Case NOT Closed

After Tatsuya Nagai fell asleep, Kensuke looked around the room.

It was a Western-style apartment, quite spacious, with its own bathroom and kitchen, and ample sunlight.

Being near the commercial street, such an apartment would cost at least a hundred thousand yen per month if no one had died in it.

It seemed the family here was indeed well-off.

Kensuke put down the toolbox and put on a pair of white gloves.

What was he here for?

Of course, he was here to investigate and gather evidence, while also fabricating evidence.

To accuse someone of a crime, there must first be a motive.

Don’t underestimate the motive; it’s crucial because it represents the suspect’s “subjective” premeditation in the whole affair.

In legal terms, there’s a rule of unity between subjective and objective aspects.

If the suspect’s subjective intent to commit the crime cannot be proven, in some cases, they cannot be convicted.

Kensuke opened the toolbox, revealing various miscellaneous props inside.

There were several DVDs labeled 18+, related to stalking and tailing.

There were several adult novels related to stalking and tailing.

There were also adult cards, adult game discs…

Of course, these things couldn’t constitute evidence; they would just become a link in the logical chain.

Kensuke dispersed these items, hiding them in various places like bookshelves and under the bed.

In addition, the toolbox Kensuke brought also contained knives, glass drills, leather ropes, duct tape, and other common tools for breaking and entering.

While Tatsuya Nagai was asleep, Kensuke spread out his hand and made him touch these tools, leaving fingerprints on them.

Afterwards, Kensuke would hide these tools in a bush near the home of Saijou Miho, making it easy for the judicial police to find them during the search.

This way, the subjective motive would be established.

Some might ask.

Doing such things, essentially framing someone, would Kensuke feel any psychological burden?

Hmm, there might be a little bit? After all, this kind of direct illegal activity, no matter how you put it, it’s his first time doing it.

After completing everything, Kensuke wiped the sweat off his forehead, feeling a bit urgent, so he walked to the bathroom to relieve himself.

“Hmm?”

With a glance, he saw a blue and white bag next to the toilet, with the word “sports” written on it.

It’s unusual to have a package related to sports in the bathroom.

Out of curiosity, Kensuke opened the package.

Seeing what was inside, he was slightly stunned, then a funny expression gradually appeared on his face.

Knives, screwdrivers, duct tape, glass drills— The things inside were almost identical to the props Kensuke brought with him.

Moreover, among these tools, Kensuke even saw a bottle of lubricant and a pink box with the word “Durex” written in Japanese katakana.

It seemed that there was no need for him to fabricate evidence at all; the other party already had the motive for breaking and entering.

“This is all your own doing.”

Now, Kensuke had no psychological burden at all.

He simply slung the bag over his shoulder.

Exiting the bathroom, Kensuke took one last look at Tatsuya Nagai, still sleeping and unaware of everything.

“To think you would dare to sleep with these items in your house, quite bold, I must say.”

Kensuke shrugged and left Tatsuya Nagai’s apartment in a swagger.

Of course, he had made sure that he left no fingerprints, footprints, or hair behind.

…

Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, several days had gone by.

It was time for the trial.

“Is all the information ready?”

At 8 o’clock in the morning, just before setting out, Kensuke confirmed the situation with Haibara once again.

Haibara nodded and handed the documents to Kensuke for him to review.

Kensuke casually browsed through them and nodded.

“The motives, direct evidence, indirect evidence, they’re all here.”

“Half of these pieces of evidence are ones you induced, aren’t they?” Haibara glanced at Kensuke’s satisfied expression and said after a moment of thought. “If this person gets prosecuted by the prosecutor’s office and ends up in prison, wouldn’t that be because of you?”

“Ai, what are you talking about? He was supposed to go to prison anyway,” Kensuke replied confidently. “I just gave him a little push along the way.”

“Is that so?” Haibara couldn’t help but roll her eyes. “I think the one who should go to prison the most is you.”

“Maybe, but you need to find evidence against me first,” Kensuke retorted.

Exiting the law firm, the two of them took the tram and walked for a while, quickly arriving at the makeshift courthouse they had previously arranged.

Compared to the district court specialized in criminal proceedings, the makeshift courthouse was much smaller.

In the lobby, sitting on the chairs, was the plaintiff for the civil litigation, Kensuke’s client this time, Nishitani Miho, who was already waiting there.

“Mr. Lawyer!”

Seeing Kensuke’s figure, Nishitani, who had been nervous and uneasy, suddenly showed an ecstatic expression, stood up, and waved to him.

Looking at her, Kensuke suddenly asked, “Nishitani-san, do you always dress like this?”

Nishitani Miho was slightly taken aback and smiled, “Yes, I think dressing nicely can put me in a good mood.”

Haibara glanced at her.

Nishitani Miho’s outfit today was indeed quite stunning.

She wore a beige off-the-shoulder dress, paired with a super short skirt that revealed her long, fair legs, which caught the eye.

Haibara couldn’t help but remark, “It’s a shame for such a beautiful girl to be targeted by perverts and fall victim to their hands.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Kensuke nodded, not saying much.

The group waited patiently in the lobby.

As it approached nine o’clock, they entered the courtroom.

Shortly after, the judge, plaintiff, defendant, and others all arrived one by one.

Unlike criminal cases, civil cases only had a judge, without a jury.

“In this session, judgment will be made in accordance with the Japanese Civil Code,” the judge banged the gavel. “Now, please let the attorney for the plaintiff read your lawsuit request.”

Kensuke glanced around the courtroom.

He saw the defendant, Tatsuya Nagai, sitting at the defendant’s seat, nervously rubbing his hands, looking very uneasy.

It seemed that the effect of the lawyer’s letter sent earlier had been achieved.

Additionally, he probably noticed the disappearance of the crime tools, which made him feel panicked.

A slight smile formed at the corner of Kensuke’s mouth.

This lawsuit was basically a piece of cake.

Kensuke stood up and cleared his throat.

“I am fully authorized to represent my client, Nishitani Miho-san, in this litigation.”

“Firstly, the defendant, Tatsuya Nagai, has repeatedly stalked Nishitani Miho-san in public places, which violates her personal freedom.”

“Secondly, the defendant, Tatsuya Nagai, once pushed Nishitani Miho-san down the stairs at the Mihana Station, resulting in her minor injuries, which violates her right to life and health.”

“Our litigation requests are as follows.”

“Firstly, the defendant, Tatsuya Nagai, must apologize to Nishitani Miho-san and compensate her with 30 million yen as compensation for mental distress and medical expenses caused by the infringement of her personal rights.”

“Secondly, all the expenses of this trial shall be borne by the defendant.”

“With that, I have finished my statement. Please judge according to the law.”