The victim:
Haruto Shibata (68 years old, CEO of a company)
His brother:
Hinata Shibata (65 years old)
His Associates:
Takibi Hirano (50 years old)
Riku Ono (29 years old)
Yui Kikuchi (55 years old)
Chapter 32
Of Shrunken Teenagers and Police Inspectors
Pure coincidence or luck, Shinichi could not tell. She had compared him to a magnet, even mocked him for being the strongest—neodymium. But even he had to agree that being involved in two homicide cases just a few hours apart takes the cake.
Having entered the apartment free of coroners and police officers, Shinichi climbed through the pile of garbage. Satou-san follows closely behind. With Hinata's body removed and the vital evidence bagged, Shinichi had full reign of the crime scene. The inspector sneaked him in after the preliminary evaluations were done. They walked through the corridor with Satou-san holding a hand over her nose and Shinichi following suit. The stench of spoilt food, swill, and stale air was unbearable. Gagging, they rushed to the windows in the living room. Satou-san struggled to open it as iron hinges creaked and protested against rusted frames.
"How can anyone live here," Satou-san glanced at the unopened boxes packed in plastic bags still containing rotten food. Picking it up, Shinichi inspects it with gloves.
"Most of the boxes here aren't open," he observed. The uneaten foods purchased and stored in plastic bags were left to rot. Their expiration dates range from a year to five years ago. After sifting through the plastic bags, Shinichi discovered the coffee table buried beneath. Satou-san turns on the lights. Hanging from the wooden ceiling was a lamp that shone down on them. Shinichi finds half-written new year cards from years ago.
"Hinata-san said Haruto-san started being a recluse five years ago," Satou-san interrupts his thoughts, looking at the card he held up. She dodged a pile of newspapers that were stacked nearby. Shinichi glances at it. While the room appeared to be a mess, the newspapers along the walls were arranged in an orderly fashion according to dates. Looking at the faded green wall clock, Shinichi frowned. Time had stopped at 4.25 pm. It wasn't working.
Wait a minute.
Shinichi stood up, almost tripping over some leftover rubbish. He stumbled towards the kitchen area, just along the corridor they had passed by before. There was something off about it. That area seemed strangely clean despite the plastic bags lying on the ground. Almost as if it had been thoroughly wiped down. No dirty dishes were lying around. Cookware and utensils were placed orderly in cabinets that Shinichi was opening. Turning to the fridge, he opened it to discover—
"A disguise, huh."
"Disguise?" Satou-san inquired as she came closer.
Shinichi headed toward the entrance. There he discovered letters that had been delivered but not yet opened. On the dirty ground, he spreads them out and examines them. Most of the mail were advertisements from businesses in the area, but within them were also receipts—dated five years back. The paper envelopes they were kept in were left unopened and still relatively…white in color. Bringing it close, Shinichi's theories solidified as he looked at the inspector.
"Take pictures of them," he handed her the envelopes containing bills.
"Ok. But why?"
"Satou-san," Shinichi points to the envelopes, "the supposed Haruto was a recluse for five years."
Raising her eyebrows, Satou-san looked at the letters he had handed her. She couldn't quite grasp it, and Shinichi smoothed his hands over the letters. "Unopened and still very much—"
A gasp ensued, and she pulled out her phone.
"A disguise," she declared, and he nodded.
"But what was the motive?" the inspector wondered. Shinichi was about to answer when he was interrupted. Through the detective badge, Shiho's voice could be heard.
"13 million yen," she began. "That's how much was spent over the last three months."
"13 Million yen?"
"Yes," he heard her flipping papers on the other end. "Apparently, the funds have been wired to an unlisted company. As you can hear…"
Disgruntled shrieks could be heard from the other end. Soft thumps against a wall are made as Takagi-san attempts to calm a man down.
"Takibi-san is losing his mind," Shiho commented.
"It sounds like the person impersonating Haruto-san wired 13 million yen from Haruto's company to another place."
"Yes."
"What did they spend the money on?"
"Probably food," Shiho replied. "How else would you explain that pigsty of an apartment."
"That is feasibly impossible," Shinichi retorted. "Unless he is feeding a whale."
"Have you seen our professor, Kudou?"
"Whatever the case," he steers the topic, "Did you get the company's name?"
"I would love to tell you," Shiho replied sardonically, "but does the term unlisted mean anything to you?"
Shinichi scowled at her reply. "That doesn't help, Shiho."
"So does going through five years' worth of financial records on a Sunday afternoon."
"It isn't that bad," he argued.
"Would you like to repeat that?"
She had a point, and he could almost feel the murderous aura emanating from the badge. Shinichi cleared his throat as he shifted uncomfortably.
"Either way," he said, "we need to know so..."
"Why am I doing this?" she groaned.
"Because I require assistance."
"That doesn't pass as a legitimate reason."
"...It is. Besides, you're my partner."
She snorts, "I'm not being paid enough."
"Well, you are," he countered, grinning when she grumbled, "Oh, and Shiho, I expect a detailed report—with graphs."
"Estupido Cerdo detective."
"I am able to recognize insults even if I do not speak the language!"
"C'est bien de le savoir."
"It would be helpful if you spoke in a language I could understand," he snapped, becoming irate with her antics.
"Ara, and here I thought the supreme pig-headed detective knows everything."
She cuts the line leaving Shinichi gaping at her statements. He mutters angrily, stuffing the badge into his pocket, only to be met by Satou-san's curious gaze.
