Maori Kogoro began to understand everything

To give an inappropriate example, this weird feeling reminded Inspector Megure of the movie with both love and action elements that he loved to watch when he was young, "What in front of the husband..."

"Now let me practice the murderer's methods,"

The "yellow-haired" Maori, who had no idea what Inspector Megure was thinking, continued to explain on his own, "First, put the elastic band on the end of the handle of the knife, and throw it into the dormitory through the gap in the wooden board. Then, pass another elastic band through the eye holes of all the masks. As for the elastic band with the murder weapon, pass it through the mouth of each mask..."

Mamoru Matsudaira and others watched in amazement as the murderous knife and mask connected by elastic bands were thrown into the room through the gaps in the wooden boards, while Touya Aikawa was sweating profusely.

Maori's stern eyes swept over the gritting-teeth Aichuan: "The key to the Mask Room is in the kitchen on the first floor. People who come here often should know that after everyone fell asleep, the murderer took the key and stole the two hundred masks and the knife used to kill Ms. Sufang in the Mask Room. After locking the door, he took the key back to the kitchen, and then came to this room. After making all the preparations, he called Miss Honami, the maid on the second floor."

Officer Megure's expression changed drastically: "Could it be that Aichuan was here preparing to kill Ms. Sufang?!"

"Shh!"

As all the masks were dropped, Detective Takagi next door pulled the elastic band hard, and the loose masks immediately began to gather together, constantly stacking up, twisting and swaying like long snakes as if they were alive, and finally all were tightened above the throat of the dummy hovering over the bed.

It looked like a human-faced snake monster with a dagger in its mouth, staring at the dummy's throat.

Maori calmly watched the changes in the two hundred masks.

After the forensic personnel collected evidence at the scene, he carefully examined the scene from beginning to end, especially the masks scattered around the body according to the curse legend.

The first mask was covered in blood, while the following masks only had a little blood around the mouth.

In addition, because the murderous knife was bitten by the mask, the handle of the knife was also stained with blood...

The thickness of the mask, the gaps between the wooden boards, the distance between the wooden boards and the body on the bed, the strange bloodstains...these clues were enough for him to figure out the criminal's general modus operandi.

With a rough framework in place, he quickly found traces of the murderer using elastic bands and successfully restored the method.

"The lattice plank was about 3.5 meters away from Ms. Sufang's throat, and all the masks stacked together were at least 3 meters away," Mao Li continued. "In fact, the tip of the murder knife was only 10 centimeters away from the victim's throat. If you push the mask with something like a stick at the other end, it would be enough for the murder knife to pierce the throat."

"This……"

Inspector Megure stared with wide eyes as the dagger pierced the dummy's throat.

Facts speak louder than words. It is actually possible to kill someone outside the door...

"Finally, as long as you cut the elastic band that passes through the knife and the mask, the mask will naturally bounce everywhere," Mao Li turned to Aichuan Fuya with a serious expression, "Am I right, Mr. Aichuan?"

Lan Chuan watched in horror as the masks fell apart one after another, his face pale: "You..."

……

At the gate of the villa, Lan Chuan was silently taken into the police car.

"However," Xiaolan couldn't help but say as she looked at Lanchuan's back, "Mr. Lanchuan is actually quite pitiful."

According to Aikawa's confession, Mr. Katagiri's wife died in a car accident 20 years ago. The perpetrator at that time was actually Soho Akiko, but Soho Akiko pushed the crime onto Aikawa's mother and killed her to create the illusion of suicide. Even the charity activities she had held over the years were just to enrich herself.

Perhaps from the simple perspective of Xiaolan, this Sofang Hongzi is indeed despicable and cruel, but Maori, as a father, knows very well that Sofang Hongzi is just an ordinary representative among these seemingly glamorous celebrities - there are many people who have done more immoral and heinous things than her.

In this regard, Mao Li not only warned himself again that he must not fall to such a state like this woman, but he also made up his mind again that if he, as a detective, encountered such a thing, he would do his best to expose and change it.

……

When it was time to say goodbye, everyone left the villa. Katagiri Masanori and others stood beside the car parked in the yard with emotion, looking at the tall brick-red mansion behind them with a sigh.

From the time Maori solved the mystery of the case until now, several people have not yet recovered from the bizarre criminal methods. This house seems to have really been cursed by the mask, and the blood-stained mask can never be erased from everyone's heart.

Just as the rumors said, this is the mansion where the Cursed Mask lives...

Maori looked back at the castle-like building and his eyes fell on the twin maids who were also preparing to move out. The two young girls were holding hands, looking pitiful in the cold wind.

