Not a detective

Page 187

That is, tangible things.

"So, the person sitting here is Higashino Kosuke."

He stated unequivocally that, in fact, the local tyrant whose brain had been pierced was right before his eyes, collapsed to the ground.

Asakawa Riku slowly walked to his side, picked up the invisible gun, and the moment he raised his head, the fleeing cultists began to run in his eyes.

Bang... Bang... Bang!

"He killed all the other high-ranking officials one shot at a time, right in this room. Because the door was locked tight, no one could escape."

Asakawa Riku slowly lowered the gun, seeing the chaotic floor, returning to the scene of the crime, where everyone had died a gruesome death:

"Or perhaps these believers, who are terminally ill, are unable to recognize the fact that they have been shot and are about to die, so no one can resist or escape."

Higashino Kosuke killed everyone so easily, and even the strong and healthy athlete didn't even think about grabbing the gun to fight back.

Asakawa Riku continued to recount the crime:

"Then he finished his work, sat on the sofa, and pressed the gun to his temple."

shot.

The bullet spiraled through Riku Asakawa's brain, spurting out blood and brain matter. The immense impact flipped his body over, causing him to collapse onto the sofa.

This is exactly the same posture as the body of Higashino Kosuke found at the scene.

Lying on the sofa, Asakawa Riku didn't seem to care about the blood on his body, and calmly continued his narration:

"Then his pistol, due to exhaustion, fell naturally, bounced off the soft, high-end sofa, and landed in the center of the room."

The fictional pistol bounced out in a perfect arc and landed at the finish line.

This is what makes Riku Asakawa so remarkable; he can not only perfectly recreate the scene, but also deduce the timeline through his understanding of "movement" and "strength".

It can calculate how a person will react when a gun is fired, what changes will occur in the human body, and how the gun will bounce after being dropped.

He pointed there, then slowly straightened up:

"Therefore, the murderer is Higashino Kosuke; only he could have carried out this shooting."

Now, Riku Asakawa also has a "weapon" that can be used in reasoning.

"That's amazing...!"

Kiri Aoi sincerely praised, saying that in that instant, it seemed that all the doubts could be explained.

But then she thought again, and realized there was still one last question that hadn't been answered: "But... if that's the case, why did the mute waiter, Yuri Mizutani, give false testimony? It's understandable if the believer didn't realize the shooting, but in the end, Kosuke Shinonome shot himself. Suicide should be an abnormal act that isn't allowed."

If someone were to commit suicide in front of Yuri Mizutani, she should have sensed something was wrong, overcome her cognitive barriers, and wouldn't have remained completely indifferent...

Why was Shinonome Kosuke able to commit suicide in front of her without being exposed?

"Yes, I was also troubled by this contradiction when I was thinking about it... I even almost gave up on this reasoning because it didn't make sense."

Asakawa Riku smiled: "But, in that instant, I thought of a possibility, a [solution] that could perfectly resolve this contradiction."

"How to solve it?"

Kiri Aoi was confused, but then she noticed Asakawa Riku taking his phone out of his pocket.

"Do you remember the phone call I just made?"

"Ah, yes, you said you called your boss... that detective..."

"Yes, but Suezuki has another identity, which is that she is the daughter of Shinonome Kosuke. Your Inspection Department should also know about this identity."

Asakawa Riku finally revealed the final mystery:

"I asked her a question: Have you noticed that the old man has any unusual physical ailments?"

She said that Higashino Kosuke suffers from Parkinson's syndrome.

Winter of the Gods: Chapter Twenty-One - Halloween

When Asakawa Riku called, Hoshino answered.

That's for sure, since that guy never carries his phone with him, and he's lucky if he's awake for five hours a day.

Asakawa Riku let Hoshino hand her the phone, only then did she hear Shinonome Suezuki's lazy voice:

"...My father is dead?"

"So you've already heard about it. All that thought of words was for nothing."

"It's Halloween tonight, and I'm all ready to celebrate. Hoshino, where's the cake and drinks you prepared?!"

From afar came Xingyu's shout, "Miss, I can't drink alcohol!"