"I can't believe we didn't see through your farce," Satou-san said. "Your interactions with Ai-chan. How in sync you guys seemed to be with each other. How your logical reasoning and deduction seemed way too advanced for a child, or how Ai-chan could always tell us the cause of death just by looking at a body. We should have guessed. "
Shinichi looked at the woman, who chuckled slightly. "How were you able to keep it a secret anyway?"
"I have my methods," Shinichi replied. "And some help," he gestured to the detective badge. "It was a collective effort."
Satou-san considers his statement. "To be honest, we considered you guys to be some sort of divine entities of sorts."
Shinichi eyed her and could only imagine Shiho's response. He couldn't tell if Satou-san was joking or not.
"Well, the idea of a man shrinking into a child sounds too fantastical to be true, so I do not blame you," he replied.
"Maybe," Satou-san said. "As fantastical as a scientist developing a drug that can eliminate incurable diseases?"
She looks at him for a moment, and he averts his gaze, uncomfortable with the sudden change.
"Those pictures," he changes the subject, "aren't those of Haruto-san."
Turning to the wall of framed photographs, the inspector gestures to them. There in the images was Haruto-san. In various outfits, the man stood alone, most of the time on a fishing boat of some kind, holding up a catch for the camera as he smiled widely. There was one that stood out, held in a cracked frame. A rare family photograph. Haruto-san was grinning for the camera in a gray suit. Hinata-san, on the other hand, stood stiffly. Although Haruto-san was the older of the two, his cheerful and haphazard appearance made him appear younger.
Shinichi grimaced at the sight. The brothers— now gone. Haruto-san— murdered, decomposing behind an abandoned wall. Hinata-san is dead and labeled a suspect. Shinichi recalls hearing the police officers' assumptions about how— after murdering his brother, Hinata-san probably assumed Haruto's identity, killing himself only after the body was discovered.
It was a tragic outcome.
"Conan-kun, this is..." Satou-san said. There was a crumbled notebook in her hands. Pages within yellowed—falling apart. The inspector found it under a pile of plastic bags. To avoid damaging the pages, she opened them carefully. They were greeted by faded cursive and stylistic writing.
"Haruto-san's diary," Shinichi scanned its contents. Though worn with age, a lonely man's story emerges from within the smudged ink. In it were the laments of a single bachelor. Of long nights spent alone, without family, eating dinner. Of longing for connections and mainly of his booming business that, while fulfilling, could not provide what he truly desired—
Companionship.
Haruto-san talked about his hobbies, failed relationships, and his online social circle. Shinichi looks at Satou-san, who understood. She wrote down the usernames and the website. It might not contain anything useful, but it might contain a clue. Shinichi finally reaches the last entry, dated unsurprisingly, five years ago.
"He appears to have everything but," Shinichi closed the notebook, "was still lonely and longing for something more. We would never have guessed...given his jovial demur."
"Hmm…I'm not surprised," Satou-san flips through the diary again. "In this job, I have seen all sorts—and just when you think you have them all figured out, they prove you wrong."
The inspector studies the photograph of Haruto and Hinata within the cracked frame. "People are fascinating, aren't they?" The woman continued with a vague smile.
"I guess so," Shinichi feeling slightly uncomfortable about what she was implying. In fact, he had anticipated it. Having revealed their identities to the inspectors, Shinichi was aware that their relationship with them would change. Though it was aggravating to know that their past could affect how they were perceived, it was the sad reality of the situation.
"Don't misunderstand," Satou-san replied, a little flustered as she observed his darkening demeanor. "I don't mean it that way. We didn't make the best impression. The reactions we had to your disclosures...were less than ideal, and," she hesitates before continuing, "We might have judged too quickly."
"Well..."
"The news painted a pretty bleak picture," Satou-san admitted, "I'm not making excuses, but from what I read about the organization..."
"It is an entity that destroys," Shinichi muttered. "I do not blame you, Satou-san. In fact, I thought the same when we first met."
The woman held her breath. For a moment, a strange tension lingers.
And she breathes a sigh. "It is difficult, I suppose."
"It might take us a while to get used to you and her," the inspector squeezes his shoulder lightly.
"Satou-san?"
"Still, it doesn't change anything," she smiles broadly as she turns to face him. "We are allies—your secret is safe with us. You have our word, Kudou Shinichi."
The gesture was genuine, and Shinichi was somewhat taken aback by it. Her words bring a sense of comfort. Soothing and easing the tension that had been present ever since their reveal. Clearly, Shinichi had misjudged the inspectors and was worrying about nothing.
"As far as we're concerned, you are still prodigal geniuses, aren't you?"
"Of course," he beams warmly at the pixie-haired woman, "Always."
A screech could be heard coming from the private office. Having left, Shiho looked in from the outside, through the glass windows—watching with irritation as Takagi-san tried to calm the raging Takibi, who was slamming frantic hands over the financial reports.
The argument she had with Takibi-san earlier caused her to be thrown out of the office. Having read through the reports, Shiho could spot the discrepancies quite easily. The culprit was getting bolder—evident from the thirteen million yen siphoned off in the past three months. It didn't happen overnight. They had done it many times over the course of five years. Taking small amounts and claiming them as operations and logistics costs.
Which begs the question— "How did 200 million yen slip by you?" Shiho raised an eyebrow at the man's records. "There were multiple funds being transferred at regular intervals."
