Chapter 14 Chapter Thirteen Investigation

When Shimizu was telling the case, he looked at Kosuke Kindaichi's face several times, and kept muttering in his heart. It's no wonder that he behaved abnormally. According to Shimizu’s description, the following five points can be sorted out: 1. Immediately after Shimizu locked Kindaichi Kosuke in the detention center, he went to the Kidoumoto's house.It was half past six.There are sisters Asheng, Sanae, Tsukiyo, and Xuezhi in the family, as well as Liaoran and Liozawa.Xuezhi was still in the family at that time, and Qingshui not only saw her, but also talked to her. 2. Around 7:30, Dr. Murase, Araki Village Chief, and Takekura arrived one after another. At this time, they found that Yuki had disappeared. Asheng and Sanae searched the whole house again, but they still did not see her, so everyone started again. feeling anxious.Therefore, everyone decided to look for Xuezhi separately, and it was about half past eight at that time.

3. Shimizu is in a group with Araki Village Chief, and Takekura is in a group with Sawa.The doctor was drunk again, knowing that the monk wanted him to stay, but he refused to listen and ran out alone.In the weather like last night, the rheumatism of the clear monk had flared up again; besides, everyone had gone out, except for the lunatic, only women were left in the house, so Shimizu asked the clear monk to stay, and Tsukiyo was even more afraid. Monk Liao Ran refused to let him go. 4. Everyone left their home and came to the slope road. Although the sky was dark, it hadn't rained yet.The four of them came to the winding path leading to Qianguang Temple. Zhuzang and Ze wanted to go to the temple to check, so they parted there; When I went to Tengubi, I saw that the bell was placed on the ground of Tengubi. When Shimizu took out the flashlight and looked around the bell, he didn't see the kimono.

Kindaichi Kosuke interjected at this time: "Wait a minute, have you gone to the hanging clock to see it?" "No, I just used a flashlight to shine on the rock on the side of the road. When I saw the bell, I took the flashlight from above the bell to shine it down. I really didn't see the kimono. Mr. Kindaichi, you also saw it at the scene , the sleeves of the eyewear are stretched out to the side of the road, you should be able to see it, and not only me, but even the village chief Araki didn't see it. No matter who put the corpse in the bell, It must have been released after we passed by, I can be sure of that." Qing Shui said bluntly.

"Thank you, please continue." Kosuke Kindaichi nodded after listening to Shimizu's words. 5. Because there was no abnormality on the rock, Qing Shui and the village head got on the dog nose and went to separate the family.At this time, the rain began to fall sparingly, the wind also strengthened, and the waves were rough.I met Gibei, Shiho, and Ukai at the branch house; Gibei and Shiho seemed to be drunk, and both of them smelled of alcohol, and the three branch people said they didn't know where the snow school was , I have never seen Xuezhi; after Ukai returned from Senko Temple, he never took a step out of the gate.

"Just as I was standing at the door of the branch's house asking them these words, I suddenly heard a strange voice, as if someone was calling for help not far away. It was a westerly wind last night, so I could hear it clearly. I told The village chief was startled, and hurried out from the entrance. Gihei, Shiho, and Ukai also hurriedly put on clogs and ran out behind us. The five of us were running in the wind, when we heard There were two or three calls for help. I told the village chief that the voice sounded like Dr. Murase, and everyone said it did." When Shimizu said this in one breath, he looked up at Police Officer Isokawa and Kosuke Kindaichi, took another sip of water, and continued:

"Dr. Murase was drunk and didn't send any tasks. He told him to stay at home with the monk and Asheng. Unexpectedly, that guy came out and wandered around, talking in a daze. He couldn't hear what he was talking about at all, but listened to him. His ghostly yelling voice seemed to be a serious matter. So the village head and I rushed out of the branch. I think the branch may think that since it is Xuezhi's matter, they can't just sit by and watch, so they followed suit. We ran out." Shimizu spoke very clearly, but Kosuke Kindaichi kept scratching his head, then stretched out his hand to stop him, saying:

"Wait, wait, wait a minute, at this time, Gibei, Shiho and Ukai, did he, the three of them follow?" As soon as Kindaichi Kosuke got excited, he began to stammer again. "Yes, they all followed. After a while we stood in front of the longhouse door and listened carefully again. The sound seemed to be coming from under the winding mountain path, so we ran there quickly." Shimizu explained the key points more clearly. "At this time, did you pass by that bell again?" Officer Isokawa interrupted to ask. "Of course, we have to go through there to get to the winding mountain path."

