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Chapter 5 - Chapter 5: The classic "one out of three!

On the table, there was nothing except the small lamp, the glass of water, and a bento; nothing else was found.

Heiji picked up the glass of water from the table and sniffed it. To his surprise, the water only had a faint and very subtle trace of almond odor. Also, he realized that something was missing from the table.

After searching carefully, Heiji could not find that object. He looked up at the three people in the wagon, and a decision had already formed in his mind.

"Well? Have you discovered anything?" asked the middle-aged man with curiosity.

"This is a murder case," said Heiji.

The tension in the air dissipated suddenly, and everyone looked at Heiji with disdain. Anyone could see that; was it necessary to point it out?

"It seems the Heiji Hattori from Kansai isn't all that," said Engo Masanami with contempt.

Heiji smiled confidently, and a sharp gleam flashed in his eyes.

"It seems you haven't understood what I mean. The implication of 'this is a murder case' is that... the murderer is one of the people here."

What?

The people present felt a knot in their stomach, and surprise reflected in their eyes.

"Does this mean that I, too, am a suspect of murder?" asked the steward, terrified.

"That possibility cannot be ruled out," said Heiji.

"But... but I have no reason to kill! Why would I want to kill him?" The steward was about to cry.

"Exactly, why would we want to kill Akagi Takeo?" defended the middle-aged man.

"That's right, you shouldn't accuse people lightly," added the woman.

"That kind of person, arrogant and rude, surely has many enemies. Why do you think we would be the ones to kill him?" snorted Engo Masanami.

Heiji listened to their explanations without flinching, and only when they finished speaking did he begin to explain.

"Before I present my arguments, I'd like to ask you something, sir."

Heiji looked at the middle-aged man.

"Ask me? Are you saying I'm the murderer?" shouted the man.

"Don't react like that. I just want to understand some basic details," said Heiji calmly.

"I won't answer your questions; you're making me look like the murderer," said the man coldly.

"Not answering is admitting you have something to hide. And if you have something to hide, it proves you have a motive to kill that you don't dare to reveal. Also, you knew the deceased, right?"

Although it was a question, Heiji's tone was one of complete certainty.

"You..."

The middle-aged man lowered his head. "My name is Honda Kumaji, and I was a coworker of Akagi Takeo in the same company. Oh, by the way, Engo Masanami was also a coworker."

"Don't say that, Mr. Honda. Since yesterday, I'm no longer your employee, nor do I work at that company," said Engo Masanami with a mocking smile.

Honda Kumaji ignored Engo Masanami and instead looked at Heiji with doubt. "How did you know I knew Akagi?"

Heiji smiled confidently. "You hadn't exchanged a word before, yet you were able to immediately say the name of the deceased. It's clear you already knew him."

Honda Kumaji froze and then smiled bitterly. "You really live up to your reputation as a great high school detective. Your observational skills are impressive."

"So, can you answer my questions now?" asked Heiji.

"Ask. Anyway, I didn't kill him, ask whatever you want," said Honda Kumaji confidently.

"I don't mind," shrugged Engo Masanami.

"I... I will cooperate actively too," said the woman softly.

"Good, then I'll start with you, miss. What's your name and did you know the deceased?"

"My name is Katsu Nanako, I'm the owner of an ice cream shop, and yes, I knew Mr. Akagi," said Katsu Nanako quietly.

"I think it was more than just an acquaintance, right? That Akagi was your ex-boyfriend, wasn't he? And I heard that he was the one who dumped you," mocked Engo Masanami from the side.

"Oh, in that case, she would have a motive to kill Akagi," added Honda Kumaji, fueling the fire.

"That's not true, that's not true! It's true that I was his girlfriend, but I was the one who broke up with him. And I didn't kill him," said Katsu Nanako, panicking.

"Did he treat you badly?" asked Kazuha curiously.

"He often borrowed money from me, and it was always significant amounts. At first, I didn't think much of it, but after it happened over and over, I finally couldn't take it anymore and asked for an explanation. It turned out he only approached me for my money. I couldn't stand it anymore and broke up with him," said Katsu Nanako sadly.

"And as a result, even after breaking up, he continued to harass you. You couldn't take it anymore and killed him, right?" said Engo Masanami with a cold smile.

"No, I didn't do it!" Katsu Nanako defended herself, shouting.

"The motive makes sense," agreed Honda Kumaji.

Heiji lowered his head and thought for a moment, then looked at Katsu Nanako. "When we entered the tunnel, why did you get up from your seat? Although the wagon was very dark, the perfume you left when passing by is the same one you're wearing. It must have been you."

Katsu Nanako froze.

"I just had a stomach ache, I went to the bathroom, that's all."

"Really went to the bathroom? Or maybe you took the opportunity to put potassium cyanide in Akagi's glass of water?" said Engo Masanami sarcastically.

Put?

Heiji's eyes lit up. He looked back at the table: the glass of water still had more than half left, and there were no splashes around it. Relating that to the needle mark on the deceased's neck and the damp stain on his shirt, the truth was getting closer.

"And you, Mr. Engo?"

"Me? I was sitting in the seat across from Akagi. If I had put poison in his glass, wouldn't he have noticed?" replied Engo Masanami with a cold smile.

Anyone who's traveled by train knows that seats are usually arranged in pairs facing each other. Engo Masanami's position was separated by at least two seats, and in order to put poison in the glass of water, he would have had to pass over them. Doing that without making any noise is very difficult.

"It was very dark, and the two seats are close together. That is, if you had chosen the right moment, it wouldn't have been impossible to pass over the seat and put the potassium cyanide in the glass," said Honda Kumaji.

"You... But why would I want to kill him?! I have no motive!" Engo Masanami said, exasperated.

"The deceased probably often mistreated you, or insulted you frequently."

Remembering the scene before getting on the train, it was easy for Heiji to find a motive. Engo Masanami didn't say anything, it was clear that he had hit the mark.

"Those two have a motive, but I don't. After all, my relationship with Akagi was quite good. Besides, I was sitting right behind him, it was impossible to put poison in his glass of water. Because as soon as I moved, he would have noticed," said Honda Kumaji confidently.

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