She pointed to the highlights she had made over the documents. "And no one bothered to question Haruto-san?"
"Those were small discrepancies that hardly merited attention," Takibi objected.
"Small amounts that add up to nearly 2 million USD," Shiho emphasized.
"What does a kid know?" he snorted, folding his arms.
"Well, a kid who is obviously doing a better job than a financial bookkeeper who cannot distinguish between cost and profit management," she responded. Almost immediately, Takibi lost his temper, slapping his hands over the coffee table as Shiho watched with a bored expression, drowning out his pathetic excuses.
She was eventually pushed out of the room by Takagi as he made an attempt to calm the protesting man. The inspector shielded her from Takibi-san's insults. Shiho observes this—still unsure why the man, or inspectors for that matter, were being so accommodating to her.
"Don't be fooled by their smiles, Sherry."
Voices from a distant past bubble to the surface. "Humans are animals that hide their wants."
Lessons taught that became truth—"Only lies exist beneath them."
He stood behind her, a disembodied figment, smiling sinisterly as phantom hands snaked around her neck. A burning reminder.
It shouldn't matter. What they thought of her. How they treated her. None of it should matter. Digging her fingernails into the palms of her hands. She seethes quietly.
Get a hold of yourself. She chided, gaze lingering on Takagi-san as a rueful smile tugged at her lips.
Shiho brushes the memories aside, focusing back on the case at hand.
With Takibi screaming behind the glass, the investigation seemed to get nowhere. The name of the unlisted company would be challenging to obtain.
She glanced at the staff, peering curiously at the private room where Takagi-san and Takibi-san were talking. Shiho approaches a woman with kind black eyes and formulates a plan. She was probably in her 40s, but her beauty outweighed the wrinkles around her eyes. Her hourglass figure was accentuated by the pencil skirt she wore.
"I'm hungry," she gives the woman her best pout. The woman was taken aback by her assertions.
"You are with that inspector, aren't you?" the woman asked, and Shiho ignored her question, tugging on the woman's shirt. "I'm hungry. Uncle said there would be snacks here," Shiho insisted rather childishly. Eventually, the woman takes Shiho by the shoulder and smiles. "Let me get you something. Stay here."
It would seem that whining loud enough could bring some adults to their knees. Shiho marvels once again at the miracle of being a child. The woman leaving an open laptop—unattended. Having the cubicle all to herself, Shiho sits on the office chair, swiveling toward the laptop, cursing when she found it to be locked. After several attempts, she groaned when the detective badge came to life.
"Any luck with the company's name?"
"Be patient," Shiho replied, "hacking takes time."
"Hacking?" he teased. "How difficult can it be to get the name of a single unlisted company?"
"Run that mouth of yours again, and you'll be eating sand—in the inevitable future."
He chuckled, "I assume you are hacking into a staff's device?"
"How can you tell?"
"Enlighten me then. What do they have on their table? "
Inspecting the surroundings, she sighed, sinking back into the chair. The woman's table was messy, and apart from the many post-its she had stuck along the walls of her cubicle, it was typical for an office worker. A large number of framed pictures were also displayed beside the computer. Each photograph depicts the woman alone or with a friend. Among the frames, one stands out—featuring a cartoon character. It was Ayumi's favorite. With the frame looking a little worn out by the side. It stood at an odd angle, almost as if...it had been touched often.
"Take the frame, Shiho," Shinichi instructed. Shiho frowned before reaching for it. "What exactly am I searching for?" She turns the frame around.
"Surely you can figure it out for yourself."
"Kudou, I'm this close to walking home."
"Release the picture from the frame. It should be written behind," Shinichi said. Shiho could almost imagine his smug expression and wanted to reach through the badge to wipe it clean.
When she removed the back of the frame, she was greeted with a single post-it note. It contained the scrawled writing of the woman that withheld her computer's username and password.
"How?" the words left her lips instinctively.
"Actually, it's quite simple," Shinichi boasted. "Would you like to know?"
"No."
"It was her habits," he explained anyway as Shiho's eyebrows twitched. "The post-its stuck around tells us that she has a habit of writing down things. It also suggests that she might be quite forgetful. Since she would probably be reprimanded for leaving sensitive information out in the open, she hides it. As she might lose track of where she stuck the password, she made the image different from the others."
"Did I ask for an explanation?"
"I thought you'd appreciate it," he replied.
"Don't you have anything better to do than to bother me?" she locates the e-mail folder on the woman's computer. "Like solving a dying message or something."
"Be patient," he joked, "Solving a message takes time."
"Ara, I'm glad you understand the concept," Shiho sneered as he chuckled.
"Calligraphy books," Shinichi described later as he walked into Haruto's room. The boy listed the items he found. "It seems he was a fanatical fan of the English Alphabet."
"I get the impression his handwriting is neater than a pig sty of his apartment."
Shinichi snorted at her statement. "An avid model ship collector, too," he mumbled. "Magic tricks books...sudoku...crossword puzzles, nothing out of the ordinary."
"Let me guess, Haruto-san was an old man with old man hobbies," Shiho said, "just like somebody I know."
"I'll have you know those puzzles keep you sharp," he defended. She could almost imagine the pout he was wearing, and a slight smirk appeared on her face.
"I'm sure," she teased. "For them, yes...for you, not so much."
"Are you stereotyping the old folk?"
"Ara, and?"
"Apologize right now," he grumbled, as she chuckled softly, "to the entire aging population!"