"Did you look at the bell again then?" Kindaichi Kosuke asked Shimizu again, as if to make sure of something. "No, there is no such time at all, besides, we are in a hurry to run forward." Shimizu shook his head. "You said just now that it's raining, and it's very dark in the vicinity. If you don't use a flashlight to illuminate it, you can't see the bell at all, right?" Kosuke Kindaichi kept questioning the "dialing clock" again and again, which made Officer Isokawa confused. "Yes, because we have checked the bell before, there was nothing abnormal, so we hurried past the bell, and then ran towards the direction where the doctor called for help."

"Wait, wait, wait a minute, about what time did you first check the clock?" Kindaichi Kosuke seemed to have found the key, and his eyes suddenly became much clearer. "It was 8:30 when we left our house to find Xuezhi separately, and the time to check the clock was probably around 8:40!" Shimizu thought for a while and said cautiously. "Then you went directly to the separation? How much time did you delay in the separation?" Kindaichi Kosuke asked after him. "I think ten minutes or so at the most." Shimizu thought for a while before answering.

"So, it takes you two minutes to get from that rock to the branch, and four minutes to go back and forth. A four-minute gap. By the way, when did it start to rain? You said that it started raining when you came down from the rock on the way to the branch." Kosuke Kindaichi analyzed and questioned at the same time, making Shimizu feel overwhelmed. "Ah! no, much sooner. The rain began to fall thinly while we were looking at the clock, so we hurried downhill." Shimizu corrected the correct time for the rain, looking at Kosuke Kindaichi's face, his eyes were slightly confused.

