In Detective Conan: Intercepting Miwako Sato at the Start

Page 90

The echoes of gunshots reverberated through the woods, and a suffocating fear gripped everyone's hearts.

The officers stood tense, guns drawn, their sharp eyes scanning the dark woods to the west, trying to pinpoint the sniper's possible hiding place.

But apart from the rustling of leaves in the wind, there was no other sound.

Yuki Takada slowly raised his head from Takujin Date, his expression more solemn than ever before.

He quickly confirmed that Shinichi Kudo was safe, then his gaze shot like lightning to the tree trunk that had just been hit by the bullet.

The location of the bullet hole and the trajectory of the bullet quickly formed in his mind.

"Silence...?" Takada Yuuki repeated Date Takujin's distraught words in a low voice, but his sharp eyes swept over Date Takujin, who was almost slumped on the ground. "Was their target really you, Date-sensei?"

Instead of immediately comforting and interrogating Date Takujin, he abruptly turned to look at the estimated locations of the sniper's two shots, his mind racing.

"The first shot was clearly aimed at my location. It was precise and calm, a typical warning or a probing shot, targeting key police personnel investigating the case."

Yuuki Takada spoke extremely quickly, yet with crystal clarity, as if he were conducting a live tactical review, "And this second time..."

He pointed to the bullet deeply embedded in the tree trunk, "The trajectory shows that it flew almost past Professor Date's scalp..."

"...If the target was to silence Professor Date, given the accuracy this sniper displayed in his first attempt, Professor Date should already be a corpse; there was absolutely no possibility of him missing."

Upon hearing this, Inspector Megure's expression changed: "Brother Takada, what do you mean?"

Shinichi Kudo, shielded beneath Yuuki Takada, struggled to lift his head, his bright eyes flashing with the same realization: "Officer Takada is right! The first sniping was a provocation against the police or an attempt to obstruct the investigation, but this second one... it seems the target is Mr. Date, but the timing is too coincidental!"

Yuuki Takada picked up the conversation, his voice cold and deep: "That's right, it's too much of a coincidence. Just as I pointed out that Mr. Date's shoe print matched the scene, and his suspicion reached its peak, the sniper fired. The bullet seemed to be aimed at Mr. Date, but the real purpose was to assassinate me."

"Assassinate you?" Inspector Megure glanced at Yuuki Takada suspiciously.

Yuuki Takada nodded: "That's right. Although I don't know who the other party is, it is very likely that they are related to the previous case of cracking down on the Mishima family?"

His gaze swept across the crowd, finally settling on Date Takujin, whose face was pale and who was still in shock: "Date-sensei, you just said they really wanted to kill you to silence you?"

"Who are 'them'? What do you know? Or have you done something that makes you think someone wants to kill you to silence you?"

"But in reality, the sniper's target, from beginning to end, was more likely me, the inspector in charge of the case!"

Date Takujin trembled under Takada Yuuki's sharp gaze and astonishing analysis. His lips quivered, but he couldn't utter a single word. His eyes were filled with immense fear and confusion.

During this brief moment, Shinichi Kudo's mind pieced together all the fragmented clues.

He stood up, and although he was still under the cover of the police car, his voice was full of confidence and penetrating power:

"I understand! Officer Takada's analysis is likely correct."

"The sniper's primary objective may be to interfere with the police investigation, or even to target Officer Takada himself."

"And you, Ms. Date, are indeed connected to Mr. Higashiyama's death! To be precise, you are the murderer who killed Mr. Higashiyama."

Shinichi Kudo's words struck everyone's hearts like a heavy hammer.

"Shinichi Kudo, you already know the truth?" Inspector Megure asked hurriedly.

Shinichi Kudo nodded, his gaze sweeping over the bewildered Mai Shimazu, the ashamed and fearful Yumi Miyamoto, and finally settling on the pale-faced Takujin Date.

"Teacher Date Takujin, you are the murderer who killed Teacher Higashiyama Kenji." Shinichi Kudo said with a serious expression, pointing at him intently.

"Shinichi Kudo, you're talking nonsense!" Takujin Date screamed like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, but his voice was weak and lacked any confidence.

"Whether it's nonsense or not, you'll know after hearing my reasoning." Shinichi Kudo calmly began to narrate, "It all started with the irreconcilable conflict between you and Professor Higashiyama."

"That is—the conflict over student development philosophy is just the surface. At a deeper level, your high-intensity potential-stimulating training, which you conducted privately without the school's approval, was met with strong opposition and threats of exposure from Teacher Dongshan."

“You believe that his conservatism is hindering your progress in school and even infringing on your core interests and beliefs.”

