Case NOT Closed

Leaving the court, Kensuke didn’t stop for a moment and headed straight to the detention center where Nakamichi Kazushi was held.

Chiba Prefecture is not like Tokyo, it’s a small place.

Small places are good; these two locations are very close, about five minutes or so, and Kensuke arrived at the detention center.

After informing the duty police, Kensuke was taken to the visiting room, where he saw the silent Kazushi.

At this moment, Kazushi kept his head down, like a sealed can.

“Speak up, what’s wrong with you?”

Kensuke tapped the glass window with a ballpoint pen.

“Are you hesitating in your mind, thinking of withdrawing your appeal?”

At these words, Kazushi, who was still silent, raised his head in surprise.

“How did you know?”

“Do you think I’m a fake lawyer?”

Kensuke rolled his eyes.

“Look at your foolish appearance, it’s obvious that you’ve lost your mind. I guess someone saw you in the courthouse waiting room about half an hour before you went to court, right?”

“…You figured it all out.”

Kazushi sighed.

“Exactly, Mouri Kogoro, my university classmate, came here today to visit me.”

“Visit you? He came to feed you some nonsense.”

Kensuke said without reservation.

“After he came to the courthouse, he talked to me a lot. He advised me to give up the appeal, sit quietly for these twenty years in prison, and atone for the crime I committed. I might have been persuaded by him… Now I’m indeed hesitating whether to give up the appeal or not.”

“After all, no matter what, Yumi’s death has something to do with me. I once loved her…”

Sure enough.

Kensuke shook his head.

Before going to court, Kensuke had encountered Ran and Kogoro.

He felt that the situation was a bit strange at that time. Kogoro is a person from Tokyo and wouldn’t randomly come to the countryside without a reason.

“Sheesh~ Seriously, you are a man who is wrongfully accused, can’t you be more resolute? Don’t always be swayed by a few words and switch sides directly. It messes with the mindset of us lawyers, you know!”

Kensuke’s tone was downright frustrated.

“Lawyers come to fight for your interests, not to harm you! Having to sit in prison less or not at all is such a beautiful thing! You should be grateful. Is it fun being a snitch? You didn’t kill anyone, why should you repent? You think it would make you some kind of hero?”

After listening to Kensuke’s words, Kazushi fell into silence for a moment.

Then he thought of something and smiled bitterly.

“But Kogoro has been very good to me. He listened to me complain about a lot of things, and just now in court…”

He remembered the way his former colleague, Terabayashi Shoji, cried in court.

He remembered what was written in Shoji’s diary.

Perhaps, unconsciously, he had also hurt some people.

If he could atone in this way…

“Are you stupid?”

Kensuke’s sarcastic voice came again.

“The psychologist also listens to your complaints and seems to treat you well, then why not just marry the psychologist? Just because someone talks, you want to have bad luck. Isn’t that harming yourself? As for that cop just now, it’s his own fault, he deserves it. He did something against the rules and got caught in the act. What does it have to do with you, you idiot?”

“Uh…”

The bald man blinked, a black line forming on his forehead.

He couldn’t help but think of the lawyer who defended him in the first trial.

Other lawyers are all polite, fearing to lose their jobs. How come this one starts scolding the client?

“I’ll make it clear first, giving up the appeal also comes with a cost.”

Kensuke didn’t waste words.

He directly took out the contract he had signed with Kazushi earlier and slapped it on the glass in front of Kazushi.

“Take a good look. It’s written here, a commission fee of three million. If you breach the contract, you’ll have to pay twice the penalty, plus additional fees for my services, lost work, miscellaneous expenses, totaling eight million.”

“How can it be so much!”

Kazushi was now anxious and exclaimed.

Because the client was not him but his brother, he had no prior knowledge that Nakamichi had signed such a significant contract.

“Do you understand now? Your brother is the one paying, not you.”

Kensuke urged.

“Now make a decision, whether to give up the appeal or not. I’m short on time and don’t want to hear more of your nonsense.”

“…”

Kazushi’s face changed rapidly.

Obviously, giving up the appeal meant tricking his brother.

In this world, only his brother had been the best to him, always ready to help.

Thinking of this, he no longer hesitated and nodded firmly, “I’ve decided to continue with the appeal! Let Kogoro’s nonsense be placed aside!”

Kensuke sighed in relief, nodded in satisfaction.

“That’s right, be resolute. Remember, it’s you who will be in prison, and your real well-wishers are your family, not some random university friends.”

“…”

Kazushi’s face twitched.

To be honest, this lawyer was vastly different from the previous one.

Having been a police officer for so many years, it was the first time he had encountered such a lawyer.

Not to mention the sarcastic tone, the things this guy said were completely from the perspective of the righteous winner…

“Now I have a few more questions for you, just answer honestly.”

“Uh, okay.”

The conversation with Kazushi continued for over half an hour.

It was past three in the afternoon when Kensuke finally left.

Walking out of the prison gate, Haibara, who was on the side, turned back and glanced inside.

“I don’t understand, why did you go to persuade him?”

Haibara’s tone was faintly questioning.

“Since he’s willing to atone in prison, it’s not necessarily a bad thing, right? And if he breaches the contract, you can ask for more compensation. Why not take advantage of it?”

Especially the latter part, given Kensuke’s money-loving character, Haibara was a bit puzzled.

“Haibara, did I tell you before?”

Kensuke shook his head.

“The lawyer’s job is to protect the interests of the client. This is the most essential and important duty of a lawyer. The client in this lawsuit is not this bald guy, but his brother. Understand? I don’t care how this bald guy is, let him enjoy prison if he loves it, but his actions will affect the real client. When the client’s interests are harmed, the lawyer must step in; otherwise, don’t do this job.”

“….I see.”

Haibara nodded, a hint of surprise flashing in her ice-blue eyes as she looked at Kensuke.

“I didn’t expect you, as a lawyer, to actually have professional ethics.”

“When I decided I want to do something, I would do it with all of my effort, since I decided to be a lawyer, I would strive to be nothing but the best.”

Kensuke said so.

This has been his steadfast principle all along.

“Alright, stop saying so much. Now we need to prepare for the upcoming second trial. There’s a lot of intelligence we need you to investigate.”

“Yeah, I understand.”