Shop Owners:
Mihei Mika- 35-year-old, ice cream store owner
Tawara Naoya- 65-year-old, Isonade Figurine Seller
Naomi Ikeda- 50-year-old, Convenience store owner
The Victims:
Yuka Akio- 33-years-old, retail employee
Matou Wataru- 16-year-old, high school orphan
Hinata Suzuki- 24-year-old, cult fanatic
Touma Ito- 40-year-old, vagrant
Chapter 15
Isonade grants (no) wishes
Matsuda's hospital was a two-story building ideal for a small town. It was a simple white building hosting only fifteen beds. Near the entrance, there was a quaint receptionist desk. A nurse nodded at them with a smile. Throughout the short narrow corridors, the smell of antiseptic mixed with the salty sea breeze. Unlike the dully painted walls, the cherry blossoms' rustling outside provided the place's only color. With the pink hues, the all-too-clean corridors and rooms appear a little less dreary.
The machine beeps continuously, and a man lies with his eyes closed on a whitewashed sheet. Saline packets were inserted into his wrists, and a tight bandage was wrapped around his neck. He breathed with the help of an oxygen mask. Silently they approached Takagi. Crew-cut black hair is slightly messy due to a recent operation. Shinichi sighs in relief. Whatever the case, the somewhat clumsy Inspector, was stable.
The case was perplexing. The suspect was Naomi Ikeda. A woman who had been serving drinks to them just a short time ago with a smile. His mind flashed back to her behavior that morning. Shinichi paused for a moment, placing a hand to his lips. The whole situation stinks. It was a gut feeling that crept up on him. Something was missing, and the puzzle was not complete.
"Ikeda-san has admitted to the stabbing but denies everything else," Satou sat beside Takagi. Tightly clutching his hand, she stared at his sleeping form. Her brown eyes revealed her concern. It was no secret that Satou and Takagi were dating. Even the old stooges in the police force accepted it. She must have been beside herself when she heard of the man being stabbed. The woman brushed Takagi's bangs aside, gently running a finger down his face while smiling wryly at his predicament.
"You idiot," she whispered, "Why didn't you bring backup?"
Later that afternoon, they sat in the hospital cafeteria. Having been chased out of the room by a rather heavy-handed nurse. The professor obtained the coffee and snacks. While Satou-san stares listlessly at the ceiling, Haibara nudges him. The auburn-haired scientist giving him one of those looks—figured anything out? She seems to ask.
Nothing was written in stone. The information was still lacking, and Naomi Ikeda's behavior baffled him. It appeared that everything was playing into the hands of the culprit. In some kind of bizarre joke they couldn't comprehend.
"Iso-san, rebirth and renewal?" Satou-san asked Haibara as she pulled out the documents she had printed earlier. The documents contained the link to the website she had shared earlier with Shinichi. Raising his eyebrows, the professor looked at the stack of papers.
"Forums?" he asked, and Haibara nodded.
"If we sort them out, we may find relevant information about the victims and their connections. Yuka Akio's username may also be hidden in these documents."
"Sort?"
Haibara pursed her lips in annoyance as she glared at the professor.
"If you know another way, I would be happy to hear it, Hakase."
Satou-san stared confusedly at the girl and the old man. "What's got Ai-chan so flustered?"
A nervous Shinichi reached for the stack of papers, not wanting to incur the girl's wrath again. The professor, however, did not seem to get the message.
"How many of them are there?" he stared at the pile in disgust. Shiho's eyebrows twitched. Oh no.
"Hakase, I still haven't forgotten your little disappearing act this morning. Either you help or-"
Flinching, the professor picked up the papers and flipped through them with a fervor Shinichi couldn't help but laugh at.
"Are you saying the victims are linked to some sick suicide cult?" Satou reads the forum. Topics ranged from suicide methods and the best way to die. To personal stories of people in pain. At least 50 individuals were using the website, all corresponding with a benevolent figure known as Iso-san. There was no trace of him, a mysterious entity. "Maybe we can track the IP address," Satou suggested. Haibara hands the woman the website's address, and she calls the police department.
"Some of these posts are from trolls," Shinichi snorted in disgust.
"Well, most of these people look at it as a joke," added the professor. "Calling out Iso-san as a hoax. He claims he can revive the dead, and those who participate in the ceremony will be reborn."
"And there were people who fell for it?" Satou folds her arms and glared at the paper disdainfully.
"There were, but not many made the trip, and the ones that did—"Haibara paused, giving Shinichi a glance, before passing him the document she had been reading. On it was a conversation bubble. One between Iso-san and a user known only as A-chan. There were at least three pages of messages written between the two. A-chan digressed her troubles to the entity who listened with a sick twisted compassion that made no sense.
A-chan: Iso-san, is it possible to feel alive again? I understand that the rebirth ceremony would take time. But I cannot wait any longer. This ache I feel inside me would not go.
Iso-san: Patience, my child. The ceremony will happen if you wish. The pain would come to pass. Soon you would be greeted with the sweet silence of peace.
"What is this," Satou-san placed the paper down, "A love story of some sort?"
Shinichi couldn't help but agree. The language was unusual for internet jargon. Usually written in jest. It would seem that A-chan was really serious about Iso-san. She really believed in his mysterious powers.
A-chan: I would like to meet you. Any time soon. I cannot pretend anymore. It is eating me up inside. The pills given to me do not work. Only yours, Iso-san, the miracle you have given me, delivers me from this pain. I cannot wait any longer. Please let me surrender myself to you.
Iso-san: Time will pass, A-chan. Soon, we will meet. Soon, you will be reborn into the light.
"What does she mean by a miracle?" the professor quipped, and Shinichi pondered before looking at Haibara. The realization hits them, and she immediately pulls out the website.
"Iso-san was selling a drug of some sort," Haibara props her phone on the table and brought up a website leading to an internet store buried within a hidden link. Like the secret diary, Itakura-san hid, the connection was made black, blending in with the website's background. Only by highlighting the contents does it show up. A simple trick but an effective one.
"Drugs. Iso-san miracle. What the heck is this," Satou-san remarked.
"A way to experience peace. Probably an intoxicant of some sort," Shinichi read the descriptions.
