Not a detective

Page 188

It's not night yet, so the atmosphere isn't at its peak. Asakawa Riku hasn't seen many "revelers" yet, but there's already a subtle, suppressed excitement.

Shibuya is the heart of Tokyo's nightlife scene, where tens of thousands of people dressed in all sorts of outlandish costumes flood the streets, creating a vibrant and colorful spectacle.

People held glow sticks and lanterns, dancing freely in the night to cheerful music, as if the whole city was lit up.

Asakawa Riku had mostly seen those scenes on short videos; although he lived in the city, he had never participated in them.

In previous years, on Halloween nights, he would either immerse himself in training and cultivation at home, or wander through the floors, searching for his next prey...

But now, he has decided to be an ordinary student, enjoy life, and no longer have those heavy burdens.

He walked briskly toward the Dongyun Detective Agency building.

Asakawa Riku was indeed in a good mood, mainly because the request had been resolved properly, and even faster than expected, with the work completed in just one day.

Although Yumiko Ezaki's request was more accurately described as "investigating that cult and, if possible, rescuing her parents from it."

But "directly destroying the cult" felt even better, and it also aligned more with Asakawa Riku's ideas, completely exceeding expectations.

The cult leader and several high-ranking members were wiped out in one fell swoop (although they killed each other). However, this would deprive the cult of its leader and source of income. The attraction for recruiting new members and the protection of its backers would collapse in an instant. The supervisory department would take advantage of the situation and kick them while they were down. They would probably never have a chance to recover.

Even believers scattered in different places should gradually recover as long as they live a normal life for a period of time, and the same goes for Ezaki's parents.

"I'll report the situation to the client tomorrow."

Thinking this, he pushed open the door of the office and immediately saw the completely renovated room.

Not only candles, pumpkin lanterns, streamers, and garlands, but also all sorts of clothing, dolls, and bizarre masks, it practically turned this place into a half-haunted house.

Asakawa Riku opened his mouth in surprise. He couldn't believe it. The agency he saw yesterday was completely different.

"Wow, Asakawa-kun, you're back!"

Xingyu's voice came from behind, she said hurriedly, "Come on, give me a hand, put it on the table~"

Asakawa Riku didn't think much of it, but after taking it, he realized it was a huge, steaming hot turkey. Come to think of it, isn't turkey eaten for Easter... Thanksgiving... or Christmas?

It couldn't be Halloween, he thought, and when he brought the food to the table that had suddenly appeared, he found a lavish feast laid out before him.

The restaurant served a variety of Western dishes, including steak, pasta, pizza, and fried chicken. It felt like the food was more than enough for the number of diners, and there was also red wine, which seemed out of place.

These were probably all unreasonable demands from that young lady.

"Did you do all this by yourself?"

After placing the turkey in the last empty spot in the middle to fill the gap, Asakawa Riku turned around.

I saw Hoshino dressed as a maid.

This maid outfit isn't the cheap kind rented at the school festival last time; it's more like the maid's "original skin." The lace trim on the skirt is exquisite, and the cut is just right, outlining her slender waist. Although her blonde hair is hidden under the hat, it makes her look even younger and more energetic. The pure white stockings perfectly hug her thighs; it's simply a work of art.

Hoshino's slightly mixed-race appearance gives this maid outfit a blend of traditional British and modern Japanese styles, and her own cuteness only adds to the charm.

"Of course! Pretty awesome, right?"

She smiled, opened her arms, and twirled around in a ballet-like grace, as if deliberately letting Asakawa Riku watch her.

"too strong."

Asakawa Riku was genuinely surprised and impressed. He realized that the room's layout was a huge undertaking, yet it could be completed in just one day.

Not to mention the dishes on the table, they look delicious, almost like they were made by a professional chef. This maid's professional skills are indeed not to be underestimated.

Just as Xingyu was chuckling, a voice suddenly came from inside the room:

"Asakawa Riku, you didn't greet or report to your superior as soon as you came in. You're fired for stepping into the office with your left foot first."

I almost forgot about this formidable figure.

God's Winter: God's Winter After 2

Today, Shinonome Suetsuki has a different look.

She wore a brown deerstalker hat, a light gray Ulster coat that reached her calves, and then elegant boots that covered her calves.

Although it was designed for men, it looked incredibly dashing on her, especially with her face making her resemble a Sherlock Holmes actor on screen.

Just sitting there, you feel like you're being transported back to that era, back to 221B Baker Street in London.

