Coroner: A Detective Conan Fanfiction

Three hours later, at the Kasumigaseki Police Headquarters.

In just three short hours, the salvage team was fortunate enough to find the victim's identification among the tattered clothing retrieved from the water.

With this, the police quickly confirmed the identity of the deceased and urgently contacted the victim's family.

With their cooperation, it was confirmed that the victim had suddenly disappeared at midnight the previous day, leaving behind a handwritten suicide note at home.

Faced with this evidence, the police became even more convinced that the victim had died by drowning in a suicide attempt.

Thus, the case of the dismembered corpse was deemed successfully solved.

Having just finished assisting the police with their statements, Lin Xinyi, Kudo Shinichi, and Mouri Ran were now completely uninvolved with the case. After exchanging farewells with the officers in charge, they prepared to leave.

"Lin-kun!"

Before their departure, Inspector Megure enthusiastically patted Lin Xinyi on the shoulder with his large, chubby hand.

"Thanks to you, we were able to solve this case so quickly!"

"If we get the chance, I hope we can work together more in the future!"

The more free detective work, the better.

Unlike the younger officers, who felt resentment after being ridiculed by Lin Xinyi, Megure had no such qualms.

"Mm."

Lin Xinyi gave a half-hearted response.

He had already decided to lead a more relaxed life. If all went well, he wouldn't have any further opportunities to collaborate with the police.

However, to see things through to the end, Lin Xinyi gave one last reminder to Inspector Megure:

"Oh, by the way, Inspector Megure."

"During the autopsy at the scene, I used a needle to extract a sample of the victim's heart blood."

"That sample is currently in the custody of Officer Komatsu. If possible, please ensure it is sent to a specialized lab for toxicology testing."

"W-What?"

Megure's round face trembled.

"You're saying there might be toxins in the victim's body?"

"But wasn't this a suicide by drowning?"

"And we've already contacted her family and found her suicide note!"

Lin Xinyi's words hit like a depth charge.

Inspector Megure was momentarily stunned. Even Kudo Shinichi, who had been chatting with Ran, was taken aback and momentarily forgot about his childhood friend.

"Lin Xinyi-san…"

"Did you notice something I missed?"

Kudo emphasized the word "again."

But Lin Xinyi answered calmly:

"No, not at all."

"I didn't find any signs of poisoning on the victim's body. Nor did I see any restraint marks or defensive wounds on her wrists or forearms."

"Based on all the evidence available, this was indeed a suicide."

"However, as I've said before—"

"A forensic expert must never jump to conclusions."

"You might think it was a homicide, but it could actually be a suicide."

"And when you think it's a suicide, there could still be another hidden truth."

He methodically pointed out the next steps for Inspector Megure:

"This time, I only performed a basic external examination of the body. But many things cannot be detected with the naked eye."

"For example, the victim could have been drugged with sleeping pills and then thrown into the water to stage a suicide."

"Cases like this are not uncommon, and only a blood test can uncover the truth."

"To further confirm suicide, it's also crucial to investigate whether the victim had a motive to take her own life."

"If possible, the body should be autopsied to check for subcutaneous bruising caused by injuries sustained while alive—something I already emphasized to you at the scene."

"The victim's handwritten suicide note should also be preserved carefully. If any inconsistencies arise in the investigation, a handwriting analysis may be necessary."

Finally, Lin Xinyi paused briefly before solemnly concluding:

"As long as there is room for doubt, we must never abandon suspicion."

"After all, our job is to uncover the truth, not just rush to a conclusion to meet a quota."

"This…"

Inspector Megure felt a slight flush rise to his face.

To be honest, both he and the other officers had felt relieved when the case was determined to be a suicide.

The case was solved. The pressure was off.

No one wanted to create extra work by questioning the results further.

"I see now…."

"Only those who truly understand the pain of the deceased can maintain such relentless skepticism."

Kudo Shinichi gained a deeper understanding of Lin Xinyi's words.

Meanwhile, after some thought, Inspector Megure nodded firmly.

"I understand, Lin-kun."

"I'll send the blood sample to the forensic lab, and I'll have a university's forensic department perform the autopsy."

"I promise that if any doubts arise, we at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department will pursue the truth to the very end."

"That's good to hear."

Lin Xinyi finally felt at ease.

Though he was neither a forensic doctor nor a detective anymore, he couldn't help but worry.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's level of competence was simply too concerning.

"Goodbye, Inspector Megure."

"And Kudo, Miss Mouri Ran."

Lin Xinyi bid farewell to his new acquaintances and prepared to leave.

"Wait!"

Kudo Shinichi hesitated briefly before quickly catching up.

"Lin Xinyi-san, I have one last question."

"Go ahead." Lin Xinyi stopped.

But the young detective hesitated for a moment before carefully choosing his words.

"Lin Xinyi-san…"

"Someone as capable as you—"

"Why did you make that choice?"

"???" Ran and Inspector Megure were utterly confused.

But Lin Xinyi simply shrugged and gave an even more cryptic answer:

"Who knows?"

"Will we have the chance to meet again?"

Their conversation sounded like coded messages.

Lin Xinyi smiled lightly.

"Of course. The 'me' now is a completely new person."

With that, he turned and walked out of the police headquarters with a confident stride.

Lin Xinyi was gone.

Inspector Megure had work to do and soon returned to his office.

Only Ran, still puzzled, grabbed Kudo Shinichi's sleeve.

"Shinichi, what were you two talking about?"

"What did you mean by 'that choice'? What did Lin-san do that I don't know about?"

"Haha…"

Kudo Shinichi chuckled.

"You really didn't notice at all, did you, Ran?"

"Stop being cryptic!" Ran clenched her fists in frustration.

"Ahem." Kudo Shinichi cleared his throat and finally revealed the answer:

"Remember what we were talking about before we found the body?"

"Why was Lin-san wearing a black suit at the park so early in the morning?"

"And why were his pant legs and shoes wet?"

"Oh, right!"

Ran's eyes widened as she realized the issue.

Lin Xinyi had been suspected at first because of his wet pants and shoes.

But since he wasn't the culprit, then why had they been wet?

"When I first saw the dismembered body, I immediately suspected Lin-san as the killer."

"And since he showed up at the crime scene right after us, I grew even more suspicious."

"But actually, before this case even happened…"

"I had a different theory about why his pants were wet."

Kudo Shinichi paused, giving Ran time to think.

Seeing that she still hadn't figured it out, he continued:

"We also smelled heavy cigarette smoke on him."

"He had an empty cigarette pack in his pocket."

"That means he had been smoking a lot recently, but his fingers were perfectly clean—"

"People who smoke excessively always have yellowed fingertips."

"At the same time, his phone's keyboard had accumulated dirt, showing he was usually sloppy about hygiene."

"But today, his suit was meticulously neat, his collar and cuffs perfectly arranged, and even his face and hair were well-groomed."

Kudo Shinichi nearly spelled it out.

"A man who normally doesn't smoke much suddenly starts chain-smoking?"

"A man who's usually untidy suddenly dresses impeccably?"

"This means—"

Ran gasped, covering her mouth.

She had a terrible realization.

"That's right."

Watching Lin Xinyi walk away, Kudo Shinichi sighed.

"Lin Xinyi-san, just like that deceased woman—"

"He came here to commit suicide."