Not a detective

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Kiyoshi Murakami: (Desperately lowering his voice, but with bulging eyes) Don't talk nonsense... I don't know...

Shinonome Suetsuki: I'm a detective, so I know everything, and nothing can escape my eyes. (Looking at Otsuka Rika) Miss, don't think you're just watching the show and have nothing to do with it. Although I respect the choices of adults and won't interfere with you selling your body, I just want you to know what happened to your senior so you can make your own judgment.

Rika Otsuka and Kiyoshi Murakami: (trembling with fear, too afraid to move)

Shinonome Suetsuki: So, will you say it yourself, or should I say it for you?

Winter of the Demons: Chapter Twenty-Five - The Script of Shinonome Suetsuki (Part Two)

Act Three:

Cast: Shinonome Suetsuki – The Great Detective.

Masao Furukawa is the leader of the "Furukawa-gumi," a local yakuza organization in Kyoto. He wields immense power and commits numerous atrocities, making him a thorn in the side of the Kyoto prefectural police, who find it difficult to eliminate him.

Brother A – Assistant to the head of the Furukawa Group, and a trusted lieutenant of Masao Furukawa.

Brother B – a member of the Furukawa Group, driver.

Scene: Inside Mount Oe, in the parking lot behind the annex, rows and rows of luxury sports cars that are rarely seen are more extravagant than any exhibition.

It was afternoon, and there were no more banquets scheduled for the evening, so the guests had already started to leave one after another in order to get home as soon as possible, and cars were driving away one after another.

Time: 3:00 PM, December 25th.

—In the airtight black sedan, henchman B was in the driver's seat, henchman A was in the passenger seat, and Masao Furukawa was in the back seat.

Shinonome Suetsuki: Are you leaving already? Can I get a ride? (Knocks on the car window)

Brother B: (Impatiently honking the horn) Where did this stinky woman come from? Get lost...

Brother A: (Slaps him hard) You didn't go to the banquet, so can't you be a little more discerning? Do you even know who this is?

Masao Furukawa: (Rolls down car window) What brings you here, young lady?

Shinonome Suetsuki: Ugh, my assistant always says I have a grumpy face and look fierce. He should really come and see what you look like.

Masao Furukawa:…………

Shinonome Suetsuki: Don't stare at me like that. I'm just here to chat. (Lowers her voice and puts her hand to her mouth) Look, over there, in that direction. There are actually two police officers watching in that car. Even though the car isn't running and the windows aren't transparent, I can still tell. Amazing, right? That's the talent of a detective. Have you been asked to do something for me?

Henchman A: (sneers) Miss, we respect your status, but please don't interfere in underworld affairs. None of the people who threatened us with these things are still alive.

Shinonome Suetsuki: Oh, so you guys don't buy into that.

Brother A: (Surprised) Wait... what are you doing?

Higashimo Sugetsuki: (Sitting on the hood of the car) Well then I'll be tough. If you refuse to talk to me, you're not leaving either.

Masao Furukawa: ...Such a spoiled princess attitude. Tell me, what do you want to ask?

Shinonome Sugetsuki: Over twenty years ago, the Furukawa-gumi was just a small, collateral organization, far from its current size and status. However, the turning point in your fate came with a mission given to you by the Shinonome family: to eliminate a woman, ideally without a trace. You did it very well, kidnapping her, driving her into a concrete pile, and sinking her into the sea. The police never found her. Because of this outstanding performance, you presented the Shinonome family with a perfect pledge of allegiance, gaining immense financial support and successfully rising to power, becoming the largest yakuza organization in Tokyo, wielding absolute power. That woman was a popular actress at the time, and also my mother…

Brother A: (His face instantly stiffened, he turned around and glanced at the boss, then said fiercely) Drive over there!

Brother B: (Shaking) Wh...what!

Brother A: I said, drive over there! (Grabs the steering wheel) Are you deaf, or are you not listening to me?!

Brother B: But, isn't that...that young lady...I...I...

Henchman A: I'll take care of it! Run him over!

Brother B: Ah! (Closes eyes, steels himself, and yells as he steps on the gas pedal)

The car made a bumpy sound as its tires rolled over uneven surfaces, as if it were about to fall apart.

Brother A: (Shocked) How...how is this possible? What's going on?!

Brother B: Big brother, what happened! Can I open my eyes now...?

Brother A: (He looked as if he had seen a ghost and was speechless.)

Masao Furukawa: Don't open your eyes. (Sighs) It seems I've encountered something extraordinary. Perhaps this is divine retribution for what I've done.

Shinonome Suetsuki: It's not divine punishment, it's detective work (smiles). So, are you willing to chat with me now?

...

