"I remember that, besides Mrs. Nakamura, a young lady was the closest to the crime scene. May I ask where she is?" Yusaku Kudo looked around.
"Here!" From behind the crowd a hand shot up high.
Everyone followed the voice and made way for Stelle and the others.
Only then did Yusaku notice another familiar face in the restaurant—Eri Kisaki, a mutual friend of his and Yukiko's and also Ran Mouri's mother.
"Eri, what are you doing here?" Having just called the police, Yukiko Kudo walked over. Seeing Eri on scene, she greeted her delightedly, and noticing that Eri had arrived with Stelle and company, asked curiously, "Could this little sister be your client this time, Eri?"
"Yes. Stelle and Mr. Midorikawa are my next clients; after we finished talking we came to this restaurant together." Eri was happy to run into a friend, though regretting that the moment was inconvenient for a longer chat.
Stelle smiled at Yukiko, "Sister Yukiko, hello! You're so beautiful; as expected, great beauties have gorgeous friends too!"
"Oh my, little sister, you certainly know how to talk!" Hearing Stelle call her "sister," Yukiko's smile brightened even more.
"A-hem." Watching the three women seeming ready to chat at a crime scene, Yusaku felt a vein twitch and coughed to remind Yukiko of the setting.
Yukiko shot Yusaku a sideways glance. "All right, all right, let's not hold these detectives up."
"Miss Stelle." Having heard Eri's introduction, Yusaku asked, "When you passed the deceased earlier, did you notice anything unusual?"
As Yusaku began his questioning, Shinichi Kudo followed right behind him.
"Hmm…" Stelle recalled, "I'd just paid the bill and was heading back to my seat. From a distance I saw the person at his table—his wife—switch the wine glasses. Then, as I walked past, he collapsed.
"Nothing special really happened; everything seemed perfectly normal."
"Normal, huh…? Huh?" Realizing what she'd said, Yusaku's expression changed. "That isn't special?"
Right then, Mrs. Nakamura, who had been softly sobbing, abruptly stopped. The faint whimpering seemed choked off by an invisible hand, plunging the whole restaurant into dead silence.
Mrs. Nakamura still hung her head, motionless as a silent sculpture, neither refuting nor defending herself.
People exchanged glances. Yet, under everyone's gaze, she seemed completely unaware.
Because she kept her head lowered, no one could see the expression on her face.
Shinichi looked shocked. "You saw someone trying to poison him—why didn't you stop it?" he demanded of Stelle.
Stelle glared at the kid who was slandering her, hands on hips. "Who said I saw anyone trying to poison him! I only saw his wife switch the glasses—when did I say she poisoned him?!"
"Uh…" Shinichi's anger at apparent indifference faltered; something felt off. "But… seeing someone switch glasses means they intend to harm, right?"