Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 238 The Police Officers' Thoughts
The skating rink's locker room.

Gao Mo took off his roller skates and watched as the long-haired beauty and her group were taken away.

Perhaps his appetite has become too spoiled; the rewards from such small cases no longer satisfy him.

I was only awarded one star, and even the projector only gave me a 3-star biography.

Sano Izumi's motive for the murder was the suicide of another companion six months earlier. Although the police said it was an accidental discharge of the gun, it was actually a suicide.

A man named Narita was dumped by the victim, Chihiro Itami. Perhaps fearing further entanglement, Chihiro Itami made up a story, saying that she had slept with a firefighter.

Feeling betrayed, Narita made a phone call to Sano Izumi and then committed suicide.

Sano Izumi, who was dating a firefighter at the time, believed it to be true, which is why she murdered Itami Chihiro and framed the firefighter.

"Women's hearts are truly terrifying."

Gao Mo's gaze was calm, but he couldn't help but sigh.

He'd seen all sorts of bizarre motives before, so he wasn't surprised by them. But these love-struck fools were beyond bizarre.

Chihiro Itami may have had issues, but it would be too unfair for her to be killed like this.

And firefighters...

The yanderes in this world really enjoy killing.

You don't even know what happened.

You can easily make a mistake when dating.

The other person might not even be your girlfriend, just like in the Earth Ladies incident, where the fake engagement heroine was almost killed.

“What is that?” Sonoko said indignantly, “Not everyone is like her.”

Even if the operation failed, she didn't want Kido to develop a phobia or prejudice against women.

“Who in their right mind would kill someone over something like this? She didn’t even do any investigation.”

As she spoke, Sonoko pulled Ran close.

“Ran is different. If that bastard Shinichi cheated on her, Ran would definitely walk away silently and cry alone.”

"Hello..."

Conan glared at him angrily with a dark expression.

Why bring him up when everything is fine?
Does he seem like the type of person who would cheat?
He will never like anyone else in his life except Xiaolan.

"Why are you overreacting, you little brat?" Sonoko snorted. "That detective maniac was never a good person to begin with. If you ask me, he should just marry his cases. He just left our wonderful Ran playing hide-and-seek. Who else has the patience to wait for him like Ran does?"

Conan opened his mouth but couldn't refute it. He secretly glanced at the sad Ran and made up his mind again.

Kido is right, he shouldn't have kept it from Ran.

He would accept being beaten to death.

Wait a minute, it seems like they've seen more than just Xiaolan's body; last time they also saw Xiaolan's mother, that horrible old lady...

Conan's face turned pale.

He really didn't see anything, but that's hard to explain.

"Chihiro! My Chihiro!"

At this moment, the victim's body was also carried out of the toilet, and an entrepreneur who rushed over upon hearing the news burst into tears at the entrance.

Gao Mo didn't react much, but Sato, who was also used to death, suddenly felt a little sad.

"Does the Grim Reaper really exist in this world? Strange accidents have been happening everywhere lately, and the number of murders far exceeds what has been seen before... If the Grim Reaper really does exist, what determines life and death? Why are those who shouldn't die dying, while those who shouldn't die are the ones who are..."

Sato spoke very softly, and Takagi, who was next to him, could only vaguely hear "Grim Reaper." He smiled bitterly and said, "Even you, Officer Sato, believe in the existence of the Grim Reaper? It's just some coincidences that have been spread through misinformation."

"maybe."

Sato said nothing more and led his team away.

However, Gao Mo heard Sato's thoughts, and some blurry fragments also surfaced in his mind.

A new task message appeared in the notebook projection—a wish from Sato.

After Tier 3, the missions seem to have changed, becoming more focused on personal wishes and no longer restricted by cases. As long as the emotions are strong or involve "Death," the mission can be received by him anytime, anywhere.

Gao Mo unfolded the notebook and projected it to view the details, discovering that it was related to the death of Sato's father.

Huh?
Gao Mo's expression shifted slightly.

The mission rules seem to be integrated with the role-playing system.

The task itself is an invitation, allowing you to actively choose a profession based on the source of your desire.

The option for Sato's mission is "Police".

police……

After going around in circles, I never expected to come back.

With his current abilities, he is more than qualified to be a police officer, and there is no need to worry about danger. Unless he gets involved in a large-scale bombing, it is almost impossible for him to die in the line of duty.

The only question is whether it's worth it.

If a police officer's promotion means he gets a specific rank, then forget about it.

Promotion in police rank is extremely complicated and has strict time requirements. Even with great merit, promotion is not something that can be done overnight.

Gao Mo withdrew his gaze.

You can give it a try; there's no harm in it anyway.

He needs to unlock more careers now; leveling up is something to consider later.

Gao Mo briefly went over his future plans in his mind.

Sato's task isn't urgent; it won't be completed anytime soon.

After yesterday's memorial service incident, he himself is preparing to develop a career as a journalist, which is a good match for his identity and allows him to obtain a lot of exclusive information.

