Case File 4:
At 9:47 pm on August 1st, 2011, a staff member at the Nagashima Hotel entered room 2311 to discover its occupant, Watanabe Hikomaru-san, dead in the bathtub. the head of Satayoshi Gaming Company was killed by either a knife wound likely inflicted by a thin woman or was drowned by a large man whose handprints were on his neck. Three pairs of people were found who match the descriptions. The suspects are:
- Ryoko Makoto-san and Ryoko Sera-san- the victim's friends. Makoto-kun was close to the victim, and often joined him for Mahjong on the weekends. Sera-chan, Makoto's wife, had befriended the victim in college through their photography class.
Motive- Ryoko-kun recently lost 50,000 yen to Hikomaru-san in a game of Mahjong, which he had needed to bet in order to purchase an anniversary gift for his wife.
Sera-san heard complaints on some of her husband's less-than-sober days about the possibility of Watanabe-san cheating in high stakes games.
Alibi: Both were playing chess in the game room from 8 to 9 pm. The murder occurred at about 8:20, and neither person left at any point except to the restroom for ten minutes.
- Chiran Tane-san and Chiran Nikari-san- new acquaintances of the victim. The siblings work at the same company as he did and met him on the business trip they were all on when he died.
Motive- Tane-kun had known the victim in elementary school, although after which they never saw each other until now. Hikomaru-san used to tease and bother Chiran until he was transferred to another school. Upon meeting again, though, the victim apologized for what he had done in the past.
Nikari-chan, one year her brother's senior, heard about his tormentor for years. Upon meeting the man, she insisted he apologize.
Alibi- They were together in the bar from 7 until Nikari took her drunk brother back to his room at 8:45, and neither one was remembered having left the room.
- Satayoshi Haru-san- the victim's cousin, and Kichida Amaterasu-san- Satayoshi's girlfriend.
Motive- Haru-kun's father chose Hikomaru-san as successor to his company, while Satayoshi himself became a game designer. He enjoys his work, however.
Amaterasu-san was denied a job with the company because it would be considered using family influence. Even so, she has remained interested in a career in the gaming business, and is still trying to get hired.
Alibis- Satayoshi-kun was at a designers' meeting until 8:50, whereupon he returned to his room and went to sleep.
Kichida-chan was at the bar with Nikari and Tane from 7:30 to 9:00, when she returned to the room she shares with her boyfriend. She was seen leaving to use the bathroom once, for about fifteen minutes.
Clues and Facts:
Believed to be the victim's dying message is a tile on the bathroom wall with a circle of blood in it. (The victim's fingerprints were found in the pattern) There were also the Kanji symbols chi, kaku, and onna.
Nikari got mad a Haru-san when he called out to her, mistaking her for his girlfriend.
Makoto-san lost at chess when he used several poor moves after his trip to the restroom. He nearly went to bed early for his stomach ache.
Tane-san, Nikari-san, and Kichida-san all said that they fell asleep at some point.
Tane-kun could hardly walk straight when he was called.
Kichida-san had to be woken by the bartender after her two companions left.
Based on the evidence, the victim was still alive after being submerged in the tub, and bled to death from his wound.
The victim had played Majhong with Satayoshi-san earlier in the day, and explained the tiles to him.
Okay, this one is going to be tough. Remember that the two don't have to be traveling together to have both attacked the victim. Good luck.