Don't forget to read the first part, or the previous post if you haven't!
Last part, we experienced our first autopsy, all the while being quizzed about autopsy trivia. Now, we'll hear the conclusions gained from this nauseating event. Let's begin, shall we?
When Ms. Hitomi appeared in the lobby after the autopsy, the clock was showing 2:00 PM.
The Chief greeted her with a kind of low profile, as if he were a different person, and listened attentively to her opinions.
Later, I was told by a senior member of the First Investigative Division that there were more than a few cases in which Ms. Hitomi's opinion became decisive evidence in solving the case.
Well, if that wasn't true, there would be no way the Chief wouldn't be condescending to a person younger than himself, especially if they were a woman.
"Um, sir, shouldn't we go and see what Dr. Shikibu has to say too?"
He's right. I hastily rushed over to the Chief and Ms. Hitomi.
"...At this point in time, it is my opinion that the deceased Ms. Kaori Itou most likely committed suicide."
"The cause of death was shock from blood loss. She stabbed herself several times in the abdomen with a kitchen knife, which appears to have been the fatal wounds."
Suicide by disembowelment--- [A.K.A. Harakiri or, yes, Seppuku] Would a girl in this day and age commit suicide through such an old-fashioned method?
If she wanted to kill herself, there must be another way. Or did she go to the trouble of cutting her stomach open in the school library in an attempt to convey a message?
"One thing, however, bothers me..." At Ms. Hitomi's speculative murmur, the Chief leaned forward and waited for her following comments.
"There was hardly any {blood} left in Ms. Kaori Itou's body."
Ms. Hitomi's whispering voice was like an incantation, paralyzing us.
"Please keep this off the record, alright?" Ms. Hitomi said lightly, but the weight of her words was immeasurable to us.
"Blood again...?"
"What's wrong? Do you know something?" "Y-yes, ma'am. As a matter of fact, there was almost no blood left in the body of the first suicide victim, Narumi Hasebe." "I see... It looks like this is no ordinary suicide. Mr. Sasaki. I'm going to look into it again in detail.""Please do, Dr. Shikibu" Seeing the Chief bowing his head deeply, we followed suit.
When I lifted my head, I could already see the back of Ms. Hitomi's figure as she strode swiftly toward the autopsy room.
"We're leaving." We obeyed the Chief's brief order and left the hospital.
I felt like we spent most of the second day of the investigation in the autopsy room.
It actually lasted only about three hours, but I will never forget this experience.
I took a shower as soon as I got home, but the smell of blood and sweat was still fresh in my mind.
I poured a can of beer down my throat in one gulp, trying to erase the images that popped into my head.
[Gulping sounds]
The cold beer washed away some of the memories of the bloody odor.
"Mr. Kokkuri, Mr. Kokkuri.
Do they resent me?"
"Mr. Kokkuri, Mr. Kokkuri.
Will the police be able to catch me?"
"Mr. Kokkuri, Mr. Kokkuri.
Am I committing a mistake?"
"Mr. Kokkuri, Mr. Kokkuri.
What would... what would that person think if they saw me like this?"
Sunday 11:49 AM
Metropolitan Police Department
The next day, it was almost noon when I received a call from Ms. Hitomi. She said she would be waiting for me at a family restaurant near the police station.
I, who had been busy with paperwork ever since I arrived at work, thanked Ms. Hitomi from the bottom of my heart.
The Chief seemed to have no complaints with Ms. Hitomi as my visitor, and permitted me to "do as you please".
It seems that "do as you please" is becoming the Chief's favorite phrase. Toward me specifically.
I decided to do as I was told and headed for the family restaurant where Ms. Hitomi was waiting for me.
I did not forget to call Mr. Kogure on the way. He, like me, was probably overwhelmed with paperwork.
Sunday 12:32 PM
Family restaurant
"Rosen Queen"
After meeting up with Mr. Kogure, I went to the family restaurant not far from the police station.
"Over here, Junya-kun" I could recognize Ms. Hitomi's figure even before she called us. She stands out. After all, she is a beautiful woman.
"Sorry to keep you waiting, Ms. Hitomi."
"It's okay. I just came here a few minutes ago. I took the train because my bike was acting up, but it's such a boring ride, isn't it?"
For Ms. Hitomi, who rides around every day on her bike, being taken somewhere by another person... seems to be unthinkably agonizing.
