Chapter 359: Magic, leading to a reversal and a cheering finale

Chapter 359: Magic, leading to a reversal and a cheering finale

Chapter 359 Magic, the cheers that lead to a reversal - Finale (4)

After the owners of Magic Venue C and Magic Venue D were successively defeated by the highly aggressive defense lawyers.

The owner of Magic Venue B frowned, but didn't seem to be alarmed by this.

He hadn't touched on the topic of magic venues for a long time, and he didn't think he had done anything wrong.

So he stood up openly, and Takezawa Teruo's magic assistant also stood up.

"Lawyer Xiang Yuan, if you have any questions, just ask. I will tell you everything I know."

"After all, I am no longer in this industry, so I hope to help as much as possible."

But this time, the swirling storm gradually subsided.

Because Xiang Yuanguang did not consider them as targets of attack.

In the cases three and five years ago, the witnesses themselves had certain problems and did not tell the truth or even concealed things.

But the witnesses from eight years ago really didn’t know, and the witnesses from twelve years ago were close friends of the deceased.

These witnesses had no reason to lie or to conceal anything.

What's more, the talented magician Takezawa Teruo, who was standing next to Xiang Yuanguang, was already sighing with melancholy.

"Mr. Xiang Yuan, my death has nothing to do with them... I can only say that I was not good enough in my training."

"As you know, Magic Venue B is a small workshop. There aren't many people there. I'm the only magician with some ability."

"And I want to make my name known, and also make the magic venue famous..."

Teruo Takezawa shook his head and said with a wry smile.

"I, a magician who hasn't become famous yet, can't do it alone. It's too far from being a gimmick."

"However, the famous Tokyo magician Kujuku Motoyasu came to help us promote it."

“Also, he offered to exchange magic tips with me, which was very helpful to me.”

I see... No wonder you claimed that you died because you were not skilled enough.

Xiang Yuanguang thought about it and roughly understood the specific situation.

He walked slowly back to the evidence table and held up the backstage photo from eight years ago, allowing everyone to see the contents.

That was Teruo Takezawa, who was chatting with someone in a half-open room.

You can even see the death coffin that Teruo Takezawa uses in his performance from near him.

"W-What? When was this photo taken?"

The boss and the magic assistant were both shocked.

They had no impression of this at all and found it quite incredible to see.

"Two witnesses, the person who took this photo and communicated with Asako Miyoshi has been identified, right?"

"It is none other than Ninety-Nine Motoyasu, the leader of the Miracle Magic Group."

Xiang Yuanguang did not turn around to look at the owner of magic venue B and Takezawa Teruo's magic assistant in the witness stand.

He just talked to himself, and after hearing this, Kujo Reiko, who had been silent, finally asked again.

"How can you be sure of that? Even though it's a photo that Miyoshi Mako believes is incriminating evidence."

"But eight years ago, Miyoshi Mako was only twelve years old. How could she determine the whereabouts of Jiujiu Yuankang?"

"What reason did Takezawa Teruo have to bring Jiujiu Motoyasu into his room to communicate?"

This question also aroused doubts from the presiding judge.

However, the owner of magic venue B spoke at this moment.

"This is not surprising, because Jiujiu Yuankang is one of the sponsors of the magic show we held."

"So it's normal for him to show up backstage at our magic venue at any time."

"I'm just a little curious about when and who took this photo."

The magic assistant shook his head and continued.

"Yes, yes, although I do think it's a bit too much for Takezawa Teruo to hide his magic trick from an assistant like me."

"But he is not the kind of careless person. How could he not check the props when meeting with Jiujiu Yuankang in the room?"

Yes, after someone entered his room, Teruo Takezawa didn’t check and confirm the props?

After all, the escaping magic is a dangerous magic trick, and the coffin is a crucial magic prop.

Xiang Yuanguang couldn't help but narrow his eyes at this moment, as if Jiujiu Yuankang might appear backstage at any time.

Therefore, the time when this photo was taken is questionable, because there is a high probability that Miyoshi Mako acted together with Jiujue Motoyasu.

The Ninety-Nine Old Dengs may appear at any time, so it is normal for the Three Good Little Dengs to refresh along with them.

Moreover, the owner and magic assistant of magic venue B were not backstage at the magic venue for a long time.

Therefore, even if they wanted to help, they had no way to prove when the photos were taken.

Similarly, as a murderer, Miyoshi Mako's testimony was not enough to convince the presiding judge.

(What witness could have appeared backstage at the venue and known about the relationship between Takezawa Teruo and Kujuku Motoyasu?)
(Does such a witness exist in the case of Takezawa Teruo?)

