Chapter 120: The Truth Behind the Doubts [4K Chapter]

"When she borrowed money from you, did she mention how much she needed and what it was for?"

Fujino noticed the key point.

"Each time she borrowed money, it wasn't much, about a hundred thousand or eighty thousand. As for what it was for, I don't know. After all, we each have our own lives, and some things are difficult for me to ask about."

Fujino scratched his chin.

Generally speaking, borrowing money means financial trouble.

But if she had a normal income, why did she need to borrow money?

Unless there was some extra expense.

But what could she need the money for?

Was she sick?

Or was her family sick?

Thinking of this, Fujino asked Yayoi Hirotani, "By the way, does Miss Araki have any relatives?"

"Relatives...?"

Yayoi Hirotani hesitated.

"Miss Hirotani, do you have any difficult-to-explain reasons regarding Miss Araki's relatives?" Sato Miwako noticed Hirotani's hesitation.

"It's not exactly difficult to explain." Hirotani shook her head. "It's just that saying it might feel like betraying Mako."

"Betraying Miss Araki?"

Hirotani lowered her head and hesitantly said, "As for relatives, she doesn't have any now, but a long time ago, when she was in America, she lived with someone when she was seventeen or eighteen. However, the person she lived with passed away after two years.

During that period, she had a daughter with that man, but just a year ago, that daughter also passed away."

"But everything started to improve. After her daughter passed away, Mako returned to Japan. After returning, she met Mr. Arita, and just two months ago, she got engaged to him."

Fujino pursued, "Then why did you hesitate, Miss Hirotani?"

Hirotani explained, "Mr. Arita is a conservative person and also a city councilor in Mihama City. If he found out that Mako had lived with a foreigner and had a child, it might..."

"Might affect her reputation?"

Fujino pondered.

Scandal and borrowing money.

This reminded him of a previous idol's outdoor scene case.

Thinking about it, Fujino suddenly looked up and asked, "Miss Hirotani, besides you, does anyone else know about this?"

"As for others, I don't know."

Hirotani thought for a moment. "After all, Mako shouldn't tell others easily..."

Before Hirotani finished speaking, Takagi ran into the villa, interrupting her.

After questioning the people around, Takagi found the guest who came to the villa last night.

According to a housewife who had just finished housework and was about to go out to see fireworks, around nine o'clock last night, a man in a blue suit driving a black Santana visited the villa. Although she didn't see his face clearly, she was sure it was a man in a blue suit driving a black Santana.

"Blue suit, black Santana?"

Hirotani suddenly exclaimed after hearing Takagi's description.

Miwako Sato looked at Hirotani curiously, "Miss Hirotani, do you know this person?"

"Although I'm not sure about the details, the person driving the black Santana should be Daishi Komori."

Hirotani affirmed, "That guy is someone Mako met in America. Since half a year ago, he would often come here in his black Santana."

"And every time Mako saw him, she would look scared, so I have a clear impression."

Fujino frowned, "Are you saying that Miss Araki fears this person?"

Hirotani recalled, "It's not exactly fear, but her attitude was definitely not good..."

"By the way, is Miss Araki left-handed?"

Fujino suddenly interrupted Hirotani, then stared into her eyes.

Avoiding Fujino's gaze, she hesitated, "I don't think so. She usually uses her right hand."

"Got it."

Fujino nodded.

A friend from America might know about the scandal.

If that man named Daishi Komori was blackmailing Mako Araki...

Then this case might be similar to the outdoor scene murder case.

But this time, the protagonist was not so lucky, not only failing to kill but being killed instead.

But if it wasn't her, why was she hesitating, even hiding that Mako Araki was left-handed?

Did she really not know?

"Fujino-kun, did you find something?" After questioning Hirotani, Sato Miwako noticed Fujino's troubled expression.

"I did find something."

Fujino took a deep breath, "If I'm not wrong, that Daishi Komori probably knows about Miss Araki's past and is blackmailing her with marriage."

"Blackmail?"

Miwako Sato pondered.

After a moment, she realized, "If that's the case, then the killer is likely Daishi Komori!"

"Based on the current evidence, it does seem that way. If we can find the bankbook and prove that the money was given to Daishi Komori."

Soon, the forensic team found Mako Araki's bankbook in the room.

As Fujino predicted.

The bankbook was full of withdrawal and deposit records.

There were several large withdrawals.

The last large withdrawal was just yesterday.

Two hours later, Takagi found Daishi Komori.

"Mr. Komori, you visited this villa last night, right?"

Brought to the crime scene's bedroom, Miwako Sato asked, "And the room Miss Araki entertained you in was this bedroom."

"I did visit this villa around nine o'clock last night..."

Komori responded, "But we talked in the living room."

"The living room?"

Miwako Sato frowned, "Can you lift your arm?"

"Lifting my arm?"

