"Are you sure? Xiaolan, is this true?"
Regarding whether a new entry point for the case emerged, Megure Thirteen looked extremely serious. On one side, Uehara Katsumi had nothing to say, and then glanced at Edogawa Conan, who was still pretending to be a sonar guy.
It's a bit outrageous that Kudo Shinichi could still be involved in this case even though he took a leave of absence to deal with the aftermath.
"Well, I did receive a call from Shinichi before, because the teacher suddenly said that he was on leave. I went to his house to look for him but couldn't find him, but what he said in that phone call was not very detailed."
Although she was even more confused, Mao Lilan nodded and told the truth: "Then Xinyi called me back two days ago and said that he actually accepted a secret commission to investigate the case in the United States, so I didn't have to Worry."
"I see, it's Brother Kudo's own voice, right?"
"right."
It seemed that nothing happened to Kudo Shinichi. Megure Thirteen breathed a sigh of relief, and Conan, who seemed to have been fooled, also breathed a sigh of relief.
It would be bad if his disappearance derailed the police investigation.
"Now that Mr. Kudo has confirmed that he is fine and just went to the United States, our attention must still be on the case in front of us..."
No way, Uehara Katsumi, who also didn't want to waste time, stood up and brushed off Kudo Shinichi's matter in a few words.
After seeing this, Mumu Shisan was still a little confused, but his head was a little dizzy from being surrounded by his subordinates, so he agreed to the proposal in a daze.
Just as he was about to speak, the cell phone in his windbreaker pocket rang——
"Chief Inspector?!"
"Megure, send a person with outstanding ability to escort Suzuki Sonoko downstairs, join the escort team, and send the Suzuki family safely back to Suzuki Manor before coming back.
"The Suzuki Manor has its own security system, so there is no need to leave too many police officers."
A deep baritone voice came from the receiver of the mobile phone. After hearing this, Megure Thirteen immediately raised his head and glanced at the subordinates around him, and finally his eyes fell on Katsumi Uehara.
"Yes, I understand, Inspector."
After hanging up the phone, Megure Thirteen raised his eyes and said, "Uehara-kun, please escort Mrs. Suzuki and the others back, and then they can come back."
"Me? Okay, I understand."
Glancing at Suzuki Sonoko, who was obviously worried, Uehara Katsuki nodded.
"Yuanzi, if you want to chat, call me. I'll be here anytime, anywhere." Mao Lilan, who understood her best friend's current situation, raised her phone at her and watched her being escorted out by the police.
Garden......
Watching the figure gradually disappearing at the door, Conan gritted his teeth secretly:
Damn it...what on earth is it, what on earth has it been overlooked...
The prisoner's purpose, where did the prisoner kidnap the person?
"Sato, prepare relevant information about the case. There will be a meeting later. You and I will tell you all the ins and outs of the case at the meeting."
"Yes, I understand the police department."
"Brother Maori, please think more about the clues in this case."
"The police department is on my side."
The chest of Mouri Kogoro, who had received a great trust, was so loud that the prisoner even used him as an alibi. This was undoubtedly a thrill for a former detective and now a detective.
"Xiaolan, you take Conan back first, so you don't have to cook for me tonight."
"Oh, okay, I understand dad." The sensible Xiaolan held Conan's hand so as not to burden him.
? ? ? ?
Conan, who obviously doesn't want to leave, now hates his elementary school student body...
……………………………………………………
"Uehara Criminal, can I ask you, what is the progress of my daughter's case?"
Suzuki Manor.
Uehara Katsumi, who successfully delivered the person to the destination, was just about to fill out the handover formalities with the person, but he never thought that Suzuki Shirou suddenly stopped and asked extremely solemnly.
"Mr. Suzuki, there are many people who know Miss Ayako's whereabouts, and we are currently screening them one by one.
