Conan: I'm really not the mastermind behind the scenes

Chapter 59 Case Closed (Two in One)

rabbit:"……"

go back?

...can you go back? ?
None of the unexpected surprises happened.

Rabbit, who was originally worried that his passive skills would cause them to encounter [arrogance] and [jealousy], was taken into the elevator by Aoyagi Binguang in a daze.

----

The elevator door slowly closed, and there were only Kudo Shinichi and Aoyagi Binguang inside. A monitoring device in the corner was facing them.

Kudo Shinichi pressed the button on the first floor: "Teacher Aoyagi, are you going back directly?"

"Yes. I'll take you back to Mihua first, and then go back directly. I have to do a good cleaning today. I went to bed without cleaning up yesterday."

The young teacher's face was full of helplessness at being forced to be involved in the case.

The elevator began to descend, and Kudo Shinichi couldn't rest at all. He first secretly looked at Aoyagi Binguang's face and scratched his cheek.

He tentatively spoke: "Well, about Koji Koji, I have something to ask you..."

"What's the matter?" Qingliu Binguang turned his head and looked at him.

"I asked Officer Megure, and he told me that Koji Koji was dead. He died in the bathtub at his home around 10 o'clock yesterday."

It was Megure Thirteen who took notes for Kudo Shinichi. Not only did Officer Megure ask him about the specific situation of the victim, he also got a lot or even more information in return.

"He did not have any external injuries. The cause of death was drowning. Based on traces at the scene, the police determined that he wanted to take a bath after drinking too much, accidentally fell asleep in it, and unfortunately drowned."

Speaking of the murderer who killed him but died unexpectedly before being arrested, Kudo Shinichi showed no joy at all on his face. Instead, he frowned with a seriousness that was inappropriate for his age.

"Yesterday at 10 o'clock..."

Hearing this time, Aoyagi Himitsu recalled: "All the faculty and staff were in the school at that time, and the police officer told us about Koji Koba's past cases."

"That's what I want to ask." Kudo Shinichi said, "Three years ago, Koichi Koshiba killed the president of their company, but public opinion suspected that the real murderer was Koji Koshiba. Officer Megure even called my dad to confirm again. .”

"He said on the phone that 'Brother Xiaochai has a very good relationship.' Officer Megure told me that Teacher You said something similar yesterday after hearing about the case."

Kudo Shinichi's expression was serious: "I want to know, why do you judge like this? Koichi Oshiba deliberately disguised himself as his brother to kill people. He is obviously a -"

"What about Koshiba Koji? What do you think of him?"

Qingliu Binguang suddenly interrupted him and did not let him say the next words.

"He cared about his brother."

Kudo Shinichi affirmed: "Then he went to the izakaya and said such words on purpose, just to make others doubt him, and to get himself off the hook in exchange for his brother. Even if he wanted to kill you, it was actually for his brother."

"The musician his brother admires most is Mahler, so he went to the Vienna Conservatory of Music for this reason. And Mr. Aoyagi, when you played that piece of music, did you mention Mahler's family? You also recommended students to read about him and The Bride of the Wind, his wife’s story.”

Mahler was a talented musician, but his marriage and family were not happy. His eldest daughter died in infancy, and his wife was quite popular. Even if she was married, she was still pursued by other men.

Kudo Shinichi felt that this reason for killing was simply unbelievable - you insulted my brother's favorite idol, I can't forgive you!
"No wonder he calls me 'the blasphemer'... In his heart, the God of Music is his brother, right?"

Qingliu Binguang's tone was calm. He was not surprised, let alone angry.

Kudo Shinichi gave him a strange look at this.

Why did he feel that this teacher not only didn't seem angry, but even seemed... to understand this kind of motivation?
"You should have heard about Xiaochai's college results from Officer Memu, right?" Aoyagi Binguang suddenly asked.

Kudo Shinichi quickly retracted his thoughts: "He told me that Koshiba Koji's grades in college fluctuated up and down. Sometimes he was very good, sometimes very bad. In terms of interpersonal communication, sometimes he got along well with his classmates, but sometimes he ignored others."

"Then have you guessed the reason?"

"It's because..." Kudo Shinichi was so abnormal that he naturally made several guesses, "The two brothers go to school alternately, right?"

"Yes."

It was obviously something that he had never witnessed with his own eyes, but Aoyagi Binguang's tone was quite firm.

"They are identical twins, with almost the same appearance and figure. The biggest difference in appearance is their hairstyle, which can be easily fooled by wearing a hat or wig. They use this to take turns to learn."

Listening to Aoyagi Binguang's narration, Kudo Shinichi felt a little complicated.

His family is well-off, and this kind of thing where two people can't afford to go to school and two people use the same place will never happen to him.

"Isn't this useless?" He said, "Even if we can take turns to study, there will always be only Koji Oshiba's name on the graduation certificate. And if their behavior is exposed, they may be expelled from school, which is not worth the gain."

