Coroner: A Detective Conan Fanfiction

Five minutes later, the body was finally retrieved from the water.

Of course, the corpse that had been pulled ashore was incomplete. Since it had been dismembered into scattered pieces, only the parts with more soft tissue and greater buoyancy had floated to the surface. Some pieces, half-submerged, were harder to recover.

At present, the retrieved parts included a left thigh, a right arm with a hand still attached, a partially destroyed head, and a relatively intact torso.

Forensic officers at the scene carefully arranged these remains on a clean white plastic sheet, roughly piecing together a nearly complete human figure.

From the body shape, it was evident that the victim was a rather obese adult woman.

The severed limbs had gruesome, mangled edges, making them unbearable to look at. The remains were also covered in large, ghastly abrasions, adding to the horrifying scene.

Even Inspector Megure, who had witnessed countless deaths throughout his career, felt an instinctive chill at the sheer brutality of the murder.

"Well, Lin Xinyi, what do you have to say now?"

His voice carried an unmistakable anger.

Clearly, the victim's tragic fate had ignited the righteous fury of this seasoned detective toward the murderer.

"You've seen the body."

"Do you have anything to say?"

The gazes fixed on Lin Xinyi became even more intense.

He now seemed like a monster from a horror movie—terrifying and repulsive.

And then, under the horrified and disgusted stares of the crowd—

This so-called "dismembering demon" actually smiled.

Yes, Lin Xinyi merely glanced at the corpse, and a faintly relieved smile immediately appeared at the corner of his lips.

To the police, this smile was an act of provocation.

To the onlookers, it was the ultimate display of a psychopath.

But before they could vent their indignation, Lin Xinyi's calm and steady voice echoed across the crime scene:

"This is highly unprofessional."

"Unprofessional?" Inspector Megure frowned slightly.

"Yes," Lin Xinyi stated, his expression unreadable. "Very unprofessional."

"While the most crucial part—the head—has been split in half, with extensive abrasions that obscure facial features, making identification difficult… the torso remains largely intact."

"And with the torso, even without recovering all the body parts, an experienced forensic expert can estimate the victim's weight by measuring fat thickness in areas such as the sternum, upper abdomen, and lower abdomen."

"Furthermore, the shape of the teeth and the pubic symphysis can help forensics determine the victim's approximate age."

"As for height, it can be calculated using multiple regression equations based on the long bones, with a margin of error of less than four centimeters."

"Once we have the height, weight, and age, cross-referencing with missing person reports makes identifying the victim not that difficult."

"Not to mention, as everyone can see, the victim's clothing is still present on the body."

"Though tattered, it's clear that this is an oversized women's nightgown. The color, style, and brand provide additional clues that can aid identification."

Lin Xinyi's detailed explanation left many baffled, except for one person—Shinichi Kudo.

He had caught the underlying meaning.

Lin Xinyi was plainly declaring that he was not the culprit.

If he were the murderer—if he were a professional—he wouldn't have left behind such a complete corpse, allowing the police to trace the victim's identity so easily.

But why was Lin Xinyi asserting his innocence so early?

Could it be that, with just one glance, he had already found evidence proving he wasn't the killer?

A wave of unease and excitement washed over Shinichi Kudo.

Had someone really discovered the truth before him?

That thought unsettled him. The way he looked at Lin Xinyi changed.

Before, he saw him as a suspect.

Now, he saw him as a rival—someone on the same path of deduction.

"Don't look at me," Lin Xinyi remarked, noticing Shinichi's gaze.

"If you want to find the evidence, your eyes should be on the body, not me."

"Look carefully. Once you understand, you'll realize that the killer isn't me."

Then, turning away from Shinichi, Lin Xinyi scanned the police officers on the scene.

Finally, his eyes locked onto a young officer carrying a large toolkit.

That forensic kit was all too familiar to him—it was standard issue for medical examiners at crime scenes.

"Are you the coroner? What's your name?"

Lin Xinyi casually approached.

"Uh… I suppose you could say that."

"I'm Koichiro Komatsu. You can just call me Officer Komatsu."

The officer hesitated, then nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"Come over and take a look!"

Without waiting for a response, Lin Xinyi pulled the somewhat dazed Komatsu forward.

"Examining the body is your job. Why are you standing around doing nothing?"

"Uh…" Komatsu blinked in realization. "I figured since Shinichi Kudo was here, my presence wouldn't be needed…"

"…"

Lin Xinyi was speechless.

The police in this world relied on famous detectives way too much.

This wasn't normal—not at all.

No real law enforcement agency would depend so heavily on civilian detectives… unless this really was a detective novel.

Suppressing his irritation, Lin Xinyi pulled Komatsu forward to examine the body.

And so, with Lin Xinyi's guidance, both Shinichi Kudo and Officer Komatsu carefully scrutinized the dismembered remains.

Komatsu finally showed some professionalism, donning latex gloves and pressing lightly on different areas of the corpse.

"So, what do you see?"

Lin Xinyi's voice was unusually patient, like a teacher guiding his students.

"There's definitely something wrong…"

"The injuries around the waist…"

Shinichi Kudo's eyes narrowed, his expression shifting.

He stared intently at the victim's waist, murmuring to himself in a voice only he could understand:

"No way… This was supposed to be a dismemberment case…"

"But the body was cut up like this… and we saw the blood waves in the river… so how could it be—"

The famous high school detective had plunged into deep thought.

He had spotted an anomaly.

But he was missing the final key to unlock the truth.

And what unnerved him was that he could tell—Lin Xinyi had already found that key.

Could it be… that today, in a battle of deduction, he would lose to a suspect?

The thought made Shinichi even more determined to figure it out.

"Hmm. Not bad."

Lin Xinyi observed the young detective in surprise.

Despite the gruesome nature of the crime scene, Shinichi had remained calm and had quickly noticed something suspicious.

For a high schooler, that was extraordinarily impressive.

It seemed that "The Heisei Era's Sherlock Holmes" truly lived up to his name.

"Alright then…"

Shifting his attention, Lin Xinyi turned toward Officer Komatsu.

Komatsu, a professional from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, was supposed to be more competent than a high school detective. Lin Xinyi had higher expectations for him.

"Officer Komatsu, what have you found?"

"Uh…"

Komatsu hesitated, then muttered cautiously:

"Based on my preliminary examination, the relatively intact torso has developed significant rigor mortis."

"Considering the recent nighttime temperatures, I estimate that the victim has been dead for at least four hours."

"…"

That was all he had to say.

But Lin Xin Yi kept staring at him, his face unreadable.

"Wh-why are you looking at me like that?" Komatsu asked uneasily.

Lin Xinyi spoke flatly, an eyebrow raised.

"That's it?"

"Y-yeah…" Komatsu looked down, suddenly feeling like a failing student.

"Just that?" Lin Xinyi's face darkened.

"Uh-huh…" Komatsu mumbled.

Lin Xinyi took a deep breath.

Then sighed.

"Now I really understand something."

Shinichi Kudo leaned in.

"What did you realize?"

Lin Xinyi's tone was resigned.

"I understand now…"

"Japan's police really need a savior."