The University Professor Murder Case - File 3

There was a sharp comeback idea on Rook. His question about the video was cleared! He smiled on his discovery and patted his right hand on his left.

"Mr. Mito, thank you very much for the cooperation. Because of your information, a case has been solved. For now, let us enjoy the food we have ordered…" Rook reTatsumied.

"You mean you have solved the case?" Mito asked, with full of surprise. He never knew that his information would give a case to a close.

"Exactly. I want to ask a favor. Gather the others on the lounge of the professor's. We will be there after two hours. I will call the police by then together with the data…"

"Okay and thank you as well. I am grateful that you are there to solve this case. Kannon is my best friend and his death is a great loss."

"Don't worry, Mr. Mito. The murderer will be surprised of our opening attack…"

"Mito, what is this all about?" asked the others, when they were gathered on the lounge. The professor was also there.

"Everyone, wait until Detective Rook and Detective Tatsumi arrives together with the police. Detective Rook found out the perpetrator of Kannon's murder, and he wants you all to witness the truth of this case…"

Misuzu was surprised. "Do you mean, he knows the murderer?" she asked.

"That's right…Ms. Misuzu…" answered Rook, when the door of the lounge was opened. He was with the police. Tatsumi is holding a blue folder as he handed it to Rook. The others were shocked about what they heard. Rook asked permission from the inspector for him to start the questioning.

"J'adoube…the murder of Kannon is right in this room right now. There are seven underlying truth about this case. First, the fireworks. The gunshot was not heard because the murderer shot the victim right during that moment. Second, the clothes. The murderer must hide the murder weapon afterwards. Third, the motive. The murderer must have had old grudge to the victim or is having revenge. Fourth is the flow of the murderer's actions. The gun powder that was placed after the gunshot. Sixth, the dying message. Seventh, the picture."

"You mean you have solved it all? Who is the murderer?" Ikegami asked.

"Exactly, Mr. Ikegami. I have asked the inspector to wrap the evidence that we had gathered…" Rook answered. He signed the inspector to bring in Donna's yukata and shoes. Donna was surprised why her yukata is considered evidence.

"We had checked both the yukata and the shoes of Ms. Donna and it appears that it is present in gun powder…" claimed the inspector.

"My co-detective Tatsumi, found these clothes, that are all by Ms. Donna's. But aside from these evidences, Tatsumi also found greater evidence, the picture inside Mr. Mito's room…" Rook continued.

"What picture?" asked Misuzu.

"Was there a picture that made it as greater evidence?" Ikegami asked.

"Yeah, there is. The picture of all of you, together with Kannon's younger brother and Ms. Donna's father…"

Donna was speechless of what she was hearing.

"All of these underlying facts states one answer. Ms. Donna Fargo, checkmate, you are the criminal. The murderer behind the grim death of Kannon Kawahashi…" he explained and pointed to Donna, petrified by his accusation.

"This is ridiculous, this is all your conjecture! The criminal must have planted the gun powder or changed my yukata!" she defended, with a high toned voice.

"I expected that defense. But when officer Miharu checked the yukata and the shoes, only your fingerprints were there. The perfume that you also frequently use, is present in the yukata and the blood…was there on your yukata. You see Ms. Donna, gun powder can never be just planted. To acquire gun powder on a cloth is either the user of the cloth fired a gun or the cloth user is a gun bullet creator. But it is more evident that the gun powder in your yukata was traced to be a gun powder fired through a gun."

She was speechless.

"Let me explain how the murder happened. When the fireworks started, you established an alibi in the place where the people were watching the fireworks. You wore a yukata in order to hide your revolver. After that, you went to Kannon's room and knocked. You shot him in time the fireworks started playing. You took two evidences, the bullet barrel case and the videotapes. The fact that it is you is that your fingerprints are found on Kannon's bag. Unfortunately on your side, Kannon was lucky to give the police a dying message…the bloody chess pieces…" Rook explained.

"What do the pieces mean?" asked Professor Jun, who was there silent for the whole time.

"D and F…that is what it means. Since the pieces are white color, the king stays on the black block of the chess board. The chess board has what they call rows and columns. Each block has a letter and a number that starts with 1. In the case of white pieces, Queen is placed in letter D and bishop is located on either C or F. But what Kannon wants to tell is D.F., which tells the initials of his killer…Donna Fargo…" continued Rook.

Donna's face was falling. She knew she cannot escape.

"But what about the video tapes?" asked Mito.

"The videotape…is probably the videotapes of Kannon's documentation about the operation of his younger brother, documentations of crimes Donna's father committed unknown to the public…"

"My father never committed any crime!" Donna interrupted.

"Yes he did! He murdered Kannon's younger brother, sold his internal organs to some organizations which needed them! It's organ harvesting, you dumb!" shouted Rook. He asked the inspector to open the files on the folder.

"Your father is a criminal. He is one of the members of the arrested organizations which kidnap children and gets their internal organs and selling them. When we arrested the mastermind, he named your father as one of their sources…" replied the inspector showing the proof.

"Perhaps Kannon learned about it. He suspected him at first but he did not have the evidence. The irony of it was that Kannon never reported it to the police and instead murdered your father for revenge. Since you did not know of all the roots, you went to the suspicion that Kannon killed your father because of the failed operation. You learned that Kannon was the killer, but you never reported it to the police. Kannon guised the suicide as murder for them not to question about the doctor's murder. I knew no more of the crimes you have done but all the evidences we held now points that you are the murderer of Kannon Kawahashi and that you are under arrest…Ms. Donna Fargo…" added Tatsumi.

Donna fell down on her knees and cried aloud. Her tears were like crystal that shone before the atoning sunlight. Mito and the rest mourned for the peaceful solution of the case.

"That's right. I did it. I loved Kannon so much, I pleaded to my family to operate Kannon's brother but it turned out to be his death. I never knew that my father is a killer as well. But the justice in my heart won't stop…not until my love one dies. I found out that Kannon was marrying another woman after the operation. He started to hate me…so I have to kill him. I don't want another woman to have him…"

"Do not ever use the name of love the reason for murder! If you truly love someone, death is unnecessary to be an action! Love does not include murder! Perhaps you will learn about this after you have paid all your crimes in prison! A murder is a murder…" Rook shouted. His voice is lecturing.

Donna listened with the tears on her eyes. She got up as the inspector handcuffed her. "Donna Fargo, you are under arrest for the murder of Kannon Kawashima…"

The others silently cried as their speechless moment broke and heard the siren wailing and drove Donna to prison. Professor Jun looked at the police car went away and closed his eyes.

"This is what happens when world of love turns to hate. When one person is blinded in the cloud of revenge, he or she will never understand that there is a faint light for forgiveness and new tomorrow." Said Rook in his mind. Together with Tatsumi, he thanked all of them for the cooperation. It was the same for them and the professor.

"Mr. Mito, thank you. You are the key to the case, so long…" Rook bid farewell and saluted Mito. They went home, with the smile on their faces.

A day after, Tatsumi was wondering why Rook was on his sofa, with a impish smile and chuckles of victory. "Hmm…hmm…hmmm…" he said, alone in his sofa. Tatsumi started to ask what happened.

Rook raised a check of account on his right hand and showed it to him. "Five million yen!" he shouted as he laughed. Tatsumi sighed. It was the payment for the case they just solved. "Rook is crazy…" he said silently and went out of the detective agency.