Time: 4:32 pm
Location: An airplane due to Tokyo, Japan
Countdown before disaster: 29 days, 8 hours, and 28 minutes
The intercom crackled to life and the pilot's voice was heard throughout the long passenger compartment of the economy class.
"Ladies and gentlemen, as we start our descent, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position. Make sure your seat belt is securely fastened and all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Thank you."
A finger scrolled at the illuminated screen of a phone. A headline typed in bold, imposing font announced the following: Top Contender of the Season Left, Reasons Unknown. A swipe below and another article appeared. A some-sort of a recap of an old news dated a little more than a year ago: The Disappearance of the Phantom Detective: A Year Since. A still-ongoing news followed soon after: Bombing Group Still At Large: Investigations Ongoing. There was a pause in movement before the finger exasperatedly scrolled past the news article, not even bothering to catch a glimpse of the content. A few more popped. All less interesting as the previous ones.
A tap or two on the shoulder from her companion and the phone was turned off and stuffed away. In a full ten minutes, the plane veered to the side and circled above Haneda Airport as it waited its turn on the runway. A landing clearance was announced and the plane finally touched the ground.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Tokyo Haneda Airport..."
"I'm telling you, Inspector." A man of 37 years gestured at the corpse hanging by the railing of the balcony. "This is a suicide case."
The confident statement earned a groan from the seventeen-year-old-turned-seven detective. Since they stepped foot on the place and inspected the crime scene, the famous sleeping detective kept on insisting that a suicide, not a murder, that took place. Of course, the evidences Conan found beg to differ. It is a murder case, and a malicious one at that. The motives were still unclear but the signs of desperate struggle on the victim and the condition on the room told him more than enough. The victim did not stabbed himself repeatedly but was stabbed multiple times in a fit of hatred. He did not hung himself out of the fact that his attempts failed for an immediate death but rather, was hung as a final applause of madness and an attempt to mislead the police. Conan took each individual in the room and with the final pieces in place, the truth shall be revealed once again.
"Geez." Ran complained as she and her two male companions walked up the flight of stairs toward the Mouri residence. "That was brutal, don't you think? The victim had done wrong but that kind of death was too much."
A hop and a skip. A small figure stood by the older girl as she searched for the keys. "Megure-keibu said that the killer might have a mental disorder. They're going to send him to some psychiatrists for tests."
"But wouldn't that be a valid excuse for the court?"
"Stop worrying about that." Kogoro said impatiently. "Either way, the police will have their eyes on him from now on. Just open the damn door. I'm missing my Yoko time."
The door clicked open and the three stepped inside. The man of the house immediately occupied the couch and switched the television on for his much-awaited program. Ran dropped her bag on the table and gave her father a disapproving look.
"Mou, Otou-san. We just came home, and from a horrible murder case at that. At least, help with washing the dishes that we left. Okaa-san will never come home if you continue with that attitude."
A loud Tch! and a series of vehement protests escaped the sleeping detective as he reluctantly clambered up from the couch and into the kitchen. Conan watched as Ran trailed her father to continue with her light scolding. Tired but not sleepy, he walked to the windows and slid them open. The telltale of night breeze blew into the room. Conan pulled out his phone, Shinichi's phone, and scrolled through his conversation log with Ran. He read through them to pass time, taking a bit longer on his favorite messages just after their Kyoto school trip. A smile flickered on his lips. He might even be grinning wide.
He (Shinichi) and Ran are couple. An official couple.
Damn! He's one lucky guy.
The thought was brief but enough to send his heart fluttering in his chest. Soon, father and daughter emerged from the kitchen, still bantering about the couple. Conan slid Shinichi's phone back to his pocket and doned his saccharine seven year old voice to ask when is dinner time when he glimpsed upon a moving taxi. Past the slightly tinted window of the vehicle, a figure sat silently at the back. For the brief moment their eyes met, a mirror image and ghost of the past stared back at him.