Let's at least treat her to lunch as a way of thanking her for releasing us from that paperwork hell.
"Well then, hm... Would before the meal be alright? Or perhaps after would be better?" Ms. Hitomi asked her questions with an inflammatory gaze.
Her eyes were a little bloodshot. Had she been working until late since then?
"...To talk about the case?"
"What else do you think I came all the way out here for?"
"What did you find out?"
"...Hm. Well, alright."
Kogure-san's face turned pale as he turned toward me. His brain must have replayed the memory of yesterday's autopsy.
I resolved myself and answered with---
>B-before eating, please!"
⬢ >"After eating, naturally!"
Apparently, eating after hearing the horrible details of the autopsy is the favorable course of events. I guess so they don't vomit the food they just ate.
>B-before eating, please!"
"B-before eating, please!" Nearly simultaneously, both Mr. Kogure and I shamefully pleaded.
Listening to Ms. Hitomi after eating isn't going to be a good idea by any stretch of the imagination.
"I see. How dull..." Ms. Hitomi looked sincerely bored as she pouted.
It may have looked cute, but since her intentions were obviously to tease us, a little cuteness wasn't enough to change our course.
"Well, it's fine. Let's talk about it before eating then." After clearing her throat with a single cough, she began to speak.
"I want you to keep everything I'm going to say off the record. I haven't reached a final conclusion yet."
"But I felt like I should let you guys know. Got it?"
We nodded our heads many times as if we were being swept along by Mr. Hitomi's serious expression.
"I couldn't help but notice the remaining blood volume in yesterday's autopsy results, so I did a little more digging and looked into the results. That's when..."
Blood drains from Kogure-san's face. As usual, he shows a very obvious reaction.
"Sure enough, it doesn't make any sense. Kaori Itou's death was definitely caused by exsanguination through the abdominal incisions, but the amount of blood left in her body was too small."
"During the autopsy, it bothered me that no matter where I cut, almost no blood..."
"E-excuse me!"
Mr. Kogure basically leaped out of his chair and moved his huge body toward the restroom.
A few minutes later---
When Mr. Kogure returned alive from the toilet, Ms. Hitomi continued her explanation. For him, this must be a living hell.
"I mean, you can't lose that much blood without some kind of external agent."
Incidentally, the blood left at the scene was in a puddle with a radius of around 20 cm.
Ms. Hitomi said that given the condition of Kaori Itou's body, a much larger amount of blood should have been left at the scene.
"B-but, Dr. Shikibu, there wasn't that much blood left at the scene."
"So it seems. As a medical examiner, I have no doubt that her death was a suicide. But in that case, where did her blood disappear to?"
"Y-you don't mean to tell us that a third party took the blood after Kaori Ito's suicide!?"
"Bullseye. You know your stuff. What's your name again?"
"I am Souichirou Kogure! I am 27 years old!" Mr. Kogure happily replied to her compliment. Nobody asked for his age though.
"Now, how is Detective Kazami going to solve this problem?" I was at a loss for an answer.
Let's assume that there is someone who removed Kaori Itou's blood. However, if that is the case, as Ms. Hitomi says, we run into a serious problem.
After all, Kaori Itou committed suicide. In order to take her blood, they would have had to know in advance of her death.
Is such a thing really possible?
"I see you've noticed the discrepancy. That's all I can do. I'll leave the rest to the future Great Detective to deduce."
Ms. Hitomi left the rest of the guesswork to me, then began to open the menu and choose her lunch in a carefree, humming voice.
Most likely, it was a plot to get her lunch and leave while I was still struggling.
Since I originally planned to treat her to a meal, and now that I no longer have the appetite for lunch, I'm fine with that.
I'll leave the eating to Ms. Hitomi and concentrate on my deductions.
"The person who took Kaori Itou's blood knew she was going to die. Or perhaps that person drove Kaori Itou to suicide in some way?"
"Then, they would be the culprit in this case..." I mumbled to myself without telling anyone in order to clear my confused head.
"And even if someone did remove her blood, for what purpose would they do it?"
Mr. Kogure was right. Why do they need blood? What in the world is the point of doing that?
Connection between Incident and Blood
Was there a third party when Kaori Itou committed suicide?
>Such a thing is impossible.
>The possibility cannot be denied.
Anyway, see you then!
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