"Didn't the toxicology reports of Akio-san come in yet?" Shinichi asked the woman, who nodded.
"Angel dust," Satou glanced through the notebook she had acquired from Takagi. Shinichi noticed that it was stained a little with dried blood. A testament to what the Inspector had gone through.
"Angel dust?" the professor commented.
"PCP," Haibara continued. "Most commonly known as Phencyclidine," she explained, "It was developed in the 1960s to be used as a general anesthetic, but like all drugs that would induce a pleasurable "high," it quickly became a recreational drug and was made illegal."
"Does it cause Hallucinatory effects?"
"Yes, symptoms include euphoria, drowsiness, relaxation, and in A-chan's case…dissociation," Haibara muttered. "A-chan is probably-"
"Yuka Akio," Shinichi concluded.
The woman delving into her life, of living life lost, abandoned as a child. Of a family torn apart from an affair. Yuka Akio, a result of that pain. She was, in a way, left to die.
"So, you're telling me that Iso-san uses the website to sell angel dust to his followers."
"Probably, to prove to his followers that his magic works. Feeding them a hallucinogen would allow them to experience what he's talking about."
"Which would explain the same drug found in the bodies of the previous victims," Satou examines the online store. "Maybe we can lure this Iso-san out if we were to buy from him. We could get an idea of where's sending it from."
She was typing once again into the phone. And they sat, delving into the notes. Shinichi is staring at the symbol by the side. For some reason, the twisted circular shape held a particular significance. He felt like he'd seen it before but couldn't remember.
It looked like a—
"Mobius Strip," Haibara told him, and he smacked a palm over his forehead. Of course! Why didn't he think about it sooner? The symbol looked like a twisted circular continuous loop. It was the famous mathematical symbol of a Mobius strip.
"Mobius strip?" Satou-san studies the symbol with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes, it's famous in the mathematical world. An abstract topological space."
"Simple Japanese, please," Satou-san wrinkles her nose in confusion, and Shinichi grabbed one of the documents on the table, tearing it into a strip. Much to Haibara's disdain. "Couldn't you use something else?"
"Like?"
"Your shirt or something," Haibara suggested, and he snorted, purposefully ignoring her.
"As I was saying," he folds the strip he was holding. Shinichi turned it in a half-twist. "If you take a pen," he started drawing on it, "And draw a straight line across, you would notice that it forms one continuous line, meeting in the middle. It is basically something with only one side, no matter how you orient it. A singular, continuous loop."
"In mathematical terms, it possesses the quality of having a non-orientable surface."
"Non-orientable what?"
The woman raised an eyebrow at Shinichi's explanation. "And in the first place, how do children know of this?!"
"The Internet," explained Shinichi. The inspector gaped at them before grumbling.
"Moving back to the question at hand…what is non-orientable?"
"Basically, what Edogawa-kun is trying to say is that when you spin an object around a Mobius strip, it will return to the starting point in its mirror image. That's because the Mobius strip only has one side, and no matter how an object turns, it will always return with a twist."
"I don't see how that relates to the case, really," the professor looking at the paper Shinichi was holding.
"Well, the Mobius strip can represent many things," Shinichi explained, "In popular culture, it is often used as a representation of infinity."
"It's similar but fictitious symbolism, a rather simple explanation actually," Haibara continued, "No start nor end, an everlasting loop that goes on forever."
Satou gaped at them for a moment and then looked at the professor, who shook his head in confusion. "What…what are you guys actually trying to say?" Satou asked.
"Rebirth, a ceremony to cleanse. Isonade is a mythical creature that can revive if offered sacrifices," Shinichi gestures to the symbol, "And a Mobius strip, a metaphor for infinity and loops, of objects returning with a twist—don't you see the connection?"
Satou gasped at the implication. "Our culprit—"
"Is killing people in a sick attempt to revive the dead," Haibara concluded.
"But that would mean," Satou whispered, "Naomi-san."
"Yes, Satou-san, Naomi Ikeda is not the only suspect, I'm afraid."
Takagi-san woke up. He looked at them with tired eyes. Satou-san tried to strangle him first but then kissed him later. Flushed slightly, he spoke hoarsely. He could not utter much, so the professor gave him a pen and paper.
"What happened with Ikeda Naomi?" was Shinichi's first question. Shiho noted his eagerness.
There seems to be more to this case than meets the eye. Naomi Ikeda may have been the murderer, but the motive for stabbing Takagi-san remains a mystery. After he had finished, he passed the document to Satou-san, who read it, eyebrows furrowed at his statements.
"Takagi, if you ever put yourself in such danger again, I will kill you personally!" was all she said, and the man winced. Shiho felt slightly sorry for the man, who appeared to be in tremendous physical pain. The tubes inserted into his throat provided him with much-needed oxygen.
"When he went to Naomi Ikeda at her shop to ask her about the recent events," Satou read from his writings, "she was dazed and sitting alone in the backroom staring at something in the back. As Takagi approached her, she began to act irrationally and violently, and that's when-"
In disbelief, she looked at the man. "You saw it?" she asked as he nodded slowly and with difficulty.
"The arm of the Isonade body was stolen from the shrine approximately a week ago," Satou continued from Takagi's notes.
"Isonade's body," Shiho murmured while Shinichi smirked.
"It's a sea creature, Haibara. It molts."
A snort escapes her lips, "That explains everything," she muttered. Raising his eyebrow, the boy smiles with slightly closed lips. Shinichi appears rather pleased with himself.
"What?" Shiho asked pointedly, and he shrugged. "I knew you would say that," he chuckled, and she frowned at him.
"When Takagi tried to inspect the hand, Ikeda-san grabbed a small sharp pen from behind the counter and plunged it into Takagi's throat, which may be why you survived," Satou sets the writings down, with hands on her hips. She glared at the man before her.
"Mah, mah," the professor trying to ease the tension. "Whatever the case, Takagi-san is fine, and we have apprehended a possible suspect."
"No," Shinichi interrupts, his hands on his chin. She recognized that look and could only groan in response.
That all-too-annoying smirk that always led to more work.
"Ne, Takagi-san," the boy asked, "What did Ikeda Naomi say precisely when she attacked you?"
