Chapter 119 Two Suspects

On her left hand, scattered a silver-white pistol.

On her right wrist, she wore an expensive-looking watch.

This should be what Takagi said was weird.

Just as Takagi wondered.

If it were a home invasion, the robbers wouldn't let this watch go.

'left handed? ’

Looking at the watch on Mako Araki's right wrist, Fujino suddenly remembered something.

The watch is worn on the right hand, and the pen holder from the writing desk just now is also placed on the left side.

These are characteristics of a left-hander.

If Mako Araki was left-handed, then the bullet hole in her left temple would be explained.

But why is the pistol scattered beside the right hand?

Thinking about it, Fujino was about to stand up, but his body couldn't help but stagnate.

Because the moment he stood up, he saw a small gray button in the gap between the coffee table and the sofa.

Fujino looked at the small button and frowned.

He quickly picked it up and handed it to Miwako Sato: "Officer Sato, I have made a new discovery."

"Buttons?"

Sato Miwako looked at the buttons she took from Fujino and guessed: "They should be scattered on Miss Araki's clothes, right?"

"I don't think so."

Regarding Miwako Sato's speculation, Fujino interrupted: "Officer Sato, could you please check if there are the same buttons in Miss Araki's wardrobe?"

Miwako Sato agreed to Fujino's instructions.

Immediately he walked to the closet, opened the door, and began to look through the clothes inside.

While she was checking the wardrobe, Fujino began to look at the ashtray on the coffee table.

He had felt a little surprised since he first entered the room. Yes, there was something obviously wrong with the cigarette butt in the ashtray.

There are two types of cigarette butts, one is a thin-stem Seven Star women's cigarette, and the other is a thick-stem Marlboro.

Obviously, the Seven Star cigarette was left by Mako Araki, but the other one was obviously not smoked by her.

Combine it with that button again......

After a while, Sato Miwako checked the wardrobe and replied to Fujino: "Fujino-kun, there is no clothing that can match the size of this button in Miss Araki's wardrobe."

"If that's the case, then this case is not a simple home invasion case."

Fujino said solemnly: "If my guess is correct, Miss Araki should have received guests in this room before she was killed last night."

"guest?"

Takagi Wataru wondered: "Detective Fujino, how did you figure it out?"

"Officer Takagi, didn't you notice the ashtray?"

"ashtray?"

Takagi looked a little puzzled, "What's so strange about the ashtray?"

"Fujino-kun is probably talking about the cigarette butts in the ashtray, right?"

Miwako Sato turned her attention to the ashtray on the coffee table: "There are two kinds of cigarette butts in the ashtray, which is really strange."

"I recognize these cigarette butts. They are women's Seven-Star cigarettes and thick-stemmed Marlboros. The Seven-Star brand cigarettes should be smoked by Miss Araki, and the other kind of Marlboro is impossible for Miss Araki to smoke women's cigarettes. "

Fujino continued to reason in a deep voice: "Based on the buttons scattered at the crime scene that did not belong to Miss Araki, I think Miss Araki should have received guests in this room before she was killed last night."

"I see!"

Hearing this, Takagi suddenly realized, "In other words, this case may not be a burglary and murder case, but a deliberate murder!

The murderer was the guest that Miss Araki entertained last night. "

"It's just a suspicion. It's still unclear who the murderer is."

After a pause, Fujino continued: "And I think Ms. Hirotani may also be a suspect."

"Miss Honggu, is she also a suspect?"

The two of them looked puzzled when they heard this.

"Yes, even though she claimed that she had been participating in a photography camp two days ago, as the discoverer of the body..."

Looking at the two people with puzzled faces, Fujino asked: "Don't you think her behavior is too abnormal?"

Sato Miwako understood the meaning of Fujino's words: "In other words, Miss Hirotani may have already known that Miss Araki was dead in the bedroom, so she chose to call the police."

"correct."

"In that case, Takagi, please take people to investigate nearby to see if there are any witnesses who witnessed anyone coming to this villa last night. Fujino-kun and I will go ask Yayoi Hirotani."

…………

The living room of the villa.

"Miss Honggu, what time did you return to this villa this morning?"

In the living room of the villa, Miwako Sato asked Yayoi Hirotani who was sitting opposite.

"I don't remember this clearly."

Hirotani Yayoi, who was wearing pajamas, thought about it for a moment before replying: "Before nine o'clock, probably after eight fifty."

Sato Miwako continued to ask: "Can you tell me specifically what you did before calling the police?"

"After returning to this villa from the photography camp, I first carried my suitcase back to my room, packed my belongings, took a short rest and put on my pajamas, then I knocked on Mako's bedroom door, planning to talk to her Tell me about my stay together these past few days..."

After a pause, Hirotani Yayoi continued: "But no matter how much I knocked on the door and shouted, I couldn't get a response. I was worried that something would happen to Mako, so I planned to open the door and go in to check on her... But the door was locked... In desperation, I called the police."

"Ms. Hirotani, how are you sure that Miss Araki was in that room at that time and that something happened?"

At this time, Fujino suddenly interjected: "After all, it's possible that she just went out."

"Are you doubting me?"

Hirotani Yayoi frowned when he heard this, and his words were slightly displeased.

"of course not."

Fujino chuckled and said, "It's just reasonable suspicion."

"She and I are old friends who have known each other for many years..."

Hirotani Yayoi took a deep breath and calmed down, "Before going out, she usually leaves me a note or something. Is there any problem?"

"No problem at all."

As he spoke, Fujino recalled the page that was torn out of the notebook before and asked, "Didn't she leave you any message?"

"Of course not. If there had been, she would have stayed on the coffee table between the two sofas where we were sitting as usual. If there had been a note, I wouldn't have worried about her safety and called the police for help."

"Ms. Hirotani, you said that you and Miss Araki met many years ago. Can you tell us how you met her?"

At this time, Miwako Sato, who was taking notes on the side, raised her head and asked Yayoi Hirotani.

"Xinmu and I met while traveling in the United States five years ago. Maybe because of similar interests, the two of us quickly became friends. After returning to China, the two of us rented this house together."

"So that's it."

Miwako Sato nodded upon hearing this and continued to ask: "Ms. Araki, does she have any financial pressure at the moment?"

"Financial pressure... Although her income is not high, it is definitely not too low."

Hirotani Yayoi thought for a moment and then suddenly said: "But she borrowed some money from me a while ago, but she paid it back very quickly..."

I recommend a book, Conan Fans, which I find quite interesting.