a samurai festival? Could it be that the spirit of the samurai killed the deceased?"

Watanabe Toru showed an expression that said, "As expected." The murderer must be very happy to let the confused police officer "627" handle the case.

Even Maori Kogoro couldn't bear it anymore. He coughed and said, "Officer, I think this is a closed-room murder case."

Yamamura Cao looked at Maori Kogoro and asked, "Who are you?"

"My name is Kogoro Mori, and I'm a detective from Tokyo."

Maori Kogoro is not well-known nowadays. Yamamura Cao did not react at all when he heard the name. He asked in surprise, "Why would a detective come to a place like this?"

Maori Kogoro explained the purpose of their visit and suggested, "The murderer should be someone in this family, officer. Why don't you search their belongings first? Perhaps there will be some clues."

Shancuncao, who was unsure where to start his investigation, brightened up when he heard this and agreed, "Okay, let's do it."

……

The results of the search were not ideal. The police did not find anything suspicious in the rooms of the three suspects.

Shancuncao was at a loss and started talking nonsense again: "Could it really be the ghost of the samurai that is haunting us? If that's the case, I have to report it immediately..."

Maori Kogoro heard Yamamura muttering nearby and was speechless. He saw a crossbow on the cabinet next to him, picked it up and looked at it, then asked Takashima Chimi, "Madam, what is this crossbow used for?"

Takashima Chimi said, "My husband loved hunting when he was alive, and this crossbow was his hunting tool. However, since he got a hunting rifle, he has never used the crossbow and has kept it here ever since."

"Huh? You still have a hunting rifle at home?"

"Yes, it's in the back hall."

"By the way, regarding Mr. Kitahara..."

Watanabe Toru left silently.

It is meaningless to listen to Kogoro Mori's analysis here. It is better to go and see the scene. Maybe there will be new discoveries.

"Huh? Toru, where are you going?" Mrs. Yoshida asked when she saw Watanabe Toru leaving.

"I want to go to [Pinmenjian] again to take a look."

"Then I'll go with you."

"Okay," Watanabe Toru replied. He also wanted to ask Mrs. Yoshida about some details.

Takashima Yota's body has been taken away by the police.

Toru Watanabe stood in front of the small window, which was the only entrance and exit of the secret room. If the murderer wanted to escape, he could only pass through here.

"Xiao Tetsu, do you think the murderer has some kind of bone-shrinking technique?" Mrs. Yoshida said from behind Watanabe Tetsu. "Don't many ninjas in TV dramas know this kind of skill?"

This must not be heard by Shancuncao, that confused police officer will take it seriously.

Watanabe Toru was speechless. "Auntie, you said it was a TV show. In reality, not to mention the art of shrinking bones, even ninjas are very rare."

"Oh, yes." Mrs. Yoshida frowned, "Then how did the murderer get out of here?"

After a survey, no new clues were found. Watanabe Toru felt a little regretful and didn't plan to waste time here.

The two walked out of the "interlocking door" and faced the secret door. Watanabe Toru was still amazed. "This secret door is really well designed. Who would have thought there was a room behind the wall?"

"Yeah, I heard that my brother got inspiration from the revolving door in the hotel, so the carpenter designed it this way. When I first came here, I had the same expression as you guys."

Mrs. Yoshida said this as she pushed open the secret door and her slender waist passed through it.

Watanabe Toru was about to follow when suddenly a flash of inspiration came to his mind.

He stopped and watched the secret door slowly close...

"I see, that's how it is." Watanabe Toru murmured softly, "But why did he do that? There's no reason at all..."

"Xiao Toru, what are you doing? Why haven't you come out yet?" The secret door opened again. Mrs. Yoshida saw that Watanabe Toru had not come out yet, so she came in and asked.

"I'm coming." Watanabe Toru collected his thoughts and walked out.

"Auntie, it was Mrs. Takashima who opened the door, right?" asked Toru Watanabe.

"Yes, because I don't know where the key to the interlocking door is."

"Then how much do you know about Mr. Yangtai's biological father, Auntie?"

"Well..." Mrs. Yoshida thought for a moment, "It seems that when my sister-in-law was pregnant with Youta, his father abandoned them. It was my sister-in-law who gave birth to Youta and raised him alone until she married my brother five years ago."

"So, Mr. Youta doesn't know what his biological father looks like?"

"I think so." Mrs. Yoshida nodded. "Xiao Che, why are you asking this?"

"Nothing, just asking casually." Watanabe Toru said calmly.

The two returned to the front hall and saw Maori Kogoro grabbing a policeman's shoulder and excitedly saying, "You just said that on the stump of the big tree on the other side of the cliff, facing the small window [between the door and the window], there were traces of a sharp object?"

