Chapter 10: Ghost Ship
Natsukawa Residence - Saturday Morning
Saturday.
Two days remained until the deal with the IRS.
Natsukawa had grown to genuinely enjoy his early morning sunbathing routine.
But today was different.
Anya had the day off.
"Anya, doesn't the Detective Boys have any plans today? Go play outside—you're being too noisy!"
Receiving no reply, Anya continued arranging her dolls with focused determination.
A dozen oversized plushies were meticulously positioned on the open-air balcony, and Anya was orchestrating an elaborate spy game between them.
"Hey, Papa, what's this?"
A piece of paper was suddenly shoved in Natsukawa's face. He took it with a sigh and examined it.
It turned out to be a travel voucher from the department store, with the date written as... today!
"A travel voucher." Natsukawa groaned. "Never mind, I'm not going."
"Anya wants to go play! Go on a trip, Papa!"
"Fine!" Natsukawa was thoroughly annoyed but reluctantly stood up, examining the voucher more closely.
He hadn't paid much attention when the department store had given him this voucher, casually tossing it aside. He had no idea where Anya had managed to find it.
"'Shikishima Island travel voucher? Experience authentic island life and local culture. The mysterious Ryujin Maru has reappeared—what changes will this bring to this peaceful island?'"
Natsukawa didn't recognize the island's name. Perhaps no cases had occurred there, or perhaps any incidents hadn't left a lasting impression on his memory.
As long as it wasn't something like the Bandaged Man case or Moon Shadow Island, he'd be fine.
Speaking of Moon Shadow Island, he still didn't know if Asai was male or female. Asai's gender had been a hot topic for quite some time, all because of Gosho Aoyama's storytelling choices. After the Moon Shadow Island case, everyone had been shocked. With that case as precedent, it hadn't seemed strange when Kid later disguised himself as a woman.
Speaking of travel, Conan and the others seemed to have left early this morning. He wondered where they'd gone.
Shikishima Island—it probably wasn't related to Conan, right? If it was, maybe he shouldn't go. Even if there was a case, he wouldn't bother participating in something he had no recollection of.
"Anya, do you know where Conan and the others went today?"
This was when a little spy needed to provide some intelligence. She'd been in the Detective Boys for at least a week now—she shouldn't be completely clueless.
"Conan said he's going to watch Uncle Mouri give a speech." Anya looked utterly bewildered, her expression picture-perfect innocence.
She couldn't tell Papa that Conan and the others were going to Shikishima, or he definitely wouldn't agree to go. Fortunately, she had mind-reading abilities—otherwise she would have almost missed this trip entirely.
"Oh, right, go call Uncle Frank. It's fine to invite him along—one ticket allows three people."
"But Anya wants to bring Bond!"
The little girl had somehow materialized beside the Great Pyrenees. "Bond is my best friend! I have to bring him!"
Natsukawa remained silent for an extended moment. "You just don't want to walk by yourself, do you?"
Oops, busted.
Anya: "..."
"One ticket allows three people, and Bond is a pet, so he shouldn't need a ticket."
Pitter-patter, pitter-patter.
Anya trotted over and pointed to a note printed on the ticket: "Children under 80cm travel free."
"Alright, Bond isn't a child, but he's definitely over a meter tall, so Frank works too."
"Woof woof woof!"
Bond seemed ecstatic, his tail wagging like a propeller.
Ferry to Shikishima Island
The sea breeze caressed their faces, seagulls soared overhead, and a small ferry was steadily approaching Shikishima.
"Anya, didn't you say Conan and the others were going to watch a speech? Why are we meeting them here?"
Natsukawa muttered under his breath.
This little cotton-padded jacket's intelligence was completely wrong!
"But Conan and the others are here for a speech!" Anya pouted defensively. Although she'd concealed part of the truth, she wasn't wrong about one thing—Uncle Mouri was here to give a speech.
She promptly ignored Natsukawa and ran straight toward Conan and the Detective Boys.
It was indeed Kogoro Mouri who'd come to give a speech, at the invitation of the Shikishima Village Committee and village chief.