If she weren't sitting at the dining table, one would really wonder if she would have taken out her pipe.

Unable to tell whether it was a normal episode of his cross-dressing or a Halloween costume, Asakawa Riku could only pretend that nothing had happened.

"Alright, alright, that's why I came here specifically to report this."

He sat across the table, ignoring the other person's accurate deduction that "you came here specifically to freeload a meal," and began to recount his experience with this request.

From initially heading to Kabukicho, the cult's lair, to joining forces with Kirisame Aoi to discover the crime scene, and finally being suspected and interrogated, returning to the scene to make deductions.

Especially in the final reasoning section, Asakawa Riku was very proud of himself and deliberately exaggerated his discovery.

...

"Wow, that's amazing...! Asakawa-kun!"

Before he could even ask "How was it?", Xingyu, who was sitting next to him, enthusiastically clapped, greatly satisfying Asakawa Riku's vanity.

He glanced at Shinonome Suetsuki across the table, but she remained silent after hearing his words, even leaving her knife and fork on her plate without eating.

Perhaps he received too much information at once and needs to process it... After all, Asakawa Riku also truthfully told him how Shinonome Kosuke died.

Including everything about him being the mastermind behind it all.

After all, he is her biological father. No matter how carefree the detective girl may seem, she must have some feelings. Asakawa Riku decided to give her some space and not disturb her.

He cut a piece of steak; it was juicy, tender, and perfectly seasoned. Xingyu's cooking skills were indeed superb.

Asakawa Riku changed the subject and struck up a conversation:

"You did a great job! By the way, where did you make these dishes? I didn't see a kitchen in the office."

"Eh... Asakawa-kun didn't know?"

Xingyu clearly noticed her mistress's silence, so she tacitly refrained from interrupting and instead took over the conversation:

"Actually, the top floor of this building, which is the floor above us, also belongs to you, Miss. There's an entire apartment there with many rooms, and of course, a kitchen. I always cook the food there and then bring it down. In fact, I live upstairs. You didn't even know that? Asakawa-kun, I'm going to ban you from eating turkey now."

"Spare me." Asakawa Riku, of course, ignored the prohibition and continued to enjoy his feast.

He didn't know that, but upon closer inspection, it seemed to make sense. Otherwise, where would Xingyu usually live? She couldn't possibly rent a place elsewhere, as that would make it inconvenient for her to take care of the young lady.

So there's another apartment floor up there! The whole floor belongs to her; I'm so envious.

However, Suetsuki doesn't seem to care much about this. She usually sleeps in this cramped office lounge and doesn't seem to live upstairs.

Hoshino chuckled and said, "It's getting late, Asakawa-kun, you can sleep here."

Before Asakawa Riku could refuse with "I have a younger sister waiting at home," Shinonome Suetsuki suddenly broke the silence:

"...Have you thought about your motives?"

"what?"

"Motive. The murderer's motive, the old man's motive, why did he commit this murder?"

Moyue's sharp eyes swept over.

The detective wearing the deerstalker hat seemed to possess a terrifying intuition that could see right through people's hearts.

Asakawa Rikuya became serious, put down his knife and fork, and wiped his mouth:

"Of course. I have considered this question. Why would there be a 'seventh person' in that room? That mysterious old man is neither a rich or powerful person, nor a well-known figure with high social influence. Even the police cannot find any information about him. Everyone thinks he might be a higher-level, more mysterious patriarch."

He then changed the subject: "But what if we look at it from another angle... he might not be a higher-level mysterious figure, but rather a 'nobody' who is nobody?"

"Because everyone in that room is a high-ranking member of the church, a well-known figure, a billionaire, a high-ranking politician, or a social celebrity, people would subconsciously assume that the mysterious old man is one of them. But there is another possibility: that Higashino Kosuke arranged for him to be there. He might be a homeless man, an orphan without an identity, or a street urchin with no background. He was simply dressed up, his hair and beard trimmed, and he was given a proper robe. Once he was thrown into that room, he had an invisible identity, so that no one could find out who he was."

"The reason is simple: to frame him as the cult leader."

“I believe the true founder is Higashino Kosuke, not that old man. The one who fired the shot is the founder. Only the founder can disregard the doctrine of ‘not allowing suicide.’ Higashino Kosuke knows that, apart from the higher-ups, no one knows exactly how many people are in the cult’s leadership, nor does anyone know what the founder looks like, not even the cult’s internal management. After all the higher-ups died, the only person who knows is the waitress, Mizutani Yuri, but she is mute and absolutely loyal to the church, and she will not reveal who the founder is.”