The policeman was startled by Maori Kogoro's reaction and quickly said, "Yes, yes."

"I see, that's how it is." Maori Kogoro let go of the policeman, excitement flashing in his eyes: "I know who the murderer is, and I also know how he escaped from the secret room."

"Really, Mr. Maori?" Hearing Maori Kogoro say that he knew the truth, Yamamura Cao was even more excited than him: "Who is the murderer?"

Maori Kogoro kept the secret a secret: "Let me prepare for a moment. Everyone, please go to the [Pinmenjian] and wait for me. In a moment, I, Maori Kogoro, will show you the murderer's method of attack."

Kogoro Mori was full of confidence, but Toru Watanabe was not at all reassured.

This clueless detective is likely to fail.

081. Maori Kogoro's Mystery Show

〖Between the doors〗

After everyone's eager anticipation, Kogoro Mori finally arrived.

Yamamura Cao couldn't wait any longer: "Mr. Maori, the murderer you just mentioned..."

"No hurry." Maori Kogoro said slowly: "Before I tell you the murderer's name, let me demonstrate how the murderer escaped from this secret room."

This is the highlight, and it is also the part that everyone still hasn't figured out.

"Actually, the murderer used some kind of prop." Maori Kogoro took out the crossbow behind him and said, "This is it."

"Bow and crossbow?" Everyone was stunned.

"Yes, it was a crossbow," Maori Kogoro nodded. "The murderer came to this [inter-door room] before Mr. Yota, hooked fishing line to the railing of the small window, made a loop, tied it to a bow, aimed at the tree on the opposite bank, and released the arrow."

call out--

As Maori Kogoro said this, the arrow was launched and hit the 17th stake of the big tree on the opposite bank.

"Then the murderer went to the other side and tied the line to a tree. After doing all this, the murderer killed Mr. Youta that night, then tied a strong rope to one end of the prepared line and twisted it through. In this way, the bridge made of ropes was completed."

"I see." Shancuncao clapped his hands in amazement. "This makes a temporary rope bridge."

"But even if a rope bridge could be built, it would be impossible for an adult to get out of such a small window," Takashima Heisuke questioned. "At most, it would be possible for a small woman or child."

"That's right." Maori Kogoro's eyes flashed with brilliance. "There is only one smaller man who could have committed this crime. And I heard that he was an acrobat in a folk art troupe ten years ago. That's right, the murderer of Mr. Youta is you, Mr. Kitahara."

Maori Kogoro waved his hand, wanting to point out the murderer in a cool gesture, but suddenly froze for a moment: "Huh? Strange, why isn't Mr. Kitahara here?"

"Mr. Kitahara didn't seem to come here from the beginning..." Xiaolan said.

"What!" Maori Kogoro was startled and quickly turned to look at Yamamura Cao: "Officer Yamamura, the murderer must be Mr. Kitahara. He knew I saw through his trick, so he fled in fear of the crime. He should not have gone far. Send someone to catch him quickly."

Although Yamamura Cao was a confused man, he realized that something was wrong with Kitahara Jun after being reminded by Maori Kogoro. He immediately ordered: "Quick, search for Kitahara separately and make sure to arrest him."

……

"I never thought the truth would be this." As everyone and the police searched for Kitahara Jun outside, Mrs. Yoshida, who stayed at home to look after the children, said with emotion, "Mr. Mori was able to solve such a complex mystery. I have a new respect for him."

Xiaolan was also very happy. This was the most brilliant moment since her father became a detective. However, when faced with Mrs. Yoshida's praise, she humbly said, "My father is a detective, so he is more sensitive to some details than us. But Mrs. Takashima... her husband died not long ago, and her son was murdered. She must be very sad."

Mrs. Yoshida sighed and was full of sympathy for her sister-in-law's experience.

Watanabe Toru sat aside without saying a word. Although Kogoro Mori's reasoning seemed reasonable, there were still many points that did not stand up to scrutiny. In addition, the disappearance of Kitahara Jun gave him a vague feeling of bad premonition.

Half an hour later, Kogoro Mouri and others returned home.

Seeing that everyone's expressions didn't relax much, Xiaolan stepped forward and asked, "Dad, have you found Mr. Kitahara?"

Maori Kogoro nodded, his expression solemn: "We found it, but it was Mr. Kitahara's body that we found."

"A body?" Xiaolan exclaimed, "Mr. Kitahara, is he dead?"

"Well, we found a hunting rifle next to the body, and we've initially determined that Mr. Kitahara died from an accidental discharge of the gun."