Chapter 53: Suspicion

"Did you know that Akikawa Ryoko's daughter, who followed her ex-husband, is Okino Yoko?"

"Takagi-kun, the Okino Yoko you're talking about is the one on TV."

"That's right!"

Chiba Kazunobu still remembers hearing about Akikawa Kyousuke's biological sister with Sato Miwako at the Metropolitan Police Department that day.

This is the shock of Okino Yoko, a well-known star in Japan today.

However, Akikawa Ryoko and her ex-husband divorced a long time ago, and Okino Yoko said she hasn't had contact with her mother and brother for a long time.

Therefore, the police didn't conduct too much investigation into this matter.

Since the police need to protect citizens' privacy, the relationship between Akikawa Kyousuke and Okino Yoko has not been made public.

That's why the detectives weren't informed.

But things are different now.

Because of the sibling relationship between Okino Yoko and Akikawa Kyousuke, Okino Yoko's testimony might be seriously biased.

So, Chiba Kazunobu reminded Megure Juzo that Okino Yoko and Akikawa Kyousuke were actually biological siblings.

"Is that so?"

Megure Juzo was also quite surprised to hear this.

He nodded, indicating he understood the situation.

"Miss Yoko, do you have any basis for saying this?"

Megure Juzo approached Okino Yoko and asked softly.

"Since Yoko-chan is the witness, it must be true! Yoko-chan wouldn't lie about something like this!"

Mouri Kogoro appeared again at this moment, which also made Megure Juzo frown momentarily.

"Mr. Nishihara once deliberately chose the same audition as Akikawa-kun to prevent Akikawa-kun from being cast in the role."

"But he failed in that audition."

"Then, after the rehearsals began, I also noticed that Mr. Nishihara had a very angry expression because of Akikawa-kun's excellent acting skills."

"Later, I warned Mr. Nishihara not to contact Akikawa-kun again."

"But I didn't expect Mr. Nishihara would actually hold a grudge against Akikawa-kun over this."

Okino Yoko's blue eyes were wide open, staring at her trembling hands, and she spoke slowly.

When she was recounting this incident, her expression shifted from her initial anger towards Nishihara Koichi to deep guilt.

The feeling of remorse almost overflowed, affecting everyone around her.

However, Megure Juzo didn't fully believe Okino Yoko's statement.

Because he knew: if Okino Yoko really wanted to act, probably no one here could see through her performance.

Of course, he didn't disregard Yoko Okino's statement.

As long as the murderer hasn't been found, Yoko Okino's words obviously have significant reference value.

Megure Juzo then turned his head and looked at Koichi Nishihara, whose expression had turned grim.

Koichi Nishihara had always felt that Okino Yoko's intuition seemed too accurate.

A month ago, he noticed that Okino Yoko displayed very negative emotions after watching Akikawa Kyousuke's performance in rehearsal.

So, he privately asked if she also disliked Akikawa Kyousuke.

The result was, from just one simple sentence, Okino Yoko actually assumed that he had overheard her conversation with her agent half a month ago.

It was the same this time.

Hiroshi Nishihara was 100% sure that Yoko Okino couldn't possibly know the truth of the matter.

But she again precisely guessed he was the killer.

Nishihara Koichi felt a little angry.

Angry that Okino Yoko publicly accused him of being the murderer based on mere conjecture without any conclusive evidence.

Seeing the police, detectives, and actors around him looking at him, he knew his reputation would likely plummet due to Yoko Okino's unfounded speculations.

"The officer wants to ask for my alibi, right? I understand."

"In the middle of the third act, I met with the actors backstage and then went on stage to perform."

"Until the performance was suddenly stopped, I was always on stage and didn't even know what was happening behind me."

Koichi Nishihara knew the police would definitely ask for his alibi.

So, he pretended to be angry at their random suspicions.

After emphasizing his "innocence" to everyone present, he looked at Okino Yoko again.

"Miss Yoko, I've always respected you a lot, but this is really unbelievable!"

"I have no grudge against Akikawa-kun."

"We have a very good relationship in private, and he's also my junior."

"Akikawa-kun was very happy to get a role because I gave him some guidance. He often came to me with questions about acting."

"Do you really think I'd do something outrageous to Akikawa-kun over such things, and you still have baseless suspicions about me!"

Nishihara Koichi's tone was also filled with anger, as if he had genuinely been wronged.

Sera Masumi stepped forward, patted Nishihara Koichi on the shoulder, and after seeing him calm down, she smiled and said:

"We also believe that Mr. Nishihara wouldn't do such a thing. As long as Mr. Nishihara can provide a valid alibi, he can naturally prove his innocence."

"Didn't I just say? I joined the live actors in the middle of the third act, then performed on stage, and everyone in the audience saw it."

"I know, I know. I also watched Mr. Nishihara's performance. It was truly wonderful," Masumi Sera praised enthusiastically, interrupting Nishihara Koichi's narrative.

"But what I want to ask is not what Mr. Nishihara was doing after the middle of the third act, but rather what Mr. Nishihara was doing at the beginning of the second act."

"The beginning of the second act!?"

Nishihara Koichi shouted in surprise.

What were you doing at that time?

Of course, you were knocking out the lighting engineer named Uesugi and waiting for Akikawa Kyousuke to come to the laundry room!

But, the moment you killed Uesugi was obviously after knocking Akikawa Kyousuke unconscious.

Why would the detective in front of him ask about his alibi at the beginning of the second act?

Just as Koichi Nishihara was confused, he heard Megure Juzo add:

"In short, we believe the deceased was killed before the beginning of the second act, so please present proof of your presence at the beginning of the second act, Mr. Nishihara."

After hearing Megure Juzo's explanation, Nishihara Hiroshi felt a "boom" in his head.

"Before the second act?! How could it be before the second act?!"

"Akikawa was still in his dressing room before the second act began. How could the deceased have been killed at that time?"

Nishihara Koichi's mind was in chaos, unable to comprehend what had happened.

But he finally understood why Akikawa Kyousuke, who had a murder weapon and was stained with the blood of the deceased, was so easily dismissed from suspicion.

It's because—he obviously killed the deceased near the third act, but the police determined the deceased's time of death was before the beginning of the second act.

Before the second act began, Akikawa Kyousuke was still in his dressing room.

Although he was alone, someone could confirm that Akikawa Kyousuke couldn't have committed the crime at that time.

The person who arranged for Akikawa Kyousuke to go to the laundry room to retrieve his hat at the beginning of the second act!

The person who he arranged to lure Akikawa Kyousuke into the trap became the key witness to Akikawa Kyousuke's alibi.

(End of chapter)