After thinking for a moment, Mao Li walked quickly towards the twins in the surprised eyes of everyone:

"Ms. Honami, Ms. Minaho, to be honest, I know a pastry chef named Kosaka Natsumi. She just came back from abroad and is planning to open a coffee shop. I wonder if you two are interested..."

……

Not long after returning from Soho Akako's house, Conan, whose execution ability and curiosity far exceeded those of ordinary people, quickly began to investigate the matter of Mori's resignation from the Metropolitan Police Department. Although finding out the reason or not would not have any substantial impact on Conan, the mere reason of killing time was enough to make him devote his energy to it.

There was no way. These kids in the Junior Detective League had recently become obsessed with a special new series of animation by Kamen Rider. They would always ask Conan to do role-playing, and every time they made him play the villain. If he didn't find something adult-oriented that could stimulate the brain cells of this high school detective, he felt that he would soon go crazy.

But then again, even for a police officer, it is not easy to investigate the affairs of a senior who left the company more than ten years ago, let alone Conan, an ordinary high school student who has become a child. Even if he secretly asked Detective Takagi, an honest man with whom he has a good relationship, he still couldn't find out anything.

And it was in this situation that Conan suddenly heard that Officer Megure was attacked and was injured and hospitalized.

At the Midori Police Hospital, when Conan and the kids from the Junior Detective League rushed to the ward, Maori and others were already there.

"Ah, Conan, and the kids, you guys are here to see me too?"

Even though Inspector Megure was lying on the bed, he was still dressed the same as before, and he was very happy to see Conan and the other three.

"Inspector Megure, you always take care of us so much, of course we should come to see you,"

Conan placed the flowers that the children had paid for together beside Inspector Megure's bed, and then asked, "How are you? Are you okay with your injury?"

Officer Shiratori, who was standing by, explained, "Fortunately, he didn't suffer any serious injuries this time, so his life is not in danger. However, he will have to stay in the hospital for a few days for observation."

"Has the criminal been caught?"

The children seemed very concerned.

"Not yet. The criminal used a manual crossbow. The team leader was jogging at the time. We are still investigating whether the criminal attacked the team leader specifically or just happened to pass by."

"It's more likely that they specifically attacked Officer Megure," Maori said in a deep voice, "Do you have a suspect? For example, someone who hates Officer Megure."

Be it a policeman or a detective, both professions make it easy to make enemies with others, so it is not uncommon to be retaliated against.

"Is it possible that this is related to the criminal that Inspector Megure arrested?"

Dr. Agasa asked.

"As for the criminal," Megure frowned and said, "it might be Murakami-jo. He was arrested by me and my brother Mori for murder ten years ago, and was released from prison a week ago."

Officer Shiratori's expression suddenly became serious: "I'll go investigate right away!"

"Are there any other clues?"

Conan asked curiously.

"We found a very strange thing at the scene," Shiratori took out a cardboard sword, "This is it."

"this thing……"

Conan stared at the paper sword for a while, turned around to ask Maori, and suddenly found that Maori had a serious face and didn't know what he was thinking.

(Is Uncle thinking about the criminal Murakami Jō who was arrested by him and Inspector Megure?)

"Uncle, if the criminal is really that Murakami-jo, you should be careful."

Conan kindly reminded.

"I know."

Mao Li nodded, "If it was him, he might have attacked me as well."

……

Just as Conan had worried, the attack on Inspector Megure really became the beginning of a series of attacks - right after Inspector Megure, Xiaolan's mother Kisaki Eri was admitted to the Touto University Hospital due to acute food poisoning, and Dr. Agasa was also attacked by the criminal's crossbow.

"Dr. Agasa, what's going on?"

After receiving the news that Dr. Agasa was attacked, Maori immediately rushed over from Touto University Hospital. After placing a basket of fruit beside the bed, he asked anxiously.

"I'm fine," Dr. Agasa said, lying on the bed, "I was just shot in the butt."

"Mr. Maori, we found a paper rapier at the scene where Officer Megure was attacked, and paper flowers were recovered from the chocolate package that Ms. Hime received. Now we found this in the courtyard of Dr. Agasa's house..."

As Officer Shiratori said this, he took out a strange object sealed in an evidence bag. It looked like a short sword with a twist.

“It’s indeed a poker card!”

"It's playing cards~"

Maori and Conan, who walked into the ward holding a spade playing card, said in unison.

The latter looked at Mao Li and asked Mao Li to explain further: "These things were made by the prisoners according to the patterns on the playing cards."

"Poker cards?"

