Conan: Chief of Rice Flower's Science Points

Chapter 420 The Real Victim

"Eh? Is that so?"

……

"I see……"

……

After learning the results of the identification, both Shiraishi and Amagi were somewhat surprised, and then their expressions became strange.

"If Narcissism and Amagi ask you to identify anything else, remember to let me know," Shiraishi instructed Kanzaki.

the other side……

"Thank you for your hard work. I'll treat you to a meal later, Senior Narcissist," Tenshu said to Kuroki.

……

Inside the private room, Shiraishi looked intently at Kawaguchi and said, "It seems Mr. Kawaguchi wasn't lying just now. Your granddaughter wasn't kidnapped, but... it was your daughter who was kidnapped, right?"

That's right, this is the message Shiraishi just received!
Fingerprints were collected in that room of the abandoned factory and matched with those of people involved in the case. However, the child's fingerprints were not found; instead, they belonged to... her mother, Fumiko.

As for how Amagi and Narcissistic obtained Fumiko's fingerprints?

It's actually quite simple. Although he had been warned by "the higher-ups," Amagi still went to the Kanda family again and collected Fumiko's fingerprints under the pretext of filling out a "lost and found form"!
In this way, things actually make sense.

It is likely that Kohinata gave her mother the drawing as a birthday present when she went out, and that she was kidnapped to the factory after Kanda Fumiko went out.

Although she was rescued, her daughter's painting was lost where she was.

……

Tian Shu also came to this understanding at this point, and...

"Huh? The one who was kidnapped was her mother?" the narcissist exclaimed in surprise.

“That’s right, and that makes sense… Although the children said that Hinata has been very introverted lately and doesn’t want to go out, when we saw her before, she didn’t show any signs of trauma from being kidnapped, and she was playing in the yard by herself… I think the reason she doesn’t want to leave home is to protect her mother, right?”

Tian Shu then began to analyze the situation.

"But... the Kanda family doesn't usually have servants, right? One is a mother who goes out alone, and the other is a daughter who stays home alone... If it were me, I would kidnap the daughter, since children are more controllable." The narcissist questioned at this moment.

Amagi's expression turned serious at this point, but he still said, "That's a villa area after all, the security should be pretty good normally, there shouldn't be much of a chance to make a move..."

……

Meanwhile, in the private room, Kawaguchi had no choice but to admit it...

“That’s right, Fumiko was kidnapped before… As you know, I run a security company. If my daughter was kidnapped, how can people trust our company in the future?” Kawaguchi admitted, but also asked rhetorically.

“It’s precisely because you run a security company and were a senior police officer before retirement that… how could you not call the police?” Shiraishi retorted.

"Kid! Do you know how many retired police officers work for the Capital Security Company?"
"When they retire, they will only receive a retirement pension of more than two million yuan, and their annuity will not be paid until five years after retirement."

"Do you know how many veteran police officers will face hardship in their later years if the Capital Security Company runs into trouble?" Kawaguchi shouted at Shiraishi in a loud voice.

“I think we should raise this issue at the Public Safety Commission or the National Assembly. We are only responsible for the case.” Shiraishi was not stopped by his rebuke.

Shiraishi acknowledged that the "Capital Security Company" is important, serving as a crucial re-employment channel for retired police officers. After all, in the Eastern Island Nation, the retirement age for police officers is 60, which is precisely the time when they are most active. Moreover, the income of ordinary police officers is insufficient for them to enjoy their retirement, especially since pensions are only paid at age 65 due to the aging population, meaning that as police officers, they have a five-year gap after retirement.

However, Shiraishi politely declined, as Kawaguchi seemed to think that "the well-being of tens of thousands of retired police officers in the Metropolitan Police Department is on my shoulders."

Seeing that Kawaguchi continued to stare at him, Shiraishi disregarded his own rudeness and asked, "Is that really the only reason? Not because of the kidnappers' demands that are putting you in a difficult position?"

Kawaguchi knew that he still suspected that he had leaked the security information, and after a twitch of his lips, he said, "Then you'll have to investigate it yourself!"

"What do the kidnappers want?" Bai Shi asked in turn.

Kawaguchi paused for a moment before saying, "Sixty million yen in cash. I have the bank withdrawal records... Numata also helped because of the emergency at the time."

