novelhk Page 18
Page 18
“If I could…” Dr. Narumi stepped forward.
……
"I believe the victim was murdered within minutes of the body being discovered," Dr. Cheng Shi said after examining the body.
Megure pulled out the tape: "That's right, there's a five-minute and thirty-second blank space at the beginning of this tape."
"Inspector Megure, something strange was found under the victim's chair!" a forensic investigator suddenly said.
Matsuda glanced at it; it was sheet music written in blood on the ground.
Should we stop him? Matsuda looked at Dr. Narumi with a complicated expression.
……
Chapter 21 The Soul in the Sheet Music
The initial investigation of the scene where the village chief of Heiyan was murdered has been completed.
Inspector Megure gathered everyone present in the lobby, hoping to find something out from them.
After two consecutive days of murders, most ordinary people are already mentally exhausted.
Those who lost their loved ones were on the verge of collapse, such as the daughter of the Black Rock Village Chief.
She pointed directly at another village chief candidate, Mr. Shimizu, saying that he had killed his father for the position of village chief.
Mr. Shimizu hurriedly tried to explain, just as the hall was becoming somewhat chaotic.
Conan and Ran, who were discussing the sheet music that had appeared at the crime scene, suddenly made a major discovery.
“I understand. If we spell the sheet music according to the letters on the piano keys, then the sheet music left by the first victim, Mr. Kawashima, when he was murdered will become ‘Do you understand? The next one is you.’”
"And the musical score at the scene where Mr. Kuroiwa was murdered means 'The resentment of this sin is eliminated here.'"
Conan loudly proclaimed the code he had just deciphered.
"Does the resentment refer to the pianist who was burned to death twelve years ago?" The people present looked horrified.
"Keiji Aso! Keiji Aso is still alive!" Nishimoto, with his spiky hair, suddenly shouted.
“He is indeed dead,” the old police officer from Tsukikage Island walked in from outside. “Comparison of the skeletons at the fire scene confirmed that it was indeed the Aso Keiji family. Moreover, almost everything in their house was burned down, except for the sheet music in the safe.”
Hearing firsthand about the tragic state of the Aso family back then made Matsuda feel even more sympathy for Dr. Narumi.
Even if a case from twelve years ago is reinvestigated, it's highly likely that no results will be found.
Since the law cannot bring justice to the Aso family, Dr. Narumi will have to take revenge on her own.
"Sheet music!?"
The old policeman's words made Conan shout with excitement.
Where is the sheet music?
“It’s in the community center’s warehouse,” the old patrolman said slowly. “But the key to the warehouse is at the police station.”
"Then hurry up and get it!" Inspector Megure urged, waving his arms angrily.
"Yes, yes!" The old patrolman hurriedly ran out.
"Wait, I'll come too," Matsuda and Conan said in unison.
The two exchanged a glance, then chased after him together.
Conan's goal is to find clues to the case.
Matsuda, on the other hand, no longer wanted to stay at the community center.
Along the way, Conan kept asking the old police officer about the Aso family.
Although they were all trivial matters, I learned that Keiji Aso, who died back then, and Kawashima and Kuroiwa, who died this time, were all good friends who grew up together.
"what……"
Matsuda couldn't help but yawn again.
"Hey, are you alright?" Conan looked at Matsuda with disdain. "Didn't you just take a nap? Why do you still look so sleepy? As a detective, your physical condition is really bad."
"Mind your own business, you brat!" Matsuda glared at Conan.
He also sensed that something was wrong; he knew very well what was wrong with his body.
I usually work overnight shifts at the Metropolitan Police Department and nothing happens.
The moment I fainted when I first arrived at Moonshadow Island was probably due to seasickness.
But then I felt drowsy and confused, and that was a bit off.
It's safe to say that in all his years as a police officer, Matsuda has never felt so tired and exhausted.
Forcing himself to stay alert, Matsuda accompanied the veteran patrolman to the police station.
But perhaps due to old age and senility, the old patrolman couldn't find the key!
"Grandpa, hurry up!" Conan kept urging.
It took the veteran patrolman a full hour to finally find the key.
