Conan: I'm really not the mastermind behind the scenes

Conan Edogawa, Eri Kisaki, and Ran Mouri leave the Sakaguchi household together.

The three of them returned to the car, and since Maori Kogoro was not there, Maori Ran sat in the passenger seat. She fastened her seat belt and sighed softly when she thought of John who was temporarily detained by the police.

Eri Kisaki separated from her husband early in life and no longer lived in Mika. She didn't know that this was a familiar dog her daughter had known since elementary school. She glanced at the time and said, "It's time for lunch... Conan, what time did you agree to meet your friend?"

Conan Edogawa was also thinking about John, and came back to his senses after hearing this: "We agreed to meet at Beika Station at 12 o'clock, could you please take me there?"

Originally he wanted to go back to Maori's house first and then go out on his own, but he suddenly encountered a case on the way and was delayed for nearly an hour while waiting for the police to take your statement. Now he can go directly.

"it is good."

Seeing that Mao Li Ran had no objection, Kisaki Eri nodded and started the car quickly.

The car drove straight to the Mika Station. The car was very quiet, and none of the three spoke. There was no longer the relaxed atmosphere that they had when they left the hospital.

Mao Lilan watched the scenery outside the window change rapidly. She was still worried about John. She couldn't help but ask, "Mom, in a case like the one just now, will the animals involved be put to death?"

When Hibiki Eri was in the house, she noticed that her daughter was familiar with the dog, and she confirmed: "If it is confirmed that it attacked people without any reason, the police will euthanize it with drugs."

Mao Lilan's face changed slightly. Intellectually she knew that she should do this, but emotionally she found it somewhat unacceptable.

Edogawa Conan couldn't sit still either. Thinking of his previous guess, he stood up from the back seat and moved closer to the front seat: "Aunt Eri, do you know what Lawyer Sakaguchi has experienced over the years?"

Investigations often start with the acquaintances and conflicts around the deceased. Both Eri Kisaki and Masayoshi Sakaguchi are lawyers. Although they are not in the same law firm, they are in the same circle after all. Asking her directly is much more efficient than thinking randomly.

"I'm not very clear about this."

Kisara frowned slightly and fell into thought.

She and the lawyer Masayoshi Sakaguchi did not have much friendship, at most they were just acquaintances. They were in completely different areas of expertise, and the only time they met was at work...

"I had heard of his reputation before, and I met him in a case three years ago," she said as she recalled, "The client originally looked for him as a lawyer, but after hearing recommendations from others, he looked for me."

Edogawa Conan asked: "What is the request?"

This question is offensive, but fortunately, Hibiki Eri doesn't care too much. She simply narrates:
"Three years ago, someone used the methods in a detective novel to successfully commit a crime. The family of the deceased came to me and wanted to ask the author for compensation."

Edogawa Conan thought the description sounded familiar. He might have seen or heard related reports at the time. Before he could remember, Kisaki Eri continued, "But it ended up in nothing. Both parties chose to reconcile."

Mao Lilan thought it was very strange: "Since they chose to settle in the end, it proves that the family members were not very willing to sue the other party. Why did they hire two lawyers in a row?"

Eri Kisaki explained: "Because the accused author is only seventeen years old, he is a minor."

Edogawa Conan was stunned for a moment.

"Lawyer Sakaguchi is very good at handling juvenile cases, so the family members first contacted him."

Having said this, Kisaki Eri sighed.

"These cases are very difficult. Not to mention ordinary civil cases, even serious criminal offenses are often dealt with leniently. Lawyer Sakaguchi is a rare lawyer who is willing to handle these cases. He has been fighting for the plaintiffs at a very low fee."

"He always wants those young people who make mistakes to pay a bigger price, so he has a bad reputation in the circle. Many people accuse him of being too harsh..."

Not only Japan, many countries have such sentencing problems.

Mao Lilan, a high school girl who is also a minor, was stunned for a few seconds, and suddenly remembered something. "Is it... for his son? I met Sakaguchi-kun in his family when I was in elementary school. He was bullied at school and finally chose..."

She didn't have the heart to say the rest, but the other two people in the car knew what the final outcome would be.

Edogawa Conan frowned.

Lawyer Sakaguchi's son is three years older than him, so if he were still alive, he would be 20. He had heard the victim's information when he was taking the statement just now, and the deceased was exactly the same age.

...Is he the bully back then? Lawyer Sakaguchi is seeking revenge for his family?
They were almost at the station, and Edogawa Conan took out his cell phone to check the news of that year. At this moment, the car encountered a red light and stopped at the intersection.

"Ran." Hibiki Eri didn't like to discuss her colleagues behind their backs, so she changed the subject. "Since that man is not here, come over and do me a favor."

Mao Lilan was a little confused: "Of course, what do you want to do?"

Hibiki Eri motioned for her to look out the window. "The daughter of one of my clients works at an animal shelter. She said they recently received a Russian Blue cat and asked if I'd like to adopt it. Let's go there after dinner and do some shopping at the supermarket."

Upon hearing this, Edogawa Conan also looked outside.

Due to the high incidence of murders in Tokyo, especially in Beihua, many pets lose their owners unexpectedly. If other relatives are unwilling to adopt the animals, those animals will be sent to animal shelters, including some rare breeds.

He was no longer surprised by this and was just taking a casual look. Unexpectedly, when he looked up, he saw a familiar figure standing outside the glass window of the shelter.

——He had met Lawyer Sakaguchi at the door of his house several tens of minutes ago.

"!!"

Edogawa Conan sat up suddenly: "It's that person just now!"

"what?"

Before Mao Li Ran could react, she saw Edogawa Conan stuff his cell phone into his pocket, push open the back door, jump out of the car and run out!
"Conan?!!"

……

Edogawa Conan once again left Mori Ran's cries behind him.

Under the surprised gazes of the passers-by around him, he ran to the sidewalk next to him, and before the green light on the opposite side turned on, he quickly crossed the road and headed straight for the animal shelter at the intersection.

However, he was still a step too late. When he ran out of the glass window, the familiar figure disappeared again.

Conan Edogawa looked around, and there was no one in front, behind, or to the left. Finally, his eyes fell on the window on the right.

Inside were neatly arranged transparent pet boxes, so that others could see the animals inside at a glance. A few compartments above him, roughly where the man just now could see straight, was a small animal clinging listlessly.

"Conan!"

Mao Lilan caught up with him from behind. She wanted to be angry, but when she met his eyes, she was stunned for a moment: "What's wrong with you, Conan?"

Conan Edogawa spoke subconsciously: "Sister Xiaolan, do you still remember that we used to..."

Halfway through the conversation, the phone in my pocket suddenly vibrated and an email came in.

[I'm at the station. Do you need me to pick you up? - Qingliu] (End of this chapter)