He wrote it down and passed it to Satou, who looked at it perplexed. "Ikeda-san insisted this was a sign, a symbol from the Isonade for her to revive her son." Takagi writes, "It looked like she was in a trance."
After scanning the notes, Shiho turned to Shinichi. The smirk crept back onto his face. A sigh escaped her lips.
"Hakase," she quips, "could you let Yamato-san know that we won't be having dinner tonight."
It was dark out, close to nine. The street lamps flickered as they stood by Mikako cliffs, the winds blowing rather violently. Shiho could smell the salty breeze of an ocean that was hardly visible. The cherry blossoms swirled, and the crickets chirped in the mostly silent darkness of the night. It was cold, and here they were again. Shiho observes a shrunken detective, who, as she suspected, wanted to visit the scene of the crime again. He was contemplating, hands on his chin, looking to the ground right at the edge of the cliff.
They had climbed it just minutes ago. The professor tells them not to stay out too late. Satou was still with Takagi, ensuring that the man was comfortable and, in any case—alright. Her stomach grumbled slightly, and she realized with disdain that she had not eaten anything, not since. She winced—
This afternoon. Swallowing the lump forming in her throat, she looks to the sky above. The stars are numerous, spreading out across the blanket of darkness. They twinkled, shimmering brightly. It was beautiful, she should have been amazed, but all she felt was—him.
The cold air, icy on her skin, did nothing to quell the uneasiness every time she thought about it.
It would not last. Fleeting days filled with the pleasurable company of innocent children, friends… joy, and the comfortable warmth of a shrunken detective. The darkness remained, calling out to her. Secrets she carried, threatening to erupt, and she held herself, biting her lips hard.
"Haibara?"
It was the way he said her name that made her pause. The boy's concerned glance is a constant nowadays. "I am fine," Shiho commented before he could ask, and he sighed.
"Idiot," he comes closer, slipping his hands into hers. Stunned, she glanced at him.
Shinichi was now examining the ground, looking for an incomprehensible weapon. Shiho's attention focused on his hands.
He's been doing that more often, she noticed.
Not that she was complaining, but if anything—
She did not deserve this.
Memories of what she had done descended upon her, weighing her down like a ship's anchor sinking slowly into the depths.
Would they stay?
If they know what I did.
What I am.
Would they—
"Haibara!" he called her, and she was brought back to the present.
"What?' she narrowed her eyes at the boy's insistence.
"I've been calling you. Where were you?" Shinichi retorted. His grip tightened, and he dragged her forward. "I was asking about Tawara-san."
"What about him?"
"What were you doing with the old man…just now?"
"Nothing, Kudou."
"It's something. He was talking to you. Was it something about the case?"
"It's none of your business," Shiho snapped, and he faced her. Lips pressed in a thin line, azure eyes boring into her own.
"Why not?"
She stops. He wanted answers. Answers she was not willing to reveal. Not now, not ever. Scoffing, Shiho rolled her eyes. "The Isonade," she replied, and he sighed in exasperation.
"We were making a wish to the Isonade."
"What can you possibly wish to a fish!" he exclaimed, releasing his grip on her.
"Ara, many things Kudou," she strung her hands behind her back, holding them there as she walked. "Like new computers that don't burn, a neater and tidier house with men who actually clean up after themselves. A Fusae purse which someone promised to buy but hasn't, or maybe a charm."
Running a hand through his messy black hair, he gave her an irritated frown. "A charm?"
"To ward off evil spirits, " she faced him with an impish smirk.
"And may I ask, what evil spirits do you need to ward off?"
"I can name one," she raised a lazy finger, pointing it at him, "Like a grim reaper."
Shinichi bends forward, hands on his hips, snorting at her statement. "And I wish for shrunken scientists to be more honest with themselves. Not to sprout such blatant lies and tell the truth for once. In any case," he glared at her, "wishes to Isonade are fictitious rubbish."
His words were uncomfortable. She averts her gaze, choosing instead to walk ahead. He catches up to her, noticing her sudden silence.
"Haibara?"
She recalls what was written on the suicide forums on the Iso-san website. The cries and pleas of the people there—mirrored her own. She had understood that helplessness, that hopelessness, and the deep longing to feel—nothing.
"It might be rubbish to you, Kudou," she said solemnly, "But if given the chance," smirking bitterly, "I'll wish...the same."
"Wh…what?" he stuttered.
Realization sets in, and Shiho shifts her gaze. The words had left her lips involuntarily, and she was left reeling at the consequences. "Haibara, what's wrong?" he continued. Threading a hand through her bangs, she composes herself.
"Do you really think a fish would grant wishes?" she deadpans, and he gapes at her.
"Seriously."
"In your case," she smirks, "The Isonade might be able to grant one fruitful wish of yours."
"I'm being serious here, Haibara," he snapped, and she ignored him.
"Salmon and the like are rich in Omega three, after all," she taunted, "Maybe you should start wishing to the Isonade, you know, for the health of your hair."
He scowled as she chuckled dryly. Turning away from him, the smile disappeared, and she felt the faint ache once more.
"You could try it ou—"
A hand wraps around her wrist, stopping her in her tracks.
"It's fantasy, Haibara," his voice carrying the tone he had when he saved her from an exploding bus. When he told her—not to run. She couldn't pull away. Blues eyes held hers, compelling her to listen.
"There are no shortcuts. We have the responsibility to forge our own paths. Therefore, Haibara," he tightens his hold, "Know that, no matter the decision you make—I'll remain. Here. Always."
Eyes widened in shock, the confession something Shiho did not expect to hear. Tension forms. She struggles, but Shinichi does not let go.
"And so would the children," he continued, "Ran, the professor, heck, even Sonoko," He gives her a toothy grin. "And as much as you feel like you don't belong—"
"What are you saying?" Shiho scoffs, and he eyes her.
"Know that you'll have a place here as Haibara Ai," Shinichi released her, a teasing smile on his lips, "Or as an evil-eyed yawny brat."
His words echoed in her ears. She felt annoyed. She was irritated, but more than that. She felt—
Shutting her eyes, a deep ache fills her, and she balls her hands into fists. A questioning glance crosses his face.
