This chapter may have errors in the names, especially those of Hiroo /Renzo/ etc, if there are errors, please comment on them :p
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The entire courtroom fell silent.
Conan and Hattori Heiji stood there, stunned.
The words of Keisuke Kumiko were like a powerful hammer striking the two detectives on the head.
"I'm not qualified?"
Conan paled and sat down.
What Keisuke Kumiko had just said emphasized the word "life."
It corresponded exactly to what he had mentioned about life in prison the morning before the trial.
Conan had always believed that reasoning should be used to find the true culprit and protect the dignity of the victim's life.
But Keisuke Kumiko's words were like a needle that easily pierced the bubble of pride in his heart.
"Am I really wrong?"
He murmured to himself, dazed.
Until now, he and Keisuke Kumiko had clashed many times.
Keisuke Kumiko was thoughtful, his words as sharp as swords, capable of precisely questioning his very soul each time.
And this time, he had struck again.
The pain was deeper than ever before.
"No, I don't believe that!"
At that moment, Conan seemed to have thought of something, and he suddenly raised his head.
"Yes, there is only one truth!"
Unwilling to give up, as if to reaffirm himself, he slammed his palm on the table, stood up, and stared intently at Hiroo Tsuchio, who was on the witness stand.
"Mr. Tsuchio, since you claim to be the killer, then please present evidence!"
That's right. Evidence is the key element in a murder case. Just because someone admits to being the killer doesn't mean they truly are!
Maybe this person had been bribed by Keisuke Kumiko, and this was all part of his conspiracy!
Clinging to a sliver of hope, Conan thought this way.
"That's right! If you want to accuse me of being the mastermind, you must present evidence!"
Renzo Kotani, standing to the side, shouted, trying to remain calm.
Keisuke Kumiko had been smiling from beginning to end.
"Of course, there's evidence."
He winked at Hiroo Tsuchio.
Hiroo Tsuchio nodded and pulled a pen out of his pocket.
Conan, who had just managed to calm down, suddenly had a drastic change in expression.
This was the latest model of a voice recorder.
Hiroo Tsuchio pressed the button, and the recording immediately began to play.
"Mr. Kotani, I have already killed that man."
"Well done. I'll transfer the remaining five million to your account later."
"I don't want the rest of the money. I just want the surveillance video showing me stealing things at Lavender Villa a year ago."
"Surveillance video? Don't even think about it. How could I bear to give up something so valuable? I'll have so many more ways to control you in the future!"
"You bastard! Despicable!"
"Hahahahaha!"
The recording stopped there.
A commotion spread among the audience.
Everyone's gaze turned to Renzo Kotani , who was standing to the side.
Everything seemed clear now. This recording was evidence. The murderer in this case was not Miss Koshimizu.
Keisuke Kumiko smiled and winked at Conan again.
Conan looked grim.
Keisuke Kumiko's expression seemed to say:
"Don't you love secretly recording people? You think I don't know how to do it too?"
This feeling...
"How can you prove the recording isn't fake?"
Conan gritted his teeth, questioning word by word.
"Oh my, why does that sound so familiar?"
Keisuke Kumiko pretended to be surprised.
"Isn't that exactly what I just said? Kiddo, what kind of mindset do you have, switching stances like this?"
"..."
Damn bastard!
Conan glared at Keisuke Kumiko with hatred.
If he could, he would really love to pull out his soccer ball and kick this man hard in the head.
But he absolutely couldn't. The consequence would be falling into Keisuke Kumiko's trap and facing another lawsuit.
The judge on the bench slammed his gavel.
"The defendant's attorney, please respond to the special witness's statements!"
Keisuke Kumiko shrugged and pulled out a document from the table.
"This is the voiceprint identification report for the recording, conducted by the Forensics Division of the Metropolitan Police Department. It proves the authenticity and accuracy of the voices."
Ah, speaking of which, it took some effort to get this done at first.
After all, Keisuke Kumiko's relationship with the Metropolitan Police Department wasn't great.
But in the end, that was only in relation to Inspector Megure from the First Investigation Division.
Other departments, like forensics, weren't as confrontational.
The clerk handed the identification report to the judge for review.
The judge examined the document and nodded, acknowledging that the evidence was reasonable and valid.
"Even so, this evidence doesn't prove anything!"
Conan waved his hand and stared at Keisuke Kumiko.
"The recording must also confirm the setting and context of the conversation! How can you prove that what was said is definitely related to this murder case?"
"Yes! We were just rehearsing a play!"
Renzo Kotani quickly echoed, grasping at straws.
"Lately, I've been fascinated by stage performances, and this was part of a script!"
"Oh, really?"
Keisuke Kumiko smirked, as sharp-tongued as ever.
"The detective who once claimed he would find the real killer for the victim is now speaking with the actual murderer?"
Conan did his best to ignore the provocation and clenched his teeth.
"Answer my question!"
The judge slammed his gavel again.
"Does the defense attorney have more concrete evidence?"
If no further evidence was provided, the judge would adjourn the session and set another trial date, allowing both parties time to gather more solid proof.
After all, the case had taken a sudden turn and was now at an impasse.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Keisuke Kumiko smiled slightly.
"Wasn't more concrete evidence already presented from the beginning?"
The judges exchanged glances.
Conan frowned, not understanding what Keisuke Kumiko meant.
"Have you forgotten? It was the forensic report on the murder weapon—the hammer—that the prosecutor presented at the start," Keisuke Kumiko said as he stepped down from the defense table and walked to the center of the courtroom.
A whiteboard had been set up there, displaying the forensic report the prosecutor had submitted.
"The report clearly states that, in addition to our client's DNA, fingerprints were also found on the hammer."
Keisuke Kumiko pointed to a line in the report.
"But if you look closely, the part mentioning fingerprints specifies 'on the metal head of the hammer,' not 'on the handle below.' In other words, only the area where the victim was struck contained traces of our client's fingerprints."
Keisuke Kumiko paused and gave his signature smirk.
Just as he had said before—sometimes, the winning piece of the puzzle might be in the opponent's hands.
But possession is only temporary.
What seems unfavorable at first can be turned around at the last moment due to certain factors.
And now, it was time to turn the tables.
"There's only one explanation: the fingerprints on the handle of the hammer were erased using some other method. For example, someone wearing gloves gripped the hammer a second time, causing the original prints to disappear due to friction."
"So who would do this?"
Keisuke Kumiko's eyes gleamed.
"I don't think I need to explain that, do I?"
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(End of Chapter)