Chapter 176: A Plea?

The posture for using a computer is somewhat similar to the posture for driving a car. Both are positions where one can deduce what the deceased was doing just by observing them.

For example, when driving, at least one arm will be raised to grip the steering wheel.

When using a computer, one must sit and stretch their arms slightly forward.

After Conan and Sera Masumi observed the layout and furniture in Koizumi Kunio's room, they deduced the position he was trying to conceal by dismembering the body.

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"Mr. Koizumi, you cut your friend into pieces in the bathroom, didn't you?"

"And then you tried to mask the smell in the bathroom using alcohol."

Faced with Sera Masumi's question, Koizumi Kunio remained silent.

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"Mr. Koizumi, even if you don't say anything, your guilt will still be confirmed after the forensic department verifies that the DNA of the blood in your bathroom matches the deceased's."

"Moreover, as the head of Kosen-an, you can easily obtain knives for dismemberment, can't you?"

The police officer from the Kanagawa Prefectural Police, Okamura Police Department, spoke to Koizumi Kunio with a stern expression.

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At first, everyone thought Kunio Koizumi would continue resisting.

But unexpectedly, after hearing the Okamura Police Department's statement, he directly admitted to his crime:

"Yes, I killed Kawasaki."

"This bastard treated my place like a resort where he could live and eat for free. I grew angrier and angrier after drinking last night, so I killed him!"

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The officer from the Okamura Police Department was pleased upon hearing this.

Although the police forensic division had conducted a luminol blood analysis in Koizumi Kunio's bathroom, the results showed a significant amount of blood present.

However, the police had not yet found direct evidence proving that Koizumi Kunio committed the murder, and the murder weapon remained missing.

Now that Koizumi Kunio had admitted to the crime, it saved them a lot of trouble.

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Just as the Okamura Police Department officer took out handcuffs, cuffed Koizumi Kunio, and prepared to take him back to the station, Conan's urgent voice rang out:

"No, Officer Okamura, Mr. Koizumi is lying!"

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The Okamura Police Department officer looked at Conan with a confused expression, his face showing clear distrust of the elementary school student.

That expression seemed to say: What do you know, kid?

However, Sera Masumi's immediate statement forced him to take the matter seriously.

"Officer Okamura, Conan-kun is right—Mr. Koizumi is lying."

"The motive he described is very different from the actual situation."

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A few minutes earlier, Sera Masumi had deduced that Koizumi Kunio was trying to cover up the deceased's posture of using the computer by dismembering the body.

Koizumi Kunio's pale reaction to Sera Masumi's description further proved that her assumption was correct.

Yet, in Kunio Koizumi's confession moments ago, he made no mention of the computer.

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"I'm sorry, Officer Okamura, could you ask the forensic police to collect fingerprints from the computer?"

"I feel that if we simply believe Mr. Koizumi's confession, the truth might remain buried."

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The Okamura Police Department officer had yet to respond when Koizumi Kunio suddenly grew agitated at Sera Masumi's words.

He began shouting at the Okamura police:

"I'm not lying! Officer, don't listen to their nonsense!"

"This is the truth!"

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Initially, the Okamura Police Department considered further on-site investigation unnecessary since the suspect had already confessed.

Wouldn't it be easier to just have Kunio Koizumi reveal the location of the murder weapon?

However, Koizumi Kunio's sudden, abnormal reaction made the officer realize something was wrong.

'Could it be that this man really is hiding something?'

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Thinking this, the Okamura officer instructed the forensic division police to collect fingerprints from the computer keyboard.

At the same time, another team was sent to confirm the identity of the deceased.

The police resumed their investigation as though Koizumi Kunio had said nothing.

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A short while later, the forensic division officers reported back.

They had collected fingerprints from several individuals on the computer keyboard.

After comparing them with the fingerprints of the deceased, the Metropolitan Police confirmed that the deceased had indeed touched the computer.

Soon, the deceased's identity was also confirmed.

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The deceased's name was Kawasaki Ryo, an algorithm engineer for a major IT company in Tokyo. He was a highly skilled programmer.

Many staff members at Kosen-an mentioned that Ryo Kawasaki and their manager often drank together and that Kawasaki would always stay in Koizumi Kunio's room.

So far, the situation appeared to match Koizumi Kunio's confession.

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However, when asked if Kawasaki Ryo had ever had any conflicts with Koizumi Kunio, or if Koizumi had ever expressed impatience or complaints about him, the responses were surprisingly consistent:

The relationship between Koizumi Kunio and Ryo Kawasaki was very good, and there had never been any friction between them.

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Later, after the Kanagawa Prefectural Police thoroughly investigated the surveillance cameras, they discovered that Kawasaki Ryo had entered Kosen-an a week ago.

Since then, he had never reappeared.

Even during meals, Kawasaki Ryo never left the room.

It was Koizumi Kunio who had sent people to deliver food to his room.

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"Come to think of it, something did happen to Mr. Kawasaki yesterday," said a staff member responsible for delivering meals.

"Yesterday at noon, when I brought food to Mr. Kawasaki, I knocked for a long time before he came out to take the meal."

"And Mr. Kawasaki looked very anxious and unwell at the time."

"He looked far more haggard than before, with deep dark circles under his eyes."

"Then, when I delivered food at six in the evening, there was no response from the room. In the end, I had to take the meal back."

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Hearing the staff member's description, Sera Masumi asked:

"Mr. Kawasaki didn't show these symptoms the day before yesterday, did he?"

"I don't know about the day before yesterday, because in recent days, it was always Mr. Koizumi who came out to collect the meals."

"Yesterday, Mr. Koizumi was out of Kosen-an for half the day to handle the poisoning case, so I met Mr. Kawasaki."

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"Mm…"

Sera Masumi fell into deep thought.

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'This is very different from Kunio Koizumi's description.'

'According to him, Kawasaki Ryo treated this place like a free vacation.'

'But if Kawasaki Ryo truly came here for a vacation, would he stay locked in his room for an entire week?'

'Moreover, Kawasaki Ryo appeared even more haggard after a week of supposed rest.'

'And if Koizumi Kunio were truly tired of Kawasaki Ryo, why would he stay in the same room with him and deliver meals to him every day?'

Based on the staff's description, the suspicion in Sera Masumi's heart deepened.

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(End of the Chapter)