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**Chapter 1058: The Handwriting is Still So Beautiful**
After Mori Kogoro finished taking photos, Chi Feichei put the items into an Evidence Bag and handed it to Officer Ogura.
When the four of them returned to the Hotel, it was already past 3 AM. They saw the Landlady, who had been waiting in the Japanese-Style Living Room, but no one else. They decided to question the Landlady first and also asked the Hotel Staff a few questions.
The Landlady recognized the Knife as the murder weapon and pointed out that it was the 'God Sword' kept in the Hotel's Shrine.
The Hotel's Staff had also more or less seen the activities of Eri Akachi and the others, and said that Mouri Ran and the others hadn't come to the Japanese-Style Living Room but were in the Social Hall.
"So you were here..."
Mori Kogoro arrived at the Social Hall, scanned the area, and confirmed the number of people.
His daughter was there, the Haibara kid was there, Raiko Honda was there, Eri Akachi was there, Tokyoichi Bando was there, Harumi Fukatsu was there... Hmm, everyone's here.
Raiko Honda turned her head and explained, "Teacher Eri said it's more comfortable to sit here."
Mouri Ran turned her head to look at the people who came in and confirmed the number.
Her Old Dad was there, Brother Hichiji was there, Officer Ogura was there... Hmm, where's Conan?
"Father, where's Conan?"
"Huh?" Mori Kogoro turned around and looked left and right. "Didn't that Kid Conan follow us?"
"He headed towards the Courtyard on the way," Chi Feichei walked over to the Bench by the Windowside and sat down, pulling out a Notebook and a Ballpoint Pen as if it were nothing unusual. "He probably went to the Restroom. Let's confirm everyone's Movement Trajectory between 10 PM and 12 AM."
Conan probably went to confirm the thickness of the Snowy Field.
Such a little guy, following along and then suddenly sneaking out of the Corridor, it wasn't easy to notice. If he hadn't been keeping an eye on that Troublemaker Conan, he probably wouldn't have known when Conan had fallen behind.
The others turned to look at Mori Kogoro.
When it came to questioning after a case occurred, the Famous Detective still had more authority.
"Ahem..." Mori Kogoro didn't have time to worry about where Conan had run off to. He straightened his Expression and said seriously, "Please cooperate! First, Teacher Eri, when we met you, you had just returned from bathing in the Open-air Hot Spring, right? So, what time did you go to the Open-air Hot Spring?"
"Yes," Eri Akachi nodded. "I went to the Open-air Hot Spring around 9:30 PM and left around 10 o'clock."
"Did you see Miss Asuka Shibasaki there?"
"When I was leaving the Open-air Hot Spring to come back, she was just arriving at the Open-air Hot Spring..."
Haibara Ai got up and sat down next to Chi Feichei, watching him write down everyone's activity times in his Notebook. She noticed Feichi poking his Little Head out from the Collar of his Yukata to look at the Notebook and resisted the urge to pull Feichi out and play with him.
No, I have to wait until Feichi finishes shedding his skin...
Mouri Ran was worried about where Conan had run off to. She wanted to go look for him but had to stay and wait to answer questions, feeling quite restless. Only when she saw Conan coming did she feel relieved.
Conan walked over to Chi Feichei's side, deep in thought with his head down, and leaned over to look at the information Chi Feichei had recorded in his Notebook.
[
9:30 PM: Tokyoichi Bando is in his Room. Eri Akachi arrives at the Open-air Hot Spring to bathe. Raiko Honda goes to the Social Hall to organize interview content and stays there.
9:45 PM: Raiko Honda sees Asuka Shibasaki pass by the Social Hall, heading towards the Open-air Hot Spring.
10:00 PM: Eri Akachi leaves the Open-air Hot Spring and sees Asuka Shibasaki arriving.
10:20 PM: Raiko Honda sees Eri Akachi return to the Social Hall.
10:25 PM: Raiko Honda sees Ema Anzai head towards the Back Door from the Social Hall. At the same time, we, who were heading to bathe, meet Eri Akachi in the Corridor.
10:30 PM: The time written on the Paper Strip Ema Anzai received, asking her to meet at the Shrine.
