Employees of the Aquarium:
Arata Kai (60 years old)- aquarium director
Shion Kai (28 Years old)- Aquarium assistant director
Takato Kagawa (32 years old)- Aquarium Caretaker
Rita Nitta (25 years old)- Part-time diver
Junpei Kato (17 years old)- Part-time customer service staff
Taichi Morimito (17 years old)- Part-time customer service staff
Danno Iwasaki (45 year old)- Security guard
Kawasaki Kinoshita (40 year old)- Security guard
Yuuto Yamada (30 year old) -HR Manager
Aquarium Creatures:
Kudou Shinichi- Resident Sunfish
Chapter 34
Swimming with Sharks
The discovery of human parts has attracted quite a crowd. Murmurs and whispers spread across as they tried to peer past the yellow tape. Shinichi, relatively annoyed by the spectacle they were making, stood next to his father as Inspector Megure gathered the staff involved. The child who first encountered the victim was sobbing, and his parents were rubbing comforting circles around his back. It wasn't a pleasant experience, and Shinichi couldn't help but feel sorry for the little kid.
"Do you mean to tell me that you had no idea there were human remains in the recreational feed?" Inspector Megure asked the staff. They were two men, probably in their late teens. According to them, they were part-time customer service representatives.
"No," one of them replied. Junpei Kato is his name. He resembled an older version of Mitsuhiko. Scrawny, tall, with freckles on his cheeks, he glanced at the pails that were now being examined. A shiver ran through, and he bit his lower lip. "We were tasked with giving little Masaharu a tour of the aquarium. It's a special service we usually do for birthdays," he explained. "Taichi," he pointed at his shorter colleague. He was bigger, rounder, and fidgeting frantically with his uniform that was buttoned down. "Was responsible for the feeding activities and assisted in procuring the fish feed."
"And you did not notice anything either, Morimito-kun," Megure asked Taichi, who shook his head vigorously.
"N–no, please believe us. We would not do such a thing," The boy stammered before doubling over. Megure and Junpei jumped back in surprise as Taichi emptied the contents of his stomach on the black-marbled floors. It appears that the gruesome discovery was taking its toll on him.
"Get these boys' statements and a mop," Inspector Megure advised one of his officers. "We can't have this contaminating the scene." The man looked at the vomit with disdain before instructing Junpei and Taichi to the side.
"They don't seem like cold-hearted killers to me," the professor muttered.
"Maybe, maybe not," Yusaku glanced at the divers swimming in the tank below them. Instructed by Shiratori-san, they were now searching the tank for other possible body parts.
"We could possibly narrow down the suspect if we know how the body was dismembered," Yusaku stated.
"Surely the employees who prepared the fish feed would have noticed the fragment of human bone...unless," Shinichi murmured as his father placed a hand over his shoulder.
"Exactly."
The inspector, who had heard their conversation, raised his eyebrows in question.
"What do you mean by that?"
"We have only found parts of the victim so far," Yusaku explained, "I highly doubt you will be able to fit an entire human body into two meager pails, right?"
Still confused, the inspector twiddled his mustache while shaking his head.
"I still don't get it," the professor voiced Megure-san's thoughts.
Shinichi sighed before making his way toward the two teenage staff members.
"Onii-san," His shrill child-like voice immediately attracted the boys' attention. Junpei reacts first, giving him a weak smile. "Yes, little one? Are you lost?"
Little one…
"No, but I have a few questions?" he continued childishly.
"Questions?"
With a giant grin, he faced them, "Could you tell me where you obtained the feed from?"
"Huh?"
"And secondly, the method in which you've prepared it."
"If we continue to meet in this manner," the inspector greets. "We will have to hire both you and Conan-kun as police officers."
It was their first meeting since the hostage situation. Though they had smoothened out their differences over the phone following what Shinichi called the "skeleton in the wall" incident, Shiho was still a bit weary of him. Studying him for a moment, Shiratori gives her a tentative smile. And she responds with a snort. "Well, at least I'll be paid."
He chuckled.
He did not treat her differently, and Shiho was grateful to Satou-san for initiating the call. Under the woman's supervision, Shiratori-san had apologized. The professor encouraged Shiho to do the same. It was an awkward but necessary conversation. The same was done with Megure-san, and although Shiho had not appreciated Shinichi's constant teasing—the weight on her chest was nevertheless lighter.
"Shiratori-san, what are you doing here?" Ran asked. Yukiko curiously studied the inspector. He was wearing something Shiho could only describe as an abomination. Featuring a pink hibiscus Hawaiian blouse over a white top and khaki shorts. He also wore the thickest, ugliest pair of sandals and, to top it off— pointed sunglasses. Yukiko pursed her lips at the outfit, clearly unimpressed.
"Hello, Ran-san, and..." Shiratori greets them, glancing at the woman, "The famous actress?"
"She is a Kudou," Shiho concluded, to which the inspector paused.
"Of course, how could I forget? Yukiko Kudou, Shinichi-kun's mother."
"Ah, you must be one of the inspectors that are aware of his condition," Yukiko remarked.