"Considering that she was attacked at a mountain villa preparing for a gathering of members of the university club, we have focused on investigating whether the parties invited by Miss Ayako have appeared in the neurology department of Mihua Central Hospital or the emergency center in the recent past. .”
Uehara Katsumi, who understood this man's concern for his daughter, paused and said as sweetly as possible: "In addition, we are also investigating Miss Ayako's graduate classmates and teachers."
"What does the sign that the prisoner left in the villa mean? Could it be where my daughter is staying now?"
"At present, it seems that like the previous hospital puzzles, it is a provocation by the prisoners against the police. It's just that the prisoner's puzzle was solved last time, so this time this method is used to provoke the police."
"……I see."
Suzuki Shiro suppressed the bitterness in his heart and looked at the man in front of him who had led the team to solve the mystery and rescued Sayuri Matsumoto. He solemnly said: "I hope to wait for your good news, Uehara Criminal. I only have two daughters in my life. please."
"I understand that the police will do their best, Mr. Suzuki."
The promise was too heavy and Katsumi Uehara couldn't say it at the moment: "Please pay attention to your safety during this period."
Glancing around the manor, which had obviously added a lot of security, the man found the person who had contacted the police escort list, showed his ID, and signed his name on the list he presented.
"Uncle, please show me your pass."
"I left my pass at home. I came here with Mr. Jirokichi. You can go and confirm. My surname is Ochiai, and I am the director of the Medieval Museum."
Not far away, an old man in a brown suit wanted to go out but was stopped by the manor's bodyguards. This immediately attracted the attention of Katsumi Uehara, who had finished signing.
"Officer Uehara, long time no see."
He also noticed that the old curator, who was an acquaintance, still had a kind face, and said hello to him.
"Why are you here, Director Ochiai?"
"My art museum is invested by Mr. Suzuki Jiroyoshi. I originally came to discuss with him today about the new batch of artworks in the art museum, but unfortunately, this happened.
"Although the contact time is not long, Miss Ayako is really a very gentle child..." Director Ochiai said about this matter with a somewhat sad tone.
"After confirmation, there is indeed a curator Ochiai who can release it."
While the two were talking, the bodyguard who had been notified waved to the old man.
"Chief Ochiai, didn't you drive?"
After walking out of the manor and preparing to drive, Katsuki Uehara noticed the old man's direction which was different from his own.
“My car was lent to the staff to transport the new batch of artworks. The museum was originally planning to hold a themed exhibition on medieval religious culture next month.
“I used connections to purchase some artworks created by painters and sculptors about Christian classic figures and allusions, such as Abraham, Adam and Eve, Moses, Noah’s Ark, and so on.
"But now, that prisoner has ruined everything."
The old man shook his head and did not continue.
"Yeah, that prisoner ruined-"
Katsumi Uehara's voice paused as he opened the car door, and his pupils suddenly shrank——
Wait a minute, can you say? !
"Uehara Criminal?" The old man was puzzled when he saw the man suddenly stopped beside the car and remained motionless.
…………………………………………
"Conan, dinner is ready, hurry up."
In the evening, 7:30, the second floor of the Mori Detective Agency in Yoneka Town.
Mao Lilan, who walked out of the kitchen with the food in her hands, called out to the child who was sitting on the sofa with her eyebrows brooding. Conan, who had completely blocked out the noisy news on the TV program before, immediately raised his head and responded: "Okay, Sister Xiaolan, right away."
Putting down the case summary and abstract paintings that he had recovered from memory, Conan stood up and couldn't help but stretch his waist and glance at the TV in the living room.
It was what he used to watch news reports before. Before he could change the channel, it was the prime time in the evening, and the children's favorite tokusatsu drama - "Masked Superman" was already playing.
"Masked Superman was originally a modified human warrior created by the evil criminal organization Shuka in order to conquer the world. The evil Shuka integrated locust genes into Masked Superman's body, giving him extraordinary physical fitness With great leg strength…”
The unique narration of the tokusatsu drama was accompanied by the BGM, and Conan, who had just raised his feet to prepare to eat, suddenly stopped -
Um?