"So?" Shiho asked later. On the other end, the boy was still shifting through Haruto's books. "Still no luck?'
"Not at all," he sighed, relenting. "I've been rearranging and running the cards through the various code techniques, but nothing comes to mind. I thought I might find ...a memento of sorts to help crack this, but..."
"There are a total of 26 cards, correct?"
"Yes, 26 after Hinata-san took the two jokers. All red, from hearts to diamonds, arranged ascendingly. Ace to Kings respectfully, four cards marked with bloody fingerprints..." he pondered.
"What if it's simpler than we thought?"
"If it was, the culprit would have realized it sooner and thrown them away."
"Do you honestly believe a dying man would have the time to devise an elaborate code?"
"A man desperate to get his message across."
"When he's already dead?' Shiho snorts.
"It happens in Sherlock Holmes," he muttered.
"...Logical much?"
"He is the very essence of logic."
With a sigh, she turned back to the computer. Refusing to feed into the maniac's delusions. As far as his hero was concerned, he tended to ignore common sense. Turning back to the laptop, Shiho's attention fell to the keys.
"Kudou," she starts, "The English Alphabet..."
"What?"
"The letters in it."
"Your point?"
"Shinichi, how difficult can it be to solve the code when I've provided the solution."
In displeasure, the detective grunts. "As far as I can tell, there is no connection."
"Actually, it's quite simple," she mused, "Would you like to know?"
"...Are you mocking me with my own words?"
"Ara? You've noticed?"
"Real mature, Shiho."
"26 cards," she elaborates, "You mentioned Haruto-san enjoyed calligraphy. Especially of the English alphabet."
There was a gasp.
"Now," she teased, "Would you like a detailed explanation?"
"Shiho," he groaned.
"Yes, great detective?"
"Drop it."
"This. Stupid. Door." Satou-san struggled. Shinichi watched, intrigued, as she tried for the handle of the bathroom. Like the first time, the door would not budge. As she pulled, the inspector propped her feet against the wall.
"Who the hell installed this!" she wipes the sweat off her brow a while later. Shinichi reaches for the handle. Turning the knob, he, too, was greeted by an immovable door.
"Conan-kun, move!" Satou-san rams it when he did.
"Brute force won't work, Satou-san," Shinichi replied as the woman made like a mad woman for the door. Growing increasingly agitated.
It would seem that the short fuse of an inspector had a patience of a fly. "Satou-san..." Shinichi tried again but was deterred by the stubborn expression on the inspector's face. Yes, she was never going to do that. He could see what Takagi-san was dealing with here. Leaning against the wall, he glanced at the playing cards image on his phone again, sighing.
The dying message left behind by Haruto, at first a puzzle, became increasingly apparent. The fact that Shiho cracked the code before him was a pity. He could already imagine the smug, almost triumphant smile she carried when she was teasing him before. That insufferable idiot. She wouldn't stop until he cut the line himself.
The clue she gave him helped—and the meaning from the message was easily extracted, but Shinichi still lacked evidence. Hinata's death is still a mystery—he knows who killed him, but what was his motive? He was sure the bathroom held the answer, but it would seem that there would be no way in...without demolishing the door.
"What are you doing!?" a voice shrieks from the entrance. Shinichi interrupted from his thoughts and found Satou-san holding up a large book above the knob, apparently about to hit it off. He gawked at the woman who seemed to have lost her senses.
"Are you trying to destroy my property!" shouted the landlady, Yui Kikuchi. Disregarding the yellow tape outside, she marched in, slapping the book from Satou-san's hands.
"The door cannot be opened," the inspector muttered sheepishly, to Kikuchi-san's irritation.
"Then ask, I swear, young people these days!"
"Technically, you shouldn't be here," Satou-san said as the woman walked into the crime scene rather brazenly.
"I'm glad I checked, or you'll be liable for the broken door!"
"It was already broken..." Satou-san grumbled. The inspector's childish remarks made Shinichi snigger. Pushing them away, Kikuchi-san lifted the knob, with great difficulty, instead of turning it. Shinichi and Satou-san exchanged glances at the landlady, who glared at them. "Lift not turn, my stupid husband. Despite countless reminders, he refuses to change it."
"I assume this isn't the first time you've had to explain," Shinichi asked as she sighed and opened the door. "You have no idea," she quipped. Shinichi took note of her statement with great interest.
The bathroom was once again revealed to them. Having removed Hinata's body, the man is no longer there. What was left was a white body tape to indicate the corpse's original location. A series of number markings were placed on the ground by the investigating officers to take photos of the crime scene.
"A toothbrush holder," Satou-san points to the green case. Shinichi observed something strange about it before turning to the sink. There was an open cabinet beside the bathroom mirror. Within it is a blue toothbrush. Shinichi brushed his finger across the surface with his gloves still on. It was still wet.
"Satou-san, nothing has been altered, right?"
"No, everything has been left the way it is."
"How am I supposed to rent this place now," Kikuchi murmured, "A dead body of all things. Haruto Shibata-san, I knew he was more trouble than good."
Satou-san narrowed her eyes at the landlady's statement before escorting her out. Leaving Shinichi alone, the answers fall neatly in place.
"Generals and Co." Shiho's voice rang through the badge at the right time, and the remaining questions were answered. "The name of the unlisted company."
A smirk flitted on his lips.
"Are we done?" she questioned. "The dying message…you've solved it?"
