Maori Kogoro began to understand everything

Page 141

"Ah? Isn't it?" Mitsuhiko looked disappointed. "Then who stole the scroll?"

Maori looked at the silent old woman and paused. Under everyone's gaze, he said, "There are two suspicious points. Although the living room and bedroom were turned over, the places that were turned over were not high. Those that were slightly higher were not moved... In addition, there are these Girls' Festival dolls."

"What happened to the doll?"

"Take a closer look. Is there any difference from the previous arrangement?"

Mao Li took the camera and called up the photos he had taken earlier.

"The positions of the Emperor and Empress are reversed, and the positions of the other 13 dolls are also somewhat off..."

"It's true!" Ayumi and the others came close to the camera screen.

"So what?" Ai looked at the wall next to her where the scroll was originally hung. "Uncle, do you think that the criminal accidentally bumped into the shelf when he was taking the scroll and knocked the doll off, and then put the doll in the wrong place when he rearranged it?"

"I know!" Mitsuhiko said excitedly, "The criminal is someone who doesn't know how to arrange the dolls, so it's obviously Mr. Jinqu. He said he doesn't have a daughter so he's not interested in dolls..."

Maori smiled and said, "It's just the position of the Emperor and the Empress that is wrong. It's impossible for someone who is not familiar with it to rearrange so many dolls in a few minutes... In fact, the position of the Emperor and the Empress is just different from before. I don't quite understand whether there is any mistake or not. Maybe it's a different arrangement..."

"Uncle Maori is right," Conan interrupted, "This arrangement should be the traditional one in Kyoto, right, old lady?"

The old man closed his eyes and said, "In Kyoto, there are indeed many people who arrange things this way..."

The housewife looked at the old woman worriedly: "Mom..."

"Hey, hey," Fatty Jinqu asked in surprise, "Could it be that the criminal is really the old lady herself?"

"It can't be said that she is a criminal," Maori continued, "but it is true that it was the old woman who hid the scroll... Mr. Mie is an expert and can tell that these are dolls from Kyoto. He obviously knows the traditional way of arranging them. However, he and Mrs. Kanno have seen how Ayumi was arranged, so there is no need to change it. Besides, they don't have time to do these things. The only one who could have done it is the old woman who directed and acted it herself..."

"Where is that scroll?" Jin Qu looked at the doll stand on the seven steps in confusion. "How could the old lady knock over this stand?"

Mao Li did not answer directly: "Let's take all the dolls away first... The dolls were not knocked over when running away. The reason why grandma rearranged the dolls will be revealed when you lift up the red felt..."

"This is……"

Jinqu and the others helped to take the doll away, and after lifting the red carpet on the steps, they were all shocked by the scroll that was spread out and hidden under the red carpet.

"So that's how it is. It's hard to see the painting unless you move all the dolls away... How did you know?"

"This is because the doll placed on the thin wood scroll is slightly tilted forward. The thick wood scroll can be placed on the top and covered with red felt, but the thin wood scroll cannot be covered..."

Mao Li looked at the silent old man silently: "But it's still hard to detect. Grandma probably wants to wait for the police to come and search, and then secretly put it away while she is cleaning up the dolls."

"But," Guanye looked helplessly at the hanging scroll spread out on the shelf, "How could my mother do such a thing..."

Jinqu hesitated and said, "Old lady, are you really going to pretend that the scroll was stolen and defraud the insurance money?"

"I won't do anything that would bring down the gods..."

The old man looked even older, and he looked at the Thunder God scroll quietly: "Because this scroll is the guardian deity of the Guanye family, I did this to hide it and wait for my son to come back and see it... The Guanye family can no longer repeat my past mistakes..."

"mistake?"

"The other scroll of the God of Wind collected by Mr. Jinqu was actually found in the warehouse of my husband's house, just like the scroll of the God of Thunder. But when my son and his wife got married, they had no money to buy a house, so I sold the God of Wind and didn't tell my husband who was on a company trip..."

The old woman stood with her hands behind her back and said sadly, "Who would have thought that the ship my husband was on sank? The typhoon they encountered was like something brought on by the God of Wind..."

Jinqu's tongue trembled: "Then, is that scroll of the wind god cursed?"

"There is no curse," the old man shook his head. "Isn't it always like this? The doll is placed next to the child's pillow to eliminate the bad luck Zog's substitute. Perhaps these two paintings are also on behalf of our Guanye family to bear the disaster that befell us... So please don't interfere with this Thor scroll. We won't sell it."