10:40 PM: We arrive at the Open-air Hot Spring. The Women's Bath has a Reserved Sign. Ran, Ai, and Harumi Fukatsu go to the Entertainment Center to play Ping Pong Ball.
10:45 PM: Harumi Fukatsu leaves the Entertainment Center to go back and remove her Contact Lenses.
10:50 PM: Strange sounds are heard from the Women's Bath.
10:55 PM: Harumi Fukatsu returns to the Entertainment Center.
11:00 PM: We finish bathing in the Men's Bath and find Ran, Ai, and Harumi Fukatsu, who haven't started bathing yet, at the Entertainment Center. During this time, Ran doesn't see anyone else pass by the Entertainment Center heading towards the Open-air Hot Spring. At the same time, Eri Akachi arrives at the Hotel's Social Hall to discuss something with Raiko Honda.
11:15 PM: Tokyoichi Bando arrives at the Social Hall and joins the meeting with Raiko Honda and Eri Akachi.
11:30 PM: We leave the Entertainment Center and head towards the Open-air Hot Spring.
Around 11:40 PM: Asuka Shibasaki's Corpse is discovered.
11:55 PM: We search the Hotel for Ema Anzai and see Raiko Honda, Eri Akachi, and Tokyoichi Bando holding a meeting in the Social Hall.
12:05 AM: We go to the Back Door to head towards the Shrine and find Footprint in the Snowy Field.
12:10 AM: Ema Anzai's Corpse is discovered in the Shrine.
...
]
Conan couldn't help but notice the handwriting in the Notebook.
Chi Feichei's handwriting was still so beautiful. It was neat and orderly but not stiff, each stroke possessing an indescribable charm. Seeing such a long passage was simply a pleasure... Ahem, solving the case, solving the case is what's important!
"At the Open-air Hot Spring, we found a Knife suspected to be the Weapon, and a blood-stained Bath Towel," Mori Kogoro said to the others after finishing his Interrogation. "According to the Landlady, that Knife was the God Sword previously kept in the Hotel's Shrine, and the Bath Towel belonged to Ema Anzai. Although it's not yet confirmed if the Blood Stain on the Bath Towel are partly hers, the Weapon should be the same one. This means the sequence of Crime by the Murderer should be: after 10:30 PM, they went to the Warehouse to Murder Miss Anxi Ema, left the Kimono Sleeve Hannya Paper Doll, and then carried the Knife and Towel to the Open-air Hot Spring. At the same time, the Murderer also brought a Stapler. After using the Stapler to knock out Miss Asuka Shibasaki, who was bathing, they then Murdered her with the Knife. Finally, the Murderer abandoned the Knife, Stapler, and Towel at the Open-air Hot Spring, left the Kimono Sleeve Hannya Paper Doll at the Women's Bath Entrance, and left the area."
Conan leaned over, looking at the timeline Chi Feichei had organized, and pondered.
Looking at it this way, Tokyoichi Bando has no Alibi before 11:15 PM, giving him enough time to commit the crime. Furthermore, the Signature on the Paper Strip asking Ema Anzai to meet at the Warehouse was Tokyoichi Bando's.
Eri Akachi could have gone from the Corridor to the Shrine to Murder Ema Anzai after meeting them. If she then wanted to go to the Open-air Hot Spring to Murder Asuka Shibasaki, she would have to pass by the Social Hall and the Entertainment Center where Ran was. Using Wooden Board to move alternately across the Courtyard could avoid passing the Social Hall and wouldn't leave Footprint in the Snowy Field, but to reach the Open-air Hot Spring located on a Cliff, she would have to pass the Entertainment Center, as she couldn't climb over the Mountain with Snow. However, Ran didn't see Eri Akachi pass by. Furthermore, if the strange sound they heard from the women's bath next door at 10:50 PM was the time Asuka Shibasaki was killed, then Eri Akachi couldn't have Murdered her and rushed back to the Social Hall to meet Raiko Honda within 10 minutes.