Act IV:

Cast: Shinonome Suetsuki – The Great Detective.

Shinohara Tomoya – the loyal butler of the Shinonome family, who has served the family since childhood for over forty years, yet his enthusiasm for his work remains high.

Scene: Inside the Jiutianguan restaurant, staff are tidying up tables and chairs, while others are climbing ladders to take down Christmas decorations hanging from the roof.

The festive atmosphere was coming to an end, and the Jiutianguan gradually turned into an empty stadium, so it seemed a little desolate.

Time: 17:00 on December 25th.

Shinohara Tomoya: (While directing the staff to clean up, he saw Shinonome Suetsuki enter the building and quickly put on a warm smile and went over to greet her) Oh, Miss, you haven't left yet? I remember I told the other servants to send you back to Tokyo. Were they incompetent?

Shinonome Suetsuki: No, it was my own decision to stay.

Shinohara Tomoya: Oh dear, is it because of Asakawa-san...? Is he feeling any better? He's still not awake?

Shinonome Suetsuki: You don't need to worry about that (looks around). Do you see where Ito is?

Tomoya Shinohara: Ito——

Higashino Suetsuki: That doctor.

Shinohara Tomoya: Oh, it's all because I'm getting old, I can't even remember what you told me. But unfortunately, we searched for a long time but couldn't find him anywhere.

Higashino Suetsuki: (Walking forward) I see.

Shinohara Tomoya: Wait, where are you going! (He quickly catches up and follows her) Miss, the event here has ended. There will be no more banquets tonight. If you would like to have a meal, I can ask the chef to prepare it and bring it to your room.

Higashion Suetsuki: Oh, so there's a chef here. Didn't we stop having a banquet? All that's left is cleaning and tidying up, what's the point of having a chef?

Shinohara Tomoya: Hmm... Although the Shutenkan will be closed to the public after Christmas, some staff members will still be retained in preparation for next year's banquet...

Higashino Suetsuki: I'm looking for that old man. He doesn't live in the villa, does he? Where does he live?

Shinohara Tomoya: (with a wry smile) Lord Shinonome has already gone back and is no longer in this mountain. If you wish to schedule a meeting, I can pass on a message to him for you.

Dongyun Suezuki: Never mind then, (stops and turns around) it's the same if I look for you.

Tomoya Shinohara: Huh?

Shinonome Sugetsuki: You're the one who commissioned the Furukawa Group to kill my mother. Don't look so surprised. I'm a detective, so I can see it. I'm just a little curious. Twenty years ago, my mother had already accepted her fate. She decided to marry into the Shinonome family and retired from the entertainment industry. She secretly gave birth to me and wanted to raise me properly. She shouldn't have posed any threat to the Shinonome family. Raising a female celebrity is nothing to that old philanderer. Why did he have to get rid of her?

Shinohara Tomoya: (Calmly) I don't know what you're talking about. Is this some kind of detective game? If so, I can play along.

Dongyun Suezuki: Yes, you should be the hardest one to get your mouth out of... The most loyal servant of the Dongyun family, the old man's most loyal old dog, you definitely won't reveal a single word.

Shinohara Tomoya: (bows) Thank you for the compliment.

Shinonome Suetsuki: But what if he's not as loyal as he appears? For example, what if he's been using his position as the housekeeper for years to skim profits in purchasing and accounting...

Shinohara Tomoya: Haha, (disdainfully) Let's not talk about such things. With a mind as sharp as yours, how could you not see through my little trick? I think he already knew. This is just a small reward for the old servant's years of hard work. For your family's vast wealth, this amount of money is at most my retirement and coffin money.

Higashino Suetsuki: Yes, perhaps as you say, we don't have enough leverage. (Suddenly emphasizing her tone) So, what if it was you who secretly leaked my decisions during that "assessment" three years ago, the one where I made ten decisions, allowing downstream suppliers, other companies, and the stock market to react in advance, thus causing my decisions to completely fail?

Shinohara Tomoya: What... what are you talking about? What good will this do me? That's your failure!

Dongyun Suezuki: (Smiling) Because you colluded with my third brother. He was the one who saved the day during that crisis, wasn't he? Ever since that miraculous rescue, his position in the company has risen higher and higher. He's been the heir to the old man's will for the past few years. Do I need to make it so clear?

Shinohara Tomoya: ...No, impossible, you couldn't have seen the will, you couldn't possibly know...

Shinonome Suetsuki: But you probably don't know that the decision I originally gave was wrong. In fact, whether you leaked it or not, the result would be the same, nothing would change.

Shinohara Tomoya: You...you witch, you really are... (trembling, looking around) What are you still looking at? Get out of here!