"Aye," he gazed at the toothbrush, holder, and door. "Let's end this now."
"Finally," Shiho quipped, "Took you long enough."
"...Oi."
"What do you mean you've solved it?" Takibi-san asked. An hour earlier, Haruto-san's business partner was informed of the situation. He stood below the apartment, complaining to Takagi-san. It was evening, the sun painting the blue sky a crimson red. Clouds float by in yellow and purple hues. Shiho stared, arms folded, irritated at the man's constant whining and overreaction. She was seconds away from hitting him with Takagi-san's walking stick but held back.
"Kudou can we head in now?" she spoke into the detective's badge, glancing up at the apartment above. Shinichi and Inspector Satou-san apparently preparing the scene for the reveal. Once again, Shinichi played it up to the inspectors, who remarkably supported his dramatics.
"In five minutes."
Soon after, Shiho helped Takagi-san up the stairs as they entered a relatively cleaner but still messed up apartment. The plastic bags piling up against the door were moved to the side. Newspapers and rubbish on the coffee table were neatly stacked next to the wall. Various objects were arranged on the coffee table. First, a notebook, and second, playing cards left behind by Haruto-san. The third were the jokers Hinata-san stole, and the last was quite curiously a toothbrush. Shiho raised an eyebrow as she was nudged by the detective.
As she handed him the documents he had requested, he smiled confidently. "Thanks, Shiho."
Shiho gestures toward the table. "You'll see," he continued.
"Loving the spotlight, I see," she muttered as he smirked.
"Where else can I display the prowess of my enormous brain?"
"Humble much?"
He chuckled, pulling out his bow tie. The inspectors looked to it curiously as he turned to them innocently.
"How are your acting skills, Satou-san?"
"Why are we gathered here?" Kikuchi-san questioned. The middle-aged landlady tapped her left foot impatiently. Her hands were on her hips, brows furrowed in a thin line.
"I would have to agree," Takibi Hirano's once immaculate appearance had fallen into disarray. His business suit was crumpled and wrinkled. His neatly gelled-back hair was a mess. He was also biting his thumb, a bad habit that appeared to have developed over the years.
"Are we suspects?" Riku Ono asked. With arms folded, the social worker leaned apprehensively against the wall. "Surely this is a mistake," he comments rebelliously.
"A mistake, not so much," Shinichi speaks into his bow tie, standing beside the flustered inspector. Trying to keep up with his words, Satou-san opened her mouth awkwardly. She would need to practice more, it would appear. Her ad-libbing skills were not as fluent as that of the professor or Akai-san.
"Kudou-kun," she whispers discreetly, covering her mouth, "what exactly am I supposed to do."
"Relax," he winks as she groans.
"No pep talk can remedy bad acting," Shiho quipped, and Shinichi shushed her with a finger placed on her lips.
"Have you ever heard of positive encouragement," he mutters under his breath.
"If you're bad at something…you're just bad."
"Hey, don't discourage her. What if it makes her act even worse? "
"Thank you," Satou-san snapped. Only to realize that she had said it aloud. While glancing at the three suspects looking at her with angry expressions, she coughed nervously.
Once again, Shinichi drew a bow tie into his mouth as Satou-san improvised. "As I was saying," he started with her voice. "There has been no mistake. No matter how hard you deny it—you are the only ones who had any form of contact with Haruto Shibata-san over the past five years."
"Contact?" Kikuchi-san glares at Shinichi in defiance. "We hardly saw him, and the only time I've ever spoken to him was when I needed to collect rent."
"He lived in seclusion," Ono-san frowns at Shinichi's statements. "Nobody could get him out or enter his domain. Besides, from what you have told us," the social worker clearly troubled. "The person in that apartment was not Haruto-san, but that of his brother, Hinata-san."
"What are you talking about?" Takibi's eyes widened at the developments.
"In due time," Shinichi looks at Satou-san, who was now facing the three solemnly. "We must first start from the beginning," he points to Haruto-san's diary on the table, and the inspector gestured towards it.
"Haruto Shibata was a successful businessman. Even if he didn't work per se, he still earned a significant amount of money."
"And? " Takibi was still stunned by the new developments. "What does that mean about Haruto-san!?"
Shinichi observed that the man tended to panic before he could say anything.
"He's dead," Shiho said, her patience running thin with Takibi Hirano. "He has been— imprisoned in an abandoned garage in Nozomiya for five years, killed, and buried behind a wall."
Takibi cupped his hands around his mouth. "What!? But how—"
"Just listen, and maybe you'll get answers," Shiho snapped. The man gawked at her, becoming silent.
"Despite his success," Shinichi continued with Satou-san's awkward ad-libbing, "Haruto-san was a lonely guy, and he turned to the internet for companionship. He had joined various hobbyist groups, one of which—"
Satou-san pulls out her phone to show Shinichi the website he had tasked her with investigating. Haruto's previous username was established in a ghost-hunting chat room. Apart from the many hobbies he had, this was one of them.
"Haruto-san found his place among them, often going on trips and excursions...quite frequently, I might add, with a user called Gast."
"Isn't he the suspect then?" Kikuchi declared.
"He might be. After all, Gast did have a particular interest in Haruto-san and his business, asking about it even when it wasn't necessary. And on that fateful night five years ago, Gast contacted Haruto-san for an offline meeting."
"Then it's settled, isn't it? This Gast person killed Haruto-san," Kikuchi-san protested against the suspicion cast upon her.
