Kudo Shinichi stared at the black screen in amazement.
Hang up already? Hey, hey, hey, does this guy have some kind of problem that makes him uncomfortable when he speaks clearly?
He pressed his eyebrows and resisted the urge to call back immediately. Perhaps he remembered the unfinished case in the study on the other side, so he pushed the door open and walked out immediately.
"Have you finished the call?" Kazawa, who was looking out through the curtains, turned his head and looked at Kudo Shinichi, whose face was still not looking good, and frowned slightly, "Are you still having a fever? Your forehead is still sweating."
"A little bit... But it may not just be due to a cold, it may be something like an immune mechanism." Kudo Shinichi shook his head, enduring the lingering discomfort, "Let's go over there first, we can't let Hattori Heiji keep guessing."
"You go first." Kazawa pointed to the room he just walked out of. "Theoretically, I should still be taking care of Conan now. I don't know you... Is it okay for you to go alone?"
...That's right. If Kazawa came along, it would seem like he ran away halfway through taking care of the child, and it would easily make Xiaolan have bad associations.
It was really difficult. What if the effect of the liquor wore off in the middle of his words and he became smaller on the spot?
Joker really likes to speak half-sentences, but he never speaks out loud. Since he confidently calls this state a temporary recovery, it's better not to be stubborn.
Kudo Shinichi, who had developed a little self-awareness but not much, nodded heavily, leaving Kazawa to continue spending time in the room, and walked alone through the corridor to the study room surrounded by people.
Halfway through the journey, he sent an email to Joker.
[How long can this recovery last? Do you know the approximate range?]
The Joker, who always replied immediately, remained silent this time and walked to the door of the study. Kudo Shinichi did not receive the reply as he wished.
Is he really angry? Or is he busy with other things and has no time to deal with him?
Feeling unsure, Kudo Shinichi put away his phone, took a deep breath, and stood in front of the study door.
Inside the door, Hattori Heiji's reasoning is getting better and better.
"Killing the victim and arranging him so that he sits at the table will take at least five or six minutes. Mrs. Tsujimura, who arrived with us, couldn't have committed the crime..." Hattori Heiji waved the fishing line he used to test his technique, "It's also impossible for the housekeeper, who chatted with the neighbors for an hour and didn't come in with us until Mrs. Tsujimura came home. Although Master Tsujimura and his fiancée went upstairs briefly, they stayed there for a very short time... After eliminating all the suspects, the one with the greatest suspicion is Master Tsujimura, who has been watching TV next to the study!"
He pointed at Toshimitsu Tsujimura, who was sitting at the tea table with a cane and a solemn expression.
"Grandpa..." Takayoshi Tsujimura looked at Toshimitsu Tsujimura in shock, "This is impossible. He has no reason to..."
"Don't say anything, Takayoshi." Tsujimura Toshimitsu patted his clothes and stood up. "The law is long and wide, and nothing can escape it. Yes, I killed someone."
I did it! It seems that I won this time, Kudo! Hattori Heiji smiled triumphantly.
It's a pity that Kazawa Zhao took that kid out, otherwise he would definitely give him a provocative look.
What do you mean Kudo will appear because of his conceited mistake? I really don't know where he got the confidence to make such a delusional prediction...
"No, the murderer is someone else." Kudo Shinichi leaned against the door frame to take a breath, then raised his head, interrupting Tsujimura Toshimitsu's confession and Hattori Heiji's triumphant mood, and looked at everyone in the room, "He is completely wrong."
Hearing this all-too-familiar voice, Mao Lilan turned around in shock.
"Shinichi!"
"Brother Kudo..."
"Kudo!"
"Shinichi, why did you come here?" Mao Lilan looked at him blankly. Even though they had said that this was the second time they met after he disappeared, she felt like crying. "You disappeared without showing your face... Don't you know that others will be worried?"
"Okay, Xiaolan, wait for me, it will be over soon." Kudo Shinichi knew that more sweat was coming out of his face, but he still gave Mouri Ran a comforting and confident smile.
"Say I'm wrong... Do you have any good ideas, Kudo?" Hattori Heiji's face froze, and he crossed his arms, taking a defensive stance. "After the experiment just now, my reasoning method is completely feasible. The key is now in Officer Megure's pocket. How do you want to refute it?"
"Stick the fishing line to the tape inside the keychain, penetrate the victim's trouser pocket, lock the door from the outside, tie the key to the other end of the fishing line, the door frame, table and pocket will be like a set of pulley structures, and the key will smoothly enter the pocket... After the experiment just now, it was indeed achieved. Brother Kudo, do you have any other opinions?" Inspector Megure, who cooperated with Hattori Heiji to play the role of a victim, also looked at Kudo Shinichi expectantly.
After all, Hattori Heiji is from Osaka and the son of an Osaka police officer. He came to Tokyo and jumped around in front of a famous detective like Mori Kogoro, which made Inspector Megure somewhat unhappy.
