"Heiji! That Psychic really killed the host!"
Kazuha said, looking at the live broadcast with some horror.
No matter how she looked at it, the host, Harada Takayuki, on the screen was indeed dead, but the broadcast had not stopped. In the shot, the victim's scarf had been pulled off during his struggle, revealing what looked like strangulation marks on his neck.
"How can such a thing be possible!"
Hattori also found it hard to believe.
"How can there be any Psychic powers? This must be some kind of trick!"
"But didn't we see the host being strangled by that Psychic controlling his scarf!"
Kazuha said, looking at Takato, "Mr. Akechi saw it too, right?"
However, Takato did not respond, but continued to watch the television, deep in thought—even after an incident occurred, this live broadcast was still continuing? Are the TV station and the director so fearless?
"You're talking nonsense. I don't believe in any Psychic powers."
On the screen, the camera focused on Shinichi Kudo, who retorted to Washimi Jiro.
"Do you want to insult me too?"
"This is a murder case, an impossible crime that occurred in front of the camera. There must be some trick involved, and I will definitely uncover the truth. There is only one truth!"
Shinichi Kudo made this declaration.
"That's right, this must be a murder case using some kind of trick, and the killer must be one of those five people who were present at the time!"
Hattori Heiji also followed up after hearing Shinichi Kudo's words on the screen.
"Not five, but four."
Takato interjected at this point. He understood which five people Hattori Heiji was referring to—the four staff members who rushed onto the stage, and the Psychic, Washimi Jiro.
Hearing this, Hattori also calmed down and thought for a moment, then expressed agreement.
"That's right, it's four. That person couldn't have committed the crime."
"What five, four? What are you talking about?"
Kazuha looked at them chatting, confused, and asked a question.
"Idiot! How can a Psychic kill someone! The victim was killed by someone using other means."
Hattori said.
"But we also saw the host's scarf strangle him, and then he fell to the ground and died, didn't we?"
Kazuha continued to press.
"That was acting."
Takato explained, "From the host's pained expression to pretending to be pulled up and falling to the ground, all of it was staged."
"Then how do you explain the scarf? Weren't both ends of the scarf pulled up by some force?"
"Regarding that, it's a magic trick."
Takato continued to explain, "You still remember the spoon magic trick at the beginning of the show, right?"
"Yeah. You said that spoon was a special item."
"That Tools spoon is made of memory alloy."
Hattori Heiji explained at this point.
"Memory metal is generally greatly affected by temperature. It is in one state at a certain temperature, and its state changes when the temperature changes, but when the temperature returns to its original state, the state also returns to its original. This Tools spoon was originally bent, but it was straightened before the performance. During the performance, rubbing the fingers generates heat, and the spoon will return to its bent shape."
"The same principle applies to this scarf. I think memory metal should also be placed inside the scarf. The host pretended to be strangled by the scarf, and through the body temperature of his hands and neck, the memory metal deformed, creating the illusion that the scarf was being pulled up by an invisible force."
Takato explained the trick of the scarf.
"As for the strangulation marks on the neck, you just need to have the makeup artist create such marks beforehand, and then cover them with the scarf."
"But if everything you're saying is acting, then the host should still be alive, right?"
Kazuha still had many questions.
"The key is when he fell to the ground, and those four staff members rushed onto the stage to check on him."
"Kazuha, you should still remember that after those four people ran up, the host suddenly made a painful sound, and then fell motionless, right?"
Hattori explained.
"That's right, what about it?"
Kazuha asked.
"The host died at that moment, killed by someone among those four staff members who rushed onto the stage, by injecting poison!"
Hattori Heiji said, "So the killer can only be among those four people."
"Given such a rapid fatal speed, it must be potassium chloride. Overdosing through intravenous injection leads to cardiac arrest and sudden death. This is also a common method for capital punishment."
Takato added, then looked at the screen. Based on the existing clues, the killer should be that person.
On the screen, the live broadcast was indeed still continuing. Shinichi Kudo also stated the same deduction as Takato and Hattori in the live broadcast, pointing the suspicion towards those four staff members and pointing out that they all had more or less grudges with the victim:
Mr. Ota Yutaka and Mr. Nakamura Mondojin, who served as assistant directors. Because Shinichi Kudo happened to see these two being severely reprimanded by the victim in the backstage for taking the wrong drinks.
Miss Mizutani Asako, the assistant. Because Shinichi Kudo also accidentally encountered the scene of the victim harassing Miss Mizutani in the backstage.
Miss Hayashi Seishi, the victim's attendant. Because when Ran asked the victim for an autograph, the assistant was severely scolded by the victim for not bringing a pen.
"In that case, it's not surprising who the killer is."
Hattori Heiji said after listening to Shinichi Kudo's explanation.
But at this moment, Takato, combining Shinichi Kudo's narration of the four people's grievances with the victim, had completely understood—the killer was indeed that person!
Looking at Takato, who had an enlightened expression, Hattori couldn't help but say,
"Detective Brother, it looks like you've already figured out who the killer is."
Takato took a sip of water from his cup, looking composed.
"There are two hints. First, the order in which the four people rushed onto the stage; second, what the murder weapon was."
Having received such hints, Hattori thought for a moment, then smiled.
"So that's how it is! Bro, you've got it!"
And at this moment, on the screen, Shinichi Kudo had not yet deduced who the killer was, but instead continued to argue with the Psychic. Regarding the killing of the host, Harada Takayuki, Washimi Jiro admitted that he had killed him with Psychic powers, while Shinichi Kudo repeatedly stated that he wasn't even a suspect.
In anger, Washimi Jiro proposed to perform again, and this time the person he wanted to kill was Ran, who had been by Shinichi Kudo's side since the beginning!
The same scene played out again, the same scarf, the same ends of the scarf appearing to be pulled, the same suffocating expression, and then falling to the ground.
This time, after Ran fell to the ground, a figure rushed out from the backstage. It was a middle-aged man with a small mustache.
Seeing this middle-aged man, Takato undoubtedly recognized him. He was Ran's father, Kogoro Mouri.
He came to Shinichi Kudo's side, shouting why he didn't stop it, while Washimi Jiro beside him had a triumphant expression again, demonstrating that his Psychic powers were real. But this time, Ran woke up.
So, Shinichi Kudo began to explain the previous performance and the magic secret inside the scarf. From this moment on, the live broadcast of the confrontation between the Famous Detective and the Psychic became Shinichi Kudo's deduction broadcast for solving the case!
Shinichi Kudo pointed out that the purpose of this live broadcast confrontation was actually a prank, according to the script, to tease Mr. Washimi, and that Mr. Washimi had nothing to do with the murder case.
And the final deduction, just as Takato and Hattori had thought, was that the killer was Miss Hayashi Seishi, the assistant.
She was the first to rush onto the stage at that time, and the murder weapon was the pen she carried with her. At that time, Ran went to ask the victim for an autograph, and Miss Hayashi Seishi, who was clearly right there, did not bring a pen over. As an assistant, how could she not carry a pen? Because at that time, what she was carrying was actually the injection pen used as the murder weapon, so she couldn't take it out!
"This Shinichi Kudo isn't that amazing after all. He only just found out who the killer is."
Hattori said, "Detective Brother, if you go to Tokyo to be a Detective, you should be more famous than him."
Takato did not respond, because now, the settlement panel appeared before his eyes.
"Deduction complete, case closed"
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