Miwako Sato approached Conan and Genta, crouching down with a smiling face to apologize.
"I'm sorry, boys. I drove a bit too fast."
Conan stared at Miwako with dead-fish eyes.
That wasn't just 'a bit.' It was fast enough to scare someone to death.
After a while, the three boys, having barely recovered, followed Yuu and the others into Nanamagari Restaurant. All three looked lethargic.
Inside, at one table sat the four middle-aged people they had met earlier. They were drinking and chatting, all looking happy.
Seeing Miwako appear, one person's face turned slightly ugly, while Chouko Kamitori exclaimed in pleasant surprise, "Miwako, you're here too!"
Miwako approached their table, full of smiles. "Yes. Consultant Hoshimiya is treating these kids to a meal today, so I just dropped by to tag along."
"Consultant Hoshimiya... Oh, I remember now. He's that specially appointed crime-solving expert for the MPD who's been making a name for himself lately," the balding Hideaki Saruwatari said with a look of admiration.
Yuu stepped forward, put his arm around Miwako's shoulders, and said modestly, "I wouldn't dare claim that title. It's just TV exaggeration."
One of the four people's gaze turned slightly serious.
Seeing the two looking so intimate, Chouko Kamitori covered her mouth and laughed. "It seems Miwako has found someone to take care of her too."
These words made Miwako's face flush bright red instantly.
She hurriedly said, "I need to go arrange food for the kids. Please excuse me; I'll come back later."
The four nodded, and Yuu led Miwako back to another table.
At the table, only Ayumi was energetically looking at the menu to order. Genta, who had been clamoring for eel rice earlier, had no appetite, and Mitsuhiko, having emptied his stomach, looked half-dead.
Yumi was looking after the kids here.
At this time, the owner of Nanamagari Restaurant, wearing a white chef's uniform, walked over.
Seeing Miwako, he looked pleasantly surprised.
"Isn't this Miwako? You haven't been here in a long time. Oh, I remember now, today is Officer Masayoshi's death anniversary."
"Uncle Ozawa, I can't help it. There have been too many cases in Tokyo lately. I just sneaked away for a little while today."
Boss Ozawa rested his chin in his hand and said, "Speaking of which, the robber who killed Officer Masayoshi was truly ruthless. Not only did he rob 550 million yen from the bank, but he also beat the bank security guard to death with the butt of his shotgun, and finally murdered Officer Masayoshi."
Hearing this, Conan couldn't help but ask, "Uncle, you said the robber killed Officer Masayoshi? Wasn't it said he was hit by a truck?"
Miwako explained, "Both the truck driver and an eyewitness saw someone push my dad, causing him to be hit by the truck!"
"But regardless, it's been eighteen years since then, and the statute of limitations expired three years ago. Finding the killer is useless now."
Miwako sighed. Yuu gently stroked her small hand, looking at her with concern.
Yumi's small hand also covered hers, showing her concern.
Seeing the three hands stacked together, the veins on Miwako's forehead twitched continuously. She instantly saw through Yumi's tricky intentions.
Sensing something was wrong, Yuu quickly withdrew his hand and looked at the kids. "Order whatever you want to eat. Don't hold back."
"Boss, do you have eel rice here?"
Boss Ozawa nodded. Hearing this, Genta immediately regained his vitality.
Yuu quickly placed the order. Fried chicken, grilled meat, juice, and eel rice were served one by one.
Except for Mitsuhiko, who truly had no appetite, everyone ate to their heart's content.
At the distant table, the four middle-aged people were conversing passionately, each talking about good things that had happened recently.
Although their voices were low, Yuu, with his extremely strong senses and excellent hearing, heard everything.
The fat man, Mitsuo Ino, said the company he founded was celebrating its fifteenth anniversary this year and hadn't had a single unprofitable year.
Shuji Kano said tomorrow was his fiftieth birthday, and fortunately, the three years of hardship in Italy hadn't been in vain; his restaurant was now thriving.
Chouko Kamitori was happy that her daughter had finally married into a good family.
And the balding Hideaki Saruwatari was pleased that his daughter-in-law had given the family a precious grandson.
All four were beaming with joy, jokingly calling this a "quadruple blessing."
A faint smile appeared on Yuu's face. A quadruple blessing was impossible, but a triple blessing might still work out.
After a while, Miwako had drunk a bit too much juice and got up to use the restaurant's restroom.
At the other table, one of the four stood up, said he was going to buy cigarettes, and walked out of the restaurant.
Yuu's gaze narrowed slightly, and he also stood up to follow.
...
Inside Shinagawa Station, a block away, Wataru Takagi and Ninzaburo Shiratori sat panting on a bench.
After a chase through the station, they had finally caught the arson suspect Inspector Megure mentioned.
The station security guards were helping to hold the suspect down, but the man kept insisting he didn't start the fire and was merely a thief.
Shiratori called Inspector Megure to report all this.
Just then, a flash of inspiration hit Takagi, who was sitting on the bench. He seemed to have figured out the meaning of "KANO" ("Shoushirou" / "Man in Sorrow").
Takagi immediately ran out of the station, away from Shiratori, and pulled his phone from his pocket.