"Did it really go into the pocket?" Kudo Shinichi leaned against the door, hiding his somewhat exhausted state, and said with a smile, "Officer Megure, take it out and have a look."
"It's just there..." Hattori Heiji pulled the pocket of Inspector Megure's pants and was shocked to see the key that was supposed to enter the mezzanine easily fell out of the outer layer, "How could it be!"
"You overlooked a very crucial issue, which is that the victim was sitting. He was originally rather fat, and after sitting down, the space in his trouser pocket became even narrower. Moreover, when Kazawa found the key, it was folded in half, with the key ring facing outwards and placed in the interlayer, which is why it slipped down in that state." Consciously regaining some strength, Kudo Shinichi stood up with difficulty, walked to the center of the study, and tapped the key that had fallen on the ground.
Hattori Heiji's face looked grim.
He grasped the fishing line in his hand unwillingly, glanced at Tsujimura Toshimitsu, and whispered in protest: "But, I did find this reel of fishing line in the Japanese-style room next door..."
Kudo Shinichi shook his head, slowly bent down and picked up the key that fell on the ground.
"The real key evidence is here." He exerted force with his fingers, twisted open the interlayer of the keychain, and looked at the sullen Tsujimura Kimie, "Mrs. Tsujimura, your key is a pair with this key, which means that your key also has a keychain that is exactly the same as this one... Can you let us take a look at it?"
Tsujimura Kimie suddenly clenched the small handbag in her hand.
She looked at Kudo Shinichi's young face, and Kazawa's equally confident and calm young face flashed before her eyes.
Tsujimura Kimie laughed at himself: "I am indeed old... The sharp young people are the future."
When she said this, she looked at the young and promising Takayoshi Tsujimura, and for a moment she remembered Tsujimura Isao when he was young, and even more so, she remembered her ex-husband's high-spirited appearance...
So she took out her key from her bag without any struggle, unscrewed the compartment with her own hands, and revealed the fatal groove.
"This is where the poison needles are placed." Kudo Shinichi closed the keychain and handed it to the police officer beside him. He put his hands in his school uniform pockets and walked closer to Tsujimura Kimie. "Hattori is right. This is indeed a 'locked room murder case', but this locked room is not physically closed... but psychologically. When Hattori and others entered the study, Mr. Tsujimura was probably not dead yet, right?"
"Ah..." Upon hearing this, Hattori Heiji suddenly realized.
He turned to look at the books and documents piled high on the desk, and then glanced at the speakers next to the desk.
"So... when we entered the study, Mr. Tsujimura Isao was just knocked out by the drugs and was put in that position while sleeping... Mrs. Tsujimura took out the poison needle from the keychain when she got close to him, and took Mr. Tsujimura's life silently in front of all of us." Hattori Heiji exhaled and shook his head.
Killing the victim in front of two detectives...how ironic.
Thinking of this, some fragmented fragments quickly connected in Hattori Heiji's mind. He suddenly raised his head and subconsciously looked around the room for Kazawa's figure.
Kudo Shinichi did not notice anything unusual about Hattori Heiji. He was concentrating on keeping calm, fearing that he would slip and be exposed, and that Xiaolan would discover something about his body.
He stretched out his hand and took a photo frame from the bookshelf. With his current height, it was easy for him to take it down, but it was not the case before. He fell off the ladder just to get this thing.
He looked at the photo with mixed feelings, then turned the frame to face the crowd. It was a photo of a young couple. "As for the motive, I'm afraid it's this, Mrs. Tsujimura. Kazawa said before that you and Katsuragi Sachiko look very similar. Looking at this photo, it's even more obvious."
When Takayoshi Tsujimura heard his fiancée's name, he looked carefully at the photo in the frame and his face changed drastically: "This, this is a complete replica of Sachiko except for the hair color!"
Katsuragi Sachiko hunched her shoulders and grabbed her boyfriend's arm tightly, then turned to look at Tsujimura Kimie in great surprise.
"Uh, so, Ms. Sachiko, is you and Tsujimura Isao's daughter..." Inspector Megure swallowed, looked at the young couple hugging each other helplessly, and his mind instantly synchronized with everyone else's.
Lovers eventually become siblings...?
"How is that possible?" Tsujimura Kimie was a little amused and shook his head, "I am Tsujimura Isao's second wife... I look so much like Sachiko because I am her biological mother. Sachiko is the daughter of me and my ex-husband, Yamashiro Kenji... She has no blood relationship with Takayoshi."
Takayoshi Tsujimura let out a long sigh, then realized that the occasion seemed inappropriate and quietly held back his next words.
He was scared to death... It's good that it's not, it's good that it's not...
"Twenty years ago, Tsujimura Isao framed my husband, Yamashiro Kenji, and accused him of corruption and bribery. Kenji could not bear the humiliation and committed suicide after being imprisoned. My daughter was also taken away by my husband's relatives.