"The conflict erupted during this outdoor training camp. Before Mr. Higashiyama died, he called both you and Mr. Shimazu."

"Leaving aside the content of the phone call to Mr. Shimazu, the phone call to you was definitely not just about urging or arguing."

Shinichi Kudo paused, observing Takujin Date's increasingly grim expression, and continued, "That phone call was probably Higashiyama-sensei's last attempt to dissuade you and warn you to immediately stop certain actions that concerned your personal interests. But that phone call made you make up your mind."

"You took advantage of the brief period of time after the students were dismissed and no one was paying attention to you, and went to meet with Mr. Higashiyama. You already knew where he was—near the crime scene."

"You possess extensive outdoor knowledge and physical abilities, and silently approached and murdered Mr. Higashiyama."

"The method of committing the crime may have utilized some item at the scene, or a tool that you carry with you that is consistent with your identity as an outdoor expert."

“However, it’s very likely that two people witnessed you committing the crime.” Shinichi Kudo looked at Mai Shimazu and Yumi Miyamoto.

"Shimazu-sensei, the dark figure you saw disappearing quickly was Date-sensei who fled after committing the crime."

"And Yumi-neechan, that strangely behaving, highly vigilant man you were following is most likely also Mr. Date! You started following him after he committed the crime, while he was leaving the scene or even processing some evidence!"

Yumi Miyamoto covered her mouth in surprise: "It's...it's him? But..."

“He was wearing a hat and a mask, and dressed in dark clothes, so it’s normal that you didn’t recognize him.”

Shinichi Kudo explained, "After realizing he was being followed, Mr. Date used his familiarity with the terrain to easily shake off Yumi-neechan."

"His original plan was probably to immediately escape the scene through the west fence, creating the illusion that he had never entered the core area."

"This also explains why there are his distinctive shoe prints and scraped clothing fibers on the railing—it's likely that his jacket or pants were torn by the barbed wire when he hurriedly climbed over."

"However, the police may have arrived before he had a chance to escape completely, or while he was dealing with something."

"The piercing sirens startled him, and he may have temporarily gone into hiding, changing his evacuation route at the last minute. During this time, Yumi heard gunshots and footsteps, mistakenly thinking she was being chased, which led to the scene where she tried to climb over the fence but was stopped."

"As for the snipers, that's none of your business." Shinichi Kudo looked at Yuki Takada. "Just as Inspector Takada suspected, their primary target wasn't Mr. Date."

"Two shots in quick succession, it's clear they only had one target: Inspector Takada. You were just an afterthought."

“And Mr. Date,” Shinichi Kudo said, looking at the nearly broken Date Takujin, “the reason you are so terrified, and even blurted out the word ‘kill him,’ is because deep down you know that everything you have done has violated your original principles as a teacher.”

Shinichi Kudo's reasoning is clear and logical, connecting seemingly chaotic clues, contradictory behaviors, and bizarre sniping incidents to form a logical loop.

After Shinichi Kudo finished speaking his last words, Takujin Date felt as if his spine had been removed, and he completely collapsed, requiring the police officers on both sides to support him.

His face had lost all color, his eyes were empty, and he kept muttering, "I'm sorry... I really caused Higashiyama Kenji's death."

“Initially, I shared the same teaching philosophy as him, but unfortunately, as the school leaders kept putting pressure on me, I had to use some abnormal methods to improve the students’ grades. He just wouldn’t support me. In the end, during our argument, Higashiyama Kenji died at my hands.”

At this moment, Date Takujin's reaction undoubtedly confirms Kudo Shinichi's reasoning.

Yuuki Takada took a deep breath and ordered, "Immediately place Takujin Date under close surveillance!"

"Increase manpower and establish full-scale vigilance! The sniper may still be nearby, or he may have other accomplices!"

He walked up to Date Takujin and said in a deep voice, "Date Takujin, your only way out now is to cooperate with the police."

Date Takujin raised his head, his eyes filled with desperate fear. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end it turned into an extremely suppressed whimper, like a trapped beast, and he lowered his head again.

Chapter 109 Shiho Miyano's Letter

Takujin Date was held by two police officers, one on each side, and handcuffed.

His previous gloom and anger had been completely shattered, leaving only endless regret and fear. His body was limp, and he could barely stand without the support of the police officers.

He was still unconsciously muttering broken phrases like "I'm sorry" as he was taken away from the scene, put into a police car, and prepared to be sent back to the Metropolitan Police Department for further interrogation.

Megure ordered some of the police to withdraw, leaving a large number of officers to continue cordoning off the area, especially conducting a thorough search of the woods on the west side in hopes of finding any clues left by the sniper.

