Behind me, the cold glint of metal flashed.
I didn't turn around. I simply lashed out with a backward kick.
Thud.
There was the dull sound of a heavy object hitting the deck, followed immediately by a miserable wail.
"It's Ichiro! What happened to Ichiro?!"
Hearing the scream, Mariko Hatamoto's face went pale. She rushed out of the cabin, frantic. The others, hearing the commotion, were right behind her.
On the deck, I stood calmly to the side. Not far away, Ichiro Hatamoto lay curled on the floor, clutching his stomach and retching violently. A silver steel pipe lay a few feet away from him.
"Why did you hit my Ichiro?!"
Seeing the scene, Mariko shrieked like a banshee, her voice piercing the night air.
Sonoko walked over to me, her face full of concern. There was absolutely no trace of our earlier "argument."
"You... You two?"
Ichiro, still clutching his stomach, looked up at us in shock.
"Surprised we aren't fighting anymore?"
I smiled faintly, shoving my hands into my pockets as I walked over to the steel pipe. There was still a trace of blood on it.
"Ichiro Hatamoto, you're bold. To think you actually kept the weapon you used to kill Tatsuo."
I was genuinely surprised by this. I had assumed Ichiro would have tossed it into the ocean immediately. Keeping it was a move so counter-intuitive that even I hadn't expected it.
But then, I realized why. On a ship this massive, hiding a single pipe is easy. And everyone would assume the weapon was at the bottom of the sea, so no one would bother searching the ship for it. It was a classic "hidden in plain sight" tactic.
Hearing my words, the chaotic scene fell instantly silent.
"Ichiro is the one who killed Tatsuo?" Jouji asked, dumbfounded.
"He's Takeshi's accomplice?" Akie's jaw dropped.
"No! You're lying! Ichiro isn't a murderer!" Mariko screamed frantically.
At that moment, Natsue stepped out onto the deck, wearing the long dress I had demanded.
"Explain it yourself," Sonoko said, rolling her eyes at me playfully.
I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a little awkward. "Miss Natsue, I apologize. My earlier words and actions were a necessary act to catch the culprit. Please don't take them to heart."
Natsue blinked, confused for a second, before realization dawned on her face. "Mr. Heiji... you did that just to solve the case?"
When I nodded, Natsue let out a deep breath of relief and bowed low. "Thank you, Mr. Heiji."
"Mr. Heiji," Jouji said sternly, "if you say Ichiro is the murderer, you must have evidence. Without proof, this is hard to believe."
"Exactly! My Ichiro is so quiet and gentle! How could he be a murderer?! Don't slander him!" Mariko yelled, protecting her son like a madwoman.
I leaned against the railing, head slightly bowed. "I suspected Ichiro for three reasons."
"First," I began, "on Chairman Hatamoto's forehead, I found a small scrap of paper fibers used to suffocate him. That type of paper belongs to a specific kind of high-quality sketchbook—the kind Ichiro carries everywhere."
"Second, when Miss Akie discovered Tatsuo's body and screamed, I asked 'Where did the sound come from?' Ichiro immediately answered 'the stern deck'."
"What's the problem with that?" Akie asked.
I smiled. "We are sailing against the wind. The sea air is heavy with moisture. While sound carries on the ocean, the wind and the crashing waves make it impossible to pinpoint the exact direction of a scream from inside the corridors. Mr. Jouji, we all heard the scream, but could you tell exactly where it came from?"
Jouji froze, then turned slowly to look at Ichiro. "No... I couldn't."
"Exactly. No one could have known the specific location instantly—unless they were the killer."
The deck went quiet. Everyone stared at Ichiro in shock.
"But... maybe Ichiro just saw it happen! He was too scared to speak up!" Mariko shouted, her defense sounding pale and weak.
"Third," I continued, ignoring her, "and most importantly. When we were searching for Takeshi, I briefly entered Ichiro's room. I looked at his sketchbook. Every single drawing had one common feature: they were all of Miss Natsue."
"Huh?" Natsue looked at me, confused.
"If it were one or two sketches, fine. But an entire book filled with close-ups of you? That proves one thing: Ichiro Hatamoto is in love with you. Obsessively so."
The revelation hit the family like a physical blow.
"Impossible! Ichiro and Natsue are cousins! That's impossible!" Mariko screamed in denial.
"Ichiro...?" Natsue stared at her cousin, horrified.
Jouji and Akie looked at each other, speechless.
"Heiji... that means... but they're related!" Sonoko whispered, shocked.
"If I'm not mistaken," I said, looking calmly at the trembling artist, "Tatsuo discovered this secret. That's what he was blackmailing you with, wasn't it?"
Silence reigned on the deck, broken only by the howling wind.
"Tatsuo deserved to die!"
Suddenly, Ichiro raised his head, his face twisted in a savage snarl.
"Ichiro!" Mariko gasped as he shoved her aside. She collapsed, weeping, staring at her son.
"Tatsuo actually threatened me with Miss Natsue!" Ichiro roared. "He said if I didn't give him money, he would kidnap her! I love Natsue more than anything! He deserved to die! He deserved it!"
He was panting heavily now, tears streaming down his face.
"And Grandfather deserved to die too! He called me a useless child! He would rather marry Natsue off to Takeshi—a man who came for revenge—than let me have her! I hate him! I hate him!"
Ichiro's furious, anguished screams echoed over the dark ocean.
Watching this tragedy unfold, Sonoko finally understood the ugly depths of human nature. She felt a profound gratitude for being born into the Suzuki family, for meeting me, and for having friends like Ran and Kazuha.
I pulled Sonoko into my arms and looked quietly at Ichiro.
"There is a kind of love called letting go," I said softly. "It hurts, but you will live without guilt."
Ichiro's pupils contracted. His screaming stopped abruptly. He stared at me, stunned.
"Uwaaaaaahhhhh!!!"
A moment later, a cry of utter despair and heartbreak rang out, lingering long into the night.
The next day, Inspector Megure and his team arrived by helicopter to take Ichiro Hatamoto into custody.
"Mr. Heiji, thank you so much."
Natsue and Takeshi bowed deeply to me.
"Miss Natsue," I asked, "what do you plan to do with the Hatamoto family business?"
"Originally, I planned to give it up," Natsue said, smiling faintly. "But I've changed my mind. I'm going to take over Grandfather's legacy. I can't let the company he spent his life building fall into ruin."
Her eyes were filled with determination.
"And I will help her," Takeshi added firmly.
"In that case," Sonoko said, stepping forward with an elegant smile and extending her hand, "I hope we have the opportunity to collaborate, Chairwoman Natsue."
Natsue blinked, surprised, then smiled warmly. "Thank you for the Suzuki Group's confidence."
Two fair hands clasped together. A new day had begun.
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