Akikawa Kyousuke returned to Ryo Sogabe's screening room and sat next to Misaki Itakura.
"Mr. Akikawa, it took you a long time to go to the restroom..."
Misaki Itakura couldn't help but complain when she saw Akikawa Kyousuke return.
"There were many police officers outside the screening room. I stayed to observe for a while."
"Eh?! Police?"
"Yes, I heard our director was found dead in his private lounge."
"?!"
Misaki Itakura's eyes widened upon hearing this.
A look of disbelief crossed her face, and it took her a while to digest the information from Akikawa Kyousuke's words.
"What's going on? This is the third death in over a month!"
"And why is the security at the Suzuki Consortium so poor?"
Misaki Itakura couldn't help but complain.
---
In Ryo Sogabe's private lounge, Sera Masumi had just reported the findings she and Conan had uncovered to Inspector Megure Juzo, who had arrived on the scene.
After ordering forensic officers to conduct a more thorough investigation, Megure spoke to Sera Masumi with a serious expression:
"This time, the murderer has a gun, which is extremely dangerous. To prevent anyone else from getting hurt, we must apprehend the culprit as soon as possible."
Sera Masumi nodded seriously.
"I'll do my best to assist, Inspector Megure."
At that moment, Megure's phone rang. He answered, then immediately raised his voice:
"What did you say?! Understood!"
Megure's sudden reaction caught the attention of both Conan and Sera Masumi.
After hanging up, he turned to Sera Masumi.
"Another person has been found dead in their private lounge. This time, the victim is Souma Miho, another director."
"Souma Miho?!"
Both Conan and Sera Masumi exclaimed in surprise upon hearing the name.
They were taken aback.
"Do you know them?" Megure asked.
"Souma Miho was the first witness to Tsunekazu Kosaka's incident yesterday and was the one who screamed," Sera Masumi explained.
"Additionally, Ryo Sogabe, Miho Souma, who died today, and Tsunekazu Kosaka, who died yesterday, were all friends seated at the same table during last night's dinner."
"All three directors who sat at the same table are now dead. No matter how you think about it, this cannot be a coincidence."
Inspector Megure frowned and analyzed.
"Our investigation of Director Sogabe's situation is nearly complete. Let's head to Director Souma's lounge immediately."
Megure had no objections to Sera Masumi's suggestion. After issuing instructions, he prepared to lead everyone to Miho Souma's lounge.
Conan also wanted to join them.
But just as he was about to follow, Mouri Ran grabbed him by the collar.
"Conan, you shouldn't follow. Didn't you hear what Inspector Megure just said? The culprit has a gun!"
"No, it's fine, Ran-sister!"
"I said no, and that's final!"
Ran elongated her tone, placing her hands on her hips and wearing a stern expression.
"It's fine, Ran. The culprit definitely won't stay at the scene," Sera Masumi interjected to help Conan.
"Presumably, like the other directors, Souma Miho was killed in their private lounge during the film screening and wasn't discovered until it was time to give a speech before the next screening."
"Also, Conan has a sharp eye for detail. He often notices things I miss."
"With his help, we can solve cases twice as efficiently."
"Well…"
Sera's sincere words made Ran hesitate, but after a moment, she nodded.
"Alright, but Sera and Conan, please be careful!"
Conan and Sera agreed and then followed Inspector Megure to Miho Souma's lounge.
Upon arrival, they found that Miho Souma's death was very similar to Ryo Sogabe's.
Both had been shot in the forehead.
The only difference was that Miho Souma had also been shot in the inner elbow.
---
"The bullets used to kill Director Souma are the same type as those used on Director Sogabe—9mm rounds. Thus, it's initially judged to be the work of the same person," Sera Masumi concluded after observing the shell casings on the floor.
She then turned to Inspector Megure.
"Inspector, please have the forensic officers compare the rifling marks on the two bullets."
Megure nodded slightly and gave the order.
The same type of bullet doesn't necessarily mean they came from the same gun.
This is where rifling marks come into play.
Rifling marks are like a gun's fingerprint. Only by comparing these marks can it be determined whether two bullets were fired from the same weapon.
---
"Since the three victims all sat at the same table last night, does this mean the murderer held a grudge against all three?" Megure analyzed again.
"No."
Sera Masumi immediately refuted the inspector's theory.
"The method of killing the last two victims differs from how Tsunekazu Kosaka was killed yesterday. If it were the same person, there would be no reason to specifically choose a more risky method like using a gun."
"Additionally, another point: the killer deliberately targeted their arms and elbows despite being able to kill them with a single shot."
"Wait, wait, wait!"
Hearing Sera's reasoning, Megure interrupted suddenly.
"The wounds on Ryo Sogabe's arm and Miho Souma's elbow both showed signs of being inflicted while they were alive. Doesn't that mean the killer shot their arms or elbows first before finishing them off with a shot to the head?"
"If the killer truly wanted to cover something up, wouldn't they have waited until the victims were dead to shoot their arms?"
"Shooting non-lethal areas while they're still alive would not only make it harder to aim but could also alert the target, causing them to scream and draw attention, wouldn't it?"
Megure found it difficult to agree with Sera's pure reasoning, finding it illogical.
"That's because the killer is very clever," a childish voice suddenly chimed in.
Conan's words successfully drew the attention of Megure and the officers present.
"As Inspector Megure said, if the killer had shot those areas after the victims were already dead, wouldn't the police immediately deduce the killer's motive from the absence of a biological reaction?"
Megure pondered this and realized it made sense.
But it still felt difficult to accept.
"The kid is correct," Sera Masumi picked up the conversation.
"It sounds challenging to shoot someone in a specific body part and then in the head while they're still alive without drawing attention."
"But, Inspector Megure, have you noticed that both the wound on Ryo Sogabe's arm and Miho Souma's elbow share a specific characteristic?"
"Namely, the bullet's trajectory goes from above downward, not toward surrounding walls."
"In other words, the killer didn't shoot from a distance but at close range, likely while the victims actively extended their arms toward them. The killer suddenly drew a gun and shot their arms."
"This not only proves the close relationship between the killer and the victims but also shows that whatever the killer wanted to conceal must be of great importance to them."
"Either it could expose the killer's identity, or it posed a fatal threat to them."
Sera Masumi stared at Miho Souma's body on the ground and spoke in a somber tone.
(End of Chapter)