Chapter 551: Your culprit is on the way
"The box of the life ladder? Who has nothing to do to burn such a thing..." Mouri Kogoro squinted his eyes and approached the fire ball in front of him, frowning In a ball.
It is quite rare for people to set fire to places like cruise ships.
After all, this is a means of transportation that everyone needs to take, including the arsonist himself. If he lights it randomly, if a fire is caused, the consequences will be quite serious.
Therefore, evidence worth destroying directly with flames must be of great importance.
"There's someone, there's someone in the fire..." Several people who followed him to check the situation quickly shouted.
The box containing the escape ladder shattered and disintegrated as the flames burned. Soon, a human hand with distinctive features emerged from the flames.
"It seems that we have no time to do anything." Standing in front of the flames, Hattori Heiji crossed his arms and looked very heavy.
Standing still in the same posture amidst the burning flames is enough to explain the problem. The box is definitely a corpse.
Obviously, someone died on the boat.
"It's really terrible..." Conan raised his hand and patted his forehead, speaking in a very serious tone.
The joker really got it right, the person who came here is not a good person.
The closed ship on the sea, the old case from 20 years ago, the detective and the old policeman, and now, the dead also appeared...
This ship gave him a feeling that he had no chance to return to Tokyo. Feel.
"Can't you put out the flames?" Isogai Nagisa suggested softly as he smelled the weird smell of burning at the end of his nose and covered his mouth and nose with a look of unbearability, took two steps back.
It is impossible for a living person to withstand such burning without moving at all. The box must contain a dead person.
But if it is allowed to burn like this, a group of people quietly watch a person being cremated on the spot, and the feeling is still very subtle.
"This is the only way." Samezaki Shimaji stared at the fire in front of him. The orange-red firelight illuminated his dark formal suit, making his face look particularly serious. "This place is destined to be... If it becomes a crime scene, any method of extinguishing the fire will inevitably cause further damage. He burned the body just to cover up something. We can't continue to destroy it, then it will be as the murderer wants."
"So, Who is this deceased? Could it be Ye Caisan?" Looking at the billowing smoke in front of him, Mouri Kogoro straightened his mouth and moved his feet uneasily.
“Not sure, I’ll ask the crew on the ship after a while, and then count and verify the number of people...” Samezaki Shimaji shook his head, turned back, and roughly glanced at the people who came out to check because of the movement outside. of other travelers.
There were quite a few people there, but at a glance, it seemed like there were still a few people missing.
If we consider the worst case scenario...
"Everyone should stay here. It is easier to verify and safer." Samezaki Shimaji weighed it and made a decision.
Mouri Kogoro nodded and looked at the black and gray formal attire of everyone present, the strange look on his face remained the same.
He understood the truth, but knowing that there was a corpse in front of them, a group of people stood here quietly waiting for the fire to burn out. There was always a weird feeling.
"It's like a farewell ceremony at a crematorium." Karasawa muttered quietly and bluntly, finishing what was in his heart for Mouri Kogoro.
Considering the identity of the deceased in front of him, Tang Ze felt that such a group of people watching his cremation here were really doing him a favor.
“There’s nothing we can do about it. After all, we can’t directly put the fire extinguisher on, and we can’t let it ignite other things. We still have to do a good job of flame retardant work.” Hattori Heiji rubbed his nose and clicked his tongue in frustration. .
His expression is also a little strange, but the reason is different from others.
This kind of gasoline, mixed with building materials, and the smell of human flesh, it smelled really disgusting and bad, and it would give him some bad associations.
And this bad association will bring him more strange ideas.
For example...the "unsolved cases from 20 years ago" they encountered recently, are they too many?
Twenty years ago, and 20 years ago again, there were still serious crimes such as robbery and murder.
What happened 20 years ago? Did someone make an appointment to do something? Why did such a bunch of ghosts and monsters suddenly appear, causing countless cases, and causing harm to this day?
The billowing flames in front of him remained silent.
————
"The 'Phantom Thieves of the Heart' stole the bank safe?"
After returning home after a long journey, Fangtani Rei had not yet finished sorting out the information and information. The first phone call he received made his expression crack.
"Yes. We compared the notice letter found on site with the old samples. It doesn't look like someone is impostering." Kazami Yuya looked at the report in his hand and said cautiously.
Furthermore, since the previous killing of chickens to scare monkeys, no one dared to impersonate their names and act haphazardly.
If their ability, or means, is really to make people repent of their past sins from a spiritual level, no one would dare to provoke them without knowing how everything happened.
No one is perfect. No one can stand the scrutiny of a magnifying glass. No one dares to claim that he has never done anything bad in his life. Being targeted by the Phantom Thieves of the Heart is something that he will absolutely avoid.
"Send me a copy of the specific situation and I will reply to you later." Rei Fangtani, who missed the report because he was attending a banquet, answered seriously. He looked at the document that had just begun in front of him and felt helpless. He rubbed his head.
It's really troublesome. I haven't finished sorting out the newly obtained information. I haven't notified the zero team of some new clues about the organization and the direction of the investigation. New work is on the desk again.
