Not a detective

Page 80

The clock hands are now pointing past ten o'clock.

For more than three hours, he was forced into unconsciousness by the poison, losing all consciousness and completely blacking out.

Seeing the confused Asakawa Riku, Suezuki didn't explain anything, but silently picked up a remote control from the bedside table and gently pressed a button.

Then the electric curtains began to hum and slowly opened to both sides.

Asakawa Riku's eyes widened in surprise as he stared out the window.

The standard feature of a luxury suite is a large floor-to-ceiling window that is completely clean and transparent, and should be cleaned daily. The expansive view offers a panoramic view of almost the entire Oeyama mountain.

The misty sea of ​​clouds atop the peaks dyes the sky a beautiful purple, while the fog flowing between the mountains below constantly changes its expression, creating a truly magnificent sight.

It's definitely a tourist attraction worth seeing, and it's a perfect recreation of the photos on travel websites. He now understands why luxury suites are located on the top floor.

But what surprised him was not the scenery...

"It's during the day," Mo Yue casually reminded her.

"What...it's...it's already 10 a.m.?!"

Asakawa Riku stepped forward and touched the glass window, but no matter how he looked at it, the scene in front of him was real, not a projected image.

He then realized his fatal mistake: wall clocks only have a twelve-hour timekeeping system and do not show the difference between "morning" and "evening".

He thought it was "10 p.m.", but it was already daylight. Sunlight streamed through the window and fell on him. The sudden disorientation between day and night shocked him greatly.

It was "10 a.m." at this time, which is correct. That means he didn't just sleep for three hours, but for 15 hours!

"I slept all night..."

Asakawa Riku murmured, meaning that Shinonome Suetsuki had taken care of him for one night.

"Yes, I'm great, aren't I?" Mo Yue laughed. "How about we skip the fee for this commission and consider it my reward for my hard work?"

"That won't do."

Although he knew the other person was joking, Asakawa Riku quickly retorted.

“You slept for a really long time. Even though the doctor said you were really fine, I couldn’t help but worry, which is why I sent Xingyu to Kyoto to find a hospital.”

Mo Yue said, "It's good that you woke up. Are you really alright?"

His body was fine... This had already been confirmed, so there was no need to repeat it, but Asakawa Riku frowned; he knew something was wrong.

"time!"

"what?"

“The timing is wrong.” Asakawa Riku gritted his teeth and emphasized, “I might know what Ibuki Ren’s real method of committing the crime is.”

"Oh?" Mo Yue paused for a moment, then blinked, looking very interested.

So Asakawa Riku paced back and forth in the room, beginning to reason:

"We've been wondering why Ibuki Ren is so bold as to poison someone in front of others. Isn't she afraid of being questioned by the police afterward?"

"Now I finally understand."

"You should know that the condition for conviction in modern investigative proceedings is [evidence]. If the chain of evidence is incomplete, or key evidence is missing, according to the principle of presumption of innocence, the suspect will always remain a suspect, not a criminal, and will not be punished. The evidence needed for poisoning is also very simple, which is—"

"Toxins were detected in the corpse."

"What if no toxins are detected in the body? Theoretically, no one can determine that it was poisoning; it is very likely that the victim suddenly died from an illness."

"The poison that Ibuki Ren put in the wine was [a new type of poison that does not yet exist in the world], or even [a new substance]."

"Because none of the poisons in the world can force me into a 15-hour unconscious state... This is the most powerful proof that if I have never resisted this toxin, it means that this toxin is completely different from any known poison in the world, and even its constituent elements are completely different. It possesses entirely new and independent characteristics."

"Therefore, the police laboratory and any research institution's tests could not detect this toxin, which means there is 'no evidence'."

"Without evidence, there can be no conviction."

"Ren Ibuki used a new type of poison that does not yet exist in the world to commit an assassination that was flawless... This is a perfect crime that cannot be convicted!"

Winter of the Demons: Chapter Twenty-Two - The Uninvited Guest

Higashino Suetsuki stared wide-eyed, unable to recover for a long time:

"A completely new...toxin?"

"Yes, not the common cyanide, castor bean, digitalis, aconitine, or the like..."

Actually, Asakawa Riku's expression wasn't much better.

The more absurd he found the reasoning, the less he could find a theory to refute it; at least, this was the most reasonable conclusion at this stage.

"If there is any poison that can make me unconscious for more than twelve hours, then it must not be any previously known substance; it must be a new [discovery]."

Ibuki Ren invented a new toxin, a new substance?

This is based on evidence, after all, many people at the time touted his status as a child prodigy, his overseas doctoral experience, and even the fact that his major was related to this.

"Let me introduce you all. Don't let his young age fool you; he is a rising star of our Dongyun Group. He has already earned multiple doctoral degrees from overseas, representing a pioneer in the latest medical and biotechnology fields. He is a crucial cornerstone of the company's development, with outstanding achievements and numerous remarkable contributions. We are honored to have him here today—"

The steward at the time introduced him like this: This guy must be very capable, otherwise he wouldn't have made a grand entrance among so many guests, and even went so far as to get the local tyrant to propose marriage...

Ren Ibuki has this ability, and in his conversation with Kosuke Shinonome, he even revealed that he had "recently made a major achievement that must be kept secret."

It is very likely this toxin.

...The discovery of a new substance, a terrifyingly potent poison more potent than any other toxin in the world.

Although Asakawa Riku knew nothing about such academic issues, he felt that this must be a great achievement worthy of a Nobel Prize. How exaggerated!

"To be able to use such a great achievement to kill me... what an honor..."

While feeling a lingering fear, he chuckled to himself for some reason. If he had really died on this, he would probably have been recorded in history along with the new substance.

“It was originally meant to kill me,” Mo Yue suddenly said.

