Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 271, The Movie: Explosion
a few days later.

As Halloween approaches, Gao Mo has been gathering more and more criminal information, and the Metropolitan Police Department is catching thieves almost every day.

However, the detectives from the First Investigation Division focused their attention on a wedding that took place on Halloween.

On Halloween, former Superintendent Tsutomu Masamura will hold his wedding in the heart of Shibuya. However, he recently received a threatening letter, possibly because he had offended too many people in the past.

"Attending wedding security?"

“That’s right,” the man with the mustache said over the phone. “The other party happens to be a fan of both me and Kindaichi, so they specially invited us and even asked me to give a speech.”

Speaking of this Mr. Murakami, he is also a legendary policeman. Although he was in the same cohort as Inspector Megure, his promotion speed was like a cheat code. He was forced to retire a few years ago due to a serious injury, but he still rose to the rank of Superintendent.

You might not understand the significance of a Superintendent, but just know that he's two ranks higher than Inspector Megure, and that it's very unlikely that Megure will ever be promoted to that rank..."

Of course I know.

Gao Mo's lips twitched slightly.

If Megure knew what the mustachioed man said, it would be a real blow to his heart.

You look down on your former boss so much.

Actually, Megure still has a chance. After all, a police rank is not a job title, and he can still get promoted by making good contributions.

The village head was a police inspector before he was seriously injured; he was appointed as a police inspector later.

“Inspector Megure and the other party have a pretty good relationship,” the mustachioed man continued. “This time, he proactively applied to higher-ups for the security assignment and recommended us as well. After all, if a retired officer were to face retaliation for offending a former criminal, it would be no different from slapping the police in the face. As a renowned detective…”

Gao Mo didn't listen to the mustachioed man's subsequent boasting.

He doesn't mind maintaining a good relationship with the police, and since the Kindaichi alias hasn't been active for a long time, it would be good for him to show his face.

However, the name "Kindaichi" seems to have some kind of karmic connection, as it always brings misfortune whenever it appears.

Solving cases is fine normally, but when it comes to security...

"Halloween...wedding..."

Ai clutched her forehead in pain.

"Something important must have happened, but why can't I remember?"

She always felt that she possessed memories of the future, which could be of some help to Gao Mo.

But in reality, things didn't go as planned.

Gao Mo, who seemed capable of helping, could solve the problem on her own, but she proved unreliable when it really mattered.

"If you can't remember, that's fine. There's no need to make things difficult for yourself," Gao Mo said, hanging up the phone. "Didn't I tell you? I'll take care of everything."

In a world where parallel universes are clustered together, memories are already chaotic, not to mention the existence of extraordinary beings like the Death God's rules.

He had previously encountered situations where memories were blocked at the rule level, so he understood Ai's feelings very well.

It's good to remember, but it doesn't matter if you don't; it can just be used as a reference.

He no longer depends on these things.

"Anyway, that's how it is. Inspector Megure is going to have an exercise tomorrow, and Kindaichi needs to be there," Gao Mo said, glancing at the calendar. "I'll have Sonoko accompany you for the next few days."

Gao Mo paused for a moment, then picked up the manuscript next to him and handed it to Xiao Ai: "Take a look at this for me. If there are no problems, I'll submit it to the literary weekly."

"what is this?"

"Let's test the waters with a mystery novel manuscript first."

"You want to be a novelist?" Ai raised an eyebrow.

Does this person have too many hobbies?
It feels a bit like he's not doing his job properly.

"Besides, don't you dislike being famous?"

"A pseudonym or pen name doesn't matter." Gao Mo ruffled Xiao Ai's hair and turned back to continue flipping through the books.

He has devoured several new books in his notebook over the past few days, especially the book on Makoto Kyogoku's karate, from which he has gained a great deal.

I heard that the other person has gone abroad to cultivate, and I wonder what they will be like when they come back.

Am looking forward to.

"I just can't do anything with you." Ai rolled her eyes helplessly, then began to seriously study the novel manuscript.

Now she's quite the seasoned mystery fan, having read all of Kudo's mystery novels in her spare time and watched every kind of mystery drama.

Gao Mo's novel looks pretty good, good enough to be serialized, but whether it will be popular is hard to say.

A great detective may not necessarily become a great mystery novelist. Fortunately, Gao Mo seems to have an exceptional understanding of criminals, and the criminal psychology in his novels is written as if it were real.
……

A light rain fell in Tokyo in the evening.

Rei Furuya and his subordinate Yuya Kazami braved the rain to reach a parking tower.

"According to the information we received, the van is currently parked on the 5th floor."

"Be careful."