"I was helpless and lost, and I believed Tsujimura Isao's sweet words and married this devilish sinner!" At this point, Tsujimura Gongjiang was filled with hatred, his eyes were bloodshot, and he stared fiercely at the empty desk, as if the man was still sitting there. "It wasn't until Guishan showed me the photo of his girlfriend that I discovered the truth of everything!"
Takayoshi Tsujimura listened to her angry roar and couldn't help but hug his girlfriend tighter.
Katsuragi Sachiko was trembling slightly and looked at Tsujimura Kimie at a loss.
"He said he would never agree to Takayama's marriage. I repeatedly questioned him, and he finally told me the truth. He said, 'I will not allow Takayama to marry that man's daughter!'" Tsujimura Gongjie clenched his fists and roared in anger. "He then admitted that he framed Yamashiro, not only to compete with him for the position of diplomat, but also for me! He was also the one who found a way to make Yamashiro suffer all kinds of torture in prison and die with hatred! Yamashiro has already passed away with a false accusation. I can't sleep or eat without his life!"
"Mom, mom..." Katsuragi Sachiko covered her mouth with her hands, and mist appeared in her eyes.
After panting for a few times, Tsujimura Kimie stood up with a sneer, tidied her hair and clothes, and turned into a graceful lady again. She looked calmly at the policemen who were walking towards her: "Guishan, I know I am no longer in a position to say this, but please take good care of Sachiko. You are a good child, and I believe you can make her happy for me, an incompetent mother."
"So, Mrs. Tsujimura asked Kazawa to come along..." Hattori Heiji stood aside, watching her calmly put on the handcuffs with a heavy heart. It was as if she had completed her mission and unloaded all the burdens. She walked out radiantly, not like a confessed prisoner, but more like a triumphant hero. "Because she has made up her mind to kill Tsujimura Isao. In order to protect her daughter, she can't easily expose her relationship with Katsuragi Sachiko... Is that right, Kudo?"
Hattori Heiji turned around and looked at Kudo Shinichi who was standing on the side as if to seek advice.
But I saw the other person holding his chest with a painful look on his face, leaning against the bookshelf, bending over and coughing violently.
"Kudo, are you okay..." He took a step closer and tried to support Kudo Shinichi, who seemed to be about to lose his balance, but was pushed away by him first.
"I'm fine, I just have the flu." Kudo Shinichi covered his mouth and nose, gasped twice, and barely stood up again.
Hattori Heiji straightened his baseball cap and looked at him in surprise. "It turns out that my idea was wrong from the beginning. You are awesome this time. I accept defeat sincerely. But how did you know so much about the case? You were not there at all... As expected, you were hiding near the Mori Office?"
"Conan and Kazawa told me." Kudo Shinichi used the excuse he had prepared long ago, used his peripheral vision to determine the location of Maoli Ran, took two steps calmly, and stood closer to the door. "After I contacted them, I asked for details of the scene... But, Hattori Heiji, this can't be called a loss."
"oh?"
"There is no high or low in reasoning, because there is only one truth."
Kudo Shinichi finished reciting the classic lines and was about to grin when he felt his heart tighten violently and the pain of being on the verge of death came over him again.
Oops... I'm afraid the time limit has expired.
Kudo Shinichi looked up, looked at the worried Mao Li Ran, and smiled bitterly.
After showing up for a while, I had to flee in a hurry because the magic was about to fail. What kind of Cinderella story is this...
But he can only say sorry first. It's not the right time yet. Give him some more time. He will stand in front of Mao Lilan and tell her everything...
Taking a deep breath, he smiled at Mao Lilan, then turned around without hesitation and ran.
He didn't know when it would change back... He had to hurry back to Kazawa to change his clothes.
"Shinichi!" Mao Lilan was shocked and immediately followed his footsteps, chasing after him, "You are still sick, where are you going!"
Damn it, with Xiaolan's running speed, can he really outrun her? !
Looking around at the road in panic, Kudo Shinichi could only choose to run downstairs first.
At worst, I can just make up an excuse for why Conan ran to the first floor. With Kazawa's emotional intelligence and ability to adapt to changes, he will definitely be able to help fool her.
The most important thing now is to escape, and not be caught up—
He rushed down the stairs and was about to continue heading towards the entrance when his heart suddenly contracted, causing Kudo Shinichi to stumble.
It's over! No, I can't change back here!
At least hide and find a room...
He turned to the corner towards the living room in a panic, and then saw a familiar face, and was stunned.
In the corridor in front of him stood a "Kudo Shinichi" also wearing the Teitan school uniform.
"Shh." He bumped into him head-on, but the other party didn't seem surprised at all. He just raised his index finger to his lips, made a gesture of silence, and pointed to the cloakroom on the side. He stretched out his hand and pushed him into the door.
It's joker!
Kudo Shinichi relaxed instantly, collapsed into the closet, and tried to hold his breathing.
"Shinichi!" Ran Mouri's voice followed, and Joker took a last look at him, his eyes full of disgust and helplessness.
Thinking about his series of actions, and finally having to rely on the other party to save his life, Kudo Shinichi couldn't help but feel a little guilty: "..."