"Oh! I really miss the time I used to work with the police officers on cases!" Mouri Kogoro's laughter broke through Tang Ze's dazed contemplation, pulling his attention away from Conan.
"Yeah... It was because of your subordinate's blessing that the case became more and more complicated..." Officer Megure slandered, eyeing Kogoro with a wry smile.
According to Kogoro, Miss Yoko had recently reported signs of her home being rummaged through. She had received threatening phone calls and even photos taken secretly of her. To investigate, Kogoro had come to her apartment, only to find the body as soon as he entered.
"Excuse me, have you always turned the heating on so strongly?" Tang Ze asked Yoko Okino, who was standing beside him, still shaken by the situation.
Tang Ze couldn't help but admire Yoko Okino's beauty. With her brown hair and milk-white skin, she radiated elegance. Her demeanor, gentle and unassuming despite being a famous actress, added to her charm. At this moment, in the face of such an incident, she appeared even more vulnerable—no wonder she was so beloved by fans.
"Indeed, this room is really hot..." Officer Megure, ever sensitive to the heat, shuffled uncomfortably as he fanned himself.
"No... not this hot..." Yoko Okino looked confused. "And I remember very clearly that the air conditioner was turned off when I left..."
"That's strange..." Officer Megure muttered, clearly puzzled by the situation.
At that moment, Conan, who had been lying near the crime scene, suddenly spoke up, holding a magnifying glass that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. "Although the traces are faint, there's definitely some water around the body..."
He continued, pointing towards a chair, "And this chair... In such a messy room, why is it the only one standing next to the body?"
Conan's young voice became more intense as he theorized, "Also, the heating is so strong... are we being misled about the time of death? No... if that were the case, wouldn't it be more effective to just soak the corpse in water?"
Tang Ze slowly turned his head, noticing that Officer Megure and Kogoro Mouri were both staring at Conan in disbelief.
Kogoro, his right fist clenched, was about to reprimand Conan. "Hey, Mr. Mouri, the child is still young and ignorant. Please don't be too harsh," Tang Ze interjected with a calm smile, stepping in before Kogoro could act.
"You are...?" Kogoro Mouri eyed the young man in front of him, confused.
"Ah, I'm Tang Ze Xianyi, currently studying under Officer Megure. Please treat me kindly," Tang Ze introduced himself.
"Ah, I see. I'm Mouri Kogoro. This is my daughter, Mouri Ran, and this kid here is Conan." Kogoro's voice softened as he introduced his companions, though his gaze remained stern as he turned to Conan, adding, "Tang Ze-kun, don't spoil the kid too much. He's here playing detective games at a crime scene... hum!"
Tang Ze could understand Kogoro's frustration; after all, seeing a child playing detective at a murder scene was absurd. However, in his heart, Tang Ze knew that the best course of action was to stay close to the source of the action.
"Well, children are like this," Tang Ze chuckled, gently nudging Conan to the side. "Let's move aside, alright?"
"Sorry for the trouble," Mouri Ran said as she hurried to pull Conan away.
"It's okay, really," Tang Ze reassured them with a warm smile. "In fact, what this kid said has some merit."
He turned to Conan. "But, you should come to me directly with your ideas next time. Don't go off to the scene on your own."
"Okay, I understand," Conan replied, his voice sounding childishly earnest.
Turning his focus back to the case, Tang Ze approached the forensic team. "How's the cause of death looking? Is it the stab wound on the back?"
"Yes, the stab wound to the back was the fatal cause," the forensic officer confirmed. "It's clear the victim died from it."
"Is the kitchen knife yours?" Officer Megure asked Yoko Okino, scrutinizing her closely. "If that's the case, it's normal for your fingerprints to be on it..."
Yoko Okino looked uneasy. "Yes..."
"Officer, are you accusing Yoko?!" The man standing next to Yoko Okino, who appeared to be her manager, suddenly spoke up with panic in his voice.
"Who are you?" Officer Megure inquired, raising an eyebrow.
"I... I'm Yoko's manager, Eiichi Yamagishi," the man stammered under Megure's scrutiny.
"Then, have you seen the body?" Officer Megure asked, sensing something off.
"We were too scared before... we haven't seen the corpse," the manager admitted, his voice shaking.
"Then please, take a look." Officer Megure gestured toward the body, clearly trying to avoid making the scene even more dramatic.
Both the manager and Yoko reluctantly walked toward the corpse. As they got closer, their expressions twisted in fear.
"Ah... Ah..." The two of them gasped as their eyes locked onto the victim's face.
"Have you seen it?" Officer Megure pressed, noting their shocked reaction.
"I... I need to see more clearly," the manager stammered. In his panic, he inadvertently stepped on the bloodstained floor and collapsed onto the corpse.
"Ahhhh!" He quickly jumped up, horrified.
"Hey! Don't touch the corpse!" the forensic officer shouted in exasperation.
"I... I'm sorry! My foot just slipped!" the manager stammered, frantically explaining.
"Mr. Manager, I would advise you not to do that," Tang Ze said suddenly, observing the scene carefully.
"What's going on?" Officer Megure immediately turned to Tang Ze, his expression serious.
Tang Ze calmly continued, "Just now, when the manager fell onto the corpse, he seemed to take something from it and put it into his pocket. Right, Conan?"
"Ah! Yes!" Conan nodded enthusiastically. "I saw him clearly from our direction."
"You're under suspicion," Officer Megure said, his voice stern. "Hand it over!"
The police officers nearby stared at the manager, their expressions grim.
"No... It wasn't me..." The manager looked like he was about to break down in tears, but under the pressure of the officers, he finally pulled something out of his pocket.
"This... this is..." The object in his hand made everyone freeze. In his grasp were several long strands of hair.
The revelation caused everyone's attention to snap to Yoko Okino. The hairs were unmistakably a clue, and given the fact that this was her private residence, suspicions immediately fell on her.
Yoko Okino, who had previously claimed to have never seen the body when she returned, now faced the uncomfortable truth that the hair found in the deceased's hand contradicted her statement. This was a serious contradiction that led everyone to doubt her involvement in the crime.