Conan: I'm Really Not Tokyo Ghost Story

Kuroda Hyōe's office was not far away, so he could not only see the situation of the group, but also roughly hear their conversation. This allowed Sano to gain some understanding of the background of the white-clad leader next to him.

It turns out this guy had been in a coma for ten years due to an unknown accident.

During his coma, possibly due to unconscious stress, Kuroda Hyoue's hair turned gray, and he was once thought to be beyond recovery. He gradually regained consciousness not long ago, but he still lost some memories.

all in all.

Kuroda suffered great losses because of the missing decade.

As soon as you get ten years older, your physical functions will decline significantly, let alone lying in bed motionless for ten years. It's lucky that you haven't become completely useless.

Of course, it was also thanks to Kuroda Hyōe's hard work in rehabilitation.

Another issue is seniority. Kuroda Hyōe himself was already in a high position and held considerable power.

They weren't ordinary police officers, anyway.

But ten years have vanished for no reason, so it's only natural that some achievements should be made.

That's why I was sent here... Of course, this is from Sano's perspective.

From an outsider's perspective, one cannot see things in great depth.

Even so, Sano still knew that Kuroda Hyōe had already regained real power, otherwise he wouldn't be here.

In conclusion.

Conan can now be pretty sure that Kuroda Hyoue can't be Rum.

How could someone who has been lying in a police hospital for ten years possibly be like that?

This only made Conan more curious about the relationship between Kuroda Hyoue and Kurosawa Yama.

As previously stated.

Employees; employment relationship.

How did a police officer who had been in a coma for ten years end up hiring Kurosawa?

Also.

What's going on with this guy suddenly switching from all black to all white?

Just as Conan frowned and pondered.

The two men, named Yamato Kansuke and Morofushi Takami, have already explained the situation of the investigation.

In their view.

Of all the cases Takeda has handled in his career, only two stand out: one was a man shooting wildly in the street nine years ago, and the other was a bank robbery with guns six months ago.

In both cases.

Takeda always delivered the bullets from his gun with incredible precision, hitting the prisoner squarely in the forehead, the brainstem area, killing them instantly.

therefore.

The families of the perpetrators who died in these two cases are very likely to harbor resentment and seek revenge.

The problem is...

Almost all of their family members are dead.

The only one still alive is the grandmother of the perpetrator of the shooting incident nine years ago.

"But that old woman is so old that she can hardly walk anymore, it's impossible."

After saying this, Yamato Kansuke took out his phone, glanced at it, and then made an excuse to leave.

This puzzled Conan.

"Does Inspector Yamato know the grandmother of the criminal from nine years ago?"

"Well... actually, I know the criminal. The two of them have been friends since childhood."

Uehara Yui probably knew that saying this would increase Yamato Kansuke's suspicion, but she was a police officer after all, and this wasn't a secret. No one else knew about it except her, so bringing it up openly was the best choice. She then lightened the mood with a joking remark: "You two are so close that I'm a little jealous."

"Oh... so Officer Uehara is jealous."

Ran Mouri gave a teasing smile.

Yui Uehara blushed and fell silent.

Then, Morofushi Takaaki, without making a sound, offered a brief defense for Yamato Kansuke.

He was said to be Yamato Kansuke's friend, and he did cause a lot of casualties among passersby, so even when Takeda killed him right in front of him, he didn't react much, thinking that the other party was just fulfilling his duty as a policeman.

of course.

In fact, after that, Yamato Kansuke left the Takeda-gumi and joined another group.

Therefore, it is quite complicated.

Unfortunately.

When the Takeda team members who were in charge of investigating the scene returned, they brought back something.

This might not be very good news.

Someone spotted what appeared to be Yamato Kansuke by the river that morning.

...That place seemed to be a regular route for Yamato Kansuke, so it was only natural that he was asked about it, but his answer was...

I didn't go that way today.

Those present were either colleagues or friends, so naturally they believed it.

But now that these words have been spoken, the problem has become much bigger, especially since Yamato Kansuke left beforehand. He is guilty and there is a greater possibility that he might flee to avoid punishment.

"Morofushi, find that Yamato guy right now!"

Kuroda Hyōe finally emerged from his office and gave the order in a deep voice.

Before Morofushi Takaaki could respond, he heard his phone ring.

"...It's Yamato."

Zhu Fugaoming answered the phone, but hung up shortly after.

"He said he received more than a dozen missed calls from Officer Kano, but no one answered when he called back. There might have been an accident... Where is Officer Kano?"

"Ah, he said he thinks he's got a lead, so he's going home now."

The two policemen from the Takeda group answered.

"Then let's go over there right away!"

At Kuroda Hyoue's command, everyone except the Plague God's family crowded onto the car and sped off to Officer Kano's house.

I just pushed the door open.

Then I saw Yamato Kansuke.

"...to destroy the woodpecker, the God of War."

While reciting cringeworthy lines, Yamato Kansuke glared back.

"Boom!"

A flash of lightning streaked across the gloomy sky outside the window, illuminating the motionless figure hanging in mid-air beside Yamato Kansuke—it was Kano, who died with his eyes wide open in disbelief.

"...Agan, what are you saying?"

Uehara Yui took the initiative, attempting to directly understand the situation.

Yamato Kansuke wasn't stupid, of course, and pointed his phone at the crowd.

"It was a text message I received."

Sano glanced at it, "I am Bishamonten, —" followed by the cringeworthy line that Yamato Kansuke had just recited, which could be considered a victory declaration?

"Let's put the person down first."

Kuroda Hyōe chose to first understand the situation.

After a thorough investigation and analysis of the scene, the group concluded that the person was first strangled and then hung up. Although it took three people to successfully remove the body, it seemed that there must have been more than one person who did it. However, Kuroda Hyōe dismissed this by saying that "if you just put the person on a chair and then hang them up, even one person could succeed." He even added a sentence at the end.

"Even people with mobility impairments can succeed."

"Yes."

Yamato Kansuke nodded in agreement without the slightest change in expression.

Before the discussion could continue, a sound came from the pocket of Kano's corpse.

Zhu Fugao immediately took out his phone and glanced at it.

"...It was a text message sent from Mr. Takeda's cell phone."

"Oh, that's interesting."

Kuroda Hyoue's eyes were icy: "Read it."

"...There are three woodpeckers left."

Zhu Fugaoming reported the contents, causing the air in the room to quiet down.

"Oh."

Kuroda Hyoue smirked: "There are still two people left in the Takeda Group, but three Woodpeckers? So, it seems that Yamato, who was a member of the Takeda Group before, was also targeted by the culprit behind the scenes."

...and then came another round of mockery.

While on the surface, this is indeed the case.

But it is precisely because of this that Kuroda Hyōe has a legitimate reason to have doubts.

Yamato Kansuke was deliberately trying to clear himself of suspicion.

Yamato Kansuke, however, remained silent.

Immediately afterward, a member of the Takeda group who looked somewhat like one of the kids in the Plague God Squad suddenly asked Yamato Kansuke if he had any thoughts on the rope around the neck of the deceased Kano.

Yamato Kansuke leaned over and picked up the rope to examine it.

"Come to think of it, this seems a bit strange."

Upon seeing this, Uehara Yui criticized Yamato Kensuke for handling the evidence without wearing gloves.