The Eccentric, the Beauty, and the Detective: Kiriki Junka's Mystery Log Volume 2 Chapter 26

I ran my pen across the page, and passed the paper on to Nao. She also looked surprised at the name, as did the remaining three.

Junka was bringing us to Minamatsenpai. Did that make her the culprit? Was she not the fourth victim?

It was pleasant inside the hospital where the temperature was well regulated. We walked the hall with care not to disturb the patients, and arrived at the room we had been directed to at the nurse station. The nameplate read: Ms. Minamoto Kei, Ms. Furuya Misuzu, Ms. Osanai Ai, Ms. Satou Yuuka; it was a four patient room.

Junka called Minamatsenpai's name, and the response came right away.

“So you came, Junka?”

She wore a hospital gown, and her arm was in a triangle bandage over her chest. She smiled at him, but furrowed her brow upon seeing the five of us file in behind him.

“Oi, oi, how many are going to show up?”

“If it's going public, it doesn't really matter, does it?”

“That's true, I guess. Alright, since secret talks aren't allowed in here, let's head to the lounge.”

We followed after her. The lounge was large, with tables and chairs lined up in an orderly fashion. It seemed like it could double as a cafeteria. Sunlight streamed in from the windows, and various patients were enjoying their conversations in disparate nooks around the room. Coffee and tea were also available, judging from the pots and paper cups.

We sat down — all of us except for Minamatsenpai, that is.

“Okay, so I'll go get him now.”

“Please.”

Junka gave her a slight bow. She left the lounge.

Oh? What was this? I questioned Junka.

“She's not the culprit?”

“Nobody said anything of the sort. You'll find out soon.”

Junka ran his fingers through his hair. We waited in silence for Minamatsenpai's return.

She came back with a male patient.

He was victim number six: Kurosawa Toshikatsu of class 2, 2.

“What's all this?” he complained after briefly looking us over.

I would describe him in a single word as solid. His burly figure was barely contained by his clothes, and he had thick eyebrows over his deep, hawk-like eyes. I felt like I was gazing up at a steel tower. His wrist was concealed in plaster.

Junka rose.

“Thanks for coming, Kurosawsenpai. I'm sure your fracture is painful, but in comparison to the needless violence inflicted upon Hatanaksensei, our good friend Tatsuno-san, Amane-san, and Ayamoto-senpai, it surely is nothing much.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“That you're the culprit behind the shovings.”

Kurosawsenpai was dignified. I did not peg him as a coward.

“That's quite the claim. Oh yes, if I remember correctly, you are Kiriki of the detective association, no?”

“My my, to think you know of me.”

“I just read your article in the school paper.”

Kurosawa sat heavily on a chair.

“Interesting. Let's have you say just why you think that.”

“Of course.”

Junka and Minamatsenpai both sat down.

“The first thing I focused on was a pattern of victims,” Junka exposited carefully, “Aside from all being female, there wasn't anything in common. In short, the offender was indiscriminatory. Why would the perpetrator do that —that which would destroy whatever social status he had if he failed— I had no idea.”

Kurosawsenpai was drinking his tea with the composure of a man in regular conversation. Junka continued his reasoning.

“Now then, after the third incident with Amane-san, the detective association began to watch things carefully. We held a stakeout on the second and third floors to observe people approaching the stairs. We thought to lay a net through which no one could slip. The culprit would be unable to shove any girls without himself using the stairs. However…”

Kurosawsenpai nodded.

“Minamata was shoved. Is that it?”

I looked over to her to see her eyes cast downward.

Junka cleared his throat.

“That's right, a fourth victim had appeared. That was when Sannomiykun had thought that the culprit operated from the roof.”

Eiji's mouth pointed in ill humor.

“Sooorry.”

“The investigation done by Eiji-kun and Rouji-kun revealed that nobody had been on the roof… I'd suspected as much. The grounds for that was on how unrealistic it would be for a culprit on the roof to nail the timing it would take to bring down Minamatsenpai. That's what I thought.”

