Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 268 Sunny Beach...Death

Izu.

The summer night was filled with the scent of the fields, and groups of tourists in yukatas gathered by the river. The fireworks display filled the night sky with a dreamlike atmosphere.

"Boom-bang!"

As the final fireworks display of the event soared into the sky, the evening activities came to an end, and visitors began to leave.

In the dense forest along the railway line.

A young woman with dyed hair stared wide-eyed, her mouth pressed shut by a large hand, unable to make a sound. She could only watch in horror as the gleaming dagger fell.

"Pfft!"

Once, twice...

Blood bloomed like a flower, and in an instant the woman's eyes lost focus. However, the dagger did not stop, but continued to go in and out of her ruptured abdomen, stabbing her terribly, exposing her internal organs and intestines mixed with blood.

"Hey!"

"Hoohoo!"

As the shadowy figure gasped for breath, a maniacal smile spread across his face. The next moment, a bright light flashed behind him, illuminating the forest and freezing the figure's smile in place.

Turning around, on the other side of the tram that rattled past, two girls in yukatas walked together with a bespectacled boy, chatting and laughing. One of the girls, with dyed hair, was also waving a camera in her hand.

The shadowy figure glanced at the female corpse beneath him, a brief moment of panic followed by a ruthless glint in his eyes. He gripped the dagger tightly and stared at the departing figures of the two girls.

Upon noticing the increasing number of tourists outside, the shadowy figure gritted its teeth, quickly cleaned up the area, and fled the scene.

In the woods at night, only the female corpse and the mournful sound of the wind remained.

……

"Bang bang!"

Gulf Tram.

Gao Mo disguised himself simply by wearing sunglasses and a hat. Looking out the window at the mountains and farmland, he could vaguely see the sea.

According to Conan's message, Ran and Sonoko are currently having dinner at a seafood restaurant on the beach.

"Come quick, someone's trying to chat up Sonoko!"

"..."

Whenever Ran goes out, Conan usually ends up as an accessory, so he simply lets the guy keep an eye on things and act as his eyes and ears.

But this kid seems to have misunderstood, thinking he's dating Sonoko.

Gao Mo put away his phone and followed the tourists off the bus to the beach.

After arriving in Izu yesterday, he did not join Conan and his group, but instead spent some time investigating the area.

His "intelligence-sharing" talent is highly useful; by combining it with discussions among the locals, he has already identified the source of the danger.

A year ago, a brutal murder occurred next to a luxury restaurant. The victim was a woman with dyed hair, and her death was gruesome. Locals still can't forget it a year later and consider that luxury restaurant a cursed restaurant.

It is said that in photos taken in restaurants, ghosts sometimes appear with ruptured abdomens and spilling internal organs.

However, tourists didn't know much about it, and the restaurant was still very popular a year later.

besides……

He discovered that this was Makoto Kyogoku's hometown, and even the hotel where Conan and the others stayed was run by the Kyogoku family.

The other person happened to be home to help out during this holiday.

No wonder her skin is almost as dark as that of an Osaka black chicken.

Hai Zhi Jia Seafood Restaurant.

Gao Mo pushed up his sunglasses and saw a handsome guy in a floral shirt sitting with Xiao Lan and the others.

Sonoko seemed uninterested, chatting only half-heartedly, while Ran and the handsome guy seemed to be having a great time, so much so that Conan kept a sour face and forced himself to sit between the two of them.

"Mr. Michiwaki was a student at Beika University? Why did you come to Izu alone?"

"I had no choice. My girlfriend dumped me, so I wanted to take a break and go to the beach to clear my head. I never expected to meet two beautiful women, especially Sonoko, who was like an angel to me..."

"is it?"

Sonoko showed little interest, resting her chin on her hand as she gazed at the sea. She remained expressionless even when praised by the handsome man, only slightly frowning when she smelled the cigarette smoke.

"Could you please not smoke here? I hate men who smoke."

"Ah? Sorry," Masahiko Michiwaki awkwardly stubbed out his cigarette. "I don't really like smoking, I'm just feeling down after my breakup."

"Sonoko isn't in a good mood either, she's feeling down, don't mind her," Ran chimed in.

"Could it be that even Sonoko, the goddess, has been heartbroken?" Masahiko Michiwaki exclaimed in surprise. "Who would bear to see such a lovely Sonoko suffer?"

For no reason, Sonoko felt a surge of irritation, sensing a particularly unpleasant aura emanating from this overly familiar college student.

If Kido-san smelled pleasant, this person had a stench mixed with a strange, fishy odor.

I should have just moved into my own villa.

Wait, a fishy smell?
One of Yuanzi's eyes twitched.

Why does she feel this way?

"Sorry for the wait, here's your fried noodles."

Makoto Kyogoku, who works as a waiter in the shop, brought over several plates of yakisoba. His dark skin, flat-lens glasses, and constant head-down posture gave him a somewhat gloomy appearance.

