Case NOT Closed

Natsuki Koshimizu was sentenced to three months of detention, suspended for three months.

What is a suspended sentence?

It means the sentence is deferred.

If the suspension period is the same as the prison time, it effectively means no prison time at all.

However, during the suspension period, the individual must not commit another crime. If they do and are caught, the suspension is revoked and the sentences are combined.

After leaving the court, Kensuke went to the detention center where Natsuki Koshimizu had been held.

Inside the detention center, Natsuki Koshimizu had just finished some formalities and was about to leave.

Seeing Kensuke arrive, she greeted him with a smile.

“Komemon-san, thank you very much for defending me this time, allowing me to walk out of here with my head held high.”

“Spare me the pleasantries,” Kensuke waved his hand, staring at her face. “Koshimizu-san, this whole murder case, it was all your plan, wasn’t it?”

Natsuki Koshimizu blinked and smiled, “I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Don’t play dumb,” Kensuke shook his head. “You were about to admit it to me this morning, and now you’re denying it? That’s not very classy of you, miss.”

“Well, it was indeed all my plan,” Natsuki Koshimizu laughed, no longer hiding the truth.

Then she candidly recounted the events.

“Actually, the moment I first saw Tsuchio’s eyes on the boat to the deserted island, I knew he would soon kill someone,” Natsuki Koshimizu said easily. “Especially the way he looked at Tokitsu, that kind of confusion, nervousness, mixed with a bit of excitement, is something only someone about to commit murder would have.”

“Oh, you’re quite perceptive,” Kensuke nodded.

Natsuki Koshimizu’s words sounded far-fetched, but he could understand. In this world, seasoned detectives often have a “sixth sense” for finding the perpetrator. For instance, in the case where Kensuke sued Conan for causing a concussion, Conan had identified the killer just by looking into their eyes.

“So you went along with it,” Kensuke said.

“You originally planned to kill someone your way and trap everyone on the island, but you realized that if something unexpected happened and you were rescued, you would face charges of premeditated murder, so you changed your plan.”

“When committing the murder, you deliberately held back, only knocking the victim unconscious. And to ensure a reasonable acquittal later, you didn’t use gloves and intentionally left your DNA and fingerprints on the weapon.”

“You had to act first because you were unsure if, by abandoning your plan, Kotani Renzo and Hiroo Tsuchio would proceed with theirs. You suspected their plan might involve killing and framing you as the scapegoat.”

“Everything was part of your scheme. After you left, Hiroo Tsuchio indeed followed and finished off Junya Tokitsu in his room.”

“After leaving the island, you sought my defense, confident that following your plan, I would argue your case to a minimal sentence because you researched me and believed I would do whatever it takes to win a case.”

“Am I right, Koshimizu-san?” Kensuke finished, looking into Natsuki Koshimizu’s eyes.

Natsuki Koshimizu smiled throughout.

After listening, she applauded.

“Everything you said is correct, Komemon-san. I didn’t misjudge your abilities,” she paused.

“So, what will you do now? Turn me over to the authorities?” The girl licked her lips, her large eyes twinkling as she looked at Kensuke.

Her face, which had appeared pure, now seemed somewhat seductive.

“Ha, do you think I’m like Eri Kisaki, who only thinks about justice all day long?” Kensuke raised an eyebrow and laughed derisively.

“You are my client. My job is to defend you, as long as you paid the agreed amount of money, no matter what you did or what the truth is. It has nothing to do with me.”

Natsuki Koshimizu stared at Kensuke’s face.

“Is that so? It seems I did hire the right person,” she smiled.

“And besides, you didn’t commit any other crime, did you?” Kensuke smiled.

“In legal terms, you only committed attempted murder. Even if it was your plan, there’s no way to imprison you for anything else.”

“Isn’t this considered an act of omission? Like failing to save someone?” Ai chimed in.

Kensuke glanced at her. “Ai, you need to study more law. An act of omission is only a crime if there was a duty to act, which wasn’t fulfilled. What relationship did the victim have with her? Was he her long-lost father? Her beloved husband? Without a duty to act, it’s not a crime.”

“But she knocked the victim out and didn’t help, leading the real killer to finish him off. Isn’t that a ‘prior act’ creating an ‘act of omission’? Shouldn’t it be ruled as indirect intentional murder?” Ai argued.

“You’re wrong about ‘leading the killer to finish him off.’ How many times do I have to explain this?” Kensuke sighed, looking disappointed.

“Knocking the victim out and the killer finishing him off are not objectively linked. If the victim had just remained unconscious, there wouldn’t have been any danger to his life. Being killed afterward is a separate event. There’s no ‘prior act’ involved. You could say she had a plan in mind, but objectively, the victim’s death had nothing to do with her. In crimes of omission, the subjective and objective conditions must match. So, she’s only guilty of attempted murder, understand?”

“Alright,” Ai pouted.

Natsuki Koshimizu watched their conversation and laughed. “You lawyers have such complex knowledge.”

“I had a dream of becoming a lawyer when I was a kid, but seeing how much there was to learn, I gave up,” she said.

“If not a lawyer, you have a talent for being a detective,” Kensuke said, looking at her meaningfully.

“You fooled everyone in this case. I must admit, your methods were quite clever. Even I was almost deceived.”

“Oh? When did you realize it?” Natsuki Koshimizu asked, intrigued.

“In court,” Kensuke replied.

“Your performance was so convincing that it moved almost everyone. A woman who can shed tears so easily must have something to hide. That’s when I knew it was all your plan.”