Conan: Rice Flower Spring

Chapter 427, Section 421: The Takeda Clan's Anti-Superstition "Operation"

After analyzing Shinichi Takeda's "method of making money," Ryoma Hayashi subtly revealed a cold smile.

Trying to drag him down with you?
To put it bluntly, Lin Longma, a high-ranking member of the organization, was not on the shore at all, nor even on the water.

He's simply hiding in a trench deeper and darker than Takeda's. Ryoma Hayashi is a man of the depths!

If Rum knew that Shinichi Takeda wanted to drag Ryoma Hayashi into this mess, he'd probably laugh so hard his fake eyeballs would pop out of their sockets.

I'm laughing so hard, everyone!
Shinichi Takeda, who was half-drunk with alcohol, did not notice Ryoma Hayashi's expression, but Taylor, who looked dejected and drowning his sorrows in alcohol, took it all in.

As the "banquet" drew to a close, Hattori Heiji brought up the old matter again, asking about the things the Takeda brothers wanted him to investigate.

Shinichi Takeda, sitting in the main seat, chuckled dismissively, then swayed as he rose and said:
"You can have someone investigate if you want, just don't bother me. I have some inspiration and I'm going to get to work."

From their conversation, everyone learned that the Takeda family was a family that made puppets. This profession was quite lucrative in ancient times.

But in modern times...
It's nothing special.

With more and better ways to pass the time, puppetry has become a rare hobby.

Whether it's collecting puppets or performing puppet shows, these puppets are not consumables.

Wooden puppets, if used for puppet shows, can easily last two or three years.

Even if there is occasional damage, only the damaged part needs to be replaced.

If used as a decorative item, it will last even longer.

Of course, Shinichi Takeda could have pursued an artistic career, but how many artists become famous while still alive?
In short, the demand for puppets in the entire island nation is only so-so, and this profession is just so-so nowadays.

Watching Takeda Shinichi stagger away, Hayashi Ryoma didn't know what to say.

Shinichi Takeda is so drunk, and he still says he's having a stroke of inspiration? Isn't he afraid of accidentally stabbing himself to death while fiddling with his carving knife?

Only after Shinichi Takeda left did the two remaining Takeda brothers truly breathe a sigh of relief.

Then they talked about why they had hired a detective to come to their house.

The story begins three years ago. Three days after Taylor left the Takeda family, Misa Takeda hanged herself in the Takeda family's warehouse.

A few days after Misa Takeda committed suicide, her mother, Kinuyo Takeda, hanged herself on the second floor of the warehouse in the same manner.

If it were just Misa Takeda who hanged herself in the warehouse, that would be one thing, since islanders face a lot of pressure and are generally misanthropic.

However, a mother and daughter hanged themselves at the same location one after the other, with only two or three days in between.

This kind of thing wouldn't be considered a coincidence anywhere—well, the Tottori Prefectural Police Headquarters closed the case back then, saying that both the mother and daughter committed suicide in the same location, which was just a coincidence.

Since the police treat it as a coincidence, then the Takeda family should also accept it as a coincidence.

The two Takeda brothers brought in Hattori Heiji and Mori Ran, not to investigate a case from three years ago.

In fact, nothing strange happened in the Takeda family after the deaths of the Takeda mother and daughter, so the two Takeda brothers didn't take it to heart.

Until recently, Shinichi Takeda's business partner, Akio Negishi, died again in that room on the second floor of the warehouse.

The two Takeda brothers then felt a chill run down their spines.

The warehouse in the two-story building belonging to the Takeda family was not originally a warehouse, but a spider temple.

The Takeda family had worshipped the Spider Temple for generations, but by the time of Takeda Shinichi, the head of the family had converted to science.

Having embraced science, they naturally wouldn't allow the Spider Temple to continue occupying the Takeda family's land. Ultimately, the statue was removed, and the Spider Temple was converted into a warehouse for the Takeda family.

There were naturally differing opinions within the Takeda clan regarding the conversion of the Spider Temple into a warehouse, but Takeda Shinichi was the current head of the Takeda clan.

Once the head of the family is determined to do something, it is very difficult for others to stop him.

Most importantly, the puppet business of the Takeda family seems to have been revitalized under Shinichi Takeda's leadership.

Every month, Akio Negishi would get in touch with clients who had heard of his reputation and wanted to have puppets made by Shin Takeda.

With power and money, Shinichi Takeda was essentially the undisputed leader within the Takeda clan.

As Shinichi Takeda's younger brothers, Ryuji and Yuzo didn't initially feel that anything was wrong.

Until a few days ago, I saw Akio Negishi's body in the warehouse.

Shinichi Takeda was indeed an atheist, but that doesn't mean his two younger brothers were either.

When a bizarre event occurs, ordinary people will instinctively associate it with supernatural or ghostly matters.

This is especially prevalent in island nations.

Ryuji Takeda and Yuzo Takeda weren't afraid of anything else, except that they might one day die mysteriously on the second floor of the warehouse.

Because of his elder brother, it was obvious that he wouldn't allow him to hire monks or priests to perform rituals.

So, hiring a detective to investigate is a good way to dispel feudal superstition, isn't it?

Because of this, plus the fact that the Takeda family itself has some little secrets, they hired Heiji Hattori and Ran Mouri, two high school detectives.

"Was the case of Mr. Negishi, who hanged himself in the warehouse, also closed as a suicide by the detectives in Tottori Prefecture?"

Conan suddenly asked a question, and Ryuji Takeda and Yuzo were curious as to why an elementary school student was asking the question.

However, he didn't disappoint and answered Conan's question.

“Yes, that’s why we’re in a dilemma, you understand?” Takeda Yuzo replied somewhat excitedly.

The Takeda family isn't some suicide forest, so how could people keep committing suicide in the same place in their house?
Whether this suicide was a genuine suicide or a forced suicide, the Takeda brothers were also very eager to know.

"So you invited us here to investigate the truth behind the three suicides within the Takeda family, right?"

"It's like this, please." Takeda Ryuji and Takeda Yuzo bowed deeply at the table, asking Hattori Heiji and Mori Ran for their help.

"Alright, just leave it to us! We, Kogoro, and I will definitely investigate and find out the truth you want!"

After Hattori Heiji's careless slip of the tongue, he took on all the responsibility for the Takeda brothers.

At this moment, Taylor suddenly put down his wine glass and asked Takeda Yuzo, "Excuse me, where is Miss Misa's grave?"
I want to go and pay my respects.

"Oh, Misa is buried not far from where you were rescued. I'll draw you a map later."

Yuzo Takeda casually picked up the notebook from his pocket, scribbled on it with a pen, then tore off the page and handed it to Taylor.

After accepting the route map, Taylor suddenly asked Lin Longma, "President Lin, would you like to come along?"
I remember the scenery there must have been quite nice.

"of course can."

(End of this chapter)