Harumi Fukatsu had been with them since after 9 PM. The only time she left the Entertainment Center was from 10:45 PM to 10:55 PM, when she went back to her Room alone to remove her Contact Lenses. This timeframe would allow for Manufacturing the strange sound or Murdering Asuka Shibasaki, for example, by hiding her Framed Glasses somewhere, putting them on after leaving, committing Murder, and then pretending she went back to her Room to change glasses. However, Harumi Fukatsu didn't have time to Murder Ema Anzai, and it's even less likely that she would Murder Ema Anzai, take the Weapon to the Open-air Hot Spring, and then Murder Asuka Shibasaki.
Raiko Honda had been in the Social Hall since after 9:30 PM. Although she had enough time to commit the crime during the periods she was alone and didn't encounter anyone else, if someone had passed by the Social Hall during that time and found her missing, her lie would have been exposed. Raiko Honda couldn't be sure whether others would go to the Social Hall while she was away committing Crime, so the Possibility of Raiko Honda committing Crime is also low.
For now, the biggest Suspicion is Tokyoichi Bando, but the fact that this Murderer could devise a Method to avoid leaving Footprint in the Snowy Field makes him think it's not that simple.
Furthermore, his discovery also points to Eri Akachi as the Murderer...
"But Ai and I were at the Entertainment Center after 10:40 PM. If someone wanted to go to the Open-air Hot Spring, we would definitely have seen them, but we didn't see any Suspicious Person pass by the Entertainment Center," Mouri Ran turned her head to look at Haibara Ai, who was sitting with Chi Feichei. "Right, Ai?"
Haibara Ai nodded. "Not just a Figure, we didn't even see a Ghost Shadow."
Mouri Ran: "..."
Mentioning ghosts at a time like this made her a little scared.
If it was a Monster doing the killing, then indeed...
"That's right," Mori Kogoro stroked his chin. "And besides the Footprint left by Miss Anxi Ema when she went to the Warehouse, there were no Footprint left by the Murderer in the Snowy Field. That's also very strange..."
"Could it be the Curse of the Kimono Sleeve Deity?" Harumi Fukatsu asked nervously.
"N-No way..." Mouri Ran shrank back against the Sofa Backrest, feeling a lack of Sense of security without a Living Body Pillow in her arms.
No...
Conan denied the Possibility of 'the Kimono Sleeve Deity's Curse Murdering people' in his heart. He leaned closer to Chi Feichei's ear and whispered, "Brother Chi, I just walked around the Courtyard along the Eaves. The Footprint in the Snowy Field from the Back Door to Teacher Eri's Window were only about five centimeters deep at most, while the Footprint left in other areas were over ten centimeters deep. It snowed again after we collected evidence at the Shrine, and another layer of Snow accumulated in the areas not covered by the Towel, so Footprint over ten centimeters deep are Normal. Therefore..."
Haibara Ai leaned in to listen, then softly took over. "Teacher Eri could be the Murderer. After meeting us in the Corridor, to avoid being seen by Miss Honda in the Social Hall, she climbed out her window and used some Method that wouldn't leave Footprint to go to the Shrine, Murder Miss Anzai, and then return to her Room using that method. That's why there are areas in the Snowy Field with inconsistent footprint depths leading to the area outside her Room's window. However, how did she Murder Miss Shibasaki afterwards? Her time frame isn't sufficient, and Sister Ran and I really didn't see any Suspicious Figures pass by outside the Entertainment Center."
"That's right," Conan frowned in thought. "The Method to avoid leaving Footprint must have involved covering the Snowy Field with Wooden Board and moving, but the time of the crime..."
He couldn't figure this point out no matter how hard he tried.
"Anyway, it's already past 4 AM. Police Officer from Yamagata Prefecture should be able to arrive here in about an hour, so everyone stay here for now," Mori Kogoro instructed, then looked at Chi Feichei, who was sitting on the Bench Whispering with the two Children, and called out, "Hassashi, I'm going outside for a Smoke. Want to come out for some fresh air?"
"Okay."
Chi Feichei chose to abandon Conan, the Case Solving teammate, closed his Notebook, and followed Mori Kogoro to the outside Corridor.
Conan looked up, watched Haibara Ai follow, thought for a moment, and then quietly followed as well.
