In the interrogation room, the questioning continued.
After Toyo Abe had explained the reason behind the large insurance policy between him and the deceased, Officer Megure and Kogoro Mouri grew more suspicious of him.
"Then, Mr. Abe, why did you hire Detective Mouri to follow the deceased?" Officer Megure asked once more.
"Because he came to me recently and said, 'Someone's trying to kill me, and it's probably going to happen soon.'"
"Killed!?" Megure asked in disbelief.
"Yes..." Abe sighed. "At first, I thought he was joking, but he didn't seem like he was. So, just in case, I hired Detective Mouri to follow him for three days."
"Hmm..." Kogoro Mouri clenched his fists tightly, his teeth grinding in frustration. His face showed intense anger, not just from realizing the suspect was right in front of him but from the arrogance in Abe's demeanor.
"I'm sorry, but I have a lot to do," Abe said with a polite smile, opening the door to leave. "I'm the president of a small company, and I'm quite busy. I hope you find the murderer soon."
"Don't worry, if we find anything, I'll notify you immediately!" Kogoro Mouri replied, his voice dripping with annoyance.
"Heh..." Abe sneered under his breath before turning back with a polished smile. "Looking forward to it, Mr. Detective."
Once Abe was gone, Officer Megure scowled. "Damn it! I really can't think of anyone else who could be the murderer. But somehow, he has an alibi..."
"And a pretty convincing one..." Tang Ze shrugged and glanced at Officer Megure. "Inspector Megure, do you think I can continue working on this case with Detective Mouri?"
"Hmm... I suppose so," Megure replied after a moment of thought. "I don't have much on my plate right now. You can handle it with Detective Mouri. After all, the case took place in Gunma Prefecture, but both the deceased and the suspect are here in Tokyo, and the witness is someone Kogoro Mouri knows."
"Thanks, Inspector," Tang Ze said, nodding. "I'll do my best."
Kogoro Mouri continued grumbling and cursing under his breath as he walked out of the Metropolitan Police Department. "Too suspicious! There's no way he's innocent! That guy's definitely the murderer!"
At the Mouri Detective Agency, Mouri Ran was surprised to see Tang Ze following her father. "Dad's out already? And Officer Tang Ze?" she asked.
"Hello, Miss Mouri," Tang Ze greeted politely.
"Hello, Officer Tang Ze." Mouri Ran smiled and bowed slightly. "Are you investigating this case with Dad?"
"Yes, I'll be working with him," Tang Ze replied.
Mouri Ran looked curious, but Tang Ze's thoughts were elsewhere. He had been running through the details in his mind as he listened to Kogoro Mouri's explanation, and he still didn't have a clear lead. Without prior knowledge of the case, he had to rely on the clues at hand.
"What do you think, Officer Tang Ze?" Kogoro Mouri asked, noticing the contemplative expression on his face. "I was thinking, just by following that man, we could earn half a million yen in three days! No matter how rich someone is, that's too high a reward for just following someone around!"
"Why didn't you arrest him then?" Mouri Ran asked, perplexed.
"Although we've identified the suspect, there's no concrete evidence yet," Tang Ze explained. "In fact, Abe Toyo has a solid alibi, which Detective Mouri himself verified."
Tang Ze turned to Kogoro Mouri. "Detective, could you tell me the details of your investigation? Let's organize the information we have so far."
Mouri Kogoro thought for a moment and then began recalling. "The deceased was found at the fire festival in Chigui Village, Gunma Prefecture, and I was following him up until his death—on Wednesday night, actually."
"So, you were tailing him from Wednesday evening to Thursday evening, correct?" Tang Ze asked.
"Exactly," Kogoro confirmed.
"And the person you suspect, Dad, was he with someone at a specific time?" Mouri Ran questioned.
"Impossible," Kogoro grumbled. "The suspect was traveling from Wednesday morning to Friday night, and he was with his employees from his company the whole time."
Mouri Ran raised an eyebrow. "So, why do you still think he's the murderer, Dad?"
"Because..." Kogoro Mouri's voice faltered for a second before he exclaimed, "Because I have a unique sixth sense!"
Mouri Ran stared at him with wide eyes. "Uh... Really?"
"Of course!" Kogoro Mouri puffed out his chest proudly, but his daughter just sighed in exasperation.
Tang Ze smiled and continued explaining, "Actually, the most compelling reason is the strong motive. The two of them had insured each other for 500 million yen. That alone shows Abe Toyo's possible intent to kill."
"So, you think he killed him for the money?" Mouri Ran asked.
"Exactly," Tang Ze nodded. "But there's more. Kogoro tracked him from Monday to Wednesday, and the victim died on Thursday. However, Abe Toyo has a solid alibi from Wednesday to Friday. His travels are accounted for, which means there's no way he could have killed him during that time."
Mouri Ran looked confused. "But if he really wanted to kill someone, wouldn't he just do it anywhere in the country? There's plenty of time to travel."
Tang Ze nodded, agreeing with her logic. "Exactly. With Japan being so compact, it's entirely possible for Abe to travel somewhere, commit the murder, and then return."
After all, the total area of Japan is only about 370,000 square kilometers, which isn't much for someone who can travel between locations quickly.
Back at the Mouri Detective Agency, Tang Ze and Kogoro Mouri spread out the photographs of Abe's Kyushu trip. They began going over the timeline and looking for inconsistencies.
But Mouri Ran wasn't done with her line of questioning. "Dad, if you really think Abe is guilty, why don't you just arrest him?"
"I can't," Tang Ze replied, holding up a piece of paper. "Right now, there's no conclusive evidence to charge him. But we can't rule him out either."
"Then... What's our next step?" Kogoro Mouri asked, frustration evident on his face.
"Let's keep digging," Tang Ze said. "We need to verify Abe's whereabouts on the night of the murder, and we'll need more information about his associates. Once we gather enough evidence, we'll have him in custody."