Rei Furuya constantly observed his surroundings through the car window, habitually exploring the environment in advance to determine attack and retreat routes.

But right now, there's not a soul in sight in the parking tower.

Kazami Yuya drove up to the 5th floor along the circular passageway and quickly found the target van.

"Is it in there?"

Without waiting for Rei Furuya's order, Yuya Kazami got out of the car first to check the surroundings.

"No suspicious persons were found. It felt like a transaction was taking place. Drug dealers used to like coming to these parking garages, but..."

As Kazami Yuya cautiously approached the van, his gaze sharpened.

"Mr. Furuya, we've found him!"

"Was it just to hide the body here? Why?"

Rei Furuya followed the van with a puzzled look on his face.

Although the temperature in Tokyo has been low these days, the preservation of the body still cannot be neglected.

The body inside the car was indeed that of the bomber, but it looked like he had only recently died.

"It must have been kept in the freezer or something, and it was only taken out now, but..."

Rei Furuya's eyes narrowed sharply, his gaze fixed on the corpse's neck. Purple and blue liquids flowed on either side of the iron ring device, shimmering and instantly pulling his memory back to three years ago.

bomb!

"Kazami! Get out of the way!"

Furuya Rei, shocked and enraged, lunged at his subordinates. The device had been activated at some point, causing the two liquids to converge towards the center simultaneously.

"Get down!"

"what?"

"boom--!"

Pinkish-purple flames exploded on the upper floors of the parking garage, drawing the attention of passersby below.

"Cough cough!"

As the smoke from the explosion dissipated, Rei Furuya opened his eyes, coughing violently. His vision was blurry as he noticed his unmoving subordinates on the other side. Just as he was about to get up to check the situation, a figure in black robes suddenly appeared from the opposite side of the burning carriage.

“I see,” Furuya Rei instantly understood the cause and effect, recalling his near-death experience. “It’s been three years. It really was you. You deliberately used that guy’s corpse to lure me out. I should have known…”

……

"Beep!"

Shibuya.

Gao Mo, posing as Kindaichi, participated in the wedding rehearsal of the First Investigation Division and tried to call Furuya Rei but could not get through.

Halloween is just around the corner, and he still hasn't found a trace of Kazami Yuya.

Finding police leads from the Metropolitan Police Department's vast intelligence database is no easy task. The only thing that slightly concerned him was the small explosion that occurred last night in a parking garage, which burned a van and later revealed the body of an unidentified man inside.

According to the police forensic report, the charred body was severely damaged, especially the head, and it is suspected that a small bomb was planted in the neck area.

The explosion flames were a peculiar pinkish-purple, beautiful and alluring yet dangerous and deadly.

The same explosion flames he had predicted.

"That's all for today, thank you all for your hard work," Inspector Megure said solemnly. "Tomorrow is the Halloween wedding, which will be a hundred times more dangerous than the drills. Everyone must be careful and absolutely not let the criminals break through the defenses and enter the wedding venue!"

"Yes!"

"Mr. Kindaichi," after giving some instructions, Inspector Megure wiped his sweat and found Gao Mo, "I'll be troubling you and Mori-kun again tomorrow."

As he spoke, Inspector Megure glanced at the smug-looking man with the mustache by the door and whispered, "Of course, I think it's mainly you who should be in trouble."

"Uh……"

This former boss also seems to lack confidence in his former subordinates.

"Brother Mori's fame has risen recently, but sometimes he seems no different from before. I don't know if he'll be reliable tomorrow, or if we'll have to rely on Mr. Kindaichi to back him up."

"I try my best."

Gao Mo's smile was awkward.

"However, if a previously arrested criminal wants revenge, why would they specifically send a threatening letter? Wouldn't attracting the police's attention cause more trouble?"

“Well,” Inspector Megure paused for a moment, “we’re not too sure either. Maybe it’s a provocation against the police? Just like that bomber before.”

"Officer Megure!"

The man with the mustache, dressed in a sharp suit, leaned closer, seemingly overjoyed by Kindaichi's return.

The legend of Sleeping Kogoro continues, but the time he spent partnering with Kindaichi Komuro remains unforgettable.

In fact, he and Gao Mo had known each other for a long time, and he even became acquainted with Yoko Okino because of it.

Although they each run their own detective agencies, they support each other more than they compete.

Cases that Kido Detective Agency couldn't handle were often transferred to him, and the same went for him.

They're practically like brothers.

Now that Gao Mo has stepped back into the spotlight, he is the most excited person.

The detective duo that dominated Japan has finally reappeared.

What once seemed like a joke now appears to be achievable.