(End of Chapter)
After Mori Kogoro finished taking photos, Chi Feichei put the items into an Evidence Bag and handed it to Officer Ogura.
When the four of them returned to the Hotel, it was already past 3 AM. They saw the Landlady, who had been waiting in the Japanese-Style Living Room, but no one else. They decided to question the Landlady first and also asked the Hotel Staff a few questions.
The Landlady recognized the Knife as the murder weapon and pointed out that it was the 'God Sword' kept in the Hotel's Shrine.
The Hotel's Staff had also more or less seen the activities of Eri Akachi and the others, and said that Mouri Ran and the others hadn't come to the Japanese-Style Living Room but were in the Social Hall.
"So you were here..."
Mori Kogoro arrived at the Social Hall, scanned the area, and confirmed the number of people.
His daughter was there, the Haibara kid was there, Raiko Honda was there, Eri Akachi was there, Tokyoichi Bando was there, Harumi Fukatsu was there... Hmm, everyone's here.
Raiko Honda turned her head and explained, "Teacher Eri said it's more comfortable to sit here."
Mouri Ran turned her head to look at the people who came in and confirmed the number.
Her Old Dad was there, Brother Hichiji was there, Officer Ogura was there... Hmm, where's Conan?
"Father, where's Conan?"
"Huh?" Mori Kogoro turned around and looked left and right. "Didn't that Kid Conan follow us?"
"He headed towards the Courtyard on the way," Chi Feichei walked over to the Bench by the Windowside and sat down, pulling out a Notebook and a Ballpoint Pen as if it were nothing unusual. "He probably went to the Restroom. Let's confirm everyone's Movement Trajectory between 10 PM and 12 AM."
Conan probably went to confirm the thickness of the Snowy Field.
Such a little guy, following along and then suddenly sneaking out of the Corridor, it wasn't easy to notice. If he hadn't been keeping an eye on that Troublemaker Conan, he probably wouldn't have known when Conan had fallen behind.
The others turned to look at Mori Kogoro.
When it came to questioning after a case occurred, the Famous Detective still had more authority.
"Ahem..." Mori Kogoro didn't have time to worry about where Conan had run off to. He straightened his Expression and said seriously, "Please cooperate! First, Teacher Eri, when we met you, you had just returned from bathing in the Open-air Hot Spring, right? So, what time did you go to the Open-air Hot Spring?"
"Yes," Eri Akachi nodded. "I went to the Open-air Hot Spring around 9:30 PM and left around 10 o'clock."
"Did you see Miss Asuka Shibasaki there?"
"When I was leaving the Open-air Hot Spring to come back, she was just arriving at the Open-air Hot Spring..."
Haibara Ai got up and sat down next to Chi Feichei, watching him write down everyone's activity times in his Notebook. She noticed Feichi poking his Little Head out from the Collar of his Yukata to look at the Notebook and resisted the urge to pull Feichi out and play with him.
No, I have to wait until Feichi finishes shedding his skin...
Mouri Ran was worried about where Conan had run off to. She wanted to go look for him but had to stay and wait to answer questions, feeling quite restless. Only when she saw Conan coming did she feel relieved.
Conan walked over to Chi Feichei's side, deep in thought with his head down, and leaned over to look at the information Chi Feichei had recorded in his Notebook.
[
9:30 PM: Tokyoichi Bando is in his Room. Eri Akachi arrives at the Open-air Hot Spring to bathe. Raiko Honda goes to the Social Hall to organize interview content and stays there.
9:45 PM: Raiko Honda sees Asuka Shibasaki pass by the Social Hall, heading towards the Open-air Hot Spring.
10:00 PM: Eri Akachi leaves the Open-air Hot Spring and sees Asuka Shibasaki arriving.
10:20 PM: Raiko Honda sees Eri Akachi return to the Social Hall.
10:25 PM: Raiko Honda sees Ema Anzai head towards the Back Door from the Social Hall. At the same time, we, who were heading to bathe, meet Eri Akachi in the Corridor.
10:30 PM: The time written on the Paper Strip Ema Anzai received, asking her to meet at the Shrine.
