Conan: Death is Watching Me

Chapter 301 Yukiko and Eri Kisaki

evening.

The Fujieda family, where the client resides.

The man with the mustache felt like dying, especially after seeing Eri Kisaki's beloved car at the door.

"Don't misunderstand," Yukiko quickly denied. "I didn't tell Eri that the last time I saw her was ten years ago. Our relationship has long since faded."

"So what's going on?"

The man with the mustache looked miserable.

He was so successful just three days ago, how come he's like he's in hell now?

After this crisis, I must behave properly and never be arrogant again.

There's a saying that goes, "Extreme joy begets sorrow."

One should be as low-key as Kido.

"Mr. Mori?"

The white-bearded butler squinted as he greeted the mustachioed man and Gao Mo at the door, turning back in surprise repeatedly.

“Just now, a lawyer named Eri Kisaki, who claims to be Mr. Mori’s agent, went in. Didn’t you authorize her to conduct the investigation?”

"It's a long story."

The man with the mustache looked embarrassed, unsure whether to go in or not. In the end, Gao Mo led the way into the Fujie family courtyard.

Thinking of the 1000 million yuan commission fee, the man with the mustache gritted his teeth and had no choice but to bite the bullet and follow along.

The flowerbeds and flower beds in front of the Western-style villa are arranged in a well-organized manner and look particularly exquisite. An old gardener wearing a knitted hat is pruning the branches by the roadside.

“What a coincidence,” Yukiko said, looking around casually. “The friend who asked Yusaku for help seems to be also involved with the Fujieda family. I think his name is Fujieda Shigeru.”

"Mr. Fan?" the butler asked in surprise. "He was our late wife's younger brother, and he does live here now."

"Your wife has passed away?"

"Yes, that happened about six months ago."

As the group walked through the courtyard, for some reason, the old butler's back suddenly seemed somewhat sorrowful.

The man with the mustache explained in a low voice, "The person who commissioned me is their master's current wife. I think she used to be his mistress, so don't say anything out of the ordinary. Also, the master here originally married into the Fujie family, which I think is why someone is threatening him..."

The culprit was probably someone close to the deceased lady; that guy named Fujieda Shigeru is very suspicious, but I can't find any evidence.

"Really?" Yukiko asked in surprise. "If the culprit is Fujieda Shigeru, why would he ask Yusaku for help?"

“How would I know?” the man with the mustache said worriedly. “I have a feeling that the intimidation is not just intimidation. If anything is going to happen, it will be tonight, because tomorrow is the late lady’s birthday, and the new lady wants to rebuild the flower garden that the late lady cherished so much.”

Gao Mo felt that the name Teng Zhifan was somewhat familiar, and after a pause, he remembered the phone call from the editor.

A mystery novelist named Fujieda Shigeru wanted to meet him.

"What? The agent of that idiot detective?"

Suddenly, an arrogant voice rang out from inside the villa, making the man with the mustache feel embarrassed.

"Saying someone wants my life is just a silly prank. That guy actually took the job seriously. Humph, what kind of famous detective is he? He spent a whole day running around aimlessly and found nothing, and he wants to charge me 1000 million..."

"This is also your wife's good intention, just in case."

"Forget it, it must have been done by one of those servants who hate me anyway. You'd better find them as soon as possible!"

The head of the Fujieda family, Fujieda Mikio, with a fierce and aggressive look, is 58 years old, yet he still speaks aggressively and looks at everyone as if he is about to get angry.

The man with the mustache followed Gao Mo into the hall and bumped into the old man, creating a slightly awkward atmosphere.

However, the latter just snorted coldly and went into the house with a straight face, not even bothering to say hello.

"The master isn't in a very good mood today," the butler explained.

The man with the mustache didn't seem to care; instead, he discreetly shrank behind Gao Mo.

"Oh?" Eri Kisaki approached with Ran and Conan, her eyes fixed on her hiding husband. "So you found an accomplice and stopped pretending to be dead? If Ran hadn't asked your mahjong-playing cronies, no one would have known you'd gotten yourself into such a mess. 1000 million yen, gone in just 3 days. You're really something!"

"What 1000 million?" The man with the mustache, having given up hope and not wanting to lose face in front of his wife, exclaimed, "Only 800 million!"

"only?"

Eri Kisaki ignored this vain guy, glanced at Gao Mo, and then turned to Yukiko Kudo in surprise.

