When it came to Hattori Shizuka, aka Hattori Heiji's mom, Fujino had her pegged from the moment they met. He recognized her instantly.
But here's the thing—her son's so tan, yet his mom's got this fair, pristine complexion… It just doesn't add up.
And get this: his dad, Hattori Heizo, isn't particularly dark-skinned either!
It's one of those mysteries that leaves you scratching your head.
As for "Ikenami," Fujino figured that was probably Shizuka's maiden name, before she married into the Hattori family. By hiding her real surname, she was likely trying to keep her identity under wraps. Mentioning "Hattori" would've been a dead giveaway.
Fujino could read her game—she was playacting, testing him, trying to get a sense of who he was. He bet Heiji had gone home and badmouthed him, otherwise Shizuka wouldn't be sniffing around like this.
His eyes narrowed at the thought. *That punk's gonna pay for talking smack behind my back.*
But then his mind shifted to the script Shizuka was running. Claiming she wasn't married, using her old maiden name, even hiding her wedding ring… What was this, some kind of family drama?
The reason was probably simple: if she admitted she was married, a detective might balk at her request. Helping someone's wife track down a man from her past? Yeah, that's a bit sketchy.
Hiding the ring was likely part of the same cover.
This whole act of hers was elaborate—borderline unsettling, if you thought about it too hard. Fujino didn't dare dwell on it too long. Instead, he pivoted. "I heard on the phone you have a photo of the person you're looking for. Mind showing it to me? It'll help me confirm their identity."
"Sure, but I don't think it'll give you much to work with," Shizuka replied. She pulled a photo from her purse and handed it to Fujino. "The guy in the middle holding the trophy is the one I want to find—Shibata Shiro."
"A kendo tournament photo," Fujino noted, studying it. "Judging by the setting, it's probably the Kansai Summer Tournament."
The photo showed three women and four men, all in kendo gear. Center stage was a guy holding a trophy. Next to him stood a cute girl with a ponytail, her features a bit youthful but unmistakable.
One glance told Fujino the girl was Shizuka herself.
He looked up at her, then back at the photo. Thirty years had changed her quite a bit… The young girl was now a married woman with a goofy son.
*Man, beautiful girls in this world still look stunning even as they age,* Fujino thought, rubbing his chin. "The girl with the ponytail next to him—that's you, right, Ikenami-san?"
"That's me," Shizuka admitted, a touch surprised. "We were at the Kansai Summer Tournament back then. After graduating, I moved to Tokyo. Didn't expect you to spot me so easily."
She met his gaze, realizing her carefully guarded secrets were being unraveled bit by bit. From the hidden wedding ring to the photo's regional context, Fujino was seeing right through her.
She had no doubt—if she let slip any more, he'd figure out her true identity in no time. It was almost chilling, like a prickling at the back of her neck (not that she had any hair standing on end, mind you).
Her visit wasn't just a casual drop-in. She'd come to size Fujino up, to see if her silly son was being bullied by this guy she'd never met but had heard about from both Heiji and her husband.
Heiji had sprained his ankle last time and came back from Tokyo ranting about Fujino: *"What kind of monster is that guy?" "He's the worst!" "So infuriating…"*
She'd asked Heizo about Fujino, and his response was glowing: *"A remarkable young man." "Full of potential." "Why can't Heiji learn from him?"* Basically, Fujino was the poster child for "someone else's perfect kid."
So, naturally, she assumed her son was getting picked on by this stellar young detective. This trip was her chance to test the waters.
"The photo's a dead giveaway," Fujino said with a light chuckle. "Your beauty stands out like a lotus in a pond, Ikenami-san. I'd spot you in a crowd any day. As for the Kansai Summer Tournament, I practice kendo myself, so I recognized it right away."
"You're too kind…" Shizuka waved off the compliment, a bit flustered. "I had no idea you studied kendo too."
At her age, getting flattered by a young guy felt pretty darn nice. It also made her start to doubt her theory about Fujino bullying her son. A guy this charming—how could he be a jerk?