Gao Mo, however, felt the other party's sharp gaze.

This karate expert was very perceptive; he was noticed after only glancing at him a few times.

The aura he sensed was like a torch, stronger than that of people like Furuya Rei and Akai Shuichi.

However, it doesn't seem to pose any threat to him.

Is it that Makoto Kyogoku hasn't grown up yet?

Gao Mo shifted his gaze to a chubby uncle drinking at a table behind the garden.

Wearing a baseball cap, he kept glancing at the group in the garden, as if he were keeping an eye on them.

Just as suspicious as him...

Apart from that, tourists only occasionally peek at Ran—as the female lead, Ran seems to have her own halo, and everyone else around her automatically becomes a supporting character.

So why does this handsome guy in the floral shirt keep trying to flirt with Sonoko?

Gao Mo's gaze returned to Michiwaki Masahiko, and his mind quickly generated a character profile.

The act of smoking...

The act of drinking...

Facial micro-expressions while speaking...

A very ordinary character; all you can tell is that he smokes very frequently and seems to have been out of work for a long time.

Gao Mo pondered to himself.

If there's anything that makes Sonoko different from Ran, it's probably her slightly curly brown hair, even when tied up, which gives her a unique charm.

Surprisingly, he quite liked the hairstyle.

But that shouldn't be enough to make the other party ignore Xiaolan.

"Um," Ran suddenly called out to Kyogoku Makoto, whose face was grim, "Excuse me... haven't we met somewhere before?"

"I think you've mistaken me for someone else," Kyogoku Makoto said coldly.

"What are you talking about, Ran?" Sonoko asked, puzzled. "He's the waiter at the hotel we're staying at. We met him yesterday. I heard he's the owner's son and came back to help out during his vacation."

"I know, but..."

Xiao Lan pondered deeply.

“I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere else before.”

“Never mind that guy,” Masahiko Michiwaki said with a smile. “Since you’re staying at the Wataya Inn, which is near my hotel, how about I drive you to a fancy restaurant tonight? It’s right by the sea, a very famous seafood restaurant.”

“That’s strange,” Sonoko turned to Michiwaki Masahiko, “did we say we were staying at the Kawaraya Inn?”

"Uh... I've met that shop assistant before. Isn't his family the Wawu Inn?"

"Mr. Michiwaki has been here before?"

"Yes, I often come here when I'm in a bad mood."

"Isn't that Ran and Sonoko?" A surprised voice came from outside the seaside house.

Sato and Takagi were walking on the beach in light clothing, but Sato regretted it as soon as he opened his mouth.

Because the next moment they were met with gossipy stares from Ran and Sonoko.

"Officer Takagi and Officer Sato?"

"Are you on a date?"

"No, no," Takagi replied, blushing and dizzy. "It was just a coincidence. Our team got three days off after the bombing case was solved." "Speaking of the bombing case," Ran pressed, "I heard that Officer Takagi was the one trapped in the elevator?"

"Yes, but nothing serious happened."

"Officer?" Michiwaki Masahiko's expression changed slightly, his smile stiffening. "You know the police?"

“It’s not just about knowing each other,” Sonoko said, putting her arm around Ran. “Ran’s father and boyfriend are both famous detectives who often deal with the police.”

Huh?
Gao Mo was slightly surprised.

Sonoko borrowed a lot of detective books a while ago and seems to have actually learned something from them.

At least he knew to be suspicious and probing of the handsome man in the floral shirt.

But why are Sato and the other two here? Even if their date is going to continue, they should be at the ocean park.

"Your fried noodles."

Kyogoku Makoto's tall figure blocked Gao Mo's view. Gao Mo felt a strange sense of threat and paused for a moment before issuing a warning as if possessed.

"You people better not try anything with underage girls."

"Uh……"

When Gao Mo looked up, he only saw Kyogoku Makoto's sullen departing figure.

Where did this hostility come from?
He only glanced at it a few times; he wasn't the only one looking at it...

"Hey, have you guys heard?"

The newly arrived locals looked flustered.

"A body has been found in the woods next to the railway! Just like a year ago, it's a woman with dyed hair, her abdomen has been cut open, and a piece of her intestines has been carried away by a dog!"

"hiss!"

"No way?"

"It's true! We've already called the police!"

Takagi glanced at Gao Mo with a strange look, and his heart skipped a beat. He turned his head and, sure enough, found that Sato had changed to a serious working expression.

Finished!

A hard-won date opportunity.

I came to Izu because I thought Shiratori was leading a team to keep watch in Tokyo...

They didn't even manage to take the first step of holding hands.

……

A grove of trees along the railway.

Two police cars were parked at the intersection, and the scene was cordoned off, with people around talking about it.

Sato and his companion communicated with Inspector Yokomizo, who was in charge of the case.

"Indeed, just like a year ago, the deceased was also a tourist."