The Ryujin Maru, which had disappeared seven years ago while carrying ¥1 billion worth of gold, had reappeared. This news, deliberately publicized by the village committee, had shocked all of Tokyo, and the previously economically depressed island was experiencing a second golden age.
Not only had tourist numbers increased dramatically, but several companies had also purchased their travel vouchers in bulk, including Beika Department Store.
Kogoro Mouri had been specially invited by Shikishima to expand the island's reputation.
Kogoro Mouri was now an extremely famous detective throughout Tokyo and the entire Kanto region. If he were to deliver a lecture on this island, it would surely attract countless detective enthusiasts.
Additionally, they were using the Ryujin Maru as a promotional gimmick. This ship, which had vanished seven years ago, was genuinely mysterious.
Seven years ago, it had disappeared without a trace while carrying one billion yen worth of gold. Today, seven years later, it had reappeared due to a typhoon's influence. This gimmick, coupled with the famous detective Kogoro Mouri, could very well revitalize Shikishima's entire economy.
Natsukawa had just learned all this from Kinoshita Goro of the Shikishima Village Office, along with Kogoro Mouri.
However, he had no intention of getting involved.
While one billion yen worth of gold was certainly attractive, Natsukawa had just sold a substantial quantity of maple leaf gold coins and was no longer desperate for money. More importantly, repeatedly intercepting Conan's cases would inevitably arouse suspicion, and Natsukawa didn't want to invite trouble over such a relatively small sum.
Soon, the ferry docked at the pier.
Many people had gathered to greet the arrivals—presumably island residents—and they'd even prepared a banner reading: "Warmly Welcome the Famous Detective Kogoro Mouri!"
Natsukawa smiled diplomatically. "Mouri-san is truly renowned. These all appear to be your fans."
This remark clearly pleased Kogoro Mouri immensely. "Natsukawa-san, come join us! I heard the village chief has prepared a sumptuous lunch!"
The two had been in regular contact recently. Since they lived across the hall from each other, Natsukawa had been deliberately cultivating their relationship, so they got along fairly well.
Though this might also be partially attributed to the fact that Natsukawa always brought quality sake when he visited.
That's called addressing the root cause.
Natsukawa couldn't refuse Kogoro Mouri's invitation, so he nodded in agreement. Since he was already here, he might as well enjoy himself. He had no recollection of this particular case, but he could try solving it—at least he might find some entertainment to relieve his boredom.
After disembarking, the group met Shikishima's village chief, Mikami Takeo.
"Thank you very much for coming to our Shikishima, Mouri-san. Kinoshita Goro has already explained the details regarding your lecture, correct?"
"Heheheh, he certainly has! Inviting me was absolutely the smartest decision you could have made. I will definitely give it my absolute best effort from here on out—"
Before Kogoro Mouri could finish his self-aggrandizing declaration, he was rudely pushed aside by a man in a white suit.
Natsukawa had noticed this person earlier. The village office assistant, Kinoshita Goro, had also mentioned him. This man was apparently an employee of a travel agency, here to conduct an inspection. Once everything was confirmed satisfactory, his agency would sign a long-term tourism agreement with the Shikishima Village Office.
"This is Uemoto Yasuo-san from the Toto Travel Agency. He's here to conduct an on-site investigation," Kinoshita Goro explained to Mikami Takeo, casting Mouri Kogoro an apologetic glance.
"Where is the Ryujin Maru? The ghost ship?" Uemoto Yasuo's voice was remarkably loud, instantly silencing the previously lively atmosphere.
Speaking so obnoxiously, with such an abrasive attitude—no doubt about it, the victim is definitely him!
In all the cases Natsukawa had encountered, the person who jumped around the most was invariably the one who died the fastest.
Anya's Perspective
Anya, who'd been observing with innocent curiosity, suddenly froze.
Was Papa planning to kill someone? Kill this uncle?
Although this uncle was somewhat rude, that didn't warrant being murdered, did it?
And this Uncle Kinoshita Goro—on the surface so welcoming and friendly, but in his heart, he desperately wanted them all to leave as soon as possible.
