This ep starts where episode 6 left off – the SOS Brigade finding the master of the manor with a knife in his chest. Haruhi is sweating (it’s nice to see someone as confident and naive as her to be panicky), as she goes to feel the man’s pulse. The butler tells her not to (the reason for this is important) and feels his pulse for himself. He says that the Keiichi is dead.

 

Several observations are made. One, the small fruit knife has penetrated a notebook before reaching Keiichi’s flesh, which means that the murderer must have incredible strength, which also means that it must be a male. Also, the fact that Yutaka is missing makes this situation even more one-sided.

 

The second observation: this happened in a locked room with the windows locked as well. How could someone commit this crime in a locked room, escape then lock the room again from the outside? It is also pouring outside, making escape a pretty hard thing to do.

 

The group sit in silence back in their room. Mikuru is still in bed from shock and Kyon’s little sister is asking questions. Haruhi asks Kyon to go outside with her, and tells Nagato to lock the door and to not open it for anyone. Haruhi moans about how something like this could happen, and Kyon says that she had wanted someone to die. Haruhi counters by saying that the only reason for that was because she wasn’t expecting anything to happen. How truthful! Kyon wonders if Yutaka did it as he would be the main suspect, which reminds Haruhi of yesterday, when Mikuru had noticed Yutaka and Keiichi arguing. Haruhi also mentions that last night she had overheard Yutaka calling to prepare a passport and traveller’s checks, possibly arranging his escape.

 

Haruhi urges Kyon to take another look, but they are stopped by the butler. He had called the police, who had asked him not to allow anyone in the room. Kyon asks him if Yutaka and Keiichi didn’t get along. The butler says that he wouldn’t know as he has only been working here for a week. HOWEVER, if you remember when the SOS Brigade first arrived on the island, Koizumi had greeted him with, “It’s been quite some time.” Obviously this piece of information is false.

 

Haruhi decides to go outside and see if the boat is still there. Mori, the maid, tells them that Yutaka had been in a hurry last night, heading for the entranceway. This had happened at 1 o’clock AM.

 

Kyon and Haruhi still decide to go outside though, and due to the strong winds, they hold hands (how cute!). When they reach the cliff and look down at the pier, they see that the boat is indeed gone. Haruhi suddenly sees someone down near the pier. Haruhi drags Kyon down a ridge, and what happens? They fall. Actually Haruhi falls and drags Kyon down with her. When Haruhi wakes up, she finds herself on top of an unconscious Kyon. She desperately tries to wake him up, and when he does, gives him a sweet, “daijoubu?” This is the reason I really like this episode; all the moments of bonding between Haruhi and Kyon, and also a chance to see Suzumiya’s soft and caring side.

 

The two manage to get inside a cave and dry their clothes. Haruhi begins to doubt that it was Yutaka who killed Keiichi, as Mori had said that he left at 1 am, but when Haruhi had felt the dead body, it was still warm. She also doubts that Keiichi had died later on as well, as everyone had been moving around the house before they found the body. Finally, she comes to a conclusion (which is wrong by the way.)

 

Haruhi: "There’s no doubt that Yutaka stabbed Keiichi. Or else, you said he would have no reason to run away (talking to Kyon.) I don’t know his reasons, but Yutaka stabbed Keiichi. I doubt it was a premeditated (planned) murder. It was probably something like they got into an argument, and he picked up a nearby fruit knife and ended up using it. But the knife didn’t reach his heart. The knife was obstructed by the notebook and didn’t cause a fatal wound. However, this is when it got complicated. Keiichi fainted from the shock. Upon seeing that, Yutaka believed that he had killed him. The problem is what happened next. Keiichi, who had merely fainted, remained unconscious until morning. Once Keiichi came to, he stood up in a dazed state, and remembered that his brother had tried to kill him. Unable to think clearly, he locked the door. That’s when tragedy struck. Keiichi tripped over himself and fell on his face. As a result, the knife was driven into his heart, and Keiichi met his demise. This is the truth."

 

Kyon does not buy this, and says that the body was found face up. THEN… Haruhi finally realises the real truth. Kyon asks her what she had just realised, and Haruhi says it was nothing. That is when Koizumi finds them.

 

Kyon is thinking about the murder when he sees his little sister searching for food in the kitchen. He notices that there is a plate of food already eaten, with a knife and fork resting on it AND some carrots leftover. Mori says that it had been eaten by the butler, but Kyon is not too sure.

 

Kyon arrives back at his room to find Haruhi and Koizumi stuck outside. Nagato was refusing to open the door because she was instructed not to open it for anybody. Haruhi tries to reason with her, but as Nagato is a super-intelligent alien, Haruhi fails. Kyon then steps up and says that he will override Haruhi’s orders. Nagato obediently opens the door.

 

Koizumi asks Haruhi if they should continue to investigate, but she tells him to forget it. How unlike her. Kyon then tells Koizumi about the discussion he had with Haruhi in the cave. Koizumi then explains what Haruhi had realised in the cave and why she didn’t want to continue investigating.

 

Koizumi: "Suzumiya’s deduction was partially correct, but the last part was wrong. Keiichi was stabbed by Yutaka, but he didn’t die. Yutaka made the wrong assumption and escaped. That much is all correct. Keiichi was awakened by our voices, and just as we were about to open the door, he locked it in his dazes state. That was when… That was when the knife was driven into Keiichi’s body."

 

Kyon: "Which means the perpetrator…"

 

Koizumi: “Would be the ones who broke the door down. In other words, myself. You. And Arakawa. Suzumiya probably realised this. That’s why she didn’t say anything. In order to protect us. Hiding the truth within her own heart.”

 

Kyon: "Your story makes sense…but it’s unfortunate that you learned the truth. (Kyon looks scary…) If I seal your lips… nobody will ever know of this. (Kyon advances on Koizumi) That would be the logical course of action."

 

Kyon’s little sister runs to the butler, yelling that Koizumi is dead. The butler is truly shocked, as there isn’t meant to be anyone dead. Haruhi and Kyon enter Keiichi’s room. They say that they will stab the body a few more times and upon hearing this, Keiichi immediately gets up.

 

At the dining table, Haruhi explains everything that had happened – about the act that was put on by the master, brother, maid, butler and Koizumi, Kyon pretending to kill Koizumi and how his little sister distracted the butler.

 

After all the explanations, the group return home.