"Yes, and I assume you are heard about the hostage incident," the inspector laughed sheepishly.
"Oh, just snippets here and there, but that isn't the issue now," she approached him, "I just wanted to ask—what is with the costume you're wearing?"
"Yukiko-san!" Ran was appalled by the woman's insinuations.
"I'll have to agree," Shiho said.
"What's wrong with it?" the inspector was genuinely confused.
"Do you need a mirror?" Shiho continued.
"Ai-chan!" Ran gasped.
"I'll have you know that this was picked by an extraordinary lady, and I won't have you insult her like this," he paused and then frowned at the devious glint in Shiho's eyes.
"Oh? A special lady? Are you engaged?" Yukiko asked excitedly, and he pulled back.
"Figures," Shiho commented, "Well, let's hurry, or Kobayashi-sensei will be left—waiting...alone...again."
"Was it really necessary to emphasize that point?" Shiratori snapped, and she smirked.
"You left your date behind?" Ran glares daggers at the inspector.
"Look," Shiratori-san coughed nervously, rubbing a hand through his curly locks, "Let's just concentrate on the mission Conan-kun assigned us, ok."
"Don't change the subject," Yukiko insisted with amusement, and Shiratori walks away from them. Shiho chuckled as the women continued to pester him.
They eventually reached the backrooms and were greeted by one of the employees.
"Does this pertain to the body found?"
"Yes," Shiratori shows the staff his police badge.
As they stood by the long corridor, the inspector explains the situation. The fidgety employee was hesitant to give them access. The process— taking a considerable amount of time.
Shiho leaned against the wall, prepared to just force her way in when she froze in place.
She was gripped by a gut-wrenching fear. It felt as if she was sinking into quicksand. Reacting quickly, she hid behind Ran—mind racing, heart pounding furiously—she couldn't breathe. With ears ringing, she surveyed the area cautiously. And as suddenly as the pressure appeared, it dissipated.
"Ai-chan?" Ran asked, concerned, "What's wrong?"
For a moment, Shiho remembered Shinichi's warning.
It can't be. There would have been an attack if they were here. Her nerves must be getting to her.
"It's nothing," she reassures the girl.
"You're sweating real bad," Ran dabs a handkerchief over Shiho's forehead, "Are you sure?"
Taking a moment to collect herself, she gives the girl a tight-lip smile. "Y...yeah."
The raven-haired beauty sighs before giving her a light shoulder squeeze.
"Hey," Shiratori draws their attention, "we can head in now."
Taking a cautious backward glance, Shiho proceeded in.
They were directed to a run-down room. Which seemed more like a rest area than an office.
A single cubicle was placed to the side, and along the walls were a few lockers. Laptops were strewn about, and a coffee table was stacked with opened snacks.
"Please take a seat. Excuse the mess—the others will be back to clear it later," said the employee, who introduced himself as Yuuto Yamada. "I should have our staff records somewhere." Stubby and short, the man with the balding hairline sifts through a cabinet while mumbling to himself. He was apparently the aquarium's HR manager.
To Shiho's dismay, the aquarium's personnel information was recorded manually. Their documents were placed individually in thick brown files. What is this—the 19th century?
The mere thought of going through them one by one was enough to give Shiho a headache.
"The aquarium would be relaxing, he said," she grumbled as she reluctantly started the task.
"We need the time sheets as well," Shiratori remarked, and Yamada-san went in search of them.
"What exactly are we looking for?" Ran asked 30 minutes later. Sitting on the faded pink sofas of the dingy office, their eyes were fixed on the files stacked high on the table.
"A missing employee, somebody who hasn't shown up for work for days," Shiho commented. Shiratori-san groaned as he tossed another file aside. Trying to shorten the tedious experience, the inspector turns to the HR manager. "Can you recall anyone staff member who was absent these past few days?"
"I told you," the man replied, "we work in divisions. The aquarium has more than a hundred employees running the show every day. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't tell you. As far as I am concerned, my colleagues from Human Resources have all been accounted for."
Considering his statements, Shiho and Yukiko pushed the Human Resources files aside into a growing irrelevant pile.
"This is going nowhere," Yukiko complained an hour later, slumped against the sofa. Ran, looking at the documents in disdain. The woman had a point. A considerable pile remained. And most of the staff who were absent had been accounted for.
"Search for a missing staff," Shiho recalls the shrunken detective's instructions. "It'll be easy, he said."
All that was left of the victim was a jawbone that was thrown into the feeding tank by an unassuming little boy. Considering that there were other fragments found, the body was most probably dismembered—before being fed through a blender of some sort. The victim was thus broken down, desecrated, mixed with fish feed, and accidentally fed to the creatures in the—
Shiho turns to Yamada-san, who has been preparing another round of tea.
"You said that the staff was split into different sectors," she says, and the man nods. "I assume that each attraction has its own team."
There was a brief pause as the realization hits.
"Where was the bone fragment found?"
"The central tank," Shiho replied. They immediately began sorting through the pile and settled on three names. Shiratori flipped their files open while Yukiko and Ran compared their time sheets. An individual caught Shiho's attention.
