Senichi also understood Kogoro Mouri's blind trust to some extent.
Among the on-site audience, those who were most directly and profoundly impacted were probably the two scientists, Rintaro Okabe and Makise Kurisu.
Look at Rintaro Okabe, he appears eccentric like a mad scientist but is seemingly still in shock. On the other hand, Makise Kurisu was frowning in contemplation and occasionally discussing something with Okabe.
As guests who experienced the incident firsthand, the two naturally stayed behind. However, judging from their appearances, it seemed their thoughts had already wandered off.
But that was normal, a common trait among researchers.
Senichi greeted them and took their statements. The contents were similar to what Senichi had seen.
The trap was real, but being counter-ambushed by Horikoshi afterward was genuinely unexpected.
"The culprit is Horikoshi, right?"
After the statements were recorded, Makise Kurisu suddenly spoke up.
"Assistant, although we both agree on this, the conclusion hasn't been experimentally verified," Rintaro Okabe frowned, "It's too fragile of a conclusion."
"No, if we exclude those so-called supernatural powers, the likelihood of Horikoshi being the culprit is high," Makise Kurisu said, then looked towards Senichi, "Isn't that right, Mr. Detective?"
Senichi was momentarily silent, then nodded and smiled, "I didn't expect Miss Makise to have detective potential."
"No, I just shifted my perspective from science and analyzed the phenomenon with the most realistic logic," Makise Kurisu said calmly.
"What! Assistant, you've already thought of this level?" Hearing their conversation, Rintaro Okabe seemed to realize that he had been outperformed by the other party. Using an exaggerated tone, he tried to cover up his defeat, "Indeed, you are my assistant, hahaha."
However, that hearty laughter couldn't conceal the sense of guilt.
"We'll head back now."
Ignoring Rintaro Okabe's attempt to act tough, Makise Kurisu bowed slightly to Senichi and said, "The rest is up to you. We look forward to good news from you."
Afterward, the two didn't leave. They just sat down in a corner of the stage.
Meanwhile, Shiratori hung up the phone and walked over. "According to Inspector Megure, the victim passed away not long ago. Although the exact time still needs forensic examination, it is estimated to be within the last 6 hours."
Senichi glanced at his watch. It was around 5 o'clock now, so the time of death would be around late morning or noon if we extrapolate backward.
"How's it going, Senichi-kun? Have these two provided any useful information?" After saying this, Shiratori looked at Senichi.
"Not yet."
Senichi looked at the two people on the side and said, "These two came solely to participate in the program. In a way, we should thank them for setting up this trap. Without it, we wouldn't have known about this homicide through Mr. Horikoshi's supernatural abilities."
"Supernatural abilities?"
Shiratori, who had already understood the situation, expressed disdain.
"In my opinion, instead of believing he has supernatural powers, it's better to believe that he saw a corpse before.
The most suspicious person right now might even be Mr. Horikoshi, the one who discovered the victim."
Senichi nodded in agreement, "Indeed, Horikoshi seems to know too many details. Being able to deduce such specifics from details like the position of the coat is quite unsettling."
"Shall we go and question Horikoshi?" Shiratori asked.
"Sure, let's go meet him," Senichi nodded. Later, guided by the program's producer, they entered the green room.
"Speak up quickly," Horikoshi looked at everyone with disdain and an indifferent expression. "I have things to do later."
However, Senichi paid no attention to the attitude and focused on the change in the person's appearance. He then pointed to the shiny black coat and asked, "Sorry to ask before the questioning, but this is not the outfit you were wearing during the live broadcast, right?"
"That was the formal attire for the show. I changed after the program ended," Horikoshi replied casually while playing with his nails. "I usually ride a motorcycle. Any problem?"
"No, none," Senichi smiled upon hearing the response. "Indeed, it does suit the attire of a rider."
After sitting on the sofa opposite Horikoshi, Senichi leaned forward with an admiring tone, "But coming back to it, it truly is an outstanding talent."
"Actually, sometimes I find it quite frightening myself."
Facing Senichi's praise, Horikoshi smiled modestly and accepted it without any false modesty.
"Yeah, as a mere mortal, I'm really curious about how supernatural abilities manifest. What's the sensation of that prophecy like? Do the images appear directly in your mind?"
"That's right," Horikoshi smiled. "If you've ever dreamed, Mr. Detective, you'll probably know. It's somewhat similar to that feeling."
Because Senichi initiated the conversation with Horikoshi under the assumption of acknowledging supernatural abilities, the latter gradually let down some of his defenses without realizing it.
After all, Senichi's goal was to gather information from him, and if the conversation couldn't proceed smoothly, what else could be achieved?
"But that professor had it rough, didn't he?" Senichi continued to flatter, "His face was 'swollen' quite badly."
"He was too confident in science," Horikoshi sneered. "There are things in this world that even science can't explain, right? Thinking that science can explain everything is just too arrogant."
"But that scarf is a bit of a pity." Senichi continued to probe while standing in the other's perspective, "Aren't you a bit angry or unwilling?"
"Mr. Detective, I don't like being questioned, so I'll be straightforward," Horikoshi raised his head slightly. "Regarding the scarf, I didn't make a mistake."
"Hmm? Can you explain why you say that?" Senichi raised an eyebrow, appearing attentive.
"Let me clarify," Horikoshi said confidently, "My ability tells me that the scarf belongs to the missing Miss S. I did sense some kind of 'aura' or 'spirit' on it. It's precisely because of this that I could determine where the scarf had fallen."
"So, are you saying that Professor Okabe drawing the scarf on the illustration board was just a mere coincidence?"
Facing Senichi's question, Horikoshi unexpectedly shook his head. "No, I don't believe in such coincidences."