Chapter 222: Changing Affections
Lisa met the curious gazes of everyone in the room, her own expression calm and unhurried. Without beating around the bush, she turned her attention directly to Honma Kyota.
"It's quite simple, really," she began, her voice smooth as silk. "From the moment you entered the crime scene, you have been deliberately avoiding looking at the body."
She paused, letting the weight of her words settle. "The other two," she continued, gesturing with a graceful hand towards the remaining suspects, "while certainly frightened, couldn't help but steal curious glances at the victim from time to time." At her words, the expressions of the two men shifted, a flicker of guilt in their eyes confirming she had hit the nail on the head.
Lisa's gaze, sharp and analytical, returned to Honma Kyota. "You, on the other hand, were different. On the rare occasion your eyes accidentally strayed towards the victim, you couldn't suppress a flash of raw hostility and indignation. All of this points to one thing: you not only knew the victim, but you also harbored a deep grudge against him."
"It's also quite clear that the others had no prior connection to the deceased. Therefore," she concluded with a soft, confident smile, "I believe it's only natural to deduce that you are the culprit in this case."
A heavy silence fell over the room. The other two suspects let out audible sighs of relief, a wave of gratitude washing over them that the accusation had not fallen on their shoulders.
"So that's how it was..." Honma Kyota murmured, a dawning realization on his face. He let out a low, humorless laugh. It turned out he hadn't managed to control his expression after all.
But even if he could do it all over again, he knew he wouldn't have been able to. When faced with the man who had wronged him so deeply, the hatred simmering in his heart was simply too potent to contain. He had known this all along. Even now, seeing his enemy's lifeless body, that uncontrollable animosity still surged within him. That look of pure loathing was a part of him, something that could never be truly hidden.
Thinking of this, Honma Kyota couldn't help but release a long, weary sigh. That young lady had been right. Turning himself in was the best choice for him.
Now, though he would face the judgment of the law, his heart had finally found a peace it hadn't known in years.
So that's how she did it... Conan thought, a sense of helplessness washing over him.
Lisa hadn't found any crucial physical clues. Her method of solving the case was uncannily similar to Natsume's. It was no wonder they were so close; even their approaches to uncovering the truth were nearly identical.
But to be able to persuade a culprit to turn himself in without a shred of concrete evidence… this was the first time he had ever witnessed such a thing.
With the murderer apprehended, the case drew to a close.
On the way back, the conversation in the car drifted, and someone happened to bring up the name Kudo Shinichi.
"Oh~ I've heard Natsume mention this high school detective before," Lisa remarked, her gaze drifting down to Conan at her feet. She leaned forward slightly, a spark of interest in her eyes. "I heard he's gone missing?"
"No way, not at all!" Sonoko waved her hand dismissively. "That detective idiot is just completely obsessed with his cases. He's just off on a long 'business trip,' that's all."
Conan's heart gave a nervous lurch the moment Lisa mentioned his name.
'If she knows that the Black Organization once fed Kudo Shinichi the APTX4869... no, even if she just knows that the Organization once made a move against him, then she knows that in their eyes, Kudo Shinichi is officially dead.'
And now, hearing Sonoko say that he hadn't actually lost contact, she would definitely sense that something was wrong. A discrepancy like that would be more than enough to make her suspicious of the entire Kudo Shinichi situation.
"Yeah, he hasn't been around for a long time..." Ran murmured, her eyes dimming with a familiar sadness. But she quickly forced a brighter expression. "But I believe Shinichi will definitely come back! He promised he would, so he definitely will!"
"Sigh—" Lisa shook her head, letting out a long, theatrical sigh of disapproval. "That's no way for a young man to behave."
She turned to Ran, her tone shifting to that of a concerned older sister. "Little Sister Ran, a girl shouldn't be too understanding."
Ignoring Conan's indignant glare from his low vantage point, Lisa continued to gently persuade Ran. "If you're too accommodating, the other party will slowly start to take your devotion for granted. Barring any truly exceptional circumstances, for that Kudo boy to stay away for so long... it just means he doesn't care about you enough. Isn't he the least bit worried that a lovely girl like you might fall for someone else in his absence?"
"Fall for someone else?! How could I..." Ran's protest died in her throat.
She lowered her head, her cheeks flushing a delicate pink. It was still mortifying to discuss her own feelings so openly in front of everyone.
"You shouldn't think that way, Little Sister Ran."
Lisa wagged a slender index finger at her, gently correcting her mindset. "Everyone has their own emotional world and the right to choose. If someone genuinely falls for another person, that isn't a bad thing! In fact, for someone in an unhappy relationship, falling for someone new can be an opportunity for growth and self-discovery!"
She cast a pointed, knowing glance downwards. "Besides, certain people should really reflect on themselves. If a girl as cute as you were to fall for someone else, wouldn't he be at least a little bit at fault?"
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