Daily Spy Life in the Detective Conan World

Chapter 294 The Murderer with Superb Acting Skills?
Puppet Ridge in Tottori Prefecture is located in a mountainous area.

In this mountainous area, the Takeda family seems to be the only one that has not moved away.

The mountain roads were muddy and full of potholes, making it impossible for the GTR to proceed.

Xia Chuan rented an off-road vehicle in the county.

The deeper they drove into the forest, the heavier Anya's mood became.

"Father, why is the forest so quiet? Teacher Lin said there are lots of insects and birds chirping in the forest, is that true?"

We drove for an hour in the mountains without hearing a single insect or bird chirp. It's summer, so there should at least be cicadas chirping. This contradicts what I've learned.

"Perhaps it's because there are many spiders in this forest, so insects and birds don't want to stay there for long."

"Spider?" Anya's voice suddenly rose a little.

To be honest, because of the story of the Takeda sisters, she has had nightmares about the Spider Fairy for the past two nights.

Xia Chuan shook his head and chuckled: "What, is the brave Anya actually afraid of spiders?"

"Of course not!" Anya pouted and looked out the car window. "I just think it's a bit too quiet, there's nothing there."

Before he finished speaking, the bushes ahead suddenly began to rustle sparsely.

Because of the road conditions, Xia Chuan drove very slowly, and Anya could see very clearly. Moreover, as the vehicle moved forward, the distance between Anya and the bushes became closer and closer.

Could it really be a spider?

Anya was really scared by the commotion; who knew a giant spider leg might stick out in a minute!

Just as I thought of this, the sparse bushes trembled, and then a hand reached out from the bushes!

"Ah—Father, Father, there's something there!"

The little girl jumped up and crashed into her father's arms in the driver's seat. Her face was pale as she pointed out the car window, unable to say a word.

"Okay, don't be afraid." Xia Chuan had actually seen it too.

The car braked suddenly and came to a stop on the side of the road.

"It's alright, Father is here."

Xia Chuan lowered his head and comforted his daughter for a couple of minutes, "Don't move in the car, I'll go down and check on her."

Standing before the bushes, looking at the hands that were manipulating them, Natsukawa felt a sense of familiarity.

"Hattori?" Natsukawa asked instinctively.

Seemingly hearing a sound, the hand suddenly stopped.

With a flick of his arm, the bushes parted, revealing a dark chicken head.

"Brother Xia Chuan?"

A few seconds later, Hattori Heiji finally pushed aside the bushes in front of him completely. "Seriously, I shouldn't have come. What a waste."

Hattori was dressed in casual jeans and a short-sleeved T-shirt, with a large backpack on his back and holding a small, fair hand in his other hand.

His forehead was covered in sweat; he was clearly exhausted.

"It really is you, Natsukawa-nii!"

Toyama Kazuha was not only surprised but also delighted.

I never expected to meet friends in such a remote and desolate place as Tottori Prefecture. This is truly a great blessing!

And Xia Chuan even drove! That's great!

"Why are you here?"

Natsukawa looked at the motorcycle helmet on Hattori Heiji's head and asked, "Where's the bike?"

"Out of gas, park on the side of the road behind."

"It's all Heiji's fault! He knew the journey was long, but he didn't check the motorcycle's fuel level before we came. Now look what happened!"

"That's all your fault!"

Hattori's already dark face darkened even more: "You were the one who chose this route, saying you wanted to take a spontaneous trip, and you kept urging me to forget about it."

"Humph"

"."

A pair of lively characters.

Xia Chuan smiled and chatted with the two of them for a while.

"So, Natsukawa-nii is also planning to go to the Takeda family?" Hattori's expression immediately turned serious. "I was also asked by someone in the Takeda family to say that there would be a murder case in the Takeda family today. The person sent the money along with the request, so I had no choice but to come."

"Can you leave your name in the future?"

Hattori paused for a moment, then quickly understood what Natsukawa meant, shaking his head and saying, "No, there's nothing on it except one million yen. If it weren't for the note saying someone was about to die, I wouldn't have come all the way from Osaka."

Hattori glanced down at his calf; he had only been out of the hospital for two days.

"Wow, it's Hattori-nii!"

Anya discovered Hattori emerging from behind the bushes. Her worried and frightened expression vanished instantly. She jumped out of the car in a few steps and ran over to stare intently at the backpack on Hattori Heiji's back.

"It's Anya!"

Kazuha smiled as he looked at the little girl, picked her up with practiced ease, and then vigorously rubbed his face against Anya's.

A cute pink-haired little girl like Anya is sure to melt your heart at first sight.

"Ouch, my face is going to get chafed."

Anya shoved him hard, drawing Hattori's sidelong glance.

That wretched Anya! If you're going to push, then push it! Why push it in that spot? If you keep pushing it, it'll get smaller and smaller, and then we're doomed.

Anya suddenly turned around, revealing a crescent-shaped smile, and then pinched it twice in front of Hattori Heiji, making Toyama Kazuha giggle.