"Results are very important, but sometimes when doing things, don't just look at the results."

Qingliu Binguang was helpless: "After their parents passed away, the two brothers supported each other to survive. Originally, the older brother dropped out of school to support the younger brother's education. Now the younger brother gives half of his time to the older brother, allowing him to enter the university campus, and he works for him."

"But..." Kudo Shinichi retorted again, "His brother has been exposed to the campus for a long time, so he is more likely to feel dissatisfied? He would think that this was his opportunity, and he gave it to his younger brother, especially because his grades are better than his younger brother. "

While taking notes, Kudo Shinichi saw specific photos of the bomb three years ago and the two bombs yesterday.

Based on the superficial knowledge he learned in Hawaii, he judged that the ones made by Koichi Oshiba three years ago were more sophisticated.

"...Don't be so dark in your thinking. Different cases must be analyzed differently."

Aoyagi Binguang was even more helpless: "The kind of people you mentioned do exist, and they are the majority - but there are also many people who are not like that. Their love for their loved ones far outweighs their selfish thoughts."

Is this too idealistic?Kudo Shinichi seemed to want to refute.

Qingliu Binguang didn't want to continue talking with him, so he chose to skip this topic.

"Three years ago, the real reason why Koichi Koichi used his younger brother's identity to commit crimes... The following is just my guess. My reasoning level is average. You can ask your father later."

Kudo Shinichi nodded repeatedly, then heard Aoyagi Binguang say:

"It's to guide public opinion."

"...Public opinion?" Kudo Shinichi was stunned.

"Yes, with the popularization of television and the Internet, public opinion has become a more terrifying force than in the past."

Qingliu Binguang looked ahead, they were almost reaching the first floor.

"Koshiba Koichi wanted to kill the president in order to avenge his brother. His brother was not responsible for that homework mistake. There was a problem with the company's data from the beginning, but the data was made by the president's nephew. He could not By asking relatives and children to pay compensation, we have found a scapegoat."

"If he kills directly, his brother will become the 'murderer's brother' and be blamed and ostracized by the people - I think you have heard the news about the residence of a criminal's relative being spray-painted with insulting words?"

"However, if he kills as his younger brother and is exposed later, his younger brother will become 'the ultimate unlucky guy who worked hard to support his useless brother with no education, and his brother uses him as a scapegoat for murder.'"

"The public opinion will be completely different in this way. I'm afraid the previous quarrel was also intentional on his part. He wanted to give the neighbors the illusion that their relationship was not good."

Kudo Shinichi listened blankly, the elevator door dinged, and the two of them had arrived on the first floor.

He followed Aoyagi Binguang out of the elevator and said in a low voice: "No wonder only Koichi Oshiba's fingerprints were found on the restaurant free hospitality coupon."

Twins have the same DNA, but their fingerprints are definitely different.

When the bombing happened three years ago, their family happened to be dining at the restaurant next door because the night before, they received a free hospitality coupon in their mailbox, which expired on that day.

With the huge noise of the explosion, and the arrival of police officer Megure, Kudo Yusaku went to help as a matter of course, and of course, the real murderer was quickly found.

"He deliberately lured dad there in order to solve the case as soon as possible..."

The prisoner even considered this.

Kudo Shinichi's mood was very complicated.

He found that he had really ignored a lot of things in the past.

Just like his father said, in mystery novels, the resolution of the case is the end of the story, but in reality, the case must not only be investigated and decrypted, but also the motivation and psychology of the murderer, including the mentality of the victim and the prisoner's relatives... these must be taken into consideration.

——If there is any negligence, it may lead to other tragedies later.

Detective... is really not that easy to be!
Kudo Shinichi secretly clenched his fists.He realized his past shortcomings and gained more motivation to move forward.

The two left the Metropolitan Police Department, and a blond mixed-race man walked towards them from the opposite side.

"Teacher Amuro!" Kudo Shinichi greeted the other party warmly.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Aoyagi, Mr. Kudo." Toru Amuro was wearing casual clothes with a pair of sunglasses on her nose: "Have you two finished taking notes?"

Aoyagi Binguang replied: "I just finished it, now I want to send Kudo back."

"Teacher Amuro is also here to take notes?" Kudo Shinichi asked curiously.

"Yes." Toru Amuro looked up at the Metropolitan Police Department beside him: "Speaking of which, this is my first time here."

While they were talking, a policeman came out of the door, and Kudo Shinichi recognized him as a policeman from the First Investigation Division.

"Thank you for your cooperation with the police, Mr. Amuro. Let me take you up now." The other party went straight to Toru Amuro as soon as he arrived.

Toru Amuro nodded and said to the two of them: "Sorry, I have to excuse myself first."

Kudo Shinichi said goodbye to him, and Toru Amuro left with the police.But before he had taken a few steps, Qingliu Binguang suddenly called out to him.

"Teacher Amuro."

