Chapter 4: The Detective’s Deduction

Inspector Megure remained on high alert, carefully observing Lin Xinyi's every move.

Meanwhile, under the scrutiny of the entire crowd, Shinichi Kudo slowly revealed his thoughts:

"This deduction is actually quite simple."

"First of all, as I just reported to Inspector Megure—"

"When we discovered the floating corpse in the river ten minutes ago, the first thing we saw was a bright red wave of blood."

"Isn't that right, Ran?"

Shinichi turned to look at Ran, who, recalling the chilling scene, turned slightly pale.

"Yes, that's right. We only noticed the body because of the striking red color in the water."

"If not for that, since the sky was still dim, we might not have spotted it."

With Ran's confirmation, the moment of discovery was vividly reconstructed in everyone's minds.

Inspector Megure, while keeping an eye on Lin Xinyi habitually played along with Shinichi's reasoning.

"I see what you're getting at, Kudo."

"You're suggesting that the body parts must have been dumped into the river just recently, right?"

"Exactly." Shinichi nodded, continuing seamlessly:

"Just like how chefs soak pork in water to remove excess blood, if body parts had been submerged for too long, the blood on them would have been washed away by the current."

"In that case, Ran and I wouldn't have seen the water turn red."

"This means the body parts hadn't been in the water for long."

"And that, in turn, suggests—"

Shinichi paused momentarily before casting a meaningful look at Lin Xinyi.

"The murderer only just disposed of the body."

"He probably hasn't gone far—he's likely still at the scene, right here among us!"

"What? No way!"

Someone in the crowd voiced their disbelief.

"Wouldn't the killer flee immediately after dumping the body? Why stay and risk getting caught?"

"That would be too bold."

"No, quite the opposite."

"That actually reveals the killer's fear and anxiety."

Shinichi shook his head, painting a psychological profile of the suspect.

"The murderer dumped the body at dawn."

"While it was still dark enough for concealment, there was still a risk of encountering the occasional early riser out for morning exercise."

"Clearly, it wasn't an ideal time to dispose of a body."

"Choosing such an imperfect moment suggests the murderer had no other option."

"He most likely committed the murder impulsively during the night, hastily dismembered the body, and, for some reason, was too afraid to keep the remains at home—forcing him to discard them before sunrise."

"The fact that he dismembered the victim suggests he wanted to hide the body's identity, preventing the police from tracking down the victim."

"Now, let's put ourselves in the killer's shoes."

"After impulsively murdering someone and disposing of the body, wouldn't you be worried that you might have left behind some crucial evidence? That the police might still be able to identify the victim?"

"Hm, that makes sense."

The crowd, following Shinichi's logic, nodded in agreement.

"Guilty people tend to be paranoid. So the killer likely stayed at the scene, hiding among the bystanders to observe the police investigation."

"If he saw the police struggling, he'd feel relieved and carry on with his life."

"But if he noticed the investigation progressing, he could start preparing to escape."

"But, Kudo," Inspector Megure interjected, still skeptical, "that alone doesn't pinpoint Lin Xinyi as the prime suspect, does it?"

"Plenty of people are here. Anyone could be the murderer."

"Of course."

"At this moment, everyone present is a potential suspect."

"But Lin Xinyi's suspicion is undoubtedly the strongest!"

Shinichi showed no hesitation in his reasoning.

"And my reason for saying that is—"

"The wet marks on Lin Xinyi's legs!"

As soon as he said this, everyone's eyes locked onto Lin Xin Yi's lower legs.

Even though they were in Tokyo, the weather wasn't warm. In fact, the early morning chill made it even more noticeable—

Lin Xinyi's pant legs and shoes were still damp, with a large, visible wet stain.

"His legs are wet!"

Some quick-witted onlookers instantly made the connection.

"This guy must be the killer!"

"It hasn't rained today. A normal person out for a morning walk wouldn't have wet legs."

"Only someone disposing of a body in the river would have stepped into the water to throw it further!"

A chorus of gasps erupted. Suddenly, everyone saw the logic.

The stares directed at Lin Xinyi grew sharper, filled with hostility and suspicion.

Lin Xinyi remained silent.

Shinichi Kudo, seizing the moment, pressed further:

"So, Lin Xinyi."

"Can you explain why your pant legs are wet?"

Lin Xinyi didn't answer.

He merely stated calmly,

"Deduction alone isn't enough to convict someone."

"If you want to accuse me of being the murderer, you need solid, tangible evidence."

"Of course."

Shinichi shrugged with a confident smile.

"In dismemberment cases, the hardest part is identifying a suspect."

"But once you have a target, finding evidence isn't difficult."

"Dismembering a body is no small task. Erasing all traces isn't easy."

"If we search the suspect's home quickly, we'll likely find traces of blood that weren't fully cleaned."

"That makes sense!"

The bystanders nodded in realization.

"No wonder he refused to answer the police's questions."

"He's afraid they'll search his home and find the crime scene!"

The deduction show seemed to be reaching its climax.

Many people now looked at the young detective with admiration.

As expected of the modern-day Holmes.

The murderer, thinking himself clever by lingering at the scene, never expected anyone to notice the water stains on his pants.

His own carelessness exposed him.

This was poetic justice—fate delivering the punishment he deserved.

"Lin Xinyi, you can answer our questions now."

Inspector Megure stepped forward at the right moment.

Gone was his previous friendly approach. Now, his voice was stern and authoritative.

"You have the right to remain silent."

"But remember—your current attitude will be recorded in our investigation report."

"Refusing to cooperate will only put you in a worse position. I hope you won't make an unwise decision."

Lin Xin Yi: "…"

To be honest, even he was starting to feel like a criminal.

But he had no choice.

Without the original host's memories, he simply couldn't answer any of the police's questions.

More importantly, speaking up now wouldn't change anything.

Evidence—everything depended on the evidence.

Even if he argued his innocence now, once real proof emerged, there would be no escaping the truth.

Yes, even he couldn't completely rule himself out as a suspect.

Though the thought was unsettling, he had to admit—Shinichi Kudo's reasoning was flawless.

Based on the available clues, he had every reason to be suspicious.

He could only hope he wasn't that unlucky…

If he had really transmigrated into a murderer's body, then there would be no saving him.

A storm of emotions stirred within him.

Yet, Lin Xinyi maintained his calm expression, meeting the sharp, wary gazes around him.

"Just wait."

"Wait?" Inspector Megure frowned.

"Wait for what?"

"Wait for them to retrieve the body."

Lin Xinyi's eyes shifted toward the river, where the patrol team was busy with the retrieval effort.

"Whether I'm the murderer or not—"

"The body will give us the answer."