In Detective Conan: Intercepting Miwako Sato at the Start

Page 89

He glanced again, without making a sound, at the pattern on the sole of Miyamoto Yumi's shoes.

“Officer Takada…” Shinichi Kudo stood up, walked to Yuki Takada’s side, and said in a low voice, “The pattern and size of Yumi’s shoe print and the clearest dominant shoe print under the railing seem to have some subtle differences.”

"That shoe print looks slimmer and longer, and the sole pattern is more like the deep serrations of athletic shoes and outdoor shoes. Yumi-neechan is wearing flat casual shoes, and the shoe print is relatively rounded with shallower serrations."

Upon hearing this, Yuuki Takada's gaze narrowed slightly, and he also looked carefully at the ground.

With Shinichi Kudo's prompting, he also noticed those subtle differences.

Indeed, apart from Miyamoto Yumi's slightly messy new footprints.

There is another set of relatively clear footprints pointing towards the railing, which seems to belong to someone who is more often outdoors.

"You mean, before and after Miyamoto Yumi, there was another person who also tried to leave from here?" Takada Yuki whispered.

“Very likely.” Shinichi Kudo nodded and said, “Moreover, this person seems to be very cautious; most of the footprints are rather blurry, as if they are deliberately trying to minimize their traces.”

"Only this one spot might have left a relatively clear mark due to the hurried ground conditions. Yumi's flustered actions may have actually damaged the previous traces to some extent."

At that moment, two other police officers approached, accompanied by Date Takujin, who looked gloomy and extremely dejected.

Yuuki Takada interrupted Shinichi Kudo's thoughts and said in a deep voice, "Alright, now, all three of you are more or less connected to today's case."

His gaze swept over Mai Shimazu, Takujin Date, and Yumi Miyamoto.

“Mr. Shimazu, you are a suspicious person we saw on surveillance footage, and you have a clear motive for committing the crime. There is no one to provide you with an alibi.”

"Ms. Date, you were the first to discover the crime scene. Although you have the students' testimonies, it doesn't rule out the possibility that you used some kind of trick to deceive those children. And Miyamoto Yumi, you..."

Yuki Takada paused for a moment, then stared coldly at her: "Your appearance and explanation are equally suspicious."

"More importantly, we have just been attacked by professional snipers, which suggests that there may be a deeper conspiracy behind the case, and it is by no means a simple murder caused by a conflict between a teacher and a student."

Upon hearing the word "sniper," Mai Shimazu's body trembled involuntarily once again.

A fleeting look of disbelief and astonishment crossed Date Takujin's eyes, though it was quickly masked by his gloomy expression.

Shinichi Kudo then spoke, his voice clear and penetrating: "That's right. And I believe the culprit is among the three of you."

This statement, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, immediately elicited a reaction.

"What?!" Shimazu Mai's eyes widened in horror.

"Shinichi Kudo, stop talking nonsense!" Takujin Date excitedly tried to step forward, but was held down by the police officers behind him.

Yumi Miyamoto looked utterly astonished: "Shinichi Kudo? What did you say? How could I possibly..."

Shinichi Kudo ignored their reactions and continued his calm analysis:

"First of all, through police technical tracing, we discovered that Mr. Dongshan had called both of you before his death. Don't tell me this was normal communication between you and him."

"You should know that you were all together back then. Even if there were important matters, you would discuss them together. And Mr. Higashiyama called Mr. Shimazu and Mr. Date separately."

"Secondly, regarding snipers."

Shinichi Kudo looked at Yuuki Takada and continued, "Officer Takada, the sniper's shot came from deeper into the woods on the west side. This is basically consistent with the direction from which Yumi heard the suspicious gunshots and footsteps, as well as the direction from which we found another set of footprints that were trying to climb over the fence."

Yuuki Takada nodded in agreement: "Yes. We don't know what the sniper's target is yet, but his actions were professional, something that ordinary students and teachers couldn't have planned. This suggests that there may be a third-party force involved, and of course, the killer may have an unknown background and accomplices."

“And the three of you,” Shinichi Kudo’s gaze swept over the three of them again, “all of you had the time, the opportunity, and your actions are all suspicious.”

He first looked at Shimazu Mai and said seriously:

"Mr. Shimazu, your initial breakdown and guilt might not have been solely due to fear of being misunderstood. You said you saw it, but what exactly did you see? Was it the act of the crime, or..."

"Anything else that terrifies you? For example, the killer's true identity, or the existence of a sniper?"

Mai Shimazu's lips trembled, and tears welled up again: "I...I really didn't kill anyone...I just saw..."

"What do you see?" Takada Yuki continued to press, staring intently at Shimazu Mai in front of him.

“I saw… Mr. Higashiyama fall there. Then… then I think I saw a dark figure quickly disappear into the woods… very quickly…”

Mai Shimazu's voice was filled with fear, and her whole body began to tremble: "I was terrified at that time. I wanted to run, but my legs were too weak to move..."

"I took out my phone to call the police, but my hands were shaking so badly that I accidentally pressed the power button and locked the screen before I could even dial... I didn't know what to do, so I threw the phone away... I was so scared..."

"A shadowy figure? You saw it too." Shinichi Kudo caught the key word. "What kind of shadowy figure? Approximate size? Clothing?"

"It was too fast... I didn't see clearly... It seemed like she was wearing dark clothes..." Shimazu Mai tried hard to recall, but seemed unable to remember any more details.

Shinichi Kudo frowned slightly, temporarily setting the question aside, and turned to Takujin Date: "Date-sensei, you seem to be the prime suspect right now. You have a motive, and you've concealed crucial information."

"You claim that after you disbanded the class squad, you sat down to rest. Can anyone verify this?"

