At the dinner table, everyone tried to comfort Ada. Once they heard the details, they all agreed Ada was innocent. The blame lay on the robber for being too weak. Ada had fought back while being held hostage—nothing wrong with that.
Ada expressed her thanks.
But Conan still felt something was off. Even if it was self-defense, Ada's calmness was far too unnatural. Was she naturally cold-blooded, or was there more hidden behind it?
"A'dou, you're really capable, huh? I didn't expect you to already be this close with Teacher Ada," Ran teased.
"Of course, I have to thank you and Sonoko. Know your enemy and yourself, and you'll win a hundred battles."
Ran was genuinely happy for A'dou. Being with the one you love was the greatest happiness.
It was just like in countless books: when love is there, people waste it; when it's gone, they desperately try to hold on. When love is there, people hide and avoid; when it's gone, they suffer bitterly.
That was exactly Ran and Shinichi's situation. Together, they bickered and bantered. Apart, they could only taste the bitterness of longing. That's why Ran envied Liu A'dou for being brave enough to express his feelings. She wished so much she could tell Shinichi how she felt, but the chance never came.
Thinking of Shinichi, Ran's eyes grew wet.
Conan noticed. In his heart, he too wanted to return to his true self and stand beside her. But right now, he was only a child, unable to give Ran the happiness she longed for.
There were six people at the table, three pairs. Yet Mouri and Eri were estranged because of Kogoro's arrogance and womanizing. A'dou and Ada, while clearly affectionate, still pretended to start fresh. And then there was Shinichi and Ran—by far the saddest. Meeting every day, but unable to recognize each other. Even Valentine's Days went by apart, their yearning drowning them like a flood.
The air grew heavy. A'dou thought, This won't do. "Everyone, eat. The chef here is best at Italian, the flavor's great. Mouri-san, let me order a bottle of red wine for you to share with Attorney Kisaki."
The mention of wine lit Kogoro right up. "Good, good! Must be expensive red wine, huh?"
Such a drunkard. The mood they'd been building collapsed instantly.
With a wineglass in hand, Kogoro grew loud and arrogant, even trying to push A'dou into drinking. But A'dou was still in high school. Even if he wanted to, Ran would never allow it.
"Ahhhh—!"
Huh? The scream had everyone freeze. A'dou looked first at Ran, but she hadn't screamed.
It was the waiter. The waiter was screaming.
A'dou turned to glance at Kogoro and Conan, wearing an expression that said of course. With the Shinigami around, this was bound to happen.
There had to be a corpse. A'dou knew it even without looking.
Sure enough, Conan jumped down from his chair and ran to the source of the scream. In the corner, by a table, someone lay collapsed on the ground, clawing painfully at their throat.
In an instant, Conan judged the person dead—and poisoned.
What a day. Only a few hours had passed, and this was already the second incident. Was this victim another who'd ruined someone's family, stolen someone's idea, or framed a friend?
Those were usually the only motives in this world.
"Ran, call the police and ambulance!" Kogoro bent down to check the body. No pulse. "Call the police!"
"No one leaves! Not until the police arrive, no one steps out of this restaurant!" Kogoro declared with practiced confidence. Ran, equally practiced, ran off to make the call. Her role was always two things: scream, and call the police.
"Hey old man, who are you supposed to be?"
Kogoro chuckled, loving that question. "Who am I? I am the famous detective—Mouri Kogoro! So until the police investigate, nobody leaves."
Mouri Kogoro—the Sleeping Kogoro himself. His popularity was still unmatched.
Before the police arrived, Kogoro and Conan had already started investigating.
It turned out the table of four was made up of university classmates out for a reunion. The one who died was the only woman among them, leaving the three men as prime suspects.
"Mouri, you again?!" Inspector Megure Jūzō's head throbbed the moment he saw Mouri. Truly a man who walked hand in hand with death. Called a detective, but in reality, more like a plague god.
"That's me, Inspector Megure. Long time no see."
Long time no see? Wasn't it just a few days ago at another murder scene? Megure felt helpless. Every two or three days, he would bump into Mouri Kogoro at a homicide site. It was impossible not to be suspicious at this point.
And then his eyes fell on Ada. This high school teacher really had rotten luck. How did she end up in another mess like this?
Forensics confirmed the victim had died from potassium cyanide poisoning. Traces of the poison were found on her fingers and the napkin.
That meant the poison had been slipped in during the meal. The suspicion on the three men grew heavier.
"This kind of thing really isn't worth watching." Liu A'dou muttered, bored, then went back to his seat and continued eating.
"Hey! Don't disturb the crime scene!" Takagi rushed to stop him.
"Relax. All the clues are at that table. This side has nothing to do with it," A'dou said confidently. "And the killer is among those three."
The three suspects were: the victim's current boyfriend, a classmate, and a friend from her university club. Just one look at their faces told the story. The woman had been juggling multiple relationships, and this was likely a crime of passion.
But looking at her, she really was something—managing to keep affairs with three men at once and still get them to sit down together for dinner. Terrifying.
"That so-called great detective doesn't look too reliable," Ada whispered to A'dou.
"Don't worry. Conan will solve it."
Ada understood instantly. It seemed all of Mouri's detective glory came from Conan propping him up. Just like with Sonoko before, Conan would knock Mouri out, then solve the case from behind the scenes.
This time, though, Eri was also present. She was far more reliable than the uncle. With sharp perception, she had already noticed the tangled relationships. The victim had been dating all three men at once. On the surface, they were polite, but each resented her. They'd asked her multiple times to stop seeing the others, but she ignored them. That resentment was likely the motive.
"Who do you think the killer is?" Ada asked herself, then answered. "I think it's the boyfriend."
"I think so too. And the evidence should still be on him."
Conan had noticed the same thing. It was already obvious. Among the three, only one had something the others didn't: a ring. An engagement ring. But the victim wasn't wearing it.
That meant the poison had been smeared on the ring. When she removed it, the toxin stuck to her hand, then transferred to her lips through the napkin, killing her.
Since everything was clear, it was time to move. "Sorry, Uncle," Conan whispered. His dart shot out swiftly, striking Mouri's neck with practiced ease. Mouri slumped unconscious.
Just as Ada had guessed. She smiled inwardly. She knew she'd been right. Realizing Conan was actually a high school detective shrunk down, it all made sense now. Solving cases through Mouri's identity was probably the only way he could still use his talent.