Chapter 175: The Posture of the Dead

"It's strange that the camera didn't capture anything. Could there be some way to avoid the camera?"

The detective responsible for reviewing the surveillance video spoke with a puzzled expression.

"No, there's no such route," the Kosen-an staff member denied firmly.

"Then it's simple. The killer is either part of the staff or someone staying on the first floor," Sera Masumi said.

There are only two guest rooms on the first floor of Kosen-an.

Both rooms are extremely luxurious suites with private outdoor hot springs.

The Okamura Police Department further interrogated the criminal officer responsible for inspecting the first-floor rooms, but he stated that nothing suspicious had been found.

"Could it be that you didn't search carefully and missed something?" the Okamura Police Department asked, looking sternly at the subordinate officer.

"Probably not. I also specifically asked Kosen-an to retrieve the information logged for the residents on the first floor when they checked in."

"I compared the registered details of the first-floor room occupants, and they all match the guests staying there. So, the deceased definitely isn't a resident of these two rooms," said the detective investigating the first-floor rooms.

"Could it be that the deceased was a member of the staff at the Guquan Convent?"

The Okamura Police Department added, looking at the staff on the side and asking, "Did you notice any of your colleagues suddenly go missing or arrive late?"

The staff member went to confirm, and upon returning, said that all staff members were accounted for.

"This is odd," the Okamura Police Department muttered, clearly confused. Then, turning to the forensics team, he said, "Go analyze the two rooms on the first floor for blood using luminol. It's impossible to dismember a body without leaving traces."

The forensic officers agreed, knocked on the doors of the two rooms, and entered with their tools.

Meanwhile, Conan wandered around the hallway of the first-floor guest area.

He discovered that, in addition to the two guest rooms, there was another room in the first-floor guest area.

"I'd like to ask, what is this room used for?" Conan asked, looking at the Kosen-an staff member.

"Ah, this is the chief's private room and isn't offered to tourists," the staff member replied.

"I see," Conan said.

The Okamura Police Department added, walking toward the door of the room and knocking.

After knocking for quite a while, the door finally opened.

Then, Conan and the Okamura Police Department were greeted by Kunio Koizumi, the chief of Kosen-an, whom they had met yesterday.

As Kunio Koizumi appeared, a strong smell of alcohol hit them immediately.

"Speaking of which, when the incident happened yesterday, Mr. Koizumi came to check on the situation.

But today, Mr. Koizumi has stayed in his room," Conan said with an innocent expression, looking at the somewhat lethargic Kunio Koizumi and smiling.

His words immediately triggered suspicion in both Sera Masumi and the Okamura Police Department.

They turned their gazes to Kunio Koizumi.

"That's because I drank too much last night, so I was hungover and never woke up.

If you hadn't knocked on the door just now, I might have stayed asleep," Kunio Koizumi said, looking tired.

However, his statement failed to convince anyone present.

"Excuse us, Mr. Koizumi, but we need to search your room."

The Okamura officer entered Kunio Koizumi's room first, with Sera Masumi and Conan following closely behind.

Once inside, everyone noticed that Kunio Koizumi's room was completely different from the other rooms rented out to guests, which lacked any signs of daily life.

Koizumi's room, however, was indistinguishable from a regular home.

The room was fully furnished with furniture and appliances, including a washing machine, refrigerator, computer, microwave, and even a coffee maker.

At first glance, there seemed to be nothing strange about Kunio Koizumi's room.

But Sera Masumi quickly noticed something unusual.

There were two glasses of water, filled with liquid, placed on the desk beside the computer and on the dining table in the adjoining room.

'There's only Kunio Koizumi living here, yet there are two glasses of water in use,' Sera Masumi thought.

Sera picked up one of the glasses and sniffed it.

After setting it down, she walked to the sink, where she noticed two toothbrushes placed there. Her suspicions were confirmed.

Returning to the living room, she asked Kunio Koizumi, "Mr. Koizumi, do you live here alone?"

"My friends sometimes stay over," Kunio Koizumi replied.

"Do you have friends who stay over often?"

"No."

"You're lying, Mr. Koizumi."

Sera Masumi spoke directly, her sharp gaze locked onto him.

"I saw two toothbrushes placed at your sink. If no one stayed over from time to time, why would you have someone else's toothbrush there?

Also, the glass on the desk and the one on the dining table both contain the same tea.

If one of these glasses wasn't prepared by you for a guest who stayed here last night, then are you saying you made yourself two glasses of tea and forgot to finish them both?"

"Well, that's not surprising, is it? I just forgot there was another glass of tea there," Kunio Koizumi said hesitantly.

"There's nothing wrong with your statement, but if that's the case, then the surveillance cameras should have captured your friend entering Kosen-an," Sera Masumi said, turning to look at the Okamura Police Department.

The Okamura Police Department understood immediately and quickly called in the forensic team. They began spraying luminol reagent inside Kunio Koizumi's room to test for blood.

Upon seeing this, Kunio Koizumi's expression darkened noticeably.

His reaction didn't escape Sera Masumi's observant eyes.

Moments later, the results of the luminol test were revealed.

When the forensic police sprayed luminol in Kunio Koizumi's bathroom, a large area of blood reaction appeared in the bathtub, on the floor, and across the bathroom walls.

"Mr. Koizumi, you dismembered the deceased here, didn't you? In this bathroom," Sera Masumi said, looking directly at Kunio Koizumi.

Kunio Koizumi remained silent, refusing to admit anything.

After carefully examining the room, Conan's eyes finally settled on the laptop sitting on the desk.

A moment later, something clicked in Conan's mind, and he suddenly shouted, "I got it!"

Everyone in the room jumped at Conan's outburst and turned to look at him.

Realizing he had been too excited, Conan pointed at the laptop with slight embarrassment.

Sera Masumi followed his finger and looked at the computer.

Soon, her distinct dark green eyes widened in shock.

"So that's it.

The posture the killer wanted to hide by dismembering the body was the exact posture of someone using a computer!"

Upon hearing Sera Masumi's words, Kunio Koizumi's face turned pale in an instant.

(End of Chapter)