Obon Dance Murder Case

The **Obon Dance Murder Case** is an attempted murder case that occurred in Tokyo.

It is the 21st main case in the *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* series.

## Overview

After Elmer Stingray's sudden appearance and his declaration that he was Ron's sole friend and even investigative partner at BLUE, Ron and Totomaru warily accept him in their midst to find out if Elmer is telling the truth, or is actually the M. Family spy. Together, they head to an Obon festival where they are joined by Chicory.

Shortly after meeting Chicory, Toto is approached by Hiiragi, the manager of the famous *enka* idol Nana Haruno who was invited as a guest performer to the festival. Fifteen years ago, she had been invited to the festival for the first time. Back then, she received a death threat from a deranged fan. Haruno had to cancel her meet-and-greet and gave away the candy and bouquets fans had gifted her to children; this act enraged her fans. Now, because the threatener has likely been released from prison, he might want revenge. Toto, Ron, Chicory, and Elmer promise to keep an eye out and Haruno safe.

While Haruno is singing, Toto hears a sound which he mistakes for a gunshot. The "gun" which he thinks was the source of the sound is only a harmless laser light though; the "gunshot" actually came from a handheld firework made of paper. Right afterward, at 6:15 p.m., there is a 30-second-long blackout during which Haruno is stabbed in the chest onstage; a mask has been pinned to her body with the knife. Haruno is rushed to the Metropolitan General Hospital, and Hiiragi accompanies her.

## History

Toto and Ron bring the mysterious man to Suzuki Hospital. Although he was in a hit-and-run, he is not seriously injured; he also refuses to file a police report. This makes Ron suspect that the man is lying. He also does not remember him at all from his days at BLUE. In this moment, the man arrives and remarks that Ron does not remember him because he did not pay any attention to him but because he is too much of a coward to remember. He then introduces himself as Elmer Stingray, Ron's former classmate and friend.

Ron says that he has never heard that name although they must have been classmates for half a year if he is saying the truth. Elmer replies that he transferred to BLUE only three days before the Bloody Field Trip Case. In this short timeframe, Ron once treated Elmer's injuries, and when Elmer asked if they could be friends, Ron said that he did not know and Elmer should decide himself; Elmer then chose to be his friend and investigative partner. When Ron was expelled after the Bloody Field Trip Case, Elmer searched for him, and only now managed to track him down. Hearing all that, Ron proposes to take him sightseeing. While Elmer gets his things, Ron tells Toto that he does not remember Elmer and suspects he might be the M. Family informant. Thus, for now, they will keep Elmer close to see whether he is the spy or actually telling the truth about their friendship.

Afterward, they leave the hospital. While they walk and converse, they hear music for the Obon dance and spot two children wearing yutakas. Because the festival sparks Elmer's curiosity, Ron, Toto, and Elmer head to the fairground. There, Chicory stumbles into them; she is at the dance to gather material on summer festivals. Because she addresses Toto as "Officer Isshiki," Hiiragi approaches them and takes them backstage to Nana Haruno's tent as she needs some advice from a police officer: Fifteen years ago, Haruno received a death threat when she performed at this very Obon festival; they fear the culprit might return to take revenge. Toto, Ron, Chicory, and Elmer are both honored and willing to help and promise to keep an eye out.

While Haruno is performing, they split up and patrol the fairground: Toto checks the front gate and the school building while Ron looks around the pool; they do not find anyone suspicious in those areas. Ron points out that the possible culprit might be onstage, but Elmer reassures Toto and Ron that the performers—Kimura, Tateishi, and Tsutsui—are all locals and unlikely to be the threatener from fifteen years ago. Elmers knows that because he asked around and verified their identities while Ron and Toto were searching the fairground. Ron is impressed by that; this upsets Toto who becomes determined not to lose to Elmer. And when he hears a loud sound, he automatically assumes it is a gunshot and tells everyone to get down. Toto runs toward a man and urges him to drop the "gun"—it is only a harmless laser gun though, and the "gunshot" was the sound of fireworks. Embarrassed, Toto apologizes to everyone.

Right afterward, all the lights suddenly turn off which leads to confusion among the attendees. Then, a scream is heard through the loudspeakers; Ron, Elmer, and Totomaru recognize the voice as Haruno's and run to the stage. By the time they arrive, the lights have turned on again and they find Haruno lying on the stage with a knife protruding from her chest. An ambulance is called and Haruno hurried to the hospital; she suffered a deep chest wound and her life is in danger. While Hiiragi heads to the hospital to be with Haruno, Toto and the others stay at the fairground to investigate.

Soon, the murder weapon is identified: The knife was stolen from the owner of the *takoyaki* stand; the owner has an alibi for the time of the crime and is, thus, not a suspect. The mask was sold at another stall, but the employees cannot remember who bought it. Furthermore, they discover a change of clothes in Haruno's tent, and the man who turned off the lights is found. He is from the neighbourhood association who testifies that he only followed the instructions someone texted him. Because the text apparently came from Hiiragi, Totomaru tries to call her but she does not pick up. Instead, he finds her phone discarded in a nearby trashcan. He then calls one of the EMTs to contact Hiiragi.

Hiiragi states that she lost her phone right before the start of Haruno's performance. Ron wonders if it had been stolen, and Elmer backs this theory as she was keeping her phone in her jacket pocket. Because that pocket has less body contact than her pants pocket, it would have been easy to steal Hiiragi's phone. Ron remarks that Elmer knows surprisingly much about pickpocketing, and Elmer reveals that he is a crime researcher who works as a consultant for the police.