"Why are we still being held? Shouldn't the police be looking for Gast instead?" Ono-san commented.
"Oh, but they've already been found," Shinichi explained. All around, there was an audible pause followed by gasps.
"Conan-kun, what do you mean?" Takagi asked carelessly.
"Conan-kun?" Kikuchi-san asked.
Shinichi tenses at his name being called as Takagi slaps a hand over his mouth.
"I mean Satou-san!" he corrected. Shiho sighed loudly as Satou-san glared at him. The suspects looked at Takagi with mirth as he laughed loudly to cover his mistake.
"What do you mean Gast has already been found?" Takibi demanded.
"I was getting to it," Shinichi said into the bow tie. "After bringing Haruto-san to the infamous neighborhood, Gast set up a trap at the supposedly haunted garage. The suspect likely lulled Haruto-san into a false sense of security. With his guard down, Haruto-san was killed. Gast then boarded the body behind the drywall. It was a clever plan, meticulously thought out. Mostly abandoned, the place was eerie. There were few people, and most aren't willing to venture deep. Thus, Haruto-san would remain undiscovered for five years while Gast assumed his identity."
"And this Gast...person," Takibi whispered. "Is Hinata-san?"
"No," Shinichi continued. "Hinata-san might seem the obvious culprit, but more sinister forces are at work here. He was murdered. Probably realizing that the person he spoke with over the phone wasn't his brother, he rushed to Haruto's apartment. Upon arriving, though, Hinata confronted the real culprit and was killed."
"Didn't he commit suicide by poison?" Ono-san was shocked by the revelation.
"He was moved."
While displaying her phone again, Satou-san points to the image. A toothbrush holder was lying on the ground. And a toothbrush was neatly arranged in the cabinet in the following photograph. "The culprit killed Hinata-san to set up an alibi. They then dragged Hinata's corpse into the bathroom to give the appearance that he had committed suicide. During the setup, the toothbrush holder was accidentally knocked over. The culprit picked up the toothbrush in haste but missed the holder. They were in a hurry, you see—to finish an errand."
"An errand?" Kikuchi-san whispered.
"Yes, it is important. It would also cement the culprit's alibi."
"What?!"
"Takibi-san," Shinichi continued into the bow tie as the inspector faced Haruto's business partner, who paled considerably. "Didn't you say that funds were disappearing from the company and that the financial records weren't in order?"
"Y...yes," he stammered, as Shinichi smirked.
"Gast was doing that. By posing as Haruto-san, he made it seem like the victim was a recluse. Not actually living in the apartment but constantly purchasing food to deliver to an empty residence on a daily basis. Which would explain the uneaten food packages in plastic bags. A five-year supply of uneaten foods would create an unfavorable atmosphere and would make the lie more realistic. Additionally, there are bills by the door..."
"Even though they date back five years, don't they seem too new, too white? Paper left out for years, especially in conditions like these, would turn yellow. The bills may have been fabricated in order to prove that people were still living in the apartment."
"So Gast intended to leave subtle clues of Haruto-san and Hinata-san throughout the apartment to carry out his ruse?" Kikuchi-san concurred. Satou-san nodded.
"But why would anyone do this?" the landlady was perplexed.
"For reassurance, to maintain an act. With Haruto-san seen as a recluse and Hinata-san found dead in the bathroom, it would make for a rather compelling story—and a fitting disguise."
"Seems risky. Wouldn't he or she be caught if they continued?" Ono-san countered. Shinichi smirked, turning to look at Satou-san, who nodded. Taking up the playing cards that Haruto-san had left behind, she faced them.
"Sure, it would be risky...but done under the guise of a landlady, a social worker, or a colleague wouldn't cast suspicions, would it not?"
The three gaped at her insinuations. The inspector arranged the playing cards as Haruto-san had, displaying them on the table. "Gast, however, had made a crucial error. His plan, which was going well, had made him careless. Making more withdrawals than usual, which caused Takibi-san to notice the financial records. Upon reviewing it, we discovered the discrepancies. A wire transfer of funds from Haruto-san's company to an unlisted source—Generals and Co."
"The rare bookshop!" Takibi exclaimed.
"You know them?" Takagi asked.
"Yes, we've been corresponding with them quite often since they haven't given us the books Haruto-san was purchasing from them," he finally realized what that meant.
"Another cover," Shinichi said as the suspects looked at Satou-san. "Gast was hiding behind this company. In the guise of a business exchange, the culprit simply wired Haruto-san's hard-earned money into their bank account. Of course, they had done so within the last five years. However, the amounts taken were relatively small, so they were not significant enough to be discovered."
"That is true, but—" Takibi replied, Haruto-san's business partner looking warily at the two beside him. "Gast got complacent...too cocky..." he continued.
"Yes," Shinichi said, "he wanted more; not being discovered gave them the confidence to ask for more. However, the culprit failed to account for the discovery of the body. Or that Haruto-san himself would leave behind a clue that would identify them."
"A name?"
"A dying message," Shinichi motions to the playing cards scattered on the ground. "Made from playing cards arranged from hearts to diamonds, in ascending order. Blood markings on four specific cards spelling out the culprit's name."
"How can that be?" Ono-san snorted, "This doesn't prove anything."
