Conan: Chief of Rice Flower's Science Points

Chapter 391 Secret Search
April 7, Friday, evening, Beika Town, Beika Police Station.

Chief Inspector Shiraishi personally worked overtime to hold a search meeting for the Criminal Investigation Division!

Actually, it was mainly Inspector Megure who was explaining, with Yu Amagi adding to the explanation, and that's when everyone understood what had happened.

Upon hearing that the killer's next target was likely the "Suzuki Hotel," the detectives couldn't help but show strange expressions.

However, some people were unaware of what was going on, such as Yu Amagi himself, and Shima, who was still a "solo detective" because his partner had not yet reported for duty. At this time, he was still worried about the problem that "the big hotel might not cooperate."

Shima, who was down below, muttered to himself, "I'll have to deal with those guys again. I wonder if Section Chief Munakata has any ideas..."

Dealing with such large groups is quite a headache for the police.

In Shima's view, Section Chief Munakata might have a solution—as evidenced by his previous "reporting of illegal drug transactions" and subsequent search, Munakata Sakutaro is the type who is "ruthless and taciturn."

However, the narcissist looked at him speechlessly and said, "Does this really require Section Chief Munakata? Let me tell you, the Director is..."

"Detective Kogure, Detective Shima, what are you two whispering about?" Shiraishi interrupted them.

Narcissism and Zhimo immediately sat up straight...

You were whispering?

Even if they talk outside, Shiraishi can hear them!

"If you have a good idea, you should share it with everyone," Shiraishi asked deliberately.

Now that he'd been called out, the narcissist could only stand up sheepishly...

Inspector Megure then realized that the two sitting in the back were still the "Search One configuration"!
Megure wasn't very familiar with Shima, since they weren't in the same department, and six years ago Shima was just "a mere elite detective," whom Megure only "knew." Kogure, on the other hand, had been one of the top detectives in the First Investigative Division until a year ago, and had become famous for his numerous embarrassing mishaps in the following six months…

Kogure then improvised, saying, "Well... the most important thing is, of course, the safety of the Suzuki Hotel. We must not let the murder happen. Secondly, it's best not to alert the culprit."

"Although we don't yet know why the killer left the code, if it makes them give up the killing because they realize the police are on guard, then the situation is not good for us either, which means that we may be facing an unprepared murder."

The first part of narcissism is just a familiar topic, but there's more to it in the second part.

"Is this what you just talked about with Detective Shima?" Shiraishi continued to look at Shima.

Seeing this, Shima quickly stood up and said, "That's right! Moreover... I told Detective Kogure that to do both of these things at the same time, it would be best to send a group of police officers to infiltrate the staff of the Suzuki Hotel and conduct a secret search. However... after all, it is the Suzuki Hotel, so it will probably be difficult to get permission."

"In addition, in this serial murder case, the killer has already killed three people, and the three people's life trajectories do not overlap. This makes us question the killer's motive. Perhaps the killer only really wanted to kill one or two of them..."

Zhimo didn't really take the suggestions he made in the first half seriously—after all, for a high-end hotel, luxurious facilities account for at most half of the price, while the other half is the service!
It's obvious that a group of criminal police officers would be unable to handle the job as hotel waiters, and might even offend guests and damage the hotel's image.

“Yes, the idea of ​​a secret search is excellent. I will discuss this with the Suzuki Hotel.” Shiraishi nodded at this point.

The eldest daughter of the Suzuki family was outside the conference room at that moment—if it weren't inappropriate to have "ordinary citizens" participate in the investigation meeting directly, Shiraishi would have called Ayako in.

As Bai Shi spoke, his eyes swept across the faces of the group of detectives.

Well, most criminal investigators are the kind of people whose mere presence in the lobby is considered a disgrace to the hotel's service rating...

“Detective Maki, Detective Suzuki… um…” Shiraishi pointed out two first.

Then it became a difficult decision!
Seeing Shiraishi's troubled expression, the detectives lowered their heads in shame—they didn't want to conduct a secret search either!
After all, they'll have to work as waiters, and they don't want to do that.

Of course, seeing Shiraishi's troubled expression, even the "respected director" couldn't help but think to themselves, "Don't look down on us just because we look fierce."
At least we can cosplay as security guards, but if you go, you can only squat at the door and pretend to be a Komainu (stone lion-dog), making it even harder for you to be discovered!