10:40 PM: We arrive at the Open-air Hot Spring. The Women's Bath has a Reserved Sign. Ran, Ai, and Harumi Fukatsu go to the Entertainment Center to play Ping Pong Ball.
10:45 PM: Harumi Fukatsu leaves the Entertainment Center to go back and remove her Contact Lenses.
10:50 PM: Strange sounds are heard from the Women's Bath.
10:55 PM: Harumi Fukatsu returns to the Entertainment Center.
11:00 PM: We finish bathing in the Men's Bath and find Ran, Ai, and Harumi Fukatsu, who haven't started bathing yet, at the Entertainment Center. During this time, Ran doesn't see anyone else pass by the Entertainment Center heading towards the Open-air Hot Spring. At the same time, Eri Akachi arrives at the Hotel's Social Hall to discuss something with Raiko Honda.
11:15 PM: Tokyoichi Bando arrives at the Social Hall and joins the meeting with Raiko Honda and Eri Akachi.
11:30 PM: We leave the Entertainment Center and head towards the Open-air Hot Spring.
Around 11:40 PM: Asuka Shibasaki's Corpse is discovered.
11:55 PM: We search the Hotel for Ema Anzai and see Raiko Honda, Eri Akachi, and Tokyoichi Bando holding a meeting in the Social Hall.
12:05 AM: We go to the Back Door to head towards the Shrine and find Footprint in the Snowy Field.
12:10 AM: Ema Anzai's Corpse is discovered in the Shrine.
...
]
Conan couldn't help but notice the handwriting in the Notebook.
Chi Feichei's handwriting was still so beautiful. It was neat and orderly but not stiff, each stroke possessing an indescribable charm. Seeing such a long passage was simply a pleasure... Ahem, solving the case, solving the case is what's important!
"At the Open-air Hot Spring, we found a Knife suspected to be the Weapon, and a blood-stained Bath Towel," Mori Kogoro said to the others after finishing his Interrogation. "According to the Landlady, that Knife was the God Sword previously kept in the Hotel's Shrine, and the Bath Towel belonged to Ema Anzai. Although it's not yet confirmed if the Blood Stain on the Bath Towel are partly hers, the Weapon should be the same one. This means the sequence of Crime by the Murderer should be: after 10:30 PM, they went to the Warehouse to Murder Miss Anxi Ema, left the Kimono Sleeve Hannya Paper Doll, and then carried the Knife and Towel to the Open-air Hot Spring. At the same time, the Murderer also brought a Stapler. After using the Stapler to knock out Miss Asuka Shibasaki, who was bathing, they then Murdered her with the Knife. Finally, the Murderer abandoned the Knife, Stapler, and Towel at the Open-air Hot Spring, left the Kimono Sleeve Hannya Paper Doll at the Women's Bath Entrance, and left the area."
Conan leaned over, looking at the timeline Chi Feichei had organized, and pondered.
Looking at it this way, Tokyoichi Bando has no Alibi before 11:15 PM, giving him enough time to commit the crime. Furthermore, the Signature on the Paper Strip asking Ema Anzai to meet at the Warehouse was Tokyoichi Bando's.
Eri Akachi could have gone from the Corridor to the Shrine to Murder Ema Anzai after meeting them. If she then wanted to go to the Open-air Hot Spring to Murder Asuka Shibasaki, she would have to pass by the Social Hall and the Entertainment Center where Ran was. Using Wooden Board to move alternately across the Courtyard could avoid passing the Social Hall and wouldn't leave Footprint in the Snowy Field, but to reach the Open-air Hot Spring located on a Cliff, she would have to pass the Entertainment Center, as she couldn't climb over the Mountain with Snow. However, Ran didn't see Eri Akachi pass by. Furthermore, if the strange sound they heard from the women's bath next door at 10:50 PM was the time Asuka Shibasaki was killed, then Eri Akachi couldn't have Murdered her and rushed back to the Social Hall to meet Raiko Honda within 10 minutes.