Kawaguchi originally did not want to admit this.

Perhaps, as he said, he didn't call the police at first simply because he didn't want the news of "the kidnapping of the security company's daughter" to make headlines and affect the company's operations, so he was willing to pay to avoid trouble.

However, this matter has now been discovered not only by the Mikasa Police Department, but also...

Because of the bombing that followed the kidnapping, things are getting bigger and bigger. Forget about the company's capabilities, people are now directly suspecting him of leaking classified security information!
Therefore, Kawaguchi had no choice but to tell the truth...

Kawaguchi seemed unwilling to explain further, while Shiraishi smoothly transitioned the topic to "large-scale events in Beika Town": "Speaking of which, the Capital Security often assists in maintaining order at large-scale events in Beika Town, right?"

"The Metropolitan Police Department frequently collaborates with us on large-scale events throughout Tokyo; it's just that we have more large-scale events in Beika Town," Kawaguchi emphasized, adding that his company's business extends beyond Beika Town.

"Actually... don't you think Beika Town is simply not suitable for hosting large-scale events?" Shiraishi remarked—keep it to a minimum! The bigger the event, the bigger the case...

"Heh, you should say that to the organizers. We're just in charge of security," Kawaguchi said coldly.

Shiraishi:……

The meal wasn't exactly a pleasant affair for Shiraishi and Kawaguchi; it just didn't escalate into a fight...

On the other hand, dinner at the narcissistic family's house was quite harmonious, and Uncle Kogure even warmly invited Amagi to stay overnight.

The next day, Amagi and Narcissistic went to the police station together and went straight to Chief Munakata's desk, where they handed over the prepared case report...

"The Kanda family kidnapping case..." Munakata frowned as he looked at the case report.

If it were Section Chief Kunikida, this case report would already be in their faces—after all, from fingerprint extraction to unauthorized identification, everything is rife with irregularities.

However, Munakata didn't dwell on this, but he also didn't stamp it directly...

Zong Fang then opened the drawer, put the case filing report inside, closed it, and said matter-of-factly, "Since the family didn't report it, it means they have some concerns... Find the criminal first, and bring him to the police station for whatever reason. You will see the case filing document later."

Zongfang didn't rule out the possibility at this point, and even wasn't afraid to mention the "separate arrest"...

Anyway, no one has been kidnapped yet, there's no urgency, and there's no need to deploy more police force—since it's something that Narcissistic and Amagi brought upon themselves, then you can investigate it yourselves!
If the culprit can be found, Zongfang will not hesitate to file a case...

Hearing Munakata say that, Narcissistic and Amagi were already satisfied.

The two hadn't really expected it, but Section Chief Zongfang immediately decided to file a case. After all, the evidence was only indirect, and if the victim and his family refused to cooperate, it would be impossible to file a case through the proper channels!

However, Munakata relaxed the requirement to "find the criminal first"... After that, Narcissus and Amagi had no other tasks for the day, so they were just asked to patrol. The two of them naturally understood Munakata's meaning.

They had already learned about the "sixty million" from Director Shiraishi...

Although it's unknown whether Kawaguchi's words are true or false, it at least proves that the kidnapping case really happened!
"Sixty million... It seems the culprit's target was President Kawaguchi all along," Amaki said with certainty.

“That’s right. Kanda’s foreign trade company is on the verge of bankruptcy, and the houses and other real estate are all under Kawaguchi’s name. In reality, he’s just putting on a show.” Narcissistic nodded.

“Then… let’s go check on the Kanda family again!” Amagi said, asking the narcissistic senior for permission.

"Yes, I hope Mrs. Kanda will cooperate." Narcissistic nodded as well.

Regarding solving the case...

Narcissistic and Akihiro had a long talk last night and already had an idea in mind!
……

When Kanda Fumiko saw Narcissistic and Amagi through the walkie-talkie lens again, she couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety.

"Gentlemen... I've already said that nothing has happened to our family," Kanda Fumiko said after opening the door.

"Really? I don't believe it." The narcissist shook his head matter-of-factly.

Before Wenzi could say anything more, Tianshu said, "No matter what, we can't say there's nothing wrong, can we? We've also inquired at the school..."