Looks like I won’t have a good rest tonight again.
Well, I have to go to the main office tomorrow. There are some cases that need to be transferred for inspection, and I have to meet Yuya Kazami.
Over at the cafe, Tang Zeren is not here. Maybe you can consider taking a leave and concentrate on the work here...
Close your eyes to sort out your thoughts, and let your eyes rest for a while. Jiang Guling heard the email notification sound coming from the laptop.
Feng Jian is very efficient...
Slightly surprised, he opened his eyes and looked at the interface that popped up.
The sender is——Tang Ze.
[There was a small accident on the ship. To put it simply, someone died.
The people who signed up for the tour group here seem to be related to an old case. Don’t worry, I have basically figured out the situation.
Small problems will be solved soon, but it seems that my "vacation" will come to nothing again.
If anything happens, we’ll talk about it tomorrow. 】
"A little accident", "a small problem", "the vacation is ruined", "see you tomorrow"...
You can see all these keywords at a glance. This email is simply the last one that breaks the camel's back. Straw.
Jiang Gu Ling seemed to hear the string he was tightening completely break with a "crack" sound.
Half a minute later.
"I'm still sorting out news videos and...ah? What do you mean by preparing to go to the port to fish for people? Mr. Fukitani?"
————
“It’s completely changed beyond recognition.” Seeing that the body had been completely carbonized, leaving only a pitch-black body, Samezakijima Haruhi said calmly.
Tang Ze, who had just finished sending the haunting email, raised his head and looked around at the crowd of spectators, feeling amazed in his heart.
Regardless of the circumstances of death, or the corpse that was burned so tragically, many criminal policemen can be considered psychologically competent if they can stably examine the scene without vomiting when they encounter this kind of case.
As a result, you see, a group of more than ten people, a group of passengers and several crew members, watched the burning scene without changing their expressions. Now they are standing in front of the corpse that exudes a strange roasting smell, with expressions on their faces. He calmly began to analyze the case.
It’s up to you Tokyoites to say it or not.
Look at the murderer, Sadao Umai, hiding at the back of the crowd with a pale face, trembling and afraid to come over.
Although theoretically, he should be in the stage of "acting to believe that Ye Caisan is really resurrected, and worrying about his retaliation and being terrified", but looking at his face, this blue and white look like he is about to vomit... …
I feel like I was scared and split, it doesn’t look like acting.
Considering that this is a guy who has undergone plastic surgery and whose facial muscles are actually stiff, this look really doesn’t look like acting. It's Hattori Heiji you invited, right? Because you are from Kansai, you can't think of anyone else to invite.
Obviously you killed the person yourself, chose the method yourself, and made all the fuss about it.
After making some sharp comments in his heart, Tangze looked back at the people in the discussion.
"Could it be Kanie Isaku?" Ebina Minoru, who was taciturn and had a tense face all the time, and hardly talked to anyone after boarding the boat, suddenly pointed to the charred object on the wrist of the corpse, "That one looks like It looks like a watch. I remember that Kanijiu was wearing a gold watch on his hand."
"It seems so." Mouri Kogoro bent down and looked at the body for a moment before nodding. , "Although it was completely burnt to black, it could still be vaguely seen as a turtleneck sweater. He was the only one who wore it like this."
"The watch doesn't look right." Hattori Heiji pointed to the loose ring on the left hand of the corpse. "This watch strap should not be buckled properly. It doesn't fit at all."
"It should be and When the gasoline inside exploded, it probably exploded," Mouri Kogoro speculated after studying for a moment.
"Well, it's possible. The plastic sheet covering this box seems to be missing." Samezaki Shimaji said while observing.
“Plastic sheet?” Hattori Heiji raised his eyebrows.
“Yes, when we were looking for Ye Caisan, after searching the room, we checked the deck. At that time, the box was covered with a plastic sheet that said emergency escape ladder. Since there was a rope tied from the outside, we I thought it was impossible for someone to be hiding inside, so I didn't check further." Mouri Kogoro briefly described the situation.
"Is that so..." Hattori Heiji pinched his chin and observed the situation in front of him, his expression became intriguing.
Looking at the scene that was getting better and better before him, Tang Ze looked left and right, and glanced at the murderer himself who was tightly pressed against the wall behind him, daring not to move, and smiled humorously.
I will record some material later and hurry up and finish the case. It is getting late. If it is too late, what time will it be when I return to Tokyo?
Oh, by the way, there is one more thing to solve.
Seeing that no one noticed him, Tang Ze silently opened his aura mask and quietly retreated to the edge of the crowd, taking advantage of the opportunity when the detectives began to observe the remains of the disguise prosthesis on the corpse's face. , slowly left the crowd.
It’s time to arrange the next things in advance.