"Of course he exists, Xiang Yuan, have you forgotten? Takezawa Teruo has a younger brother."

The sudden remarks of the expired young girl detective immediately made Xiang Yuanguang's eyes light up.

That’s right, Teruo Takezawa has a younger brother, Haruhiko Takezawa, who is seventeen years old this year!

He snapped his fingers subconsciously.

"Yeah, how could I have forgotten about him? Thank you for your help, Yueshui."

The hedgehog-head looked directly at the presiding judge and spoke loudly.

"The defense hereby requests to call the witness in this case, Takezawa Haruhiko, the younger brother of Takezawa Teruo."

"He can give [decisive] testimony on this case!"

Takezawa Teruo's younger brother? Is there such a person?
The presiding judge was a little surprised, and he subconsciously opened his case files.

Then, he nodded as if he suddenly understood, and spoke.

"Ah, then, if this witness is in the lounge, let him testify in court."

"Prosecutor Kujo, this is the witness registered by Prosecutor Guiyue. You should have no objection, right?"

The ace prosecutor Kujo Reiko closed her eyes, with the main theme of "out of sight, out of mind."

She didn't intend to interfere in the investigation of this case because the situation was already very clear.

As a result, the tone became calmer.

"The prosecutor has no objection."

There is no point in raising objections, as the presiding judge is now completely on the side of the defense.

In just a moment, the door of the Grand Courtroom was pushed open by the bailiff.

Tick, tick, tick.

Haruhiko Takezawa walked into the grand courtroom. As soon as he arrived at the testimony desk, he looked at Asako Miyoshi in the witness stand in surprise.

"You, you are the girl who secretly took photos backstage eight years ago?"

As soon as these words were spoken, others were immediately shocked.

As expected of Lawyer Xiang Yuan, he is the witness who can play a decisive role. He is extraordinary as soon as he opens his mouth!
Hearing this, Miyoshi Asako also frowned and looked at Takezawa Haruhiko.

Then, she seemed to realize who this guy was, shook her head and sighed.

"It turned out to be the guy who tried to steal my camera backstage."

The two had obviously met before, but they didn't seem to be familiar with each other, just a brief encounter.

Haruhiko Takezawa ignored what was happening with Asako Miyoshi. He looked up at the photo reflected in the projector.

Give testimony on the opening with great certainty.

"This is a photo of my brother chatting with Kujuku Motoyasu a few minutes before his magic show."

"That was the guy who was taking the photo, and I told her there were some magician secrets backstage and I wouldn't let her take any."

"But she was stronger than me, so I couldn't stop her. In the end, I grabbed her camera and took a look..."

"This is the photo that was taken inside. It's absolutely correct. I remember it very clearly."

Such testimony directly gives decisive evidence.

A few minutes before the magic show, Kyujuku Motoyasu was chatting with Teruo Takezawa in his room.

It is obvious that Teruo Takezawa most likely went on stage without even checking his magic props.

"…Then, may I ask why Takezawa Teruo allowed Kyujuku Motoyasu to enter his room?"

"He even hid it from his magic assistant, so how could he let a sponsor see his magic props?"

Xiang Yuanguang, who already knew the answer to the question, asked it at this moment.

As a lawyer, his testimony is meaningless, but the testimony of a witness is different.

As expected, Takezawa Haruhiko said directly.

"Because my brother said before he died that Jiujiu Yuankang was like his teacher and taught him a lot."

"Plus, the magic show was also partially organized with the help of Jiujiu Motoyasu."

"He asked Kujuku Motoyasu to come into his room to chat. Is there anything strange about that?"

This time, the presiding judge can confirm the case without having to speak to Yuan Guang.

Some of Takezawa Teruo's magic was taught by Kyujuku Motoyasu.

The last person to appear in the magic room before Teruo Takezawa was killed was Motoyasu Kyujuku.

Takezawa Teruo did not shy away from letting Kyujuku Motoyasu look at his magic props...

No matter how you look at it, Jiujiu Yuankang is fully suspected of committing the crime, and he may even be the only suspect.

Combined with the special evidence previously presented to Yuan Guang, the presiding judge believed that the sentence could be lowered.

But before the presiding judge struck the gavel, Xiang Yuanguang raised his hand to stop him.

"Since you're going to lower the sentence, how about waiting until the Yokoyama Hiroki case from twelve years ago is overturned?"

"Wait... until the Yokoyama Yuki case twelve years ago is reversed?"

The bald old man's face was full of surprise.

It's rare to see Xiang Yuanguang so carefree and confident.