"Yukiko? You were invited here by this guy too?"

“I was just passing by,” Yukiko said sharply, no longer the nonchalant woman she had been the whole way. “It’s been 10 years since we last met. You’re still the same as ever, always dressed conservatively as an older queen?”

“You’re pretty much the same,” Eri retorted, crossing her arms. “Even the princess of Teitan High School can’t escape the passage of time. No matter how much you dress up to look younger, you’re no longer a little girl…”

"Can we get to the point first?"

Gao Mo coughed lightly, interrupting their unusual way of catching up.

He came here to help the man with the mustache solve his problem, not to watch the two old ladies have an unusual fight, even though they are both very beautiful and stunning old ladies.

“That’s true,” Yukiko said with a smile, hugging Eri Kisaki like best friends. “I don’t know what’s going on yet. Yusaku just asked me to come and take a look.”

"You're the Yukiko that Yusaku mentioned, right?"

A handsome man with a beard walked out of the guest room.

“I am Fujieda Shigeru, who asked Yusaku for help. He said he would send his wife over, and I didn’t expect her to be so young and beautiful.”

"You don't recognize her?" Eri Kisaki asked in surprise. "She was once a very popular star, Yukiko Fujimine."

"Really? I'm not very familiar with that area. I met Yusaku at a gathering of detective novelists. To my shame, I haven't written a detective novel as popular as his in all these years."

Fujishige chuckled self-deprecatingly, his gaze lingering briefly on Gao Mo before turning to the absent-minded man with the mustache behind him, his eyes lighting up immediately.

"This must be the famous detective, Sleeping Kogoro, right? I was out earlier and didn't get to know him properly."

"Uh……"

The man with the mustache shook hands with Fujieda Shigeru.

Now he would rather the other person not know him.

"Do you still have that piece of evidence from before? I'd like to take another look."

"The evidence is in the study."

The short-haired woman, who had been the client of the man with the mustache, came downstairs and suddenly panicked when she saw Gao Mo.

"City, City Household? What brings you here too?"

Gao Mo was slightly dazed, and after a while, he managed to recall a familiar face from his memory: "You are..."

"Ugh, we were deskmates in middle school, don't you remember anything at all?"

The short-haired girl pouted sadly. Her cute hairstyle, exquisite makeup, and elegant attire mixed together, making Gao Mo's heart tremble.

It really is a classmate, the one who married into a wealthy family.

The old man I just saw looked to be almost 60 years old, while my classmate is probably around 25, more than twice his age.

"You're the new wife?" Gao Mo asked again to confirm.

"Yes, yes," the short-haired woman said somewhat embarrassedly, but quickly became frank, "Although we are quite different in age, what does it matter as long as there is love?" This age difference is too great; isn't it all for someone else's wealth?
Gao Mo mentally complained but didn't say it aloud.

Why are his classmates like this?

"That's it."

The group quickly arrived at the study.

“Mr. Mori has seen it before.”

The so-called evidence consisted of two notes, one typed and the other read, "Watch out for what's behind you" and "I'll send you to your death."

There was also a spent cartridge case.

"I have indeed seen it."

The man with the mustache felt very unlucky.

"But it is said that when this was discovered, everyone in the Fujieda family, including the servants, had seen it. Everyone's fingerprints were on it, so there was no way to trace it. All we know now is that these three items appeared under Master Fujieda's pillow for three consecutive days."

“When the bullets appeared on the last day, Mikio got very angry,” the short-haired woman explained. “I was a little worried, so I called Mr. Mori over.”

That's how it is, it's really a headache.

The man with the mustache shook his head repeatedly.

"Because the house had a lot of surveillance cameras installed, I checked them all, but I still didn't find anything."

"monitor?"

"Yes, after that, just in case, a lot of surveillance cameras were installed in the rooms and hallways."

"Could you take us to see the surveillance footage?" Eri Kisaki suggested.

Although she was a little angry with her husband, she had to find a way to resolve this trouble, even if it was for Xiaolan's sake.

A useless husband, a daughter named Ran, a clingy Conan, a washed-up idol and agency owner named Kido Takamori, and Yukiko who only knows how to flaunt her cuteness...

She seems to be the only reliable person here; she's the only one who can solve the case.

"Okay, this way to the control room." The old butler bowed slightly and led the way with his hands behind his back.