Shiho had suspected the victim to be female. The mandible that she observed had a gentler slope, was much smaller, and curvier than males. Having seen the jaw bone sinking through the aquarium glass, she could not confirm it with absolute accuracy, but she was now certain.
"A woman of 25, she lives alone," Shiratori studies the contents of her file.
"And as indicated on her timesheet," Yukiko added. "It has been a week since she last reported to work."
"Did we find her?" Ran asked. Shiho picked up the file and looked at the passport-sized photo pinned to the side.
"A check has to be done," Shiratori takes his phone from his pocket and began making the necessary calls.
"It can't be," Yamada-san muttered, clearly knowing who the victim was.
A brown-haired ponytailed woman was giving a peace sign to the camera. There was a slight tan to her skin, and she was lean and muscular. A surfboard was beside her, and she was standing on some sort of beach. She looks back at them through the photograph with clear blue eyes and a bright smile.
"Makoto Okano."
"Yusaku-kun, why would you subject yourself to this?" Megure-san held a handkerchief to his nose before stepping into the room they were in. Shinichi grimaced at the stench and then at the wet ceramic tiled floors. Danno Iwasaki, a security guard, turned on the naked bulb, and they were bathed in bright white light.
Red stained the yellowed, cracked tiles, making swirly patterns. The ground was littered with blood and remnants of fish guts. There is a steel table on which a chopping board, some tools, and kitchen knives are laid out. The items were placed carelessly. Located beside the table were several silver-colored industrial freezers and a large tub with a hose attached. Iwasaki-san turned on another switch, which produced a loud groan, exposing itself—the machine responsible for this mess.
An electric meat grinder. Compared to what they anticipated, it was huge. Nevertheless, it was not surprising. A machine of this size was required to feed at least 35 large aquariums daily.
Entering the room, Shinichi tries his best not to slip on the slippery tiles.
"I presume this is where it happened?" the professor asked.
"Yes, it's where the feed came from," Shinichi observes his father taking a walk around the perimeter. His attention was drawn to the refrigerator.
"We obtained the fish feed from the usual source," Taichi explained. "A large storage area that is filled with freezers. In theory, the practice is pretty straightforward. Most of the full-time members are assigned a tank, and they are responsible for the creatures in their area. After prepping their feed, they would place it in the freezers, which are then marked and labeled."
"As part-timers," Junpei paused briefly before continuing, "We simply retrieve the prepared feed from their freezers. For example, if we were to conduct an activity at the octopus tank, we would collect the feed from its respective freezer. The prepared chum, as we call it, is usually frozen solid, and we place it in pails to defrost. We would usually bring them out to the customers after that."
The teenage boys then reveal that the feed containing human parts was retrieved from the industrial freezer marked for the central tank. They had loaded the chum into the pails without thinking twice and went about their business.
After giving their accounts, the part-timers enlisted the security guard, Iwasaki-san, to lead them to the prep room.
"Probably an amateur's work," Yusaku, still dressed in his ridiculous night baron costume, likely sewn by his mother, smirked. Shinichi spots the twinkle in his eyes and sighs. As usual, his father has noticed something he hasn't.
"An amateur?" Megure-san inquired.
"What do you mean by that, Yusaku-kun," the professor had taken to wearing a face mask. Wincing, he was not too keen on approaching the grinder—which still had bits of meat stuck in it.
Initially, Shinichi had asked the professor to wait outside. The old man had stubbornly refused, and now he stood, eyes half closed, flinching from the stench.
The case was horrific, not for the faint of heart. And though Shinichi found himself relatively immune to situations such as these, it still left him with a nasty taste. Even he had to admit—that this was a cruel way to dispose of somebody. "Our perpetrator," Shinichi explained, "didn't realize an industrial meat grinder isn't powerful enough to destroy bones. Probably in a haste to get rid of their body, they missed the exposed fragments completely."
"Which would explain this..." Yusaku opens the fridge, and they were confronted with the grotesque sight of frosty, slightly tinged red ice blocks neatly stacked on shelves labeled. While it was difficult to make out the contents of the frozen blocks, Shinichi could make out details of the ground-up fish parts—guts, eyes, meat, gills, and—he pulled back. Condensation forms on his father's spectacles as he approaches. With gloves on, Yusaku slides one of the ice blocks out.
"Be careful!" Inspector Megure warned.
Landing on the wet ground with a resounding crack, the block splits in half.
Yusaku took an ice pick from the prep table and approached it. Squatting, he hits it methodically. His father was able to release some stubborn bits of splintered ice, and then the block crumbled further.
Shinichi examines it, and the morbidity of the situation deepens.
There were minute pieces of human bones covered with faint bits of flesh, hanging loosely—lodged into the ice.
"It looks like we found the rest of the victim's body."
The professor had enough; leaning over, he gagged.
"Agase-san!" Megure-san immediately removes the professor from the scene.
"That's why I told him not to enter," Shinichi shakes his head at the old man's stubbornness.
"Don't blame the professor," Yusaku said, "He followed because he was concerned for you."
"He shouldn't have."
