Reincarnated into Case Closed!!

The Debut of the Great Detective (Part 3)

"The windows were locked and we're on the twenty-fifth floor, so breaking in from the outside is almost impossible," Megure concluded. "That leaves the front door as the only way in. There are no fingerprints besides Okino-san's were lifted from the murder weapon. In other words..." 

He eyed the frightened popstar with suspicion. "The murderer could only be you, Okino Yoko."

"No!" Yoko cried out. Poor girl. "I would never kill anyone!"

"C'mon, Inspector!" Kogoro added. "Okino-san went to the trouble of hiring me. She couldn't have been the murderer!"

Megure huffed, as if amused. "There've been many cases where a criminal hires a detective, in order to not gain any suspicion."

"Yes, but..." Kogoro seemed to have a loss of words.

Of course, I know Yoko isn't the murder. It wasn't the manager, either. There was one other person involved, but they haven't been introduced yet, and I can't quite remember exactly who they are. I guess we'll have to wait and see...

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-Kudo Shinichi's POV-

The manager is acting highly suspicious.

Why would he have to hide the hair that the victim was holding? It's obvious that he knows something, but how is he involved with this case? I can't just jump to the conclusion that he's a murderer.

I stepped forward, and it was then that the reflection from something under the couch caught my eye.

Blinking, I stopped to get a better look at what was under the couch. The jewel of an earring.

I start to make my way over to Inspector Megure, but a memory flashed in my brain.

'Just do it subtly, like giving them small hints...'

That's right.

The adults won't listen to a naive little kid, who seems like he wants to play detective for the fun of it.

I have to play some tricks in order for them to solve the case without me directly helping them.

I lightly finger my bow tie, with an idea starting to form in my head.

Glancing around the room, I plan out my strategy, making sure it's full proof.

I got behind the sofa and switched the settings on the bow to a random male voice. The voice of an adult. "There's something under the couch, Inspector Megure!"

"Huh?" the inspector looked around in a confused manner. "Who said that?"

He seemed wary, but he got down on his knees and scanned the floor anyway.

"Hm?! What's this?!" Inspector Megure quickly wrapped the earring in his handkerchief to pick it up. "Is this earring yours, Okino-san?

After looking at it for a bit, Yoko shook her head. "No, but I think that's Yuko Ikezawa's earring. We debuted in the same year, and I worked with her a lot so I've seen her wearing it. But what's her earring doing in my room?"

"C-come to think of it..." the manager said. "I heard that Yuko Ikezawa has a grudge because she lost the lead role in a soap to you."

"Yuko's...angry with me...?"

"Heh heh heh..." the old man chuckled. "I've figured it out: the murderer is Yuko Ikezawa! Go find her!"

He turned to the inspector with an expecting look on his face. "Right, Inspector?"