Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

"How foolish," Sharon muttered to herself, her voice so soft that only she could hear it.

It was clearly she who suggested to the director that he ask Lin Xiuyi to help investigate the case, in order to avoid the awkwardness when the two met.

But now, watching the car drive away and kick up dust, her heart felt as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand.

The cigarette burned slowly between her fingers, and the gray ash fell silently.

Sharon looked down at the ash drifting away and suddenly remembered the scene when Lin Xiuyi shielded her with his body during the last landslide.

Without hesitation, the boy shielded her with his body, and the feeling of his warm blood sticking to his hands still haunts his midnight dreams.

She unconsciously rubbed her right hand, as if she could still feel its warmth.

"Miss Sharon, it's your turn for a reshoot," the production assistant approached respectfully, speaking cautiously so as not to disturb the international superstar's concentration.

Sharon nodded slightly and stubbed out her cigarette.

She glanced one last time in the direction Lin Xiuyi had left, then turned and walked toward the filming area.

……

In front of a luxury villa in Tokyo.

Lin Xiuyi and the others stood outside the wrought iron gate, examining the valuable property.

The villa's exterior is made of elegant beige stone, surrounded by meticulously trimmed shrubs, but at this moment, an indescribable sense of oppression permeates the air.

“We originally planned to stay in the village for a week,” Kogoro Mouri complained, scratching his head. “Who would have thought we’d be back after only two days?”

Yukiko playfully stuck out her tongue: "Well, there's nothing I can do, the director is in a hurry to solve this case."

In order to solve the case as soon as possible, the car arranged by the director did not return to the izakaya, but took them directly to the crime scene, which was the villa where Horiuchi Shizuka's husband was murdered.

Before they could even ring the doorbell, a heated argument erupted from inside the courtyard.

"You wicked woman! You're the one who killed my son!" an elderly woman with white hair shouted hoarsely.

"Old woman, what nonsense are you talking about! The police have already classified it as burglary!" Horiuchi Shizuka's sharp voice retorted without backing down.

Lin Xiuyi gestured for everyone to wait a moment, and then quietly approached the gate.

Through the wrought iron railing, he saw Shizuka Horiuchi confronting an elderly couple.

The old woman leaned on her cane, her body hunched but her spirit undiminished, while the old man stood silently to the side, his cloudy eyes filled with sorrow.

"My son loves you so much, yet you're doing this just to make a comeback in the entertainment industry..." The old woman started coughing violently halfway through her sentence.

Horiuchi Shizuka sneered, her fingers, painted with bright red nail polish, impatiently twirling the ends of her hair: "Love? He only loves the feeling of controlling me!"

Horiuchi Shizuka, who returned a little earlier than Hayashi Shuichi and the others, didn't wear heavy makeup like she did on set. In addition, she changed into a black dress, which made her face look even paler, and the dark circles under her eyes showed that she hadn't been sleeping well lately.

Just then, Horiuchi Shizuka noticed Hayashi Hideichi and the others at the door.

She was taken aback at first, then her face darkened: "What are you doing here? Are you here to laugh at me?"

Horiuchi Shizuka strode towards the gate, her high heels clicking angrily on the stone pavement.

The driver arranged by the director quickly stepped forward to explain: "Ms. Horiuchi, this Mr. Hayashi Hideichi was specially invited by the director to help investigate your husband's case. He hopes to find out the truth as soon as possible, clear your name, and allow the movie to be released smoothly."

Upon learning that it was the director's arrangement, Horiuchi Shizuka's expression changed instantly.

Her carefully groomed eyebrows were slightly raised, and her red lips curved into a deliberate smile, but there was no smile in her eyes. "So it's Mr. Lin."

The woman opened the door, her voice softening, with a deliberately sweet tone.
"It's too hot outside, why don't we go to a nearby coffee shop to talk in detail?"

Lin Xiuyi ignored her invitation and walked towards the elderly couple: "You two must be Mr. Horiuchi's parents? I've been asked to investigate this case."

He bowed slightly, his attitude respectful.

"Can you tell me why you believe that Mrs. Horiuchi killed her husband?"

A glimmer of hope flashed in the old woman's cloudy eyes.

Her trembling hand gripped Lin Xiuyi's arm: "Young man, you must help us find out the truth."

The old man next to him sighed: "That woman has been arguing with Shingo all the time since about six months ago."

“She wants to make a comeback in film, but I hope she stays at home and prepares to have a child.”

The old man glanced at Horiuchi Shizuka, whose face was gloomy, not far away.

“After my son died, that woman found a will that said Shingo left all his property to her.”

"But how is that possible!"

The old woman suddenly became agitated, slamming her cane heavily on the ground.

“Shingo is a filial son. If he really considered the possibility of something happening to him, he wouldn’t abandon his parents.”

Tears streamed down her wrinkled face.
"That's why we've concluded that the woman must have sent someone to kill Shingo and then forged his will."

Horiuchi Shizuka suddenly rushed over, her delicate face contorted in pain: "They're lying! Shingo signed that will, the police have already confirmed the handwriting!"

"Furthermore, I wasn't home at all the night Shingo was murdered! I was at a friend's house! The police have confirmed this!"

Lin Xiuyi observed the three people's reactions thoughtfully. The old couple's grief seemed genuine, while Horiuchi Shizuka's anger also carried a hint of barely perceptible panic.

He noticed a faint mark on Shizuka Horiuchi's left ring finger—where her wedding ring should have been.

"Can I see the crime scene?" Lin Xiuyi asked calmly.

Horiuchi Shizuka hesitated for a moment, her fingers, painted with red nail polish, unconsciously rubbing the keychain, before finally nodding in agreement.

When she took out her keys, Lin Xiuyi noticed a bruise on her neck, which looked like a recent hickey, standing out against her pale skin.

The villa's interior is luxurious yet cold, as if no one has ever truly lived there.

The study where the crime occurred remains as it was then, with white lines outlining the location where the body fell on the floor, and obvious bullet marks and dried bloodstains on the desk.

“The police said the intruders came in through the window,” Horiuchi Shizuka said, standing at the doorway and unwilling to approach. “They took the cash from the safe and some of my jewelry.”

Lin Xiuyi carefully inspected the room.

The desk drawers showed signs of being rummaged through, but the arrangement was strange, as if someone had deliberately created the chaos.

His gaze fell on the windowsill, where there were several fine scratches, not like those left by tools used to pry open windows, but more like...
"What's this?" Eri suddenly pulled a folded piece of paper from a gap in the bookshelf.

“That was the divorce agreement we drafted before,” Horiuchi Shizuka said coldly. “Even if Shingo hadn’t been killed, our marriage wouldn’t have lasted much longer.” (End of Chapter)