"Shinichi, you can't control how people act," his father glanced at him through reflected glasses.
A snort escaped Shinichi, and he turns to his father, "What are Kaa-chan and you doing back in Japan anyway?"
"Imagine our surprise," Yusaku smiles slightly, "when we learned about an operation not from our son but from Akai-san himself."
His father's calm demur betrayed nothing—it was a little scary.
"Of course, we are confident that our son would be able to handle it, but alas," Yusaku winked at him, "the bane of parenthood, am I right?"
The guilt emerges, and Shinichi swallowed.
There is no doubt that he is grateful for the independence and trust that his parents have given him. Not many would have done the same. And though he should have informed them about the operation in retrospect—he did not want to drag them into the process.
Apparently, hiding the information from them was not appreciated.
He sighed, relenting, "Fine, I'll tell you about it later on, but for now..."
They turned back to the scene.
"Are you kidding me?" Iwasaki-san muttered. The guard Shinichi had forgotten about looked at the minced bones in fright. Forensics would be needed to decipher the piece, as it was indistinguishable.
The theory forming develops into something more sinister.
The task of recovering the victim's body parts continued. Yusaku slides down another ice block from the fridge. Dropping it to the ground, they picked through the flesh and bone. A morbid task that Shinichi did not enjoy.
"Do you think the culprit would have predicted this?" Shinichi questioned.
"Maybe," Yusaku answers.
Again, Shinichi feels like he's missing something as he notices the faint glint in his father's eye. "The only thing I can confidently say is that grinding up a body is not a simple endeavor. We both know how difficult it is to dismember a human being."
Shinichi grimaced, recalling a case from five years ago. It had been a peaceful afternoon. Yukiko had entrusted them with the grocery shopping. And as expected, the day didn't end well. While heading home, Yusaku and Shinichi stumbled upon a young man's dismembered head. The victim was a member of a local gang who loaned money to some residents in the neighborhood. In the end, the culprit was the brother, who took matters into his own hands after he had had enough of the victim's threats. The gang member was murdered in a fit of rage. Wanting to get rid of the body, the culprit resorted to cutting the victim up. Since it was hard to saw through a body using standard conventional tools—and a traditional chopper would take too long, he fashioned himself a power saw. Working in a bathroom, he engaged in the task—of hacking and sawing. Despite using the powered tool, it took the butcher at least three days to dismember the body. He had been traumatized after that—and was left in a state of perpetual shock. When asked why he persisted, he answered—without emotion, "I just had to finish it."
"A subconscious act of evil," Yusaku said, "born maybe out of malice or extreme rage. Most often, we see murderers who dismember as less than human. As monsters."
"But in reality, the perpetrators are often ordinary individuals who simply took it a step too far. And once they start, there was no turning back—it became a justification—an act born out of desperation."
His father's words were insightful, and Shinichi looks at the laid-out pieces of bone and meat. "Though, we aren't here to discuss psychology, but rather the method," Yusaku added.
"It would have taken a considerable amount of time," Shinichi placed himself in the perp's shoes.
"There are also many witnesses and CCTV cameras about," Yusaku pointed to the cameras on the ceilings. "Yet somehow they were not spotted. The question is, how?"
"You're not suggesting," Shinichi muttered.
"Merely a thought," Yusaki shrugged.
It was mere conjecture at this point, and unless they had definite proof of who the victim was, they were still in the dark.
"They must have some knowledge of butchering."
"And access," Yusaku adds. "To this room."
"Iwasaki-san," Shinichi faced the security guard, still frozen in horror.
The man does not answer at first, and Shinichi nudges him. "Iwasaki-san."
"Ah, yes, what?" he snapped out of it, wide-eyed with terror.
"Can you provide me with a list of the individuals that can enter this room?"
"That…might be a problem," Iwasaki stammered. The middle-aged man rubbed the back of his whitish-black hair. The wrinkles on his forehead deepened as he tried to recall the list. "This room is accessible to all staff, as far as I know."
That certainly narrows it down.
"Is it left open most of the time?"
"No, we lock it by nine every night," Iwasaki-san shows Shinichi the tiny grey box outside. It contained a key that was hung from a hook. "That is the key to this door, and the last person to use the room must lock it."
"And who is responsible for ensuring that?"
"Us guards," Iwasaki-san muttered. "Kinoshita-san always made sure. So far, there haven't been any abnormalities."
"Kinoshita-san?"
"Yes, he is usually in charge of the night shift."
"Hmm…"
"Anything useful?" Yusaku asked as Shinichi wandered back into the room. A plastic sheet spreads out. The bespectacled man had already broken through the third block and was sorting through, picking up a few other fragments—that were again indistinguishable. If Shinichi had to describe it—it looked like it had been put through a food processor and blended to a pulp. He flinched, shaking his head to erase the grotesque thought.
"No," he answered, "But—"
His father looked puzzled when he revealed what Iwasaki-san had told him.
"Well, that complicates things."
"I agree," Shinichi hesitates. He spots it under the slimy mess. Shinichi sifted through fish eyes and a broken gill, hovering over a broken piece of ice.