"At least I'm not a balding corpse magnet," she snaps.
"Haibara," Shinichi responds, arms crossed.
"What?"
"Enough with the hair already."
"Ara," she said, "It practically writes itself."
"Oi."
"What exactly are we looking for?" the girl asked. It had been an hour since their talk, and she was clearly annoyed. The furious tapping of her feet, her arms crossed over her chest. Emerald green eyes regarding him with just a slight amount of restrained disdain.
"Like I said," he signals for her to raise the detective badge. The torch provided lighting up the area. It was still dark, and they were still on the Mikado cliffs. From where he stood, he could clearly see the three stores. They were closed, though; without them, the place was darker than usual.
Shinichi went to the area in which the weapon had landed. Satou and Takagi-san had sprayed luminol on the surface, and he used the UV function of the detective badge to scan the ground. Purple light emitted from the tiny devices the professor built for them. There were faint greenish indications of blood stains on the ground, yet, as per usual, no weapons. He sighed. What was he missing?
"Are we going to spend the night looking at the ground, Kudou?" Haibara had her arms wrapped around herself. The thin cardigan she wore over a green sweater was not helping. The winds were getting more robust, and he had to admit it was a little colder than usual.
"Look, you could head back to the inn. I'll join you later," Shinichi offered. The girl scoffed slightly before standing beside him. Her lips set in a thin line as she stared at the purple ground lighted up by the UV mechanism.
Haibara did not leave, and he studied her for a moment. She was mostly stoic, but it was in how her eyes moved that he knew. "Haibara?"
"You've pulled an all-nighter Kudou," was her cryptic reply.
"And?"
She lets out a long sigh before shining the badge on the ground. "So, what are we looking for?" Haibara ignored him. And he couldn't help the faint smile that graced his lips.
Idiot.
Peeling off his blue jacket, he drapes it over her shoulders.
"A weapon Haibara," he watched as she wraps the coat around herself. It looked good on her, and for some strange reason, felt his cheeks flushing slightly.
"Didn't we establish that the weapon is missing," Haibara commented.
"Well, yeah."
"For all we know, our culprit might have already taken the weapon away."
"That," he glanced at the convenience store owned by Naomi Ikeda, closed for obvious reasons. "Might not be the case."
A yellow crime scene tape surrounded its premises, and he looked at the CCTV by the entrance. Shinichi had studied it with Satou-san a night prior, and despite everything, no one appeared to have cleared or picked up a weapon Yuko Akio threw after she had ripped it from her throat.
"No passersby, no passing vehicles. Nothing," Shinichi elaborated to the girl. "The weapon just vanished, isn't it particular."
"Maybe Isonade really exists, Kudo."
He narrows his gaze at her statement.
"Or maybe, there is a weapon that can disappear."
"Pigs can fly," Haibara remarked, "And Dogs can sing."
He frowned.
Looking back at the events that transpired, Shinichi couldn't help but feel a little defeated. They had a link, a website, a suicide cult, and an Isonade myth. What exactly was he missing? Something did not add up. Why did Naomi Ikeda stab Takagi? How did the hand of the Isonade figure end up in her store? Why was she chosen?
His thoughts are interrupted by a vibrating phone. Picking it up, Satou-san's voice appears from within the receiver. "So, wait, we can't trace the IP address of the website?"
"The perpetrator was using a computer. We know he logged in through a VPN network from a few public places in the area. However, we are unable to trace him."
"What about his online shop? Are we able to get him to deliver the goods?"
"Conan-kun, he shut it down."
"What?"
"Iso-san has shut down all operations of the store itself. It happened a day before."
Shinichi pondered on the new revelations. Something seemed to fall into place, clicking into a missing part of a puzzle, forming a more comprehensive picture—but wait, there was still the problem of a missing weapon. Iso-san knew who they were and knew what they were doing.
"Kudou?"
"What are the two of you doing here?"
They jumped, startled by the sudden appearance of an old man. Tawara Naoya-san stood before them, disapproval written along his features. "The case, Tawara-san," Haibara answered, "We're helping with the case."
He scoffed, taking them by the shoulders, gesturing to his store. "It's late; case or not, children shouldn't be wandering out at night." The man pushed them forward. Shinichi finds himself seated on the veranda of the man's store later. A bowl of rice with a cracked egg on top. Soy sauce was poured over rice, and it was a simple meal. The speed at which he ate would have made Genta proud.
Despite his appearance, Tawara Naoya was not as bad as he portrayed himself to be. Gentle eyes were looking at an auburn-haired girl chewing on the rice he had provided them. It was the same expression he carried when Shinichi saw him this afternoon. The man sitting beside Haibara, both talking softly.
"Ice water, Tawara-san," Haibara holding the glass cup a while later in disdain. The old man shrugged. "I don't have anything warm, girl," he explained. "So it's either ice water or nothing."
"Figures, souvenirs don't earn much, do they," Haibara quipped.
Both man and girl glared at each other. They were similar in this aspect, and Shinichi could not help but chuckle. "Oh…Tawara-san made some friends," a voice called out to them, and Shinichi found himself blushing at the sight of Mihei Mika. The woman was wearing a full-bodied wetsuit, tight around her body, wrapping tight around her curves. Her chest was—
"Pervert," Haibara whispered, and he turned red as Mihei-san leaned forward, giving them a wide grin.
"What are you guys doing here?"
She was dripping wet. A surfboard was carried in her arms. Both Haibara and Tawara-san narrowed their gaze at the sight. "You surfed?"
"In the cold," Haibara continued.
"It's two degrees," the old man concluded.
Mihei Mika gives them all a peace sign. The sunny-natured woman laughed at their disbelief.
"You get used to it. Besides, night surfing is exciting. The thrill of not being able to see the waters in front of you gives you such a rush!"
"Ice water doesn't sound too bad now."
"Hey, I own an ice cream parlor. The cold doesn't bother me, not yet…actually," Mihei-san said. "Besides, I needed the distraction, you know, with Naomi-san and all," she trails off. The woman was tightening the grip on her surfboard. The action did not go unnoticed, and Shinichi's interest peaked.
"Were you close to Naomi-san?"
"Yes," Mihei-san answered uncertainly, "Well, we've gotten closer these past couple of years, you know, after her son's death."
