Killed Again, Mr. Detective Volume 1 Case 1 Chapter 3 part 2

Volume 1

Case 1: Queen Irie Class Murder Incident

Chapter 3 No Wonder You Died (Part 2)

TLed by: TanoshiKara

Disclaimer: This part contains a certain topic that starts with S and ends with e. Please seek help immediately if you are mentally unwell whether it be consulting someone you trust, calling the helpline(s) of your respective countries, or seeking treatment. If you know anyone who is mentally unwell, please help them to seek help. You can visit the links (by clicking/tapping on mentally unwell/helplines) for more information.

"Hey, what do you mean by your very own fingerprint kit......" Someone said, a most natural retort.

However, Lilithea does actually bring those tools around.

"I see. So, as a result, it proves that my fingerprints are not on the button"

"The result is, that only Sakuya-sama's fingerprints were on it"

"Ain't that bad!" 

Are you the culprit as I expected?, or so Sozorogi's eyes seemed to say as he looked at me.

"It is not bad. It is vital that Sakuya-sama's fingerprints were the only ones on it. That is because the circus members use this machine daily so their fingerprints would overlap one another should they touch the button. In spite of this, the only fingerprint on it was Sakuya-sama's. In other words, the culprit, who touched the button moments before, wiped their fingerprints off. They then took Sakuya-sama's hand and pushed the button to fabricate the scene"

A truly brilliant deduction.

"Of course, there is also the possibility that the circus members clean the button meticulously every day but this is something we will find out during our legwork later. Thank you for listening, I apologize for taking up everyone’s time"

After concluding her deduction, Lilithea turns to face everyone before doing a curtsey. She then moved back to stand behind me.

Nobody refuted.

"Hmmmm, well, it is not like I have nothing to say about that but I shall accept your claim" Amahiko, the eldest son, said, giving her his support.

"But......That does not change the fact that someone killed my son......Goodness, that rascal......time and again……"

Amahiko tries to keep his cool as the head of the family but his clenched fists tremble slightly.

I cannot understand his feelings. However, I did not miss the words that escaped his mouth.

"The stain of our family......"

He probably tried his best to keep his voice down but I heard it. Sozorogi, seemingly hearing it as well, steps forward and draws close to Amahiko-san.

"What do you mean by 'The stain of our family'"

"T-That is......"

"I apologize for my rudeness but your son was probably ill-mannered when he was alive, was he not?" Lilithea speculated, her words polite but forthright.

"I have no intention of desecrating the dead. However, I noted that there was an old scar on Nejihiko-san's right fist when I had a look at his body"

That is information I have not heard about.

"Scar on his fist? Is that perhaps one of those that happens when one hits a person or an object? The one boxers call Boxer's Knuckle?"

A feature on his fist huh. I overlooked that.

"It is as you say"

"I see. Erm, when Nejihiko-san was alive......did his hobbies include boxing by chance?"

I tried to confirm this with the family but there was nothing of the sort.

This means that there is only one other reason I can think of for that scar on his fist - Fighting.

"It is an embarrassing tale but my foolish son......Nejihiko......had been the brash type. Frequently causing problems outside and coming to beg my wife and me whenever that happened......"

"Always getting drunk and picking fights. ......He is the worst"

Miko stared blankly at the ceiling.

Recalling her brother's behavior when he was alive perhaps?

"I am ashamed that I have to embarrass a member of my family but Nejihiko's conduct has always been bad and he has always caused trouble wherever he went...... I had feared that he might stir something up but......to think it would become like this......"

The conduct of a famous sweetmaker's son is that of a delinquent's. This is something that Kashihiko-san probably does not want to make public as the president.

"Quarelling with someone without us knowing, getting hated, then being attacked......I would understand this happened if I followed this line of thought. As a parent, this is embarrassing and sad but......"

There were reasons for Nejihiko-san to be killed. That is what he wanted to say.

"Ahh......I understand that there seems to be another true culprit out there. Therefore, I ask, did you not see them in the first place? The face of the true culprit. You were attacked right?"

It seems like Sozorogi is not as convinced as the entire family but he is moving the conversation forward under the presumption that he is convinced nevertheless.

I am glad that most of my suspicion has been cleared thanks to Lilithea's explanation. However, this is only temporary. We must find the true culprit or I will tentatively be deemed as the culprit.