"Is that..." Yusaku trailed off as Shinichi raised the item. Although it had been put through the grinder, it was still intact.
Their attention was drawn to the door when they heard a sharp gasp from a female employee. Iwasaki-san was struggling to hold her back. She was glaring intently at the object, and she dropped the clipboard she was holding. Held between Shinichi's fingers were a part of a pair of earrings. Sculpted in the shape of a shark from what Shinichi suspects were gold, it was painted a curious shade of pink.
"It can't be," she rushed over and examines it with disbelief. "No, it isn't possible!"
"Do you know who this belongs to?" Yusaku asked the woman who choked.
"Makoto!"
"As requested," Shiho found him seated in front of the large display tank.
"You came alone," Shinichi chided, "did I not tell you to stay with Ran? Where are they anyway?"
"I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself," she was slightly annoyed. "Besides, they are helping Yamada-san clean the office. We made quite a mess searching for this. And besides, did you forget? You've sent Shiratori-san to check on a Kinoshita-san."
"Still, you shouldn't have come alone."
"You asked for her file, Shinichi. How else am I supposed to give it to you?" she snapped. "Telepathy?"
"Forget it," he replied as she settled beside him.
The place was comfortably dark. Under the dimmed lights, marble floors were painted with shimmering blue patterns—reflections of water. A soft melody played over the speakers, and Shiho watched the school of fishes swimming in a trance-like manner through the tank.
"You're alone, too."
"Hakase has accompanied Megure-san to the police lab to verify the remains. And Tou-san is assisting the forensic team in exhuming the body," was Shinichi's excuse. The shrunken detective elaborates on the findings in the meal prep room. Shiho reeling slightly from the news.
Flipping through the file she had handed to him, he grimaced. "Makato Okano," Shinichi reads, glancing at her image. The woman's hands were over the shoulder of another woman as she smiled. She held up a peace sign in ripped jeans shorts and a light-colored blazer top. Her head was adorned with a cartoon character, and she wore sunglasses. Clearly enjoying herself in a theme park she was visiting.
"She joined the aquarium five years ago," Shiho elaborated, "right after obtaining her diving certification."
"A part-time aquarium caretaker," Shinichi said.
Makoto was young, healthy, and energetic—Yamada-san described her as kind, sociable, and adventurous, despite her mischievous streak.
She was also known for her fiery temper and had butted heads with management more than once. Yamada-san reveals that the aquarium has not been doing well these past few years. The director trying to save costs has been cutting back on products that will affect the quality of the tanks. Makoto, who had a passion for animals and a take-no-nonsense attitude, could not stand these changes and had spoken to the director directly. Their quarrels were legendary, and everybody knew about them.
"She might have made some enemies," Shinichi concluded.
"A little too passionate," Shiho murmured.
"Well, I guess," Shinichi closed the file, "but no one deserves to die this way."
The haunting image of the energetic-looking woman was enough to silence them.
"You might be right," he breaks into a long yawn, stretching his arms.
"About?"
"These cases. Everywhere I go, I am bombarded with incidents. It would be nice if I could just have one peaceful day."
"A natural disposition, Shinichi. You can't change what's in your DNA."
He frowned, genuinely worried, "I might need to get checked."
"I still stand by my offer," she teased, "I'm willing to do a full-body examination. Clothes on or off, it doesn't matter."
Shiho chuckled as he eyed her with displeasure.
"Idiot."
And before she could react, he had his hands snaked around hers.
"What?" Shiho asked when he didn't respond. He seemed to be fighting with himself. "What's wrong, Shinichi?"
And she noticed it, the exhaustion behind his eyes. The planning of the operation, coupled with this new case, must be draining for him. The arguments he had with her throughout the week must not have helped his situation either. Though she feels bad, she was resolute in her decision.
There was no other way.
"If it's about what I mentioned earlier, I—"
"I don't approve, Shiho," he interjects, and the frustration takes root.
"Shinichi, whether you approve or not has no bearing on my decision."
"I know," he quipped, with a bitter smirk, "nothing I say would ever reach you."
She paused—baffled by Shinichi's notion. In spite of her actions and arguments, she thought he'd at least understood her intentions.
She was motivated by his words. It was for this reason that she was willing to go this far.
There was nothing she trusted more than him.
But you've never mentioned it to him, have you?
Shaking her hands away from his grasp, she stares intently at the aquarium. "That's not true," she began, finding it difficult to be honest.
"I...Your words...you mean a lot—" Shiho loses her courage when she spots the giant grin on his face. The heat rushed through her cheeks, and she turns away.
"What were you going to say?" he teased. This irrefutable idiot.
"Be gone," she scoffed. The tension leaves Shinichi's shoulders, and he laughs. He was leaning against her before she could protest. Body sprawled on the seats, head propped comfortably on her lap. "Do I look like a pillow to you?" she gripes. And he gestures lazily to her.
"Yes, and conveniently located beside me."
"Just so we're clear, my services aren't for free."
"Spare me, Shiho. I haven't slept in two days."
"Nobody asked," she quipped. "Get off."