Harumi Fukatsu had been with them since after 9 PM. The only time she left the Entertainment Center was from 10:45 PM to 10:55 PM, when she went back to her Room alone to remove her Contact Lenses. This timeframe would allow for Manufacturing the strange sound or Murdering Asuka Shibasaki, for example, by hiding her Framed Glasses somewhere, putting them on after leaving, committing Murder, and then pretending she went back to her Room to change glasses. However, Harumi Fukatsu didn't have time to Murder Ema Anzai, and it's even less likely that she would Murder Ema Anzai, take the Weapon to the Open-air Hot Spring, and then Murder Asuka Shibasaki.
Raiko Honda had been in the Social Hall since after 9:30 PM. Although she had enough time to commit the crime during the periods she was alone and didn't encounter anyone else, if someone had passed by the Social Hall during that time and found her missing, her lie would have been exposed. Raiko Honda couldn't be sure whether others would go to the Social Hall while she was away committing Crime, so the Possibility of Raiko Honda committing Crime is also low.
For now, the biggest Suspicion is Tokyoichi Bando, but the fact that this Murderer could devise a Method to avoid leaving Footprint in the Snowy Field makes him think it's not that simple.
Furthermore, his discovery also points to Eri Akachi as the Murderer...
"But Ai and I were at the Entertainment Center after 10:40 PM. If someone wanted to go to the Open-air Hot Spring, we would definitely have seen them, but we didn't see any Suspicious Person pass by the Entertainment Center," Mouri Ran turned her head to look at Haibara Ai, who was sitting with Chi Feichei. "Right, Ai?"
Haibara Ai nodded. "Not just a Figure, we didn't even see a Ghost Shadow."
Mouri Ran: "..."
Mentioning ghosts at a time like this made her a little scared.
If it was a Monster doing the killing, then indeed...
"That's right," Mori Kogoro stroked his chin. "And besides the Footprint left by Miss Anxi Ema when she went to the Warehouse, there were no Footprint left by the Murderer in the Snowy Field. That's also very strange..."
"Could it be the Curse of the Kimono Sleeve Deity?" Harumi Fukatsu asked nervously.
"N-No way..." Mouri Ran shrank back against the Sofa Backrest, feeling a lack of Sense of security without a Living Body Pillow in her arms.
No...
Conan denied the Possibility of 'the Kimono Sleeve Deity's Curse Murdering people' in his heart. He leaned closer to Chi Feichei's ear and whispered, "Brother Chi, I just walked around the Courtyard along the Eaves. The Footprint in the Snowy Field from the Back Door to Teacher Eri's Window were only about five centimeters deep at most, while the Footprint left in other areas were over ten centimeters deep. It snowed again after we collected evidence at the Shrine, and another layer of Snow accumulated in the areas not covered by the Towel, so Footprint over ten centimeters deep are Normal. Therefore..."
Haibara Ai leaned in to listen, then softly took over. "Teacher Eri could be the Murderer. After meeting us in the Corridor, to avoid being seen by Miss Honda in the Social Hall, she climbed out her window and used some Method that wouldn't leave Footprint to go to the Shrine, Murder Miss Anzai, and then return to her Room using that method. That's why there are areas in the Snowy Field with inconsistent footprint depths leading to the area outside her Room's window. However, how did she Murder Miss Shibasaki afterwards? Her time frame isn't sufficient, and Sister Ran and I really didn't see any Suspicious Figures pass by outside the Entertainment Center."
"That's right," Conan frowned in thought. "The Method to avoid leaving Footprint must have involved covering the Snowy Field with Wooden Board and moving, but the time of the crime..."
He couldn't figure this point out no matter how hard he tried.
"Anyway, it's already past 4 AM. Police Officer from Yamagata Prefecture should be able to arrive here in about an hour, so everyone stay here for now," Mori Kogoro instructed, then looked at Chi Feichei, who was sitting on the Bench Whispering with the two Children, and called out, "Hassashi, I'm going outside for a Smoke. Want to come out for some fresh air?"
"Okay."
Chi Feichei chose to abandon Conan, the Case Solving teammate, closed his Notebook, and followed Mori Kogoro to the outside Corridor.
Conan looked up, watched Haibara Ai follow, thought for a moment, and then quietly followed as well.
(End of Chapter)
