SailorStar9: With Chapter 107 uploaded, I present Chapter 108 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Disclaimers: I do not own Sailor Moon or Detective Conan, I only own this plotline and the pairing.
Pairing: Established!Furuya Rei/Mizuno Ami
Chapter 108: The Job Request from Inspector Megure
Time passes...
"I'm sure you haven't forgotten, Mouri-kun." a desperate Megure paid the Detective Agency a visit. "About how much trouble you caused me while working under me in investigations. You're the only one I can count on. There's no time. I need you to help me solve a case."
"It must be a pretty big case if Inspector Megure is this desperate." Conan reasoned.
"What case is it?" Mouri inquired.
"This." Megure brought out the newspaper article he brought along.
"I thought the suspect in this case was already arrested." Mouri blinked, seeing the Reigan Yutaka murder case article. "Wasn't it solved?"
"Just before we were going to start prosecuting him, it was all overturned." Megure snapped. "As you know, the incident occurred three weeks ago. The famous Japanese literature scholar, Yutaka Reigan, was found stabbed to death in his home in Yotsubadai. He was killed the previous night about eight o'clock. It wasn't long before we had a suspect." he recalled Yao Koichi had stated that he had seen Maihama Ryuji at the crime scene at the time slot. "He was the victim's nephew and self-proclaimed event producer Maihama Ryuji. We learned the day before the murder, Maihama purchased the knife that was the murder weapon. Maihama is Reigan's only living relative. Apparently, he was telling everyone that Reigan's fortune would eventually become his. However," he related how Yutaka had one day revealed of his intention to marry. "Maihama had no alibi. His uncle's fortune was his motive and he bought he knife the day before. There's even a witness who saw him at the crime scene when the murder took place. Even after his arrest, Maihama continued to deny he did it, but naturally, we could still prosecute. However, yesterday, with two days remaining on his detention period, he gave an unbelievable statement." he recounted how Maihama had declared to Takagi in the interrogation room that he had an alibi; that at the time of the murder, he was in Sasago-cho committing a robbery. "This is it." he pointed to the small section about the burglary.
"Now that you mention it, I remember that case." Mouri recalled. "A burglar entered a home on Sasago-cho. After staying there for over an hour, he stole about 500 thousand yen in cash."
"The burglar's face wasn't seen, but Maihama claims it was him." Megure related. "It's true the burglar drank and ate. The teeth marks we collected from the food matched Maihama. We even found the 500 thousand yen he hid. Maihama was definitely the burglar. If that's true, then he has an alibi. The burglar entered the home in Sasago-cho at 7pm. Since he was there for over an hour, he left after eight. Meanwhile, Reigan was murdered in his home in Yotsubadai around eight as well. It takes over an hour to travel between Sasago-cho to Yotsubadai."
"Inspector, there was a witness who says he saw Maihama at the crime scene at the time of the murder." Mouri pointed out.
"Yesterday, the witness said..." Megure sighed, recounting that Yao had recanted his statement. "Furthermore, regarding the knife, this is it." he showed Mouri a photo to the retrieved knife. "It's the same as the one found in Reigan's body."
"It's too convenient." Conan noted.
"It's obvious he'd be a suspect if Reigan were murdered." Mouri agreed. "So, he allowed himself to be arrested so he could overturn it. The witness who went back on his statement is working for him."
"He probably just bought another one of these knives." Conan added.
"The problem is how in two locations, separated by an hour's travel, a single human committed a burglary in Sasago-cho while murdering Reigan in Yotsubadai." Megure moaned. "Unless we can solve that, even if we can prosecute him for the burglary, which was material evidence, we can't prosecute him for Reigan's murder. So, we spent all day yesterday trying to solve the problem. However, we ran into a dead-end. That's why I'm asking for your help."
"Inspector, I, Mouri Kogoro, will assist you." Mouri declared. "I got it, Inspector. Right after committing the burglary in Sasago-cho, he killed Reigan who he'd asked to meet nearby. Then, he put the body in a car and drove it to Reigan's home in Yotsubadai."
"Wouldn't forensics have noticed the body had been moved?" Conan sighed.
"Reigan was murdered in his own home." Megure bemoaned. "There's no sign the murder was staged. If anything was staged, it was the burglary."