Shinichi gives her the same puppy dog expression that Ayumi often used. "But...but I thought I meant a lot to you," he whined playfully.
"Shut up," she huffed, and he sunk further into her lap. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes.
"I still don't approve," he muttered, and she groaned, wanting to take back what she had said.
"However," Shinichi continued with a wry smile, "I will support you if that is what you want."
For a moment, his words stunned her. Initially, she thought he would fight tooth and nail, prolong the argument, and run off by himself. It was something he always did. Sometimes involving Akai, other times working behind her back—but this time, he was listening, and she fell silent.
"I'll hold you to that, Shinichi," she muttered eventually, and he chuckled.
Light banter ensued. From Shinichi, giving out hypotheticals about the ethics of keeping animals in tanks to Shiho, discussing superficial nonsense—like what would happen if whale sharks lost their spots or if the sunfish was indeed the most useless creature in the world.
"Have you ever consumed a Sunfish, Shinichi?"
"Don't start."
"Tasteless, leathery, and bland."
"Still, you can't judge it based on taste. Everything has its place," Shinichi argued. Their eyes were fixed on the aforementioned animal as it swam passed. A shimmery gray color, it looked more like a large dinner plate than a fish. A pair of pectoral fins flanked its backside, and it floated gracefully through the water, despite its goofy appearance.
"It isn't a very effective predator. It dies from everything, and lastly, has caused at least one human casualty by propelling itself into a boat and crushing a child with its unfathomable weight."
"What have you been watching on the internet?" Shinichi snorted before arguing his point. "They do eat jellyfish, and given how rapidly their population is increasing due to global warming, Sunfishes are important in controlling their numbers."
"You do you," Shiho joked, "I can see why you defend them."
His gaze narrowed as he stared up at her. "And may I ask why?"
"I see the similarities," she said as he gawked, eyes opened wide, mouth gaping open like the creature. "Very striking indeed."
"Why, you little—"
An audible click was heard. Alarmed, Shinichi leaped from where he lay, shielding Shiho as they glanced toward the source. They were expecting a weapon but instead found Yukiko grinning mischievously.
The woman had her phone in hand and was taking photos of them in bursts.
"How cute!" Yukiko squealed. A little flustered, the shrunken teenagers drew away from each other. Shinichi marched to his mother, about to grab her phone. She avoided him easily.
"Oh, this will add to my collection!"
"Erase it, woman!" Shinichi stamps his foot as his mother dances around him. Several people were watching the incident, and it was creating quite a commotion.
"How cute indeed," Shiratori-san beamed, appearing beside Shiho.
"Shouldn't you stop them from being a public nuisance?"
"Why should I?" he asked, "For the times you have teased Kobayashi-san and me, this is quite the fitting retribution."
"And you call yourself an impartial man?"
"To most," he chuckles.
Shiho was about to argue when shouts broke out. Shinichi and Yukiko discontinued their procession, turning to the source—to find Yusaku Kudou standing amidst four festering adults.
"My, my," Yukiko stuffs the phone in her pocket as she nudged Shinichi.
"Who are they?" Ran asked.
"Suspects," Shinichi's trademark smirk appeared again, and Shiho sighed.
"Come now, Sunfish," she quipped, and his expression fell. "Let's solve this before we come across another corpse."
"Oi!"
"What did you say!"
Shinichi was unsure of what he was looking at. The group consisted of four individuals. Two of them wore the signature light blue uniform of Kaijitsu Aquarium. And the others were dressed in suits. They appeared to be supervisors, and Shinichi studied the older of the pair.
The buttons on his brown coat seemed to be bursting from their seams as he stood with his hands raised. Veins are protruding from his bald egg-head shape head. As he ranted, he was held back. Honestly, Shinichi thought he looked like a cartoon character at this point.
"Humpty Dumpty?" Shiho labeled him. Shinichi had to hold a hand over his mouth to prevent a laugh that threatened to burst forth.
"Seriously?" he muttered, and she shrugged.
"Otou-san, please," the man holding back his egg-head father was more dignified. He wore a stylish gray suit—was tall, thin, and very handsome. Probably inheriting genes from his mother instead. Apologetically, he glanced at the two staff standing before him with grayish-blue eyes.
"You killed her. I know it was you!"
Those accusations came from another man, probably 30 years of age. He was wearing the aquarium's signature blue uniform. His chestnut-colored eyes were filled with rage, and spit flew from his lips. Yellow fishermen's boots adorned his feet, and a white apron covered his body. He stank of fish guts. Holding him back by the midriff was none other than the young woman who had previously identified the victim's earrings. Using her entire weight, she pushed back against the man's muscular physique.
"Takato!" she pleaded, "Please, he isn't worth it."
"Rita, how can you stand there and take his bullshit!" He yelled at her.
"He is still our employer," Rita said. "No matter what you think of Arata-san, he's still paying us!" She cried out as he pushed her aside. The woman crashed to the ground as Takato rushed towards Arata.
"He's not. Everyone would have left this pig if Shion wasn't here!" Takato jabbed at the egg-head.
"Stop this," said the well-dressed man trying his best to mediate the escalation situation.