The state of emergency has been temporarily lifted, but the tense atmosphere has not completely dissipated.

The threat of the sniper loomed over everyone like a dark cloud, especially for Yuki Takada. He knew that the sniper's target was clear, and if he failed once, there would likely be another attempt.

Sato Miwako looked at her friend Miyamoto Yumi, sighed, and softened her tone considerably: "Yumi, you really acted recklessly this time. Luckily, nothing bad happened to you, otherwise..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but her concern was evident.

Miyamoto Yumi lowered her head in shame, her fingers twisting together: "I'm sorry, Miwako, I've caused you and Inspector Takada trouble again... I promise I won't be so impulsive again."

“I hope you really remember this.” Sato Miwako shook her head helplessly, then looked at Takada Yuki. “Inspector Takada, although Yumi’s behavior was inappropriate, it seems that it is indeed unrelated to the murder case. It’s more like… a ridiculous misunderstanding.”

"Her testimony also provided important clues. You see..."

Yuki Takada's gaze swept over Yumi Miyamoto, then looked at Mai Shimazu, who was still pale and shaken.

He pondered for a moment, then whispered to Inspector Megure, "Inspector Megure, while Shimazu Mai's behavior is suspicious, based on the existing evidence and the little girl's reasoning, she is more likely to be acting abnormally after being frightened, rather than being the murderer."

"Her testimony regarding the 'shadow' also matches Ms. Yumi's account and the shoe prints found later, indirectly corroborating Date Takujin's actions."

Megure nodded in agreement: "Yes, that's true. She didn't have a clear motive, and the evidence at the scene doesn't support her committing the crime. As for abandoning her phone and running away, it can be understood as irrational behavior under extreme panic."

Yuuki Takada turned to the two women, his tone serious but impartial: "Ms. Shimazu, Ms. Yumi. Based on the current investigation results, the possibility that you are directly related to the murder of Mr. Kenji Higashiyama is very low."

"You may leave temporarily, but please keep your communication channels open. The police may need your cooperation to provide additional details in your testimony later."

Mai Shimazu felt as if she had been granted a pardon, and tears welled up in her eyes again, this time with gratitude and lingering fear. She bowed repeatedly, saying, "Thank you... thank you, officer! I will cooperate! I will cooperate!"

Yumi Miyamoto breathed a sigh of relief and quickly assured him, "I understand! Inspector Takada, I will be there whenever you call! I will definitely not cause any more trouble!"

Sato Miwako gave Takada Yuki a grateful look, then said to Miyamoto Yumi, "Let's go, I'll take you home. Get some rest and calm down."

“Hmm…” Miyamoto Yumi nodded obediently and left with Sato Miwako.

With the comfort and accompaniment of a policewoman, Mai Shimazu left the place that had terrified her.

The scene gradually quieted down, leaving only forensic personnel still busy and highly vigilant patrol officers.

Yuuki Takada walked up to Shinichi Kudo, his brow furrowed. "Shinichi Kudo, although the case has been initially solved, it's far from over."

"This sniper is like a thorn stuck here."

"Hmm." Shinichi Kudo nodded, his expression equally grave. "After all, judging from the situation just now, the sniper attacked you, Officer Takada, twice in a row. It seems that his exact target was you."

"Officer Takada, if I remember correctly, you've solved quite a few cases recently, and there are even news reports about it on TV. So, Officer Takada, could this sniper be related to your recent efforts to eliminate the Mishima family's influence?"

“It’s just speculation,” Yuki Takada said in a deep voice. “The case I recently handled, which led to the arrest of all members of the Mishima family’s influence, has touched upon a huge interest group. Perhaps it is their remaining forces who are looking for revenge against me.”

"But they have the ability and the motivation to resort to such extreme measures."

"If the sniper was sent by them, their purpose may not be as simple as just silencing me, Yuki Takada. It could be interfering with the investigation, retaliating against the investigating officers, or something much bigger in the making."

After thinking for a while, a sharp glint flashed in Yuuki Takada's eyes, "...Testing the police's deployment, could it be that they have a deeper purpose?"

"A deeper purpose?" Shinichi Kudo pondered, stroking his chin. "If their goal isn't just to stop the investigation or retaliate, then what could it be?"

"It's clear that Date Takujin's case has nothing to do with the Mishima family, but the timing of those snipers' appearance was too coincidental, as if they were taking advantage of this chaotic situation."

The two stood by the cordon, exchanging opinions in hushed tones, trying to piece together the logic of the sniper's operation from the chaotic events.

The waves kept lapping at their feet, and the atmosphere remained tense.

Just then, Yuki Takada's cell phone vibrated in his pocket.