Rebirth from Conan

Chapter 43: Invitation to a Duel from Hattori Heiji

"The deceased's name is Chiyoko Mio, female, 22 years old, a medical student. The cause of death was a razor cutting her throat, causing excessive blood loss..."

The criminal chief of the Osaka Prefectural Police Headquarters, Ginjiro Toyama, was currently recording information about the scene in a notebook he had borrowed from the hotel front desk.

He originally came to Hokkaido for vacation with his daughter, but unexpectedly encountered a murder case midway...

Is it God's will that he won't be able to have a good vacation?
"Who was the first to discover the body at the time of the crime?" asked Ginjiro Toyama.

Inspector Nishimura of the First Investigation Division of the Criminal Division of the Hokkaido Headquarters immediately pointed to Wakasa Rumi on the shore and said, "It's this lady."

Toyama Ginjiro looked in the direction of his finger, "So, the person who saw the body and screamed was you?"

“No.” Wakasa Rumi shook her head. “I was just the first one to find the body. Someone else was screaming.”

"You saw the corpse, aren't you afraid?" Toyama Ginjiro asked in some surprise.

"I was probably... just frightened."

Wakasa Rumi certainly didn't lie.

The moment she saw the corpse, she suddenly recalled the scene from more than ten years ago, and her whole body froze in the water, not able to make any sound for a while.

"I heard from witnesses that you had a conflict with the deceased during the day. Is that true?"

"Yes, but it was just some verbal disputes, no physical fights."

"Would you mind answering our detailed inquiries later?"

"No problem, I'll try my best to cooperate."

……

No, I became the God of Death?

Looking at Wakasa Rumi who followed the police into the hotel, Xia He couldn't help but complain in his heart.

How could you encounter a murder case just by coming to Hokkaido for a swim?
Miyano Akemi said with some concern: "Miss Wakasa...should be alright?"

"She didn't kill the man, what could happen?"

Xia He said this, and then turned his attention to the inflatable air mattress in the swimming pool.

Seeing this, Akai Shuichi asked, "How is it, did you figure out anything?"

"It seems to be leaking." Xia He replied subconsciously.

"Leak?"

"It's the air cushion that the deceased was riding on before he died..."

But before he could explain, a dark-skinned little boy suddenly came over and pointed at Xia He with excitement, "It's you! Elementary school detective Sakunio Xia He, come and compete with me!"

With big eyes and thick eyebrows, although he looks a little immature, his facial features have already begun to take on the outline of a "handsome guy".

What’s more important is that this child speaks with a strong Kansai accent.

"Who... are you?" Xia He asked uncertainly.

"Me? Remember, my name is Hattori Heiji, and I will become Japan's number one detective in the future." The boy said confidently.

It really is Hattori Heiji...

Xia He nodded secretly.

Yes, apart from this guy, there are probably very few Asians who can be this dark.

So if that’s the case, the little girl following behind him is Toyama Kazuha?
He thought to himself, and then glanced at the little girl hiding behind Hattori Heiji, who was also secretly looking at him.

Another pair of childhood sweethearts...

She really looks like Shinichi and Xiaolan.

"Hey, elementary school detective, are you listening to me?" Hattori Heiji said again at this time.

“I’m already in the third year of junior high school.”

"Uh... that's not important. Let's compete to see who can solve the case first, how about that?"

"No, I admit defeat."

Xia He surrendered voluntarily.

It's a rare opportunity for him to travel, and he doesn't want to be involved in a murder case.

Well, mainly because he hadn’t seen the episode and he was too lazy to think about it.

Seeing that Xiahe seemed uninterested in dueling with him, Hattori Heiji quickly resorted to provocation, "Are you scared, Sakuni Xiahe?"

However, Xia He didn't even have the slightest intention of being fooled. He just spread his hands and admitted, "Yes, yes, I'm scared."

After that, he walked towards the restaurant with Akai Shuichi, leaving Hattori Heiji standing there, looking like he was looked down upon but had no way to vent his anger, and clenched his fists.

"hateful……"

……

restaurant.

Xia He, Akai Shuichi, and Miyano Akemi were sitting at the same table. Looking at the takoyaki served by the waiter, Xia He couldn't help but asked in surprise, "The food is served so soon?"

He thought that it had only been less than five minutes since he placed the order.

"After it's baked, freeze it and wait until the customer places an order before heating it up," Shuichi Akai explained.

As he spoke, he poked one with a toothpick, blew on it, and then put it into his mouth. "Hmm, but it still tastes no different from freshly baked ones."

"Ok?"

After hearing this, Xia He suddenly revealed a look of realization, "So that's how it is..."

"What, do you know the truth about the case just now?" Akai Shuichi glanced at Xia He out of the corner of his eye.

"I didn't know it just now, but I know it now." Xia He grinned, "But this is all thanks to what you said just now."

"But you're a lot slower this time than last time." Akai Shuichi said as he poked another takoyaki.

"last time?"

However, Xia He blinked his eyes and said, "Isn't this the first time we meet today?"

Akai Shuichi: "."

"Ahem, sorry, I remembered the wrong person."

"Tsk, you're so young, but you have such a bad memory."

Xia He shook his head and immediately started to show off his fandom.

Miyano Akemi, who was standing by, watched but did not choose to interrupt.

But Akai Shuichi continued, "Don't you need to solve the case?"

"Wait until you're full before going."

"What if that dark-skinned kid solves the case before you?"

"That saves me the trouble."

……

"Elementary school detective?"

After hearing what Inspector Nishimura said, Ginjiro Toyama frowned, then looked down at Xia He who was standing in front of him.

Can a primary school student be a detective?

When did the talented people in Kanto become so lonely?

Xia He corrected himself as usual: "I am already in the third year of junior high school this year."

"Then tell me, what have you deduced?" Toyama Ginshiro asked doubtfully.

There are four suspects in the murder of Chikara Mio.

The first one was the victim's suitor, named Yamaoka Takashi, 24 years old, a software engineer. He was suffering from diarrhea in the bathroom at the time of the incident.

The second person is the cousin of the deceased, named Qian Jiliang Dun, 25 years old, a professional bartender, who was sleeping in the room at the time of the incident.

The last person is the deceased’s college roommate, also a medical student, Eri Nagashima, 22 years old, who was moving a car in the underground garage at the time of the incident.

And according to the surveillance footage in the hotel corridor and the dashcam, the three had sufficient alibis.

This is also the reason why the police particularly suspected Wakasa Rumi.

After all, he was the first eyewitness to the corpse, and he had a conflict with the deceased during the day...

Leaving aside the other three, isn't she the only one left?

However, the next moment, Xia He pointed at the only female among the other three suspects under everyone's gaze, "The murderer is Miss Nagashima Eri."

"How could I possibly kill my best friend?!" Nagashima Eri, who was called out by name, looked anxiously at Inspector Nishimura and the others, "You guys don't believe what a kid says, do you?"

"This..." Inspector Nishimura and Ginjiro Toyama looked at each other.

Then, Xia He continued to speak to himself: "In addition, the deceased had actually been killed by her before entering the swimming pool."

　This case is adapted from "The Kindaichi Case Files"

　　
　
(End of this chapter)