"Can you be more specific?"
Takato comforted Ms. Hirata and continued to inquire.
Ms. Hirata calmed down and began to narrate the events: Her full name is Hirata Naeko, and her husband, Hirata Yoshiharu, is a financial officer at the Headquarter of a izakaya brand located in Ginza, under the Wakura Group. The incident began the night before yesterday when Hase Heihachi, a financial officer who came from the Group's Headquarter to reconcile accounts at Hirata Yoshiharu's branch, was murdered in his home.
After hearing these basic descriptions, Takato generally understood.
"So, the Police believe your husband, Mr. Hirata Yoshiharu, is the murderer of Hase Heihachi?"
"Yes."
Ms. Hirata Naeko said.
"What is the Police's basis for this judgment?"
Takato asked.
"The Police said that because my husband had no alibi at the time of the incident, he is the biggest suspect. Moreover, the murder weapon used to kill Hase Heihachi was a towel my husband usually uses."
Hirata Naeko said with some frustration.
"Towel?"
Takato seized on this point and asked. Hirata Naeko quickly offered an explanation.
"Yes. My husband is prone to sweating, so he keeps a towel in the office."
After hearing this, Takato tapped his fingers lightly on the bar counter, already having some basic ideas, and then asked, "Since Ms. Hirata came to commission a Detective, you must be sure your husband is not the murderer. Regarding the Police's accusation, setting aside the manipulability of the murder weapon—the towel—the only issue is the alibi. As his wife, you should have a reasonable explanation, right?"
Hirata Naeko nodded.
"Yes. Because that night, my husband was called out by a phone call. The other party claimed to be the financial manager of the Group's Headquarter and asked my husband to meet at a bar."
Upon hearing this, Takato smiled slightly.
"The Police didn't accept your testimony, is it because there was no surveillance at the bar where you met?"
"Yes. And my husband waited very late after going there, but the other party never showed up."
Hirata Naeko said with certainty.
Takato had anticipated this answer, then said seriously, "There were indeed problems with the accounts of your husband's branch, weren't there?"
The deceased was from the Group's Headquarter to audit accounts, and the suspect, upon receiving a call from someone claiming to be the financial manager of the Headquarter, went to the meeting without verification. The only conclusion that could be drawn from this situation was that there were problems with the branch's accounts, and the suspect, Hirata Yoshiharu, must have been aware of them.
"Yes... that's right."
Hirata Naeko did not refute when Takato pointed this out, but quickly added, "But, this was all forced upon my husband by the manager."
"What about the manager's suspicion?"
Takato immediately asked, "If this case was caused by problems with the branch's accounts, then the biggest suspect should be the manager who instructed your husband, right?"
"Regarding that,"
Hirata Naeko said somewhat awkwardly, "I don't know."
"Huh?"
Takato was a little surprised. Hirata Naeko continued to explain, her tone becoming agitated again.
"Because yesterday, the Police took my husband and the manager in for questioning together. Today, the manager was released, while my husband was identified as the primary suspect."
Takato felt helpless about such a result. He tapped his fingers lightly on the bar counter, pondering, and then suddenly asked, "Do you know who the Police Officer in charge of this case is?"
Hirata Naeko shook her head.
"I don't know the exact name. I only remember that the leading Police Officer was chubby and wore an orange-yellow overcoat."
"Inspector Megure."
Hearing this familiar description, Takato knew Hirata Naeko was referring to Inspector Megure of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Investigation Division One. He happened to have his contact information, but with his current influence, could he get more clues from Inspector Megure?
With a 'let's try' mindset, Takato still dialed Inspector Megure's number.
"Hello? Is this Inspector Megure?"
After the call connected, Takato greeted him.
"Oh, it's Brother Akechi. Is there something you need?"
On the other end of the line, Inspector Megure said politely.
"Ah, it's a bit embarrassing to say. I just took on a commission regarding the case of Hirata Yoshiharu."
Before Takato finished speaking, Inspector Megure interjected.
"Oh, you mean this case. What, Hirata Yoshiharu's wife commissioned you? Well, I'm sorry, but since the case is still under investigation, I can't disclose more information to you."
Judging by his tone, Inspector Megure seemed about to hang up, so Takato quickly added.
"Um, I wanted to ask, how was the manager's suspicion ruled out?"
"Regarding that, I can only say that Manager Komura Masatake had a perfect alibi at the time of the incident, as he was with Police OfficerKoyama Ayumi from the branch."
Inspector Megure finished speaking and hung up the phone.
"A perfect alibi, huh?"
Hearing this, Takato muttered the phrase once more, then smiled.
"How was it? What did the Police Officer say?"
Hirata Naeko, who was beside him, saw Takato put down his phone and quickly asked.
"Let's go, let's find Koyama Ayumi!"
From Inspector Megure's words just now, Takato found the next target for investigation. He stood up and asked Hirata Naeko, "Ms. Hirata, do you know this person, Koyama Ayumi?"
"Yes, I do know her. She's the manager of the branch where my husband works."
Hirata Naeko said. So, the two immediately prepared to set off to find Koyama Ayumi.
As the two left, Itoi Horou quickly called out to them, asking them to inform him once the commission yielded results, which Takato affirmed.
Led by Hirata Naeko, Takato finally found Koyama Ayumi at his home.
However, what he didn't expect was that upon arriving at the apartment where Koyama Ayumi lived, he saw a Police Officer walking out of his residence. Looking at the young male Police Officer's face, Takato recognized him: it was Patrol Chief Takagi Wataru of First Investigation Division! So, Takato immediately stopped him.
"Officer Takagi."
Takato greeted Takagi Wataru.
"Huh? Excuse me, who are you?"
Takagi Wataru looked at Takato, who had called out his name, with some surprise, then his gaze shifted to Hirata Naeko, who was with him, "Ms. Hirata, why..."
"Excuse me, let me introduce myself. My name is Akechi Takato, and I am a Detective. Today, this Ms. Hirata commissioned me, and I am investigating the case concerning her husband."
Takato introduced himself.
"Oh! You are Detective Akechi! I've heard of you. Nice to meet you! But how did you recognize me?"
Takagi Wataru replied politely, then posed his question.
"Oh, I heard Shinichi Kudo mention you."
Takato casually made up an excuse, "Officer Takagi, are you here to verify Manager Komura Masatake's alibi?"
"Yes, that's right. Because there have been no breakthroughs with Hirata Yoshiharu, we thought there might be a loophole in Komura Masatake's alibi."
Perhaps due to the rumors he had heard earlier, Takagi Wataru clearly had little guard against Takato and casually said, "But we found no problems at all."
"Since that's the case, why don't you tell me about it? Maybe I can help."
Takato said, "Regarding the so-called perfect alibi."