There were countless luxury cars on the premises, but it was impossible to tell whose was whose. However, if you thought about it, everyone there, except for Kogoro Mouri, was pretty well-off.
"Hmm... my car," Ikumi Sugita said, hesitating slightly. "What about your car?"
Fujino replied, "My Taurus broke down during a trip a few days ago, so I rode in Old Man Mouri's car today."
"My beloved Romeo is gone too..." Mogi Haruomi said, a pang in his heart. "Oogami's Porsche looks like it's been burned to ashes."
"Hmm... Young Fujino didn't drive, so we can pretty much confirm the cars in the parking lot now," Ikumi Sugita thought for a moment, then looked at Hakuba Saguru. "So, that Mercedes must be yours, right?"
"I had a driver bring me today," Hakuba Saguru shook his head. "Although I have a driver's license in England, it's completely useless back in Japan."
"That's strange then..." Senjuro Kyodai, naturally knowing the origin of the Mercedes, didn't reveal it as the mastermind, but instead guided the conversation. "If everyone else's cars match up, then whose car is that?"
"I think it might be our master's," the maid nearby thoughtfully replied. "When I arrived here this morning, I saw this Mercedes parked here already."
Ran was startled and looked worried. "Does that mean there's someone else in this mansion besides us?!"
"I don't know..." The maid seemed nervous, biting her thumb anxiously. "My car is parked at the back entrance. I hope it wasn't blown up too..."
"The back entrance?" Conan's ears perked up. "Auntie, isn't your car parked here?"
Thwack!
Fujino gave Conan a light tap on the head. "She's only in her twenties. Why are you calling her 'Auntie'?"
"How was I supposed to know?!" Conan looked bewildered. Why was Fujino hitting him just for calling her 'Auntie'? Besides, the maid had freckles and looked a bit old for her age, so who could tell how old she really was?
"That's right!" Ran, feeling a connection, immediately grabbed Conan and lectured him. "Calling a girl 'Auntie' can make them angry!" If someone called her 'Auntie,' she wouldn't be too mad, but she'd definitely feel a bit awkward.
"It's fine..." However, the maid didn't mind. She just replied, "My master told me to park the car at the back entrance, not here."
"Let's go check it out quickly!" Conan broke free from Ran's grip and urged, "Maybe that car really wasn't blown up!"
---
By the time everyone reached the back entrance, they immediately spotted an intact car. Senjuro Kyodai was the first to move, getting into the car. "Then I'll go see for myself if that bridge has been blown up."
"I'll go with you!"
"I want to go too!"
"Me too!"
Everyone wanted to follow, ostensibly out of fear of being left alone, but also likely out of fear that the old woman might run off by herself.
"Too many people is a hassle! We might alert them..." Senjuro Kyodai seemed helpless. Her plan was about to succeed, but everyone kept getting in her way. In the end, Conan suggested flipping a coin to decide who would go. However, in Fujino's eyes, this cunning old fox, Senjuro Kyodai, secretly swapped her coin. The others noticed it too, but said nothing.
Once the others left, the remaining few returned to the house. The young maid was still biting her thumb, clearly anxious. Fujino spoke up, "Miss Maid, biting your nails isn't a good habit, you know."
"Oh..." The maid was startled and awkwardly explained to Fujino, "It's a habit of mine. Sometimes when I'm thinking or anxious, I unconsciously do it..."
"Then try to avoid it," Fujino said meaningfully. "You might just get killed because of that habit."
"Huh?" The maid was stunned. Conan also looked at Fujino, a slight smirk on his face. Looks like this guy has already figured it out...
Hakuba Saguru calmly added, "Shukuzen Oogami also had a habit of biting his nails earlier."
"If that's the case, then the poison must have been on the rim of the cups," Ikumi Sugita instantly understood. "And all the cups were poisoned. That Senjuro Kyodai went to get the furthest coin just now, probably because she was afraid of a reaction."
"If that's the case, then Senjuro Kyodai must be the mastermind and murderer," Hakuba Saguru pondered. "She drove away on her own earlier..."
"Faking her death, then secretly monitoring us," Fujino nodded, giving away a major plot point. "When those two who went with her return, they'll probably get news that the old woman died."
Ikumi Sugita was startled. "That suspension bridge..."
"That was planned too," Fujino mused. "Only a detective understands detectives best. Her insistence on leaving earlier proves that point."
Hakuba Saguru: "..."
Ikumi Sugita: "..."
Don't steal my deductions, okay? And make them so simple...
"Then, how do we leave..." Ran asked worriedly. "If even the suspension bridge is destroyed, won't we be trapped here?"
Fujino sighed somewhat helplessly. "Then we'll just have to ask the person herself, won't we?"
"What do you mean?" Hakuba Saguru looked at Fujino, saying nothing further. "Even if we caught her and interrogated her, we probably wouldn't get anything out of her, right?" He had actually already considered sending his assistant, Watson, down the mountain with a note to call for help. However, implementing it might be a bit difficult. He might as well see what Fujino had in mind first. He was actually quite looking forward to it.
"Of course, we'll continue with her script," Fujino said calmly. "Since she wants to put on a show, we'll play along. We'll follow her lead in this mutual killing game and see how she plans to escape... Then we'll make our appearance and see what kind of expression appears on that old face of hers."
"That might actually work," Hakuba Saguru nodded, glancing sideways and silently marveling at how increasingly cunning Fujino's methods were becoming. He was even deceiving an old woman. If it were him, he and the FBI might just get stuck in this villa.
"Hey, hey!" Conan couldn't stand it anymore and quickly suggested, "How about I go ask? If I ask, seeing as I'm just a kid, the old woman should tell me how to get out, right?"
"Conan!" Ran looked at Conan. "That's too risky! What if that old woman..."
Conan scratched his head. "It's fine, Ran-neechan. She probably won't lay a hand on me."
"Then let Conan try to trick the old woman. We'll cut the surveillance feed later, and everyone can go support him." Fujino didn't think Conan would be in any danger. What a laugh, can the God of Death really be in danger? It'd be good if he didn't kick the old woman to death himself. Fujino muttered to himself, then collected his thoughts and surveyed the group, a sly smile playing on his lips. "In that case, once the two who went outside return, let the grand show begin..."
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