The lawyer was temporarily unable to respond, hastily leaning toward Kujo Hikari's ear to murmur. His expression and demeanor were like that of a young wife trying to calm down her angry husband.

However, Fushimi Roku continued to add fuel to the fire, sarcastically mentioning Ichikawa Akiyuki, claiming that Kujo Hikari couldn't even control his lover, who ended up slapping him in the face, truly lacking the demeanor of a man.

He had already pinpointed Kujo Hikari's sore spot, which was 'a man's dignity'... Any insult directed at Kujo Hikari's masculine pride would provoke his fury.

Especially references to his father's disappointment in him, his lover's betrayal, his control over women, and his reputation...

Just one mention could make Kujo Hikari's anger rise by one notch.

Fushimi Roku intentionally maintained a posture of inviting a hit, hoping Kujo Hikari would quickly make a move.

As long as Kujo Hikari made a gesture of swinging, even if it didn't connect, Fushimi Roku would dramatically fall to the ground, howling, and extend his detention under charges of obstructing justice and assaulting the police.

Unfortunately, Kujo Hikari, being forty years old, wasn't as hot-headed as the younger generation. Plus, he understood the law, so even when flushed with anger, he held back from making a move.

Alas, what a pity.

Failing with one ploy, Fushimi Roku sat upright and tried another, putting on a serious face and saying, "The police now have conclusive evidence proving that you killed Ichikawa Akiyuki. While the case of Kujo Yuka might not be your doing, you absolutely can't escape the charge of murdering Ichikawa Akiyuki... I advise you to confess now, at least to reduce the sentence."

Kujo Hikari turned his gaze to the lawyer, who asked, "What evidence?"

"Sorry, it's not convenient to disclose," Fushimi Roku said.

The lawyer immediately understood, slightly shook his head at Kujo Hikari, who caught on and remained silent.

"Still not giving up?" Fushimi Roku turned his head, giving Minamoto Tamako a look, signaling it was her turn now.

Unfortunately, Minamoto Tamako didn't catch on to his coordination. Seeing Fushimi Roku's eyes, she didn't understand the meaning, and sat absent-mindedly at the recording desk.

Fushimi Roku had no choice but to lean in and clearly say, "Talk about your deduction, pretend you have evidence to scare them a bit."

Minamoto Tamako was momentarily confused, asking, "What deduction? Ichikawa Akiyuki's extortion? That's just a motive, right?"

"That's my deduction. Aren't you self-proclaimed a famous detective? Don't you have any deduction of your own?" Fushimi Roku asked, "It's your time to shine, don't mess it up!"

Minamoto Tamako wanted to say something, but was gently nudged by Fushimi Roku. He whispered in her ear, "As a future famous detective, you can't even deduce such a simple case, can you?"

Minamoto Tamako's expression changed slightly, turning to ask, "You've already deduced the truth?"

Fushimi Roku originally intended to deny it, but he caught something and changed his phrasing, saying:

"That's right, I'm testing you now. If you can't even see such an obvious matter, you're not fit to be the leader of the deduction squad."

After saying that, he placed both hands on Minamoto Tamako's shoulders, forcing her to sit in the lead seat.

Minamoto Tamako felt somewhat dazed, first glancing at Fushimi Roku. The latter spread his hands, indicating it was her time to perform; then she looked at Kujo Hikari and the lawyer, both staring at her with hostile eyes.

Now she was officially a criminal police, naturally possessing a criminal police's instincts and intuition.

With enough exposure to suspects, she could discern from their gaze whether they were guilty.

This is a matter of experience; by handling cases seriously, one can summarize a pattern.

Minamoto Tamako could immediately see that Kujo Hikari was bluffing.

He was indeed very angry, but his anger stemmed from fear.

If Kujo Hikari was truly the murderer, how did he commit the crime in two places simultaneously?

Minamoto Tamako's brain instinctively began to ponder; she was unwilling to lose her position as leader of the deduction squad.

Even if the team had only two members, even if Fushimi Roku and Taira Sakurako didn't take it seriously, she didn't want to lose this title.

Loss meant she was regressing, implying she was one step further from her dream of becoming a famous detective.

At the same time, her curiosity peaked under the instinct to uncover the truth.

If her brain were a high-performance computer, its CPU was heating up rapidly at this moment.

Fushimi Roku squinted, carefully observing Minamoto Tamako's state. The last time he saw her with this expression was during the profiling at the Sugamo Apartment.

