"Simple."
"The killer didn't want the victim to hear the razor, so they did this," Tsuneo said, glancing at the Shinichi family by the door.
"How's that possible?" Megure countered, puzzled. "Even without sound, opening the bathroom door so close, Mr. Shinichi would've noticed."
His CPU was practically smoking. He leaned toward it not being an accident, but how could a living person toss a razor into the tub without the victim noticing?
"Besides, during the blackout, everyone here has an alibi," Uncle Mouri pointed out.
"I remember the lights flickered briefly, then went out again, right?" Conan looked up at Tsuneo.
"Leakage protection," Tsuneo nodded.
He was a pro at this.
"Could it be…" Mouri and Megure exchanged glances.
Both sensed it wasn't so simple.
Miss Koguang had mentioned what happened when she checked the main switch.
Piecing it together, when she flipped the switch, the circuit breaker tripped. Only after resetting it did the lights stay on.
"Using a timer to trigger a blackout, then rushing to the bathroom during the power restoration to quietly drop the cord into the tub…" Megure whispered to Mouri.
"Any of the four could've done it."
"What are you two discussing?" Mrs. Shinichi stepped forward, eyeing them.
"Nothing, just verifying alibis before and after the blackout," Megure said, waving awkwardly, caught whispering.
"We already gave our alibis," Dr. Shinichi said, sensing something off.
"Are you saying the killer is one of us?" the grandmother demanded bluntly.
In this house, even her grandson's stepmother was better than the man dead in the tub.
He deserved it!
"Just routine, no misunderstanding," Megure said, smiling awkwardly.
"The killer is among you four," Tsuneo said, locking eyes with Conan, then the Shinichi family outside.
"Brother Tsuneo…" Megure turned, surprised.
"What nonsense!" Dr. Shinichi snapped, furious.
"First, Dr. Shinichi. After the blackout, Ran was holding his arm, right, Conan?" Tsuneo asked, looking down at the detective.
Conan turned away.
Why ask me about that?
"Ran, is that true?" Megure inquired.
"Yes, at the time…" Ran nodded.
As they spoke, Conan glanced at Miss Koguang, then tugged Tsuneo's pant leg.
Let's pause.
"Brother Tsuneo, what's next?" Megure asked, looking at the whispering duo after ruling out Dr. Shinichi.
"Let me think," Tsuneo said, leading Conan out of the bathroom.
Megure, confused, ordered another round of questioning.
In the drizzly courtyard, Tsuneo looked at Conan, hands in pockets, and smirked.
"She seems like the type who'd take scolding without talking back, always feeling she's not good enough, constantly apologizing."
After hours in the house, Miss Koguang's personality was clear.
The concern was valid.
"If she knew she pulled the trigger…" Conan ignored the rain, staring at the sky.
Such a lame murder trap!
"By the way, you weren't just eating chawanmushi in the kitchen, were you?" Conan eyed Tsuneo's tool bag.
"What're you thinking?" Tsuneo pulled out a sandwich, exasperated.
"Would I dismantle a timer while it's live?"
"I thought you were braver," Conan said, chuckling awkwardly.
"No wonder you kept staring at my bag," Tsuneo said, shooting Conan a look, tearing into the sandwich.
It was clear: whoever bought and set the timer was the killer.
Not hard to figure out.
Mrs. Shinichi's method wasn't clever.
Her friend on the phone could confirm the call, but the cordless phone was mobile, rechargeable.
She could've taken it to the bathroom without disconnecting.
"Let's talk to her alone."
The questioning continued indoors.
The police ruled out Dr. Shinichi (held by Ran), the grandmother (upstairs), and Mrs. Shinichi (on the phone).
Only Miss Koguang, who took the flashlight to check the switch, had a time discrepancy.
The blackout lasted over a minute before the lights returned.
But the trip from the kitchen to the switch took just thirty seconds.
A major red flag. Megure and Mouri kept discussing it.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Mrs. Shinichi demanded, angry.
Dr. Shinichi stepped forward. "Aren't you done? We all had solid alibis before the blackout!"
"What's the point of investigating after it?"
"Uh, well…" Megure and Mouri faltered.
"To me, you're just poking at this accident for fun," Dr. Shinichi said, barely containing his emotions.
"Did I do something wrong?" Miss Koguang asked cautiously, still in her apron.
Seeing this, Tsuneo leaned down to Conan. "Dr. Shinichi doesn't want to dig further. Sure you want the truth?"
Dr. Shinichi likely knew something was off but was protecting his remaining family.
"We have no choice," Conan said after a pause, shaking his head firmly.
(Chapter End)
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