This is where I would like to give it my all to prove my innocence but, unfortunately, I do not have concrete proof.

"The thing is I too did not see the culprit's face. I did become like that all of a sudden after all" I say as I try doing a gesture of a knife stabbing into my neck.

Wako-san narrowed her eyes, seemingly displeased.

"From the start, the true culprit most likely intended to mask Nejihiko-san's death as a suicide. Leaving the body there without hiding it whatsoever as if to say 'Please find it' is the very proof of this. However, I showed up when the fabrication was not completed. The true culprit most likely hid in cover and observed the situation"

I did point out that Nejihiko's body was hung oddly high for a suicide.

"The true culprit surely realized their blunder as well when I had my doubts about it. And they felt the same when I fixed my eyes on the smartphone that Nejihiko-san had dropped"

"Nejihiko's smartphone? Was there any evidence left on it?"

"Yes, Sozorogi-san. That smartphone is—"

Sozorogi, disinterested, took out Nejihiko's smartphone from his coat pocket. It is placed in a proper zipper bag.

"Are there any marks on the surface of the screen? The traces of the user's finger after they touched it, for example"

"Do not order me around. ......Traces on the screen?"

Sozorogi checked the screen while adjusting its angle so that the light in the room shined on it.

"I see nothing. There is that crack but it is otherwise clean"

It is as I expected huh.

"In other words, it was wiped clean. That sure is weird. When I checked right before I was killed......ahem, attacked, there were indeed traces of fingerprints still left on it"

However, there is nothing left now.

"Maybe that officer over there has an extreme love for cleanliness so he wiped it clean despite himself?" Miko asked innocently.

"I would not do that. This is important evidence you know"

"In other words, the true culprit wiped it clean. After they assaulted me that is"

"This does mean that it was that much of an inconvenience for the culprit huh. So, what traces were left on the screen?"

"It was an M. As in the alphabet"

Several people, Sozorogi included, each unconsciously drew an M in the air with their finger.

"Would that happen to be the traces of unlocking the smartphone lock?" Amahiko said.

"You know, the type where you use your finger to trace a pattern across nine dots in one stroke to unlock"

"The pattern is in the form of an M?" Miko said, expressing her interest in the subject.

"It is convenient, but I am slightly hesitant to recommend it from a security perspective. Nejihiko was indifferent to such things though"

Amahiko's tone was slightly condescending. He might be well-informed about the latest devices such as smartphones and computers.

"In other words, there was some sort of concrete proof in Nejihiko's smartphone, and the culprit did not want it to be seen, so they attacked Sakuya and wiped the screen clean?"

"Well then, Sozorogi-san, please try unlocking the smartphone lock"

"Right! M......M......there" Sozorogi murmured as he quickly touched the smartphone, through the zipper bag, in an attempt to unlock it.

"......Hmm?"

But, it failed.

"I cannot unlock it you know? Hey, what you saw was really an M right?"

"It was an M. But, I see, of course"

"What do you mean by of course?"

"It means that the M is not the trace for unlocking the smartphone"

"It is most likely a dying message," Lilithea said, mentioning a phrase that is key.

It is not like I did not sort of feel that I had the most delicious part taken from me but now is not the time to say something that narrow-minded.

"Dying message! A clue left behind by the murdered victim who is on the verge of death!" Miko bounced on the sofa 

She also used the word ‘Fabricate’ so she might actually be a closet mystery fan.

"The typical one is the culprit's initial, right? This means that people whose names start with M are suspicious......Ah......"

Miko was immersed in talking, but, in the blink of an eye, her face turned pale and she hung her head, seemingly realizing something disturbing midway.

"I......It is not me......I am not related! I really do not know after all!"

The M is the M for Miko. She realized that she fit the criteria.

"No way! You mean to say my daughter is the culprit!?"

"It is true that......even a weak child can carry it out......if they use the electric hoist......huh" Sozorogi murmured to himself.

"It must be some sort of misunderstanding! There is no way my Miko could do something that ruthless! Anyway, there should be countless people whose initials have an M! How many people do you think are on board this ship!?" Wako vehemently defends her daughter just like a mother would. 