[Joker: Okay, everyone is dead and they are all busy watching the fun. You can prepare to come up. 】
【illusion: Is there a rope ladder on the ship? Do you have any spares? The rope ladder on the bow looked useless. 】
[Shade: Well, indeed, it looks like a corpse is hanging. How to say it? A decoration that fits the character of this ship very well. 】
[Joker: Yes, this murderer really likes to cause trouble for others... Turn on the light and I'll come over with a scarf. 】
[KID: Wait a minute, wait a minute! What does it mean to have all the people dead, and what does it mean to have a corpse hanging? ! Next time you discuss strange things, can you talk about it in your own group? ! 】
[KID: Hey, where is the person! 】
【KID: Hey, can you each look at your phone when you are moving? 】
【KID: Is there anyone? If you don't say anything, I'll call the police! 】
————
"It's totally an open flame fight..."
Holding a cup of coffee, Fang Gurei pressed the pause button and looked at the box covered with bright red notice letters in the screen, his expression became serious.
In addition to this video, there were many different documents spread out in front of him.
After the Phantom Thieves of Heart acted in a high-profile manner, their past actions surrounding Kogoro Mori gradually began to be ignored by some people. Although some people still bound the two parties, the level of discussion was obviously not as good as forward.
This seems to express the upgrade of the Phantom Thieves' channels for obtaining intelligence. With the establishment of the website, they have gained the opportunity to directly contact the people and public opinion. Detective seems to be no longer a necessary condition, but a possibility. An optional addition.
But Feng Guling didn't think so.
Just like the most important case of a serial murderer is always the first one, when anyone starts doing something, they are not rigorous and there will be flaws.
There must be some inevitability in choosing a commission related to Kogoro Mouri as the starting point for the Phantom Thieves.
So at this moment, what unfolded in front of him was the relevant news and case summary about "Shadow Planner" Ye Caisan.
Karasawa followed Mouri Kogoro to the cruise ship, and now Karasawa has clearly told him that a murder occurred on the ship. At the same time, the Phantom Thieves of Heart stole money from a bank in Tokyo. 8 bags of items suspected to be cash...
"Furukawa Dai, one of Ye Caisan's common aliases..." Touching his chin, Fukutani Rei narrowed his eyes, "So, many of the people on board should be related to his case. "Yes."
Not long after Mouri Kogoro boarded the ship, a safe in a bank signed by Furukawa Dai was robbed by the Phantom Thieves of the Heart.
It was as if he was deliberately creating an alibi for himself. After all, the only appearance of other members of the Phantom Thieves of the Heart was at that undisclosed game conference, and the public did not know about it. Many, it seems, still acquiesce that when the Phantom Thieves of Heart act, they represent the actions of the joker.
Is this really a coincidence?
He remembered that on this trip, it was the Maori father and daughter upstairs who found Tangze after discovering the betting news in the newspaper and said that they wanted to invite him to travel to sea together.
Could it be that Joker is really among them...
The faces of the three people living upstairs flashed through his mind, and Fangtani Rei looked at the paused video with sharp eyes.
On the floor of the bank vault, the bright red logo painted with spray paint is like a flame with a strong presence, dancing in the dim light and shadow, as if cutting through the night.
So, he hates red the most.
"A primary school student who is unusually smart..." Rei Fukutani pulled out the document for organizing records and slowly typed a line of words on it.
"Edogawa Conan".
————
“A sneeze, a sneeze——!”
“Conan, are you okay?” Leaning on the other side of the railing, he asked melancholy Mao Lilan, who was looking at the sea under the moon, suddenly turned her head, walked over nervously, pulled the little boy who was sneezing over, and looked at him worriedly, "Did you catch a cold, or is the smell too exciting?"
"I don't know either..." Conan raised his hand to cover his mouth and nose and said angrily.
There was just a bit of burning corpses and the smell of gasoline... He had even been to the scene of a murder case where explosions occurred, how could he be irritated by this smell.
As for catching a cold...
It was indeed a bit cold on the boat at night, but it didn’t seem to be this bad.
Strange, where did this inexplicable cold come from...
"It has been confirmed that when the explosion occurred at the stern of the ship, except for us passengers, the captain and all None of the crew members acted alone, and there were at least two or more people passing through, so they all have alibi," Mouri Kogoro said solemnly, "In other words, we rushed to the deck above when we discovered that the flag was lit. The explosion heard must have been started by someone other than us.”
"Ye Zaisan hiding somewhere?" Samezaki Shimaji squinted his eyes, slowly worked his back molars, and said the name again.
Like a tiger that has set its sights on prey, but unfortunately it is an old tiger.
Isogai Nagisa observed his expression, raised the corner of his mouth sarcastically, and added: "There is another person. Kameda Teruyoshi. He didn't mean to be seasick. He staggered away after reading the news. Have you seen him yet? "
"Really. Go to his room?" Samezaki Shimaji calmed down and stopped thinking about the name that had troubled him for many years. Bring your attention to the current situation.
"Yes, then we..."
Before they could discuss a charter, there was a burst of noise on the deck outside.
“There are dead people, there are dead people!”
“Someone fell into the water outside!”
“Lifeboat, where is the lifeboat——”
In the restaurant Everyone in the crowd immediately focused their attention and ran outside quickly.
"...Oops." Conan, who was running ahead, scanned everyone present with his peripheral vision, but couldn't find any familiar faces. He thought to himself, "Where is Tang Zeren?"
(End of this chapter)