Kujo Hikari was growing impatient, unable to hold back, pounding the table: "You've been wasting time, dithering, it's maddening! It's ruining my appetite!"

The lawyer chimed in, "Extended interrogation has the suspicion of fatigue interrogation. I hope you two officers won't drag it out any longer..."

As he spoke, he tapped his watch, reminding, "In ten minutes, the detention period will be over. The court has rejected the police department's request for an extension, it's time to release him, let's part on good terms."

With that, the lawyer stood first, signaling to the officers to start the release procedures in advance.

"Hurry up and leave! You're as annoying as your mother!" Kujo Hikari shouted loudly.

Minamoto Tamako's eyes suddenly gained focus.

Her gaze fell on Kujo Hikari, as if sleepwalking, murmuring softly, "I understand... I know how you did it..."

"What?" The lawyer didn't catch it.

Fushimi Roku followed suit, standing up, abruptly pressing the lawyer back down, glaring at Kujo Hikari with harsh eyes, forcing him and the lawyer to settle down: "Listen quietly!"

Minamoto Tamako paused for a few seconds, as if sorting through the clues in her mind.

In normal circumstances, if she deduced the truth, she would definitely say a sentence or two to act cool, but now she just wanted to quickly articulate her deductive process.

"The key to the case lies with Kujo Yuka. She opened a flower shop and ran it alone. With no financial issues and not going to a hospital, why did she close the shop due to health problems?"

Minamoto Tamako spoke to herself. Her voice wasn't loud, but her tone was extraordinarily clear, possessing an inexplicable magic, enticing others to listen attentively.

"What occupational diseases could result from running a flower shop? Moving heavy items, perhaps? Such as flower pots or fertilizer, hauling them back and forth could indeed lead to lumbar strain, closing the shop due to a lumbar injury is plausible."

"However, according to her friend, Ms. Yamato, Kujo Yuka once considered becoming a caregiver — as a caregiver, you would need to support and lift patients, indicating that her spine remained healthy."

"That leaves another possibility, which is a pollen allergy."

At this point, Kujo Hikari's eyelid twitched slightly, about to speak up, but Fushimi Roku suddenly pinched his jaw, leaning over the table, and whispered, "I told you to be quiet, can't you understand human language?"

Kujo Hikari's face twisted in pain, a shooting pain radiating from his jaw, feeling as though it might shatter under the grip.

The lawyer wanted to say something, trying to delay, but hesitated under Fushimi Roku's fierce glare, his pupils glowing menacingly under the fluorescent lights. The lawyer's heart skipped, and he swallowed his words.

Minamoto Tamako noticed it, but didn't mind, her brain had no room left to process visual information — she was still methodically organizing the case clues, piecing them together, gradually reconstructing the truth.

"Ms. Yamato also mentioned that Kujo Yuka once exclaimed 'I hate autumn.' If it's not specifically referring to Ichikawa Akiyuki, it's very likely referring to 'disliking flowers blooming in autumn.'

"From this deduction, the reason Kujo Yuka would dislike autumn is most likely due to an allergy to specific floral pollen — she couldn't have had a severe pollen allergy, otherwise, she wouldn't have chosen to open a flower shop."

"These flowers typically bloom in the autumn, which are seasonal flowers, hence Kujo Yuka would choose to close the shop during this period..."

Before Minamoto Tamako finished, Fushimi Roku had already guessed what she was thinking, immediately releasing Kujo Hikari and opening the interrogation room door, shouting for the criminal police to retrieve Kujo Yuka's medical records.

The archivist was prepared; the entire police department was overwhelmed by these two cases. Upon hearing the need for medical records, he quickly brought them over with both hands.

Fushimi Roku grabbed them swiftly, flipping through the pages, and tapping his finger said, "Got it, allergic to chrysanthemums."

The last missing puzzle piece finally clicked in Minamoto Tamako's mind, giving her a sense of enlightenment. Continuing, she said, "At the time, Kujo Yuka went to a Japanese restaurant where flowers were arranged, specifically chrysanthemums, which would trigger an allergic reaction in her... For someone with a pollen allergy, how could they be in a good mood to enjoy a meal?"

"Moreover, according to the waiter's testimony, Kujo Yuka ate with great appetite, indicating that..."

Minamoto Tamako slowly turned her head, looking at Fushimi Roku, voicing her final conclusion: "The woman who went to the restaurant at that time was not Kujo Yuka herself."

—Bang!

Kujo Hikari abruptly stood up, knocking over the chair, sweat beading on his forehead.

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