Being a freelance journalist in Japan isn't too difficult.

“There’s something I don’t quite understand,” Hattori Heiji said, snapping out of his reverie. “What’s the deal with Sano Izumi’s alibi?”

Gao Mo's sudden solving of the case made him feel like a stranger.

He wasn't surprised by Gao Mo's observational skills, nor did he think they had anything to do with Conan, but his deductions...

It can't be that Kindaichi is impersonating the boss.

“The sound of fireworks that Sonoko heard was probably not real fireworks,” Gao Mo gathered his thoughts. “The reason why Sano Izumi chose to fire the gun in the ice rink toilet and waited until close to the time of the fireworks was to deliberately make the tourists mistake the gunshot for the sound of fireworks.”

He sensed Hattori's suspicion.

However, although he hasn't stopped eating beef yet, he doesn't need to be as careful as before. As the owner of a detective agency, it's not surprising that he can deduce things.

Even bosses can't always slack off.

As long as I don't become famous, it's fine.

“Kido-kun,” Ran noticed her best friend Sonoko’s dejected expression and, suppressing her longing for her boyfriend, suggested, “How about we go to the theme park next? We’re already here anyway.”

“Then let’s go ride the roller coaster,” Hattori’s eyes lit up. “I’m also very interested in that case.”

"No!" Kazuha grabbed Hattori tightly. "What's the point of going to a place where a murder happened?"

……

Mihua Street late at night.

A heavily bundled-up man dragged a deformed metal baseball bat off the bus, followed closely by a dark-skinned hottie heading to the park restroom.

The sound of the baseball bat dragging on the ground was particularly jarring. Sensing something was wrong, the hot girl turned around in fright: "What are you doing?"

"boom!"

"The baseball bat monster who repeatedly beats young girls?"

The next day.

Kido Detective Agency.

Hattori and Kazuha eventually returned to Osaka, but fortunately, Furuya Rei started helping out with requests again.

Gao Mo doesn't need to worry about the commission.

I've been studying journalism for the past few days, and also collecting materials for submitting articles.

He tried to write a press release about the ice rink incident, but things weren't as simple as he thought; even submitting the article was a major problem.

Either nobody reads it, or people feel his article lacks sensationalism and isn't based on firsthand information—it has already been reported by newspaper reporters.

The only advantage is that there is more information, but the police are not allowed to fully disclose the details of the case.

In the end, he was only given a small fee for being an informant. Gao Mo sighed as he looked at the news report in his hand.

The beginning is always the hardest. Even though he was very suitable for the path of journalism, getting into the industry was still a big problem.

It's better to play a professional role; you can get a professional identity directly without having to start from scratch. If you're lucky, you might even be able to bind a professional talent.

“I’ve heard about it too,” Ai said, sipping her hot tea. “Apparently, there have been three cases, but the police haven’t released any specific information about the victims, only saying that the suspect is about 150cm tall… What? Do you want to investigate?”

150...that's really short.

Images appeared in Gao Mo's mind.

His height is average, but he is 175 cm tall, slightly taller than Shinichi Kudo and a little shorter than the mustachioed boy.

A suspect with a statistic of 150 doesn't seem to pose much of a threat.

No wonder they only attacked young girls.

"Beep!"

Just then, Gao Mo's private phone suddenly rang.

It was Inspector Megure who called.

“Brother Kido,” Inspector Megure said sternly, “have you heard about that baseball bat-wielding maniac lately? I’ve been investigating him for the past few days, but I can’t find any leads, so…”

“Officer,” Sato, who was also in the First Investigation Division’s office, said, puzzled, “wasn’t I told to be bait for a trap? As long as I stay around the crime scene and dress fashionably, I should be able to catch the culprit. After all, he doesn’t seem like he’ll give up easily…”

"no!"

Megure reacted strongly, his face turning grave as if he had been stimulated by something.

"We don't need you to be the bait! Find other commonalities among the three victims, and we'll definitely find a way to identify the culprit!"

As he spoke, Inspector Megure continued on the phone, "That's how it is, Kido-kun. I'll send you photos of the three victims and see if you can find anything... Remember to keep this a secret."

"I'm fine," Gao Mo coughed lightly.

I'm ashamed to admit that he did have the idea of ​​submitting a press release just now.

This case has attracted quite a bit of attention.

"Please," Inspector Megure said solemnly, "We don't even know the motive of the perpetrators yet. If we don't hurry... something terrible might happen. The victim is only injured so far, but similar incidents have occurred before, and they eventually turned into murders!"

"Don't worry, Inspector Megure, our detective agency will do our best."

Gao Mo sensed that Megure was paying him an unusual amount of attention.

This is the first time I've encountered Megure like this.

Handing over case materials to a private detective agency without authorization could result in disciplinary action.

"Ding!"

Shortly after, Gao Mo received an email from Inspector Megure.

In addition to photos of the three victims, there were some brief testimonies.

