Case NOT Closed

“Damn it…”

On the prosecutor’s side, Ryuuji clenched his teeth. He wasn’t a fool; he knew Kensuke’s tactics because he had used them during his internships.

But there wasn’t much the prosecution could do about it. This was a flaw in the judicial system. Jurors were rotated for every trial and had no experience with cases. They were ordinary citizens without formal legal education, relying on their sense of justice and morality to judge the right and wrong in a case, making them susceptible to influence.

“Order in the court!”

The judge’s gavel struck, and the courtroom’s clamor subsided.

“The defendant and his representative claim innocence. Let’s proceed with the evidence.”

First, the cause of death was presented. Ryuuji inserted a stack of photos into a projector and displayed them on the large screen in the courtroom.

Photos showing different angles of the deceased, Takeshi Maehara, at the time of death flashed across the screen like a conveyor belt. These were crime scene photos taken by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police’s forensic department.

The gruesome sight of Takeshi Maehara’s death was visible: his head hung at an exaggerated angle, his neck broken, and his eyes wide open in terror. Next to him was a German Shepherd baring its teeth.

“The cause of death was asphyxiation due to neck injury,” Ryuuji pointed at the screen from a distance. “From the scene’s evidence and the victim’s expression, it is clear that this German Shepherd caused the victim to fall from the second floor in panic, leading to neck injuries and death.”

“Objection!”

Kensuke interjected again.

“The prosecution claims that Takeshi Maehara’s death resulted from encountering, bitten and attacked by this dog, but I believe the term ‘attack’ is inappropriate!”

The members of the jury exchanged glances, not understanding the distinction. Kensuke continued.

“Even if we consider that the victim encountered a dog, there is no evidence of ‘bite,’ only the ‘attack’.'”

The judge turned to the jurors.

“Jurors may express their opinions.”

While they didn’t quite understand why Kensuke was making this point, the jurors nodded, accepting his argument.

The judge then struck his gavel.

“The defense attorney’s argument is accepted. The prosecution is invited to respond.”

“…”

On the prosecution side, Ryuuji frowned and glanced at the defendant’s table.

If the defense was planning to argue for innocence, logically, they should deny the prosecution’s claim of “the victim encountering a dog.” After all, judging from the photos alone, the connection between the victim and the dog wasn’t particularly strong.

But Kensuke didn’t do that; he simply emphasized that the dog’s method of attack was incorrect.

What was this guy up to?

Ryuuji couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease as he noticed the slight curve at the corner of Kensuke’s mouth. He suppressed his frustration and agreed, saying, “I have no objections.”

The judge nodded, saying, “Let’s proceed with hearing the testimonies now.”

Soon, the only eyewitness present at the scene, Sanae Sugita, took her place in the witness stand.

“I received a call from Sakaguchi-san, and Maehara-san went upstairs, turned on the phone’s speaker, and let the big dog on the second floor hear it. At that time, I was eating pizza, and in no time, I heard a scream and saw Maehara-san being tackled by the dog from the second floor onto the stairs. Then Maehara-san died like that.”

Sanae’s testimony closely mirrored what she had told Kensuke when they first met.

The judge and the jurors nodded as they listened.

Based on the witness’s account, it could be confirmed that the cause of death for the victim was indeed being tackled by the dog down the stairs.

“So, it’s quite clear,” Ryuuji stood up and said, “The defendant issued instructions to the dog through the phone, resulting in the dog attacking the victim, causing his death. This is very compelling direct evidence!”

After saying this, he provocatively glanced towards Kensuke’s side.

He was exaggerating intentionally. This could only be considered indirect evidence since the witness’s words didn’t explicitly mention hearing any instructions.

For the sake of upholding justice and ensuring that the culprit didn’t escape, sometimes prosecutors used such exaggerations as tactics.

As Ryuuji had expected, he believed that the defense attorney would attack this point regarding direct evidence.

However, the words that Kensuke uttered next took him by surprise once again.

“This is indeed direct evidence, and I agree with the prosecution on this matter!”

What was he up to…

Ryuuji muttered to himself. To maintain his composure and not lose to his opponent’s aura, he forcibly remained calm and said loudly, “So, the defense attorney acknowledges the testimony of the eyewitness, Sanae Sugita?”

“Yes, I have no objections to that.”

“In that case, the truth of the matter is clear…”

“But I have a question!”

Before Ryuuji could finish, Kensuke’s words interrupted him. He wore a smile as he looked towards the witness stand.

“Since everyone agrees that this is direct evidence, Sanae-san, I assume you must have heard the sound on the other end of the phone, right? After that, until Maehara-san was tackled down the stairs, could you please describe in detail the conditions and circumstances of both the dog and Maehara-san? Please provide a thorough explanation!”

Sanae Sugita, the college student, gazed around the courtroom. At this moment, she stood on this vast stage. Countless eyes were fixed on her, and in the spectator seats below, reporters were furiously scribbling down notes, preparing their stories for tomorrow’s headlines.

At this moment, she felt like a swan performing on a stage, basking in the spotlight’s attention.

Sanae closed her eyes and then opened them.

“Yes, I heard the voice coming from the other end of the phone!” Sanae said with a confident tone. “He said ‘oyasumi’ (goodnight) to his beloved dog, and the dog barked twice. Sakaguchi-san gently stroked its head, and the scene was very harmonious!”

Ryuuji suddenly stood up.

“That’s not what you said in your initial statement to the police! You claimed you couldn’t remember what was said on the phone at the time!”

He shouted loudly and glared in Kensuke’s direction.

No wonder this guy seemed so composed! The witness had switched sides!

“That’s because Maehara-san is my ex-boyfriend, and I was angry at the time, so I said whatever nonsense came to my mind! Sakaguchi-san is a very good person, and he often helped and supported Takeshi, assisting those in dire straits. How could someone like him commit murder?”

“The courtroom is a place of fairness and justice. We cannot simply accuse and frame a good person based on speculations. Otherwise, is there any justice left in this world?”

“So, I decided to stand up, no matter what! Because I know that my testimony might help clear an innocent person of false accusations. Even though someone like me, an ordinary person, may not be able to do much, washing away the injustice from an innocent person is the most basic demand of us ordinary citizens. This is our purpose for existence!”

Sanae spoke passionately, her voice filled with emotion.

Some people in the room were moved by her words, and in the spectator seats, some even started applauding.

Basking in the praise from the crowd, Sanae closed her eyes with a sense of contentment, savoring the adoration of the masses.

In the spectator seats, Conan pushed up his glasses and let out a long sigh.

This witness had indeed changed her testimony.

That day, he had barely managed to catch up to Sanae, using all of his persuasive skills, but he couldn’t sway her even a bit.

It left him feeling helpless and confused.

Why was it that he couldn’t convince this girl? She had appeared so righteous that day when talking to Kensuke. She seemed so eager to stand up for the truth.

So why, when he revealed the truth to her, did she refuse to believe?

(Conan-kun, of course she wouldn’t believe you)

Kensuke’s gaze flicked towards the spectator seats, and when he saw Conan’s despondent expression, a slight smile played at the corner of his lips.

(Perhaps you’re quite skilled in detective reasoning, but when it comes to understanding people’s hearts, Conan-kun, you’re still no different than a kid)