He dismissed all the staff in the wine shop, as if he were also dismissing his own soul. His shoulders slumped, and he appeared pale and weak from old age.

Shinohara Tomoya: (with vacant eyes) I... I can't say. And you shouldn't know this either.

Shinonome Suetsuki: There is nothing a detective shouldn't know. The moment a detective appears, it is to uncover the truth.

Shinohara Tomoya: I knew it when you showed your abilities. I once advised the master that someone like you absolutely could not be allowed to live, as you would be the source of misfortune and calamity for the Shinonome family. The master softened his heart...

Dongyun Suezuki: What nonsense are you talking about? (Coldly) That old man isn't soft-hearted; he just wants to take advantage of my abilities.

Shinohara Tomoya: What... exactly do you want to know? You've already seen everything about your mother's past clearly, so what else is there that you don't know?

Dongyun Sueyue: I just asked again. I want to know, she has already submitted to the Dongyun family, so why do you still insist on getting rid of her?

Shinohara Tomoya: (Lowers his head and remains silent for a long time)

Shinohara Tomoya: ...She saw something she shouldn't have seen.

Shinohara Tomoya: She discovered the existence of the [Ryugu Palace].

Winter of the Demons: Chapter Twenty-Six - The Real Culprit

After listening to Shinonome Suetsuki's story, it felt like listening to a script.

This isn't just a subjective feeling; this guy really likes to portray himself as the "protagonist," and every sentence he utters is about showing off how awesome he is. He comes across as incredibly arrogant.

"I probably understand."

Asakawa Riku closed his notebook, noting down the details that interested him.

In short, the detective used this "hidden" day to find four people and investigate the truth behind her mother's murder.

"Finally, what is the [Dragon Palace]?"

"That's all I can ask. As for what happened next, the old man said he would definitely die if he told me, and that he would be tortured in hell by some people. Since he was going to die anyway, he would rather I just kill him. Seeing his condition, I had no choice but to stop the investigation for the time being."

That's how it is in summary, Mo Yue said helplessly. That's all the progress her investigation has made.

It seems this time he wasn't lying.

"Okay, what I can't understand is why you kept it from me."

Asakawa Riku stared at Shinonome Suetsuki, who showed no remorse whatsoever and instead smugly praised herself: "If you take me with you, it won't hurt. Maybe we can get more details out of her. I know how to make someone suffer more... and you won't be in danger. You just said you were hit by a car, right? Are you really okay?"

"It's alright, I'm a detective."

Shinonome Suetsuki tilted her head back and turned around. It was vaguely clear that she had a background in ballet, and her posture was elegant and graceful.

"Detectives never die; after all, if all detectives died, there would be no need to continue writing the book."

As she said, there were no signs of injury on her body.

Based on this, it seems that Shinonome Suetsuki used her "foresight" ability to see the car coming towards her in advance and then swerved to avoid it.

However, what Asakawa Riku couldn't understand was why those gangsters were so surprised by such a small matter.

Are people who frequently deal with crime so easily frightened into submission?

—I can do that too.

He shook his head: "So, it's just to find out the truth about your mother's death, which is a legitimate reason. Why do you have to hide it?"

Suezuki seemed disappointed that no one appreciated her glorious deeds, but she still answered honestly:

"Because I saw that if I took you there, you might break the necks of these people. They all have a certain status and power, and we can't just kill them randomly."

"...Don't describe me like a psychopathic killer. I can distinguish between different targets, okay?"

Asakawa Riku couldn't help but retort, as he had his own set of standards and principles: "Besides, judging from what you've said, they did indeed harm your mother. Are you just going to let them go like this?"

"That's definitely not the case."

Mo Yue smiled and said, "Ito's methods inspired me. Since someone wants to poison me, I can also use poison to get revenge. I have prepared a drug that will not kill people, but will quickly destroy brain nerves and cells, and rapidly erase and confuse people's memories. In short, it is a drug that will induce Alzheimer's disease."

"You poisoned all those people..."

Asakawa Riku stared wide-eyed in surprise.

"Yes."

Mo Yue nodded in agreement: "After taking that kind of medicine, you will become extremely forgetful. You won't even remember what happened a day or two ago. You will even forget your interpersonal relationships and relatives and friends. You will gradually lose your ability to take care of yourself and become a patient who cannot move independently. At that time, you will only be able to live by others and completely lose your dignity and self."

"That's really ruthless." Chizuko-senpai, who had been silent all along, finally spoke up: "I learned something valuable."

"Don't try to learn everything."

Asakawa Riku quickly pressed down on Yukie's ear, not wanting these two wicked bastards to corrupt the innocent little girl.

"Huh?" Yukie looked completely bewildered.