Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 252 Detective Matsuda Shinichi
At dawn, a helicopter flew over the sea, and soon a patrol boat from the Japan Coast Guard approached.

Sadao Kujirai, Ebina, and Hisaichi Kanie were all taken away.

However, the latter showed no fear whatsoever and remained extremely arrogant, even intentionally slitting his own throat at Gao Mo.

"I'll remember you, officer. You're such a fool for not taking money that's offered to you for free."

"Matsuda..."

A look of worry appeared on Samezaki Shimaji's face.

“This guy might be a problem. If we don’t get that money from 20 years ago, who knows what he’ll do… That bastard, you saved him.”

"fine."

Gao Mo watched the patrol boat leave.

Even if Death doesn't take this guy, he has other ways.

He can be a detective, actor, magician, police officer... or he can be an assassin.

Preparing an additional identity was something he didn't want to get his hands dirty.

"Thank you, officer." The curly-haired woman, a cigarette dangling from her lips, walked past Gao Mo and returned to her cabin, looking dejected.

"What's wrong with this woman?" Samezaki Osamu asked suspiciously. "She's been acting strange since before... Have you two known each other before?"

"She is Ye Caisan's daughter."

"what?"

Samezaki Shimaji's eyes widened, but he didn't find anything strange about it.

Even they were relentlessly pursuing this case, and Ye Caisan's daughter was no exception.

"So, Ye Caisan is really dead?"

It's impossible to say that I have no hatred for Ye Caisan; the tragic events of 20 years ago were all because of Ye Caisan.

It just doesn't feel real that someone who left the police helpless died so casually.

Samezakijima sighed and patted Gao Mo on the shoulder: "Matsuda, when we get to Ogasawara, how about we go fishing together? It's much more interesting than watching dolphins."

"Fishing? I don't know how to fish."

Gao Mo looked around.

Just as I was wondering why I hadn't seen Conan, I turned around and saw Conan and Ran walking hand in hand onto the deck.

There's a problem, a very big problem.

Gao Mo observed with suspicion.

They seem closer than before. Could it be that they've already confessed their feelings?
But it doesn't quite look like it.

Forget it, I can't be bothered with this guy.

Gao Mo leaned against the railing, admiring the sunrise.

Is this the meaning of life? We can always see beautiful scenery unexpectedly on our journey through life.

Perhaps the chaos of time is a good thing for him; otherwise, he would only feel sad when he is enjoying the scenery alone.

"What's with that expression?" Samezaki Osamu laughed. "You're so young, yet you look like an old man."

"Have it?"

"Chief Samezaki," the mustachioed man said, barely suppressing the urge to punch Conan, "and Inspector Matsuda, how about we grab a drink? We've got nothing else to do anyway."

“You guys go ahead,” Gao Mo politely declined. “I’ll just get some fresh air and then go back to my room to sleep.”

Actually, he was thinking of finishing the projection book he had just received. He had developed a compulsion to clear the panel, and judging from the content, the Shadow Planner was indeed quite capable. Many of his criminal ideas were still novel and ingenious even 20 years later.

If he can completely master it, he might become a crime expert.

……

It's already the second week since I returned to Tokyo.

After discovering that Shuichi Akai was hiding around the office to protect Ai, Gao Mo stayed at home for a day before going back to work at the First Investigation Division.

He had already learned about the daily routine of a criminal police officer from Takagi, so it wasn't unfamiliar to him. He was very popular when he was on duty outside the office, but staying in the office to be on duty was quite grueling, especially when he needed to deal with paperwork.

Gao Mo is alright, at most a bit boring. Having solved several major cases in a row, he is now the darling of the First Investigation Division, and even the division chief is paying close attention to him.

Even if he openly slacked off, no one said anything to him. The higher-ups even arranged a psychologist for him, worried that he would be affected by the high-intensity murder case.

Further treatment was only discontinued after the psychotherapist repeatedly confirmed that Gao Mo would not be affected by the murder.

Most criminal police officers who have seen a lot of murders will develop psychological problems to some extent, but there are exceptions—people in this world are generally quite accepting of murder.

Search lesson.

After finishing his report, Gao Mo looked at the empty office and yawned.

Sato is on leave, Takagi and another colleague Chiba are on a mission, and Officer Shiratori also took leave in a showy manner, seemingly to go on a blind date.

Of the entire third group, only he and the group leader, Megure, remained.

Yes, Inspector Megure was just called away too.

He's just one big case away from getting a career upgrade.

The worst thing about being a criminal investigator is that it's hard to juggle other duties at the same time. Right now, he just wants to graduate as soon as possible or try to get some special privileges.