As for the village chief, Anya only perceived endless gold in his thoughts. He was utterly obsessed with money.
She wanted to read more of their thoughts, but there were too many people present. Her mind-reading ability was spinning out of control. She involuntarily picked up the villagers' scattered thoughts, which became a jumbled mess in her mind—like a tangled ball of yarn with no discernible end.
"Anya's so tired... Bond, carry me."
After struggling with the mental overload for several moments, she finally gave up and collapsed onto Bond's soft, fluffy back.
"What a cute doggie!"
A little girl suddenly darted out from behind the adults.
"This is my daughter, Mikami Rin. Now then, let me take everyone to see the Ryujin Maru!"
Mikami Takeo completely ignored his daughter's interruption and gestured for Natsukawa and the others to follow him.
Before their arrival, Kinoshita Goro had already contacted him by phone, informing him that besides Kogoro Mouri, his family and a father-daughter pair who'd coincidentally met Mouri would also be attending.
The Ryujin Maru
The ghost ship was stored not far from the dock—just a short walk away.
The vessel wasn't particularly large, considerably smaller than the ferry that had transported Natsukawa. It was riddled with damage—railings bent at odd angles, the hull encrusted with barnacles and showing obvious rust, with much of the paint peeling away in sheets.
It was housed beneath a makeshift warehouse structure which, though temporary, was surprisingly well-constructed. Numerous footprints marked the ground, and tourists occasionally wandered inside, indicating it was open to public viewing.
"We're displaying the Ryujin Maru for tourists as well, so we invested considerable effort into constructing this protective warehouse," Mikami Takeo explained proudly. A genuinely dedicated village chief who took excellent care of this 'ghost ship' and had even gone to great lengths to secure Kogoro Mouri's promotional appearance. The villagers were truly fortunate to have such a capable leader.
"This is the Ryujin Maru that was salvaged after the recent typhoon. According to legend—"
"Alright, I don't have time to listen to your lengthy explanations. I'll examine it myself," Uemoto Yasuo interrupted without any semblance of politeness, boarding the ship on his own.
Natsukawa, however, suddenly sensed something and turned around sharply.
Who was that?
Natsukawa scanned the area, but saw nothing unusual. Yet he'd definitely felt someone's gaze fixed intently upon him.
"Is it over there?" He looked up toward the watchtower.
"Kinoshita-san, is anyone stationed at that watchtower?"
Kinoshita Goro followed Natsukawa's pointing finger. "Yes, there's a lookout who lives there year-round. Is there a problem?"
"No, nothing."
Natsukawa turned his attention back to examining the Ryujin Maru's hull.
The structure was ancient and covered in grime, but strangely, only the bottom section showed significant rust damage.
If the ship had truly been lifted from the seabed by a typhoon, it should be rusted throughout—not just the lower portions.
Conan had somehow appeared beside him, and Natsukawa casually patted the boy's head. "Conan-kun, have you discovered anything interesting?"
"N-no, nothing!" Dodging Natsukawa's touch, Conan scurried to another location to continue his observations.
"Was this caused by dragging?" Natsukawa asked, pointing to an extremely fresh scratch mark.
It was located near the upper railing—easily missed unless you were specifically paying attention. Even Natsukawa had nearly overlooked it.
"Hmm?" Kogoro Mouri craned his neck, squinting left and right, but perhaps due to his age and deteriorating eyesight, he didn't notice anything. His mind clearly wasn't focused on the investigation anyway. "Alright, the Ryujin Maru isn't particularly special. Village Chief, don't you think we should proceed to lunch first?"
He smiled expectantly, rubbing his hands together in front of his chest with barely contained enthusiasm.
He possessed absolutely zero interest in the ghost ship. His purpose for coming to Shikishima was transparently simple: earn money through his speaking engagement, enjoy some sightseeing, and get a relaxing suntan.
"Certainly, let's eat first. I'll leave the afternoon lecture entirely in your capable hands, Mouri-san."
"No problem whatsoever! I'll handle the speaking engagement perfectly."
[End of Chapter 10]
If you enjoyed this chapter, leave a Review!
P*atreon/Soulforger (advanced chapters)