The Case of the Benizome Hot Springs Murder Pt. 2

**The Case of the Benizome Hot Springs Murder Pt. 2** (紅染温泉殺人事件②, *Benizome onsen satsujin jiken ②*) is the 4th chapter of the *Ron Kamonohashi: Deranged Detective* manga.

## Summary

According to a legend, a girl was sacrificed in the river nearby the Benizome Hot Springs; her death turned the river red. Sachiko's corpse is found floating in a hot spring which is similarly colored red, though only by leaves. As Amamiya is the only one without an alibi for the time of Sachiko's murder, she becomes the prime suspect, but Ron objects and says that Amamiya is not the culprit and that he will prove her innocence. Spitz is happy to hear this as he has been sent by BLUE to find out whether or not Ron is violating his detective restriction. However, then Ron continues to say that he is only reiterating what Toto has told him.

Totomaru is caught off-guard by Ron's words, and Ron interprets his incoherent exclamations that he wants to say that the red leaves turn the water red like in the legend and that the legend may be a key to solve the mystery. Ron then notices that Amamiya seems confused, and she tells him that she does not know the legend he is talking about. He says that he read about it in a pamphlet he and Toto received from their taxi driver, and Amamiya replies that she did not take a taxi to the hot springs. Toto remembers that she said that she had walked to the Benizome Annex, and Ron expands upon his words: Someone who has not received the pamphlet and, thus, does not know about the legend would not choose to murder someone in a manner that reminds of the legend. Therefore, it is unlikely that Amamiya is the culprit.

Michiyo agrees that this makes sense, and Spitz is perplexed to see that Totomaru is the one who is solving the case. Ron asks Toto who the culprit is, but Toto is yet again taken aback by his question, and Ron says aloud that Toto has not reached a decision and that he himself votes that the curse killed Sachiko. Totomaru tells him that he should stop messing around, but Michiyo testifies that she saw something spooky last night after dinner: White mist rose from the river.

She has hardly stopped talking when Ron beckons Totomaru to come to the river as he has found the ping pong ball they lost the night before: It has formed a little dam with a rain gutter, some leaves and branches. He then notices a bathmat lying around, and Amamiya comes to reluctantly thank Toto for saving her earlier. She adds that, as a suspect, she cannot handle the investigation herself and leaves it to him. Enthusiastically, Toto says that he will do his best to meet her expectations, and Amamiya yells that she is not expecting anything of him and laments over her terrible luck this weekend. She mentions how she walked into the men's bath by mistake yesterday, and Ron thanks her and says she did not make a mistake while pushing his hair to the side. Amamiya faints, and Toto catches her. In this moment, the local police arrives.

Later, Totomaru and Ron return to their room where they talk about the case and what they have learned from the coroner: that Sachiko died of a heart attack. Spitz listens to their conversation, and Ron, saying that there is a bug on the wall, punches the wall. It is so loud that Spitz falls back. Toto, not understanding what has just happened, continues to say that Sachiko's heart attack was caused by heat shock. Ron tells him that he deduced this as well and that it is now Toto's turn to explain what happened to everyone.

Everyone gathers at the crime scene, and Toto tells them that he has received permission by the local police to solve the case. He says that it is a murder case and that the murderer is one of those present—and the one who knew about Sachiko's weak heart: her husband. The husband immediately denies the accusation, saying that he has no reason to kill his beloved wife and that he was in the lounge when she died.

Totomaru explains that the husband lured Sachiko into a trap that would kill her while he was still in the lounge so that he would have an alibi. The husband covered the bath's entrance with a bathmat to create a pitfall trap. As Sachiko took off her glasses before entering the bath, she could not see the mat and fell into the water and died. Michiyo asks why she would die after falling into a warm bath, and Totomaru replies that the water was not warm but freezing cold. The husband used two rain gutter to redirect the cold river water into the bath and the bath's warm water into the river. Mist rose from the river, and the bath turned ice-cold. Furthermore, as the river water carried leaves with it into the hot spring, the husband gathered more leaves to "turn" the water red so that no one would think river water has been redirected to the bath and everyone would only be reminded of the legend.