Date Takujin snorted coldly: "I have no obligation to tell you my itinerary. Anyway, I didn't kill anyone."

Yuki Takada said sternly, "Takujin Date, it is your duty to cooperate with our police investigation."

"If you cannot provide an alibi, you cannot clear your name."

"Furthermore, we will conduct a thorough search of you, looking for evidence related to the case, until we find and catch the perpetrator in this case."

Date Takujin's face grew even uglier. He bit his lower lip and stopped talking.

Finally, Shinichi Kudo looked at Yumi Miyamoto and said, "Yumi-neechan, your reasons may sound...personal, but your actions are indeed not entirely explainable."

"You said you were following a man behaving strangely. Could you describe his characteristics in more detail? Also, what was the exact location and time you lost track of him?"

Miyamoto Yumi tried to calm herself down and thought carefully: "Characteristics... he was probably of medium build, wearing a hat and a mask so I couldn't see his face, and he was wearing a gray jacket and dark pants."

"He walks very fast and often suddenly turns around or takes a detour, which makes him seem very alert. The place where I lost track of him... is probably over there."

She pointed in a direction not far from where the body was found and where Shimazu Mai was being supported. "It was probably about twenty minutes before the shooting started, right?"

Shinichi Kudo quickly constructed a timeline and location map in his mind.

Yumi Miyamoto follows the mysterious man -> loses track of him (location A) -> hears gunshots (location B, deep in the woods on the west side) -> hears police sirens and tries to escape (location C, west side fence) -> is intercepted.

Mai Shimazu's situation was: discovering the body, also seeing a dark shadow -> panicking -> being captured on surveillance footage.

Date Takujin's whereabouts are completely unknown.

“Officer Takada,” Shinichi Kudo suddenly said, “could you have the forensic team focus their investigation on the location (Location A) that Yumi-nee pointed out as the place where we lost track of her?”

Is the area near the west railing where Yumi's clear shoe prints don't belong?

In particular, check if there are any signs of climbing on the railings.

For example, fabric fibers or specific scratches?

Yuki Takada immediately signaled to the forensic team to handle the situation.

The atmosphere was extremely heavy while waiting for the results.

Mai Shimazu sobbed softly, Takujin Date remained silent, and Yumi Miyamoto fidgeted.

Sato Miwako watched Miyamoto Yumi from the side, her eyes filled with complex emotions, a mixture of concern and doubt.

Soon after, a forensic investigator ran back and reported: "Inspector Megure! In the area designated by Inspector Takada, we found several blurry footprints, which, based on preliminary analysis, are the same type of shoe as the clear shoe prints under the railing!"

"Also at the top of the guardrail wire mesh, a small strand of extremely fine black fiber was found, which appears to be from high-end sportswear or a specific functional fabric!"

Shinichi Kudo's eyes lit up: "Black fiber? Yumi-neechan, the man you were following was wearing dark clothes, right?"

Yumi Miyamoto paused for a moment, then quickly nodded: "Yes! The jacket is gray, but the pants are dark, almost black!"

Shinichi Kudo quickly turned to Takujin Date: "Date-sensei, could you please lift your foot so we can see the sole of your shoe?"

"Or tell us what shoes you're wearing today?"

Date Takujin's body stiffened, and he instinctively tried to back away, but the police officer held him firmly down.

Yuuki Takada and Juzo Megure's gazes instantly and sharply focused on him.

"Date Takujin!" Takada Yuuki shouted sternly, "Please cooperate!"

Date Takujin struggled for a moment, but finally gave up and stopped moving.

He was wearing a pair of rather new-looking black sneakers today, with deep and dense treads on the soles.

An investigator stepped forward to examine the area closely and take photos, making a preliminary comparison with the newly discovered shoe print photos.

"Inspector!" the forensic officer exclaimed excitedly. "The pattern on the sole is highly similar to the clear shoe print under the railing and the blurry shoe print found nearby! The size also matches almost perfectly! Further mold comparison is needed, but the likelihood is extremely high!"

In an instant, all suspicions pointed to Date Takujin!

"No...it wasn't me!" Date Takujin suddenly looked up, his face showing an emotion other than panic for the first time—a distorted expression of anger and fear. "I didn't climb over the fence! That fiber isn't mine either! You're framing me!"

"Then how do you explain the appearance of your shoe prints near the fence where you were trying to escape the scene?" Inspector Megure questioned. "Furthermore, you cannot provide an alibi, you concealed your motive, and you possess the knowledge to commit the crime! You are now the prime suspect!"

“I…” Date Takujin was speechless, cold sweat beading on his forehead.

Shinichi Kudo frowned slightly.

Although Date Takujin was panicked, his anger and fear seemed to stem not only from being identified... but more like a deeper fear that had been touched upon.

And what about snipers?

If Date Takujin is the murderer, how could a high school student mobilize a professional sniper? Or, if the sniper's objective wasn't to silence witnesses, then what was it for?

Just as Shinichi Kudo was pondering, a sudden change occurred!

"boom!"

Another soft but deadly gunshot rang out!

This time, the source of the sound is even closer!

It was almost right next to the edge of the forest!

"Sniper! Take cover!" Yuuki Takada roared, then pounced on Inspector Megure and Shinichi Kudo beside him.

All officers reacted instantly, seeking cover or pinning the suspect to the ground.

The bullet whistled past, almost grazing Date Takujin's scalp, before striking the tree trunk behind him with a dull thud!

The sniper's target is Date Takujin!

Quit your mouth!

Takujin Date was pinned to the ground by the police officers, his face ashen, his body trembling violently with extreme fear, muttering to himself, "They...they really want to kill me...to silence me..."

Chapter 108 Shinichi Kudo's Deduction

"Who are they?" Yuuki Takada asked Takujin Date in a cold voice.