The Culprit’s Deceptive Ladder

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Takagi Masahiko’s Perspective

Suzuki Minoru: “Takagi… setting aside the clues we’ve already discussed, what other differences do you notice at the crime scene compared to the library we first saw?”

‘What else could have changed…?’

‘Let me think carefully…’

‘The main door, the bloodstains, the murder weapon, the corpse, the inner room, the student ID, the bookshelves…’

‘Wait…’

‘The bookshelf?’

‘That’s right… the third bookshelf on the left after entering, it was lying face up in front of the inner room’s doorway…’

“Ah! So… the culprit was attempting a sleight of hand to blind us to the truth!”

Takagi Masahiko: “It’s that wooden bookshelf lying on the ground, isn’t it?!”

Suzuki Minoru: “Is that your answer?”

Takagi Masahiko: “Wh-what’s wrong? Is that not it?” His sudden interrogation inexplicably threw me into a panic.

Suzuki Minoru: “Honestly… you truly disappoint me… Is your memory really so limited?” With a sigh of regret, Suzuki covered his eyes, as if despairing over my lack of insight.

‘C-could I be overthinking this…?’

‘No, that’s not right… I wasn’t wrong…’

‘If the culprit didn’t use a tool from outside the crime scene to enter the secret passage, then aside from an extendable ladder, this was the only other option!’

‘So, what answer was Suzuki truly trying to elicit from me…?’

‘Let me recall more carefully…’

‘That fallen bookshelf, there must have been something else unusual around it…’

‘Could it be… that some clue was hidden beneath that bookshelf?’

A sudden realization struck me! I hadn’t noticed that I had inadvertently overlooked a clue I’d discovered earlier!

Later, Suzuki and I had righted that bookshelf, and directly behind where it stood, a highly conspicuous arc-shaped scuff mark marred the floor!

Takagi Masahiko: “And also, the arc-shaped scuff mark on the floor behind the bookshelf, that must be right, yes?!”

Suzuki Minoru: “It took you that long to figure it out? Well… compared to most people, it’s not bad.”

Akahira Yuusuke: “Tch…! If you’re so smart, why don’t you just point out the culprit directly? Why are you flaunting your superiority here!” Seeing Suzuki’s mocking demeanor, Yuusuke pointed at him with extreme displeasure.

Suzuki Minoru: “Haha~ I told you from the start, didn’t I? For everyone to survive the class trial, they must learn to grow… That’s just how I am. If cursing me out helps you vent, then by all means, go ahead.”

Takagi Masahiko: “Alright, alright, Yuusuke. It’s just a small matter, nothing important. ‘A moment’s impatience can ruin a great plan’ (TL Note: A Chinese proverb, ‘Xiao bu ren ze luan da mou,’ meaning minor impatience can spoil a major endeavor), you know?”

Suzuki Minoru: “‘A moment’s impatience can ruin a great plan,’ you say… Hmm! That’s quite a good proverb!”

Akahira Yuusuke: “Honestly…”

Takagi Masahiko: “Hmm… Everyone, I now know how the culprit managed to enter the secret passage without a ladder, and it’s all thanks to Suzuki’s reminder that I realized it.”

Chisaka Erin: “Tell us quickly!”

Takagi Masahiko: “It means using an object as a ladder.”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “Using an object as a ladder? So the culprit still relied on some tool to enter the secret passage after all…”

Katagiri Mimi: “And what might that tool be?”

Takagi Masahiko: “The bookshelf.”

Takahashi Aki: “The bookshelf?”

Takagi Masahiko: “Precisely. The culprit climbed onto the bookshelf to enter the ventilation shaft.”

Ishii Yoshimi: “But… what evidence at the scene proves the culprit entered the secret passage via the bookshelf?”

Takagi Masahiko: “When Suzuki and I investigated, there was a fallen bookshelf in front of the inner room’s doorway, and beneath it, a distinct and conspicuous scuff mark!”

Habara Kazuhiro: “A distinct scuff mark? What kind of mark?”

Takagi Masahiko: “It was an arc-shaped scuff mark, with an arc length roughly a quarter of a full circle…”

Chisaka Erin: “I understand…”

Arisumi Momoko: “What do you understand, Chisaka-san…?”

Chisaka Erin: “I’ve figured out how the culprit created their makeshift ladder.”

Akino Atsushi: “As expected of Chisaka-san! Not only is she considerate, but she’s also intelligent and beautiful~”

Ishii Yoshimi: “Ugh… fine, Chisaka-san, please tell us.”