"I might miss the party... I'm busy with something important."

"If you're fooling around with other women, you don't need to report to me."

"Something that would make you very happy, like making that old man a criminal? But I need your help."

"Oh?"

"Could you help me recall if Higashigumo Kosuke exhibited any abnormal physical symptoms, such as illness, during his lifetime, especially in his later years..."

“Actually, we only see each other once a year. But you asked the right question, I really do remember that every time I see him, his hand would twitch involuntarily.”

...

After getting the key information, Asakawa Riku immediately hung up the phone.

Asking Dongyun Sueyue was absolutely right; her precise and perfect memory delivered the final, crucial blow.

The symptom of his hands twitching and shaking involuntarily was so obvious that even someone like Asakawa Riku, who wasn't a medical professional, could quickly make the connection—

Parkinson's disease.

It is a common neurodegenerative disease in the elderly, characterized by hand tremors, slow movement, muscle rigidity, and difficulty in balance when at rest.

The average age of onset is 60, and there are slightly more men than women, which perfectly fits the criteria of Higashino Kosuke.

Moreover, there is currently no cure for this disease; it can only be alleviated through medication or surgery. Otherwise, with Higashino Kosuke's financial resources, he could have cured ordinary diseases long ago.

So... his hands usually shake, and he can't control it.

The same applies when you're holding a gun.

Simply place your index finger on the trigger, and a momentary, unconscious twitch or exertion of force will pull the trigger, causing the pistol to fire accidentally.

But Higashino Kosuke's actions were not accidental; he had deliberately planned it.

The fact that the calm bystander and eyewitness, "Mizutani Yuri," proves that as a devout believer, she was unable to recognize the existence of the disease.

Therefore, in her eyes, Higashino Kosuke did not have Parkinson's disease, nor did his fingers twitch... in other words, he did not pull the trigger.

Kosuke Shinonome did not kill anyone, nor did he commit suicide. He fired the gun inexplicably!

Furthermore, since Yuri Mizutani is unable to comprehend death, accidents, shootings, and suicide, everything is corrected...

This is the "truth" in Yuri Mizutani's eyes. She didn't lie; she told everything she saw.

Using his illness and the rules of the church, Higashino Kosuke pulled off a daring deception right under everyone's noses.

He could commit murder simply by pointing a gun at someone and then pretending that his finger was unconsciously resting on the trigger.

No wonder the corpses I saw were all so gruesome, riddled with bullet holes. I initially thought it was the killer's way of venting his anger, but it turns out he just couldn't aim properly.

Because of shaky hands, aiming can sometimes be off-target, causing the bullet to hit other parts of the body, resulting in more bleeding and pain.

Only in the final act of suicide could he place it on his head, so his own body was the cleanest.

Mizutani Yuri was completely unaware of all of this, nor could she hear the gunshots. She simply stood there, thinking that nothing had happened.

"It's amazing..."

After hearing this, Wu Yu Kui was stunned and couldn't recover for a long time.

She never expected such a trick, such a murder case; it was simply unheard of.

Even in cases where superpowers were used to commit crimes, this was nothing like this.

"However, there is an information gap here, since it was never mentioned before that Shinonome Kosuke suffers from Parkinson's disease."

Asakawa Riku said.

Yes, strictly speaking, this reasoning is actually unfair, as it doesn't provide a complete clue from the outset.

Asakawa Riku was unaware of this. It was only after Shinonome Suetsuki brought it up that he remembered seeing the old man up close last Christmas. His hands were indeed trembling, but at the time he thought it was just him shaking with anger and didn't think much of it. It's fair to say that if it weren't for the detective's incredible memory, which allowed her to remember such a minute detail, she wouldn't have been able to get this clue.

"However, on the other hand, this case should not have been solved using detective methods in the first place; there were much simpler solutions available long ago."

“That’s right… Since it was Higashino Kosuke who fired the shot, there must have been marks left…”

Kirisame muttered belatedly, "A simple autopsy would reveal the truth, but the problem is that no autopsy has been performed."