Matsuda and Conan accompanied the old police officer back, and on the way they ran into Ran, who was looking for Conan.
The group returned to the community center. Just as the old police officer was about to open the warehouse door, Conan heard a noise coming from the piano room and immediately went after him.
At that moment, the old patrolman opened the warehouse door.
The next second, Xiaolan screamed.
Matsuda covered his ears helplessly. Why were they making such a fuss when they saw corpses every day?
Entering the warehouse, Matsuda glanced at the spiky-haired Nishimoto hanging in the middle, his tongue lolling out; he had been dead for some time.
Several sheet music sheets were lying at Nishimoto's feet; these were likely forgeries used by the murderer to divert attention from the target.
Conan, Megure, and the others heard Ran's cries and rushed over to investigate Nishimoto's death.
Matsuda's gaze, however, lingered on a large stack of cardboard boxes piled up to the side, where he vaguely sensed a trace of yin energy.
"Was Keiji Aso's sheet music kept here back then?" Matsuda asked the old police officer.
“That’s right, I’ll look for it now…” The old patrolman began searching.
There were too many cardboard boxes, and the wisp of yin energy was too weak for Matsuda to sense clearly, so he could only accompany the old policeman as he searched through the boxes one by one.
On the other side, after Conan pointed out the suspicious point that Nishimoto with the spiky hair did not commit suicide, Inspector Megure immediately gathered everyone in the hall again and began to question them one by one.
Conan was also deep in thought when he inadvertently discovered a hidden compartment under the piano, and drug powder was scattered on the floor.
hateful!
I've already figured out most of it, but I'm missing the most crucial clue!
Conan angrily slammed his fist on the floor.
……
In the warehouse on the other side,
"Strange, it should be here."
The old patrolman muttered to himself as he rummaged through the cardboard box, pulling out various items.
At that moment, Matsuda suddenly spoke up to stop him.
"No need, I've found it."
The old patrolman looked up at the sheet music Matsuda was holding.
"That's right, this is the only thing that the Aso family has preserved from back then."
Matsuda shook the sheet music, and a blurry figure floated out from the paper.
The figure seemed to have lost its mind, floating in mid-air, muttering something as it slowly drifted towards the piano room.
Matsuda handed the sheet music to the old police officer, asking him to give it to Inspector Megure, while he followed the blurry figure all the way to the piano room.
There was no one left in the piano room. A blurry figure drifted to the piano, then sat down and placed his hands on the keys, his fingers dancing up and down.
He was playing the piano, but no music was playing in the hall.
Because the hazy figure was too ethereal to touch the physical piano keys, he seemed oblivious, still engrossed in playing.
As the silent music played, Matsuda gradually made out the words the figure was muttering.
That's a person's name.
“Narumi…Narumi…”
Just then, the sound of high heels clicking could be heard outside the piano room.
Matsuda turned around and saw Dr. Narumi carrying a plastic bucket, pushing open the door and walking in...
Chapter 22 He's so cute, it's such a shame he's a boy.
"Officer Matsuda, you're here too?" Dr. Narumi seemed quite surprised. She looked at Matsuda's face and asked with concern, "Officer Matsuda, you don't look well. Would you like another piece of chocolate?"
As she spoke, she took out a piece of chocolate and handed it to Matsuda.
"Chocolate..." Matsuda smiled, took it, and slowly put it in his mouth.
Dr. Chengshi's gaze followed his movements, gradually moving upwards.
Suddenly, the chocolate stopped at Matsuda's lips.
Dr. Chengshi's eyes flickered.
"Officer Matsuda, is there a problem with this chocolate?"
Matsuda sighed, deciding not to beat around the bush anymore.
"This chocolate probably contains sleeping pills, right?"
"Officer Matsuda, what are you saying?" Dr. Narumi involuntarily took a step back. "I... how could I put sleeping pills in chocolate?"
"To make me sleep and not investigate the cases on the island," Matsuda said slowly, "I fainted when I got off the island because I rarely travel by boat, and it was a normal reaction to seasickness. But after arriving on the island, I was unusually drowsy, which is a bit strange, don't you think, Ms. Asano Minami?"