The crime scene was a villa inside Okuho Village.
When they entered one of the rooms, they saw the tragic scene preserved exactly as it was back then — moldy wooden floors scattered with all kinds of debris, overturned cabinets lying on the ground, numerous scraps of paper and notebooks covering the room, and thick dust combined with a musty smell that made everyone move cautiously, barely daring to breathe freely.
"We've kept this room exactly as it was on the night of the crime, just as the young master requested."
Village police officer Kurayama Kazuma explained to them.
As a public official, it was quite surprising to hear him use the nickname "young master."
Soon, the group understood who the "young master" referred to by looking at photos in the room — Daiki Hibara, the little boy who had shouted "liars" at them in the village office that afternoon.
"On the night of the crime a year ago, young master Daiki was spared because he happened to be visiting relatives."
Kurayama Kazuma said as everyone's gaze landed on the photo album.
In the photos was a family of four.
The kindly couple was lovingly gathered around the young Daiki Hibara, and between them stood a smiling high school boy wearing glasses.
"Young master Daiki's parents died in that murder case. His father was also the village chief of this village — Mr. Hibara Taketoku and his wife, Mrs. Kaneko."
According to Kurayama Kazuma's introduction, Hibara Taketoku was a very cheerful and generous man, well-respected locally, and had been village chief for over twenty years. Therefore, the tragedy a year ago deeply saddened the villagers.
Hayashi Yoshiki listened as he spoke, but kept glancing at Shinichi Kudo in front of him.
They looked so similar — or rather, exactly the same...
This showed that in the world of Kogaku, not only was disguise skill unfair, but the cosmetic surgeon's abilities were also extraordinary...
Like in this case and the Blue Castle incident, where the maid's face was surgically altered to perfectly resemble an old lady — maintaining natural facial expressions with no visible traces of surgery was truly unbelievable.
If someone hypnotized him into really believing his name was "Shinichi Kudo,"
and it was written in the Death Note, maybe it would cause two deaths.
Thinking about this habitually, Hayashi Yoshiki couldn't help but show a wry expression.
Since obtaining the Death Note, he has always uncontrollably thought about things related to it...
As long as he kept thinking this way, he would never live like an ordinary person.
But, there was nothing wrong with that!
Hayashi Yoshiki sincerely enjoyed this extraordinary life.
At least compared to the relatively successful life he had before crossing over, he preferred his life now.
Ran quietly and watched from the side.
Her gaze unconsciously fell on the dazed and confused Shinichi Kudo, concern visible in her eyes.
Then she noticed Hayashi Yoshiki also occasionally looking at Shinichi Kudo, which made her expression somewhat puzzled.
Is brother Yoshiki thinking about something?
She was a little curious.
Among them, only Hattori Heiji was completely absorbed in the investigation.
He stared at a series of very conspicuous black footprints in the messy room, guessing they were left by the murderer stepping in the blood of the village chief's wife, who was killed on the stairs.
These footprints extended far through the house.
From the stairs to the room, then out to the large balcony, continuing to the end of the balcony where the village chief had fallen to his death.
"The murder weapon wasn't found in the room, but some jewels and antiques disappeared later.
All that was left were bloodied footprints inside the house, and the same footprints extending from the back door to the village's concrete road and back once."
"Then, what was Kudo's original deduction?"
He deduced that the village chief Hibara had committed suicide because he had found out he had cancer and lost hope, forcing his family to die with him.
Right after Hayashi Yoshiki asked this, a woman's voice came from nearby.
A nearly forty-year-old woman with a harsh face entered through the door without waiting for questions and introduced herself:
"I'm Shinri Kawachi, a reporter from Tōto News. Sorry, the door wasn't locked, so I just came in."
"Was there an error in his deduction?"
"Of course, because a nurse at the hospital where village chief Hibara was examined accidentally let it slip the next day — though it was called cancer, it was actually a benign tumor.
After hearing that surgery could cure him, the former chief was very happy."
Hattori Heiji was incredulous, hearing this.
He couldn't believe someone like Shinichi Kudo would make such a huge mistake, so he grabbed the reporter's shoulder and pushed, demanding an explanation. But the reporter could only look at him blankly, then painfully cover her head, saying she knew nothing.
Now, everyone understood why the villagers hated Shinichi Kudo so much — after all, his behavior was a humiliation to their beloved village chief.
"So that means the real murderer might still be at large?"
"Maybe. The villagers say it was probably the guy living in the forest."
Officer Kurayama Kazuma said.
There had long been a local folk legend about Okuho Village:
"If you encounter it in the forest, never look at it. If you don't avoid it, you will be punished — your fate is to become a captive of Lord Death."
"Is that just a local folklore?"
Hayashi Yoshiki became interested.
"Usually, such local legends are made up by adults to scare children into behaving... Like this village's folk tale, its essence is to instill fear of the forest in children, so they won't venture into it recklessly."
"No, the legend of Lord Death is not false."
The village officer immediately contradicted Hayashi Yoshiki.
Though a man in his thirties, he looked serious discussing this:
"There really have been children who saw it — at dusk, on trees dyed red by the sunset, a white-haired monster silently baring teeth and smiling creepily."
The officer's words made Ran's face turn pale.
Then, what he said next gave her goosebumps:
"And just last week, everyone at the village office saw it too!"
"Eek!!!"
She immediately reacted as if she had seen a cockroach.