"Has the bomber's body been found?" The man with the mustache asked casually. "I just saw the news. If it's not possible, Kindaichi and I can help. After all, he's a bomber who caused panic, and everyone seems to care a lot about this."

"Probably no need."

Megure shook his head.

"It's not confirmed yet, but the body found in yesterday's bombing is very likely that of him... The most important thing now is the wedding that will be held here tomorrow."

"With so many police officers providing security, what kind of criminal could possibly break in?"

The man with the mustache looked suspiciously outside the venue.

"They can't just stage a terrorist attack, can they?"

Because of the rain, the sky over Shibuya was overcast, and the visibility on the streets was not very good. The man with the mustache frowned when he saw this.

"Speaking of which, why choose this time to get married? Is Halloween a suitable time to get married?"

"Maybe it's because the bride is a foreigner?" Inspector Megure sighed. "That guy from the village seems to have met his lover at the hospital, and now he's become so gentle, he doesn't look like he used to be at all."

"No way?" the mustachioed man exclaimed in surprise. "I remember he used to be extremely strict; everyone called him 'Devil Village'..."

"You'll find out tomorrow; he's a completely different person now."

Megure's beard twitched, and he subconsciously glanced at his old subordinate beside him.

The mustache has completely changed now.

Ten years ago, he never imagined it would turn out like this.

"It's still early, how about we grab a quick bite together?" Inspector Megure asked, turning to Gao Mo.

“I don’t need it,” Gao Mo declined. “I have other things to do.”

After saying goodbye to Inspector Megure and the other two, Gao Mo randomly found a coffee shop and sent an email to Rei Furuya: "This is Kindaichi. I think I met you the day before Matsuda Jinpei died 3 years ago. Can we talk? There seems to have been a purple-pink flame explosion case 3 years ago as well."

Click Send.

Gao Mo turned his gaze to the gray streets of Shibuya.

The day before his death, Matsuda Jinpei was separated from Sato, who was on duty with him, for a period of time. It is said that he would visit the grave of his friend Hagiwara Kenji every year on that day, along with Furuya Rei and two other colleagues.

Now only Furuya Rei is left to sweep the grave. He has already visited the Tsukishin-ji Temple, where the other four people's graves are located, and the abbot of the temple has a deep impression of Furuya Rei.

Also, three years ago, a strange incident occurred near the station. The records showed a gas leak, but there were conflicting internal police documents, with the records mentioning an explosion.

An unknown explosion occurred in an old warehouse afterward, killing five people...

The major case that may occur this Halloween seems to revolve around Rei Furuya, and its origins may very well date back 3 years.

There must have been some inside story that the police didn't know at the time—this usually only happens when it involves the police.

"A theatrical version?" Gao Mo asked thoughtfully.

With the plot continuing and expanding, coupled with Ai's reaction, there's a high possibility that she'll be involved in a Conan movie.

A truly major case.

……

Metropolitan Police Department Headquarters Building.

Police cars passed by one after another. Ai Haibara followed behind the group of Dr. Agasa who came to take a statement. The three children continued to chatter. Conan asked Ran about the mustache attending the wedding.

"Really? Uncle is teaming up with Detective Kindaichi again, and this time he's even giving a speech at the former Superintendent's wedding... But is a security drill necessary for the wedding?"

"I heard that he received threatening letters, and many people resent him because of his past as a policeman."

"call!"

Ai Haibara's breathing quickened as she felt everyone drifting further and further away. The surrounding noise receded like a receding tide, leaving only the clear sound of her own heartbeat.

Previously vague memories seemed to be stirred, and one image after another flooded into my mind.

She didn't know why she had come out today, but she felt like there was something very important that she couldn't miss.

The closer you get to the Metropolitan Police Department, the stronger this feeling becomes.

Thinking of Gao Mo's departing figure, Ai Haibara took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

Just then, a foreigner walked towards them from the opposite direction, carrying a black briefcase under his arm and a badly damaged laptop in his other hand.

The other person's target also seemed to be the Metropolitan Police Department. He was taking something out of his pocket and almost bumped into Professor Agasa because he wasn't paying attention. He quickly apologized in Russian.

As a note fell from the foreigner's body, Ai Haibara's expression suddenly turned to terror, and a raging pinkish-purple flame exploded in her memory.

"It's a bomb! Everyone run!!"

"what?"

Before Professor Agasa and the others could react, Conan was the first to look at the foreigner who had turned back to pick up the note.

A crisp beep sounded from the laptop the other person was holding.

"Oh no... Get down!!"

"boom--!"

A crimson, pinkish-purple flame erupted at the entrance of the Metropolitan Police Department.

(End of this chapter)