"The killer is you, Yamada Mika."
With everyone's eyes suddenly focused on her, Yamada's body language grew noticeably restless. When someone tries to explain themselves, their habits tend to surface.
"How could I possibly be the killer? I don't even have a reason to kill Takahashi!"
Eager to leave as soon as possible, Ritsu had no interest in discussing motives. With one hand in his pocket, he glanced at a certain spot on Yamada and raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? Then could you explain why your hair tie changed from white to a dark red?"
Yamada instinctively covered her ponytail and took a step back until she hit the wall. Sweat slid down her forehead, and the panic on her face betrayed her inner turmoil.
That said, she was quite skilled at making things up.
"Actually, I was the first one to discover Takahashi's body. When I came in with my hair tied up and saw that scene, I was so shocked that my hair tie fell into the pool of blood. I was afraid you'd suspect me…"
Seemingly convinced by her own explanation, she turned to Okinō Yoko, someone she was close to and said hopefully, "That's why my hair tie turned red. Yoko, you believe me, right?!"
Yoko frowned, her brows forming a worried arch. She couldn't tell whether Yamada was telling the truth. It sounded logical, but somehow… her current behavior felt more like the desperate struggle of a guilty person.
"You really won't give up until you're cornered," Ritsu said coldly. "Adkov, you still have those lucky coins on you, right?"
"Huh?" Caught off guard, Vodka blinked twice, then rummaged in his pocket and pulled out two five-yen coins. "You mean these?"
Without hesitation, Ritsu took them. "If you string a large number of coins together with a hair tie, it becomes a makeshift club. I'd guess she hid the coins used as the murder weapon in the wishing box where fans leave their offerings."
"As the group's manager, she could easily claim work reasons to open the box later and dispose of the five-yen coins inside."
Seeing the sweat pouring down Yamada's pale face, even without a full reconstruction of the crime, everyone already understood what had happened.
"Hayasaka! Go bring in the wishing box from outside!" Megure ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
Yamada let out a bitter laugh. "No need… There should be plenty of coins in that box stained with his blood. I confess."
"Why? Mika-san, why would you kill Takahashi?" Yoko asked in confusion. From what she could tell, Yamada and Takahashi had always seemed to get along well, how could things have come to this?
"For money."
Yamada's expression twisted with rage. She glared at the body of Shoichiro Takahashi, now covered with a white sheet, and shouted hysterically, "That bastard said he'd help me manage my finances, but he gave it all to his mistress! I couldn't even afford my mother's medical treatment! Didn't he deserve to die?!"
With the case essentially resolved, Ritsu quietly tapped Vodka on the shoulder, signaling it was time to leave.
Having cleared their idol's name, Vodka glanced back repeatedly, then slipped away unnoticed by the police, leaving as quietly as he came.
By the time Hayasaka came back to her senses, the two had already bypassed surveillance and reached the parking lot, driving off without a trace.
Sitting in the passenger seat, Ritsu removed his mask, his eyelids drooping with fatigue. Who would've thought that being dragged out by Vodka to chase idols would end in a murder case? It was exhausting.
"Macallan, you really have talent as a detective. But they say the opposite of a detective is a criminal, right? A high-IQ criminal sounds pretty cool!"
That was true, just like Sherlock Holmes' counterpart… Professor Moriarty.
Where there are detectives, there will inevitably be criminals. It's like a food chain, no matter how much time passes, both will continue to coexist.
"As a criminal, I'd rather avoid dealing with the police. You owe me a big favor this time, Vodka," Ritsu muttered, resting his chin on his hand as he looked out the window.
"Of course. Though it's a shame I didn't get my album signed, what a loss," Vodka sighed, then added, "How about I cook something for you today? Since there's no mission, and if you go back to the lab, you'll just be dealing with that woman's sour face anyway."
'That woman's sour face? Oh,he meant Shiho.'
Come to think of it, Shiho never gave Vodka or Gin a pleasant look. Understandably so, she had been monitored and controlled by the organization since childhood, and her parents' deaths were connected to it. It would be strange if she treated them kindly.
After all, nothing good comes out of a dog's mouth so it was only natural that Shiho held no fondness for the organization.
"You can cook?"
"I used to be a military cook. Even the boss loves my beef stew."
Even Gin likes it? That was worth trying.
"Alright, I'll call the lab. I was supposed to run an experiment tonight."
After about twenty minutes of driving, they arrived at an inconspicuous, rundown apartment building. But this time, as Ritsu stepped inside, he noticed something different.
He had a good memory, he rarely forgot what he'd seen. The last time he came here, there had been traces of something on the walls. Today, he finally got his answer.
The gray-white walls were now covered with idol posters. Besides the Earth Ladies Team, there were also two or three foreign women he didn't recognize. Judging by their hair color and features, they were probably Russian artists.
After changing into slippers, Vodka went into the bedroom and came out wearing a dark purple sweater and a green apron that read "Super Cute Kaoru-chan." He opened the fridge and checked the ingredients.
"Beef stew will work… I'll add borscht and quinoa rice. Macallan, anything else you want?"
"My appetite's small. That's enough."
"Alright, watch some TV while I get cooking."
----
Meanwhile, Kaoru and Terumi had just finished giving their statements at the police station and got into their van. Thanks to that detective solving the case, public opinion online was gradually improving, with even some netizens demanding apologies from those who had spread rumors.
After taking her seat in the back, Terumi kept staring at her phone. Sitting beside her, Yoko curiously leaned over and discovered her friend was looking at a photo of a man.
Wait… wasn't that the detective from earlier, McAllen?
"Hoshino-chan, don't tell me you fell in love at first sight? You didn't even see his face!"
Terumi quickly put her phone away and said softly, "I didn't fall in love at first sight. Don't talk nonsense, Yoko."
"Really? Then why'd you secretly take his picture? You're not being honest!"
"I didn't even see his face, okay?"
"True. I remember you care a lot about looks."
Looks…
Terumi couldn't help recalling his handsome face from before he put on the mask. The corners of her lips lifted uncontrollably. In terms of appearance, he definitely matched her taste.
In the following days, Terumi immersed herself in mystery novels by various authors. When asked at fan events why she had suddenly become so obsessed with detective stories, her answer was,
"Because I think detectives are fascinating. If I get the chance to become an actress in the future, I'd love to play a sharp and logical female detective."
Standing nearby, Yoko couldn't help but giggle.
'And you say you don't like that detective named McAllen!'
'You've completely given yourself away, Hoshino-chan.'
----
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Bonus chapter @100 PS