"It is as you say, there are many people on board this ship. That is why I will first go through the name lists for the passengers and crew on board and note down those whose initials have an M. That should narrow it down considerably. How many people know Nejihiko-san and have some sort of grudge against him? I think I can probably count that with one hand"

"How mean" Lilithea muttered beside me such that it was only audible to me which startled me.

I took a peek to find Lilithea smiling bewitchingly while looking at me. She was giggling at me.

No, why does she look overjoyed?

Well, it might indeed be mean. After all, Miko would still be included, even assuming that we narrow the number of people down to a number that can be counted with one hand.

"I-In the first place, we do not even know if it alludes to a name do we not!" Wako-san doubled down, probably knowing that very fact.

"It is also as you say. There are countless ways to interpret it. However, this is the message left behind by Nejihiko-san in the limited time he had while on the verge of death. He would most likely not go out of his way to have it mean something else. This is not a detective novel after all"

Complicating the dying message to make the case more difficult so as to entertain readers. Only fiction allows for such a thing; One that puts the cart before the horse.

"But please do not misunderstand. I do not think that Miko-chan is the culprit. It is quite unthinkable for a girl her age to be able to murder two adult males one after the other after all. So, there is something I would like to confirm right now......Ah, pardon me"

There was a call while I was talking at length. It was from Yuriu.

"Master~, are you alive? Just kidding"

A carefree greeting right off the bat.

"Good work. I died once but I am alive right now"

"Kekekek! There you go again~! Ah, so, about Lulu-chan"

"Right, I have not found her yet. Or rather, I discovered something that left me with no time for the cat"

"I saw her! Just now, on the ninth floor!" Yuriu informs me, seemingly overjoyed on the other end of the line.

"Eh? You found her? The cat carrying a backpack?"

"That is right! But I could not catch her! I was quick! But Lulu-chan jumped into the elevator and went up with it"

"Went up? If she went past the ninth floor then there is only the deck"

"Right! I got a good look! Please leave it to me. I will chase after it right after this and catch it I shall!"

"Ah, wait a minute. That matter on your end is also important but it has also become really troublesome over on mine......She cut the call"

So hectic. I missed the chance to tell her about the murder.

"I apologize for the disruption. Erm, what were we talking about again?"

I turned back to face everyone and recall the topic at hand.

"Errr, are we going to get suspected as well?"

"I am sorry, Amahiko-san. It is better to have more information so"

Any person would hate to have their alibi checked. However, they need not conceal anything if they have not done anything shady. Everyone reluctantly answered when I explained as such.

Amahiko was enjoying his drinks alone at the bar inside the ship. This was later confirmed by Sozorogi, who was able to get the bartender’s testimony.

It seems like Miko returned to the room after the circus, took a bath immediately, and was watching a detective drama online the entire time. Both Kashihiko-san and Wako-san, who also returned to the room testified this. This, at the same time, allows the married couple's alibi to hold up.

Temporarily closing an eye to—alibis from people who are close to one another—we first prioritized eliminating the possible culprits.

"Thank you. By the way, Sozorogi-san, what is the deceased's approximate time of death?"

"I cannot say anything for certain right now, but it is soon after he was killed from the looks of it"

In other words, there is not much of a gap between the discovery of the incident and the approximate time of death.

"When we consider the alibi, there is no one among the family capable of carrying it out"

"Of course," Wako-san said, seemingly displeased.

"If that is the case, this means that the murderer is still concealing themself on board this ship. We will need to be cautious then. There is no telling if someone else will be targeted. And that someone will be—"

"You mean to say ‘one of the people among us’?"

"You are all the victim’s kin so that is the most likely, probability-wise"

It is merely a possibility, or so Sozorogi added.

"Mr. Officer, surely you are not telling us that you would lock us in this small room until you catch the culprit, right?"

"Well, about that......"

"This is unbelievable. Do you know how long it will be until we reach Singapore? I will not stand for being confined based on some possibility. Do you know how much we paid just to get on board this ship?"

She phrased it harshly but Madam Wako's assertions are only natural.

"It is as my wife says, we may not need to be that fearful," Kashihiko-san said in support of his wife.

"You are saying?"

"As I mentioned earlier, Nejihiko had a personality that easily incurred the hatred of others. It most likely started because of that I presume. If that is so......it is odd for me to say this but Nejihiko's death is, in a way, him reaping what he sowed"

"The ones involved in the murder incident are merely Nejihiko-san and the perpetrator. You wish to say that the culprit will no longer commit murders now that he has been killed I see"

However, that is merely a matter of chance.

