Every color card had a name, but the print wasn't large—if you weren't looking for it, you'd miss it completely.
"Hattori, those letters are tiny. You could read them all in just six seconds?"
Holding the beige cards, Inspector Megure looked stunned.
Heiji stood up and shrugged.
"I already said it—telling the color gradations apart in six seconds is impossible. But if you focus on the text printed on the cards, you can still see it clearly."
"But reading the names on twenty cards in six seconds still sounds impossible," Takagi muttered under his breath.
His voice was low, but everyone heard it clearly.
They all nodded. Completely impossible.
Heiji ignored their reactions.
"Actually, what Officer Shiratori said about reaction time proves nothing. This kind of ability isn't something you're born with—it can be trained. In detective terms, it's called 'observation.' And for a detective, observation is crucial."
He paused.
"Officer Shiratori, don't be so absolute about what you personally can't do. As a police officer, your thinking can't be boxed in—because you never know what kind of criminal you're dealing with, or what methods they'll use."
With everyone looking at him, Officer Shiratori's expression grew a little stiff, irritation rising in his chest. I'm getting lectured?
"But this still doesn't prove you're innocent," Officer Shiratori said, steadying himself. "Don't forget—with Mr. Hattori's ability, you could easily leave no flaws. Maybe the watch worn face-down on the right wrist, the light reflection on the ear—maybe those are all illusions Mr. Hattori set up."
Heiji shook his head.
"Officer Shiratori, any deduction needs a basis. Deduction without a basis is just empty talk—it only makes it look like you're targeting me instead of targeting the case."
Inspector Megure and the others nodded hard at that.
"Officer Shiratori, if you don't have other evidence, then let this end here. Apologize to Hattori and move on," Inspector Megure said firmly.
Officer Shiratori frowned, looking at Heiji.
"Mr. Hattori isn't going to explain anything?"
"I don't need to explain," Heiji said, shaking his head. "But I'll give you a reminder, Officer Shiratori. Since you already reviewed this clip, why don't you look at the footage from when Moriya Teiji was killed?"
Sato Miwako raised an eyebrow, walked back to her seat, and clicked the mouse.
A three-minute recording appeared.
"Heiji, this is the footage from the scene at the time."
Heiji walked over.
"Just sit."
Sato Miwako tried to give up her seat, but he pressed her down gently, signaling her to stay put.
On the screen, inside a van, the crowd surged. A group of people packed around it, all craning to look inside.
"Stop."
At Heiji's word, Sato Miwako reflexively clicked.
Freeze-frame.
Everyone in the footage locked in place mid-motion.
Heiji studied it for a moment, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.
"Hattori, did you find something?" Inspector Megure asked eagerly.
"Miwako. Inspector Megure. What do you see here?" Heiji asked.
Everyone's expressions fell. Here we go again.
Except for Sato Miwako, who kept staring at the screen seriously, Inspector Megure and the others all looked at Heiji.
"Hattori, we've watched this footage over and over and haven't found much. Just tell us," Inspector Megure said helplessly.
Heiji blinked. "What did you find?"
"That's police business. Mr. Hattori doesn't need to know. Just say what you found," Officer Shiratori cut in from the side.
Inspector Megure shot Officer Shiratori a glare. "Miwako is in charge of this."
Sato Miwako turned to Heiji and gave a small shake of her head. "Not many usable clues. The whole video is chaos—it's hard to filter."
Heiji nodded, braced one hand on the desk, and leaned in to take the mouse.
Sato Miwako blushed slightly. Her hand was still in his, and it moved along with the mouse for a second.
Everyone was focused on the cursor sliding across the screen and didn't pay attention to their movements.
Of course, not everyone.
Officer Shiratori's face darkened, his eyes nearly spitting fire.
[Officer Sato is already with Mr. Heiji; looks like I have no chance. Still… Mr. Heiji is incredible. It's normal for Officer Sato to like him.]
Officer Takagi felt a wave of frustration in his chest.
Heiji released Sato Miwako's hand and tapped the screen.
"This person is the killer who assassinated Moriya Teiji."
Following his finger, everyone's eyes landed on a man wearing a peaked cap, a cigarette held in his mouth.
Inspector Megure asked, doubtful, "This guy's just wearing a hat and holding a cigarette—what's strange about that?"
Officer Shiratori was already starting to lose patience. "Yeah. What's so special about it?"
"Wrong," Heiji said. "If he were just someone waiting to see an idol, he wouldn't dress like that. Fans try to present their best side in front of an idol. Something like smoking wouldn't show up at a scene like this."
Sato Miwako frowned and analyzed carefully, "He's right."
Heiji nodded approvingly.
"Miwako's correct."
Inspector Megure stared at Heiji for a moment, then frowned.
"Hattori, even so, we still can't conclude he's the killer. Maybe he was just joining the crowd. A big star shows up, people squeeze in to watch—nothing unusual about that."
"Inspector Megure," Heiji said, "look at the cigarette."
"The cigarette?"
That made everyone refocus on the screen.
"His cigarette doesn't look lit," Takagi suddenly blurted out, surprised.
"And he isn't letting it hang," Sato Miwako added seriously. "He's holding it tightly between his lips."
"Tightly…" Inspector Megure's pupils shrank. "You're right. He's clamping it. That's strange."
"It's not strange—because he has to," Heiji said with a faint smile.
Officer Shiratori lowered his head, pupils tightening as he stared at the screen—then at Heiji.
"Mr. Hattori… are you saying that cigarette is the murder weapon?"
"A cigarette can kill someone?" one of the officers muttered.
Search Division 3 exchanged baffled looks.
"A cigarette can kill people? Hattori, don't mess around," Inspector Megure said, at a loss.
"A cigarette can kill," Heiji said flatly. "But the 'cigarette' I'm talking about isn't the kind you're thinking of."
Every gaze locked onto him.
Heiji sighed.
"This guy is likely a professional. The weapon he used is an unconventional tool called a mouth dart."
"A mouth dart?"
Everyone looked even more confused.
"The projectile is a needle," Heiji explained. "Used properly, it can slip into any part of the body with ease. The needle hole on Moriya Teiji's forehead is the best proof."
"Professional killer… mouth dart…"
Something flashed in Inspector Megure's eyes, and his expression shifted.
"Miwako. Pull up the underground parking lot footage from last time—now."
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