Inside the residence,
Mizuko Shibakusa, who was holding a book, became even more bewildered upon hearing Senichi's words. The unease that came from not knowing what was happening, being unable to control the situation, welled up within her. This unease translated into her actions, and she turned with a cold expression, intending to leave.
But Senichi stepped forward, blocking her path. "You once mentioned, right? That Mr. Murakami's right hand was injured from a fall during daytime exercise, making it difficult for him to flip through books. Is that testimony accurate?"
As he watched her pupils contract, Senichi smiled and picked up the book she was holding, raising it in front of her. "It seems you've realized it too. Indeed, this light novel was designed differently from regular novels. It intentionally uses a horizontal layout. Furthermore, the book itself opens to the left, making it most convenient to hold the book's spine with the right hand and use the left hand for turning pages. In this case, the right hand isn't needed at all, even if it's injured; it wouldn't matter."
This statement left Mizuko Shibakusa momentarily stunned. She then lowered her head and stared blankly at the book in her hand. "I..."
"You mentioned it before, didn't you? That Mr. Murakami struggled to flip through books with his right hand!" Senichi bluntly interrupted her, leaning forward and scrutinizing her from a higher vantage point. "But this book can be entirely managed without the right hand. The only answer I can think of is this: before you left, you never actually saw Mr. Murakami reading this book!
Because you didn't genuinely witness Mr. Murakami reading, your testimony naturally ended up being incorrect!
So, what did you actually see?"
As Mizuko Shibakusa's expression became increasingly uncomfortable, Senichi didn't wait for her response and took another step forward. This unintentionally made Mizuko Shibakusa retreat once again. In the next moment, the answer she least wanted to hear slowly emerged from Senichi's lips.
"What you saw wasn't Mr. Murakami reading a book in his study, but rather, him asleep, isn't it?"
"Wait a minute!" Mizuko Shibakusa spread her fingers and ran her hand through her hair, attempting to regain her composure. "Are you suggesting that I killed Mr. Murakami? Don't forget, Mr. Murakami took sleeping pills by himself, and I had nothing to do with it!"
"Yes!" Senichi nodded in agreement without hesitation. "It's indisputable that Mr. Murakami took the sleeping pills by himself."
"In that case, isn't Mr.Murakami's death just an accident?" Mizuko Shibakusa retorted. "Why do you accuse me of killing him?"
"Your lie indicates that you knew Mr. Murakami fell asleep after taking the sleeping pills, as the medication began to take effect," Senichi pointed out, extending his index finger closer to Mizuko Shibakusa. "I've envisioned countless scenarios in my mind, but from your only lie, I've found the answer that leads to the truth. It's not a case of suicide or accidental death, and it's not murder either."
"So what is it?" Yumi Miyamoto couldn't help but be the first to ask.
"Indirect intent."
Upon hearing this term, the officers present displayed understanding, but Mizuko Shibakusa seemed somewhat puzzled. "Indirect intent? What does that mean?"
Intentional homicide was something everyone was familiar with. It involved cases where criminals deliberately shot an enemy in the head or poisoned someone, constituting intentional murder.
On the other hand, there was manslaughter. This occurred when, for example, a hunter is shooting at a game in the hunting grounds and accidentally shoots another hunter who happens to be pursuing the same game. This is known as manslaughter.
The key difference was whether the killing was intentional or accidental.
Indirect intent fell somewhere in between. It was a gray area between intentional and unintentional killing. For instance, if a husband with a heart condition suddenly had an attack, fell to the ground in agony, and needed medication, and his wife, upon discovering the situation, chose not to rush to get the medication but instead quietly closed the bedroom door, allowing her husband to die due to the heart condition. Although she didn't physically harm him directly, if she did not intervene, he would die, making it a case of indirect intent.
In other words, it's when you don't actively seek to cause harm but also don't take effective measures to prevent it, instead, observing events unfold coldly.
Don't think you won't encounter similar situations in everyday life. For example, a common occurrence around us is throwing heavy objects from a height. You know that throwing things from a high-rise could potentially cause injury or death, but you do it anyway; that's indirect intent.
In Japan's law system, indirect intent is treated similarly to intentional murder.
"No!! Mr. Murakami fell asleep after I left!" Mizuko Shibakusa vehemently shook her head.
"Then how do you explain the lie about you seeing Mr. Murakami read with his right hand?" Senichi's words left Mizuko Shibakusa momentarily speechless, and in the end, she could only respond with silence.
Mizuko Shibakusa aspired to become a writer, which is why she became a disciple of the admired Mr. Murakami. However, despite her age, she had never been able to make her debut and had eventually taken on the role of a ghostwriter for Mr. Murakami.
On that evening, Mizuko Shibakusa continued her writing work as usual.
"'Love Deduction' is really well-written!" Takaki Murakami, in his bathrobe and holding a glass of water, came over to Mizuko Shibakusa and praised her, "My name has become quite popular recently!"
"You're too kind," Mizuko Shibakusa forced a smile.
"Miss Mizuko, it's wonderful to have you. I'll trouble you until I die, and even if you take a little extra from the prize money, it's fine by me," Takaki Murakami smiled and said, "I just took some medicine. If I happen to fall asleep in the study, please wake me up and send me to the bedroom."
"I understand," Mizuko Shibakusa replied, enduring the pain in her heart.
"Then please focus on crafting the ending," Takaki Murakami said, yawning, and walked into his study.
However, these sincere words from Murakami did not engender any genuine loyalty in Mizuko Shibakusa. On the contrary, her desire to make her debut and publish works under her own name had been growing stronger in her mind.
But until now, her sense of frustration had remained just that – frustration. The desire to debut and publish under her own name had only grown stronger as a thought, but she had no concrete plan of action.
Because today marked the conclusion of her work, she quickly pushed aside any distractions and concentrated on her writing.
When she finished writing the grand finale of her work and suddenly looked up at the clock on the wall, she realized it was already 10 PM.
At this moment, she suddenly remembered the instructions Murakami had given her earlier. In a hurry, she went to the study and opened the door.
And then...
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