"Damn you brat."

Hattori Heiji muttered something to himself.

"Since the motorcycle is broken, come with us," Xia Chuan extended an invitation. They couldn't keep them waiting here, and they didn't know when Mr. Mori would arrive.

The forest is quite hot and humid this time of year, so it's more comfortable with air conditioning in the car.

"Um, can I come with you?"

Another man emerged from the roadside bushes.

The man had blond hair and a European-looking face. He was handsome and had a warm smile, making him look like a refined gentleman.

Noticing that the four people's attention had been drawn to him, Robert Taylor nodded elegantly, introduced himself, and continued, "I just heard you all say you're going to the Takeda family. To be honest, I'm also planning to go there, but it's been three years since I last came here, so I'm a bit lost. I've been in the forest for most of the day and still haven't found out which way to go to the Takeda family."

"Oh, you're the 'Radish Too Tired Brother' that Sae and Emi mentioned?" Anya was surprised, looking the newcomer up and down, scrutinizing him while tugging at her father's sleeve.

"Father, he's a bad person, shouldn't we leave him behind?"

Not taking him?
Xia Chuan paused for a moment, then shook his head and said, "Misa Takeda died three years ago, after Robert Taylor left. It's very unlikely that he was the murderer."

This was said to Anya, but Hattori, who was standing right next to her, frowned upon hearing it.

The letter sent to him also mentioned that someone in the Takeda family had died, and it seems that Takeda Misa, whom Natsukawa mentioned, was the so-called deceased.

But what was the relationship between the deceased and the man in front of him?
Xia Chuan shook his head at Hattori, indicating that they should skip this topic for now and talk about it later.

Suddenly, the wild off-road vehicle became lively, with the number of passengers increasing from two to five.

Xia Chuan had already found out the location of the Takeda family before he came, and found it easily.

The SUV was parked in front of the Takeda family's house, and the group of people looked at each other, unsure of who should knock on the door.

Natsukawa was invited by two children, while Hattori was invited by an unidentified member of the Takeda family. One could not be told, and the other did not know who the inviter was.

Their eyes all fell on Robert Taylor.

“I’ll go knock on the door.” Robert Taylor smiled slightly. “Three years ago, due to a landslide, I and my car plunged off a cliff. Misa saved me. I lived here for three months at that time, and I know everyone in the Takeda family.”

Robert Taylor explained and was about to go forward to open the door.

At the same time, the roar of a truck engine came from behind.

Everyone heard the sound and looked around.

"Looks like we don't need to knock anymore. This truck belongs to the Takeda family; it must be Uncle Yusan who's back."

Robert Taylor, ever the friendly type, approached the truck.

However, the person who got out of the car made Robert Taylor's face stiffen.

"hair"

Robert Taylor opened his mouth, then closed it.

"Uncle Mori, Ran, and Conan, weren't you all on a business trip?" Anya asked in surprise.

It wasn't supposed to be a business trip over the weekend, so did the Takeda sisters end up seeing Conan behind my back?

"Sae and Emi are completely unreliable. Humph, I'm not playing with them anymore!"

Anya gritted her teeth inwardly, but "Heaven will entrust great responsibilities to those who are first tested with hardship," she was determined to solve the case before Conan!
So the little girl whispered up to Conan, who had just gotten off the bus, and asked, "Conan, who invited you here?"

The famous detective was clearly surprised to see Anya there. He looked behind her and saw Natsukawa. Shifting his gaze further, he discovered that Hattori Heiji was also there!
It seems that the Takeda family is indeed extraordinary.

On the way, he heard Takeda Yuzo, the third son of the Takeda family, give a brief introduction to the family's situation. Upon seeing Natsukawa and Hattori, he felt that the complexity of the matter might be greater than he had anticipated.

The cause of death of Akio Negishi, who died at the Takeda family three days ago, was indeed suspicious!

"It's Mr. Takeda Shinichi, the head of the Takeda family."

Conan didn't hide anything; this was precisely his opportunity to gather information. He asked, "Then what was the reason for Uncle Natsukawa and Brother Hattori's actions?"

“Uh…” Anya was silent for a while, then finally decided not to hide it. “My father was invited by the Takeda sisters, and Hattori received an anonymous letter.”

"Is this so"

Conan's expression immediately darkened.

The situation was far worse than he had imagined, meaning that at least three members of the Takeda family now had their own agendas.

There were three members of the Takeda family in this generation: Takeda Shinichi, Takeda Ryuji, and Takeda Yuzo.

Shinichi Takeda's wife and daughter both died three years ago. Ryuji Takeda has a wife, Yoko Takeda, and twin daughters, Sae and Emi. The third son, Yuzo Takeda, is a bachelor.

In addition, the three brothers have a mother who is still alive, and they also have a hired housekeeper who takes care of their daily life.

Negishi, who died three days ago, was a close friend and business partner of Shinichi Takeda.