"How much rain did it have at that time?" "It's not that big. I remember that when I passed by the bell for the second time, the rain suddenly became heavier." "When did that rain last? It's a pity that I slept so deeply last night." "It got smaller around dawn. By the way, when the three of them, Gihei, Shiho, and Ukai, found their long-sleeved kimonos exposed under the bell and informed me, the rain was still falling thinly." Shimizu really didn't understand why Kindaichi Kosuke kept asking about "rain". "It was actually the three people who found the kimono? Was it really still raining at that time?" "Yes, it's still raining. As soon as I heard the notice, I ran out in the rain." Shimizu was sweating profusely when he was asked by Kosuke Kindaichi, as if Shimizu had let God down that rain. Officer Isokawa had been listening to the conversation between the two in silence. At this moment, he also felt very puzzled, and couldn't help but interjected and asked: "Kindaichi, you are very concerned about the rain, is there something..." Officer Isokawa hadn't finished speaking when he was immediately interrupted by Kosuke Kindaichi. "That's right..." Kosuke Kindaichi scratched his head like a chicken coop again and continued: "When I heard what Qing Shui said just now, I suddenly thought of a strange thing. I remember that when the bell was hung up, Xuezhi's body was almost dry. Of course, the sleeves stretched out of the bell were wet, but the other parts were almost dry. Do it." After taking a sip of water, Kindaichi Kosuke continued: "Because it rained the day before yesterday, the area around the rock was wet all day yesterday. If the murderer wanted to use the principle of leverage to prop up the bell, he would have to put Yukie's body on the rock. Therefore, her kimono The part of the back that touches the ground is wet, but the rest of the body is dry, not even the hair is wet, what is going on?" Officer Isokawa and Shimizu looked at Kosuke Kindaichi's face in surprise. After a long silence, Qing Shui stammered: "Could it be that the corpse came in a raincloak?" "The back of the corpse is not only wet, but also muddy. It would take a lot of time to stuff the corpse into the bell through such a small gap, no matter what ingenious method is used. Why didn't the time go What about getting the body wet? Clear water, was it raining quite hard then?" Kosuke Kindaichi was not relaxed about the "rain" and the fact that Yukie's body was not wet by the rain, so he confirmed it again with Shimizu. Qing Shui nodded vigorously, his expression even more horrified. "I see, this is quite strange. Kindaichi, what do you think about this?" Officer Isokawa asked. "I think it was about 14 minutes when Qing Shui and the village head left the bell for the first time to go to the house, the murderer put the body into the bell. Because this time is enough Let the murderer finish those things. Qingshui, it wasn't raining too much at that time, right?" Kindaichi Kosuke asked Shimizu while speculating. "As I said just now, the rain was falling sparsely. When I passed by the bell for the second time, the rain started to increase. Mr. Kindaichi, it seems that when we checked the bell, the murderer Is he waiting somewhere nearby?" Shimizu wanted to avoid the rain, so he discussed the case with Kosuke Kindaichi from a different angle. "Yes, and it's carrying a corpse." Kindaichi Kosuke was frowning, sighed in a puzzled manner, and said: "Xuezhi was killed earlier than the doctor called for help. It is speculated that Xuezhi was killed between six o'clock and seven o'clock. Taking a step back, even if Xuezhi was killed around seven o'clock, why was the murderer not afraid of trouble and danger? Do you have to wait until 8:40 to stuff Xuezhi's body into the bell?" "Humph!" Officer Isokawa took a breath from his nose, as if the most troublesome matter in the world would be solved immediately after such a spray. "Whether it's the first case or the second, it sounds like the work of a lunatic." "Yes! Officer, it's crazy. I'm sorry to interrupt you, Shimizu, please continue." Kosuke Kindaichi echoed Officer Isokawa's words. "Then, when we passed by the hanging bell, the rain became heavier, um...it rained heavily. We ran in the direction of the cry for help in the heavy rain. At the bottom of the winding mountain path, we met a man coming down from the monastery. Liozawa and Zhuzang, the two of them also came after hearing the doctor's shout. We all ran to the direction of the distress call, and found that the doctor was lying in the valley calling, and Zhuzang and I went down there. Rescue the doctor. His left hand was broken, he was shaking, he didn’t know whether he was crying or cursing, and kept yelling loudly, we were all frightened.” When Shimizu said this in one breath, Kosuke Kindaichi suddenly stretched out his hand to signal him to pause, and then said to Police Officer Isokawa: "That's when the doctor saw that strange man." Then, he asked Qing Shui again: "Why did the doctor leave the house?" "He said he was going to Ai Rangui." "Love dyed osmanthus?" Kosuke Kindaichi and Police Officer Isokawa stared at Shimizu with wide eyes. "Yeah! The night before, Hanako left home because she found the letter that Yukai put in the cave of Ai Rangui. Probably the doctor also thought of this, wondering if Xue Zhi went out secretly tonight, is she also with Ai Ran What about Gui? He ignored