He is usually either bluffing or frowning. Has he found a way out of the impasse now?
"Of course, I have found a foolproof way to end this."

Xiang Yuanguang answered affirmatively, and next to him appeared the figure of the genius magician Yokoyama Yuki. The genius magician stroked his chin and looked at the photo taken by Miyoshi Mako.

He couldn't help but shake his head, then shook his head again, put his hand on his forehead, and sighed.

"Hey, I'm unlucky too. Why did the photos I took turn out like this?"

"I didn't even capture the shadow of Kujuku Motoyasu."

The hedgehog-head's gaze shifted to the backstage photos of that time.

Then, his expression froze and he nodded in agreement.

Indeed, in the photo taken by Miyoshi Mako, there is not even a shadow of Kyujuku Motoyasu.

But Xiang Yuanguang also knew why this was the case.

"…At the time, Miyoshi Mako was only eight years old, so it was great that she was able to take a photo."

"He's not some kid who's as tall as me at eight years old."

The Hedgehog-head muttered, taking the entire photo into his mind.

The photo taken by eight-year-old Miyoshi Mako is divided into two parts down the middle.

One is the interior of a room with magic props and a clock hanging on the wall.

The other one is a vacant magic backstage with a door in the distance.

(If Miyoshi Mako believes that this photo can prove that Jiujiu Yuankang is guilty.)
(So ​​this photo of her when she was eight years old is a photo of Hiroki Yokoyama?)
Xiang Yuanguang subconsciously placed his hand on his chin.

Hiroki Yokoyama next to him seemed to be able to see his confusion and shook his head.

"This is not my room, but another magician's room...well, it should be the Miracle Magic Group's."

"Because they have the biggest wrists, the room is the biggest except for mine."

"If this room is the Miracle Magic Group's room, then the door in the distance is my room."

The door in the distance is your room—only you can recognize it.

Xiang Yuanguang shook his head, remaining pessimistic about the message this photo could convey.

"Anyway, I'll leave this to you. Oh, by the way, I forgot to mention it."

"My boss and magic assistant helped me get my magic props. I was giving a speech on the stage at that time."

"So, the information that this photo can provide you... you have to ask them."

"Oh, one more thing..."

Yokoyama Hiroki's voice gradually became quieter.

"...Mr. Xiang Yuan, just do your best and don't feel any psychological burden."

The soul of the last genius magician, Hiroki Yokoyama, also disappeared at this moment.

However, the magatama worn by Xiang Yuanguang was still shining.

Perhaps the soul represented is Jiujiu Yuankang, who is still in the dock with an increasingly grim expression.

[Xiang Yuan, it sounds like you have already reached the case of Yokoyama Yuki? ]

[I don’t know why, but the door in the far corner of that photo looks a bit strange.]

[The lock on the door... is crooked, as if someone had put it there in a hurry.]

Conan's voice came through the headphones.

When this was mentioned, Xiang Yuanguang's eyebrows jumped.

The door in the distance? The lock on the door? How many pixels are there that you can actually see?
Although I knew from the first time we met that each of you detectives has a magnifying glass.

But now the situation is really a bit too outrageous...

[Of course, that is not the most important thing. What is important is the layout of the Miracle Magic Group's room.]

Don’t you think it’s too neat?

Too neat...is there something weird about it?
Xiang Yuanguang's fingers subconsciously touched his chin, and then his eyes narrowed slightly.

No, it's indeed too neat, because the Miracle Magic Troupe is here to perform.

If the stage photos and flyers only prove that Jiujiu Yuankang was there, he might know that he didn't have to perform.

Then, plus the magic props that were neatly arranged in the room and had never been moved...

This point can be firmly confirmed. All that is left is to give evidence that Jiujiu Yuankang committed the crime...

"Sanhao Mazi, may I ask, when was this photo taken?"

"No, I'm not asking about the specific time. I'm asking...how long after Jiujiu Yuankang left did you take the photo?"

In the witness stand, Asako Miyoshi hummed softly, then spoke hesitantly.

"It was probably about ten minutes after Jiujiu Yuankang left that I realized he had run away."

"Then I leaned against the door and looked outside. When I didn't see anyone, I leaned against the other door and took pictures."

Is it about ten minutes after Ninety-Nine Yuankang left? The timetable on the wall says eight forty-five.

That is to say, Jiujiu Yuankang left the Miracle Magic Troupe's room at 8:35.

But what does this time correspond to?

Xiang Yuanguang's finger gently touched his forehead.

However, there was no need to think, as someone answered the question immediately.

"That means he left when the third-to-last magician was performing a trick."