Chisaka Erin: “Analyzing that arc-shaped scuff mark, the culprit must have pulled the outer side of the bookshelf counter-clockwise by about ninety degrees, positioning it facing the inner room’s door. Then, they forcefully pushed the bookshelf over, causing it to naturally lean against the wall between the inner room’s door and the ventilation shaft.”

Chisaka Erin: “In this way, the culprit would only need to lower their center of gravity, bend down, and slowly climb into the ventilation shaft.”

Takagi Masahiko: “Ah… just as Chisaka-san described, the culprit entered the secret passage using this method. The reason they devised such a plan was to try and deceive all of us, plunging us into a fog of mystery!”

Katagiri Mimi: “Wh-what a cunning individual! I almost believed they just flew in!”

Akino Atsushi: “They’re not Sonic, what are you thinking?”

Ishii Yoshimi: “But did the culprit really possess that much strength? To move a bookshelf full of books with their bare hands…”

Takagi Masahiko: “No, that bookshelf was empty.”

Ishii Yoshimi: “Eh? Em-empty? Where are the books then?! Where did they go?!”

Suzuki Minoru: “The culprit placed them, one by one, on Amemiya-san’s body~” Suzuki chuckled humorously, extending his index finger in a teasing manner.

Ishii Yoshimi: “Amemiya-san… that’s truly, truly awful…”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “Um… I have a small question…”

Takagi Masahiko: “Go ahead, Kitajima.”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “I remember when I went to the crime scene later, the ventilation opening was sealed, wasn’t it? How did the culprit… manage to seal the vent while simultaneously entering the duct…?”

Takagi Masahiko: “Indeed… directly crawling into the duct would leave the louver behind at the scene.”

Takagi Masahiko: “Perhaps we should try thinking with reverse logic? If the primary concern was not leaving the louver behind at the scene, then the culprit would have to fully enter the duct and then conveniently bring it along.”

Takagi Masahiko: “Therefore, the culprit must have inverted their entire body by one hundred and eighty degrees, head towards the ground, feet towards the duct opening. However, with this method, the culprit would only be able to rely on the strength of their arms and legs to help them climb… Compared to a normal climbing method, this would be far more strenuous.”

Arisumi Momoko: “Takagi-san, haven’t you already taken one point for granted?”

Takagi Masahiko: “Eh?”

Arisumi Momoko: “How do you know that louver was already in the culprit’s hands?”

Habara Kazuhiro: “Isn’t it quite simple? The culprit first climbed up normally, removed the louver, and then, holding the louver, reversed their position to climb up.”

Akahira Yuusuke: “No way… Habara, how did you get so smart?!” Yuusuke was utterly dumbfounded, staring at Habara with an expression of disbelief.

Habara Kazuhiro: “Don’t talk as if I was stupid to begin with, alright?!” Upon seeing Yuusuke’s astonished face, Habara also erupted in anger.

Takagi Masahiko: “Exactly, there’s no doubt about it. The culprit must have entered the duct and simultaneously sealed the opening using this method!”

Suzuki Minoru: “Splendid, splendid… truly marvelous, killing two birds with one stone, wouldn’t you say~” Suzuki clapped his hands cheerfully in praise.

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “From the looks of it… we can be quite certain that the culprit left the crime scene through the secret passage…”

Katagiri Mimi: “Speaking of which, I don’t think I know the exact dimensions of that duct opening…”

Takagi Masahiko: “I recall the duct opening was about fifty centimeters long, and its height… around twenty centimeters, I believe…?”

Suzuki Minoru: “Okay~ Now we can safely rule out Akino-san~”

Akino Atsushi: “While I think that’s a good thing, I know you’re implying something about me.” Akino stared directly at Suzuki, a benevolent smile gracing his lips.

Akahira Yuusuke: “Please wait a moment!”

Takagi Masahiko: “What’s wrong, Yuusuke? Do you have a question?”

Akahira Yuusuke: “Yes, there’s one thing I’ve never understood… Why would the culprit go to all that trouble to crawl through a duct to leave the crime scene, rather than simply taking the elevator? The latter would be much less hassle and save more time, wouldn’t it?”

Kitajima Kazumitsu: “Perhaps it was to create the illusion of a locked room, leaving us completely baffled?”

Chisaka Erin: “Or perhaps they were afraid of running into Takagi-san on the first floor?”

Takagi Masahiko: “Both of your points are valid, but I believe it’s more likely the culprit was trying to destroy the most crucial piece of evidence!”

Suzuki Minoru: “Exactly! That would be the raincoat used to prevent blood from splattering onto them!!” Suzuki declared passionately in a clear, resonant voice.

Suzuki Minoru: “I’m not wrong, am I… Takahashi-san?”

In the very next instant, he seemed to transform, directing an extremely eerie, chilling grin at the person he had addressed.