Taiyaki is a traditional Japanese dessert commonly found in Japan.
It originated from Imagawa-yaki but developed into its own treat. Both of them have their origins in Tokyo.
Taiyaki was invented during the Meiji era when a man named Kobe Seijiro moved from Osaka to Tokyo to sell Imagawa-yaki. Faced with poor business, he came up with an improved version.
In Japan, tai (red snapper fish) holds a special position as a guardian deity of the sea, gradually becoming a deity of luck, commerce and wealth, Ebisu. In its hands, it holds a fishing rod, and the fish it embraces symbolizes auspiciousness - that's the red snapper.
Therefore, tai (red snapper fish) became a fish of celebration, also representing good luck.
With such auspicious symbolism, this delightful snack quickly gained people's favor.
One could say the only difference between the two desserts lies in their mold shapes, as the craftsmanship and ingredients used are actually identical.
Yet, it is this change in shape that makes poisoning easier.
After all, taiyaki takes the shape of a fish, making it easy to identify the location of a lethal poison once administered.
"Then, where is the evidence?"
Akana looked at Senichi while clapping with a smile but spoke words that contradicted her actions.
"As a detective, isn't everything about evidence? I ask Senichi-san to present the evidence that proves I gave my husband taiyaki and not Imagawa-yaki."
Her words and actions were clearly at odds with each other.
Through her actions, she indicated agreement with his words, but her words made sure not to leave any openings or handles.
Clearly, Reika Akana was a clever adversary, not leaving any room for mistakes in her words, likely to prevent Senichi from carrying a recording device to capture her conversation.
However, Senichi was not using such a method. After all, he had far simpler and more direct methods at his disposal.
Nonetheless, Senichi didn't pay much attention to Reika Akana's actions. Leaning forward, he casually pointed at the plate of Imagawa-yaki, saying, "We discussed this when we first met, didn't we?
Cold Imagawa-yaki doesn't taste good, so it needs to be heated. So, during dinner, naturally, you reheated it for your husband, didn't you?"
"Of course," Reika Akana nodded as if it were only natural.
"Then, what did you use to heat the Imagawa-yaki at that time?" Senichi immediately asked.
"That goes without saying, of course, I used a..."
Reika Akana blurted out, but then she suddenly stopped, realizing her mistake. After a moment's pause, she quickly corrected herself, "Of course, I used a toaster."
"Lies!" Senichi pointed at Reika Akana with an expression of "You're not being honest," speaking with a tone that left no room for doubt, "You lied, Miss Akana."
"Why?" Reika Akana's eyes narrowed, and she asked, "What makes you so sure?"
"It's simple logic." Senichi picked up an Imagawa-yaki, "Look at this Imagawa-yaki, it's big and round. How could it possibly fit into a toaster oven?"
Senichi gestured with his hand, indicating the width with his fingers, "Something this thick wouldn't fit into a toaster, right?"
"What about an oven then..."
"The oven was used for roasting meat, wasn't it? And at that time, you should have been heating up roasted beef."
Senichi interrupted Reika Akana's attempt to argue and continued bluntly, "You don't mean to say you put the Imagawa-yaki into the greasy oven, do you?
If you did that, the snack would be coated with salty butter, and your husband wouldn't have handed you the Imagawa-yaki with his bare hands."
"So, how did I poison him then?" Reika Akana asked with curiosity, "If I poisoned the taiyaki, how did I make sure my husband ate the poisoned half?
When I handed him the snack, he broke it in half, and only after watching me eat one half did he eat the other."
"It's simple. You just poisoned the tail end of the taiyaki. With its fish-like shape, it's very convenient to poison one part of it, right?"
Senichi leaned back, adopting a tactical posture in his chair, "Unlike Imagawa-yaki, taiyaki has a fish shape, which means there's more filling in the head area and less in the tail area.
And for Mr. Ace as a husband, it's normal to give you the part with more filling. Even though you two had an argument yesterday, habits like this don't change.
So, you took advantage of the habit your husband had developed over the years of being with you and put the poison into his mouth."
Senichi looked at Reika Akana and smiled, "Well, what do you think? Do you think my reasoning is correct?"
Reika Akana fell silent upon hearing his words. The smile on her face disappeared as she stared carefully at Senichi. Then, in the next moment, her smile suddenly reappeared.
"Before I answer that question, I have a question for you," she said.
"Please, go ahead," Senichi gestured politely, "A lady always has privileges."
Reika Akana looked at Senichi with a smile that seemed both sincere and elusive, "Since you have concluded that I am the murderer and that I poisoned the Imagawa-yaki.
Then, who gave you the courage to come to this dinner alone and eat a snack that was once used by a murderer to kill someone?"
"Because I know you are not that kind of person," Senichi looked into Reika Akana's eyes and said, "The reason this case has become so perplexing is that it was accomplished through a series of coincidences.
Initially, it was quite simple, but various random factors of fate turned it into an unsolvable puzzle."
Senichi's smile faded as he spoke seriously, "In reality, you must have been prepared that day. You knew exactly what you were going to do, and you went ahead with the plan, even risking your own life with the determination to be caught."
However, fate had other plans. She had no intention to escape, but the determination to be caught ended up causing this intricate case.
Reika Akana's husband shared half of the snack with her, not out of love for his wife, but to test for poison because he would only eat the other half after seeing her finish hers.
Miss Aissha decided to return out of curiosity and accidentally witnessed the moment when Reika Akana administered the poison.
It was the combination of her husband's actions and Miss Aissha's spontaneous decision that led to this nearly perfect crime.
Fate is truly incomprehensibly strange, and everything is predestined.
"So, I know you are not a bad person," Senichi looked at Reika Akana seriously, "That's why I'm not afraid that you poisoned the snack. Because whatever you do, you do it with integrity."
"Yes... I'm not... that composed and insightful killer..." Reika Akana's voice whispered with a hint of sobbing, echoing in the quiet room.
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