"Shion, you feel it too, don't you?" Takato demanded. "Your father's arrogance, his pressure, the way he talks down to people—his behavior would be the company's downfall!"
"Takato, please," Shion pleaded. Despite his best efforts, the man was unable to intervene.
His father wasn't making it any easier, either. "And how so? This company has benefited from everything I've done!"
"You went against your staff's advice! Do you think we haven't noticed the renovations you've made to your office? How you upgraded and spent more on your vacations while cutting costs on other aspects! Shion was forced to pay for some of the materials from his own pocket. You were unaware of it, weren't you?"
"Shion, what's he talking about?" Arata snapped at his son, and a dry laugh escapes Takato's lips.
"You're just a senile old fool!"
"This is what I'm talking about! That temper of yours, you can't control it. You've probably lost it and murdered her!"
"Otou-chan, keep quiet!" Shion urged.
The two men were about to exchange blows, and shrieks came from the onlookers who had gathered. Yusaku swooped in. Shinichi watched as his father raised his hand to try to stop the approaching fist. It was clear that his dad was no fighter. Yukiko cried out a warning as Ran and Shiratori rushed in. With open palms, his childhood friend blocked the incoming punch. There was a resounding smack.
Shiratori pulled Yusaku to safety as Arata and Shion dropped to the ground. Then, there was a series of scuffles, followed by Takato's screams of pain as Ran twisted his arm behind his back.
"That's not how you treat girls!" she motions to Rita-san, who was being helped up by Shiho.
"He started it," Takato insisted. The rage still hasn't left.
"Because I'm right!" Arata argued back. Shinichi has heard enough. He was about to stop this childish squabble when his father stepped in. "Now, this is not the appropriate place for a fight," he mused. Taking a cool-headed approach to the situation.
As he gestures toward the staff rooms behind him, he gives them one of his trademark smiles. One that he used a lot on live television or in interviews. "Yes, yes," Yukiko chimed in. Clapping her hands together, his mother joined in. "Tea might be in order for the little children, am I right, Yu-chan?"
"Of course, Yukiko," Yusaku replied. His parents gave their biggest grins to the four, who could only gawk.
Later, they found themselves in a quiet staff room. They were ushered in, and it was a little cramped, too small for eight grown adults and two shrunken teenagers. The suspects were relatively quiet. Only responding when Shiratori-san and Yusaku asked questions.
"Arata Kai," the egghead man introduced himself, "I own this aquarium, and this is my son."
"Shion Kai," the well-dressed man says nervously, holding the teacup.
"And you two are?" Shiratori gestures toward the other two.
"Rita Nitta," she introduced herself, somewhat dejectedly. She trembled. "And this is..." she looks at the man grumbling incoherently.
"Takato Kagawa," he eventually replied, folding his arms and leaning back on the ripped sunken leather sofa.
"I assume you're in charge of the central tank?" Yusaku inquired. The woman nodded before gulping nervously. "Is it true," she whispered, "that the body discovered belongs to..."
"We have no conclusive evidence yet and are awaiting confirmation, but it might be Makoto Okano," Yusaku answered, and the group flinched.
"Now, about the arguments you were having earlier," the inspector, seated at the head of the table, continued, "I'm assuming there is some context to it."
"It can't be," Rita whispered, "We just talked a week ago. She was so happy—it can't be...not Makoto-chan."
Pressing her hands against her face, the woman, with shoulder-length black hair and quivering lips, cried quietly.
"Admit it. You did it, didn't you?" Takato glared at Arata-san. It looked like he was poised to strike again, with feet tapping furiously on the ground.
It was only when Yukiko took him by the shoulder, winking and gesturing to Ran, who was cracking her fingers, that he stopped. He snorted defiantly, but his fear was evident.
"What do you mean by that, Takato-san?" Yusaku pressed.
"We got into a fight because he wanted to cut budgets. I know he was unhappy with what Makoto said and called her a "bitch". Yet Makoto wasn't deterred by that. The last time I saw her, she was entering Arata's office," Takato slammed the table, causing the tea cups to spill and the egg-headed man to snort.
"Fictitious rubbish. What about you, Takato? You portray yourself as a saint, but you are no different."
"I'm a saint compared to you," Takato snapped.
"You are married, aren't you?"
The man stiffened as soon as he heard it.
"Please, Otou-san," Shion, the only reasonable member of the group, interrupts—but Arata-san continues.
"Makoto found that you were having an affair with Rita-san and threatened to tell your wife. She was in my office to discuss this matter with me. I know all about your little escapades," Arata smirked. R
ita paled. "Makoto wanted you to stop bothering Rita and asked me to take action against you if you continued. That should suffice as evidence, right?"
"Why you—"
It was at this point that Shion stood up.
"Stop it, the both of you!" he ordered. "Blaming each other won't help," he snapped, "We don't even know if the body found is Makoto or not. It could just be a coincidence, and we're all jumping to conclusions."
"But...but that earring, it was definitely—" Rita sobbed.
"I know," Shion looks at the ground. Concern and trepidation marked his expression. "But we must remain calm."
