Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

"When Shizuka Horiuchi retired from acting to get married, she was still a moderately famous actress who had starred in several popular family dramas and still had a fan base."

Yukiko explained, counting on her fingers, her brown curly hair swaying gently with the movement.

"Think about it, by inviting her to 'come back' to participate in the film, the gimmick of 'a wealthy socialite returning to the film industry' alone can save the movie at least half of its publicity costs."

"The media will actively follow up with reports, and her former fans will also pay attention. The movie will generate buzz even before it's released, which is a great deal for the production team!"

"That director certainly didn't expect that instead of gaining an advantage, he would get himself into a lot of trouble." Kogoro Mouri's tone was full of sarcasm. "Now, the case has become a huge scandal, and it's even questionable whether the movie can be released smoothly."

Yukiko glared at him, her cheeks puffing out slightly. "This is my first movie! I was hoping it would make me famous, but I never expected so many things to happen..."

"Good things come to those who wait," Lin Xiuyi said with a smile, looking at her aggrieved expression. "With your excellent acting skills, you're sure to become an overnight sensation when the movie is released."

"I hope so," Yukiko sighed, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. "I used to be quite confident, but now that so many things have happened, I'm worried that the movie won't be able to be released as scheduled."

"Alright, what's the point of thinking about this now?" Eri pushed up her glasses. "Where do we go next?"

"Let's go to the Metropolitan Police Department first..."

Lin Xiuyi stopped mid-sentence, her gaze fixed on a silver-gray sedan parked on the roadside not far away.

The car windows were tinted dark, obscuring the people inside, but in the brief moment the sunlight reflected off them, he seemed to have caught a faint glimmer of light.

"Onii-chan, what's wrong?" Reiko tugged at her brother's arm, tilting her head up and looking at him with a puzzled expression.

“That looked like a reflection from the binoculars,” Lin Xiuyi squinted and glanced at the car’s license plate number—he vaguely recognized the number; he seemed to have seen it in a previous case.

After a moment's thought, a knowing smile appeared on Lin Xiuyi's lips.

"It's nothing, I probably misread it. Let's get in the car first."

Although everyone was a little confused, they still followed Lin Xiuyi into the business vehicle arranged by the film crew director.

The driver started the car and turned around to ask, "Mr. Lin, are we going to the Metropolitan Police Department now?"

Lin Xiuyi shook his head: "No need to go to the Metropolitan Police Department, just take us back to the izakaya in Beika."

"Huh? Aren't you going to investigate Shingo Horiuchi's case anymore?" Kogoro Mouri looked surprised. "We finally got back from the village, and now we can go to the Metropolitan Police Department to find out more about the case. Why are we going back to the izakaya?"

"Once I get back to the izakaya, I'll contact Inspector Samezaki to ask about the situation."

Lin Xiuyi leaned back in her chair, her fingers lightly tapping her knees.

“If the police have already officially classified it as ‘burglary,’ wouldn’t it be a slap in the face to the First Investigation Division if we went there in such a high-profile manner to say that we wanted to reinvestigate the case? It would be difficult to get their help in the future.”

"Master, aren't you being too cautious?" Furuya Rei pouted, mimicking a line from a detective drama, "At a time like this, shouldn't you say, 'There's only one truth, and even if the First Investigation Division has acquaintances, it can't stop me from pursuing the truth'?"

"Stop watching those unrealistic detective dramas." Lin Xiuyi reached out and gently tapped his apprentice's head. "If you really act like that in the dramas, you'll offend all the police. In the future, you won't even be able to get into the crime scene to investigate. How will you find the truth then? You have to be mindful of the methods and approaches when doing things. You can't just act on impulse."

Rei Furuya rubbed his forehead where he'd been tapped, stuck out his tongue, and dared not argue back. The carriage fell silent, save for the sound of wheels rolling over the pavement, and occasionally Yukiko and Reiko could be heard whispering about the movie plot.

……

It was almost evening when everyone returned to the izakaya.

Although the izakaya isn't open tonight, these people still need to eat.

After calling Inspector Samezaki and inviting him to a pub for drinks, Lin Xiuyi began preparing the meal.

Around 9 p.m., Reiko and Rei Furuya, who had been running around all day, were exhausted and went back to their room on the second floor to rest.

Yukiko and Eri Kisaki showed no intention of going back. The two sat at the bar, gossiping and waiting for news.

Kogoro Mouri kept yawning, and finally, to avoid falling asleep, he simply turned on the small TV in the lobby and started watching.

Around 10 o'clock, the wooden door of the izakaya was pushed open, and Inspector Samezaki arrived late, followed by Officer Matsumoto, who had come uninvited.

"Sorry, I've had too much work in the First Division lately." Inspector Samezaki took off his coat and hung it on the coat hook by the door, a tired smile on his rugged face.

After sitting down, he took the hot towel that Kogoro Mouri handed him and wiped his face. Then he smiled and said, "Lin-kun, this is the first time you've offered to treat us to drinks. So, what do you need our help with?"

Lin Xiuyi didn't stand on ceremony and poured drinks for the two of them, briefly explaining that the production team had commissioned him to investigate the Horiuchi Shingo case.

"Shingo Horiuchi? That's the case involving the husband of actress Shizuka Horiuchi."

Inspector Samezaki stroked the stubble on his chin, then turned to look at Officer Matsumoto beside him.
"Shouldn't this case be your responsibility?"

"Yes, I took over this case."

Officer Matsumoto nodded, picked up his glass, and took a sip.
"The preliminary conclusion of the case is that it was a robbery and murder committed in a home, but there are still some doubts that have not been clarified."

"Officer Matsumoto, that Horiuchi Shizuka is definitely not a good person!"

Kogoro Mouri couldn't wait to interject.

“Today we went to the Horiuchi family's villa to investigate and found a draft divorce agreement that stipulated Horiuchi Shizuka would leave with nothing! She must have killed her husband for the money!”

“We also found the divorce agreement,” Officer Matsumoto explained calmly, “but it’s just an unsigned draft and cannot be used as evidence to prove that Horiuchi Shizuka is the murderer. Moreover, Horiuchi Shizuka has an alibi for the night of the incident, which can be corroborated by her friends and guests at the party.”

"So you deliberately spread rumors that the case had been classified as burglary," Lin Xiuyi suddenly spoke, his tone certain, "while secretly investigating Horiuchi Shizuka?"

Officer Matsumoto paused for a moment, then shook his head with a sigh: "I originally wanted to keep it a secret for a while longer, but I didn't expect you to guess so quickly."

"That's right, we are indeed secretly investigating Horiuchi Shizuka; we are tracking her movements and her relationships." (End of Chapter)