"According to the magic schedule at that time, 9 o'clock in the evening was the performance time for Jiujiu Yuankang."

"Then, at 8:45 it is the intermission time when the third-to-last magician finishes his performance."

The owner of magic venue A stood up and said.

Looking quite weathered, he stared at Sanhao Mazi and spoke thoughtfully.

"During the intermission, the curtain will be drawn on the stage, and then Hiroki Yokoyama will give a speech on the stage."

"The magic assistant and I will go backstage to get the props for the next magic show at that time."

"I saw a sneaky girl in the corridor, and it turned out to be you."

"I also reminded you that if you take photos backstage and other magicians see you, you might get scolded."

Then, the time when the photo was taken can be determined.

But just in case, I still have to ask one more question——————

"I see. Then, what are Yokoyama Yuki's living habits like?"

"Is his magic room locked? Has anyone else entered his room?"

Hedgehog Head asked, standing next to the evidence table.

The thinking of the owner of magic venue A was indeed misled.

He thought about the vague Yokoyama Hiroki twelve years ago, and then spoke uncertainly.

"I don't remember this clearly, but I remember that Yuki was a person who loved life and was very energetic."

"And he does things in an orderly manner, even the locks on the doors are properly locked."

The magic assistant next to him nodded, agreeing with his boss's idea.

"Yes, even his toothbrush is placed in the same place, which makes me think he has a bit of obsessive-compulsive disorder."

"As far as I can remember, Yuuki himself checked once that morning."

"The door was never opened until my boss and I went to pull out the bed of nails."

pat.

Xiang Yuanguang snapped his fingers, then turned his hand and pointed to the backstage photo.

"Then, the last magician accident case can also get a final result."

The Hedgehog Head calmly pointed at the clock in the Miracle Magic Group's room.

"The time in the room was 8:45, which is consistent with what the witness said."

"That means there are only fifteen minutes until Jiujiu Motoyasu's performance, but the boxes in the room are closed."

"So Jiujiu Motoyasu himself did not take out the magic props for the performance before this."

"Even with only fifteen minutes to prepare, he didn't come back to organize the magic props."

"Combining the photos and flyers from the performance, he knew he wouldn't be on stage."

"And the reason is that he modified the Bed of Nails magic prop during this period."

Enlarge, enlarge, and enlarge the image of the photo.

There is a lock on the blurred door in the photo.

"The evidence is on this lock. Yokoyama Yuki himself has obsessive-compulsive disorder, so how could he put the lock crookedly?"

"Unless the person who put up the lock was not Yokoyama Yuki, but someone else."

"Due to time constraints, this person was in a hurry to lock the door and leave, so he neglected to restore the lock to its original state."

Xiang Yuanguang spoke with certainty, and his words were directed at Jiujiu Yuankang who was standing behind the defendant's seat. He said seriously.

"This person is Jiujiu Motoyasu. It takes time for him to modify the Death Bed of Nails, but he only has ten minutes. It's not that he intentionally avoided Miyoshi Mako, but that he only has this much time to act."

"When the third-to-last magician was performing, Yokoyama Yuki and his magic assistant were watching from the front desk, while the boss was watching the performance from a space high up. The other magicians had already left at this time."

"That is to say, there is almost no one backstage who would hinder Jiujiu Yuankang's actions during this period of time, and at 8:45, which is the stipulated curtain call time, the magic assistant and the boss will come to get the props."

"But Jiujiu Yuankang must reserve some time for himself. He can't really leave in ten minutes. Therefore, he is connecting the four leather handcuffs of the magic nail bed with thin ropes and then gluing them together with magic glue."

"Then use the thin rope to wrap it in a specific way under the death nail bed and install the fine mechanism... All these tasks will take at least eight minutes, or even nine minutes, so Jiujiu Yuankang modified the props."

"I left the room directly, and I didn't think I had enough time. In a hurry, I ignored the padlock and just locked it before leaving. Then I went directly to the backstage through other exits to watch the performance under the stage."

The hedgehog-headed man tapped his forehead lightly with his fingers, then spread his hands.

"It's just a pity that the boss and the magic assistant at the time didn't notice the small details of the padlock. In addition, the thin rope of the leather handcuffs was hidden under the side of the leather handcuffs where the magic glue was applied, so he couldn't pick up the handcuffs to check."

"Yokoyama Yuki was already on stage, and when he came into contact with the magic props again, it was time for the performance, so he didn't have time to check it. This led to the tragedy."

"Your Excellency, this is... the entire process of the Yokoyama Hiroki case twelve years ago."

"Excuse me, do you have any questions about this?"

　Too sleepy, sleep, sleep...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)