Conan: I've been linked to the tech tree system.

"I remember him saying at the counter that he didn't have an appointment beforehand."

"That's why I asked him why when I saw him heading towards room number eight. He said he had arranged to meet someone here."

"So, he was murdered because he had arranged to meet someone there?"

Kogoro Mouri strained his barren brain to think.

"Besides Mr. Kaneda, did you see anyone else enter room number eight?"

“No, I didn’t see anything.” Kyoko Anzai shook her head firmly. “I’ve been watching the situation from behind the counter.”

Chapter 143 What is an alibi?

"That's very strange." Inspector Megure scratched his head in confusion. "Then how did the murderer enter the room?"

"waterway."

Tohru Tono, who had been observing silently, suddenly spoke up.

"What?" Inspector Megure didn't react for a moment.

Have you noticed this store's unique delivery method?

You mean...?

“That’s right. If we go around to the back of the room via this waterway, we can perfectly avoid Miss Anzai’s line of sight and then enter the victim’s room, number 8.”

“I see…” Inspector Megure suddenly realized, “Then the only possible culprit is a customer who ate at the same restaurant.”

Unlike Inspector Megure, Conan was even more puzzled after hearing Tohno's words:

"Huh? That's strange."

He made his signature silly sound, attracting the attention of the adults present.

"If, as Toru said, the murderer entered the room by water, how come there are no water stains at the crime scene?"

Conan gestured with his hands.

"If the murderer walks along the river, he will definitely be seen by guests with open windows, leaving evidence, right?"

"Hey kid, what are you interrupting for?" Kogoro Mouri punched Conan on the head. "The culprit must have gone underwater."

"But this stream is only 50 centimeters deep at most, so there's no way to dive."

Violence could not suppress Conan's desire for the truth, and he continued to relentlessly refute Kogoro Mouri, who was powerless to gain an overwhelming advantage.

"Haha, Conan is really smart."

Tohru Tono crouched down and chuckled as he poked Conan's head: "But why would the culprit walk through the waterway himself?"

"Huh?" Conan froze, forgetting to even pull his hand away from his head. "Could it be a ship?"

“That’s right.” Tohno nodded. “The culprit most likely used the large barge that delivers drinks to get in and out without being noticed by anyone.”

"I see!" Conan had a flash of inspiration and suddenly remembered seeing a boat pass by their dining room. "The culprit was hiding in there, which is why the waterline was so deep!"

He was puzzled at the time, but he didn't think about it in that direction at all.

Wow, Tono is really something.

Having experienced so many cases, Conan gradually realized that Toru Tohno's reasoning ability might be, perhaps, or even superior to his own.

I just don't know how he compares to his father, Yusaku Kudo.

I'm still too young and need to cultivate myself further.

"Alright! Then I'll trouble you, Brother Takagi, to ask the guests in the room if they've noticed anything unusual."

Seeing that Toru Tono had already cracked part of the suspect's modus operandi, Inspector Megure was greatly encouraged and immediately assigned Takagi to investigate the clues.

I don't think that's necessary.

Toru Tono continued with a startling statement: "Because the culprit is currently among the people on our side."

"what?!"

Everyone was shocked.

"Hey, Tono-kun, we have witnesses here..."

Inspector Megure looked around. Nearby were only the Mori family, Toru Tono and his assistant Ai Haibara, as well as Professors Iwama and Arai who had come with Kaneda.

“Detective, I was still in the room at 7:50.” Professor Iwama, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his forehead, waved his hand nervously.

“Yes, Mr. Iwama previously stated that he had an alibi,” Inspector Megure emphasized again.

"Oh right, I remember that Mr. Iwama shouted something at that time, didn't he?" Kogoro Mouri, whose room was not far from Iwama's private box, suddenly remembered this incident as he pounded his left palm with his right hand.

"Yes, yes, I accidentally knocked over the plate while I was looking for my contact lenses."

"Furthermore, I saw you close the window of room number three shortly afterward, which proves that you were not there."

"Mr. Arai, you did go to the convenience store to buy cigarettes at that time, right?"

“Yes, yes.” Arai nodded quickly. “It took me about ten minutes to walk.”

He took out his wallet and rummaged around in it. "Look, there's a receipt here."

