Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 274 Officer Matsuda
"Mr. Mori!"

Just as the man with the mustache was about to consult with Gao Mo, Takagi, who was impersonating Matsuda Jinpei, chased after him from behind.

"Inspector Megure said that the two famous detectives are not needed in this matter. The task of rescuing Chiba will be handled by me and Inspector Sato. Mr. Mori and Mr. Kindaichi's most important task now is the security of the wedding venue. The Public Security Bureau said that the criminal who sent the threatening letter may be an international bomber."

"Another bomber?"

The man with the mustache hated bombers the most, as they always reminded him of the supermarket where he used to buy beer.

Every time I finally get a day off, I'm always woken up by the sound of explosions in the early morning.

"Wait a minute," the mustachioed man suddenly realized, "Could it be related to the bombing at the Metropolitan Police Department? If so, Inspector Chiba's kidnapping might be part of the same case, and the kidnapper is most likely someone connected to it..."

"That's what the police said, but the kidnappers aren't bomb makers."

"public security……"

Maori wanted to say something more, but he didn't know much.

Forget it, he'd better just stick to giving a speech at the wedding; his detective skills aren't suited for cases like this.

"Kindaichi," Mori said, turning to Gomer, who was ending the call by the window, "the wedding starts at 8 p.m., let's go for a drink..."

“I almost forgot, about the wedding tonight,” Takagi reminded him, “For safety reasons, only Mr. Muraka and his fiancée will be attending, so the speech has been cancelled.”

"what?"

The man with the mustache almost popped his eyes out.

"Cancel the speech? What about my prepared speech? It was fine during the rehearsal!"

“Well,” Takagi said awkwardly, “there have been a lot of unexpected incidents, and the police have provided specific information about the suspect. He’s a rather troublesome individual, so…”

"Takagi, I absolutely disagree with you taking this risk! It's too dangerous. What if it's like three years ago..."

Sato caught up from the underground conference room, but stopped talking abruptly when he saw Gao Mo and the man with the mustache.

"Anyway, let's think of another way!"

“Actually, you don’t need to be so nervous,” Gao Mo said, looking at the information about the NGO on his phone. “They probably want to use Matsuda Jinpei’s power to deal with the bomber, or they just want to get detailed information about the liquid bomb from three years ago. Just tell them the truth when they contact you again.”

"But what about Chiba? We can't be sure how the other party will react after they know the truth, can we?" Sato glanced at Gao Mo with surprise, his expression grave. "We can't afford to gamble."

"I can help you find their location."

Gao Mo patted Gao Mu on the shoulder.

"The next contact will likely lead you to a designated location. Anyone with a brain will know that you will be surrounded by a large number of police officers, and they will definitely try to secretly take you away... I can use this to deduce their hideout."

The man with the mustache looked completely bewildered.

real or fake?

I always felt that Kido was the real great detective.

This time, instead of becoming sharper, his mind became even more sluggish, and he couldn't understand what he was saying.

It must be because he hasn't had a partner for too long that he can't keep up with the pace.

That must be the case.

"Kindaichi, we..."

"The phone's ringing!" Takagi's expression suddenly changed as he took out the phone that Megure had handed him.

"Is that Matsuda? There's no time left," the mysterious voice boomed. "I've decided to go to Miyashita Park alone right now. If you try anything funny, you'll never hear that policeman's voice again."

After the call ended, Takagi became unusually cautious and turned to leave the police station.

“That’s enough,” Gao Mo called out to Takagi. “In front of Miyashita Park, I roughly know where the other party is now.”

"Eh?"

Not only Xiaozhi, but Takagi and Sato were also instantly stunned.

What do you mean?
How did you know?

"Miyashita Park is also a traffic control area for this year's Shibuya Halloween. There is only one place nearby that is suitable as an organization's hideout, where police can be transferred, and that is the Shibuya underground reservoir."

Gao Mo had already fully constructed a three-dimensional structural map of the current region in his mind, and what that non-governmental organization was thinking was no secret to him.

"Time is of the essence for those people because Mr. Village's wedding is tonight, and the bomber they've been searching for all over the world will appear in the commercial building. Those people won't be too far from here."

"But how did they know the bomber would be at the commercial building?" Sato asked, puzzled. The police had just shared information with them.

"I also want to know."

Gao Mo checked the time.

There's still more than half a day until 8 p.m., not too much, and we must solve all the puzzles before then.

"Let's try to stall for time. I'll go and meet with them."

"Meet?" Sato realized. "Now that we know it's at the reservoir, our work is about to begin..."