He looked at Minamatsenpai.

“The culprit wasn't on the third floor, the second floor, or the roof. That made things simple. It meant that Minamatsenpai had thrown herself down the stairs. The conclusion is obvious.”

The sight of Mimatsenpai's pained figure reflected in my eyes.

“Oi, she fractured her arm. Are you saying she did that to herself?”

“That's right, she did it herself. All for the sake of her beloved Kurosawsenpai, right?”

The bomb he'd just dropped shook the air with silence. All she could do was look at the table with difficulty. Kurosawsenpai remained unphased as if nothing was abnormal.

Junka shot him a glare.

“She liked you, so she threw herself down and falsely claimed the perpetrator was a small girl. She did it to save you from our net.”

“How did you figure that out?” I butted in.

“I asked around secretly about 2, 2's Mimatsenpai, you see. Well, it's an open secret she liked Kurosawsenpai. A one sided affair.”

Junka pulled something out of his pocket to place on the table; it was his beloved audio recorder.

“So I gathered all the information I could, and on the following day, I came here to speak with Minamatsenpai. This is the conversation.”

He flipped a switch and just when I thought it was only going to be white noise, Mimatsenpai's voice came through.

“What's this? This machine?”

Junka's voice responded, “Hm? This is recording is for use by the detective association as to avoid things becoming muddled. It's just a formality, so don't pay it any mind.”

I heard somebody tut.

“So, what're you here for?”

“Yes, why exactly did you throw yourself down?”

She was taken aback for a second, though it seemed purposeful. Apparently, she didn't have acting talent.

“Are you saying I did this to myself, fracture and all?”

“Yes.”

“Are you kidding?”

“Not at all. Only, considering the circumstances, this is the only conclusion to be drawn.”

She feigned anger, “Go away. I'm not going to take this.”

“This won't get us anywhere,” Junka was calm, “but, Mimatsenpai, no matter how hard you cover things over, Kurosawsenpai won't be swayed.”

A gasp betrayed her shock, and she tried to cover it with a laugh.

“Oh, you're going to change the subject now?”

“From my investigations, I have determined that you are infatuated with Kurosawsenpai. At the same time, he is in love with a girl from another school, right? It might not be particularly recent, but a witness has reported seeing the two on a pleasant date before.”

“…”

“You knew it was hopeless,” Junka's blade cut the heavy silence, “but you resolved to do anything for him.”

“Shut up.”

“I'd considered many reasons you may have injured yourself so, but the most obvious one is that this is all for the sake of your beloved Kurosawsenpai,” Junka wasn't slowing as he moved to resolve the case, “That's when you saw it: the scene of Kurosawsenpai shoving a girl down the stairs after school.”

“Shut up!”

“That's why you threw yourself down, breaking a bone even, sustaining a heavy injury. All for Kurosawsenpai. A tragic love.”

“!!”

Junka cut off Mimatsenpai just as she was about to shout something.

“Mimatsenpai, Mimatsenpai! Please… just be honest. Kurosawsenpai is the culprit, right?”

With a stroke, Junka reduced the sound to a level so low I almost thought the recorder broke.

Finally, a sigh came from Mimatsenpai.

“That's… right. He's the one who shoved the second victim, that first year girl. I saw it from the landing above, and hid myself in panic. Kurosawa got out of there quickly without noticing me,” her voice was teary, “So I threw myself down the stairs to prove his innocence. After I'd confirmed you were watching, of course.”

Translator's Note:

This is the classic mystery novel method of “if you don't give them the evidence, they won't ever see the twist.” I like it when all the pieces click into place in an “aha” moment, rather than a surprise “it was that guy that didn't matter at all!”

Editor's Note:

I edited this one with a cat curled up on my arm. it made for slow, one-handed typing, but the adorable kitten is worth the trouble. Dr MIA continues to live up to his name. When will the ninja save us all?

Chapter end