Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 155 Kaito Kuroba's Guide to Appraising Treasures

Who?
Doi Takaki glanced at the message, then at the pigeons that had landed on the villa's roof, and squinted as he surveyed the people in the woods.

That's right, it's Tanaka Takahisa.

Naoko Kuroda and Aragaki didn't seem to be faking it, and there was no need for the old man to specifically remind them.

The two high school girls in the villa would have even less chance of hiding their identities.

Then there's only one possibility...

Doi Takaki suddenly turned to look at Gao Mo, his mind flashing back to scenes of his interactions with Gao Mo.

I am the shadow of death, Rokuro Kuroba.

I just have fast hands.

[It just so happens that we share the same surname]

"Of course it's for making money... I originally wanted to become Kuroba Toichi's apprentice... If possible, I'd like to find Kaito Kid..."

They came for him?
Or... does this guy know that his father, Kuroba Toichi, is Kaito Kid?

Doi Takaki broke out in a cold sweat.

He inherited the identity of Phantom Thief Kid in order to investigate the truth behind his father's death.

Could it be that this guy...

"So that's how it is, I know!"

Gao Mo squatted down next to the big tree that had just fallen in the field.

"There's a small hole in the tree... Just as Mr. Doi said, Ms. Tanaka used a crossbow to build a stage?"

They transported Hamano's body to the center of the snow without leaving any footprints... It turned out that they used the trees on both sides to create an aerial passage. The tools they used were crossbows and kite strings. After moving the body to the snow, they shot an arrow into the depths of the forest to quickly dismantle the hidden tools.

"It's entirely possible to finish everything within 10 minutes, but the only drawback is that the arrows left on the tree need to be retrieved separately..."

Gao Mo turned to look at Tsuchiya Takaki.

"Is this what Mr. Doi is talking about? Ms. Tanaka came here and deliberately fell down to retrieve an item, and there should be another arrow in the woods on the other side..."

"Correct."

Doi Takaki snapped out of his daze, gave Gao Mo a deep look, and then turned to Tanaka, whose face was grim.

“I just saw it. Tanaka fell because he was pulling out an arrow… You should be hiding that tampered prop arrow in your boots now. The reason you’re in such a hurry to retrieve the prop is because the police will be here first thing tomorrow morning.”

"The police will be here tomorrow morning?" Araki asked in surprise. "It shouldn't be that soon, right?"

"It's already too late. She couldn't possibly let herself be trapped here to die. She probably killed Mr. Nishiyama in advance and left clues for the police to investigate... The reason she burned the suspension bridge and cut the telephone line was to buy herself one night."

Gao Mo then looked directly at Tanaka.

"Besides, since two people are going to be killed, the later the police arrive, the better..."

"Two people?" Kuroda and Araki walked away from Tanaka.

"It was only after Mr. Doi reminded me that I realized that, besides Mr. Hamano, I was also Ms. Tanaka's target."

Gao Mo shook his head.

"The motive was probably the comments that Mr. Hamano and I made about Harui Kaze's death... Taking out our anger on everyone in the chat room was just a facade, a cover for our true murderous intent..."

"hateful!"

Tanaka pulled out a crossbow bolt from his boot and glared fiercely at Gao Mo.

"I originally planned to kill you first, and my plan was flawless... but you always manage to escape!"

The intense malice made Tanaka's beautiful face look like a demon.

The Death Mark is still in effect.

Fortunately, unlike Death, which targets his true body, this amplified malice is only directed at his alternate identity.

These disposable vests, let them be hated if they want.

“I don’t understand,” Doi Takaki suddenly asked, puzzled, “Ms. Tanaka, is your motive for murder really just because of those comments? Perhaps the comments were a bit excessive, but it shouldn’t warrant killing someone for that reason…”

"I can't forgive!"

Tanaka's face was a mixture of pain and sorrow.

"At first, I didn't blame you when I saw your records discussing escape magic, after all, you didn't know that my grandfather was a child deceiver... But after seeing the comments in the chat room after my grandfather's death, I just can't swallow this anger!"
It was because you all said you were looking forward to seeing an escape magic show that my grandfather picked it up again... He plans to reveal his identity to you after the performance is a success, giving you a surprise!
but……

How heartbroken would my grandfather be if he saw those comments? A performance that risked his life to realize your ideas was ridiculed! You were the ones who said you wanted to see escape magic again! I can never forgive those who trampled on my grandfather's wishes…”

"Is it really just that?"

Doi Takaki frowned and interrupted Tanaka's story.

"Let's leave Mr. Nishiyama and Mr. Hamano aside, what about Mr. Kuroba? The phrase 'a very interesting way of dying' is indeed not quite appropriate, but he wasn't involved in that magic discussion, was he?"

Tanaka's tears stopped, and he opened his mouth blankly: "I..."

“You have been blinded by rage and have become a puppet of the devil, Ms. Tanaka.”

Doi Takaki looked quite regretful, but when he turned his head, he didn't see Gao Mo, who was the victim.

Strange, it was just here a moment ago.

……

Settlement

[The Phantom Thief Kid's Guide to Appraising Treasures, 4 stars]

[Bonus 2 stars]

2nd floor of the villa.

Gao Mo listened to the faint crying sounds carried by the wind in the backyard, and then grabbed a white pigeon with a signal relay device tied to its leg on the balcony of his room.

This relay device... seems to be another of Professor Agasa's creations.

