Along with Senichi's explanation, even though it was still not given much importance, at least Senichi had achieved his goal.
At the very least, Senichi had expanded the scope of the investigation beyond the "correct answer." With this foundation, it would greatly facilitate Senichi's future actions.
After confirming the search routes, Takagi and Senichi divided the work and began investigating in two directions that were destined to yield no results.
By noon, the investigation results of the two had come out.
Whether in his daily life or at the company, Nishiyama was an ordinary person who didn't cause trouble, tried not to give others any trouble, let alone make others hold grudges against him.
"There are truly no clues in these two lines, daily life and the company..."
Takagi looked at the investigation results in his hands, which showed no progress, and scratched his head in distress. "We haven't gained anything from the suspicious individuals and witnesses around the crime scene. Should we really investigate those internet users...?"
Just as Senichi was about to say something, the ringtone of the phone in his pocket suddenly rang.
Taking out his phone and looking at the text message sent by Ran, a smile involuntarily appeared on Senichi's lips.
The timing couldn't be more perfect.
Senichi had wasted so much time laying the groundwork, all for this moment!
The show was about to begin!!
....
Winter, compared to the other three seasons, was a beautiful season that brought about the most significant changes to the surrounding environment.
Small white snowflakes floated in the wind, gradually covering the entire world with a pure white color.
The snowflakes filled the air, dyeing everything around into a silver-clad white. However, in the bustling city, this serene beauty could not withstand the overpowering atmosphere of fireworks and would soon be destroyed.
At this moment, as police cars continuously drove away from the city, the snow scene gradually returned to the two individuals' sight, marred by pedestrians and vehicles.
On both sides of the road, houses became scarce, while trees began to increase.
In this forest untouched by human footprints, a pristine beauty of flawless whiteness entered the sight of the two.
"Senichi-kun, are we really going to investigate that party at the mountain villa?" Takagi sighed as he drove the car. "I have a feeling it will be a wasted trip. There's no apparent connection between the two."
"That's why I told you that you didn't need to come along, didn't I? This is basically my personal matter, and I'll investigate the line I speculated, while I'm at it."
Senichi spread his hands and smiled. "Who would have thought that Ran-san and Sonoko would actually attend that party? Since it's already known to be related to the murder case, as the future brother-in-law, I have to investigate it.
Ayako even specifically asked me to pay attention to Sonoko's party. If something really happens, how can I face Ayako if I don't go?"
"You are truly in love."
A sweet dose of dog food went straight into Takagi's mouth, causing him to involuntarily roll his eyes. "But since you say it's a clue, it wouldn't comply with the regulations if I didn't come along."
"So you say it's unreliable, but deep down you still want to see if there are any clues."
Senichi exposed Takagi's hidden thoughts with a smile. "If you didn't consider this as part of the investigation, you wouldn't have come with me. After all, there's no rule that private matters have to be done in pairs."
In criminal investigations, detectives usually work in pairs, serving as mutual supervision or providing testimony in case of unexpected events, to prevent certain things from being concealed.
That's why Takagi initially thought of this as part of an official investigation, at most accompanied by Senichi's personal matter.
"Oh, you saw through it?" Takagi chuckled while holding the steering wheel. "It's because it's your deduction, Senichi-kun. Since I joined the force, I haven't seen you make any mistakes."
That's the benefit of Senichi consistently delivering impressive results. Leaving aside everything else, in their department, people have a high level of trust in Senichi's deductions.
Even if a situation seems unlikely, as long as Senichi says it, they would first verify it rather than dismissing it outright.
Takagi is no exception. Despite saying it's impossible and having no connection, if the person making the deduction is Senichi, he's willing to investigate and explore it instead of dismissing it as nonsense.
During the Billion Yen Robbery case, Senichi's deduction led them to a significant breakthrough in the investigation, which resulted in substantial achievements.
These achievements have turned into trust, further emphasizing the weight of Senichi's words.
Initially, Senichi planned to directly investigate after learning about the plot.
However, realizing that the magic lover party and the case seemed unrelated in the eyes of others, it wouldn't make sense to rush to the villa without a clear lead.
After thinking it through, Senichi immediately changed the plan and chose a more secure approach.
He laid the groundwork by indicating that this case might be related to the magic lover party.
Then, Senichi and Takagi spent a lot of time investigating and inquiring about potential leads, such as disputes among colleagues or friends.
By noon, they had made no progress and had no results from their investigation.
At that point, Senichi received a text message from Ran, which made Officer Takagi aware that Ran and Sonoko are "coincidentally" attending the same party.
After fruitless hours of wasted effort, Senichi decided to investigate the party, which became the logical next step.
Once they received the information that Ran and Sonoko would attend the party, this seemingly unimportant investigation gained another level of significance.
Even without considering the relationship between Senichi and Sonoko, Takagi, due to his frequent interactions with Mouri Kogoro, also considered Ran and Sonoko as friends.
Now that the two girls were going to a place where a crime might occur, it was inconceivable for Takagi to sit idly by and let them walk into potential danger.
Moreover, it happened to be the location Senichi suspected, and the investigation had reached a dead end. Under both professional and personal circumstances, there was no way to avoid this trip.
As for why Senichi "wasted" so much time, he had his reasons.
After careful consideration, he realized that the best and safest time to act was when Ran and the others were about to go to the villa.
If they went there earlier, he wasn't sure if the culprit had made all the necessary preparations. What if they hadn't poured gasoline on the bridge yet? It would be pointless and troublesome.
Waiting patiently for the culprit to set everything up and then taking action was actually the most secure and effortless method.
By then, Senichi would have solid evidence connecting the party and the "Shadow Priest."
Then, it would be a simple matter of bringing them in for investigation!
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