Chapter 81: Cause of Death

The other side.

Akikawa Kyousuke, seated near the edge of the banquet hall, gazed at the lifeless Kosaka Tsunekazu lying on the floor. He had greeted him not long ago, yet he didn't feel much surprise in his heart.

He looked at Sera Masumi, carefully examining the body on the floor, and at the elementary school Shinigami, who had climbed onto a chair to inspect the table. He wondered in his heart if they could uncover the true cause of Kosaka Tsunekazu's death.

Akikawa Kyousuke did not doubt the abilities of the detectives.

But he knew without even looking that not many clues would be left at the scene.

'Since the elementary school Shinigami went to inspect the table, it means the detectives suspect Kosaka's death might be due to poisoning.'

'Sera Masumi examined the deceased's mouth but reached no conclusion. Therefore, corrosive toxins that destroy the tissue lining the mouth, as well as neurotoxins with obvious odors, can be ruled out.'

'And because this banquet didn't have a set menu but instead required guests to bring their plates to the buffet table outside the hall to serve themselves…'

'Even if the other people at the same table as the deceased Kosaka showed no signs of poisoning, it doesn't rule out the possibility that Kosaka was poisoned.'

'However, the self-service style of this high-end banquet differs from that of common cafeterias.'

'Almost all food is served on the plate in "portioned quantities."'

'Moreover, eating too much food at once would inevitably be considered a bit inelegant. Except for children with poor family upbringing, hardly anyone would consume excessive amounts of food in one go.'

'When Kosaka suddenly collapsed, the banquet was already in its latter half, and most of the food had already been consumed.'

'In this case, even if Kosaka was truly poisoned, it would be difficult to find traces at the scene.'

Akikawa Kyousuke looked at Kosaka Tsunekazu lying on the floor, his chest exposed.

Then, his gaze shifted to Souma Miho, who sat to the side with a pale face, clearly frightened.

It was hard to believe that not long ago, this man had been joking with Yoko Okino with a playful expression.

Indeed.

Akikawa Kyousuke already had a hypothesis about the cause of Kosaka Tsunekazu's death, but he wasn't yet 100% certain.

If his assumption was correct...

The detectives weren't wrong in judging that the problem stemmed from the mouth.

But as to whether it was poisoning or asphyxiation caused by internal factors, Akikawa Kyousuke leaned more towards the latter.

First, by observing Sera Masumi's reaction after examining the body, Akikawa Kyousuke could rule out most causes of death.

Secondly, whether it was the deceased Kosaka Tsunekazu, Souma Miho screaming after Kosaka collapsed, or the equally startled Ryo Sogabe...

The guests at this table were all the same as before.

According to Yoko Okino's introduction, most of the guests at this table were directors who were evidently well-acquainted.

Akikawa Kyousuke noticed this through observation.

The personalities displayed by several people, as well as their attitudes during their earlier conversations with himself and Yoko Okino, were all distinct.

Seemingly unrelated details that they inadvertently revealed might all stem from the same reason.

But the problem, as far as the current situation was concerned…

It was essentially impossible to draw conclusions simply by observing the scene, as Sera Masumi and Conan were doing.

Therefore, if one wanted to confirm whether Akikawa Kyousuke's hypothesis was correct, a forensic autopsy was necessary.

"If my assumption is correct, judging by the current circumstances, the likelihood of an accident is actually higher."

"But it's worth delving into the reasons behind this accident."

Akikawa Kyousuke thought to himself before turning his attention to the doctor near the deceased Kosaka Tsunekazu, Takao Ohga.

'This Dr. Ohga seems to know Mr. Kosaka, although they weren't seated at the same table.'

Akikawa Kyousuke recalled how Takao Ohga had rushed to provide first aid after Kosaka Tsunekazu's accident moments earlier, and thought to himself:

'Your reaction was too intense, Mr. Ohga.'

'Rather than appearing as a doctor eager to save a dying person, it was more like you were afraid someone would uncover your secret after the person's death.'

Akikawa Kyousuke pondered.

Just then, he saw a team of emergency personnel rush through the banquet hall doors, heading directly towards Kosaka Tsunekazu lying on the floor.

However, Kosaka Tsunekazu was already confirmed dead.

After reconfirming, the emergency personnel decided not to place him on a stretcher for removal.

Shortly after...

A familiar team of detectives from the Metropolitan Police Department also entered through the banquet hall doors.

Detective Miwako Sato, along with Detective Takagi Wataru and a group of subordinates, walked to the front of the hall.

Upon spotting Sera Masumi and Conan, her elegant eyebrows furrowed slightly.

Miwako Sato couldn't help but wonder why...

Wherever a dead body appeared, so too did detectives and the elementary schooler Conan.

Miwako Sato increasingly felt that perhaps the detective's appearance was linked to the murder.

But soon, she dismissed this notion from her mind as it did not align with the professionalism of a criminal officer.

It was similar to asking, "Why do meteors always hit craters so precisely?"

It wasn't that murders happened because detectives were there, but rather that detectives appeared because murders happened.

With this reasoning, Miwako Sato convinced herself and stopped pondering why detectives always arrived so precisely at crime scenes.

She looked at Sera Masumi and asked:

"What happened here?"

"Mr. Kosaka suddenly clutched his neck and collapsed while eating."

Miwako Sato instructed forensic officers to examine the body before turning back to Sera Masumi.

"Poisoned?"

Miwako Sato glanced at the various delicacies placed on the tables around her, her first instinct being that poisoning was involved.

"It's possible, but it shouldn't be corrosive toxins, nor common poisons like potassium cyanide."

"Also, there are no evident signs of contamination in the leftover food on the table, so the specifics may need to be confirmed through detailed testing of the ingredients."

"Alright, I understand."

"Additionally, I noticed that the deceased's skin, lips, and nails showed signs of paleness, consistent with symptoms of hypoxia."

"When we administered first aid to the deceased earlier, we ruled out suffocation caused by airway obstruction."

"That's why I now believe the true cause of death might be internal asphyxiation."

Sera Masumi explained to Miwako Sato before turning her attention to the plastic surgeon, Takao Ohga, standing nearby.

(End of chapter)