"Yuya-san?" Shinichi asked, and she nodded.
"I understood what she was going through. After all, losing a loved one is a painful experience. After Kohei died, nothing seemed to be the same again. And-"
"Everybody needs someone to lean on, and Mihei-san supported Ikeda-san through that," Tawara interrupts. He sipped from the water. "It is a sad story. Ikeda-san should have never done something like that."
Mihei Mika slumped, frowning at the old man before bidding them good night. She needed a bath, apparently. The salt in her hair and face made her eyes sting, which was not a comfortable feeling. They watched her go. Tawara shook his head at the woman. "She's going to get hypothermia one of these days," he nagged.
"Says the man with no heater for that matter," Haibara drank from the cup. The glass of ice reflects the light for just a moment.
Shinichi frowned. There was something about the glass. Something in it that—
Wait a minute. Cold. Cults. Isonade. Suicide website. A drug and a disappearing weapon. It was as if he had been struck by lightning and froze. Standing up, he rushed towards the empty space before the CCTV camera, studying the three buildings before him. Slowly, the puzzle fell into place, forming a picture.
"Anything the matter, boy?" Tawara asked. Shinichi walked back to where they sat, a smirk plastered on his lips. The girl glared at him once. Haibara sighed, sipping from her cup before holding out a hand.
Confused, he looked at it.
"What?"
"A pay raise, Kudou."
"I'm broke."
"Children nowadays," Tawara-san muttered, "are rather strange."
Shiho yawned. The all-nighter she had pulled before had rendered her a zombie. With all her files arranged before her, Shiho wondered if it would ever make sense to take a vacation. There were always cases and also bodies. Her eyes flicked to the boy next to her as they waited in Takagi-san's room, waiting for—them.
"Are you sure he's got it solved?" Takagi asked. His speech was still slurred. The stab wound in his neck made it difficult for him to speak. But, he had improved and could now produce a few words at a time.
"Yes, Kogoro Ojisan did. I received the details, and he asked me to present them!" Shinichi's voice takes on the childish tone of a child. His smug smile, though, revealed another tale.
There had been no Kogoro Ojisan. Only Kudou Shinichi, the annoying corpse magnet. A weak smile appears on the man's face, and the door to his room slides open. Satou-san led Naomi Ikeda into the room. The woman of 50 looked awful. She lowered her head when she saw Takagi-san, her curly hair was a mess, and there were bags under her eyes. She was in cuffs, and Satou-san, it would appear, still bore a grudge against the woman.
"What is the reason for calling us here?" asked Tawara Naoya. They followed behind the professor, who led them in. "Naomi-san," Mihei Mika whispered. Both man and woman stared at the suspect who stabbed Inspector Takagi.
Again, Ikeda-san averted her gaze from the duo. The two seemed confused, understandably so. "You're suspects," Inspector Satou studies the trio. "And we'll solve this now."
"Suspects? Are you implying that we killed those people?" Tawara scoffed. With his arms crossed, he looked indignantly at them.
"Based on the proximity of where Yuka Akio came from, we can assume she came from a short distance away. The CCTV cameras in the area captured her walking up Mikako cliffs, but they didn't capture her leaving it," Shinichi explained. Tawara-san raised an eyebrow at his explanation.
"What are you talking about, boy, and why are these children here?"
"They are acquaintances of the famous sleeping detective, Kogoro Mouri," explained Inspector Satou. An audible gasp echoed throughout the room upon hearing the name.
"Kogoro Ojisan asked me to relay the case," Shinichi lifted his smartphone to show messages between him and Mouri-san. Shiho yawned again. There were messages; she had been typing messages to Shinichi throughout the night. It was a joint effort done overnight to fool the inspectors and suspects into thinking that an adult was involved in the deduction process.
"Even so," Mihei replied, "why are we suspects?"
"Because your stores are the only places she could have stumbled from," Shinichi continued.
"What?"
"She was drugged; toxicology reports indicate that she was given a type of hallucinogen," states the shrunken detective. As Shiho hands him the document, he reveals it to them, "PCP, also known as angel dust. It is a powerful illegal substance that can induce delirium within seconds."
"And? It doesn't explain why we're suspects," Tawara-san protested while Shinichi smirked.
"A small room is where the culprit likely took her next. Akio-san would have no control over her body if she was hallucinating and delirious," Shinichi takes out the photos of Yuko Akio's corpse. Naomi Ikeda flinches visibly. The woman turns pale when she sees the hole in her neck. Such a gesture did not go unnoticed.
"Naomi-san, did you do this?" Mihei Mika whispered, "Did you do this?"
"I…" Ikeda-san bites her lips, drawing blood, "I'm not sure anymore."
"Yuko Akio was probably propped on the ground and stabbed through the neck," Shinichi glanced at the two women, "Though the impact did not kill Akio-san. Confused, Akio-san, numbed by the effects of the angel dust, also an anesthetic, is released by the culprit. It would explain why she was stumbling in front of the CCTV cameras. As she had not walked far, we can infer that the location of where she had been stabbed was likely in the immediate vicinity."
"Yes, but the culprit might have stabbed her somewhere else, like in the forest of cherry blossoms behind our shops," Mihei-san pointed out, and Satou-san snorted.
"Mihei-san, when we viewed the CCTV images from the area, we saw Yuko Akio climbing up the stairs. There was no one else around. No one was leaving or entering the area. Therefore, the three of you are the only individuals capable of committing such an act."
The revelation left Mihei Mika gaping. Shiho glanced at Shinichi, who was now looking intently at the suspects before him. "Isonade," snorted Tawara-san, "what about the Isonade hand we saw in the CCTV cameras? How do you explain that?"
"It was stolen from the temple nine days ago by none other than Yuko Akio-san," Shiho presents a photo from the file. On these grainy documents was the undeniable evidence that Yuka Akio left the shrine with a bundle in her arms. The evidence gathered only a few hours earlier was the culmination of her all-nighter. The discovery had thrilled Shinichi.
"What? Why?"