"Hmm... Detective Kogure, and Detective Shima, since you suggested it, let's add you... Hmm, the four of you will be fine as detectives. Later, we'll hire some more capable and efficient patrol officers, especially those with the demeanor of a high-class hotel waiter." Shiraishi then began to make the arrangements.

Before Maki Takashi came to Kobe to report for duty, he was always the "one red flower among a sea of ​​green" in the Criminal Investigation Division. Needless to say, his appearance was that of Sato Miwako from the Beika Police Station.

If Kobe is not in a hurry, then in terms of external qualifications, he is indeed a candidate...

However, Kobe already has a secret investigation mission, so it's better not to take on two roles at once.

And the only problem with her is her appearance!

As the heiress of Kobe Industries, Kobe is impeccably polite, but her air of nobility is undeniable, and she inadvertently flaunts her wealth. Having her as a waitress would probably make the customers very uncomfortable...

Atsushi Suzuki is one of the few detectives who has attended university. He looks honest and unassuming, with no menacing air about him.

Shima Kazumi...

That's okay.

As for narcissism, that's not a question of whether it's fierce or not.

He might have been quite fierce before, but now he's completely overshadowed by his goofiness!
"Huh?" Shimo was taken aback—why were they arranging a secret search? Did the Suzuki Hotel even agree to it?

Seeing his confusion, Shiraishi didn't answer, but instead looked at Inspector Megure and said, "Inspector Megure, could you please give me a detailed account of the three previous cases? In addition to conducting secret investigations and preventing cases that haven't yet occurred, we can't relax our investigations of cases that have already happened."

Upon hearing this, Inspector Megure gave an embarrassed smile—as expected, Brother Shiraishi had no intention of "going their separate ways" with Director Ninomiya at all; rather, he wanted "it all"!
Previously, Shiraishi was hesitant to meddle in cases outside of Beika Town, but now the reason is clear—the Beika Police Station has even joined the "Investigation Headquarters," they just haven't held a meeting together.

Therefore, it was only natural for the detectives from the Mika Police Station to go to the crime scenes of the other three cases to investigate.

However, Inspector Megure pretended not to notice and truthfully and in detail explained the previous case...

Putting aside the other two cases, the most suspicious one is the third one—the murder of a Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) official!
"This is Okabe Tetsuharu, today's victim. He was strangled to death in a very secluded alley. The time of death was last night, and it's not far from the bar he usually frequents. So we suspect that he was likely murdered after being lured out by an acquaintance. However, we don't yet have any information about the victim's social life," Megure said matter-of-factly.

After all, Inspector Megure encountered Yu Amagi while he was passing by after discovering the third case. Yu then demonstrated his deductive reasoning and observational skills, deciphering the coded messages at the scene. Afterwards, Megure was transferred to the Beika Police Station to assist him. Naturally, he wouldn't know much about the subsequent investigation results of the third case…

At this moment, Shiraishi noticed that Takagi, who had come with Megure, seemed to want to say something, so he took the initiative to ask, "Detective Takagi, have you thought of anything?"

Takagi was startled by this, but still stood up and said awkwardly, "Well... when I contacted Okabe's colleagues earlier, I found out that the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry was also looking for him. They thought he had skipped work, but... their first reaction seemed to be... suicide, but they didn't give a reason! Maybe they just think murder cases are rare! Haha... haha..."

As Takagi spoke, he noticed that Megure was looking at him speechlessly—it's not that you can't tell me this clue, but at least you should investigate it thoroughly, or tell me in private, right?

after all……

Okabe works in a sensitive area—the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry!

Six months ago, due to the cancellation of the "Construction Industry Consultation Policy" by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the director of the Civil Engineering Development Bureau killed the administrative vice-minister and the director of the Planning Bureau. He even attempted to blow up a witness and his wife. Fortunately, Shiraishi was present, preventing further casualties. As a result, Shiraishi's back was also injured in the explosion...

Given this incident, the chaos within the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the subsequent thorough investigation were predictable.

"Your first thought was that he committed suicide..." Upon hearing this, Shiraishi nodded knowingly.

At this point, the first reaction of Okabe's colleagues to his death was "suicide"...

Although no reason was given, it felt like "silence speaks louder than words".

Takagi was a little embarrassed at this point. He had just said it without thinking, but... thinking about it carefully, it seemed like he was implying something when he described it that way.

"Detective Kuroki, try to find out some information later." Shiraishi directly pointed at Kuroki.