"You went to school?" Wenzi interrupted nervously.

"Don't worry, we asked the little detectives to find out. The other teachers and classmates don't know anything about it," Tian Shu said reliably.

Hearing about the "little detectives" and knowing that the "juvenile detective group" was quite troublesome, Wenzi breathed a sigh of relief—she was afraid that if the police went to the school to inquire about her family's affairs, there would be bad rumors.

"Have you noticed, Mrs. Kanda, that Kohinata hasn't been going out much lately?" Amagi asked in return.

"I...maybe," Kanda said, avoiding Amagi's gaze.

"This isn't something to hide. In fact, the classmates have all noticed that Hinata has become more introverted. She rushes home after school, doesn't talk much to her friends, and is even somewhat taciturn at school..."

“Although we did misunderstand before, and it wasn’t Kohinata who was kidnapped, but… Mrs. Kanda, you need to know that this incident has caused her serious psychological trauma. Is this really okay?”

Amagi also has strong communication skills, especially at this moment when he is very empathetic, after all...

His daughter was about this age when she passed away!

Upon hearing this, Kanda indeed fell silent.

“Mrs. Kanda, we understand what you’re worried about. If this matter is investigated thoroughly, your family may be greatly affected. However… even for Kohinata’s sake, you shouldn’t remain silent any longer. Otherwise, not only will the shadow in Kohinata’s heart linger, but she might also be in danger at any time!” Amagi solemnly advised.

Kanda remained silent for a moment after hearing this, before nodding.

……

I don't know if it's just Tianshu's bad luck.

At 3 p.m., after Teitan Elementary School let out, Hinata once again declined her friend's invitation to go out and play, and was about to run home when suddenly a car stopped next to her...

The next moment, as the car drove away, Hinata was also gone!

"Hmm? That's..." Conan seemed to notice something.

"Yeah, I think so," Ai said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Conan frowned and glanced at her—what's wrong with this little girl? She always acts so tough… Is it because she's that guy's sister?
Well, since she's his sister, it's not surprising that she could see "that"!
……

Shortly after, Shino Kanda also received a blackmail call...

"If you want your daughter to be alright, put the 60 million in the same place as last time." The voice with the voice changer said this before hanging up the phone.

"Who are you? Hello? Hello? Damn it..." Kanda angrily hung up the phone.

Kanda then immediately called his wife, but no one answered...

They immediately rushed to Teitan Elementary School, but by then there were no students left around.

Left with no other choice, Kanda reluctantly called Kawaguchi again.

"What? Kidnapped again? And they want 60 million again?" Kawaguchi was furious when he heard Kanda Shino's call.

Kawaguchi had installed the latest security system in his daughter's house after she was kidnapped once before, but he never expected... that his granddaughter would be kidnapped this time?

"Wenzi wasn't home at the time either, and we couldn't contact her..."

"Idiot! Don't you think you're so great? How come you can't even protect your own wife and daughter? I'm not going to interfere in your affairs anymore, figure it out yourselves!" Kawaguchi scolded.

"Wait a minute..." Kanda was also getting anxious as he listened to the busy tone on the phone.

Kanda gritted his teeth and drove to the abandoned factory...

Sure enough, Kanda found the factory gate unlocked, so he quickly went inside.

"Where are you? Come out here!" Kanda shouted.

Seeing that the inner door was also open, Kanda quickly went forward and opened it, only to find...

three people.

Two of them were detectives I met yesterday, and the other one was...

"Fumi, Fumiko? What are you doing here?" Kanda looked at his wife in surprise.

When Wenzi saw that he had actually come, her expression was complicated...

Amagi, standing nearby, then retorted, "Mr. Kanda, shouldn't we be asking you that? Why are you here? Yesterday we only said 'an abandoned factory,' without specifying where it was. Besides, Mrs. Kanda said before that whether she was being held here or being released, she was always blindfolded and had no idea where she was."

“I…” Kanda Shino’s face stiffened upon hearing this.

……

Meanwhile, in the president's office of the Capital Security Company, Shiraishi sat on the large sofa in the reception area and received a call from Conan: "Hmm? It's definitely our plainclothes police car... You brat, do we need to report to you what our police station does?"

(End of this chapter)