The victims who saw the perpetrator all said that the perpetrator was about the same height as them, and all of them were around 150 cm tall.

There were no other clues, because the perpetrator was covered up with a hat and scarf and was wearing a long coat, so his appearance was completely obscured.

"There is far too little testimony."

Gao Mo frowned as he examined the victim's photo.

He has a mental palace that allows him to deduce things, his reasoning ability is at level 5, and he also has extraordinary eyesight, so this clue is completely insufficient.

The police should at least have taken a complete picture of the victim's condition at the time, but Megure only gave him a half-body photo of the head wound after it had been treated. The only photo that showed the surrounding environment was of the third person who was attacked outside the park toilet.

The clues are severely lacking.

Ideally, it would be best to meet the victim in person, but that's clearly not realistic.

Grimm risked a great deal by giving him this information.

but……

With limited clues, Gao Mo incorporated three photos of the victims into his thought process.

All three were dressed like hot girls, with their skin deliberately made to look chocolate brown, especially the one in the restroom, whose skin was shiny black... It seems to be the latest hot girl trend.

Strangely, the girl in the restroom was dressed rather inappropriately.

“Officer Sato,” Gao Mo contacted Sato, who was in charge of the liaison, “what’s the story with the third victim? He was wearing a man’s jacket…”

“Oh, this,” Sato explained, “was put on her by Takagi when she arrived at the scene, because the temperature was very low at the time.”

Why would she go to the park restroom in the middle of the night, dressed so lightly? Was she with anyone else at the time?

“She’s the only one,” Sato also noticed the problem. “Because this girl’s mental state has been unstable since the incident, we haven’t formally questioned her yet, but she hasn’t mentioned that her coat was stolen… Could it be related to the culprit?”

"The fact that she went to the park restroom dressed so scantily means that she was originally in a warm place and would be going back soon... which means she was driving by the park."

Gao Mo looked at the three photos again.

"It seems the others were also attacked after getting off the bus?"

“Yes,” Sato’s face lit up with joy, “They were all attacked after getting out of the car. The perpetrators were deliberately following their car. If we knew where they drove, we might have some luck… You’re amazing, Mr. Kido! I’ll treat you to dinner next time!”

"No need for this."

Gao Mo didn't want to cause himself any trouble.

Sato was the police's favorite and most trusted confidant; there was a support group for him almost throughout the entire police system.

Let alone eating together, even being alone with someone could make you a target for surveillance.

“Let me know once you find out,” Gao Mo thought to himself as he looked at the news report. “I feel this is more than just a simple attack.”

The victim's injuries became more and more serious with each attack.

Megure's feeling was right; this type of criminal might kill next time.

Not all criminals are vicious at the beginning.

The malice in a person's heart gradually increases with each act, crossing the line time and time again, becoming increasingly dissatisfied, until finally killing.

……

Cup House Department Store.

The Millennium Sale has been going on for almost a month.

On this day, during a big shopping trip, Yuanzi dragged Xiaolan into the clothing section.

"Buy a hand-knitted sweater?"

"There's nothing I can do," Sonoko said with a bitter face. "I thought knitting a sweater would be easy, but it turns out it's impossible. By the time I finish, it'll probably be summer..."

"So you're planning to pass off these hand-knitted sweaters as genuine and give them to Kido-kun?"

Xiao Lan realized what was happening and gave a teasing look.

"Give up. With Kido's eyesight, he'll probably see through your tricks in no time."

"What should we do then?" Sonoko asked anxiously, tears welling up in her eyes. "If we miss this opportunity..."

Why do you have to knit a sweater? You could knit a scarf first, wouldn't that be much simpler?

"Is it okay?" Sonoko blinked.

"Of course you can," Xiaolan said doubtfully, "but can you actually give it to him? The last Valentine's Day chocolates just fell through... I didn't even dare to tell Kido-nii that you like him."

"How could I dare to say? I don't even know what Kido-nii is thinking. If I'm rejected... I don't have the courage."

Sonoko gripped the hem of her clothes with her fingers.

She had a feeling about it and understood that Gao Mo wouldn't marry into the Suzuki family, but she just didn't want to give up like that.

If my older sister can marry the person she loves, why can't she?
"Don't talk about me, aren't you the same?" Sonoko glared fiercely at Ran, who was watching the show. "Do you dare ask Shinichi? Do you dare ask him to his face if he likes you?"

"I……"

"See? You must be feeling very confused right now. You want to know but are afraid to ask. Sometimes you even wonder if Shinichi has other women, right?"

"No, I didn't think that!"

Xiao Lan blushed, feeling that what he said had hit the nail on the head.

She used to dream that Shinichi was sleeping with other women.

"Although I'm a little bothered as a childhood friend, but... by the way, why did Kido-nii specifically rent a car today? He never used to like going shopping with us."

"I don't know," Sonoko said, her attention successfully diverted. "They're probably doing some kind of request and brought us along."

(End of this chapter)