Conan: Rice Flower Spring

Chapter 342, Section 336: Conan is really stepping into a trap.

"Eh, is Mr. Mori not home today?" Ryoma Hayashi arrived at the Mori Detective Agency, only to find that Kogoro Mori was not there.

Only Ran Mouri and Conan were in the office.

Upon seeing Ryoma's arrival, Ran Mouri breathed a sigh of relief, looking as if her savior had finally arrived.

"What's wrong? What's the trouble?" Lin Longma asked Ran Mouri after seeing her expression.

"It's not a big deal, it's just that Dad was invited out for dinner by a friend, and he's probably already quite drunk by now."

But then we found a letter of authorization in the mailbox, and now we're struggling with what to do.

"A letter of authorization?" Come to think of it, this was actually the first time Lin Longma had ever seen a proper letter of authorization.

After receiving the letter of authorization, Ryoma Hayashi opened the envelope and took out the letter: "Dear Mr. Kogoro Mouri."
Sending a letter so suddenly was extremely abrupt, but I'll get straight to the point.

Because something very strange has suddenly happened in my family, I really hope that you, the famous detective, can help us solve the mystery.

Although this is indeed my home, it is actually an old villa that my grandfather, who passed away a few days ago, passed away and left it to me as an inheritance before his death.

"After I moved into the villa, strange things started happening every day."

Halfway through reading the letter of authorization, Lin Longma curiously looked up at Mouri Ran and asked, "Speaking of which, are all the letters of authorization you usually receive like this? Just a brief overview of the authorization or something?"

Before Ran could answer, Conan chimed in, "Of course! If the request isn't clearly stated in the letter, how can the detective who receives it decide whether to accept it?"

"But it's not that absolute," Ran Mouri blinked, suddenly thinking of the letters of request that Kogoro Mouri usually received.

There was no description of the commission, no details of the event. All that was provided were vague riddles or brief requests.

More often than not, they are "cold" checks.

Yes, most of the authorization letters Kogoro Mouri receives are not in a formal format. However, the checks enclosed with each letter are legitimate checks issued by legitimate banks—so, would you say these authorization letters are legitimate or not?

In short, Ran Mouri was pleasantly surprised to receive a commission letter from the agency that followed the "standard procedure." Ryoma then continued reading the following content.

"Recently, I've had this feeling that someone is spying on me."

Although I am a relatively unknown mystery novelist, I do have some knowledge in this area.

I've been here for several days now, but I still don't know where the kitchen is.

Because I can't figure it out no matter how hard I try, that's why I'm writing this letter to you.

Looking back now, I remember my grandfather saying to me on his deathbed: "The villa I gave you is very special."

Even now, thinking back on that statement still bothers me.

If you are interested in my case, please come before 10:30 am tomorrow.

I eagerly await your news. Sincerely, Nakamura Misao

Lin Longma's first reaction after reading the entire letter of authorization was
"This client wants to ask Mr. Mori to find the kitchen at his villa?"

"How could anyone post a request like this?!" Conan was extremely agitated, and felt that Ryoma Hayashi was somewhat seriously ill. "Just kidding, let me check the date on the signature. That means if you want to handle this request, you have to go to the location before 10:30 tomorrow."

So, this is Nakamura Misao's residence?

"That's right. But we don't know when Dad will be back, and given his condition, it's questionable whether he can sober up before 10:30 tomorrow."

Kogoro Mouri is definitely a model of balance between work and rest; he rewards himself with a hangover every time he successfully completes a task.

If it's a commission with no time limit, that's fine; they can go to the client's house in the afternoon.

However, the client said that they could not accept the request before 10:30 a.m. no matter what.

"Then let's contact the client and tell him that Mr. Mori has other matters to attend to and can't arrive before 10:30?"

The tactic of delaying is a common method used in the "service industry".

"I'm afraid that won't work. Didn't the letter of authorization say that the client recently felt someone was spying on him? If this matter isn't resolved in time, what if the client encounters danger?"

Lin Longma was somewhat surprised; it was actually Ran Mouri who said those words. Lin Longma could understand Conan's reluctance to give up on a request, but why was Ran so persistent about it?

Lin Longma suddenly remembered the look in Ran Mouri's eyes when he first joined the firm, as if she were looking at him as a savior.

"Hey, I have a great idea!" Conan's eyes lit up: "Since Uncle Kogoro can't go to the client's house, how about we have Uncle Lin take us there?"
Even if we can't solve the client's problem, with Sister Xiaolan around, we can protect them well!

Well, what else can Lin Longma say? He's truly worthy of being called Conan; this guy is really willing to step into any trap.

Ran Mouri's "trap" this time wasn't very clever; she simply expressed her concerns slightly at a crucial moment.

But because she did so little, Conan was completely unaware that this was a test from his older sister Ran.

There are three people, two of whom can't reason. If Nakamura Misao's request is successfully resolved, who should get the credit?

"I'm fine with it, the company isn't busy right now anyway," Lin Longma said immediately.

Watching people solve cases is boring, but watching Ran Mouri and Conan outwit each other is really interesting.

"Then I'll leave it to you, Uncle Lin!" Ran Mouri looked at Ryoma Lin with determination. Normally, Ran Mouri would never trouble someone like this.

It can only be said that Ran Mouri made an exception for her childhood sweetheart.
-
Given that the client said he felt like he was being spied on, Lin Longma decided not to arrive at 10:30.

After Ran and Conan finished getting ready to leave, they headed directly to the residence of their client, Misao Nakamura.

The villa inherited by Nakamura Misao is located on the outskirts of Beika Town. Compared with villas and mansions in the city center, its biggest advantage is its excellent environment.

Away from all sorts of noise, the detached villa surrounded by green vegetation looks particularly suitable for all kinds of creative work.

"This should be the address on the letter of authorization." This time, Lin Longma and his group didn't ride in their familiar Maybach, but instead had Bai Shi drive a Land Rover Defender.

The villa that Nakamura Misao inherited was surrounded by mostly unpaved roads, or even just grass, and Ryoma Hayashi had to give himself credit for his foresight.

"To be honest, we don't even know if this Nakamura Misao is a man or a woman."

(End of this chapter)