Chapter 21: What Kind of Person Do You Think Akikawa Kyousuke Is?

  After leaving Akikawa Kyousuke's room.

  Detectives Wataru Takagi, Conan, and Masumi Sera were severely reprimanded by Miwako Sato.

  Conan and Masumi Sera also experienced the fear of Miwako Sato, the "Flower of the Metropolitan Police."

  Later, after Sera Masumi and Conan offered to help find the whereabouts of the motorcycle killer,

  They were rejected by Miwako Sato.

  "You two have been very helpful in analyzing the clues."

  "The rest of the work will be left to the Metropolitan Police Department."

  Sato Miwako used polite words to exclude Sera Masumi and Conan from this case.

  Only Takagi Wataru and Chiba Kazunobu remained in the room.

  Looking at Officer Takagi's sour expression, he knew there might be an even scarier reprimand waiting for him later.

  "This time, it's really a disaster."

  After leaving the hospital, Sera Masumi placed her hands behind her head and said casually.

  "Yes."

  Conan was a bit down and responded calmly.

  "I always feel that something is off in this case. Before interrogating Akikawa, we didn't find any evidence of another person committing the crime from start to finish. This motorcycle killer seemed to appear out of nowhere."

  "Imagine, if Akikawa died from an overdose of sleeping pills, wouldn't the killer have committed a perfect crime?"

  Sera Masumi still couldn't help but think about what happened this time.

  Since becoming a detective, there have been many failures.

  "How could there be a perfect crime in this world?"

  Hearing the term "perfect crime," Conan finally grew a bit more interested and flatly denied it.

  "But if we hadn't asked Akikawa, we wouldn't have known there was another killer?"

  "Under normal circumstances, Akikawa should be dead."

  Sera Masumi continued.

  "No, there can't be a perfect crime in this world. It can only mean we missed some clues."

  Conan closed his eyes and thought carefully.

  What details did I miss?

  What details could determine the possibility of someone else committing the crime?

  "You can't think of it, can you? I can't think of any clue of someone else committing the crime either!"

  Observing Conan's expression, Sera Masumi knew that he was like her, racking his brain but making no progress.

  "Then it can only mean that we didn't observe carefully enough and really missed the clues."

  "Or..."

  When Conan said this, his words suddenly stopped.

  Sera Masumi just heard this and understood the meaning behind Conan's words.

  Either a clue was missed,

  Or the killer from start to finish was Akikawa Kyousuke.

  "Is it possible?"

  Sera Masumi's expression gradually grew serious, her dark green eyes watching Conan.

  "We can only say that the possibility is very low."

  "If he really is Mrs. Ryoko's killer, several conditions must be met simultaneously."

  "One, cause a car accident."

  "Second, Akikawa Kyousuke's real personality is far from as weak as it seems. In reality, he's so strong that he dares to break his hand to avoid guilt."

  "Although the doctor can determine the approximate timing of the fracture, the total time from the car accident to Mrs. Ryoko's death was less than an hour. So even if Akikawa Kyousuke broke his right hand voluntarily after killing Mrs. Ryoko, we wouldn't know."

  "Third, he took an overdose of sleeping pills but didn't die. I can't think of a way to do that at the moment. I can only attribute it to luck."

  "Fourth, he knew the results of the forensic analysis on the dagger in advance, and his observation skills are extremely sharp." "That's why he was able to detect that we were lying when I asked about the prisoner's hand characteristics."

  "Fifth, his mind is so brilliant that he can make up countless logical details on the spot, and he can repeat them precisely when you ask him to repeat them backward, Miss Sera."

  "Sixth, he has acting skills so flawless that even you and I can't spot his flaws."

  After Conan said that, he also looked up and met Sera Masumi's gaze.

  "Miss Sera, do you think this situation is more likely than just us overlooking something?"

  "Why... no matter how you think about it, it's impossible, right? Even a professionally trained agent would find it difficult to have that ability."

  "Besides, he's only twenty years old and has spent more than half of his life under his mother's house arrest. How could he have such talent?"

  Just thinking about it, Sera Masumi felt that the type of person Conan described was too absurd.

  It was seriously inconsistent with the image of Akikawa Kyousuke as a recluse at home.

  "That's why I said that it was us two who made a mistake."

  Conan spread his hands.

  Sera Masumi noticed that there was an unmistakable loss hidden in Conan's indifferent tone.

  "Kid, you seem very disappointed."

  "After all, I wronged a good man and caused him secondary harm."

  "Do you want to go back and apologize?"

  "I don't think an apology will be forgiven. I still have to make it up to Akikawa."

  "Make it up? How to compensate? He'll receive over 100 million yen immediately, which is enough for him to live without worries for the rest of his life."

  "However, people who have been isolated at home since elementary school and lack social contact will be easily deceived once they receive such a large sum of money, right?"

  "Wow, you're right... With that amount, even a lawyer couldn't help but be tempted..."

  "Yes, so he needs a reliable lawyer."

  Conan said, taking out his other cell phone and calling Mouri Ran.

  "Shinichi!!"

  A familiar voice came from the other end of the phone.

  Mouri Ran's voice was full of joy. Even through the phone, Conan could imagine that Ran-Chan must be very happy at that moment because she received his call.

  Hearing the voice of his childhood love, Mouri Ran, Conan's originally downcast mood improved a lot.

  "Ah, Ran-Chan, I need your help with something."

  Conan held the voice-changing bowtie to his neck and spoke to Mouri Ran in his original voice, Kudo Shinichi.

–––– Two days have passed since the last interrogation.

During this time, except for Detective Miwako Sato, who came to the hospital to ask a few questions, Akikawa Kyousuke hasn't seen any other police officers or detectives.

And half an hour ago, a nurse came to inform him that he would be discharged in the afternoon.

Afterward, someone will take him to the Metropolitan Police Department to collect his personal belongings, as well as some of his mother's possessions.

"The great detective Mouri Kogoro won a million yen betting on horses. After getting drunk at an izakaya, he made bold comments and treated the entire crowd. Guests ordered old sake like crazy. In the end, the shop called the police because they ran out of money."

"National idol Okino Yoko has been absent from filming for four consecutive days. According to experts, she might have a boyfriend."

"High school detective Sera Masumi solved the serial murder case from August. Was it actually a murder swap?! One killer was arrested, and three are still at large."

*Ding*

Just as Kyousuke Akikawa was lying in bed, watching TV in boredom, the familiar mechanical sound rang in Akikawa Kyousuke's mind again.

[Choice 4, Complete]

[Reward Distributed, Skill Card x1]

[Description: You can select any character from the characters unlocked in the character illustration and randomly gain a permanent skill from that character.]

[Currently unlocked characters: Kudo Shinichi, Sera Masumi]

Collect, read, and vote for it!

(End of chapter)