The husband objects to Toto's explanation, saying that this is the women's bath and people would have noticed if he had set up his trap here. Totomaru replies that he could do it if he knew nobody would go into the bath that night. At dinner, the husband heard that Toto and Ron would go to play ping pong and, thus, no one would be in the men's bath. He then exchanged the curtains for the men's and women's baths and could easily set up his trap in the "men's" bath. Ron and Toto hurried into the men's bath, and, as the husband had not switched the curtains back by then, Amamiya walked into the men's bath, believing it to be the women's. Toto says that they will likely find the husband's fingerprints on the curtain poles. Cornered, the husband confesses, and Totomaru sighs in relief after giving the explanation.

The husband tells Michiyo that he has failed and that he has killed his wife for her, but Michiyo is only disgusted at him. She admits that she said "if your wife wasn't around," but she certainly did not mean it this way and tries to get away from the husband. Amamiya is disgusted as well and is about to arrest him while the husband tries to keep Michiyo from leaving him. Totomaru yells at him as he has stolen Sachiko's life. He is surprised by his own words—he got carried away because Ron has not pressured the husband into killing himself. Then, Toto looks for Ron and sees how he is dragged away by someone.

Toto goes into the woods to search for Ron, and Spitz calls him to him and Ron whom he has tied-up and hung on a tree and who has just woken up from a dream in which he discovered the brown sugar spring. Spitz introduces himself as BLUE's tracking instructor tasked to see if Ron engages in detective activity. Ron reveals that he noticed him back at the shopping district and points out that Totomaru was the one who solved the case. Spitz replies that Toto did not even notice his presence and could not possibly have the capabilities to solve cases. Ron asks for proof, and Spitz says that he does not need any; he knows that Ron solved the case.

Ron mocks Spitz's illogical approach and his qualities as an instructor. Toto urges Ron not to anger Spitz, and Spitz agrees, saying that he can make sure his punishment is lightened if he admits to doing detective work despite his ban. Ron chuckles and says that he doubts Spitz has such authority and concludes that he must have a personal reason for handling the matter in such an impatient manner. Ron suggests that Spitz either made a bet with someone about whether or not he is doing any detective work, he was threatened to make him admit to solving cases still, or he needs his help. While saying this, Ron frees himself from the ropes.

Spitz says that he expected Ron to deduce why he was actually here and asks for his help: He only became an instructor at BLUE because he wanted to find the ultimate detective to solve the mystery of his brother's disappearance. However, he could not find any there but heard of the expelled Ron.

Ron refuses Spitz's request as Spitz works at BLUE and he has no reason to trust him. Spitz replies that he will tell BLUE that Ron is not doing any detective work, but Ron thinks that it not enough to gain his trust. Spitz offers to help him with detective work, but Ron reminds him that Toto is the detective, and Spitz amends his words, saying that he will assist Toto. Ron still asks for more, and Spitz reluctantly offers his Benizome robe. Ron complains that the size is too small for him, and Totomaru says that he should not be like that and that Spitz does not seem like a bad guy. Spitz is overjoyed at Toto's words and energetically shakes "Tototo's" hand, saying that he knew that he was a great person with a deep heart. Spitz says that he will leave now, but that they can call him whenever they need tracking help. Afterward, Spitz brachiates away.

Ron points out that no one agreed to Spitz's request and admits that, while he knows that his skill set may come handy and is intrigued by the request, he was about to refuse nevertheless. However, Toto saying that Spitz was not a bad guy made Ron change his mind and he will keep an eye on Spitz for now—and determine whether they can trust him by working him to death. Totomaru is horrified at Ron's words, but remembers that Ron has never abandoned someone in trouble so far. He then thanks Ron for saving Amamiya, and Ron replies that he was only fulfilling his duty.

## Characters in Order of Appearance

* Sachiko
* Totomaru Isshiki
* Ron Kamonohashi
* Michiyo
* Amamiya
* Sachiko's husband
* Spitz Feier