I heard that the Metropolitan Police Department used to have a special task force as a support unit, which had a lot of freedom in handling cases.

"Beep!"

The familiar ringing of his cell phone jolted Gao Mo awake.

However, instead of the expected task assignment, it was a distress call from Takagi.

"Help! Officer Matsuda!" Takagi's voice was more terrified than ever before. "Officer Sato is on a blind date today, but I'm caught in a supermarket robbery and can't leave! I'm doomed!"

"What's wrong with blind dates?" Gao Mo asked, puzzled. "It's not like we're getting married..."

"No, no," Takagi explained in a panic, "Sato has already made a bet with the other party. If I can't solve the case and pick her up before sunset, she'll agree to marry him. What should I do now?"

"Just solve the case, right?" Gao Mo glanced at the time. "It's still early. It's just a supermarket robbery. You can't possibly not handle it, can you?"

"That's the problem."

Takagi looked at the police car parked by the roadside with a pained expression.

Chiba is currently guarding the three suspects, and the investigation is entirely up to him.

"What we can confirm now is that the robber was wearing a coat and a helmet, but while we were chasing him, he escaped into the park restroom. When we went to find him, we discovered three suspects."
The descriptions of height, gender, and clothing worn under coats by nearby witnesses were inconsistent, making it impossible to determine which one was the robber.

As she spoke, Takagi looked around and pleaded in a low voice, "I really don't know what to do. You have to help me, Officer Matsuda. I'll treat you to the hottest internet-famous steamed buns afterwards."

Gao Mo tapped the table lightly with his finger: "Tell me about the situation in detail first, including the specific characteristics of the three suspects and the eyewitness testimonies."

“Okay,” Takagi took a deep breath and looked back at the suspects inside the car. “Among the three people, there are two men and one woman.”
One of them was named Yasuo Kamichi, a 32-year-old tutor. He said he went to the public restroom to buy books at a nearby bookstore. He was about 170 cm tall, wearing a green sweater and glasses.

"Then there was a freelancer named Hiroshi Zama, 21 years old. He said he was going to the bathroom on his way home after band practice. He was about 180 cm tall, wearing a blue sweater and earrings... well, how should I put it? He seemed to be a cross-dresser."

Finally, there was a woman named Eiko Koshimizu, a 28-year-old office worker, around 160cm tall, wearing black clothes and two watches on her wrist. She said she needed to keep track of time because her boyfriend was abroad.

Seemingly worried that Gao Mo might not have heard clearly, Gao Mu paused for a moment before continuing, "Here comes the troublesome part: the supermarket clerk was too scared to pay much attention; the old man who was knocked down in front of the park said he saw a woman in blue; and the girl who saw the robber in the clothing store said that among the crowd, only the robber was a head taller than everyone else, probably a man over 180 centimeters, and that he was wearing a green sweater under his coat."
However, the coffee shop owner said that he had brushed past the robber at the shop entrance, adding that the robber was only about 170 cm tall and wore black clothing under his jacket.

Takagi's face showed bitterness.

"That's how it is. With such contradictory testimonies, it's impossible to solve the case. Let alone sunset, it will be difficult to find the robbers even by tomorrow..."

"I probably understand."

Gao Mo rapidly reconstructed the information in his mind.

Most people would find this kind of case a real headache, but he found the answer instantly.

Since advancing to level 3, I've felt a loss of the excitement I used to get from solving cases—they're too easy, my brain cells can't even warm up.

He might be able to understand Holmes's pain.

For these detectives, even cases without difficulty can be a form of torture.

"Find those witnesses again and completely recreate the scene they witnessed. Don't let their subjective judgments influence you."

"what?"

"There can only be one truth. The reason why those people's testimonies conflict with each other is that other factors have influenced their subjective judgment. You need to know the reasons why they made those judgments and directly obtain the information they saw."

Gao Mo analyzed while yawning.

"The old man's testimony is probably inaccurate, isn't it? Let's ignore him for now. We can glean some information from the testimonies of the remaining two witnesses. Since the coffee shop owner brushed past the robber, his height is more credible."
The 170cm height corresponds to the tutor, but the person was wearing a green sweater, which only matches the eyewitness at the clothing store...

The eyewitness's subjective judgment that he was a head taller than the crowd outside the clothing store is less credible than the coffee shop owner's. You could check if it's due to the steps on the side of the road.
Regarding the color of the clothing, you should actually show them the suspect to avoid subjective influence.