He moved away from the station, turned a corner, jogged down a small path, and dialed Miwako Sato's number.
At this moment, Takagi's face was beaming with a smile.
Great! I've solved the mystery! I can make Miwako leave that perverted detective!
Officer Sato, wait for me! I'm coming to rescue you!
Running in the sunlight, Officer Takagi chased his unreachable dream!
The call connected.
"Mmm... Officer Takagi... ah... what is it? Did you catch the arsonist?"
Takagi completely failed to notice the anomaly in Miwako's voice. He hurriedly said, "Officer Sato, we caught the arsonist! And I've completely figured out what 'KANO' means!"
"Yes! I've figured out the robbery case from eighteen years ago where your father died. The culprit must be someone Officer Masayoshi knew."
Takagi was full of joy. He completely failed to notice a man standing by a vending machine on the side of the street.
Hearing his words, the man's face turned incredibly dark. Murderous intent flashed in his eyes as he stared intently at Takagi's back.
Takagi continued running and speaking. "That culprit is..."
BANG!!!
The sound of a brick smashing into a forehead rang out, and the call ended abruptly.
"Officer Takagi? Officer Takagi?"
Hearing the busy tone from the phone, Miwako pushed Yuu, who was hugging her and whose large hands were misbehaving.
The cool police flower said coquettishly, "Yuu-kun, stop playing around. Tell me quickly, who is the culprit that killed my dad? Officer Takagi stopped halfway through."
Next to the restroom, Yuu had Miwako pinned against the wall, his right hand gripping her beautiful leg and his left arm around her soft waist.
Just before Takagi called, the two had been leaning against the wall, kissing deeply.
Distracted by Yuu, Miwako hadn't noticed the sound of the brick or the thud of a body falling through Takagi's phone. She had no idea Takagi had been attacked.
After hanging up, she pushed against Yuu's solid chest. "Yuu-kun, stop playing around. What does 'KANO' mean? And who killed my dad?"
Concerning her father's cause of death, the intoxication in Miwako's eyes faded, and her purple eyes stared intently into Yuu's.
Yuu kissed her fair cheek and smiled. "Wow, I almost let Officer Takagi beat me to the answer."
"Sister Miwako, in that case, you owe me two requests now!"
Miwako looked anxious. "Fine, I owe you! Just tell me quickly!"
Yuu then explained, "Actually, 'KANO' isn't a name. The full sentence your father shouted as he lay at the intersection was 'You should surrender' (自首しろ - jishushiro). Because 'jishushiro' sounds very similar to 'shoushirou' (愁思郎 - Man in Sorrow) in Japanese, the rescuers at the time misheard him."
"The reason your father would say such a thing to that robber is very simple: the robber was someone your father knew."
Hearing this, the police flower looked stunned for a moment, then realized the truth.
Then she asked, "Then what do those two katakana characters mean?"
A smile spread across Yuu's face. "Sister Miwako, kiss me, and I'll tell you!"
A blush appeared on Miwako's face, but she didn't hesitate. Her pink lips kissed Yuu's mouth, a quick peck, and then she immediately pulled back.
Yuu grinned wickedly. "Not enough!"
Miwako felt slightly annoyed. Then she wrapped her arms around Yuu's neck and kissed him again.
Her body pressed tightly against Yuu's; this time it was a deep kiss!
After a long time, Miwako finally let go, her eyes watery, her small ears entirely red.
"Is that enough now?"
Yuu licked his lips in satisfaction and teased, "Sister Miwako, your kissing skills are quite impressive! But I still can't tell you!"
"Huh?!" Miwako glared instantly, her eyes full of hostility.
What, you take advantage of me and then refuse to tell me?!
A smile appeared on Yuu's face. "Sister Miwako, aren't you curious why I chose to come to this Nanamagari Restaurant?"
"This restaurant happens to be where your father's friends are gathering."
Hearing this, Miwako's face changed drastically, gradually becoming serious. Her purple eyes contracted, a suspicion forming in her mind.
Following that, Yuu's expression also turned serious. He put his arm around Miwako's slender waist, and they walked out together.
As they walked out of the restroom area, they bumped into Yumi Miyamoto, who had come looking for them.
Seeing the two walking out with their arms around each other, Yumi said coquettishly, "Aha! I knew you two were sneaking around together again."
Normally, Miwako would have argued with Yumi, but right now, she had absolutely no mood for it.
Having been best friends for over a decade, Yumi quickly noticed the anomaly in Miwako's expression and stopped joking around.
She looked at Yuu questioningly, but Yuu said nothing.
Soon, the three returned to the dining area. Yuu and Miwako approached the table with the middle-aged guests.
At Chouko Kamitori's invitation, the three sat at their table.
Miwako's gaze constantly swept over the three people at the table.
Only three were left; one man had gone out to buy cigarettes.
Chouko looked at Yuu and Miwako with a gossipy expression.
"Miwako, are you and Consultant Hoshimiya dating?"
Miwako said rather panicked, "No, we're just ordinary friends."
The three middle-aged people exchanged knowing smiles.
Just then, a man walked into the restaurant from outside. It was Shuji Kano, who had gone to buy cigarettes.