"She belonged to a cult founded by Iso-san, our enigmatic culprit," Shinichi said. "The cult advocates suicide. Yuka Akio was not the first victim. Before, three others had been killed similarly. Their usernames have been found within the deep web. Ito Touma, a 40-year-old alcoholic, Hinata Suzuki, a 24-year-old man who had belonged to many cults, and Matou Wataru, a 16-year-old orphan, were all killed, their bodies found weeks apart, decomposing and with holes in their necks. Initially, no connection could be made, but as we dug deeper, we discovered it. A link between the culprits. An Iso-san and a suicide website that promises—"
"Redemption and rebirth," Satou-san glared at the three suspects. Tawara-san scoffed at the statement.
"That's impossible; no one can believe that," he asserts.
"They did because they were suffering—needed something they could believe in. They needed hope," Shiho replied. The old man glanced at her, lips pressed together in a thin line. "You said it yourself, Tawara-san. They came here to die. And they were lured into this town. Their fate was set when they met Iso-san."
"The victims were tricked into Matsuda by Iso-san via the website created, believing they would be saved by taking part in a ritual, but instead, they were doped. They were released after being stabbed in the neck. They wandered through and fell off the cliffs like Yuko Akio. They were unaware of Iso-san's intentions, nor were they aware that they had ever been drugged," Shinichi added.
The old man became silent. "Naomi-san! Is this really true?" Mihei glanced at the older woman, who winced. "I don't remember what I did. It's a blur. The days are intertwined; sometimes I see him, sometimes I don't," her eyes darting. The woman became hysterical as she recalled memories of a son she would never see again. "Yes, Isonade was in my store, and he called out to me. But-"
She looked at Takagi, and Shiho noticed that her face was filled with regret. "I am unsure what transpired. At some point, I felt compelled to stab him."
"And you did," Satou-san snapped at the woman, who cowered.
"You can let her go, Inspector Satou," Shinichi said.
"Wait, why?"
"She was likely drugged by Iso-san," Shiho replied.
"Drugged?" the professor questioned.
"It was all a ruse to defer the case, to put us on the wrong path," Shinichi replied, "After stealing the hand of Isonade from the temple, Yuka Akio met up with Iso-san. Then, she was fed angel dust and stabbed by Iso-san, who then used the stolen hand. Initially, it was displayed in front of Naomi Ikeda's CCTV so that he could show his followers that Isonade existed. Nevertheless, it was a feeble attempt. When he realized that police were closing in on him, he did not use Isonade's hand until later. To create an alibi, Iso-san snuck into Ikeda-san's store. He placed the hand in the storeroom before feeding Ikeda-san with the hallucinogen," Shinichi explains.
"That would mean," Satou-san gasped.
"Yes, the culprit framed Ikeda Naomi-san. Inspector Takagi was stabbed because Ikeda-san hallucinated something that doesn't exist."
"We ought to test her for this drug," Shiho told the inspectors.
"I'll get the nurse," the professor offered as he stepped out. The beeping life support machines gets louder as Satou-san regards the suspects.
"Naomi-san," the Inspector whispered, "do you recall taking any drugs?"
"No, I've neglected my anti-depressants. I don't want them...they make me feel-"
"Numb," Shinichi suggested, and she agreed, "so I've been trying to get away from them. I've been keeping busy; Mika-san had told me that was the only way to continue moving forward. If I remain idle, Yuya's death will consume me."
After a brief pause, she turns to Mihei Mika. Her eyes widen, and her mouth falls open in shock. "We had breakfast together, you-"
"What are you trying to say, Naomi-san? Please don't stray from what you have done," Mihei's brows twist in anger.
"We've been spending time together," Ikeda-san pressed her hands against her face. "You've lost your husband, and I've lost my son. We had a lot in common. I trusted you, and I told you everything. You…you've been serving me drinks, food, and I've never questioned why they sometimes made me see, Yuya-kun."
"Stop telling lies!" Mihei exclaimed. "What are you talking about? How can you blame me for what you did? You took the drugs yourself! I have nothing to do with it!"
"The weapon," Shinichi interjects, the room becoming silent. "Akio-san had thrown it after pulling it out. However, despite checking the area where the weapon could have landed, we could not locate it. Initially, we believed that the perpetrator must have taken it away as it had been nine days since her death. But, when the CCTV footage was reviewed, it did not appear that anyone had taken it. Therefore, there can be only one plausible explanation— the weapon has vanished."
"Conan-kun, what does Mouri-san mean?" Takagi croaked.
"I agree. It does not make sense," Satou-san replied.
"Boy, explain," Tawara looked wearily at Mihei Mika, who snorted in response.
"Ice," Shinichi said, "it melts, doesn't it, Mihei Mika-san?"
A sense of shock and confusion filled the room.
"The weapon was made out of ice. This weapon was shaped like an icicle and carefully crafted. It would have pierced the skin if you knew where to stab it. Normally, ice is brittle, so it wouldn't have worked if the victims tried to move. Therefore, the drugs were necessary to immobilize them."
"What rubbish. Ice? Are you serious? I don't see how that proves anything," Mihei-san snapped defensively.
"You own an ice cream shop, Mihei-san," Shinichi continued as a slight smirk formed on his lips, "so it's easy for you to administer the drugs to them simply by offering them some of your homemade ice creams. It is also equipped with a large and cold freezer room to store your weapons and stab your victims in. "
The woman scoffs. "That is just speculation."
"I'm sure you are well versed in the subject of cooling and keeping things frozen. After all, those "sunburns" on your wrist and arms are more like "dry ice burns," Shinichi explained. "Dry ice you used to make and store your homemade ice stakes."
"Do you hear yourself? I surf, so of course, I have burns! It's called a tan," the woman's cheerful demeanor was slipping.
"Mihei-san, how could you get sunburnt on your arms or wrist if you're wearing a full-body swimsuit? Isn't that going to cover everything?"
"I do not always wear a full-body suit, isn't that a logical explanation?" she snapped.
"Conan-kun, she's right; it doesn't prove anything," Satou-san replied, though she was regarding the woman suspiciously. The information Shinichi had was circumstantial; he had no evidence to go on, however—
"On the website Iso-san runs, there was a symbol. I thought it looked like something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it," Shinichi said. His eyes locked on Mihei-san, who stiffened, the woman taking a step back. "As I surveyed the signs on the front of the three shops along Mikako Cliffs," Shinichi turned to the woman who retreated slightly, "I noticed something peculiar about the name of your shop."