Still, she wasn't ready to let her guard down completely. People could be deceiving…
"Yeah, I just dabble in it for fun," Fujino said casually, his eyes locking onto hers. After a moment's thought, he got serious. "Since we've confirmed the job and the person you're looking for, let's talk payment. Given the age of these photos, they're not much help. All we've got is a name, which makes this tough. Normally, I'd charge 600,000 yen…"
"Six hundred thousand yen?" Shizuka blinked, caught off guard. It wasn't a fortune for her, but for finding one person, it felt a bit steep.
Clearly, she wasn't used to the classic *tantei* move of handling "acquaintances." Fujino paused, then continued smoothly, "But since you were referred by someone I know, I can give you a discount, Ikenami-san. Let's say 500,000 yen. I've got the contract ready from when you called. If you're good with it, you can sign and pay the deposit."
"That's quite the discount… but it's reasonable," Shizuka nodded, impressed. She hadn't expected a "friend" referral to shave off 100,000 yen. It wasn't a huge sum, but compared to 600,000, it was a solid deal.
"No trouble at all," Fujino said, channeling the vibe of a family-oriented salesman. "Since you're a friend, I've gotta show some sincerity. Even if it's below my usual rate and I take a hit, it's my way of thanking my supporters." He pulled a mobile POS machine from his pocket. "If you've got a card, we can handle it now. We support mobile payments. The deposit's one-tenth of the fee—50,000 yen."
"Thank you," Shizuka said, swiping her card. It felt… odd. *The money's gone just like that?*
They'd barely exchanged a few words, and the deal was sealed. Talk about efficiency.
But a thought nagged at her. *A friend… Does my son count?* She suddenly felt a twinge of guilt. Tricking a teenage detective for a discount felt a bit low.
"I'll track down Shibata-san as soon as I can," Fujino said, his tone and demeanor shifting to pure professionalism, exuding confidence.
*Acquaintance discount, huh?* Jack up the initial quote, then "slash" it for the deal. He made bank *and* made the client feel like they scored a bargain. Win-win. *Nailed it.*
"But, um, I have one more request," Shizuka added hesitantly. "If possible, I'd like to ask the detective across the street—Mouri Kogoro—to join this case."
In her mind, every time her son got tangled in a case, that "Sleeping Kogoro" was involved. The last time she invited Mouri to Kansai, he didn't show. She suspected Heiji was caught between being squeezed by a veteran detective and picked on by a slightly older, more talented one like Fujino.
After probing, though, she was starting to think Fujino wasn't the problem. Polite, principled, and even calling her "beautiful" and "Miss"? No way this guy was a bully.
"Two detectives on one case?" Fujino's brow furrowed, hesitant. One client, two detectives? *What is this, a nesting doll?*
It felt oddly familiar, though… Like that time with two clients and one detective. He'd eaten well on that deal, but splitting the payout now? Not so thrilling.
"I've heard you two get along well," Shizuka said, noticing his unease. "I figured two detectives would speed things up. Of course, I'll pay the full fee for both."
"Well, if it's the client's request, I'll take you to meet Mouri-nii," Fujino said, standing. "But first, I'll need to call him to see if he's up for it. He's a busy guy."
"No problem," Shizuka replied.
"Please wait a moment, Ikenami-san." Fujino headed to the bathroom, pulling out his phone to dial Mouri Kogoro.
His fee was on the high side. If Mouri quoted something lower than his discounted 500,000, it'd be a slap in the face.
"Hey, Fujino, what's up?" Mouri's voice came through, the background noisy with what sounded like a baseball game.
"Nii-san, I just took a case, but the client wants you in on it too."
"Me too?" Mouri sounded surprised. "Two detectives for one job? Sounds fishy…"
"It's just a missing person case. A middle-aged woman looking for a classmate from thirty years ago." Fujino lowered his voice. "I quoted 600,000 yen…"
"S-six hundred thousand?!" Mouri nearly choked. "For finding someone? That's insane!"
"So I gave a discount. Settled at 500,000," Fujino said calmly. "She agreed."