"Uh...hahaha," Jin Qu waved his hands with sweat all over his forehead, "It's enough for me to have the Wind God, just pretend I never said anything..."

The old man put his worries aside after hearing this, and silently glanced around the room. He turned to Mao Li and said, "Detective Mao Li, I'm sorry to trouble you. Take me to the police station now..."

"Why go to the police station?" Mao Li shook his head and laughed, "Mother-in-law was just joking. Besides, I'm not a policeman. I'm just a passerby detective who wants to drink some sweet wine... I've been here for so long, and I'm hungry."

The old man was stunned for a moment, his face wrinkled and he said, "I will cook for you right away, please be sure to taste my cooking skills."

……

At the Maori Detective Agency, in the evening, as night fell, a light rain suddenly began to fall.

Xiaolan served Maori a bowl of rice, then sat down next to Xiaoai, picked up a piece of beef and took a few bites: "Ah... Is the beef overcooked today?"

"Is it okay? I think it's delicious."

Maori was eating beef and drinking beer very happily.

"It tastes delicious, Sister Xiaolan."

Xiao Ai also laughed.

"Really, that's good!"

Xiaolan breathed a sigh of relief, and then seemed to remember something, "Oh, by the way, Dad, the day after tomorrow, Sonoko said that the Suzuki Group has a banquet and wants to invite you to attend..."

"banquet?"

……

On the weekend, because the banquet was held on the Suzuki family cruise ship in the evening, Maori took the time to prepare a new dress for himself, Xiaolan and Xiaoai, and he also got a haircut.

After boarding the cruise ship, Maori and the other two followed the guests to the banquet hall, where many upper-class people and elites had already gathered. Of course, Maori was the only detective.

There was also the magician Kazuzo Sanada who appeared at the last party, but the most popular person was a very artistic uncle-type young man, around 30 years old, who seemed more charming than this detective uncle.

Xiaolan and Xiaoai went to find Sonoko together, while Maori looked around the hall.

The young man, who looked like an artistic uncle, had stubble on his chin and a hint of melancholy in his eyes. Maori looked at the table next to him and saw a cute girl with long brown hair in a ponytail staring at the young man, her slightly red face full of admiration.

"Everyone," the host called out from the front stage, "Before the banquet officially begins, let us invite our special guest, the talented musician Mr. Yuga Kyosuke!"

"Oh!"

The guests nearby commented in surprise: "He is the one with the perfect pitch, Kyosuke Hanega!"

"I've heard of him, a talented composer who has written several stage plays and movie theme songs, but why is he here?"

"Haga Kyosuke?"

Maori looked at the young man who was invited to the stage by the host.

No wonder she is so popular, she is both elegant and talented.

"Hello," the cute ponytailed girl suddenly came over and said happily, "You are the famous detective Maori Kogoro, right?"

"Ok?"

Maori looked at the girl in surprise.

"My name is Shitara Renki," the girl seemed to feel a little awkward, and blushed as she explained, "The one who came on stage just now, Yuga Kyosuke, is my uncle..."

"Shitara?" Maori reacted. "Could it be that famous musical family, the Shitara family?"

"Yes, my grandfather is Shitara Choichiro." The girl was honored to hear her family's name. She smiled sweetly and said a little embarrassedly, "Actually, I want to trouble you, the famous detective, with a favor. If you can't..."

"How can a detective who easily refuses other people's commissions be called a famous detective?"

Maori laughed.

"Really?" The girl's eyes narrowed into crescents with joy. "Then it's settled. Mr. Maori, you can just come to my house the day after tomorrow. I will treat you well."

……

The next day.

"Mr. Maori Kogoro? My master did not arrange a meeting with you..."

"Ah, no, the client is Ms. Renxi, the granddaughter of Mr. Shitara Choichiro..."

In front of an old European-style villa at dusk, the courtyard is very spacious. Maori is dealing with the Shitara family's housekeeper, an intellectual old woman wearing glasses. Waves of melodious violin sounds are heard from the building next door.

"Ms. Lian Xi is practicing the violin in the annex right now," the old woman pushed up her glasses and looked towards the building where the violin sound came from. "Did you hear it?"

"Is it Miss Lianxi who is playing the music?" Mao Li asked in surprise, "It's even better than the music at the banquet before!"