"Kohei made that sign!" Mihei-san exclaimed before Shinichi had time to finish, "He was a graphic designer; of course, he used that pattern. It proves nothing."
"Pattern?"
"Yes, he called it the Mobius Strip. It was supposed to reflect our relationship."
"Edogawa-kun," Shiho smirks, glancing at the boy who glared at the woman, "did you show her the symbol of the website? It is not something you described to us, so...how does she know it is..."
"Shaped like the Mobius strip," Satou-san pulls out the police cuffs. She looked to Mihei Mika, who was now holding herself. For a while, there was a long silence, but then— the smiling, friendly demur disappeared, and all that was left was a twisted grin of Iso-san.
"Is this true, Mihei-san?" Tawara demanded, his voice stern, and a laugh escaped the woman's lips. Against the white-washed walls of the ward, she bent back, her eyes reflecting only the deep turmoil of her madness.
"Ah, yes," her voice hoarse, "They wanted it anyway. Each day, they whined about their lives and called upon the Isonade, thinking that they could be reborn. These bastards who wanted to throw their lives away."
"Mihei-san?" Naomi Ikeda shrank back from the woman in shock. Shinichi stands before her, brandishing the watch he has always worn. Shiho clutches his shoulder as the woman screams. "Kohei did not have the chance! No choice was given to him! I showed them mercy. At least I permitted them to choose the date on which they wished to die." She was ranting now, clutching her hair in a sickening manner.
"They wanted to sacrifice themselves, and I needed their blood. It's the only way, isn't it, Tawara-san!" she shouted, the old man looking at her in disbelief. "The Isonade needs the blood of people who have evil intentions to grant a wish. To revive my Kohei."
"What are you saying?" Tawara-san whispered, his face twisting in anger.
"You will not stop me. They asked for it, and I delivered it. I've come too far for this to stop now," she pulled a dagger from her pockets. Naomi shrieked. Shinichi raises his watch.
"Satou-san!" Takagi yelled to the pixie-haired woman, who was about to launch herself forward.
"They were people just trying to survive!" Tawara shouted, his voice erupting from within. Anger laced his words and made the woman falters for just a moment. It was enough. Satou-san pounced forward, kicking the dagger out of Mihei's hands. The woman cries out in pain as Satou locks her arms behind her back, snapping on the cuffs to restrain her.
"Let me go!" she screamed. Mihei Mika struggled, her eyes filled with madness and crazed tears. "I was doing them a favor. I did nothing wrong!"
"They confided in you," Tawara-san growls angrily. "They trusted you with their pain. But you took it and spat on it. They did not ask to die. They wanted to be saved, you-" the old man shuts his eyes tight, "You killed them."
His gaze dipped, and he bowed his head to the woman, "Mihei-san, there are many stories about Isonade," he whispered, with remorse, "But in every version, he walks away. He leaves the town alone because, deep down, he knows there is no way to reclaim what was lost. He discovered that the only way he could ever recover—was to move on."
A ring that Shiho had seen briefly was clutched to his chest.
"Mihei-san, you cannot revive the dead."
The woman slumped. The cheerfulness was gone as she leaned against Satou-san, who held her. Her grief had turned into madness. Yes, just as the Mobius strip represented her relationship. It had trapped her in an infinite loop that lasted forever, encasing her in a state of misery and depression.
Seeing Satou-san lead Mihei Mika out, Naomi Ikeda collapsed on the chair, sobbing. Takagi attempts to comfort her.
"How did I not notice," Tawara-san stepped back, tripping slightly, before sinking to the ground. Sorrow etched deep into his expression as he held the ring. "I have always been blind, right? Fuyu."
Outside, cherry blossoms rustled in the wind. As clear blue skies floated around him, Tawara Naoya sat alone, grieving, wallowing in a sadness she knew all too well.
"They were people just trying to survive!"
His words reverberated, and she knelt before him. "There was an article," Shiho recalls the online news site she had viewed during the all-nighter with Shinichi. "It wasn't anything significant. The writers had nothing nice to say. Apparently, there were rumors of a guardian who had talked and saved many from committing the deed. They had intended to interview him. But, instead were met by an old man who was described as both rude and uncompromising. The cynic then proceeded to chase them away."
Shiho glances at him.
"Perhaps written in spite, the article claimed the rumors were mere fabrications and that such a guardian could not exist. It seems rather familiar, doesn't it?"
"Haibara?' Shinichi asked. Their interaction puzzled him. Tawara Naoya snorts, and Shiho smiles gently at the man—who could not forgive himself.
"You told me at the cliff's edge," she whispered. "That you stand testament to those who made that choice, am I right, Tawara-san?"
The brown eyes that stared into hers were mostly silent. Tears appeared to form, and he looked away, scoffing softly.
"I wasn't that rude," he retorts. And for the first time, the man smiles. It was small, faint, yet warm. He extends a hand to grasp hers. Holding them tight.
"Thank you."
"Are we lost?" Haibara deadpans, narrowing her eyes at the professor, concentrating on the treacherous wind-swept road ahead. Shinichi looked at a paper map that was flapping from the open window.
"We're not!" Shinichi grumbled as the girl sighed. It was a feeling of deja vu, and once again, they were passing through the windy, twisting roads back home.
"Kudou, if you must know—"
"Yeah, yeah, we've passed that sign at least twice," he snapped, and she glared at the professor, who was now wiping his brows nervously.
"Hakase, do you even know the way back?"
"How rude," the man festered, "Of course I do. What do you take me for? In any case, we'll be back soon, so there's no need to worry. If we follow the path, we'll reach the main road."
"Hakase, there is no main road," Shinichi jabs at the map he was reading, "If we follow this path, we'll be heading to another small town. Are you sure you know the way?"
"Ok, hold up a minute. Just because I'm a little confused doesn't mean we're lost. Besides, we simply need to locate the main road," he protested.
"Or we could just head back to the inn and ask Yamato-san for directions," Haibara folds her arms as the beetle went over another bump, "Before Kudou-kun leads us to another corpse."
