"Eh?!"
"You're asking me where I found that paper?"
Professor Agasa stepped out of his laboratory, blinking in surprise at the unexpected crowd in his living room. Inspector Megure and his officers had practically moved in.
"Has another case broken out? And what does it have to do with that strange scrap of paper...?"
"Professor, this could very well be related to a kidnapping or a case of illegal confinement," Inspector Megure said, glancing at Tsuneo. Despite the thin evidence, he was fundamentally inclined to trust this "little brother" of his.
After listening to the deduction process, Professor Agasa scratched his head. Only someone with a good relationship with the police could get away with this, he thought. If anyone else called about a piece of paper covered in red and blue crayon scribbles, they'd be laughed out of the station.
The Professor had found the paper near the convenience store at the corner of the alley. That was two days ago; at the time, no one had given the "trash" a second thought.
"Two days ago..." Conan muttered, his brow furrowed in a mask of grim concentration.
"If it was near the convenience store, then there's Mrs. Moriguchi's child—he just turned five," Tsuneo began, tapping his chin as he mentally scanned the neighborhood.
"Then there's Mrs. Ishiwatari. Her nephew comes over to play all the time, so her house is full of children's toys. Oh, and Mrs. Kawamura—she's always exhausted taking care of her two kids. I used to go over there often to..."
Tsuneo began a house-by-house rundown of the neighborhood. Beika Town was surprisingly dense with young mothers and toddlers; trying to narrow down the source of a specific crayon was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
"Ahem! Tsuneo-kun," Inspector Megure interrupted with a sharp cough. "We're trying to analyze the source of the paper. Let's stick to the relevant facts..."
Your detailed knowledge of every housewife's personality and hobbies is something you can keep for your personal diary, Megure thought. You don't need to share it with the Metropolitan Police.
Officer Chiba, however, was nodding along, his hand on his chin as if taking mental notes. Regardless of whether the information was useful for the case, he couldn't help but be impressed. Tsuneo-san's social network is truly terrifying!
Officer Takagi, who had been scribbling furiously in his notebook, finally stopped and let out a long breath of relief. Every time he had to record a statement from someone this talkative, he felt like his hand was going to fall off.
"It might be best to just go and check in person," the Professor suggested. He wasn't entirely convinced that red and blue lines represented police cars, but if his neighbors were truly in danger, he couldn't sit still. He had held onto that paper for two days; who knew what might have happened in that time?
"In that case..." Conan looked around the room before locking his eyes onto the mechanic.
Tsuneo was the perfect candidate for a "casual check-in." Of course, if the plan involved using a child as an excuse to play, Conan was going to make sure he was right there with him.
Ding-dong!
The doorbell chimed, and a woman in her early thirties opened the door.
"Hello, Mrs. Kawamura!"
"Goodbye, Mrs. Kawamura!"
Before the woman could even respond, Tsuneo had completed his greeting, grabbed the "Great Detective" by the back of his collar, and bolted.
Over the next two hours, the "Plumber" found himself trapped in a cycle of polite interrogation. It was mid-morning, the weather was pleasant, and the neighborhood housewives were in a chatty mood. Tsuneo was being "crowd-controlled" by sheer hospitality.
Conan, meanwhile, wasn't idle. Whenever a child was home, he would perform a perfunctory play-session, eyes darting around for any signs of struggle or hidden messages.
"So, what's the verdict?"
When the two finally returned to the Professor's house, the group swarmed them. Inspector Megure and Chiba had left to handle another urgent case, leaving only Takagi behind to coordinate. One officer was enough to keep a record—especially since Tsuneo was on the job.
"There are three households that feel... off," Conan began, laying out his observations.
"First, the Moriguchi residence. They said the whole family went on vacation. The person who opened the door was the younger sister, a university student staying there to house-sit."
"Mrs. Moriguchi introduced me to her sister before, so there's no doubt about her identity," Tsuneo added, seeing Takagi start to write.
"..."
"Then there's the Miyazawa house," Conan continued, casting a glance at the mechanic. "We rang the bell several times, but no one answered."
This guy's social circle is way too wide, Conan thought. That university student was way more enthusiastic to see him than she should have been.
"Maybe they just went out?" the Professor suggested.
Tsuneo sighed, his expression darkening slightly. "Actually, Mr. Miyazawa was killed in an accident at Beika Station a while back. It looks like Mrs. Miyazawa might have finally moved out."
"No," Conan countered. "The trampling marks on the lawn were fresh. They were left within the last day or two."
"Could be a real estate agent," Akemi chimed in. "I think I saw someone in a suit with a clipboard walking around that property recently."
A quick phone call by Officer Takagi confirmed the house was indeed up for sale. That option was crossed off the list.
"That leaves only one," Conan said, looking up. "If there's a problem, it has to be there!"
Ding-dong!
Tsuneo strode into the yard of a house belonging to the Takakura family and pressed the bell firmly.
"Who is it?! Coming!"
"The plumber!" Tsuneo shouted back.
"You again? What now?" A man in his early thirties, wearing a suit and glasses, opened the door. He glared at the mechanic, his brow furrowing in annoyance.
"Out of the way!" Tsuneo didn't wait for an explanation. He grabbed the man by his lapels, physically tossed him out onto the porch, and stepped into the entryway.
"Hey!" The man's face flushed with rage as he scrambled to his feet.
"I wouldn't move if I were you," Conan said, stepping into the yard and offering a polite, almost pitying smile.
Getting caught by the police is one thing, Conan thought. But you really don't want to get caught by this 'plumber' when he's in a bad mood.
Officer Takagi stepped forward, placing a heavy hand on the man's shoulder while flashing his badge. At this point, Takagi could only pray this wasn't a prank. If someone had been hurt—or worse—while they were debating the meaning of a drawing...
Watching Tsuneo storm into the Takakura house, Takagi felt a mounting headache.
Creak... creak...
Conan followed Tsuneo into the villa. They dashed up to the second floor and came to a halt outside a wooden door. The sound of aged floorboards groaning came from within, followed by the faint, muffled sound of whimpering.
"In here!" Conan threw open the door.
"Mrs. Takakura?"
Tsuneo reached down and ripped the duct tape off the woman's mouth.
A mother and her young son were bound with thick ropes, their mouths sealed, hidden away in the small upstairs room. It was unclear what the man in the suit had planned for them.
Conan didn't dwell on the tearful reunion. Instead, he scanned the small room, his eyes narrowing as he took in the scene.
The situation seemed straightforward. Officer Takagi didn't waste any time, loading the man in the suit into his car along with the rescued victims to head back to the police station for questioning.
After dinner, the phone rang. It was Inspector Megure.
"Tsuneo-kun, I have to say, we owe you one for this case!" The Inspector's voice was warm, but there was an odd note in his tone. "However... it seems things aren't exactly what we thought they were..."
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