"But it does," Satou-san pointed to the first card, as Shinichi explained. "If we counted the cards, we would have 26. Half of a complete set. The black cards were deliberately discarded in Nozomiya's garage. The joker cards included in the dying message were found in Hinata-san's pocket. The victim purposefully placing it there."
"What does the message mean?" Takibi asked.
"Haruto-san was an avid fan of calligraphy, particularly of the English alphabet."
"So?" Ono-san mocked, unusually defensive, "They don't correspond in any way."
"I'm sure," Shiho interrupts as she glanced at him with suspicion. "You spent countless nights pondering over it," she continued with a dark tone. "Thinking it through before putting it aside. It must have seemed meaningless to you...right, Ono-san."
He glared at her, black eyes becoming darker.
"There are 26 letters in the English alphabet," Shinichi gestures to the first card. "And the 26 cards represent the 26 letters. As the cards are arranged in an ascending sequence, we can presume that Haruto-san wants us to read them in order. In this case, the ace of hearts would represent the letter A, while the king of diamonds represents the letter Z."
Satou-san points to the bloody fingerprints on the four cards. "Using this concept, we can then say that the nine of hearts represent the letter I. And the queen of hearts represents the letter K. Likewise, the five of diamonds represent R, and the eight of diamonds represent U."
The alphabets form, spelling out the name in English. As Satou-san pulled out the four cards bearing the killer's name, there were considerable gasps.
"It is likely the jokers in Hinata-san's pocket represent the beginning of the culprit's name, as it was originally placed on the five of diamonds."
Satou-san rearranged the letters of I, K, R, and U.
"Ono-san, do you have any other comments?" Shinichi asked as Satou-san glanced at him. With a quiet fury, the punked-styled man looked at the cards. His friendly, almost pleasant demeanor was rapidly eroding. His act as a kind-hearted social worker crumbled before their eyes. The net descended on a man named Gast—a ghost, an imposter—an unrepentant murderer.
"That proves nothing," Riku Ono snapped. "It is simply a coincidence. This was fabricated!"
Kikuchi-san and Takibi-san were recoiling from the increasingly desperate man. He had nowhere to run, a cornered animal.
"For someone who crafted an almost perfect plan, you made one careless mistake," Shinichi said in Satou-san's voice as Riku Ono clenched his fist. "When we first met, you told us, didn't you? That it was the first time you've stepped into Haruto-san's apartment. While we struggled to open the bathroom door, you did so—quite easily, I might add."
"That was an accident!" Ono-san pleaded, "Tell them, Yui-san, tell them that I was not..." he trailed off as the landlady backed away. She had a look of disgust crossing her features that was hard to ignore. "You've approached me this afternoon to ask if I needed help in collecting rent. I thought it was too early but decided against questioning your motives," she began. Riku Ono gritted his teeth as she revealed this. "I thought of you as a kind-hearted young man, coming over to care for Haruto-san when he fell on hard times...almost diligently, but how could you."
"I'm not the killer!" he protested.
"Generals and Co., Ono-san," Takagi glared at Riku Ono, who took a step away from them, crashing into a pile of rubbish behind him. The rotten food spilled onto the tatami floor, onto his boots. He gagged, doubling over from the stench. "The police could easily find the owner of that unlisted company," Takagi said as the man wiped away vomit from his lips.
"Ono-san," Satou-san remarked, the inspector taking out the handcuffs. "It's over."
"He was old!" Riku slammed his fist against the wall. "He had everything in the world, but was sad, a whiner, a wasted potential." His anger spilled out, taking over his personality.
"Do you know what that money could be used for?" His greed was leaking through, corrupting every aspect of his life.
"Ono-san," Takibi barely controlling his emotions, "Haruto-san...just wanted some companionship."
Takibi trailed off, clenching his fist as he seethed, regret etched in his features, "And we grew too busy, apart from each other. I couldn't give him what he wanted."
Riku Ono laughed dryly at the statement. "I do not care," he faced them with defiance in his stance. Kikuchi-san cried out a warning as he launched himself forward. Shinichi barely had a chance to react before the man grabbed him by the collar.
Shinichi closed his eyes in reflex as he braced for the impact but was surprised when none came. He heard a grunt, followed by a cry. Satou-san sat on top of Riku, pinning him down on the tatami ground with her knees as he groaned in pain. Locking his arms in a tight hold, she glared at him aggressively, pushing down on his arm as he gave another scream.
"What were you aiming for?" Satou-san yelled.
As the man moaned, the inspector pressed down hard, snapping the cuffs on his wrist.
"You." she started, "Do. Not. Touch. Them!" He cried out as she lifted him, pleading for her to stop, to let him go. Instead, Satou-san pushed him roughly out of the apartment as Kikuchi and Takibi stared in shock.
"Are you alright, Conan-kun?" Takagi rushed over. Shiho helped Shinichi up. The inspector's concern was evident. "I'm fine," he reassured, grateful for the inspector's protection. Holding his shoulder, Shiho frowned.
"Idiot," she muttered, squeezing as he chuckled.
"I'm fine, Haibara."
"I can't believe it," Takibi interjected. The man picked up the notebook left on the table. "If he had told me, I would have helped."
"Takibi-san," Shinichi looked at Takibi-san, who, despite everything, had maintained contact with Haruto-san, had defended the company, and had supported the victim from start to finish. "You were Haruto-san's only..." Shinichi revealed from the notebook a small photograph of Takibi and Haruto-san, both grinning widely with hands around each other's shoulders, standing in front of a newly launched bookshop. Flipping the photo, a sad smile appears on Takibi's lips. While a lone tear slid down the man's face, Kikuchi-san petted his back. That word represented the only relationship Haruto-san truly treasured.