Conan turned his head and frowned as he stared at the narration on the TV that was reviewing his past affairs.
After a while, a flash of lightning flashed across my mind!
"Hello?! Conan! Where are you going so late?!"
"Sister Xiaolan! Dr. Ali suddenly fell ill. I have to go see him! You eat first! I'll be back later!"
Conan picked up the solar skateboard that the doctor had given him not long ago, raised his wrist and looked at the time. Conan didn't have time to explain more, so he found an excuse and rushed out of the office!
In an instant, the skateboard, which was fully charged during the day, was gliding at high speed under the moonlit night!
Edogawa Conan standing on top clenched his teeth and accelerated again and again!
There's still time!
There's still time!
It's not time yet!
If those metaphors correspond so one-to-one, then there is still time!
Relying on his physical advantage, Conan kept taking small paths and gliding at high speeds, attracting countless attention along the way, and finally arrived at the Metropolitan Police Department twenty minutes later.
"I'm looking for my uncle! He's up there, I can just go by myself!"
Conan, who jumped to the ground and collected his skateboard in one go, ran directly into the Metropolitan Police Department, making the police officers who were about to ask him look at each other in confusion.
After searching the office area of the third department, when the police had already gone to the meeting, only Mouri Kogoro was left in the huge office area, sitting alone in front of the blackboard, rubbing his chin, lost in thought.
The panting Conan leaned against the door frame to rest for a few seconds, then raised his wrist and aimed the crosshair on his watch at Mouri Kogoro's neck.
call out!
"Well?!"
Mouri Kogoro, who was still in front of the blackboard and felt like he had grasped some logic, suddenly leaned forward and knocked over the blackboard——
Boom!
Although he should be in extreme pain, Mouri Kogoro instantly fell into a deep sleep.
"... Phew, sorry uncle, I was too anxious, it seems I didn't find the right angle."
The panting Conan bared his teeth and rushed in to help Mouri Kogoro to the chair, then wrapped a handkerchief and held up the blackboard.
Then, Kogoro Mouri called Megure Thirteen on his cell phone——
No one answered for a while.
"Hey, it seems like we're having a case meeting with the top police officials." Conan slapped his forehead. There were no numbers of those high-ranking police officials on Maori's phone——
Um?
No, if it's the police's internal landline...
Conan glanced at the landline phone placed in front of Miwako Sato's desk.
When Kudo Shinichi came to the Metropolitan Police Department before, Megure Thirteen taught him how to use——
"Hey, may I ask-"
"I am Kogoro Mouri. Please transfer me to the Megure 13th Police Department, which is currently in a meeting. I already know the locations of Takasugi Toshihiko and Suzuki Ayako."
Hiding under Katsumi Uehara's desk at the far side, Conan held up the bow-tie transformer with one hand.
"What did you say?! You already knew?! Really, bro?!"
Conference Room 2.
After receiving the notification, Memu Shisan immediately took the receiver and asked in front of a group of senior police officials.
"Yes, the prisoner has been committing crimes according to his rules from beginning to end. The only exception was that he used different notice letters to mislead and differentiate."
On the landline, Kogoro Mouri's voice was particularly calm.
Minister of Criminal Affairs Toshiro Odagiri, who was sitting at the head of the conference room, crossed his fingers and frowned as he listened.
"Sayuri Matsumoto in the hospital is just a cover-up used by the prisoner, which is why he issued a separate crime warning letter.
"In fact, from the serial murder case at the beginning to the Asahiju restaurant bombing, to the bodies at the racecourse, the damaged electrical boxes in the villa, the water stains on the ground, the Masked Superman figure, and even the kidnapped Takasugi Toshihiko and Suzuki Ayako, the criminal’s criminal pattern has not changed from beginning to end——
"The Ten Plagues of Egypt in the Bible."