"About the burglary." Mouri started, after shooing Conan away. "It's strange that he stayed there for an entire hour."
"We're certain the burglar entered the home in Sasago-cho at 7pm." Megure confirmed. "Tenyama Hide-san, who lives alone, had just begun to watch the seven o-clock evening news while eating dinner." he then recounted how the masked Maihama had pulled a cover over Tenyama's head and knocked the elderly woman out. "Though she tried to tell him where she kept her money, Hide-san was suddenly struck and lost consciousness. She awoke an hour later at eight. She heard the sounds of a TV show that starts at eight." he then related how Tenyama was knocked out a second time before Maihama stole her money. "The second time Hide-san awoke was the next morning."
"I've figured it out, Inspector." Mouri announced. "Maihama stepped out for a while. There are two points to focus on. First, Maihama blindfolded Hide-san and second, he knocked her out twice. After entering at seven and knocking Hide-san unconscious, Maihama recorded the TV program. He quickly drove to Yotsubadai and murdered Reigan. It happened after eight. Then he returned to Sasago-cho, replayed the video he recorded and woke Hide-san. It was probably after nine by then, but because the audio of the TV show Maihama recorded, he made her believe it was eight. Then he knocked Hide-san out again and made it appear as though he'd been there for an hour. In other words, Maihama wasn't in Hide-san's home the whole time he entered. He left and traveled back and forth to Yotsubadai while Hide-san was knocked out."
"Mouri-kun." Megure coughed. "Actually, we considered that possibility. However, it's impossible. When Tenyama Hide-san awoke, she heard not only the sounds of the TV show, but also a fire truck siren. Maihama demanded the location of her money while she could hear that. We confirmed with the fire department that eight was the only time a fire truck was dispatched in Sasago-cho that night. In other words, Maihama never left. Today's the last day we have, Mouri-kun. At this rate, we're going to have to drop the charges even though we know he's the culprit."
"Ojii-san, what if everything Hide-san said was right?" Conan suddenly asked, an idea coming to his head. "If you consider the culprit blindfolded Hide-san and knocked her out twice, does anything become clear?"
"Bathroom!" Mouri squealed and rushed to the toilet.
"Ojii-san seems to have an epiphany." Conan stopped Megure from leaving. "He wants you to check if any fire trucks were dispatched to Yotsubadai that night."
"A truck responded to a small fire at 8 pm." Megure informed Mouri who had exited the toilet.
At the moment, Conan tranquilized Mouri. "The mystery is clear to me now." he took over the explanation. "Inspector, Maihama did leave, but not alone. He took Tenyama Hide-san with him. After entering Hide-san's home at seven o-clock, he knocked her out and headed to Yotsubadai with the unconscious Hide-san in the car. Then, he murdered Reigan and started a small fire nearby. Then, he called the fire department. He also called in a false report to the Sasago-cho fire department. As he heard the fire truck approaching, Maihama turned on the TV in his car and woke Hide-san. After getting the money's location out of her, he knocked her out again. He took Hide-san back to her home in Sasago-cho, placed her in her original position, and made it as though he was there the whole time. Maihama blindfolded Hide-san not to confuse her about the time, but to make her believe she heard the TV and siren in her home in Sasago-cho so she wouldn't realize she was actually in a car parked in Yotsubadai. She was taken back and forth to Yotsubadai while she was unconscious so she would confirm Maihama's alibi. However, Maihama ended up leaving evidence of his scheme. Hide-san's nose and ears; she smelt the small fire and she didn't notice her bathtub's notification. If you examine Maihama's car again, I'm sure you'll find evidence that Hide-san was inside."
"It's me." Megure made a call. "We've destroyed Maihama's alibi. Thoroughly investigate his car."
Later that night...
"Should we get married?" Amuro suddenly posted a question, Ami was cuddled against him on her living room couch.
"What's wrong, all of the sudden?" Ami cast a puzzled look at her lover.
"Just an idle thought." Amuro looked away.
"Rei..." Ami started rebukingly.
"Like I said," Amuro nuzzled her nape, causing the young woman in his arms to moan quietly. "It's just an idle thought."
SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Read and review.