After speaking with Anya and Hattori, Conan gradually figured out the situation.

Natsukawa's goal is to investigate the cause of death of Takeda Misa and her mother three years ago, Hattori is invited to prevent a possible recurrence of the murder, and Mori is invited to investigate the true cause of death of Negishi Akio, who died at the Takeda family's house three days ago.

"It seems this case is inextricably linked to that warehouse."

Zhen Guanxi and Zhen Guandong had somehow gotten together, both looking up at the warehouse with serious expressions.

The warehouse doors were locked and the windows were closed, making it appear cramped and desolate in the twilight.

Three people have died there in the past three years.

Anya, finding herself unable to get a word in edgewise, felt bored and whistled as she went inside alone to find the Takeda sisters.

Soon, the head of the Takeda family came out after receiving the news.

Seeing so many people arrive, Shinichi Takeda frowned slightly, but quickly covered it up and pulled Kogoro Mori aside with a smile.

In addition, Ryuji Takeda introduced the Takeda family to everyone.

The main speaker introduced Akio Negishi, who had passed away three days prior.

The Takeda family is a family of puppeteers, and Akio Negishi is a collaborator of Shinichi Takeda, specializing in finding channels to sell puppets.

Because of his existence, Shinichi Takeda's puppets could sell for a staggering one million yen.

The other party's death obviously had a huge impact on the Takeda family's puppet business.

"No wonder he was looking for Uncle Mori. It turns out his source of income was cut off. It seems the head of the Takeda family hates the murderer to the bone."

One million yen for a puppet?

Heiji Hattori knew that genuine puppeteers were in demand, but he never expected it to be this terrifying—one puppet costing a million yen! That's more expensive than gold!

At the same time, he began to suspect that the person who sent him the letter of authorization was Shinichi Takeda.

After all, it seems that the patriarch in charge of finances is the most powerful person in the family.

After chatting for a while, Robert Taylor spoke up: "By the way, why haven't I seen Misa come out? Is she not home?"

Robert Taylor returned to Puppet Ridge with a clear objective: to see Misa Takeda, whom he hadn't seen for three years.

The three months he suffered from amnesia due to his injury were the most beautiful time of his life.

Misa Takeda was his angel, his radiance, and the woman he could never forget.

He regretted leaving back then for three years. Now that he has the opportunity to return to Japan, he immediately put aside his work and came to Tottori Prefecture to meet with the other party.

If possible, he plans to take Misa Takeda away and marry her!
Three years ago, he still had some reservations, but three years later, the Dragon King has returned, and he now has enough confidence to protect his beloved.

The moment the question was asked, everyone in the Takeda family froze. Even Shinichi Takeda, who was whispering to Kogoro Mori, turned around and gave him a meaningful look.

Robert Taylor wasn't stupid. Realizing that his words seemed to have changed the atmosphere, he immediately frowned.

After a long silence, Yoko Takeda finally spoke up to explain: "Actually, Misa died three years ago!"

"Dead!?"

Rob Taylor's pupils contracted sharply, and he stared blankly for several seconds before asking incredulously, "But when I left, Misa was perfectly fine. Why... why did she die?"

Misa Takeda's voice and smile flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern. Deep in his memory, that pure land of spring warmth and blooming flowers showed signs of crumbling because of those words.

"She died just days after you left."

"Where's the suicide note? Did she leave a suicide note?" Robert Taylor, as if possessed, grabbed Yoko Takeda's shoulders and shook her violently.

"How could she be dead? She was such a cheerful girl."

Tears slowly streamed down Rob's red eyes, a mixture of sadness and hope that the other person was just playing a cruel joke on him.

"No."

Yoko Takeda frowned, but knowing the relationship between Robert Taylor and Misa, she didn't say anything. She simply patted Misa's shoulder after breaking free to offer comfort.

Xia Chuan:.
what happened?

What just happened doesn't seem fake!

However, in his mind, Rob was the murderer, and the death of Negishi a few days ago should also have been his doing.

However, the grief and shock the other person felt upon hearing the bad news seemed genuine!

Could it be that Robert Taylor was actually an actor in the United States?
The idea was immediately rejected as soon as it appeared.

He had only been in Japan for a short time since coming from the United States. There were actors with such superb acting skills, but there was absolutely none named Robert Taylor. Moreover, he had never seen this face before, and there were no signs of disguise, so there was no possibility of him changing his appearance.

In this way, the case was wrong from the very beginning!

Robert Taylor is very likely not the murderer.

It's not difficult to confirm this.

Xia Chuan looked down, took out his phone, and sent a message to Frank, asking him to find a person named Robert Taylor who had arrived in Japan within the past week.

There aren't many foreigners coming to Japan to begin with, so by hacking into the visa system, their arrival time can be determined by their names and appearances.

If the other party arrived in Japan three days ago, then it proves that he is just acting and preparing to kill Shinichi Takeda. If not, then things will get interesting.

The murderer is likely someone else!
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(End of this chapter)