"Give me some time. The fact that those people chose to do this shows that they don't trust your police. It's better to avoid conflict."

Gao Mo had reviewed the information collected by the police.

That civilian organization was spontaneously formed when police forces from various countries were helpless against Pramiya. Almost all of its members were people who had been harmed by Pramiya. The organization had only one goal: to kill Pramiya with their own hands and take revenge.

No wonder Pramia wanted to take action against these people.

Although it is a civilian organization, it is more troublesome for Pramia than the police. For the past few years, they have been chasing Pramia around, which has hindered Pramia's work as an assassin.

……

"clatter!"

Shibuya underground reservoir.

A group of gunmen wearing pumpkin hoods and uniformly dressed in black hooded long coats stood guard in various corners, and occasionally Russian conversations could be heard.

"Jinpei Matsuda defused the Pramiya bomb three years ago. If we know the structure and characteristics of the bomb, we can predict where the Pramiya will plant the bomb this time."

"But is it really okay? What if the police find out we're here..."

“No problem, we’re not going against the police, as long as we can kill Pramia…”

The empty underground space was somewhat eerie, especially with the pumpkin headgear and black robes, making it look like a cult gathering.

In the middle was a woman who seemed to be the leader. After removing her hood, she revealed a beautiful face with burns, her eyes filled with hatred and pain.

"We must deal with him no matter what; this might be our last chance! Besides, we're not just doing this for ourselves; we also need to prevent more victims. That's why everyone's here in Tokyo..."

Gao Mo hid by the stairs above, listening to the Russian below with some confusion.

He could recognize Russian words, but these people spoke like machine guns, and since he hadn't specifically studied Russian, he didn't know what they were saying; he could only sense strong emotional fluctuations.

Especially women who are leaders.

According to information provided by the police, the leader of this non-governmental organization is a woman named Elena, who has burns on her face... This should be her.

Several years ago, the other party's husband was murdered by Pramia on behalf of someone before he was to appear in court as a witness. His young son also died in the explosion and fire. When she found that the police had made no progress, she contacted other victims in a fit of anger to conduct an independent investigation.

Gao Mo looked past the woman at Chiba, who was tied to a cement pillar.

It seems like there's nothing seriously wrong.

"Who?!" Immersed in grief, Elena turned around sharply and looked directly at Gao Mo, who had emerged from the cover.

Gun barrels were now aimed at Gao Mo from all sides. "The police? What brings them here?"

“Don’t worry, I’m not a policeman,” Gao Mo said, facing the angry civilian group after confirming that he could leave at any time. “I’m just like you, investigating Pramia. I’m here to exchange information with you.”

"An exchange?" Elena frowned as she observed Gao Mo, switching to Japanese to ask, "Why should we trust you?"

"What if I knew the structure of the Liquidium bomb like the Pramie?

Gao Mo mentally assessed his chances of dealing with these guys and rescuing Chiba.

Although the information shows that they were quite restrained and would not harm innocent people in order to deal with Pramiya, they even interfered with Pramiya's rescue operations on several occasions.

However, we must be prepared for any eventuality.

Hatred can change people's hearts; a good person may not always be a good person.

"You know the bomb's structure?" Elena's expression changed slightly. "We'll be meeting Matsuda Jinpei, who will personally defuse the bomb, soon, so..."

"Are you sure the police will hand over important intelligence to you?" Gao Mo calmly looked down at everyone. "Your methods aren't exactly friendly. Even I was able to find this place, do you think the police won't? If a conflict breaks out, it will only make Pramia laugh at you."

Gao Mo's eyes flickered slightly.

He found that whenever Pramia was mentioned, these people's hostility towards him would decrease significantly.

"What kind of intelligence do you want?" Elena gritted her teeth and gestured for the others to lower their guns.

It's unclear where a housewife gets such strong control, but the organization members seem to have exceptional faith in her.

“I just want to ask you a few questions,” Gao Mo glanced around, then looked back at Elena. “How did you know about Pramika’s plan, and what about the person who was murdered in front of the Metropolitan Police Department?”

“Before I answer you, I need to know your identity and how you came to have bomb information,” Elena said, still wary.

“My name is Kindaichi Hajime, the famous detective of Tokyo,” Gao Mo said, unconcerned about his identity being exposed. “I don’t know if you’ve heard of me. As for the bomb information, it’s because I’m friends with Inspector Matsuda Jinpei, and I was also at the scene of the explosion three years ago.”

"The famous detective Kindaichi?" The members of the civilian organization who understood Japanese looked at each other in bewilderment.

