The Case of the Psychological Research Lab Murder Pt. 2

The Case of the Psychological Research Lab Murder Pt. 2 (心理学研究室殺人事件②, Shinri-gaku Kenkyūshitsu Satsujin Jiken ②) is the 36th chapter of the Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective manga.
==Summary==
The Maruyama laboratory is cordoned off, with Amamiya in charge of the investigation. When Toto arrives, Amamiya asks what he is doing there if he was not called in. Toto explains that someone he knew was caught in the explosion, and Amamiya immediately understands that it is HImeno. 
Amamiya explains the forensic analysis: The shield room was filled with flammable gas. The moment the door was opened, and the gas touched an external heat source, the gas exploded. Both Toto and Amamiya wonder about the presence of flammable gas. Amamiya says there was never any flammable gas used in the experiment room. The heat source was most likely a heat gun. However according to the graduate students there is no way a heat gun would just be left lying around. Therefore, the explosion was created by someone intentionally, and Amamiya is treating the case as a homicide. 
Toto is still shocked: why would someone use such a horrible method to go after Himeno? He emphatically begs Amamiya to be assigned to the case. Amamiya scolds him, telling him not to bring personal feelings to work. How could she trust such an important case to someone wrapped up in their emotions. Toto quickly crumples in sadness, as Amamiya recalls her younger self also emphatically begging about something. 
Amamiya gets a call, and tells Toto that an urgent matter has come up. She has no choice but to leave the case to him, warning him that she will replace him if he bungles it up. Toto wonders about this, particularly because Amamiya's phone was on standby mode. But he salutes saying he understands. 
Toto informs Chicory that he got assigned to the case, and Chicory tells him she is sure he will be able to find justice for Himeno. She promises to get ready and to head over, and Toto also promises he will let her know if they learn anything. After Toto ends the call, Toto resolutely tells Ron they will now start with the interviews. Ron agrees. 
They first interrogate Aoe, with Toto asking what did he do after yesterday's meeting. Aoe is cautious, but Toto tells him it is a standard question. Thus Aoe relates that last night he was up late performing an experiment with the MRI machine. He passed by the experiment room on the way back, but the light was out. 
Ron keeps observing around the room, noting Aoe's certificates and diplomas. He also asks Aoe if it seems like the explosion caused much damage. Aoe says yes, and that they will need to replace all the equipment. They also lost the computer that had 10 years worth of experiment data stored, an incalculable loss according to him. Aoe adds that such pales in comparison to Himeno's life. Toto says that one of their experts is determining whether or not the data can be recovered.
Toto asks if there is anything else, and Aoe adds that the lab received a letter from an unknown sender. When Toto checks it, he finds it was postmarked yesterday. The message inside is cut-up and pasted dnewsprint of kanji saying: Himeno Kanae!! Divine Punishment is coming for you!! Thus this is a threat letter. 
Ron asks if there was anyone who held a grudge against Himeno, which would make it a pre-medidated crime. Toto adds that whoever knew Himeno was in the shield room this morning is their culprit. But Ron wonders about that. 
Toto and Ron assemble the graduate students in a lecture room. Aoe told Toto that the use of the experiment room was left to the students, thus he wanted to ask about that: did anyone know that HImeno was using the experiment room this morning. Imai replies that all three of them knew. Oigawa explains: all of them wanted to use the room this morning, thus last night they used a lottery feature in an app to draw the lot. Ron asks if anyone else besides the three of them knew about the drawing of lots, but Oigawa says their group chat is only the four of them, thus no one else knew. 
Toto deduces that it means some time between when the students used the app and when HImeno came this morning, one of the three snuck into the room and set the trap. He asks what the graduate students were doing until this morning. Oigawa just says he went to sleep, woke up at 9am, and came to the lab. Imai and Niki say it is the same for them. Oigawa says he did not see anyone, and asks if not having an alibi will make him a suspect. Imai asks if it is going to ruin his future. Imai then betrays Oigawa, saying he is suspicious, and that HImeno reported him to the university for deleting other people's data off the computer. Imai knew because he saw her talking to the professor. OIgawa retaliates: he accuses Imai of being the one who acted like a stalker and kept going to HImeno's house every day after she dumped him, that he even said "I'll make that woman pay someday!". NIki quietly adds that Imai is a creeper, but Imai retaliates, saying she hated HImeno the most. HImeno scolded her for canceling the MRI experiment, Imai adds saying Niki called HImeno an ugly jerk, and that this morning she was more upset about the lost research data than about HImeno. The arguing escalates until Toto asks them all to calm down. 
But Ron asks further, what did they mean Niki was scolded for canceling the MRI experiment. Oigawa explains: the MRI has a high maintenance cost, thus they need to keep the operating ratio high, and not allowed to cancel experiments outright. Ron gives this thanks, thinks for a moment, then realizes something. He tells Toto to get the records of the experiment room's use log, as he exits the lecture room. 
Toto hurriedly follows after Ron in the hall, asking why he left in such a hurry. Ron says he had a bad feeling and he normally does not get that. Ron asks: Why did the threat letter arrive after the incident already happened? Toto asks what he means. Ron explains: If the letter came after Himeno died, then it could not frighten her anymore, right? 
Toto looks at him carefully, so Ron asks what is the matter. Toto says that normally somebody would not think of that, that it is almost as if Ron could understand the killer's thinking. Ron says people have always told him that, a lot. 
That aside, Ron continues that the other strange thing is: How was the culprit able to mail the threat letter aimed at Himeno before it was decided she would use the research room? Toto agrees. Ron asks if he was abl to get the experiment room use log, and Toto did. Until a month ago it was mainly professors Maruyama and Aoe who used it. But partway, Maruyama's name disappears because of his overseas work, and recently Aoe has not used it all either. Conversely, HImeno's and Oigawa's names show up a lot more, and there are lots of cases in which NIki and Imai have to share the room in the afternoon. Ron suddenly realizes something, and checks the log himself. 
Toto wonders who the suspect is, but it is not like he has no idea, since they are all suspicious. Being in such a hostile environment must have been hard for Himeno. Ron says he does not know the precise motive, but he might know what the killer was after. He says they cannot let them go, the cruel killer created by the savage research room. 
==Characters in Order of Appearance==
* Totomaru Isshiki
* Amamiya
* Chicory Monki
* Ron Kamonohashi
* Takanori Aoe
* Shun Oigawa
* Renjiro Imai
* Riko Niki
==Navigation==
Category:Chapters
Category:Psychological Research Lab Murder Case