Komori slowly raised his arm in confusion.

In front of everyone, his gray cufflinks were identical to the one Fujino found.

Moreover, his right cufflink was missing.

"Strange, where did my cufflink go?"

Noticing his missing cufflink, Komori was puzzled.

"Mr. Komori, can you explain why your cufflink was found at the crime scene in this bedroom?"

Miwako Sato's expression grew serious as she took out the evidence bag containing the gray cufflink found at the crime scene.

"I have no idea about that."

Komori looked flustered.

"Mr. Komori, you probably blackmailed Miss Araki, right?"

Miwako Sato took out the bankbook, opened the recent withdrawal records, "Just yesterday, Miss Araki withdrew 500,000 yen from the bank, but we didn't find this money on her or in the villa."

"No wonder Mako recently started borrowing money from me and always looked gloomy with her bankbook on the living room sofa..."

Yayoi Hirotani agreed angrily, "So it was you, this beast, blackmailing her!"

"Actually, Miss Araki didn't commit suicide; she was murdered."

Miwako Sato reasoned, "Last night, you came to her villa to continue blackmailing her. But she, not wanting to be blackmailed anymore, took out a gun to threaten you to stop. During the struggle, the gun accidentally fired..."

She continued, "After Miss Araki died, in a panic, you wiped the fingerprints from the gun, locked the windows and door, took the 500,000 yen, and staged the scene to look like a suicide."

"No, that's not true!"

Komori panicked, "Although I did blackmail her, I would never kill!"

"But the evidence points to you."

Miwako Sato said sternly, "Mr. Komori, please come to the police station for further investigation."

"Something's wrong."

Listening to their conversation, Fujino thought to himself.

All evidence indeed pointed to Komori.

Miwako Sato's reasoning was logical.

But why did it feel off?

Thinking, Fujino activated his detective intuition.

[Detective Intuition Activated, Enhancing Host's Reasoning Ability by 100%]

[Advanced Reasoning Enhancement Card Used, Enhancing Host's Reasoning Ability by 200%]

With a 300% reasoning boost, the evidence connected, and the truth became clear...

In an instant, Fujino's expression darkened as he understood the truth.

"Wait!"

Fujino suddenly shouted, "The real killer is not Daishi Komori."

"If not Komori, then who?"

Miwako Sato turned to Fujino, confused.

"Didn't you notice? The smell in this room."

"The smell in this room?"

Sato sniffed, "There's no strange smell."

"Exactly."

Fujino walked to the ashtray, "If Miss Araki entertained Mr. Komori here last night, the room should smell of smoke."

"But there's no smell now, so she didn't entertain Komori here, and the cufflink couldn't have been left under the sofa."

Miwako Sato asked, "But if she didn't entertain Komori here, why is the ashtray here?"

"Someone must have moved the ashtray here after discovering her suicide."

Fujino nodded, "So this case isn't a murder staged as a suicide, but a suicide staged as a murder."

"A suicide staged as a murder?"

Sato Miwako was puzzled by Fujino's reasoning.

"Hirotani's words are half-true. The borrowing money part is true."

Fujino walked to the writing desk, "But she lied about Miss Araki being left-handed."

"Miss Araki is left-handed?"

Sato was surprised.

"Yes, the pen by the desk and the watch on her right wrist prove it."

Fuj

ino lifted the desk lamp, revealing a note written by Miss Araki in her right hand, "Miss Araki wrote this note with her right hand before dying."

"What's written on it?"

Miwako Sato took the note from Fujino's hand, "I wanted to protect my lover..."

"Lover?"

Miwako Sato couldn't believe it, "Could she be referring to her fiance, Mr. Arita?"

"No, she was referring to Yayoi Hirotani."

Fujino corrected, "Miss Hirotani is Miss Araki's lover."

"In love?"

Miwako Sato was stunned.

"Before dying, Miss Araki wanted to protect Miss Hirotani."

Fujino continued, "Miss Araki committed suicide, but Miss Hirotani tried to cover it up, making it look like a murder."

Yayoi Hirotani's face turned pale as her lie was exposed.

"Miss Hirotani, why did you stage the scene to look like a murder?"

Miwako Sato asked sharply.

"I wanted to avenge Mako."

Hirotani finally admitted, "I knew about the blackmail, but Mako didn't want to involve the police."

"After Mako's death, I thought by making it look like a murder, Komori would be arrested and couldn't harm anyone else."

"I'm sorry for lying, but I didn't want Mako's death to be in vain."

With the truth revealed, Fujino turned to Miwako Sato, "This case is more complex than we imagined."

Sato nodded, "Thank you, Fujino-kun, for uncovering the truth."

"Now we need to bring justice for Miss Araki and ensure Mr. Komori pays for his crimes."

As the investigation concluded, Fujino felt a sense of accomplishment, knowing the truth had been revealed, and justice would be served.