The Case of the Fortuneteller Prince Murder Pt. 3

**The Case of the Fortuneteller Prince Murder Pt. 3** is the 48th chapter of the *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga.

## Summary

The inn's manager Takei brings the Fortuneteller Prince a cup of tea and tells him that the police has left after they could not find anything when he asks about their whereabouts. The Prince then tells her that he will do a live broadcast now and invites her to watch it and that the green band item he advertised is her Mega-Boost item. Takei replies that she will watch the broadcast and expresses her amazement about the band because her deceased dog had such a collar. She is very happy that the band is her Mega-Boost item and says that she will treasure it.

Later, the Prince starts his live broadcast. His fans asks him about the murder case and whether it is true. He confirms this and urges them to wear their Mega-Boost items at all times as the victim died because she had not worn hers. His fans then tell him to look behind him. The Fortuneteller Prince turns around, and sees Toto, Ron, and Spitz searching his room, wearing overalls and animal heads.

When he spots them, Toto, Spitz, and Ron step behind the camera and unmask themselves. They explain that they have returned because they forgot to check something and that they are wearing those outfits to conceal their identities from the Prince's audience. Totomaru adds that they do not wish to interrupt his broadcast; they only want to quietly check whether the murder weapon is underneath a cushion or elsewhere. The Fortuneteller Prince allows them to continue their search; meanwhile, his live broadcast continues and his fans realize that the police is in the Prince's room.

Totomaru, Spitz, and Ron look through drawers but cannot find the weapon anywhere. Spitz notes that it would not have been easy for the culprit to hide it or take it outside though, and Ron says that the murder weapon either has the culprit's fingerprints on it or it connects directly to the culprit. When Totomaru does not understand this, the Prince explains that, if he was the culprit, the murder weapon would be his Mega-Boost ribbons. He has handed them over to the forensics team though and they found nothing. The ribbons given out to the guests were confiscated and analyzed as well, in vain. The Fortuneteller Prince uses this opportunity to address his viewers to tell them that the Mega-Boost ribbons protected everyone from suspicion and that they should keep using his products. His audience is very amused about the fact that the Prince has to explain this to an officer.

Then, the Prince notes the heat in his room which surprises his fans as it is currently very cold in Tokyo. The Fortuneteller Prince ignores the AC remote on his table and reaches for a cup of tea instead. When he takes a sip from it, Totomaru confronts him about his choice: Why he did not choose the coffee although his Mega-Boost item is "brown drinks," especially considering that there is a bottle of coffee on his table as well? The Prince replies that the heat dulled his judgement, and Toto asks him why he did not pick the AC remote then before he answers the question himself: The Fortuneteller Prince knew there were no batteries in the remote because he took them out to submerge the murder weapon—a Mega-Boost ribbon—in the coffee bottle. He wrapped the ribbon around the batteries so that it would not float back up and stay hidden on the bottom of the bottle.

Then, ignoring the Prince's protests, Ron grabs the bottle and takes a sip from it before he reveals that they already exchanged the bottles. This one is filled with brown sugar, the real one was given to the forensics team. Hearing this, the Prince confesses to murdering Lost Koala for wanting to defame his Mega-Boost Fortunetelling and asks why it mattered that he was only using a trick as long as his "fortunetelling" made people happy. He did not mind to hear Lost Koala talking badly about him, but could not bear to hear her insult his business and snapped. He does not even feel guilty that he killed her.

Toto informs him that the forensics team found no DNA or other conclusive evidence on the ribbon. Because of that, they needed the Fortunetelling Prince to admit to his crime during his live broadcast as he could not contradict his own fortunetelling in this situation. Ron also shows him the heaters they surrounded his room with to ensure that he would get thirsty and reach for the tea.

The Prince laments that, if only he had picked his Mega-Boost item, the coffee, he would not have gotten caught. Ron replies that if "brown drinks" had not been his Mega-Boost item, Totomaru would have never figured out his trick.

Totomaru, Ron, and Spitz arrest the Prince and escort him out of the room and inn while Takei watches and the live broadcast keeps on running. The viewers who could only half-witness everything are convinced that everything that happened was staged.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Totomaru Isshiki
* Ron Kamonohashi
* Spitz Feier
* Fortuneteller Prince
* Takei