The familiar posture made Gao Mo feel slightly dazed, as if he had returned to the time on the Tuoben family's luxury cruise ship.

only……

Gao Mo's gaze narrowed slightly as he glanced at the old butler's right hand, which was behind his back.

There are fresh burns on the back of the hand and fingers.

If he's not mistaken, novice shooters generally have a certain probability of getting such scars when practicing shooting.

Abrasions or burns may occur due to improper grip.

“This is it,” the old butler led everyone to the control room. “Normally, the maids and I take turns guarding this place.”

"That's pretty impressive. They can see the rooms and corridors clearly, and even the courtyard."

"Because the prisoner could also be an outsider."

The old butler checked the time.

"Excuse me, I still need to deliver coffee to the master. Please excuse me."

“I also have to go write an article,” Fujieda Shigeru said, bidding farewell as well. “My room is just around the corner in the corridor. If you need anything, just let me know… It’s really a headache that I can’t get published in ‘Bungei Jidai’ this time.”

In the end, only the short-haired woman and a few maids stayed with the group.

Gao Mo watched the housekeeper and Fujie Shige leave from the doorway, quickly reconstructing the house structure information he had just collected in his mind.

The control room appeared to be a warehouse that had been cleared out. It was alright from Mr. Fujieda's bedroom, but it was rather far from the room where the other party was currently located.

"What is your master doing now?"

“He reads in the media room,” the maid replied. “The master enjoys listening to classical music while reading, and often it lasts for an hour or two.”

“He also likes to drink coffee,” the short-haired woman said sullenly. “If you disturb his enjoyment, he will get very angry immediately.”

This classmate doesn't seem to be doing very well either.

A convergence of various pieces of information in Gao Mo's eyes.

Just then, the old butler appeared in the scene. Even though he was just delivering coffee, he made Mr. Fujieda very impatient. After the butler left, he even locked the door from the inside.

Not quite right.

After reconstructing all the surveillance footage through the Hall of Mind, Gao Mo's eyelids twitched.

The seemingly comprehensive surveillance network has clearly overlooked some crucial areas.

Surveillance cameras were installed in the less important courtyards, but the area outside the windows of the audiovisual room became a blind spot.

There is a path outside the surveillance cameras leading from inside the room to the window of the audiovisual room.

Who installed these surveillance cameras?

"It was arranged by the housekeeper," the short-haired woman asked疑惑地, "Is there a problem?"

"nothing."

Gao Mo silently questioned the housekeeper, then turned his attention back to the surveillance camera.

Not only is the installation location problematic, but the angle is also bad; the monitor in the audiovisual room cannot see the window at all.

Yukiko stared at Gao Mo for a while, then quietly nudged Conan, who was frowning and deep in thought, and said, "How's it going? We seem to be making some progress. Are you still racking your brains? You've regressed, Shin-chan."

Conan was startled by what he heard, but when he saw that Gao Mo was calm again, he felt a little helpless.

For some reason, Gao Mo always seemed to be peeking at the answers, and he couldn't keep up with Gao Mo's speed in solving puzzles.

"Whose side are you on anyway?" Conan glanced at his mother with a frustrated expression and complained in a low voice, "I'm your son."

"What's wrong with that?" Yukiko found it amusing to see her usually genius son get the short end of the stick and said with a smug smile, "I came with Amo, so of course I'll stand on Amo's side."

"What are you talking about?" Eri Kisaki pushed up her glasses and asked with a sharp look, "Yukiko, why do you seem to be particularly close to this child?"

“We’re relatives,” Yukiko said with a yawn. “I heard this kid is really good at solving mysteries, so I want to see which side catches the culprit first.”

"Which side? Are you going to compete at this point?"

Eri Kisaki felt bored.

Regardless of whether Conan is powerful or not, even if he is, he's on her side.

“Of course,” Yukiko said with high spirits, “I’ve never forgotten the fact that the beauty pageant back then didn’t have a result.”

"Whatever," Eri shook her head, glanced at the anxious mustachioed man biting his nails beside her, and continued to review the surveillance footage. "If you're counting on this useless detective, you might as well just admit defeat."

"Humph!"

Yukiko chuckled to herself.

Eri Kisaki still doesn't know who the real powerhouse is here.

One is a hidden master detective whom even Yusaku admires, and the other is her son who has turned into a child. Not to mention that Shinichi is still clueless, even if he knows something, he still has to get past her first.

(End of this chapter)