When Minamoto Tamako said, "The diner is not Kujo Yuka herself," Fushimi Roku's first reaction was, "Could so many waiters have mistaken her for someone else?"
His reason told him there was something unreasonable about this deduction, but his intuition clearly knew this was the truth, because he wasn't blind and could see Kujo Hikari's reaction.
"What's the matter, Mr. Kujo, is there a problem?" Fushimi grasped Kujo Hikari's shoulder, pinching his collarbone, forcing him to sit down.
At this moment, Kujo Hikari no longer had the inclination to protest the violent enforcement, and the lawyer likewise remained silent, all three staring at Minamoto Tamako, waiting for her to complete the rest of her reasoning.
Only to hear Minamoto Tamako continue, "The police only showed the receipt to the waiters and briefly described Yuka's appearance, the impostor might have pretended to be Kujo Yuka to secure an alibi..."
"Impossible!" Kujo Hikari interrupted, "If I had an accomplice, wouldn't the police have found out by now? Besides, my wife is a foreigner, with such striking characteristics, how could anyone mistake that!"
"Yes, that's what I thought at first, leading me into a cognitive trap." Minamoto Tamako did not deny it, responding to Kujo Hikari's skepticism as if answering a robot: "Remember when Ichikawa Akiyuki told her mother she wanted to eat Lorraine Quiche?"
Kujo Hikari was stunned again, knowing this question wasn't directed at him, he shifted his gaze to Fushimi.
"I remember, why?" Fushimi retorted.
"The day before the incident, she ate Lorraine Quiche, which was handmade by her mother. Yet on the night of the incident, she ate another Lorraine Quiche at a French restaurant... isn't that abnormal?"
Minamoto Tamako couldn't help but start biting her thumb, this being her subconscious habit when deep in thought, she couldn't change it at the moment:
"Eating the same dish two days in a row, isn't that strange? Of course, some people like eating the same dish repeatedly, but it's mostly home-cooked dishes. Who specifically visits a high-end French restaurant to eat a dish they've already tried?"
The lawyer reminded from the side: "You can't generalize like that, some people really love French cuisine and never get tired of it... I'm that kind of person, often going to a favorite restaurant to order the same dish."
"Yes, that's possible," Minamoto Tamako nodded, her front teeth biting her thumbnail: "But Ichikawa's mother's exact words were, 'I made several portions for her, and she hasn't finished them yet.'"
The lawyer was taken aback; he didn't know Minamoto Tamako had spoken to the victim's family.
Fushimi thought carefully, indeed Ichikawa's mother had said that, and it was likely recorded in the interrogation notes, but at the time, he was focused on eating fruit and didn't pay much attention.
Minamoto Tamako lifted her head, looking at the lawyer: "Why would she specifically go to a French restaurant to eat when there were still dishes at home?"
The lawyer couldn't answer, and Kujo Hikari interrupted: "Maybe her mother's cooking was terrible, and the dishes weren't to her taste, so she specifically went to the French restaurant."
"No, if Ichikawa's mother's cooking was so poor, then why would Ichikawa Akiyuki ask her mother to make Lorraine Quiche?"
Minamoto Tamako's gaze shifted, locking eyes with Kujo Hikari.
Only then did Kujo Hikari realize, her pupils were constricted, filled with whites, shining frighteningly bright with a kind of pathological obsession, as if wanting to delve into the depths of others' hearts, peeking into the darkness within.
"There is only one explanation for all the problems mentioned above."
Minamoto Tamako's eyes reflected Kujo Hikari's pallid face: "The Ichikawa Akiyuki who went to the French restaurant is also an impostor — Ichikawa Akiyuki pretended to be Kujo Yuka, while Kujo Yuka pretended to be Ichikawa Akiyuki."
The lawyer looked perplexed, couldn't help but ask: "But Kujo Yuka is Caucasian, how could Ichikawa Akiyuki impersonate a different race..."
"Who said Ichikawa Akiyuki had Asian features?" Minamoto Tamako said: "Her father was Caucasian, Ichikawa Akiyuki was mixed race."
Fushimi looked frustrated hearing this; he had no idea of such crucial information, and Mizutani Junichiro had never mentioned it, he naturally assumed Ichikawa Akiyuki was Japanese too... No wonder the detective's first step is to gather information, without enough information, all reasoning is useless.
It's likely that Kujo Hikari exploited this perspective difference, combined with Kujo Mutsumi's confidentiality requirement, not allowed to use photos for inquiries, thus fooling the police.
Fushimi had a couple of small doubts about this:
First, how did Kujo Hikari predict in advance that his father would demand confidentiality?
If one insisted, it could be explained as Kujo Hikari knowing his father well enough, believing his father would protect the family's reputation, being certain that his father would take such confidential actions, thereby basing the murder's central scheme on it.
Fushimi felt such an explanation was too forced, if it were him, he would definitely not base a murder plan on others' reactions... but with a sidelong glance, recalling Kujo Hikari's previously smug demeanor, it seemed like such a person could indeed do such a thing.
Second, even if identities were swapped, the simultaneous killings in two locations still weren't solved.
Though Fushimi thought of this, he didn't voice dissent at this juncture.
In private, he would nudge Minamoto Tamako's mouth as a couple's playful banter; but publicly embarrassing Minamoto Tamako would go against the principles of the deduction team advancing and retreating together.
Moreover, Minamoto Tamako's reasoning wasn't finished: "At six o'clock, it was Ichikawa Akiyuki dining at the Japanese restaurant, which is why she showed no signs of pollen allergy; at nine, it was Kujo Yuka dining at the French restaurant, which is why she would order the same dish."
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