"So he used this method to hide his identity. Others would only pay attention to who the cult leader was, and as for the higher-ups, he could use his influence to suppress them."

Asakawa Riku was certain that even after tonight, the cult's list of high-ranking members would not be exposed in the news media.

The negative public opinion it generated was simply too great. If it were just sports and film stars, it wouldn't be so bad, but there was also a professor from the scientific community and even a provincial minister among them.

It will definitely be suppressed, and they will only push out some unknown "patriarch" to take the blame for everything.

As for those well-known figures, they are first reported missing, and after a few months, the public will forget about them. This is a common tactic.

As long as he wasn't the "patriarch," it didn't matter. This is how Higashino Kosuke preserved the Higashino family's reputation after his death.

In this way, even if this wealthy family silently supports the growth of the cult, they will not be held accountable and will remain unchanged.

Riku Asakawa believed that his reasoning was complete enough, that it would not miss any motives, and that it had exposed Kosuke Shinonome's last thought.

“You’re right, that’s certainly one point. But that’s not the [motive], it’s just the [method].

However, Mo Yue, sitting across the table, calmly shook her head:

"The real motive is—"

Why did he kill everyone and then commit suicide?

God's Winter: God's Winter After 3

Asakawa Riku was taken aback.

He opened his mouth, wanting to answer, but felt a little stuck, unsure of what to say.

……yes.

why?

I have a feeling that I've unknowingly overlooked something important.

His reasoning was correct; he identified the culprit and exposed the methods and tricks used by Higashino Kosuke.

But, going back to the beginning, why did this old man do such a thing?

Riku Asakawa once said that the reason the police couldn't come up with this reasoning was because they subconsciously felt that a person with such wealth and power wouldn't commit suicide.

But ultimately, it seems he himself couldn't solve the problem.

He only answered "Why did Higashino Kosuke do this?", but did not answer "The reason why Higashino Kosuke did this?".

These two questions seem to mean the same thing, but in fact there are subtle differences.

"Based on my understanding of him, he is [the kind of person who would never commit suicide], so even if I were to deduce this case, I wouldn't be able to get the correct answer like you did."

Shinonome Suetsuki rarely affirmed Asakawa Riku's result, but her expression didn't improve:

"Because he was the most afraid of death in the world, everything he did was to prolong his life. Immortality was his ideal. Why would he commit suicide?"

This question was directly inserted into Riku Asakawa's chest cavity.

He immediately lost his appetite, frowned, rested his hand on his chin, and began to think again:

"Yes...it doesn't make sense. Last year's incident, the Ryugu Palace incident, was also funded by Shinonome Kosuke. Ibuki Ren's research was mainly to create a divine poison that would grant immortality, turning demons into gods. Although it didn't succeed, Shinonome Kosuke couldn't have been without a backup plan. This cult should be his second 'investment,' and the goal must be the same: to ultimately achieve immortality. He abandoned the path of scientific modification and began to dabble in the realm of gods and faith..."

The more I thought about it, the more uneasy I felt, and the more cold sweat broke out on my back.

No, there seems to be something wrong with this case.

But why did Higashino Kosuke ultimately kill all his "partners" before taking his own life?

Did he eventually discover that it was all a scam, and that one could not obtain the power of immortality by relying on a cult, even if one created a fictitious "supreme god"?

So he broke down, and in a fit of rage, decided to go all out and drag everyone down with him to vent his anger.

Or perhaps a possessing monster, like a "passing demon," descended upon him and, taking advantage of a moment of emotional agitation, transformed him into a mad master of slaughter.

But that doesn't make sense. If it was just a moment of impulse, how could Higashino Kosuke have devised such an ingenious method and scheme, laying out layer upon layer?

If he was truly possessed by a monster, why would he use a handgun that was trembling from Parkinson's disease and couldn't aim accurately to kill people? Why didn't he just use his supernatural abilities to kill people?

No matter how I think about it, it just doesn't feel right.

Asakawa Riku looked worried, and Shinonome Suetsuki remained silent, not touching a single bite of food.

Xingyu, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it anymore and tried to smooth things over with a smile:

"There's no way to come up with an idea right now if we're in a rush. Let's eat something first to replenish our energy; maybe that will help us figure it out. It'll get cold if we don't eat soon—"