"Brother Tsuneo, what's going on?"
Megure saw nothing odd.
No one looked like a mass killer...
"Mother-in-law, you can stand?!" Mamiya Man couldn't believe it.
Since arriving with wife four years ago, her feet never touched ground.
She attacked the kid?
Too absurd!
"Grandma?" Takato on floor looked up.
"Speechless?" Conan smiled victoriously.
Long time since open deduction—thrilled!
Easily satisfied...
But police here; rein it in.
"Brother Tsuneo, the newspaper you wanted!"
Detective toddled innocently to repairman.
Case reasoning mostly sorted en route out; newspaper seals it.
"This guy's weird."
"Yeah."
Kids whispered.
Old lady's jump or detective's flips?
Tsuneo chuckled, took paper.
No mid-show lead swap...
Megure peered, confused.
Four-year-old paper: Mamiya fire.
Photo: tower burned, smoking.
Fifteen dead; fire charred bones to ash—ID via items, rooms.
One missing, still.
"So, tower housed sixteen?"
"Fifteen dead, one missing—so the missing?"
Megure got smart.
"Conan, you said underground passage skeleton?" Tsuneo ruffled Conan's head, smiling.
"Yeah, black-clad, long white hair." Conan nodded, turning to silent fist-clenched figure.
"Looks exactly like the old lady!"
Her pupils shrank; wrinkled face terrifying.
"E-Exactly???" Takagi noting, stunned.
Skeleton matching live person?
Her face is scary...
"Got it: fire's missing person attacked you—same one." Ai approached old lady.
Bizarre case.
"Attacked?" Megure eyed Conan's bandaged head.
Gauze there.
"Fire setter, vanished—stands before us." Tsuneo scripted.
"I-Impossible!" Takato dazed.
Even if grandma stands, burn own daughter?
No—missing was...
"Butler, Nishikawa Mutsumi." Man stared familiar "mother-in-law."
So, skeleton kid saw is...
"Yes, Conan's skeleton: real old lady. This one's plastic-surgery fake." Tsuneo shook head at hunched, spotted crone.
Nutjob!
"Conan-kun, skeleton where?!" Takagi advanced with forensics to upstairs room.
Megure to Tsuneo: "Brother, murder motive?"
"Planned long; four years ago, real daughter returned from abroad—big obstacle to impersonating."
"Can't fool own daughter, no matter looks." Tsuneo sneered.
Ruthless—burned dozen+.
Black-clad types ruthless, especially white hair.
"I didn't!!!"
"Old lady"—now Nishikawa Mutsumi—snapped under stares, eyes bulging, roaring.
"Post-fire escape, you plastic-surgeried to crone, sneaked in, imprisoned real lady, took wheelchair."
"Feigned madness, searched castle daily."
"For treasure—laughable."
Tsuneo sorted plot, expression screaming idiot.
"Lies!" Mutsumi's face twisted chillingly; kids hid behind Doctor.
Last scary face: library.
"Inspector!" Takagi rushed back with Conan.
"Well?"
"Skeleton in passage as described; stairs carved: 'Usurped my identity for castle treasure.'"
Takagi reported.
Skeleton moved; forensics still collecting.
Megure nodded, grave at woman.
"Miss Nishikawa, anything to say?"
"I-I..."
"Oh!"
"Want to see the treasure?" Tsuneo clapped.
Since you crave it.
Heh, die after viewing.
"Where?! Where!!!"
Mutsumi surged excited, eyes hopeful—still obsessed.
(End of Chapter)
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