Afterward, Toto gathers Tsutsui, Kimura, and Tateishi. They did not notice anyone coming onstage during the blackout, and when the lights turned off, they had kept playing because they believed it to be part of the show. Furthermore, because all three of them play instruments that require both hands, they would not have been able to stab Haruno while playing; they also have no traces of blood on their clothes. Elmer points out that the culprit might have used the mask to avoid getting blood on themself: Placing the mask between the knife and Haruno, it would have caught all the blood.

Elmer also believes that one of the musicians might be the threatener from fifteen years ago who pretended to be a performer to blend in and get to Haruno. Chicory says that the threatener often sent out bottles of sulfuric acid and poisoned chocolates to various idols before she leaves for a while to double check whether she is right or missing something. Toto also calls Hiiragi to learn more about the threat incident.

Hiiragi informs Toto that Haruno is still unconscious before she tells him the little she knows of that time: The president of the agency told her that a box cutter and a bullet arrived around the time of the incident; because of the bullet, she then inquires about the earlier commotion but Toto ensures her that it is unrelated to the case. At the same time as Toto ends the call, Chicory returns and announces that the threatener was arrested for a separate crime two years ago and died in prison.

While the others become slightly disheartened, Totomaru wholeheartedly continues the investigation. He obtains a recording of the music played during the blackout and tries his best to replicate the sound by playing the instruments one-handedly. However, he cannot do it, and as he frustrates over the mystery, he finds something lodged deep inside the stage's paving stones. Ron retrieves the object with some tweezers: It is an artificial nail which was on the middle finger of Haruno's left hand; Ron was looking for it after noticing its absence. Seeing the nail and wondering why it was lodged so deeply, Ron solves the case and thanks Toto for helping him.

Right after Ron and Toto get off the stage, Toto receives a call from the hospital director: Haruno has regained consciousness. He then passes the phone to Ron who requests the director to get Haruno a bodyguard as the culprit is still running free. Ron ends the call and instructs Elmer and Chicory to check the whereabouts of the musicians; while they are gone, Ron tells Toto his deduction.

Meanwhile, at the hospital, a doctor informs Haruno that she might still be woozy from the anesthesia; still, she should try to relax. He tells Hiiragi to contact the nurse if they need anything before he and the nurse leave. Now all alone with Haruno, Hiiragi takes out a syringe. She is about to stab Haruno with it when Totomaru, Ron, Elmer, and Chicory burst into the room and confront her as the perpetrator.

Hiiragi denies the accusation and reminds him that she was in front of the stage and could not have stabbed Haruno. Toto knows that she is lying though: Hiiragi was, in fact, under the stage because she had to hand Haruno the clothes for the costume change which was planned for the blackout; only Haruno and Hiiragi knew about that. When it was time, Hiiragi lifted the panel and drove the knife into Haruno who was kneeling at the opening. Haruno was stabbed perpendicularly, and Hiiragi put a mask between Haruno and the knife to ensure no blood would drip down on her. Haruno's false nail got lodged when Hiiragi closed the panel.

Furthermore, Hiiragi mentioned a commotion over a gun earlier, and she now confirms she saw a silver or black gun. Everyone who was in front of the stage knows that there was never a gun though; the "gunshot" came from a handheld paper firework.

However, the fact that Hiiragi sought out an officer for help shows that she did not plan to kill Haruno. She only formulated a plan after she learned of the death-threat-incident and the candy Haruno gave out afterward. Hiiragi confesses and reveals that, fifteen years ago, her mother died after Hiiragi had given her the candy she received from Haruno at the Obon festival. Hiiragi researched her mother's symptoms and found they all point to arsenic poisoning which cemented her theory that the poisoned candy killed her mother; she then decided to murder Haruno.

After her confession, Hiiragi attempts to stab Haruno with the syringe but Toto can stop her. Haruno then speaks up and tells Hiiragi that she did not give her any of the candy fans gifted her that day but macarons that were bought only for her. Chicory confirms the threatener only sent out poisoned chocolate, never anything else. And when Haruno reveals that she employed Hiiragi as her manager because she remembered her as the girl from fifteen years ago, Hiiragi breaks down and apologizes.

Later, when Ron, Toto, and Elmer walk back home, Elmer "compliments" Toto and states that he now knows what Ron needs in an investigative partner. He also reveals he decided to stay in Japan for a while, and that he knows Ron is fighting a certain powerful organization. A train then passes by, and Elmer vanishes from Toto and Ron's sight. Elsewhere, Elmer briefs someone about his time with Ron.

In England, Dan informs Mylo that they have received a report regarding Ron.

## References and notes

1. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 68, pages 3-8
2. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 68, pages 10-11
3. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 69, pages 2-4
4. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 69, pages 4-10
5. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 69, pages 13-15
6. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 71, page 11
7. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 70, page 5
8. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 69, pages 16-19
9. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 70, page 14
10. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 70, pages 2-3
11. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 68, pages 2-12
12. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 69, pages 2-19
13. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 70, pages 2-20
14. ↑ *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga; Chapter 71, pages 2-21

1. ↑ The Obon festival is usually observed around August 15. However, in the Kanto region to which Tokyo belongs, it is celebrated around July 15.