He looked a bit panicked. Seeing Yuu and Miwako sitting at his table, his face turned even uglier.
Yuu's gaze swept over Shuji Kano, a faint smile touching his lips.
It seemed he wouldn't need to put in much effort; this guy's psychological fortitude was rather average.
Of course, this was also because Shuji Kano's conscience had been tormenting him, and now he had to face Miwako Sato.
Shuji approached his seat without sitting down, picked up his bag, and said immediately, "I'm sorry, something seems to have happened at my restaurant. I need to go back and handle it. I have to leave early."
The balding Hideaki Saruwatari said, "It's so rare for us to get together, and you have to leave already? What a pity!"
Shuji showed an apologetic look, turned, and was about to leave.
At that moment, Yuu spoke up.
"Mr. Kano, I'm afraid I have to delay you for a moment. I have a few questions I'd like to ask you."
Hearing that voice, Shuji stopped in his tracks, the face turned away from Yuu becoming incredibly grim.
The other three middle-aged people and Yumi Miyamoto looked confused.
Conan seemed to catch wind of the eerie atmosphere and sneaked closer. The other four kids followed suit, creeping up behind him.
Shuji Kano turned around, forcing an extremely ugly smile. "Consultant Hoshimiya, what can I do for you?"
"I'd like to ask, Mr. Kano, when you were in high school, did you have the nickname 'Kano' (KA-NO)?" Yuu's voice was chilling.
Hearing the name that no one had called him in over a decade, Shuji Kano's pupils contracted as he looked at Yuu, unable to hide his panic any longer.
He knows! He actually knows!
The fat Mitsuo Ino laughed and said, "Consultant Hoshimiya, how did you know Shuji's nickname? Back on the baseball team, we all called him Kano. Masayoshi actually gave him that nickname!"
Yuu turned to Miwako. "Sister Miwako, the katakana in your father's police notebook, KAN-O, shouldn't be read like that. It should be read as KA-NO."
Hearing this, the expressions of Mitsuo Ino, Hideaki Saruwatari, and Chouko Kamitori at the table all changed.
Eighteen years ago, the police had also asked them if they had ever heard the words "KAN" and "O".
In that instant, they realized the truth, staring in disbelief at their old friend of over twenty years.
Yuu continued, "Logically speaking, Officer Masayoshi has been dead for eighteen years."
"Eighteen years. Even the best of friendships wouldn't make someone specifically remember his death anniversary. Only guilt would make you remember for so many years and specifically come to take a look today."
"I found it strange when you all appeared at the intersection today. If I may ask, whose idea was it to come lay flowers for Officer Masayoshi?"
The balding Hideaki Saruwatari looked on in disbelief, asking Shuji Kano, "Shuji, did you really do it?"
Chouko Kamitori covered her mouth and gasped, "Did you really kill Masayoshi?"
Sweat beaded on Shuji Kano's forehead, but he still played dumb. "What did I do?! I didn't do anything! Masayoshi and I were good friends on the baseball team back then, so of course I remember his death anniversary. Is that so unusual?"
Yuu stood up.
"Good friends! Indeed, good friends. Because you were good friends, Officer Masayoshi was able to tell from that brief ten-second robbery video that the way the killer swung the rifle butt to kill someone was exactly the same way you swung a baseball bat."
"Therefore, Officer Masayoshi was able to identify the robber without any other clues. Shuji Kano, stop making excuses. You are the robber and murderer from the 'Man in Sorrow' case back then."
Hearing this, everyone suddenly realized the truth. The other patrons in the restaurant had also tuned into the deduction, and even Boss Ozawa had come over.
Miwako Sato slammed her hand on the table and stood up, her purple eyes filled with hatred, glaring intently at Shuji Kano.
"Tell me, why? Why did you kill my dad?!"
Seeing Miwako like this, Shuji Kano waved his hands repeatedly, his eyes full of guilt.
He lowered his head, his expression shifting continuously, secretly cheering himself on.
Just today left! As long as I make it through today and don't confess, the statute of limitations for this case will be completely over! Everything will be over!
Just wait until my fiftieth birthday tomorrow, and I won't have to live in fear anymore. Then I can have a new life!
Thinking this, Shuji Kano tried hard to hypnotize himself.
Soon, he raised his head again, a sly smile appearing on his face.
Shuji Kano smiled and said, "Miwako, Consultant Hoshimiya, I think you've misunderstood. Yes, I had the nickname 'Kano' in high school, but that doesn't mean I'm the culprit in the 'Man in Sorrow' case."
"Maybe Masayoshi just suddenly thought of me and scribbled it in his police notebook, and you just misunderstood."
"How could someone like me, who lived poorly for most of his life and only recently saw a bit of improvement, be the bank robber? If I were, I would have become a millionaire long ago. Chouko and the others know this too. There must be some misunderstanding."
It must be said that Shuji Kano was a smooth talker. His three old friends were swayed by his words, and the onlookers also wavered slightly.
Miwako Sato said emotionally, "Why? Why won't you tell the truth even now? The statute of limitations has passed; no one can do anything to you. I've searched desperately for eighteen years, and you won't even tell me the truth?"