"Oh… *oh*!" Mouri caught on, his grin audible. "Thanks, Fujino, my man!"
"Yeah, I'm bringing her over. She's got a photo and the guy's name. Should be straightforward."
"Got it! I'll get ready."
---
**Mouri Detective Agency**
*Ding-dong!*
"Oi, Mouri-nii, we're here!" Fujino called, pressing the bell.
"Come in!" came Ran's voice.
Fujino pushed the door open, spotting Ran in a pink sweater and light blue shorts, wielding a duster. Looked like she was deep in a weekend cleaning spree.
Conan stood beside her, decked out in his usual blue suit and shorts. Fujino couldn't wrap his head around it—why was this kid always in a suit, even at home? Did Mouri blow all the child support on horse races, leaving Conan with no casual clothes?
"Where's Mouri-ojisan?" Fujino asked, stepping into the office. Shizuka followed, giving Ran a polite bow.
"Dad's in the bathroom," Ran replied, returning the bow. She turned to Shizuka. "You must be the client. Please wait a moment!"
*What a beauty!* Conan thought, his sharp eyes scanning Shizuka.
*Ahem…* Shizuka cleared her throat, feeling a bit uneasy under his stare. She glanced around the agency. The small office had a black TV on the desk, a brown leather sofa, a light wooden coffee table, and scattered files on a cabinet. The air reeked of cigarette smoke and dust.
Compared to Fujino's "grand" agency, this place fit her stereotype of a gritty detective's office.
"You're here already?!" Mouri Kogoro emerged from the bathroom, sporting a navy suit. He hadn't been slacking—he'd been shaving. Couldn't meet a referred client looking like a slob.
But when he saw Shizuka on the sofa, he froze. *A beauty!*
He instantly regretted not sprucing up more. *Why didn't Fujino warn me she was a looker?*
*Ahem!* Mouri cleared his throat, adopting a steady tone. "Fujino, this your client?"
"You're the Sleeping Mouri Kogoro?" Shizuka stood, introducing herself. "My name's Ikenami. Fujino-tantei should've mentioned me."
"That's me, Mouri Kogoro!" He plopped onto the sofa, playing the cool veteran. "Fujino filled me in, but I'll need to go over the details again."
Ran: "…"
Conan: "…"
*Here he goes again,* Fujino thought, glancing at Mouri. *Nii-san's digging his own grave.*
---
"So, you're looking for this Shibata Shiro guy," Mouri murmured, studying the photo on the coffee table. "And the girl next to him—that's you, Ikenami-san, right? Wow, you've changed a lot."
Conan peeked over, comparing the photo to Shizuka. *Time really does a number on people.*
"It's a thirty-year-old photo," Shizuka explained. "As Fujino-tantei mentioned, it's not much to go on, but it's all I have."
"Thirty years ago?" Mouri blinked. "So you're…?"
"Forty-two," Shizuka sighed. "This was taken in my second year of junior high."
"Forty-two?!" Fujino chimed in, feigning surprise. "I thought you were barely thirty, Ikenami-san."
"Oh, stop…" Shizuka blushed, but her opinion of Fujino rose. *Just like Heizo said—a promising young man.* Way better than her son, who called her "Obasan."
"What are his hobbies?" Mouri asked abruptly.
Shizuka, caught off guard, answered, "Hobbies? Probably kendo-related. He was pretty good at it back then."
"No, no," Mouri said, dead serious. "I meant *yours*."
"Huh?" Shizuka blinked, thrown off. She wanted to shut down this weird, flirty vibe, but she still needed to gauge if these detectives were bullying her son. "Well… I like knitting, I guess."
"Knitting? That's a great hobby," Mouri said, chuckling. "You must be a very refined lady, Ikenami-san."
"I think Fujino-senpai's right," Ran interjected, setting down three cups of tea and steering the conversation back. "Your skin's amazing, Ikenami-san. You don't look anywhere near my mom's age."
Her eyes flicked to Mouri, a deep resentment brewing. *Flirting with a pretty woman? You're asking for a beating, Dad.*