"The estimated time of death is between 8 and 9 pm last night, which should be after the fireworks display ended..."

Someone must have passed by here at the time, right?

“We did pass by here at that time,” Sonoko pushed her way forward, her face slightly pale, “but there was a tram running at that time, so we didn’t see anything.”

"It's you guys?" Yokomizo had a strong impression of Sonoko and the others, and looked around. "Mr. Mori and Mr. Kido aren't with you?"

"No."

Sonoko lowered her head in disappointment. When she saw the horrifying female corpse in the woods, she shuddered and her face turned completely pale.

She had seen many murder cases and corpses, including dismembered bodies, but she had never felt as scared as she did now.

Especially when he saw that the female corpse was dressed fashionably like him, with brown dyed hair.

The intense sense of immersion left Sonoko's mind blank.

It was only when Xiaolan tugged at him that he snapped out of his daze.

"Sonoko? Are you alright?"

"No, it's okay..."

From behind the crowd, Gao Mo also managed to spot the female corpse, taking in all the details of the body and the scene.

The gruesome state of the corpses had little effect on him; in terms of mental fortitude, he was already invincible.

It wasn't because of his long-term involvement in murder cases, but rather because of a characteristic he had possessed since his resurrection, which had reached its limit after entering the extraordinary realm.

"call!"

The wind intensified in the woods, and the surrounding crowd seemed to vanish, leaving only Gao Mo and the crime scene.

A crime committed a year later, coupled with the same dyed hair and Sonoko being targeted...

Is he a serial killer?
Some murderers, after killing for some reason, not only fail to satisfy their inner emotions but also feel even more empty. They often take their anger out on people with similar characteristics, thus becoming serial killers.

For example, in the last department store incident, the perpetrator kept attacking a hot girl driving a car wearing platform shoes, and the attacks became increasingly violent, which would likely have eventually turned into a series of murders.

His criminal profile is an indirect byproduct of his comprehensive abilities, and has not yet reached the point of directly identifying Masahiko Michiwaki as the murderer.

However, his intuition told him that he had already locked onto the handsome guy in the floral shirt.

As for the fat uncle who was following him...

Judging from the other party's unintentional movements, he should be a policeman, and it is very likely that he is following Michiwaki Masahiko, rather than Ran and the others.

Compared to the unemployed Masahiko Michiwaki, this police officer has distinct professional characteristics, and given his familiarity with the police force, he is undoubtedly easier to analyze.

They don't look like local police officers.

In other words, similar murders have occurred in other places, and the other party came to investigate because of a case here a year ago, and then suspected Masahiko Michiwaki.

As Gao Mo's mental network expanded, Masahiko Michiwaki was also incorporated into the temple of thought.

Police from other areas secretly surveillance them, but obviously they couldn't find any useful evidence.

This kind of semi-random murder without witnesses is more difficult to solve than those locked-room crimes.

The good news is that the other party seems to have misunderstood something, mentioning taking photos several times unintentionally, as if they suspect that Sonoko has taken some photos.

There are countless women dyeing their hair on the beach, but this person specifically targeted Sonoko, and seemed to know her quite well, even knowing where Sonoko and her friends lived...

It's all for the sake of potentially being photographed committing crimes.

Although it's a bit far-fetched, the analysis suggests that it might actually be true. Crimes are inherently not that rational, and the psychology of criminals and many other factors cannot be fully grasped.

"Wow!"

Gao Mo turned and left the scene, while simultaneously searching for all similar cases through intelligence sharing.

Even with a clear target, it still took some time to successfully obtain police intelligence.

Several years ago, two separate cases of women who dyed their hair committing seppuku occurred in Chiba Prefecture.

The first time happened shortly after Masahiko Michiwaki started university.

Including today's incident, a total of 4 people have been murdered. All the victims were single women with brown-dyed hair.

Who would have thought that the person who committed such a crime was a handsome guy she met by chance at the beach?
It has been basically confirmed that Masahiko Michiwaki is the murderer.

However, there is a lack of evidence.

Although he was an ordinary person, the other party left no loose ends and handled the matter quite cleanly.

"that person……"

Takagi noticed Takamori leaving the crowd.

He found it on the other side of the beach.

Very familiar feeling.

Police officer? Detective?
Or is it the murderer?
"What are you standing there for, Takagi?" Sato shouted from the scene. "Now that we've run into them, we need to help with the case. We have to catch that serial killer quickly!"

Heng Gou's complexion looked bitter.

He always felt that he was being looked down upon by these elites from the Metropolitan Police Department.

Although the case that happened a year ago still has no clues, leading to another tragedy, he hadn't been transferred here a year ago.

"Buzz!"

Gao Mo, who was away from the crowd, received another message from Conan.

"That person said he would take us to a nearby restaurant for dinner that night, and also said not to bring a camera, otherwise we might be cursed."

"Could this guy be the murderer?"

"Do you already know something?"

"You definitely already know!"

(End of this chapter)