Upon hearing this, Kuroki pointed to himself, his silence speaking volumes – Me? Am I worthy?

“Don’t worry, Section Chief Okamoto of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry… no, now he’s Chief Okamoto, he still owes me a favor, I’ll call him later,” Shiraishi said confidently.

Kuroki breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this...

What a fart!
Kuroki really wanted to say, "Why don't you just not call me?"
Is that what you call owing me a favor?
Wasn't it when that feminist organization leader was killed that he tried to use connections to stop the investigation of the company involved, and ended up getting a severe scolding from you?

Is this what you call owing you a favor? Does he have to thank us?
"Yes..." Although Kuroki was unsure of himself, he accepted the order on the surface.

……

As the meeting adjourned, Shiraishi looked in the direction of the four "undercover agents" and said, "Come with me for a moment."

As Shiraishi spoke, he led them directly to Ayako, who was resting in her office...

"Hmm? Shiraishi, are they the ones who are supposed to be infiltrating the Suzuki Hotel?" Ayako asked Shiraishi immediately upon seeing the four people.

Shimo then realized that Director Shiraishi had already planned to conduct a secret search before the meeting, and had even found someone to contact him.

“That’s right, you know Narcissist, Maki, and Suzuki. This is Shima Kazumi, who was transferred to our department by Souichi. It’s not easy to find a few more people who don’t look so fierce.” When Shiraishi introduced Shima, he also gave him a boost in status.

After all, you can't exactly say that they were transferred from the driving test center...

In private, Shiraishi didn't address them formally; he simply used their surnames, or even called them "Narcissist."

"Ah! I thought you would call Detective Gen and Detective Yamada." Ayako was slightly surprised. She already knew most of the detectives in the rapist unit.

"Don't be fooled by Yuan's usual demeanor. That guy actually has a short temper and definitely won't be able to handle the customers." Shiraishi already knew them all.

Indeed, Gen and Yamada's appearances aren't particularly fierce, otherwise Gen wouldn't have been able to conduct a "gentle interrogation." However, the problem is...

Both Gen and Yamada have very fiery tempers!
Don't let Gen's slow and methodical demeanor when interrogating suspects or communicating with people involved in the case fool you; when things get serious, he's just as short-tempered as Yamada...

If we're talking about someone who doesn't look fierce, then there's Amagi Yu. However, Amagi Yu is too dark-skinned, and Shiraishi always thinks he looks like Song Xiaobao!

To maintain the reputation of the Suzuki Hotel, Shiraishi only selected four detectives.

"In addition, there will be some patrol officers to assist, aiming for... about ten positions, some for each post, especially more for posts that involve contact with customers," Shiraishi instructed.

Hmm, suitable patrol officers... like Fuji Seiko, Fuji Seiko, and Fuji Seiko.

In contrast, although Fujiwara gives the impression of being a timid tyrannosaurus in front of other police officers, she is actually very "tolerant" - she has never been complained about in all her time on patrol, which speaks volumes!
A typical criminal investigator transferring to patrol duty wouldn't be able to do this...

After all, if you're always dealing with violent criminals, it's hard to control your temper if you encounter someone who's cursing and swearing after getting a ticket—and if you can't control it, you might get a complaint.

"Leave the rest to me!" Ayako said, glancing at Narcissist a couple more times.

Of the four detectives, besides Shima, whom she didn't know well yet, Ayako was most worried about Narcissistic—she knew Narcissistic quite well, after all, he had contributed a lot to Satsuki's case before, and Ayako still remembered it…

However, what Ayako is worried about now is that this narcissistic guy will try to be "disgustingly cute" in front of the guests...

Even after leaving the office, Zhimo was still a little awkward—the director had introduced him to the other person, but… Zhimo still didn’t know who the other person was!
“That…that lady is…” Zhimo asked the narcissist for confirmation.

"Hmm? She's the director's girlfriend... but is she his fiancée? I don't think so..." The narcissist seemed conflicted about this—after all, he was very sensitive about the word "fiancée."

Shima:......

Is this what I meant? I'm not blind!
"I mean... is she from the Suzuki Hotel? Someone who can arrange secret searches?" Shima corrected the question helplessly.

"Huh? The phrase 'someone from the Suzuki Hotel' sounds a bit strange... Shouldn't we say the Suzuki Hotel belongs to her?"

(End of this chapter)