BWDC:SDDK Chapter 77: What Do You Mean Kusakabe Makoto Is Back in Tokyo?
"No, listen to me, let me explain! It's not like that..."
Rika Okano, who had looked so arrogant moments ago, was now reduced to a pathetic mess. She stammered out excuses that even she didn't believe in a desperate attempt to defend herself.
However, those attending this celebration were all prominent figures from various sectors of society. Now that they knew the truth, they possessed the resources to investigate whether the allegations were true.
Even if the incident were a fabrication, Rika Okano's reputation could never be restored. The video projected onto the screen had completely exposed the secret behind her so-called "Avant-Garde Flower Arranging." This art form no longer required a disgraced founder.
"Supporting a tainted artist like this for a performance..."
"The business at the Red Flower Seaside Hotel will plummet. Once Daisuke Shiraki's superiors catch wind of this, his position as manager is likely finished."
Ren Ichimonji watched the crowd of guests leaving in a fit of rage. Nearby, Inspector Megure, having finished gathering evidence and preparing to depart, leaned in.
He asked curiously, "Ren, my friend, why is it that you always seem to be at the scene right before a case begins?"
"Is it possible you can actually foresee these crimes?"
Hearing the question, Ren glanced at the Inspector. He then pulled him closer, pointed toward Conan, and whispered, "I just followed him."
"Inspector Megure, haven't you noticed? Conan is at the scene of every single murder."
Inspector Megure: ?
Thinking back carefully, it really did seem to be the case! Previously, he had always assumed it was Mouri Kogoro's bad luck. But now that he thought about it, some cases happened even when Kogoro wasn't around—yet Conan was always there. Using the process of elimination, it had to be Conan's luck that was the problem!
Inspector Megure nodded in deep agreement.
Not far away, Conan felt someone "talking behind his back." His first instinct was to turn toward Ren. He saw Ren and Inspector Megure whispering together, and immediately, Conan felt a baseless certainty that Ren was bad-mouthing him.
Just as Conan prepared to move closer to eavesdrop, Mouri Kogoro, who had finally been jolted awake by the noise, opened his eyes groogily. He surveyed the scene of angry guests and the atmosphere of a party gone wrong. Then, he looked at Conan, who seemed to be up to no good again.
Suddenly, Kogoro had an epiphany.
--- Did Conan ruin this entire art celebration in the short time I was asleep?
The thought cleared his mind instantly. Kogoro immediately landed a "Mouri Divine Fist" right on Conan's head.
A sharp thwack echoed through the air.
Kogoro then hoisted Conan up by the back of his collar and demanded, "Hey, brat! Where did you run off to this time?"
"I take one nap and the place looks like this. Don't tell me this was your doing again?"
Conan: ?
You slept through all the key information and you're blaming me? One of these days, I'm going to increase the dosage of that tranquilizer needle!
Conan instinctively looked for his savior to escape Kogoro's iron grip. However, Ran Mouri wasn't nearby; she had already walked over to Ren.
Conan immediately became alert.
What's going on? Is there some special situation I don't know about?!
"Mr. Ren Ichimonji, what exactly happened here?" Ran asked, looking confused.
"Inspector Megure, why are you arresting Ms. Midori Ozaki? What did she do?"
She was utterly baffled. Midori Ozaki was the one who had invited the Mouri family to investigate the threatening letters. Normally, Midori shouldn't have been a criminal. After all, Mouri Kogoro was a world-famous detective; committing a crime in front of him was practically the same as turning oneself in.
"Didn't the screen explain the cause and effect just now?" Ren explained.
"The lady who committed suicide after having her floral art stolen by Rika Okano and Daisuke Shiraki was also named Ozaki. She was Midori's sister. Midori planned to kill Shiraki and Okano to avenge her."
"I stopped her from killing Daisuke Shiraki in the manager's office. Therefore, she is being arrested on charges of attempted murder."
Ren turned to Inspector Megure. "Legally speaking, since this was an attempted revenge killing driven by a grievance, there should be a possibility for a reduced sentence, right?"
Inspector Megure nodded. As an officer of the Criminal Investigation Bureau, he occasionally appeared in court to state the facts of a case during sentencing. He knew enough about the matter to give a solid reassurance.
However, since the current matter was settled, Megure didn't want to dwell on it. Since Ran was there, he decided it was the right time to mention "that matter."
"Ms. Ran, do you remember? Back on April 29th, you were involved in solving an assassination case."
"The culprit had kidnapped an officer named Koichi Yamabe and tried to assassinate a prosecutor traveling on a train."
Ren Ichimonji, listening from the side, also recalled the details of that case. He remembered it clearly because the culprit's methods were so bizarre.
The culprit was a remnant of the "Onitora" crime syndicate. To get revenge on the prosecutor who had sent the entire gang to prison, he decided to assassinate him after being released.
And yet, the culprit didn't choose to stab the prosecutor outside the courthouse or use poison. Instead, he went through the trouble of kidnapping a police officer from Saitama Prefecture just to force him to snipe the prosecutor while the man was on a moving train.
--- This level of abstract criminal logic was top-tier, even for the legends of Beika City. If it hadn't been so ridiculous, Ren probably wouldn't have remembered such an early case at all.
However, as Ren was reminiscing about the plot, Inspector Megure continued:
"That prosecutor has just returned to the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office. He wants to meet with you all to express his gratitude."
"He asked me to check when you might be free so he can thank you in person."
Ran was a bit surprised. She instinctively asked, "Oh, um... could I ask what the prosecutor's name is?"
Inspector Megure gave the answer without hesitation.
"He is the ace prosecutor of the Public Security Department of the Tokyo District Public Prosecutors Office, Kusakabe Makoto."
Ren Ichimonji: ?
What do you mean Kusakabe Makoto is back in Tokyo?
End of Chapter
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