Here's the next chapter! There will be lots of new characters introduced in this chapter, so here is a list to minimize confusion:
Yamagawa Hiromi, 43, inkeeper; Takeda Masahiro, 50, owner of Yuki Mansion; Miyazaki Shinya, 32, pharmacist; Miyazaki Meiko, 29, housewife; Ogata Yukiko, 53, doctor and professor of medicine; Sato Shotaro, 35, reporter; Arisawa Ryo, 47, antiques dealer
Enjoy!
Chapter 5: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
Hiromi hadn't been kidding when she said that dinner was a formal affair. She led them all to the dining room and everyone was impressed. A long table in the middle of the room was elegantly set with fine china. The most exquisite of Japanese dishes filled the table, from sashimi delicacies to the most expensive Kobe beef.
Hajime whistled. "Woah, what a spread. It's a good thing I'm starving. And look at that sushi. My mouth is watering already."
Miyuki sighed. "Please don't embarrass me, Hajime-chan. If you stuff your face, as usual, I'll have to tell Fumi-chan you took her magazines. Again."
"Why can't I enjoy a good meal without you nagging like my mother?" Hajime countered without much irritation. Friendly bantering with Miyuki meant things were back to normal, for the time being. He had told Miyuki and Kinmochi about the letter and his speculations. As promised, he had left Conan's name out his telling, but he did imply that he thought things were bound to get more dangerous. Kinmochi had suggested leaving, but it was Miyuki who had rejected that plan. She plainly told them that there was no sense in running away, and she and Hajime would see it through, whatever it was.
They sat at the table, and Hajime noticed that he and Miyuki were not the only ones engaged in friendly bantering. Hattori and Kazuha were going at it as well, but Hajime noticed that Hattori occasionally would look at Kazuha with complete awe, and she was positively glowing. They must have had an interesting talk before dinner.
He glanced around the table at Ran. She was staring off into space, not paying any attention to anything going on around her. Her father was trying to prompt her into eating, and she did so with little enthusiasm.
One person he did not see was Edogawa Conan.
"Yamagawa-san, you have really outdone yourself. This is a remarkable meal. Where do you find the time to keep this house beautiful and prepare such a fine meal?" a woman at the end of the table asked.
"Really, Ogata-sensei, it's nothing. Takeda-san staffs a full kitchen as well as me. He only wants the best for his guests."
"Hmm…seems that he really enjoys the money he earns. Is it true that this house is decorated with antiques?" a very handsome man in his mid-thirties asked.
Another man, a bit older, answered. "You'll find no better collection in all of the country. I've been in the antique business for a long time, and I have yet to see a collection that compares to this one."
"I hate to interrupt, but allow me to make the introductions now that we're all here," Hiromi said as another couple entered the dining room. She quickly went through the introductions of her college friends and their parties. As she finished, Hajime noted that there were five new faces that he didn't know.
Hiromi indicated the woman with whom she had been speaking. "This is Ogata Yukiko. She is a doctor from Tokyo. She currently teaches at Tokyo University as well as works full time at Tokyo's most prominent hospital."
"Don't flatter her too much, she's apt to let it go to her head," said the gentleman who had just entered.
"Miyazaki-kun! What are you doing here?" the doctor exclaimed, pleasant surprise showing on her face.
"Meiko and I needed a vacation. She complains that I've been working too hard and that I'm never home."
"Yamagawa-san, please allow me to introduce my star pupil, Miyazaki Shinya, and his wife, Meiko. Miyazaki-kun would have made a brilliant doctor if he hadn't chosen pharmacy instead," Yukiko said.
Shinya shrugged shyly. "I enjoy chemistry and I couldn't resist the offer that Yoshida Pharmaceuticals offered me."
"Yoshida Pharmaceuticals, huh? They experiment with some very interesting drugs," the handsome man stated.
Shinya looked over at him. His eyes narrowed angrily. "I thought I recognized you. You're Sato Shotaro, that reporter who printed all those lies about my company a few months back."
Shotaro merely shrugged. "I only write the truth. Your boss, it is rumored, has very interesting friends. And your company only hires the best scientists to work on their very secret projects."
"There is nothing illegal going on at my company!"
Shotaro continued to calmly state dirt that he had dug up about Yoshida Pharmaceuticals, which had the effect of making Shinya even angrier. As their discussion became quite heated, Heiji took particular notice of what was said. He knew that Kudo would want all the information about this. Something about it didn't feel right.
During the commotion, Hajime took the opportunity to ask about Conan's whereabouts.
It was Ran who answered. "He went over to Yamagawa-san's house earlier to see Ai-chan. The Professor phoned later that he was going to take them on a tour of the island and that they might not make it back before dinner."
"I was relieved to see another child his age arrive with you. I was worried that he would be bored with all of these adults," Hiromi said.
Ran laughed, returning somewhat to her old self. "If there is one thing that Conan-kun could never be, it's bored. He is always interested in what is going on around him, and he loves to learn new things. In fact," she pointed to the other end of the table where someone was trying to stop Shinya and Shotaro from physically fighting, "I bet Conan-kun would have a lot to say about that argument. He is incredibly perceptive."
"Is he related to Kudo Shinichi?" Hajime asked.
"Why do you ask?" Ran countered, a puzzled expression on her face.
Hajime shrugged. "Well, they do look alike and from what you've said, they seem share a lot of the same personality traits."
"They do indeed," Ran said pensively.
Heiji didn't like the way this conversation was headed, so he inturrupted. "Yamagawa-san, who is that other man?"
"The one who has finally stopped the other two from fighting? That's Arisawa Ryo. He's in the antiques business and is a personal friend of Takeda-san's."
"That's right," Ryo said, turning towards the others as he sat back down. "We've been trading antiques secrets for years. I always enjoy visiting this house to see what else he's been able to aquire."
"My son used to collect old stamps. He'd say that he liked the 'oldness' of them. He must have had books filled with rotting old stamps. I never shared his enthusiasm for it," Yukiko said.
"How old is your son, Ogata-sensei?" Miyuki asked innocently.
Yukiko's face fell. "My son would've been 25 this year. He died of a drug overdose about a year ago."
Everyone at the table was silent. Finally, Miyuki said, "I'm sorry, Ogata-sensei."
Yukiko shook her head. "Think nothing of it." She turned to Ran to effectively change the subject. "I hear that there was some excitement this afternoon. If you'd like, I could take a look at those injuries after dinner."
"Thank you, Sensei. That would be a good idea."
"You don't think that whoever did this is still in the house do you?" Miyazaki Meiko asked nervously.
"It's possible, however, I think it's unlikely."
Everyone turned at the sound of the new voice. Those who knew the owner of said voice were stunned into silence. Miyuki looked at everyone in confusion. Heiji had a look of surprise mixed with understanding on his face. Kazuha looked as confused as Miyuki felt. Mouri Kogoro looked angry enough to spit nails.
But it was the look on Ran's face that identified the newcomer. She was staring at him as if she had seen a ghost. At the same time, she looked relieved, confused, hurt, and elated. Just as Miyuki leaned over to Hajime to confirm her suspicions, Ran whispered into the silence, "Shinichi…"