Anyone who fires a handgun will leave a gunpowder residue. No traces were found on Mizutani Yuri's hands or clothes at the time, which is how she was cleared of suspicion.

A simple examination of the body would have revealed that Higashino Kosuke committed suicide by shooting himself; it wasn't that complicated.

The problem is, no one can perform an autopsy.

Someone deliberately complicated this case.

It is possible that Higashino Kosuke foresaw this and, after his death, instructed his subordinates to immediately pressure the police to reclaim his body and prevent an autopsy.

If that's the case, this old guy really schemed things out very well, even thinking about what would happen after he died.

"But it's also possible..."

Wu Yu Kui's face darkened, and a fierce glint appeared in her eyes: "Someone deliberately framed you and covered this up."

Even if an autopsy is not possible, can't bullet residue and gunpowder microparticles be detected from the clothing?

Didn't any of those experienced detectives consider the possibility of "suicide"?

Something just doesn't seem right.

Within the Inspection Department, there have long been individuals who see Asakawa Riku as a thorn in their side and a major threat... If it was them who were behind this, interfering with the investigation...

"In any case, it has nothing to do with me anymore. The case has been solved, my suspicion has been cleared, and there is no need for a detective to appear."

Asakawa Riku smiled, not caring.

He even chimed in to help:

"If you can't find any evidence, you can just tell the eyewitness, 'The Lord does not allow suicide,' and that's enough. Tell her that the action of Higashino Kosuke holding the gun to his head was a preparatory action for suicide. As for why the gun went off, that was the Lord's punishment for him. You have to communicate with believers in their language. That way, she will confess."

As he spoke, he waved goodbye and walked towards the door.

Fortunately, he had nothing else to do at the time, so he flipped through the pamphlet on "Doctrine".

"As for me, I won't keep you company... I'm waiting to go back to the party."

God's Winter: God's Winter After 1

Asakawa Riku returned to Shibuya just as dusk was falling. The glow of the sunset painted the streets beautifully, and people dressed in strange costumes could be seen on the road occasionally.

October 31st is Halloween every year, and today is no exception. Its origins are said to date back to the 5th century BC, when the Celts living in Ireland designated this day as the end of summer, symbolizing the end of the year and the arrival of winter. Asakawa Riku can already feel the weather turning slightly cooler. The Celts believed that on the eve of the transition between the old and new year, all the laws of time and space temporarily pause, and the gates of the spirit world open on this night, allowing all ghosts to roam the human world, searching for suitable substitutes and thus gaining a chance to be reborn.

Therefore, to avoid becoming targets of ghosts, the Celts would extinguish the fires in their homes that night, pretending that no one was home, and that everyone would go out and stroll in the streets.

They would wear hideous and terrifying masks and dress up as ghosts and monsters to parade through the streets, creating a noisy and chaotic atmosphere to drive away wandering ghosts.

"I wonder if legends and myths will ever become reality in this world?"

Asakawa Riku didn't know if Western myths and stories would become real entities because of people's consciousness, just like the monsters.

Japan has Onmyoji (yin-yang masters), so does that mean the West has magicians, sorcerers, or witches? In the East, there are Taoist priests, and could there also be cultivators of immortality?

He found these thoughts fascinating; the world had only revealed the tip of the iceberg to him, and there were still so many interesting things yet to be shown.

There is still no complete conclusion about what gods are.

But at least tonight, Asakawa Riku didn't want to think about those complicated issues; he just wanted to relax and immerse himself in the atmosphere of the night.

In modern times, Halloween has gradually evolved into a festival where children of all ages dress up in colorful costumes and wear all sorts of masks, shouting "Trick or Treat" as they go from house to house asking adults for candy. If the homeowner is willing to let the children come to their door, they will hang a "Jack-o'-lantern" on the door.

That's a Western way of doing things, but in Japan, it's more like a carnival for everyone.

During his years in Tokyo, especially in recent years, Riku Asakawa has noticed that the Halloween atmosphere here is getting stronger and stronger. It's like a comic convention with the city as its stage, where people dress up as anime characters, movie stars, horror monsters, and mysterious wizards, wearing exaggerated masks, and wandering around every corner of the city.