the dissuasion of the monk and Sanae, and wobbled away from the house." "Then what happened next?" "Mr. Jin Tianyi, you also know that Ai Rangui is in the middle of the valley. The doctor didn't see anything unusual about Ai Rangui, and there was no letter from the pelican in the cave. When he went around to check Ai Rangui , I suddenly heard footsteps coming from the direction of my house towards the valley." Shimizu described the details of his questioning of the doctor at that time. At this time, Kosuke Kindaichi interrupted and asked: "The footsteps sound like they really came from my family?" "The doctor not only said that, but also said that in retrospect, the footsteps seemed to come from the wooden door behind my house. As I said, the wind was westerly last night, and my house was on the west side of the valley, so even if it was very Small voices can still be heard clearly." Shimizu analyzed the reason why the footsteps were so clear. "From the wooden door behind the house?" Kosuke Kindaichi was startled, staring at Shimizu, the lunatic in the confinement room suddenly flashed in his mind. "That's right! Except for Monk Liaoran, Sanae, Asheng, and Tsukiyo, the lunatic stayed in our house. It is impossible for any of these people to leave alone. The doctor was very puzzled. The footsteps didn't sound like The sound of wearing clogs. He climbed up the valley, and when the man came over, he yelled loudly, the man seemed to be startled, and ran away, and the doctor chased after him desperately." Qing Shui spoke vividly as if he was on the scene. "Then...they started fighting?" "Yes, they fought for a while. After all, the doctor was old and drunk, so of course he couldn't beat the other party. He was pushed to the bottom of the valley by twisting his hands, so he broke his left hand." When Shimizu said this, he seemed to have nothing to say. He silently looked at Kosuke Kindaichi and Officer Isokawa. Kosuke Kindaichi lit a cigarette, exhaled smoke rings, and thought silently; Police Officer Isokawa also seemed unable to figure out the reason. It was Kosuke Kindaichi who broke the silence. "Did the doctor see the man's face?" "It was pitch black last night, and he couldn't see anything clearly, but during the fight, he felt that the man was wearing a foreign suit and had a pretty good physique." Shimizu repeated what the doctor told him. "Which direction did that person escape?" "The doctor didn't know about this. It was fine for him to be pushed down the valley, but his hand was broken and the pain almost made him pass out, so he didn't pay much attention." "Would that person happen to be walking over with Xuezhi's body on his back?" Officer Isokawa asked. "I've thought about that too. According to the doctor's confession, the man was indeed not carrying anything, but..." Shimizu paused pretending to be mysterious, and Police Officer Isokawa couldn't wait to ask: "Just what?" "While they were fighting, he touched the other's armpit and felt that the man was wearing a kerchief or something." "Big square?". Kosuke Kindaichi frowned suspiciously and asked. "That's what the doctor said. Later, because the doctor was injured, we had to go back to our home first. As soon as we arrived at our home, we saw Monk Ran and Sanae waiting for us in front of the entrance with worried faces. After we entrusted the doctor to them, we immediately returned to our home. I left with Takezo." "Well, what about the three people who separated at this time?" Kindaichi Kosuke asked Shimizu as if he suddenly remembered something. "They, not only followed us to our home, but also stayed until the morning. Maybe they were all wet, or maybe they were really worried about Xuezhi, so they didn't leave right away! No matter what they saved What's the matter, anyway, they stayed at home until dawn." Shimizu introduced to Kosuke Kindaichi the actions and whereabouts of the three members of the branch family. "Hey!" Kindaichi Kosuke's eyes brightened suddenly, and his spirit became excited. He scratched his head and said: "In this way, apart from the main family, Liao Ran, Liozawa, Araki Village Chief, Dr. Murase, Takezura, Shimizu, and the three members of the branch family were all present last night! And they all stayed in the Is this home until morning?" "Yes, they are all there. After Zhuzang and I handed over the doctor to Monk Jieran, we immediately went to find the person who fought with the doctor. However, the rain was getting heavier and it was pitch black everywhere, so we had to come back. " Shimizu was afraid that Kosuke Kindaichi might misunderstand, so he specifically explained his whereabouts. "Then you stayed at home all the time?" "yes." "So, has anyone left the family during this time?" Kosuke Kindaichi asked seriously. "Absolutely not! Everyone stayed in that ten-square-meter room. Of course, some people went to the bathroom during this time, but the women came in and out to prepare for supper; no one went outside." "I mean, when you and Takezo went to find the man who fought with the doctor, were you all at the house?" Kosuke Kindaichi asked again. "I think they're all there! Besides, we'll be back soon. If someone goes out in such a short period of time, I won't be unaware." Shimizu said with certainty. "Okay, let me ask you again: when you split up to find Xuezhi at the beginning, there should only be Monk Liaoran, Sanmiao, Asheng, and Yuedai in my family. Which of