"That's right, Conan-kun, you're so amazing!"
Miyamoto Yumi looked at Conan-kun in surprise.
"In traffic accidents, it's common for carbon monoxide to leak from the car due to engine damage, so we always carry carbon monoxide detectors."
"When Miike Naeko and I found the man in the passenger seat unconscious and the carbon monoxide concentration in the car abnormally high, we quickly turned off the engine and pulled him out."
"That's indeed a very professional response."
Conan-kun furrowed his brows and nodded slightly.
He looked at the unconscious man lying on the ground, a complex expression appearing in his eyes.
At the moment the man in the passenger seat fainted due to the high carbon monoxide concentration, indeed, staying in the car for even one more second could have been life-threatening.
Although for whatever reason, Conan-kun felt an equal dislike for all perpetrators.
But he would never just stand by and watch someone die.
Even if the other party was the murderer who had just committed a crime.
"When we first arrived, this car was already turned off. This cheap K-Car doesn't have an automatic engine start-stop function. I should have thought of that earlier."
Masumi Sera, who had finished checking the car's interior, came to Conan-kun's side, also looking down at Akikawa Sosuke lying on the ground, and said softly.
"Even if you had found out earlier, what difference would it make? Officer Miyamoto and the others had already moved him to the empty space next to the car," Conan-kun said, puzzled.
"In that case, I wouldn't have directly questioned Officer Miyamoto."
Masumi Sera's tone carried a hint of disappointment.
She had originally wanted to get along well with her second brother's fiancée, but she had inadvertently made impolite remarks that questioned her professionalism.
Then, Masumi Sera changed the subject and continued:
"Speaking of which, the victim's death in this case is even more tragic than those in the serial murder cases recently."
"Of course. The serial murder cases were just disguised through exchange killings. In reality, the culprits had no hatred for their targets, so they just wanted to end the other person's life quickly. Naturally, they wouldn't commit very cruel acts."
So-called exchange killings are a method where people who want to kill someone exchange targets to mutually conceal their murder motives and create alibis.
"That's right. I just observed the victim's wounds, and almost every wound showed the overflowing hatred the culprit had for the victim."
Masumi Sera kept staring at Akikawa Sosuke lying on the ground as she spoke.
Unlike Conan-kun, who found it difficult to understand the murderers' motives even after hearing their confessions, Masumi Sera was curious:
What exactly happened to make the man in front of her harbor such immense hatred for that woman?
No sooner had Masumi Sera finished speaking than she heard the sound of police sirens approaching from a distance.
Then Conan-kun and the others saw that
Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Criminal Investigation Department First Division Patrol Chief Takagi Wataru, accompanied by police officers from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police DepartmentForensic Science Division, arrived at the scene of the accident.
Takagi Wataru acted very efficiently. After a brief understanding of the situation with Miyamoto Yumi, he and the Forensic Science Division officers began their on-site investigation and fingerprint identification work.
"Although the victim's death was tragic, the case itself is much simpler," Masumi Sera couldn't help but say, looking at the busy Forensic Science Division officers and the Division One Investigation UnitDetectives.
The recent serial murder cases had left her feeling mentally exhausted, so encountering a relatively simple case was a blessing in disguise.
"Yes, as long as a second person's fingerprints are identified on the murder weapon and compared with the person in the passenger seat, the case can basically be concluded."
"As for the culprit's motive, I find it difficult to understand even if I hear it. The rest can be left to the police."
Conan-kun's tone also conveyed a sense of relief.
He didn't feel regret for not being able to help this time; instead, he felt fortunate that this case was relatively simple.
At this moment, the sound of the ambulance became clearer.
After the ambulance arrived at the accident scene, the medical personnel, led by Traffic Division Officer Miike Naeko, approached Akikawa Sosuke, who was lying on the ground, preparing to lift Akikawa Sosuke onto a stretcher.
Everything seemed to be proceeding in an orderly fashion.
However.
The relaxed atmosphere between the two Detectives did not last long.
Because they clearly saw the increasingly puzzled expressions appearing on the faces of the Forensic Science Division officers and Takagi Wataru.
A bad premonition began to rise in Conan-kun and Masumi Sera's hearts.
The next moment, the hesitant voice from DetectiveTakagi Wataru instantly turned the Detectives' unease into reality—
"Officer Sato, no fingerprints other than the victim's were collected from either the dagger or the victim's clothes."
"Huh?!"
"What?!"
Masumi Sera and Conan-kun both exclaimed simultaneously, then instinctively turned their heads to look at Akikawa Sosuke lying on the ground.
—
The two young, slightly gender-neutral exclamations finally allowed Akikawa Sosuke's tense nerves, which had been in a coma, to relax.
