After hearing the introductions, Inspector Megure nodded. He looked at the group before him, then gestured to Kurosawa Hoshino beside him. "Everyone, you should all recognize the person next to me, right?"
Of course they recognized the famous Kurosawa Hoshino. And his presence here meant this case would be solved quickly. But their expressions varied—each had complicated feelings, and they weren't as excited as one might expect. After all, they had guessed the culprit might be among them, yet none of them could believe one of their own could be a murderer.
"Keep the camera on Kurosawa-kun," Rena Mizunashi whispered to the cameraman beside her.
Kurosawa Hoshino asked, "May I ask what kind of performance you do? And has your troupe always performed here?"
Ito Tamanosuke, being Kurosawa Hoshino's classmate, answered proactively, "It's a story adapted from the Edo Kid. We don't always perform here—we travel all over the country. We're planning to move to a new location next month."
Ran triggered her passive encyclopedia mode and chimed in, "Is that the thief who started committing robberies around Tokyo and then all over the country about half a year ago? I heard this person is like a thief from a period drama—either escaping from rooftops or using incredible jumping ability to flee like a martial arts master."
"Correct," Ito Tamanosuke nodded.
Kurosawa Hoshino turned to the officer beside him and asked, "Where was the victim killed, and what was the state of the surroundings?"
"Kurosawa-kun, the victim, Mr. Chikaraishi Tetsuo, was killed in a dressing room backstage. He was struck with a vase. There was a laptop in the room, and nothing else was disturbed," the recording officer answered quickly.
Kurosawa Hoshino understood. It seemed this episode was the same as the original—the only difference was the absence of Ran and the others from the original story. So he asked, "Everyone, have any of you had any conflicts with Mr. Chikaraishi Tetsuo recently? Or has anyone here had a conflict with him?"
Instantly, everyone's eyes darted toward Ito Tamanosuke and Tajima Kenzo.
Ito Tamanosuke sighed and said quietly, "Around noon, I wanted to discuss the script's ending with Mr. Chikaraishi, but he refused. We argued, and he kicked me out the door."
Seeing the troupe leader speak, Tajima Kenzo realized he had to say something too. "Chikaraishi and I just don't get along. He's been picking on me a lot lately."
Inspector Megure spoke up at the right moment. "Brother Hoshino, do you need to see the crime scene?"
"No need." Kurosawa Hoshino shook his head and stared at Ito Tamanosuke. "Why did you decide to perform an original script this time? Who requested it?"
"Me." Ito Tamanosuke spoke, looking nervous.
"What was the reason?"
"It—it's just—"
"Is it because you sensed the Edo Kid was in your troupe, so you asked Mr. Chikaraishi Tetsuo to write this script?"
Kurosawa Hoshino's words shocked not only the people around him but also everyone watching the live broadcast. From such few clues, none of them had ever considered that the famous Edo Kid from over half a year ago might be in this troupe.
"Let me put myself in Mr. Chikaraishi Tetsuo's shoes. One day, the troupe leader inexplicably asks me to write a script about the Edo Kid. I agree. Then I start gathering information, and gradually I notice a pattern: the Edo Kid appears wherever the troupe has performed. Once is coincidence, but every single time—that's not coincidence."
Tajima Kenzo trembled, cold sweat instantly appearing on his forehead. Ito Tamanosuke was also shocked, staring at Kurosawa Hoshino in disbelief.
"So I began to suspect someone in the troupe. Eventually, I identified one person—the one公认 as the most agile in the troupe. I started testing them, and it worked perfectly. Then I began blackmailing them, constantly making trouble for them. In the end, my greed got the better of me—I pushed too hard with the blackmail, and they killed me."
Kurosawa Hoshino paused and looked at the group. "So, who here has the best physical skills?"
There was no need to answer—everyone's eyes turned to Tajima Kenzo. Just from what Kurosawa Hoshino had said, they already suspected him. It fit too well. He had been picked on by Chikaraishi Tetsuo recently; they hadn't known why before, but now they understood.
Tajima Kenzo quickly explained, "No—that's not true. Chikaraishi and I just had a small disagreement. Kurosawa-kun, please don't say things without evidence. It's bad for your reputation—and mine."
Ran and the others hardly dared breathe, afraid of interfering with Kurosawa Hoshino's deduction, yet they believed completely that he would solve the case. Inspector Megure wasn't panicked either; he had full confidence in Kurosawa Hoshino.
"Fine, then I'll continue," Kurosawa Hoshino said calmly. "Mr. Chikaraishi's test of the Edo Kid should have involved some evidence as a threat. Even if there wasn't any, he would have pretended there was—otherwise, how could he have fooled the Edo Kid? When we arrived, I heard that at the time of the incident, you were all rehearsing, and no one's alibi had been broken yet. That means the evidence the culprit obtained hasn't had time to be destroyed. So, Mr. Culprit, you wouldn't be carrying something that important on you, would you?"
As the last word fell, Tajima Kenzo's heart sank. He stared at Kurosawa Hoshino and said with a bitter smile, "How can a monster like you exist in this world? You're right—I killed him, and the reason is exactly as you said."
Inside the bar.
"Hiss~" A chorus of sharp intakes of breath. Everyone stared at the live broadcast, eyes wide.
"Isn't this guy a bit exaggerated? Was that even five minutes?" Chianti asked the silent Amuro Tooru. "Bourbon, why aren't you saying anything? Don't you like to talk?"
Amuro Tooru scratched his cheek. "What should I say?"
"Say whether you could solve the case after just a couple of questions."
"Heh. I'm not a freak like him. I'd still need to see the scene and the body—or the case would have to be simpler—before I could solve it with just a few questions."
"This kid really scared me. Seeing it live is definitely different from reading about it in the papers." Chianti downed a hefty gulp of liquor, then sneered. "Also, I'm not one of these hopelessly stupid murderers. Once I kill someone, I leave. Let's see how he identifies me then."
Her words resonated with the others. The previously agitated organization executives calmed down. She was right—they all killed and left. They wouldn't stick around waiting for a detective to solve the case.
Gin and Vermouth listened to their words, a faint smile appearing at the corners of their mouths before vanishing.
Kurosawa Hoshino's performance wasn't only seen by the Black Organization. FBI's Shuichi Akai and his team saw it too. Even Ai, doing experiments at Dr. Agasa's house, paused her work to watch the entire broadcast.
And in Osaka.
Heiji Hattori had been waiting for more clues from the live broadcast to solve the case, but he was completely overwhelmed. He nearly spat blood in frustration and complained to his mother, Shizuka Hattori, "Mom, you saw that, right? This guy doesn't even look at the crime scene. He doesn't need a single clue. He just forces out the deduction. Isn't this like he's read the script? Isn't this like he's been reborn? I'm starting to think those ridiculous online theories are actually right."
"All right, calm down." Shizuka Hattori soothed her son, but inwardly she was deeply impressed by Kurosawa Hoshino's deduction skills. She understood he was definitely better than her son and husband—and this live broadcast proved it.