"Of course. After all, the violins used are different. The Shitara family's violins are all handed down from generation to generation." The butler did not appreciate it at all. He turned and walked towards the annex and said, "Although I don't know what kind of agreement the young lady has with you, please don't disturb her practice, because the young lady has an important performance tonight."

"tonight?"

"Today is our master's 72nd birthday party. Didn't the young lady tell you?"

"This one……"

Mao Li followed the housekeeper somewhat awkwardly, and the careless young lady really didn't say anything.

As he followed the butler inside, Maori looked at the castle-like building with curiosity.

They are a musical family, so the villa is indeed quite old...

"Ms. Renxi!" The butler brought Maori and others to the lobby of the annex, and reminded Shitara Renxi who was practicing the violin, "Mr. Maori is looking for you..."

"Ah?" Shitara Renxi turned around and put down her violin happily when she saw Maori and his group. "Mr. Maori, you are really here? I thought you forgot!"

Mao Li said helplessly: "Because Miss Lian Xi, you didn't even leave your phone number..."

Shitara Renki was embarrassed: "S-Sorry, I always lose things..."

"It's okay." Maori chuckled and nodded to Shitara Renki, then turned his attention to Haneki Kyosuke who was talking on the phone at the window.

"That song?" Yuga Kyosuke seemed to be completely oblivious to the customer's presence and was concentrating on the call. "I want to separate the articulations a little more finely. Is that okay? I may have to lower the key later on..."

"Uncle Kyosuke," Shitara Renki blushed and stuttered as she looked at Yuga Kyosuke, "How was my performance?"

"Very good," Yuga Kyosuke turned around and smiled, "Although the 1/4 tone in one place was lowered by a half tone, but I think it's better this way..."

Then he turned to Mao Li and said, "Detective Mao Li, are you going to attend the banquet today as well? Oh, sorry, I have to take a call..."

Without waiting for Maori to respond, Yuga Kyosuke started talking about the next phone call. He looked busy and was discussing the arrangement.

"Send someone here!" Suddenly, a somewhat hysterical voice of an old lady came from outside, and a fat woman who seemed to be mentally ill walked into the living room. "Where are you, send someone here? I heard the sound of a violin. Don't hide, come out now!"

"Grandma?" Shitara Renxi was startled and quickly supported the fat woman, "Dad passed away on this day last year. Have you forgotten, grandma?!"

"No!" The fat woman looked around the hall with a stiff face as if she was possessed by a demon. "The surrendered man..."

"Don't embarrass me anymore, Xuanyin!" A short bald old man followed with a cane, "Stop chasing after a dead man! Our son surrendered and died a year ago, don't you understand?!"

"Grandpa! Didn't the doctor say you couldn't come out?" Shitara Renki stepped forward to support the coughing old man and apologized to Maori, "I'm sorry, I have to settle grandpa and grandma first. Can you wait for me at the main building? I'll tell you about the commission later..."

"Ok."

Maori felt a little regretful. It seemed that this musical family was causing trouble again.

However, he was soon attracted by the violin that Renki Shitara placed on the table. It indeed looked very valuable. Even though he didn't know how to play the violin, he couldn't help but want to pick it up and play it. However, after seeing the housekeeper's pressing gaze, he gave up the idea.

I won't make any more noise here...

It got dark very early, and the housekeeper took everyone to a room in the hotel to wait. After a while, the moon could be seen outside.

Shela Lianxi pushed the door open, panting slightly, with a violin case in her hand.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Detective Maori."

Chapter 150: Murderous Scale

“This violin…”

"Actually, I'm bothering you just because of this violin," Shitara Renxi smiled apologetically, opened the violin case on the table, revealing a violin that looked quite old.

Xiaolan came closer and said with emotion: "It seems to have a lot of history, and the color is very elegant, really nice..."

"Yes," Shitara Renki chuckled, "This is a violin that was handmade three hundred years ago."

"A violin handcrafted three hundred years ago? Could it be..."

"Yes, the maker of this violin,"

Shitara Renxi smiled and said, "It is Antonio Stradivari from Italy..."

"S-Stradivarius?"

Xiaolan's eyes widened. "Could this be... the legendary Stradivari violin that is said to be worth hundreds of millions of yen?"

"Exactly."

"So Ms. Shitara, what exactly do you want to say..."

"Is such that……"

……

"call."