“But,” Takagi asked doubtfully, “what about the old man’s testimony? The color of the clothes might be wrong, but the fact that the robber was a woman… Zama Hiroshi, who was wearing an earring, is also suspicious, isn’t he? And his height matches 180cm.”

“Since the old man couldn’t directly identify the suspect, it means the robber was still wearing a helmet when he was knocked down, right?” Gao Mo said, rubbing his forehead. “Then how could he see the earring? And generally, people don’t mistake a 180cm tall person for a woman…”

Ultimately, you're on your own to handle what happens next. All I can say is that the tutor is the prime suspect.

"beep!"

Gao Mo ended the call and exited the realm of thought.

Everyone else is in relationships, and he feels a bit out of place.

Is it necessary to have love?
The image of Sonoko appeared in Gao Mo's mind.

There are many suitable partners for him, but for some reason, the first one he thought of was Sonoko.

Compared to other beauties, Sonoko, though cute, is an absolute clown, existing solely to highlight the main character. She only becomes a couple with Makoto Kyogoku later, and her appearance improves significantly.

It's said that Sonoko was originally designed as just a minor character, a rich girl, but her role was expanded because of the plot requirements. I don't know if that's true or not.

Gao Mo looked up at the ceiling.

To be fair, Sonoko did give him a unique feeling; she was a living, breathing person, not some animated character.

It seems that the battle plan was effective against him.

His greatest requirement for a partner is that they be genuine, pure, and free of ulterior motives.

He was unsure whether Sonoko had mistaken other feelings for love or something else, and whether she could truly stay by his side as a rebel against fate.

The last question is about age and lifespan...

"Matsuda!"

Megure knocked on the door from the outside and woke Gao Mo.

"There's new information. A murder has occurred at an arcade in Beika-cho. Let's go there together."

"Homicide?"

Gao Mo scrambled to his feet.

Regardless of whether it's a big case or not, it's better than staying here writing reports.

"Why are you so happy?" Inspector Megure asked, puzzled. "I heard he suddenly died while playing a game. We'll have to go to the scene to find out the details."

He was extremely satisfied with this subordinate; his ability to solve cases was simply too strong.

It's a pity that he was only temporarily transferred here, and I don't know when he will leave. When he does, he should become Inspector Matsuda, right?
In the past, local police officers would often come to the Metropolitan Police Department for further training and then go back home. It would be great if Matsuda had stayed.

Megure touched his hat and saw that Gao Mo had only written half of the report. His face darkened. "Let's go. Shouldn't we find you another partner? Chiba is very good at writing reports."

"Officer Chiba?"

Gao Mo thought of the fat police officer who was often with Gao Mu. He was also an honest man, but he hadn't met him many times. The officer had just finished his vacation today.

The inspector is qualified to lead a team, so it seems Inspector Megure wants Chiba to be his assistant.

As long as he doesn't have to write reports, it's fine.

Writing reports for someone with his personality is simply a waste of brain cells.

……

Cupido Town.

Gao Mo followed Megure into the arcade, appearing quite respectful under the watchful gaze of the local police officers.

In recent days, his reputation has gradually spread, and the legend of the little detective has emerged.

Perhaps the police force is so lacking in its own representative figures that he was brought up to be discussed with famous detectives like Kogoro Mouri after only solving a few cases.

The benefit is that you gain more respect from ordinary police officers.

For the time being, I haven't sensed any malice from the other detectives—the First Investigation Division is still relatively clean.

Or perhaps he was only investigating the case and hadn't yet touched on the interests of others.

"Ran?" Inspector Megure glanced around instinctively when he saw Ran Mouri, who was a witness. "Isn't that guy here?"

"Dad went to Yoko's concert today."

Ran, Sonoko, and Conan were all together, still wearing their school uniforms, looking like they had come straight to the arcade after school.

Gao Mo glanced speechlessly at Conan, who was resting his chin on his hand in deep thought.

This guy is the real Grim Reaper, isn't he?

They inexplicably ended up at the arcade in Beika Town, which was quite far from both their school and residence; it was truly a forced trip.

Is it because Beika Town hasn't had many cases these past few days?

"We heard that the photo booths here are really good, so we came here specifically, but..."

Sonoko offered an explanation, then curiously glanced at Komoku beside Megure, her brows gradually furrowing.

"Officer, what's wrong with you...?"

"Can you tell me the specifics of the situation?" Gao Mo took out his police handbook, completely concealing his presence.

At that moment, a blonde woman with glasses peeked out from the crowd, seemingly very interested in the police investigation.

Megure was quite surprised by the sudden appearance of the foreign beauty: "Who is this...?"

“She’s our school’s English teacher,” Xiaolan introduced.

(End of this chapter)