Inspector Megure took the receipt; the time on it was 7:52.

“That’s right, none of our people had the opportunity to commit the crime.” He concluded, then looked at Tohru Tohru with a puzzled expression, habitually waiting for his explanation.

Brother Tono isn't a rash person. Since he's said that, he must have his reasons, right?

“Alibis can certainly be forged.” Tono’s glasses scanned back and forth between Arai and Iwama. “There are more than four guests in the other rooms. It’s impossible to avoid my companions’ attention and Ms. Anzai’s gaze when I get to room number eight.”

"The culprit is one of you two."

Arai and Iwama visibly tensed up.

......

While waiting for Takagi to investigate the clues, Tohno Toru basically identified the culprit by observing the reactions of the two.

The problem is that he doesn't have enough evidence to refute the murderer right now. If he rashly drags him out, the evidence chain will be incomplete and he won't be able to catch the person, which would be awkward.

"Can you do me a favor?" he asked Shiho Miyano behind him in a low voice.

"Hmm? Even the great detective needs help?"

For some reason, instead of staying in his room to continue eating like Tachibana Maya, Miyano Shiho followed him out and teased him.

"Even Sherlock Holmes always has a Watson by his side."

“I’ve never heard of Sherlock Holmes being a man with two faces.” Shiho Miyano also lowered her voice. “Speaking of which, what exactly are you trying to achieve by cultivating this so-called ‘detective’ image? Is it merely to make your public persona more positive?”

"for what?"

Of course, it's for the points the system gives out...

—Toru Tono definitely won't say that.

"There's no reason why, I'm just influenced by Conan's sense of justice."

"Justice?" Shiho Miyano's voice revealed obvious disdain.

Before she could utter a sarcastic remark, Tohru Tono quickly interrupted the spellcasting: "I'm asking you whether you're going to help me or not, stop talking nonsense."

"What do you need me to do?" Shiho Miyano decided to let him off the hook for the time being.

"You're doing this..."

Tohru Tono leaned close to her ear and whispered something.

The warm breath on her ears made Shiho Miyano's delicate ears twitch, and she tilted her head back slightly, her sensitive skin flushing a rosy red.

"do you understand?"

Tohru Tono spoke for a long time in one breath.

“…Hmm.” Shiho Miyano’s voice became much softer.

Tohru Tono really wanted to ask her if she hadn't eaten enough, but this wasn't a foot massage parlor, and considering her sharp tongue that could be deadly, he decided to pass for now.

Chapter 144 What a skillful move!

Conan has a penchant for spying on others, which is why he witnessed the interaction between Tohru Tono and Shiho Miyano.

He walked over and tugged at Tohru Tohru's sleeve: "You two are really close."

"Of course, we've been through thick and thin together, even been in jail together."

Tohno Toru was referring to the time when he ran over to the small dark room and rescued Shiho Miyano. Although it was only Shiho Miyano who was imprisoned at the time, he went in and briefly went in. If you have to say, he was imprisoned, right?

Conan glanced at him suspiciously, naturally not taking Tohno Toru's casual remark seriously.

Someone who's been to jail in their early twenties? Such a person can't mingle with the police, and in Japan, they'd even be ostracized in daily life.

Tohno Toru, who associates with Inspector Megure every day, could not possibly have a criminal record.

If it were the gossipy Sonoko, she might have already imagined an eight-million-word drama of emotional entanglements, but Conan only cared about other things: "What did you say to her?"

Tohru Tono glanced at him: "This has nothing to do with you, does it?"

"Just so you know, we're all detectives solving a case," Conan said, using his signature technique of persistent coaxing.

Are elementary school student detectives still detectives?

"...Fine, don't tell me then." Conan, the core member of the Junior Detective League, walked away disappointed.

There is indeed a hierarchy among detectives, and unfortunately, as a primary school detective, he stands at the very bottom of that hierarchy.

They're treated exactly the same as agricultural wholesale markets.

Conan was speechless and choked with emotion.

......

Not long after, Takagi returned to Inspector Megure and reported the situation to him:

"Just as Mr. Tono analyzed, no one saw anyone pass by on the waterway."

"Moreover, each of their tables had more than four people, who could all corroborate that they were eating enthusiastically around 7:50 pm and no one left their seats."