"I'm considering it, Haibara."
"Hakase, could you drive us off the cliff? If I have to see another dead body, I'd rather become one myself."
"Why are you so-"
"Enough!" the professor snapped, "We're not lost. No one is finding a dead body, and I'm not driving us off the cliff! We'll make it back!" he declared as he steered the yellow beetle. The usually gentle man has enough of their squabbles. Shinichi grumbled, looking back at the paper map. Again, cursing at the lack of signal. The GPS is down once more.
What am I doing here? He thought with disdain.
It had been hours since Mihei Mika was arrested. The woman who was mostly silent had confessed to the crimes. It had been a sickening case. Of suicidal victims murdered for personal gain. Of revival and corpses, of urban legends twisted into something more. Mihei Mika had gone mad in grief and ruined the lives of many who came after. Satou-san took her away while Naomi Ikeda was released. The woman thanked them before leaving with Tawara Naoya. They were regarded as heroes after that. Yamato Isamu greeted them with a feast back at his inn. The locals gave them a warm farewell as they started their way back. Their trip to Matsuda's little town ends on a quiet note. And now, here they were.
"Haibara, is your GPS working?" he asked a while later. There was no end to the roads, and he had half a mind to throw the map out the window. The girl lazily turned her phone around, and by the bars was the unmistakable mark of an "x."
"Nope, and we're lost, admit it, Hakase," Haibara repeated. The man grumbled again as they made their way through the winding road.
Shinichi finds himself seated by a nearby roadside diner later. The professor is talking and asking for directions from the family restaurant owner. Haibara sat opposite, eating a sandwich slowly. Shinichi noticed the slight pensive expression she had. And he couldn't help but think back to the conversation and look she had shared with the man Tawara Naoya.
It was a cryptic message, one that Shinichi could not understand. The man was apparently a guardian. He had searched for the article after Haibara's talk with him. Rude in nature, brash but also very kind. He had saved many. The people he had talked to reciting their experiences on several internet forums. To Shinichi's amusement, he was also regarded as the real-life Isonade. A mysterious guardian deity who remains elusive, only helping when called for. It was heartening to know, but it still perplexed him.
The girl had comforted Tawara Naoya, and the man had thanked her. Shinichi asked about it, but the girl merely shrugged. And like everything else, she kept it a secret, not revealing the true meaning behind her actions. It was frustrating, and Shinichi was left to ponder as he continued with the sandwich.
It was the professor who broke the silence a while later. Seated in the yellow beetle, they were chugging through a different route given to them by the restaurant owner. "What were you talking about with Tawara-san, Ai-kun?" he had asked, giving her a curious glance through the rearview window. Haibara shrugged, the girl looking out to the scenery outside.
"Just something he told me two days ago," she said rather nonchalantly. Shinichi shared a look with the professor, who seemed to be pouting. And he couldn't help but be amused.
"Are you perhaps jealous, Hakase?" Shinichi teased the old man, who spluttered, turning the wheel so far left that they almost crashed into the railing.
"Good job Kudou," Haibara remarked after they had collected themselves, "When I called you a grim reaper, I didn't actually ask you to turn into one," she snapped.
"Hey, it ain't my fault that Hakase can't drive!" he narrowed his eyes at the old man, who laughed nervously.
"It's your fault anyway," he continued.
"Excuse me, I fail to see how."
"He got distracted because he was jealous," Shinichi said, and the old man spluttered again, "If I'm a corpse magnet, then you're a magnet for old geezers!"
"You have no idea how wrong that statement sounds," Haibara quipped.
"Should I give examples?"
"Old geezers not so much," she retorted, "Mythical beings, maybe."
"What-"
"Like a corpse magnet," she added, glaring at him with disdain, "or a Zashiki Warashi," she pointed at the professor, "and an old Isonade." She was referring to Tawara-san, and Shinichi folded his arms.
"Zashiki Warashi? Why?" the professor was genuinely confused.
"Hakase, you literally collect old antiques and vases, fake ones, I might add."
"I do not- AH!"
He steps on the brake, the car coming to an abrupt halt. Seatbelts bite deep into their chests. Shinichi glared at a panicking professor. "Hakase, maybe you should go back to driving school!" Shinichi whips to the man.
"What?"
"My vase," the professor whines.
"What about it?"
"I left it back in Matsuda."
Shinichi gawks at the old man slumped over the wheel, pressing against the horn as it releases a loud honk. "Well, that's unfortunate," Haibara leaned back into the leather seats.
The professor turned to her with tears in his eyes. "I'm driving back!" he declares.
"Hakase..." Shinichi grumbled as the professor started the car once more. Haibara shared a look with Shinichi.
"Don't you wish Isonade still existed?"
"To get us out of this mess, hopefully," Shinichi murmured as the professor franticly sped along the winding roads toward Matsuda again. The stubborn man wasting precious time.
"One can only wish," Haibara replied, and he narrowed her gaze at the smirk on her lips.
"Yet, Isonade doesn't grant any wishes, doesn't he?"
"Haibara…"
~Arc 2 Part 1~
End
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed it.
Fun fact, you can actually make ice weapons to kill somebody with. But the circumstances vary and stabbing somebody in the neck with ice or anything for that matter wouldn't necessarily kill them immediately. Most of the time, icicles formed in nature kill at least 15 people in America per year and about 100 in Russia. Though this is mostly through blunt force trauma and not through stabbing. the weight of the icicle and velocity of it falling from a height usually is what cause death.
Fun fact 2: You can actually stab somebody with ice weapons- shaped like stakes, but they do break quite easily and the only way to make them stronger is to freeze them quite thoroughly. Dry ice, therefore, is one of the methods used in some of the youtube videos I've watched. Though, the scientific aspects of it aren't quite explained.
At first, I had planned to make it so that the victims were stabbed in the chest- but after much research, I have found that ice cannot break through bone...therefore, having the ice pierce through the rib cage was virtually impossible :D Hence, why the neck- but it isn't as cool...unfortunately. XD.
Anyway, I thank you all for the kind reviews. I do appreciate the feedback and hope to hear more from you guys :D - Arc 2 Part 2 would be next but first an Interlude :D