them has been outside?" Kosuke Kindaichi asked worriedly. "Absolutely not. I have also asked about this point, and indeed no one has gone out." "thanks" Kosuke Kindaichi smiled and said to Police Officer Isokawa: "Now, all the people have proof of their alibi." Officer Ji Chuan felt that this matter was getting more and more difficult. But Kindaichi Kosuke immediately went on to say to Shimizu: "But there was one person who had no apparent alibi." "who is it?" Officer Isokawa stood up abruptly as if being stabbed by a needle, and asked loudly. "It's the lunatic in the confinement room. Shimizu, you couldn't have been paying attention to that lunatic from the beginning to the end last night, right?" A smug smile appeared on Kindaichi Kosuke's face. "Mr. Kindaichi..." Shimizu was very surprised. "Oh, don't be nervous, I just don't rule out the possibility that that lunatic may have committed crimes." Kosuke Kindaichi was not surprised by Shimizu's reaction. After that, there was an indescribable silence between the three people. Qing Shui fantasizes about the lunatic escaping from the confinement room, holding the strangled corpse of Xuezhi under his arm, running wildly on the mountain road in the dark night... Xuezhi's brightly colored kimono, like the legendary black and white lunatic in hell, that kind of creepy contrast, and the resentment and evil on the lunatic's face, in the cold rain and strong winds of the night , running desperately... "Shimizu, please continue talking!" Kosuke Kindaichi interrupted Shimizu's fantasy. Shimizu shook his head, rubbed his eyes and said, as if trying to push away the hell map in his fantasy: "Sorry, I got too far away from the topic. Last night we sat at our house until dawn, and the three people who were separated from the house went back soon. There was still a little rain like fog outside. After a while, the three people who were separated from the house He ran back with a look of horror and said that he saw a girl’s kimono sleeve under the hanging clock, so we all ran to see. This is what happened last night from the incident until today.” After Qing Shui finished speaking, he let out a long breath of relief, as if he was going to spit out all the nightmares in his stomach. "Maybe the three people from the branch family put the corpse in when they went back, and then ran back." Officer Isokawa thought for a while, glanced at Kosuke Kindaichi and said. "Impossible. There was only a short period of time between their departure and their return to their home. It was impossible to prop up the bell and put the corpse in it in such a short period of time. Besides, the fishermen on the island were very busy. Early, it was broad daylight then, and it could be clearly seen from either the sea or the port, and it was likely to be seen that way." Shimizu explained the operating hours of the fishermen on the island to Police Officer Isokawa. Officer Isokawa agreed with a hum. Soon, the county criminal police sent a second motorboat.This time, Dr. Kinoshita and his assistant invited by the criminal department, as well as the prosecutor and identification team were here. They were going to dissect the corpse. "Thank you for your hard work, the forensic doctor Maeda is examining the corpse!" Officer Isokawa greeted these colleagues. "Really? Then please ask Maeda to help! I heard that two people were killed?" "Yes, and a pair of sisters, too! It's a dreadful case." Officer Isokawa and Dr. Kinoshita exchanged greetings, and Kosuke Kindaichi stood behind them, listening to their conversation with a blank expression. On the way to the Onitouhon's house, Kindaichi Kosuke seemed to think of something, suddenly raised his head, turned his face sideways to Shimizu who was walking side by side, and asked: "Qing Shui, you said you arrived at my house at 6:30 yesterday?" "Yes! I remember very clearly that I accidentally glanced at my watch when I got there." "Is your watch accurate?" "It should be accurate! I regularly check the time with the radio every day. Even if it is not accurate, it will be off by a minute or two at most. Mr. Kindaichi, what exactly do you want to know?" "Was the radio on at the time?" "radio……" Shimizu looked puzzled, looked at Kindaichi Kosuke and asked: "What happened to the radio?" "If the radio is on, you'll hear it as soon as you enter the hall. Did you hear it last night?" Qing Shui tilted his head, thought for a while and said: "No, the radio doesn't seem to be on." "It was around 8:30 when you went to find Xuezhi. Did anyone turn on the radio during that time?" Shimizu felt more and more unbelievable, but still said with certainty: "Nobody's turning on the radio!" "Are you sure?" "Certainly not. If there was, I wouldn't have missed it. Mr. Kindaichi, what does it have to do with this case?" Officer Isokawa, who was walking in front, also stopped suddenly and looked back at Kosuke Kindaichi. Kosuke Kindaichi scratched his head and said: "At 6:35, no one turned on the radio. That's strange. At that time, it should be the time for the demobilization ship to be broadcast. Sanae is waiting for her brother Hajime to return home. Therefore, she has to regularly Listen to the demobilization ship. Did you forget yesterday? Or did you ignore it on purpose? I just can’t figure out why the radio wasn’t on.” Kindaichi Kosuke looked up at something in the sky, not knowing what he was thinking in his heart at this moment.