A family member has been killed on the same ship - there is no way it is that easy for them to be relieved right? The uneasiness is especially obvious in Miko, who is still young.

I met eyes with a seemingly uneasy Miko.

"Mr. Detective......"

I am a little happy that I am finally past the stage of being called ‘You’, or so I was, secretly overjoyed when Miko suddenly jumped into my arms.

"Please! Catch the culprit!"

I flinched when I saw those unwavering eyes of hers.

"A request for me? From you?"

This is an unexpected development. This is very troublesome. Very troublesome I say.

I am honestly satisfied for the most part that I am able to prove my innocence. No, come to think of it, I feel like there was a slight sense of indignation burning within me at the start.

But finding the culprit huh. Solving the murder incident on a luxury cruise ship out at sea......Hmmmm. Too much for me to bear!

I am still in the middle of searching for a cat and investigating Katsuragi's infidelity

"Alright? It is alright, right Papa? It is fine to give him all of my allowance!"

"Uh......U-Uh-huh. But such things are better left in the hands of Mr. Officer over there...... How about it?"

Kashihiko-san looked in my direction, a troubled expression on his face.

I am troubled even if you ask me.

"We shall accept it"

My assistant beside me accepted it on her own when I was brooding over it.

"Wait a minute Lilithea!"

"Sakuya-sama, let us accept this request. A murder incident request is not something that is often available in real life. This is a good opportunity to spread Sakuya Outsuki's name. That is why, alright?" Lilithea whispered after drawing herself close to my ear. It is at a distance that is probably close enough for her eyelashes to touch my ear.

"Even if you say that I can spread my name......"

"Sakuya-sama, please show some enthusiasm. Are you alright with living your life while being called a Coat-tailer or Failure the Second? You hate that right?"

"Did I say something like that?"

What a shocker.

However, it is true that giving up on the deduction and running away after being dragged this deep into it—to the point of being murdered—is boring.

This is a murder incident through and through. There is a need for someone to find the culprit and apprehend them.

An eight-day journey to Singapore, this ship's port of call. There are still ways to go in this journey. Eating, sleeping, having fun, and experiencing sorrow with the murderer, on the same ship is quite the turn off. No, I guess we will not be having fun and experiencing sorrow with the murderer.

Anything beyond that does not concern me. I do not accept requests that are beyond my abilities.

Isn't this fine? A firm attitude of sorts as a person working in the detective industry.

However, the next person killed might just be Miko, the very person right in front of my eyes; It might be Lilithea; Or it might even be Yuriu.

If that is the case, then I should do what I can huh—.

It goes against my beliefs to stick my nose into a job where death lingers but...

"......Having been killed once and all, what beliefs am I even talking about......huh," I murmured.

"I understand. Allow me to accept that request" I then said with a sigh.

"Thank you Mr. Detective!"

"I do not know whether I can live up to Miko-chan's expectations though"

"Well, there is no need to be reckless alright?"

"Alright, I will not be reckless Amahiko-san. By the way"

"What is it?"

"Are you and Katsuragi-san acquaintances?"

"Eh? Katsuragi.....san, you say?"

Was it too sudden? For some reason, He was bewildered, wondering why that name would be mentioned now.

"The movie producer, Makoto Katsuragi-san"

"Ahh, from the film studio? Y-Yes......I had the honor of knowing him through a family member but...... We got closer after I invested in his previous movie"

"You even have close acquaintances in that industry I see"

"Yes. In the past, my wife was also an actress, I am still awed by the expertise displayed in her videos even now......"

"It is in the past Dear," Wako said, seemingly embarrassed.

"But, is something the matter?"

The married couple are suspicious of why Katsuragi's name was mentioned.

"So that was the case. I saw you exchanging greetings earlier, during the circus performance so"

"Are you his acquaintance as well?"

"Yes. Not directly though. Thank you very much. Well then"

I leave the room after ending the conversation without any hesitation.

Katsuragi and Watanoya know each other—huh. It seems like I might just be able to progress my infidelity investigation by finding the murderer if things fall in place.

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Feel free to comment/pm me if you find any mistakes. Once again, please seek help immediately if you are mentally unwell. Thank you very much for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.