"Can we let it go?" Doi Takaki's obese body appeared in the doorway, his fingers concealing a card gun. "This will scare it."

"Cuckoo!"

The pigeon struggled and fluttered in Gao Mo's hand.

“When he sees his master coming, he stops pretending to be dead…” Gao Mo glanced at Doi Takaki’s hidden right hand out of the corner of his eye.

This guy seems to have received some kind of message.

Are you secretly investigating his identity?
So that's why the task wasn't settled?

"Doi Tou... or should I call you Phantom Thief Kid? Red herring is an old magic term, referring to a magic prop used to deceive the audience in magic performances. Plus, with the name Doi Tou Katsuki... are you deliberately trying to let the police discover your identity?"

Gao Mo thought of the message Xiao Ai had just sent him.

The police have already set their sights on Doi Takaki...

Inspector Nakamori from the Second Investigative Division intervened.

The police are currently conducting a series of large-scale operations outside, but they have not yet taken action due to the snow and wind at night.

"How can it be considered intentional? I didn't expect it to attract the police."

"call!"

As the wind and snow poured into the room, Doi Takaki's plump figure was replaced by a dashing white suit.

Behind his monocle, his handsome face was serious, and he aimed the card gun at Gao Mo intently.

"I'd really like to know who you are? There's no such person as Kuroba Rokuro. There's no identity information about you anywhere—in chat rooms, online, in real life… It's like your code name, like a ghost that suddenly appeared out of nowhere…"

"I'm a magician just like you, so it's normal to be careful when I'm out and about. Aren't you also disguising your identity?"

Gao Mo released the pigeon from his hand, speechless at Kidd's wariness.

"I just helped you, there's no need to repay kindness with enmity, is there? There shouldn't be any conflict between us."

Kidd still held the card gun in his hand, staring at Gao Mo for a while before thoughtfully saying, "You and I... came here because you deceived a virgin? You deliberately said those kinds of things after joining the chat room..."

As he spoke, Kidd's expression changed slightly.

"You knew from the beginning that Ms. Tanaka would kill people? That's why you said those things and invited yourself to be one of the targets?"
But why? You could have stopped Tanaka from killing, prevented the tragedy from happening…

"I don't know Ms. Tanaka, and I don't know that Harui Kaze was deceiving the boy. I only said that because I was interested in the way of dying."

Gao Mo gently shook his head.

If Tanaka hadn't harbored murderous intent towards him, he might have intervened.

"If we have to say something, it should be you who should have stopped the tragedy. Didn't you ever think that something like this could happen when you came here?" Gao Mo retorted.

"I'm not a real detective, how could I have imagined a murder?"

Kaito Kid sighed and put down the card gun.

"It's really embarrassing. Actually, I should have been able to find out after I came here... but personal feelings made me unwilling to believe that she would kill someone. It seems that I am indeed not suitable to be a detective. On the contrary, you have a lot of potential to be a detective, just like some of the famous detectives I have met."

“I still prefer magic.” Gao Mo’s eyes twitched slightly.

Why would he let Kid solve the case? Wasn't it just because he was afraid of playing the detective himself?

“I’ve changed my mind a little,” Kidd said, adjusting his hat brim. “Magicians and detectives aren’t mutually exclusive. The world is actually missing a magician-detective, and if possible, I hope it’s you.”

[Professional Role Playing: Excellent, 10 stars awarded.]

[Actor Level 3 (Upgradeable)]

Gao Mo looked at Kidd, who had jumped onto the balcony railing, and his brows twitched slightly.

Unexpectedly, the best performance in the end came from Kaito Kid.

High praise not only demands high standards of oneself, but also demands high standards of the audience.

“Detectives and magicians don’t really have any conflict, but they’re opposites of phantom thieves, right?” Gao Mo smiled. “In that case, I’ll have to find a way to send you to prison.”

"call--!"

The wind and snow intensified outdoors.

Xiaolan changed the damp towel for Yuanzi and vaguely heard pigeons cooing next door. Puzzled, she opened the balcony window and saw a white shadow fly out, disappearing into the snowy night sky in the blink of an eye.

"Phantom Thief Kid?!"

……

The next morning.

Several helicopters arrived over the snow-covered forest, and one of them landed in the snow in the backyard.

Officer Nakamori jumped down impatiently, shouting and rushing into the villa, only to find a mocking card left by Kid inside.

Not only did Kid, who was disguised as Doi Takaki, also disappear without a trace, as if the two of them had vanished into thin air.

"Damn it! Kidd got away again!"

"Kidd actually played detective?"

Megure was the last to enter the villa with Kogoro Mouri, and after learning the details of the case, he was filled with surprise.

"Where is that Shadow of Death? And who is the Shadow of Death?"

“It’s Mr. Kuroba,” Ran and the others shook their heads blankly. “Mr. Kuroba only said he was a magician, and he doesn’t seem to have anything special about him…”

"But there is no such person as Kuroba Rokuro."

"Kuroba Rokuro?"

Conan, who had shamelessly followed along, muttered something upon hearing this.

Something feels off, but I can't quite put my finger on it.

However, it's even stranger to him that Kaito Kid is a detective solving cases.

"That guy has always looked down on detectives, hasn't he? That's strange."

Conan was a little confused.

Being a detective is one thing, but the key point is that Kid also put on a deductive show, solving an impossible crime that happened here.

This guy happens to be a phantom thief...it's really a headache.

Not only the police, but even he himself found this guy increasingly troublesome.

(End of this chapter)