Toru Amuro stopped and looked at Aoyagi Binguang: "Is there anything else, Teacher Aoyagi?"

"yesterday……"

Qingliu Binguang's expression was a little hesitant, but he quickly calmed down: "I was at school yesterday, thank you for speaking out for me."

There was a gentle smile on Toru Amuro's face: "That's what I should do, because I believe Teacher Aoyagi will never do that kind of thing."

After he finished speaking, he left, leaving only Kudo Shinichi who was even more curious and couldn't help but ask Aoyagi Binguang what was going on.

"I was responsible for sending you back the day before yesterday. In the eyes of outsiders, you were the last one to see you and were listed as the biggest suspect by the police."

Aoyagi Binguang explained: "Furthermore, I have just arrived in Japan, and my relationship with my neighbors is average. No one can prove that I was at home during the afternoon... If Mr. Amuro hadn't spoken for me, and the nanny surrendered, I might have been here yesterday." ”

Hearing that it was because of himself, Kudo Shinichi was a little embarrassed: "So that's it..."

Yesterday, he first focused on escaping, and then immediately entered the hospital after coming out. He almost forgot that the person who sent him home the day before yesterday would definitely be interrogated by the police.

Kudo Shinichi laughed a few times: "Then you can be friends with Mr. Amuro in the future, right?"

Teacher Aoyagi is a foreigner. It will be more troublesome for foreigners to be involved in the case. If they are not good, they will be kicked back... If this happened to me, I would definitely be very grateful to the person who is willing to help speak.

And since they are both mixed-race, they might become good friends.

"maybe."

Qingliu Binguang smiled.

----

With yesterday's case and today's foreshadowing, he could gradually get to know Amuro Toru in school.

Aoyagi Binguang fastened his seat belt while thinking.

The car was about to start, and the rearview mirror not far away was clean and shiny, reflecting his face clearly.

A memory about Koji Koji gradually comes to mind...

……

"who are you?!"

Koji Koba fell into a pile of empty wine bottles, making a loud clanging sound.

No one came to save him. This house was built after his parents and brother died, leaving him alone.

He looked at the woman approaching him in horror. She picked him up with one hand, like a chicken without the ability to resist.

When his fear reached its peak, Koji Kochiba suddenly remembered something. He reached into his pocket in panic and pressed a button hard.

——But nothing happened.

"You want to kill yourself with the bomb here, right?"

The woman with brown and gray hair spoke again, still with a Kansai accent, but with a clearer male voice.She gently kicked away the small box that Koji Koji was leaning on, but there was nothing underneath.

"Because you didn't stop your brother from killing people with bombs at that time, so now, you want to go down and meet him in this way."

The woman's words hurt the deepest scar in Koji Koba's heart.

Three years ago, he saw his brother assembling a bomb and secretly dismantled it. He accidentally scratched the back of his hand. But because his brother said not to care, he really didn't care until the company exploded a few days later.

When he saw his brother being judged as the murderer by Kudo Yusaku and being taken away by the police, all he could think about was how to get his brother out. They were twins and could easily impersonate each other.

He took off the tape on his hands and deliberately acted out the show in the izakaya.He knew why his brother wore his clothes and committed crimes. He wanted to prevent him from being harmed by public opinion, so he would use public opinion to take the blame for him.

It still failed.

It’s all because of Kudo Yusaku’s interference! ! !

"Sorry, I had to borrow that bomb."

The woman's tone was gentle and sincere: "Don't worry, I will use other methods to reunite you brothers."

Koji Koji was stunned. This time he heard the voice: "You are——"

Seeing that he recognized him, the woman raised her eyebrows.

Then under his shocked gaze, that pretty face melted quickly like a wax block baked by high temperature.

The skin peeled off and disappeared into thin air, revealing a more familiar male face underneath.

——It was the music teacher who desecrated his brother’s idol, Aoyagi Binguang!
Koshiba Koji looked at that face, but as he looked at it, he suddenly realized something was wrong.

Aoyagi Binguang is in his 20s like him. The face in front of him is obviously more youthful, the hair is not that long, and it looks more like the face of an underage boy.

"You've seen it."

Aoyagi Binguang pointed at his younger face.

"Eight years ago, we talked after the piano exam at the Vienna Conservatory of Music."

Koji Koji's eyes widened.

All the memories from eight years ago were poured into his brain at this moment, and one of the images appeared in front of his eyes with great clarity.

He stared at that face: "You——"

"you--"

……

Koshiba Koji.

Qingliu Binguang recited this name silently.

Like Gin, he doesn't really like to memorize dead people even if his memory is not bad - because there are too many, and it's not necessary to memorize them all. If you have the time, it's better to memorize the recipe of a delicious sauce.

However, he will remember the name of the person who died in his hands yesterday.

As the Mazda drove slowly, Aoyagi Binguang glanced at the rearview mirror for the last time.

He looked at the face in the mirror and smiled back.

(End of this chapter)