"Brother Tsuneo, what's with the ribbon?" Officer Megure asked, recognizing it as one every attendee wore, likely carried by the victim.
"You can't see it, but I bet this ribbon's got something on it, right, Ms. Fukui?" Tsuneo said, examining the evidence bag with a smile, trusting Conan's knack for spotting clues.
Keiko Fukui flinched, opening her mouth to argue.
"Ran-neechan, can we swap? Mine got wet in the bathroom!" Conan whined from the corner, sounding like a brat.
"Sure, sure," Ran said, swapping her ribbon for his.
A revelation hit the room like thunder.
"Brother Tsuneo, you mean…?" Megure's eyes darted between the bag and Keiko's ribbon.
"Looks like it," Tsuneo said, sniffing the ribbon from the bag. The faint scent didn't match Maeda.
Blood likely splattered during the murder. Knowing police forensics, she swapped ribbons in panic.
Still an amateur—more kills would've helped.
Facing hard evidence, Keiko gave a bitter smile, yanking off her ribbon and tossing it at Tsuneo's feet.
"Four or five years ago, fresh out of college, I met Maeda at a drinking party. Seduced by money, I became his mistress," she said. "It lasted a year until he got bored, paid me off, and cut contact. But months ago, we met again at a restaurant. He said I'd 'matured.'"
Her eyes burned with hatred.
Adjusting, she glanced at her engagement ring, sighing. "He used old photos to blackmail me into staying his mistress."
"Detective, what should I have done?" Keiko asked, tears falling, forcing a smile at Tsuneo.
"I didn't say you were wrong," Tsuneo said, pulling the ribbon from the bag and, ignoring Megure's looks, tying it on her forehead. "A victory medal, right?"
Keiko touched the bloodied "medal," smiling.
"Too bad we met too late," Tsuneo said, turning to leave.
"I'm engaged, so no chance for you," Keiko teased, flashing her cuffed ringed hand, regaining her urban charm.
"Such a pity," Tsuneo grinned, noticing Chiba still mimicking the stab with a pen. He straightened Chiba's arms overhead.
"Oh!" Chiba's eyes lit up, thrusting the pen downward.
Megure's team was a handful…
…
"Tsuneo-nii, falling for a criminal is dangerous," Ran warned, holding Conan's hand.
"Ms. Ran, I don't think that's what he meant," Narumi said, smiling. As Tsuneo's client, he knew what "pity" implied.
"I'm heading back. Anyone need a ride?" Tsuneo said, packing bags of leftovers for a late-night meal at Dr. Agasa's.
With someone footing the bill, the pricey restaurant didn't matter.
"Ran-neechan, let's wait for Uncle to wake up," Conan said, wary of the red pickup.
"I'll wait too," Narumi said, waving.
Tsuneo loaded the food into the passenger seat, buckled up, and sped toward Mihama Town.
…
Yoko's concert ended past 8 p.m. After eating, drinking, and solving a case, Tsuneo reached Dr. Agasa's near midnight.
The night-owl doctor was still tinkering in his lab, perfect for guiding Tsuneo's washing machine repair over supper.
"Don't yank out so many parts. Listen for the issue," Dr. Agasa said.
After twenty minutes, the machine worked. "You're gentler with other repairs," he noted.
"More money, more care," Tsuneo grinned.
…
Next morning, after park martial arts practice, Tsuneo delivered the washing machine to a client's apartment, plugged it in, and declined a breakfast invite, escaping the housewife's hospitality.
Waiting for the elevator, he noticed a familiar woman in a bank uniform.
"Masami… Hirota?" Tsuneo paused.
"Hello," Akemi Miyano said, glancing at her nameplate, smiling gently, unbothered by his stare.
"Here, take this," Tsuneo stammered, handing her his card from his tool bag as they entered the elevator.
His enhanced physique let him meet anyone on a job.
"Uh, I don't need repairs," Akemi said, taking the card politely.
Ding. The elevator hit the first floor.
Tsuneo smiled. "People always want to fix something—like Gin."
At "Gin," Akemi's hair stood on end. "Who are you…?"
"Me? Your boyfriend's sister's friend's big brother. Something like that," Tsuneo said, stepping out. "No discounts, even for friends."
As the doors closed, Akemi snapped out of it.
"Dai-kun?"
Muttering the tangled connection, she rushed home, memorized the card's details, burned it, flushed the ashes, and left for work, heavy-hearted.
(End of Chapter)
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