"Friend."
It was a poignant case. Though Haruto-san was gone, there were still people who cared. Takibi taking care of his apartment and personal belongings. Though whiny in nature, the man Shiho referred to as annoying had a heart of gold. Shinichi was right. Takibi was a true friend. And—
"At the very least," Shinichi told her with optimism she did not possess, "Haruto-san and Hinata-san…can finally rest in peace."
Watching from afar, Shiho glanced at Shinichi, who was wrapping up the case with Takagi limping behind him. The long night far from over, Shiho could only sigh as she leaned against the side of the police car. Waiting again for a boy that seemed to get himself embroiled in cases left, right and center. She only hoped that it was the last body they'll encounter for the day and could only give a wry smile as Takagi rubbed Shinichi's head in glee. It is heartening to know that the revelation of her identity did not adversely affect the relationship the shrunken detective had with the inspectors.
Though, Takagi-san's ambiguous words were still at the back of her mind.
"Here," a can of coffee appeared before her. She glanced at it briefly before turning to the woman in front of her. Satou-san cracked her own as she stood beside Shiho.
As Shiho cautiously took the can, the pixie-haired woman smiled. The sudden kindness seemed jarring, given the unfriendly demur they presented to her during the hostage situation days earlier.
"Do you need help with that?" The woman offers as Shiho averts her gaze.
"Why?" the question bubbled up. Shiho stared intently at the can, unable to meet the inspector's eyes. "What does Takagi-san and you...want from me?" Silence falls as pressure builds.
"We…" Satou-san hesitates. The woman drank first, seemingly composing herself.
"We were afraid," the inspector began tentatively. "Our treatment of you during the hostage situation was unjustified. Truthfully, we were unable to comprehend your existence. We had thought of you as a threat."
It was as she expected, and she winced.
"I can't dispute that Satou-san," Shiho swallows the sting spreading through her chest. It hurt, but it was a consequence she had accepted. "I've done terrible things. The article written is just the tip of the iceberg."
"Shiratori-san is right," she continued, "There is blood on my hands, and I do understand if you do not want to be associated with me." A bitter smile formed on her lips as Shiho faced the woman, "All I ask is that assistance be provided to Shinichi—when he needs it."
The woman remained still. The can rests loosely in her palms as brown eyes peered into green ones. The darkness of the night sky obscured her expression. Shiho could not discern her features and was left in awkward, almost mounting silence. Satou-san's light chuckle breaks the tension.
"You two," Satou-san teasingly replied, "I get it now."
Shiho snorted, only to be pulled into a side hug by the inspector.
"Ai-chan...no Miyano-san, I know who you are and what you have done." The woman grips her tightly.
"Even so, you have saved my life...and the lives of countless others."
The action stunned Shiho, who could only gawk at the woman who released her.
"You're not as bad as you think you are, Miyano-san," Satou-san smiled, patting her lightly on the shoulder before walking towards Takagi-san. Grasping the can with quivering lips, she tightened her grip.
"What did I tell you?" Shinichi asked.
"What?" she asked breathlessly as he settled beside her. He had heard their conversation.
"How…why…what do they want…I'm not—"
"Do you want anything from them?"
"No," she whispered. And the detective flicks her forehead, "So, what makes you think they want anything from you?"
She could not respond.
Equivalence—"Humans are animals that hide their wants. There is always a purpose and an intent behind their actions."
Life in the Organization was at such—of exchanges made, of lies. There was always a motive, and nothing came without a price.
"The value of relationships cannot be measured, Shiho," Shinichi continued, as usual reading her thoughts, "They care about us. They are willing to try."
"This isn't normal, Shinichi." She argued, "It's not that easy to erase what—"
Placing a finger to her lips, he stops her. The boy carrying one of his signature grins.
"Shiho," he whispered, "Do not run away."
His words stuck. The biting statements, her avoidance of the subject—her unwillingness to communicate with them. Deep down, she knew it. Though she was not able to admit it—the inspectors were important to her. They had become a part of her life.
To lose them—was to lose Haibara Ai.
And, if she were to admit the truth—
She was afraid.
Scoffing lightly, Shiho finally cracked open the can that Satou-san had provided. Drinking from it, the hot coffee soothed the stinging ache and anxiety. Her lips curved into a small smile. The tension carried for days, relieving itself into the passing night wind.
Gin's influence lingered, his lessons still hard to forget.
She could not understand their kindness—it was too foreign, intangible. But—
It would seem that the world which she lived in now was giving her a chance.
"They haven't wormed their way out of the deal we made yet," she said later. "Nor you…Shinichi."
"I was hoping you'd forgotten about it."
She smirked as he flinched.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"Hot chocolate," she answered, and he paused.
"That's simple," he replied with relief.
Shiho raised her three fingers next.
"And 300,000 yen," she watched, amused as his smile faded.
He gives her a withering look.
"For that," Shinichi adds, motioning to Satou-san and Takagi-san, who were approaching them. Hearing the last snippets of their conversation, they paused. Takagi's lips parted in horror.
"You'll need to ask the inspectors."
"What!?"
How do you like the dying message? Was it too simple XD. We're almost nearing the end of Arc 2. I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, and I would like to thank you for your support and reviews. I really appreciate it.