Yuko Ikezawa was still trying to explain herself.
"It's perfectly normal for me to recognize that as a lighter. I've seen ones shaped like that before!
As for the toilet, I just had a feeling there was one in that direction.
Is it illegal to have a strong sixth sense?
Officer, this is my first time here. You're barking up the wrong tree!"
Yuko was notorious for being stubborn.
After saying her piece, she turned her attention toward Takeshi Ishikawa, clearly looking to pick a fight.
But when her eyes landed on the beautiful little boy in Ran's arms, she froze for a moment. Her anger simply vanished.
Of course, her excuses didn't convince Inspector Megure or Kogoro Mouri in the slightest. The two veterans closed in, pressing her with question after question.
Still, as long as Yuko refused to admit anything, the investigation was stuck at a standstill.
Conan, meanwhile, didn't focus solely on her.
He glanced between the three main suspects, studying each carefully.
Then he noticed something: Yoko Okino's expression when she saw the victim's body had been… strange.
Conan walked over and lowered his voice.
"Miss, do you know the deceased?"
Yoko quickly shook her head.
"No, I don't know him!"
But her panicked tone, shifty eyes, and repeated glances at her agent told a different story.
Her agent, Yoshio Yamagishi, stepped forward, blocking Conan's view. He turned to Takeshi instead and began talking smoothly.
"Kid, where's your guardian? Can you tell your uncle here?
You've got remarkable potential. I've already spoken to the president on your behalf.
If you sign with our firm, I can get you an S-rank contract right away. I promise, you'll be the brightest star of the Heisei era!"
Ran looked a little tempted by the offer.
But Takeshi frowned.
This guy's like a stubborn piece of gum stuck to your shoe. I've already refused, and he's still trying?
And those eyes… there's malice behind them. He's not a good person.
Takeshi's voice turned cold.
"I don't need a guardian to make my decisions. I can decide for myself.
I'm not going into showbiz, so stop bothering me."
Yamagishi just chuckled and shook his head.
"What a pity. You'll change your mind."
His tone made it clear he had no intention of giving up.
Takeshi, however, wasn't planning to rely on Conan to solve the case.
After all, the murder in Yoko Okino's home played out almost exactly like in the original story.
But both Yoko and Yamagishi's behavior seemed off.
Especially Yamagishi if a corpse turned up in an idol's home, it could wreck his career. Instead of worrying about damage control, he still had time to scout a child actor?
Suspicious.
With that thought, Takeshi wriggled free from Ran's arms and hopped to the floor.
He walked straight over to Yoko, grabbed her hand, and led her toward the bedroom.
"I want to ask you a few questions, Miss Yoko."
The door shut behind them with a click of the lock.
Ran instinctively took a few steps forward, a puzzled look on her face.
What is going on?
Why would Takeshi suddenly pull Miss Yoko away for a private talk?
Other than Ran and Conan, no one seemed to pay much attention to his movements.
Entering the room, Takeshi found himself in Yoko Okino's bedroom all decorated in a pink princess style.
Yoko's blue eyes suddenly brightened, and a small smile played on her lips.
"Takeshi what do you want to ask me?"
"Do you want your sister to sign for you?"
"Are you a fan of mine too?"
She squatted down, gently picking up Takeshi and sitting on the bed, clearly ready to take action.
Just now, she had been jealous watching Ran hold him. Now that such a cute little boy had come to her, she wasn't about to let him go easily.
His soft hair and fair skin made him look adorable no matter how you looked at him.
Yoko Okino simply couldn't resist.
But then, she caught sight of the strange energy swirling in Takeshi's deep eyes. Suddenly, her body froze.
Takeshi felt a flicker of curiosity. Was this hypnosis working?
As their eyes met, Takeshi silently activated his level 1 hypnosis skill.
He was trying to hypnotize the teenage idol to get some clues. This was his first time using the skill, so he wasn't sure how effective it would be.
But then, Yoko's delicate, sequin-dotted face flushed a deep red.
Without warning, she stood up and unbuttoned her pink windbreaker.
Underneath was a blue belly-baring shirt and black hot pants long legs and a perfect figure worthy of an idol adored by thousands of boys.
Yet she didn't stop there, continuing to remove more clothing.
"Whoa! Wait!"
Takeshi was instantly shocked.
What kind of mourning skill was this?
Some kind of naughty version of hypnosis?
He hadn't even given her any commands, so why was she moving on her own?
Was there a hidden subroutine in this hypnosis skill that made the subject start… well, this?
He had simply wanted to ask her about the case, and now this was happening.
This was outrageous!
Just as Yoko reached out to hug Takeshi, wanting to pull him close, he quickly stopped her:
"Wait, wait!"
She froze, her confused blue eyes fixed on him, silently waiting for his next command.
Forcing himself to stay calm, Takeshi asked,
"Miss Yoko, do you know the deceased outside?"
A flicker of struggle passed over Yoko's delicate face, as if she was fighting against the hypnosis.
"Oh no…"
The mourning skill really was unreliable for serious investigations.
Quickly, Takeshi reached out, gently resting his hand on her skin, as if trying to soothe her with a magical touch.
Though she resisted at first, Yoko gradually relaxed under his gentle comfort.
It was a difficult process, with many stops and starts, but finally she spoke:
"His name is Fujie Akiyoshi. He was my ex-boyfriend."
"Did you kill him?"
"No."
"Do you know who did?"
Yoko's expression tightened again, struggling even more this time.
Takeshi held her gently, soothing her once more.
This kind of investigation was definitely one-of-a-kind and probably never to be repeated.
Every question took patience, with several pauses to calm Yoko down.
This hypnosis skill was definitely unreliable!