"The criminal used playing cards to commit the crime," Maori said in a deep voice. "The first person to be attacked was Officer Megure. Officer Megure's name is Megure Jusan, which corresponds to the King of Spades in playing cards. The King of Spades holds a rapier, which is exactly the same shape as the paper sword that fell at the scene."

"King of Spades..."

Officer Shiratori took the cards Conan handed him and looked at them, and indeed saw what Maori said.

"Is Inspector Megure's original name Megure Jusan?"

The children's attention span was as strange as ever.

“I never knew…”

"Because usually I just call him Officer Megure."

Officer Shiratori continued, "So lawyer Hime and Dr. Agasa are also related to playing cards? But there are no numbers in their names?"

"Auntie's last name 'Fei' means Queen in English, which is the Queen of Spades,"

Conan took out the Queen of Spades and a photo of a paper flower, "The Queen is holding a flower like this in the Queen of Spades."

"Where's Dr. Ari?"

"The '士' in Dr. Agasa's name can be separated into '十一', which is the Jack of Spades. Spades represent death. The criminal is probably hinting that he will attack people whose names contain numbers from 13 to 1 one after another."

Maori looked serious.

"Does this mean that this is a warning of murder?"

It was hard for Shiratori not to think of the last ring line explosion incident - the architect Teiji Moriya, who was both a genius and a madman, also left a bomb hint at the beginning.

"But just based on this, we don't know who the criminal is, and who the next target will be..."

"The criminal must be Murakami-jo,"

Officer Megure suddenly came in from outside and said solemnly, "I've heard everything. If it's related to the cards, it's very likely him. He was released from prison a week ago and now there's suddenly no news. I'm afraid he's still hiding somewhere preparing for his next murder."

"Murakami-jo..."

Hearing the name again, Mao Li's face became even more serious.

"Come to think of it, Officer Megure, you guys were just injured," Conan asked in confusion, "If the criminal is Murakami, it's too strange that he failed three times. What is his purpose?"

"Regarding this," Inspector Megure looked at Mori, "I think he might be targeting brother Mori. Perhaps his purpose is just to torture Mori as much as possible..."

"Uncle?! Why?"

"Although Maori and I arrested him together ten years ago, it was Maori who was the main one..."

……

The next day, it was already afternoon when Conan received the news.

This time it was professional golfer Hiroki Tsuji, also an acquaintance of Mori’s and a sports star whose last name just happened to have the character “ten” in it.

Conan heard from Detective Takagi that Hiroki Tsuji's eye drops were replaced, and he had eye problems while flying the helicopter and almost fell to his death. It was because Officer Megure, who was with him, obeyed Mori's instructions and called the Metropolitan Police Department's helicopter to follow closely in time and let the other party's pilot remotely guide Hiroki Tsuji to perform blind operations that they barely managed to save their lives.

After hanging up the phone with Takagi, Conan was about to go find Maori, but the latter called him directly.

"Conan boy,"

Mao Li said on the phone, "This time is different from the previous time. If the helicopter called by Officer Megure had not arrived in time, and the pilot was not experienced, Mr. Hiroki would not have survived. So the criminal really intended to kill Mr. Hiroki!"

Maori's tone was quite heavy: "Inspector Megure and I are going to Tokyo Bay Crystal to find Mr. Asahi Katsuyoshi. He may be the next victim. Although the police are also protecting him, can you please help look after Eri and Dr. Agasa? I'm worried that the criminal will continue to attack them."

"Leave it to me, uncle,"

Conan wondered, "But is the next victim really that Asahi Katsuyoshi?"

He had seen the news about the opening of the Crystal Ocean Entertainment Center on TV a few days ago. The owner who was interviewed, Xu Shengyi, was a very wealthy entrepreneur, and he had never heard of any connection with Mao Li.

"He's the only person I've dealt with who has the character '9' in his name. I only met him because I was looking for a cat, but Murakami-jo might have misunderstood something."

Maori said seriously, "Anyway, Conan, I'll leave Eri's affairs to you. Consider it my commission to you."

Conan was slightly stunned when he heard Maori's strange tone.

(uncle……)

……

Because of Maori's request and because he wanted to re-investigate this case, Conan once again came to the Touto University Hospital where Kisaki Eri was receiving treatment. It is worth mentioning that Xiaolan's best friend Sonoko volunteered to take Xiaolan's place and accompany her here.

After talking again with Takagi, who is in charge of security here, Conan realized that the police investigation was not as smooth as he had imagined. Until now, he hadn't even seen the shadow of Murakami Joe, which gave him a bad feeling.