Case NOT Closed

“Do we really need to go this far?” Ai asked.

So, Ai asked in this way.

“Based on what Nakamichi-san said just now, those police interrogating him might be good detectives. Accusing them in court could lead to disciplinary action or even them losing their jobs. Is it really necessary?”

Kensuke looked at her and smiled.

“What you’re saying now and what you said when you bid farewell to Conan are completely different. Hormones affecting the brain, physiological influences on the mind, did compassion suddenly strike?”

“So, Mr. Great Lawyer, what’s your brilliant suggestion?” Ai teased, crossing her arms.

Kensuke suppressed his smile, and his expression seemed to become serious.

“Haibara, what do you think the purpose of a lawyer’s existence is?”

“To safeguard the interests of the client and ensure the fairness of the law,” the little girl answered immediately.

Kensuke shook his head, “That’s already been said. Let me narrow it down a bit.”

He paused, looking into Ai’s eyes.

“For the police and prosecution, what does the existence of a lawyer represent?”

Ai tilted her head, “Adversaries?”

“Correct, but only half right.” Kensuke smiled. “Take another guess.”

Ai lowered her head, pondering.

After a moment, she shook her head.

“I don’t know.”

In the end, she was just a newcomer. Although she could memorize the law proficiently, she hadn’t worked as a lawyer yet.

“A lawyer, for the police and prosecution, is also a supervisor, a Damocles’ sword.”

Kensuke said so.

He reached to his chest and took off the lawyer’s badge pinned there.

In the golden bronze pattern, there was an image of a scale engraved in the middle.

“With the development of the times and multiple reforms by the police department, Japan’s judicial system is quite sophisticated now.”

Kensuke said slowly.

“However, within the judiciary, there will always be some loopholes, whether it’s problems with legal provisions or issues with personnel enforcing the law.”

“The role of a lawyer is to find these loopholes one by one, so that the balance of the law can be more stable and orderly.”

“The police and prosecution must have responsibilities that match their powers.”

“If there is a situation where they fail to fulfill their responsibilities, then the lawyer, this Damocles’ sword, will come down and strip them of their corresponding powers.”

“This is the significance of a lawyer for the entire police and prosecution system.”

Having said this, Kensuke smiled slightly and looked at Ai, who seemed to be pondering. He reached out and patted her head.

“Now do you understand? Why I must accuse those police officers, not just because they violently interrogated a suspect, but because they must receive the necessary lessons given their positions.”

“Yeah, I understand.”

Ai nodded and raised her head.

Her eyes, with a faint light, looked at Kensuke. “It seems like you’re good at using all sorts of high-sounding reasons to cover up your dirty actions, even though it sounds quite reasonable.”

“Not just sounding, it is reasonable in practice.”

“So, it all relies on your mouth, huh? And your thick skin.”

“What’s wrong, don’t accept it?”

The two continued walking, gradually leaving this topic behind.

However, after this conversation, the originally green girl seemed to have gained a bit more maturity.

…

After about twenty minutes, they arrived at Nakamichi Kazushi’s home.

In a cardboard box next to the machine, Kensuke found a large stack of papers.

On each sheet of paper, there were threatening words, such as “I will kill you” and “I want to commit suicide,” among other similar phrases.

The papers were densely covered with these words, and it was quite disturbing to look at.

It was evident that the victim was a deeply troubled woman.

“That bald guy is really pitiful, getting involved with a woman like this,” Kensuke remarked, although his tone didn’t show any hint of sympathy.

“What do you need these for?” Ai asked from the side.

Kensuke raised an eyebrow. “I noticed that you switch between being smart and being foolish. Can’t you figure out what I’m doing right now?”

Ai squinted at him and replied, “After listening to your earlier grandiose speech, I think I need to be more cautious about my stance on the law. Is that not okay?”

“Is that so? You still have a lot to learn.”

Kensuke casually commented as he placed all the scattered papers into a briefcase.

“With these materials, we can confuse the cause of the victim’s death. You see, she has written so many suicide faxes, so there’s a possibility that she did commit suicide, right?”

Ai tilted his head in confusion. “But so many witnesses have said it was murder. In that case, doesn’t the possibility of suicide you mentioned become less likely?”

“This is just one piece of the puzzle.”

Kensuke raised a finger and gently shook it.

“The so-called truth that the detectives deduce is like a complete puzzle. If we want to prove innocence, we must dismantle these pieces one by one. Taking apart just one piece might not seem to have a significant impact on the whole, but as an individual, it is indispensable. Only by dismantling all the pieces can we bury what they claim.”

Ai nodded, understanding.

“You always say such criminal things without changing your expression.”

“Criminal? Is this considered criminal? I’m just using methods that ordinary people wouldn’t dare to use to prove the innocence of the person involved.”

Kensuke smirked.

“In the end, it’s just a gray area, right?” Ai shrugged.

Kensuke smiled.

“Alright, there are other things to do next.”

After packing up Yumi Hori’s faxes, Kensuke didn’t linger here.

After leaving the building, he took out his phone and dialed a number.

After a soothing melody played for a while, the call was answered.

“This is Kojiro Daily News. Is there something I can help you with?”

“Hello, I have some information about the Chiba Prefectural Police, related to their use of excessive force. Are you interested in discussing it?”

Upon hearing this, the person on the other end immediately became alert.

“Of course, are you available to meet?”

They quickly agreed on a location.

After hanging up the phone, Ai gave him a sidelong glance.

“You really don’t hold back; you even contacted the media to spread the impact.”

Kensuke shrugged and smiled slightly.

“In this world, whenever there’s a confrontation between two sides, one side is always the ‘bad guy.’ So, if I don’t take on that role, who will? You see what I mean?”