"Logic is the best answer in situations like this," Yusaku agreed. "Until then, we will confirm your whereabouts on the day Makoto was last seen and inspect your workspaces."
"Whatever for?"
"Because Inspector Megure just confirmed," Shinichi interrupts, slapping his phone shut. In the call made by the professor who had accompanied Megure-san to the labs, he had reported recent news Shinichi did not wish to hear. With a sad tone, he verified the tragic tale of a life cut short.
Shinichi faced them. "Unfortunately, the results are positive. Makoto Okano is the victim."
When Yusaku arrived in Japan two weeks ago, he did not anticipate being involved in not one but three cases. The first occurred in his hotel lobby, the second took place during dinner with Yukiko just three days later, and the third—well, Yusaku could only contend with it.
Walking through the narrow corridors, he considered the fidgety, almost nervous, impatient nature of the egg-headed man in front of him. The shrunken scientist Shinichi was so protective of called Arata-san— Humpty Dumpty— and Yusaku couldn't agree more. Bumbling forward, the man walked with a limp. His cane slapped against marble floors as they headed to their destination.
Leaving the old musty staff rooms meant for the other employees, they were now entering the executive level. A woman greeted them as they entered the European-styled office. Oakwood adorned the room's walls, and warm orange light was emitted from a series of cozy green lamps.
"Misa, please leave us for a moment," Arata instructed the bespectacled woman. As she closed the heavy-set doors behind her, Yusaku observed the room with increased interest. "Oh, look at this, Yu-chan!" his wife exclaimed. Yukiko bounds over to the wall, where various framed photos were pinned neatly in straight rows.
The framed pictures were mostly of his son, Shion Kai. Some images of a young Shion, probably in elementary school, receiving an award. Another photograph depicts a teenage Shion holding a trophy, displaying the first prize he had won at a soccer game. Others were taken with his wife and son, a family portrait. While Arata did not smile in any of this, Yusaku felt the pride he had for his family emanating from the images.
"You must really adore your son," Yukiko teased, and the man snorted.
"Do what needs to be done and get out," he was not mincing his words. Yusaku had anticipated some unfriendliness but not outright hostility.
"What were you doing a week ago?" Yusaku walks around as Arata's fingers tightened around his cane handle.
"I was working on the financial records. Shion was assisting me."
"Where?"
"In this office."
"Do you have any proof?"
"The records are with Misa. I can get it for you later."
Yusaku gazes again at the photographs. "He is an accomplished individual, isn't he? You must be proud."
Arata looks to Yusaku for a moment before giving a crooked, lopsided grin. A sorry attempt at a smile, but it was nonetheless present. "Yes, he is my pride and joy. He will lead this company in the future. In due time, Shion might even surpass me." Arata puffed up his chest slightly at the mention of his son.
A devoted father. Yusaku could understand the Arata's sentiments—before he noticed his darkening expression.
"That Makoto," he murmured. Yusaku caught it, giving Arata a questioning look as he realized his error.
"What about Makoto-san?"
"It's nothing."
"Arata-san, things aren't looking too good for you or your son right now, so if you have any information, I would like to hear about it."
The egg-headed man grumbled, seemingly hesitating before sighing. "She was a bad influence on him."
"Shion-kun?"
"Yes, she distracted him from his work and even convinced him to postpone the budget cuts. She was—hey!"
Arata glares at Yukiko, who was now standing on a small stool, inspecting the tops of the various cabinets flush against the wooden walls.
"What are you doing!?"
Yukiko ignored his shouts, taking out a few bottles of wine that were carefully hidden on the top of the cabinets. "Quite the collection of wine you have here, Arata-san," she said. "Oh…and whiskey too."
"Get down from there!" Arata gestures at Yusaku. "You need to control your wife!"
Yusaku shrugged, instead moving to Arata's study. The man chased after Yukiko, who was dancing around the room, opening cabinets and pulling books from shelves in a chaotic manner. Arata became increasingly irate and was pulling at his non-existence hair.
Yusaku could only thank his wife silently for giving him the opportunity to do what he had to do next.
The study had a locked drawer. Based on the scratch marks across the surface, he was pretty sure it had been opened a lot. Taking a paperclip from Arata's table, he began fiddling with the lock. When it came undone, he was surprised by the contents.
"Stop this at once!" Arata shouted, distracting Yusaku from what he found. He observed the egghead marching towards Yukiko with his cane raised. Having had enough, Yusaku stood in front of Yukiko, shielding her from Arata.
"What were you trying to do?" he asked calmly, and the man scowled.
"She was destroying my property!"
"Does it give you the right to attack her?"
The man stiffened as Yusaku produced the item he found. Gasping, the owner of Kaijitsu Aquarium glared at him with disdain.
"Oh, ho ho," Yukiko whistled, taking the object from Yusaku and studying Arata's crestfallen response.
"Would you mind explaining this?" Yusaku smiled, "Arata Kai-san."
Phew, this was a hard chapter to write. So many names to take note of XD.
In any case, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Again, thank you for your kind reviews and feedback :D, see you in the next one.