Those who can speak Japanese generally have a good understanding of the local situation.

Kindaichi is not as famous as Kogoro Mouri, but if you know Kogoro Mouri, you've probably heard of Kindaichi.

"You know Officer Matsuda?" Elena's tone softened considerably.

"Hmm!" Chiba opened his eyes groggily upon hearing the sound, vaguely hearing "Matsuda," and looked up to see someone high up facing a large group of pumpkin people.

Officer Matsuda? Was it Officer Matsuda who came to rescue him?

Thinking of Shinichi Matsuda, who had suddenly disappeared without saying goodbye, Chiba's eyes instantly welled up with tears.

Officer Matsuda hasn't forgotten him!
"Prumia has a habit of burning down the bomb-preparing sites before carrying out the explosion, thus destroying evidence."

Elena said in a conciliatory manner.

"A few months ago, my brother found that base and took out a laptop from it. Before it completely broke down, the laptop showed the Pramia's next operation, which was to take place in Tokyo."

It just so happens that Matsuda Jinpei saved him from Pramia three years ago, which is why he came looking for Matsuda Jinpei. He never expected…”

"Is your brother involved in the case from three years ago?" Gao Mo sensed that the woman's pain had deepened considerably.

"Didn't you say you were there too?" Elena frowned suspiciously.

“I arrived late and didn’t run into your brother,” Gao Mo said casually. “How come your brother was there three years ago?”

"That was our plan. We originally wanted to hire Pramia to blow up the abandoned building and then catch him on the spot, but it seems that Pramia discovered it in advance."

Elena's expression was slightly ferocious.

"That's all we know. This time, Pramia has his sights set on that retired policeman's wedding, claiming it's his last operation. If we miss this chance, catching Pramia again will be as difficult as climbing to the sky..."

"Didn't you ever consider that Pramia might just be trying to lure you here, and that the so-called final operation is nothing more than a complete trap?"

Gao Mo took out his phone.

"I sent the schematics of that bomb to Officer Chiba's phone, but I still advise you not to act rashly. Pramia's target is actually people like you. Your actions now will only implicate more innocent people."

If you're willing to trust me, you can entrust me to help you resolve the Pramiya issue.

"Commission?"

Elena had her subordinates check Chiba's phone while her expression shifted.

“Even if we don’t show up, Pramia will still detonate the bomb. That guy doesn’t care about other people’s lives, and we want to kill him with our own hands…”

However, if you can find the location where he planted the bomb, we'd be happy to hire you.

A group of people controlled by hatred.

Thinking that this woman had lost her husband and son, and now even her brother had been murdered, Gao Mo did not continue to persuade her.

He gets angry even when Ai is injured, let alone these victims who have lost family members?

The difference is that he doesn't lose his composure because of anger.

"Snapped!"

The lights in the underground space suddenly went out, and the members of the civilian organization hurriedly turned on their flashlights, only to find that Gao Mo had disappeared.

"What about people?"

"Did you fall for the trick?"

"Forget about him, let's get out of here!"

Not fully awake, Chiba stared wide-eyed at the chaotic shouts around her.

Weren't they here to rescue him?
It doesn't seem to be Officer Matsuda...

No.

If these people get the bomb's blueprints, does that mean they lose their usefulness?
Could it be that he was silenced?
"Change into this and leave from the right side."

Suddenly a voice rang in Chiba's ears, and the ropes binding her body had been untied at some point.

Chiba stared blankly as he grabbed the pumpkin headgear and black robe that had been stuffed into his arms.

A sliver of light swept across, yet the figure of the person approaching was still unclear.

"You are……"

Amidst the chaotic shouts, Gao Mo vanished into the darkness like a ghost.

Without thinking twice, Chiba hurriedly put on the pumpkin headgear and followed Gao Mo to the right exit.

"call!"

After passing through an iron gate, the light outside was blinding, and the subway sped by, completely obscuring the figure that had been ahead.

It was as if he was the only one who escaped.

"Is this another ghost sighting?"

Chiba stared at his surroundings and swallowed hard.

Now he doesn't want Matsuda Shinichi to be the one who saved him, otherwise it would mean that Matsuda Shinichi has already died in the line of duty, wouldn't it?
Looking back, the above reaction was indeed very strange.

There doesn't seem to be a living legendary police officer, so Officer Matsuda...

“Impossible, how could someone like Officer Matsuda die?” Chiba shook his head sadly, tears welling in his eyes as he continued searching for a way out.

(End of this chapter)