Akikawa Sosuke had woken up about a few minutes earlier.
But he had not made any movements, not only because he wanted to feign unconsciousness to eavesdrop on their conversation and understand the case's progress, but also because Akikawa Sosuke was completely unable to move at that moment.
This situation of regaining consciousness but being completely unable to move his body was not unfamiliar to Akikawa Sosuke.
Because this was one of the symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning—
Locked-in syndrome.
Unlike the two Detectives who found things deviating from their original expectations.
So far, the development of events still conformed to Akikawa Sosuke's expectations before he fainted.
"Although the exact time of the car accident is unclear, based on the color of the victim's blood that I just observed, it can be determined that the car accident occurred at most a little over an hour ago."
"Within such a short period, I already showed signs of fainting, which means the carbon monoxide concentration in the car at that time was at least 1%."
"Under such a concentration, there could be a life-threatening danger within two hours. Simply opening the windows for ventilation would not alleviate the symptoms, so the police would definitely move me out of the car."
"As long as they move my position before investigating the scene, the crime scene will inevitably be damaged."
It was precisely because he realized this point that Akikawa Sosuke felt fortunate before he fainted.
Not having the original owner's memories was Akikawa Sosuke's biggest shortcoming at the moment, making it difficult to handle the aftermath comprehensively.
Having the police actively remove him from the crime scene was definitely the most secure and safest method.
And once he was away from the crime scene, received treatment at the hospital, and recovered his body,
He would have more ample physical strength and clearer thinking to consider and deal with the upcoming events.
"But speaking of which, carbon monoxide poisoning really feels terrible."
"Although if the concentration is high enough, carbon monoxide can be fatal in just one or two hours."
"But the suffering endured during this period is immeasurable."
Many people once believed that ending their lives with carbon monoxide poisoning would be quite easy.
However, they did not know that during carbon monoxide poisoning, one also has to constantly endure intense dizziness, palpitations, and nausea lingering in the brain.
And even if one regrets midway, it is impossible to turn back, because after carbon monoxide damages the brainstem, the body loses control of the brain.
If one is lucky enough not to die, the brain is also very likely to suffer severe damage, leaving a lifelong disability.
"I hope my brain won't be damaged," Akikawa Sosuke prayed silently in his heart.
He knew he wasn't a smart person,
But at this moment, after transmigrating, his brain was one of the few weapons he could rely on.
"As long as I can get through this crisis first, I should have a stable life afterward…"
Akikawa Sosuke thought to himself, as he was also lifted onto the ambulance by the medical personnel.
Since Akikawa Sosuke was a major suspect in the murder, in addition to the medical personnel, Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department Criminal Investigation Department First Division Patrol Chief Chiba Kazunobu was also accompanying him.
Just as the medical personnel dispatched from the Fire Department were about to close the ambulance door, a childish voice interrupted their actions.
"Hey! Wait, wait!!!"
Conan-kun shouted loudly, running towards the ambulance.
"Eh, Conan-kun, what's wrong?"
DetectiveChiba Kazunobu looked at Conan-kun running over and asked in confusion.
"Officer Chiba, I want to go to the hospital with you!"
Conan-kun said, and seeing Chiba Kazunobu's face show a somewhat troubled expression, he quickly added:
"Masumi Sera asked me to come along! She said there are still some things she wants me to help confirm!"
"Masumi Sera, then come on up."
Chiba Kazunobu had great trust in DetectiveMasumi Sera, who had just helped the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department solve the serial murder case.
In addition, he also knew that the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's forensic investigation work at the crime scene was not going smoothly.
With the help of this keen-eyed little guy, there might be new discoveries.
So he opened the door and let Conan-kun get into the car as well.
"The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department just casually lets a child get into a car carrying a suspected murderer?"
This scene left Akikawa Sosuke bewildered.
He had just heard the conversation between this self-proclaimed solver of serial murder cases and another person suspected of being a Detective.
At that time, this child had personally said that they would leave the rest to the police.
This meant that the two of them were not from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, but they were able to participate in the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's investigative work.
"In this situation, either they have a background, or their personal abilities are truly outstanding. Are they the latter?"
"Speaking of which, it's already strange enough for a child to be involved in a murder investigation; it's just like that DetectiveConan…"
Akikawa Sosuke couldn't help but inwardly complain, but his thoughts came to an abrupt halt midway.
"Wait a minute, what did that Detective Chiba just call that child?"
Akikawa Sosuke's heart, which had just settled back into his chest, leaped up again,
And when he clearly saw the appearance of the child who had walked up beside him, he suddenly felt a deafening thunder explode in his mind with a "boom."