"There's no need to argue in a place like this, okay?"

Asakawa Riku said irritably.

Looking back, he realized that Ibuki Ren's plan was actually quite meticulous.

Although the motive is unclear and the method is somewhat crude, this "method that will not lead to conviction" is absolutely a dead end that leaves no room for a solution.

If Shinonome Suetsuki drank alcohol and died there, and no toxins were found in her body, then even if Ibuki Ren was the prime suspect, the police wouldn't be able to do anything about it, right?

After all, who can just randomly produce an "unknown toxin"?

Such a weapon is far too extravagant for an ordinary criminal.

However, it was Asakawa Riku who drank that cup of wine. He did not die on the spot as expected, but only fell into a coma, which was beyond Ibuki Ren's plan.

That's probably why Ibuki Ren fled in panic and hid. He probably racked his brains but couldn't understand why someone could take that level of poison and not vomit blood and die!

"...I will find that guy."

Asakawa Riku's tone was even more determined than before; he was determined to find that scientist, even if it meant digging three feet into the ground.

That toxin was so dangerous that it made him unconscious for more than ten hours, during which time he completely lost his ability to fight off the toxin.

Even though I've developed a certain level of patience, I'm not sure if Ibuki Ren can create more dangerous and wondrous gadgets. What a mad scientist.

For the first time in a long time, Asakawa Riku felt that there was something besides guns and gunpowder that could so clearly threaten his life.

Therefore, we must not let that guy get away.

"Before that, let's go to the hospital for a full check-up, shall we?" Mo Yue repeated, seemingly genuinely worried about Asakawa Riku's health. "Anyway, we don't know where that guy is hiding now. Without any clues, there's no way to investigate. I'll try to find his trail, but first, we need to make sure you haven't been affected by the poison."

"……Um."

After considering it, Asakawa Riku decided to follow her advice.

The detective has the ability to "predict," and she's much more professional at finding people than I am. It's a good idea to entrust this matter to her.

It's not too late to pursue her after she has investigated the matter thoroughly.

Although Riku Asakawa himself felt that there was nothing wrong with his body, he couldn't be careless in this regard and it would be better to get checked out to ensure that nothing went wrong.

"You'll get reimbursement, right? This is a work injury, isn't it?"

"Okay, okay." Mo Yue shrugged helplessly and agreed to this: "Hoshino will transfer the commission fee and bonus to you when we get back to Tokyo."

“Thank you for your patronage.”

Asakawa Riku's mood immediately brightened considerably.

He stood by the window. Although he hadn't been able to properly sightsee during his trip to Kyoto, the view of the mountains overlooking the floor-to-ceiling windows made up for some of the disappointment.

Despite the various little incidents, Asakawa Riku actually felt a little... unsatisfied.

He had originally anticipated a grand assassination drama. Forget about action scenes like car chases and gunfights; at least the reasoning and crime-solving should have a carefully planned setup, right?

Ibuki Ren's plan was indeed brilliant, but not interesting enough. It was just a poisoning, and it ended so hastily.

After all this build-up, it's still not as exciting as the ghost stories that happen on campus in autumn?

He hadn't even experienced a real "battle," and Asakawa Riku was itching to get his hands dirty with that.

"I went back to my room to pack my luggage, and then I set off."

It's really unsettling. The best outcome would be for everything to be peaceful, but they're secretly hoping for an even bigger crisis.

Asakawa Riku told the detective what was going on and was about to leave her room to go back and pack his things.

But just then, as soon as my hand touched the doorknob...

A face appeared before my eyes.

"……Um?"

Asakawa Riku was startled. He instinctively wanted to retaliate, but his fist froze in mid-air.

Because that face was familiar, and the way it made its entrance was also familiar.

With her cute bob haircut, slightly youthful face, and sharp, fox-like eyes, she never opens the door, but rather "penetrates" through it.

She shouldn't be here!

She nearly bumped into Asakawa Riku; the girl flashed her white teeth and showed no sign of stopping.

No, they shouldn't be here!

Behind Chizuko, there was another person being led by the hand—a panicked and uneasy Yukie. She lowered her head, her shy bangs covering her blushing cheeks, as if pretending that she wasn't there.

Their appearance conveyed the feeling that "the incident is not over yet."

Asakawa Riku, dressed in his pajamas, and Shinonome Suetsuki, also dressed in her pajamas, stood by the bed, dumbfounded, staring at each other, completely unprepared for this turn of events.

In contrast, Chizuko-senpai held her head high, looking like she was about to kick the door open to investigate, and caught the two sneaking around in the hotel:

"...What are you doing here?"

Winter of the Demons: Chapter Twenty-Three - The Date Trap

Chizuko-senpai and Yukie appeared in this room.

Asakawa Riku confirmed that this was neither an illusion nor a dream; the other party was two living, breathing people.

"Do not……"

He reached out, trying to regain control of the situation: "Shouldn't I be the one asking this? How did you... end up here?"

This is the Oeyama region of Kyoto, at least 400 kilometers away from Tokyo. Why did these two people, who were in Tokyo yesterday, suddenly arrive here?

Even Chizuko-senpai should still be in school, right?

"Brother—"

Just as Yukie, who was standing behind, was about to speak, Chizuko stopped her. Chizuko took another step forward and examined the room's layout.

"A man and a woman alone in a room... Asakawa-kun, didn't you say you were here to be a bodyguard? How come you're almost lying in bed together?"

"...In what capacity are you asking me this?"

Asakawa Riku sighed helplessly as he watched this guy search the room like a real detective, even glancing at the contents of the trash can.

I really don't know what they're looking for.

At the same time, Higashikawa Suetsuki broke her silence. She smiled as she looked at the two little ones who had barged into the room: