Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Halfway through his sentence, Kogoro Mouri noticed Shuichi Hayashi's speechless expression, and his voice gradually lowered.

The atmosphere inside the car instantly became awkward.

Kogoro Mouri realized he had said the wrong thing and shifted uncomfortably in the back seat.

Inspector Megure saw Kogoro Mouri's flustered expression in the rearview mirror, gently shook his head, and explained in a calm tone,
“Matsumoto-senpai isn’t that kind of person. He didn’t want me to arrest Onibo Dokuro because he was worried that I might do something rash to the criminal because of my master’s injury.”

He paused, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the steering wheel.
"As police officers, we must handle cases in accordance with the law, and remain calm even when facing suspects who harm our colleagues."

“Matsumoto-senpai is very experienced and knows that I have a lot of anger inside me right now.”

“My master was almost run over and killed by the murderer’s car. All I could think about was ‘catching him and getting revenge.’”

"If I were to actually meet Onibo Dokuro, I might lose control of my emotions and use unnecessary violence during the arrest."

"That could not only destroy the chain of evidence at the scene, but also affect the subsequent trial of the case, and might even give the criminal a handle to turn the tables on you."

“Matsumoto-senpai was protecting me, and he was also upholding the rules of the police force.”

These words made Kogoro Mouri realize something, and at the same time, he gained a deeper understanding of the police profession.

He scratched his head sheepishly: "Oh, I see. I was being too narrow-minded."

"Alright, let's not talk about this anymore." Inspector Megure quickly changed the subject, looking at Lin Xiuyi, "Lawyer Mizuma Tsukihiko and college student Hirato Doji, who should we go see first?"

"Let's go see Mizuma Tsukihiko first. His law firm isn't far from here; it's about a ten-minute drive away."

After thinking for a moment, Lin Xiuyi suggested,
"Lawyers are usually very punctual. It's only a little past 8 p.m. They're either still working overtime at the law firm processing documents or they've already gone home."

"In either case, it's easier to find him than to find the student. The college student might be working part-time or hanging out with friends right now, and his whereabouts are hard to pinpoint."

……

The police car turned around and quickly drove into the bustling Ginza district.

Unlike the street where the mahjong parlors are located, this place is brightly lit and flashing with neon lights.

The streets are bustling with traffic, and the luxury shops, restaurants, and office buildings along the roadside are lit up, exuding the sophistication and busyness of the city.

Mizuma Tsukihiko's law firm is located in a 30-story high-end office building.

Inspector Megure showed his police ID in the lobby on the first floor.

The receptionist staff didn't dare to delay and quickly led the three of them to the "Shuijian Law Firm" on the fifteenth floor.

Pushing open the door, you are greeted by a simple and elegant office area, with several desks neatly arranged and filing cabinets filled with legal books and case files.

The door to the innermost private office was ajar. Through the crack, one could see a middle-aged man in a dark gray suit and gold-rimmed glasses sitting behind a desk, looking down at documents.

Hearing footsteps, the man looked up and saw three strangers standing at the door. One of them had a cherry blossom badge pinned to his chest. A hint of panic flashed in his eyes, and his fingers unconsciously tightened around the pen in his hand.

But just a second later, he quickly adjusted his expression, put on a professional smile, and stood up to greet him: "Do you officers need something? I'm Mizuma Tsukihiko, the head of this law firm." Inspector Megure stepped forward and got straight to the point: "Mr. Mizuma, we're from the Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division. We'd like to inquire about Dr. Sato Kenichi and Associate Professor Yamada Takashi. Do you know them?"

Mizuma Tsukihiko adjusted his glasses, his eyes flickering slightly as if he were carefully choosing his words: "We know each other. We're mahjong buddies; we play together every Saturday night at a mahjong parlor. What's wrong? Did something happen to them?"

His tone sounded casual, but Lin Xiuyi noticed that his shoulders were slightly tense, clearly indicating that he was a little nervous about the issue.

"They were both murdered within three days of each other,"

Lin Xiuyi stared intently into Mizuma Tsukihiko's eyes.
"Dr. Sato was murdered with a samurai sword three days ago, and Associate Professor Yamada suffered the same misfortune last night."

“We found out that the four of you used to frequently get together to play mahjong. Why didn’t you go to the game last Saturday night?”

"Murder?"

Upon hearing those two words, Mizuma Tsukihiko's body visibly stiffened, and the smile on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a shocked expression.

He took a half step back, placed his hands on the desk, and said in a trembling voice, "What did you say? They...they're dead? How could this happen?"

His reaction seemed very genuine, and he portrayed the shock and disbelief perfectly.

But Lin Xiuyi's gaze fell on his hand under the table, which was quietly clenched into a fist, clearly suppressing some kind of emotion.

“Mr. Mizuma, please answer our questions.” Lin Xiuyi’s voice turned serious. “Why didn’t you go play mahjong last Saturday night? Don’t try to fob us off with vague excuses like ‘something happened at home’.”

Mizuma Tsukihiko's eyes flickered even more sharply. He swallowed and his voice was a little dry: "I... I really had something to do at home. My wife wasn't feeling well, and I needed to stay home to take care of her, so I didn't go."

"Are you sure?" Lin Xiuyi took a step closer. "The manager of the mahjong parlor told us that only psychology student Hirato Doji went there last Saturday night. You, Dr. Sato, and Associate Professor Yamada did not show up."

"You said you had something going on at home, but what about the other two? Did they also happen to have something going on at home?"

“Well… I don’t know,” Mizuma Tsukihiko swallowed. “We just play mahjong together on weekends, we don’t usually keep in touch.”

Do card-playing buddies who aren't close friends discuss the 'perfect crime' together?

Lin Xiuyi suddenly raised his voice and shouted sharply.
"The mahjong parlor manager has already told us everything about you. Do you think you can still keep it a secret?"

"W-What perfect crime? I-I don't know what you're talking about..."

Startled by the sudden question, Mizuma Tsukihiko stammered, his eyes filled with panic.

Now, even Kogoro Mouri, who hadn't said a word, noticed that something was wrong.

Mizuma Tsukihiko's reaction was too abnormal; he was clearly hiding something.

Inspector Megure frowned, his tone serious: "Mr. Mizuma, you're a lawyer, you should know the consequences of continuing to conceal this!"

Mizuma Tsukihiko knew he had given himself away. He lowered his head and remained silent for a moment, seemingly struggling with his inner thoughts.

Finally, he let out a long sigh, and when he looked up, the composure on his face had vanished, leaving only helplessness… (End of Chapter)