Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

Osaka Riverview Hotel, Room 602.

In stark contrast to the messy, erotic, and alcohol-filled room 603 next door, room 602 was exceptionally clean and even exuded a sense of desolation.

The curtains were drawn perfectly, and the bed was made so neatly that it looked like no one had ever lived there.

"This is too tidy!" Kogoro Mouri walked around the room. "Does Mito Hayato have OCD or has she never even been here before?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Maeda Yoto's voice came from the corner of the wall: "Look here."

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw several flattened cigarette butts embedded in the cracks in the floor near the wall of room 603, with a small piece of fallen cigarette ash scattered nearby.

Upon seeing this scene, an image involuntarily flashed through everyone's mind:
Mito Jun stood alone by the cold wall, his ear pressed tightly against it, trying to eavesdrop on his father and lover's banter and arguments next door.

Suppressed anger and humiliation churned in his chest. He could only light cigarettes again and again to numb himself with nicotine, then stomp the cigarette butts under his feet, leaving twisted marks.

"Ugh……"

Kogoro Mouri looked at the cigarette butts, couldn't help but click his tongue, and a rare hint of sigh appeared on his face.
"Thinking about it this way, I suddenly feel a little sorry for Mito Hayato. On one hand, there's his father who stole his girlfriend and is now marrying a young stepmother, and on the other hand, there's the woman he's having an affair with but who's nominally his stepmother, and he has to live next door and listen to what's going on... How frustrating must he be?"

He unusually refrained from using a mocking tone, instead conveying a sense of shared sentiment as a fellow man.

"Sympathize with him?" Liuli rolled her eyes at him, annoyed. "Even if you're feeling terrible, that's no excuse to hurt someone, is it? Have you forgotten that Minamino Momoko is still lying on the cold ground?"

Kogoro Mouri was rendered speechless by the retort and had no choice but to shut his mouth in embarrassment and turn to check the balcony.

The group then conducted a thorough search of the room.

I roughly checked the wardrobe, drawers, bedside table, bathroom... even under the bed and the air conditioner vent.

However, the tools that were expected to be used to cut the wooden railings were not found.

The room was so clean it looked like it had been meticulously cleaned; apart from a few cigarette butts, there were almost no other personal belongings left.

Chief Inspector Takeshi Ikenami's expression was grave. After instructing the technical officers to photograph and document the scene, he reluctantly gave the order...

"Let's call it a day. Take Mito Shinzo and Mito Hayato back to headquarters, as well as Minamino Momoko's body. Once we get back, we'll immediately arrange for a forensic doctor to conduct a detailed autopsy."

Rooms 603 and 602 of the hotel are temporarily sealed off pending further technical investigation.

After saying that, he glanced at Lin Xiuyi, Hattori Heizo, and the others, and added,
"You guys can go back now. I'll let you know if there's any new information."

Seeing the police begin to evacuate and cordon off the scene in an orderly manner, Lin Xiuyi and Hattori Heizo could only leave the Riverview Hotel with a belly full of questions and their own analysis, and return to their respective residences.

……

On the way back, the atmosphere was completely different from the relaxed and joyful feeling when watching the fireworks on the way there; it was somewhat dull and tiring.

Ikenami Shizuka drove her car smoothly through the streets, which were still shimmering with the afterglow of the celebration but were gradually returning to calm.

Yukiko sat in the back row, fiddling with her camera with a frustrated expression.

"I was planning to stroll around the food stalls with Yuko and the others after the fireworks display, but this kind of thing happened, and my good mood is completely ruined."

"I don't know who it was before, but their eyes lit up when they heard about the Mito family's private affairs."

Eri, sitting on the other side, scoffed.
"You didn't have this expression when Mito Hayato revealed it before. When you heard about other people's messy and private private affairs, you were so excited that your eyes lit up."

"Hmph, as if you weren't interested!" Yukiko immediately turned her head like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "You were listening very attentively, don't think I didn't see it!" "That was necessary listening based on the analysis of the case! It wasn't like I deliberately went to hear those dirty things!"

Eri Kisaki's cheeks flushed almost imperceptibly, and she immediately retorted with righteous indignation.
"Unlike some people, who are just doing it to satisfy their gossipy nature!"

"I didn't!"

"You have it!"

"If you don't want to hear it, why don't you cover your ears?"

"Why should I cover my ears!"

The two people in the back row started their familiar argument again, their voices not loud but their words sharp and confrontational.

Lingzi, who was in the front row, nestled in Lin Xiuyi's arms, peeked out her little head, stuck out her tongue, and secretly congratulated herself on her foresight.

When she got on the bus, the little girl had a premonition that there might be a "battle" in the back row, so she deliberately sat in the front row, in Lin Xiuyi's lap.

Amidst Eri and Yukiko's bickering, the little girl, exhausted from running around all day, nestled in her brother's warm embrace, nodding occasionally before drifting off to sleep.

Lin Xiuyi adjusted her position to make her more comfortable.

While driving, Ikeba Shizuka glanced at the situation in the back seat through the rearview mirror, a slight smile appearing on her lips, but she quickly regained her thoughtful expression.

She gazed at the road ahead, spoke softly, breaking the argument in the back row and steer the conversation back to the case itself.
"Lin-kun, based on the current situation, do you think it's highly likely that the murderer is Mito Hayato?"

"It's very likely." Lin Xiu nodded, looking out the window. In the night, the lanterns left over from the celebration were still flickering by the roadside.

"He tampered with the balcony railing; his goal was probably to kill his own father, Mito Shinzo, right?"

Ikeba Shizuka sighed, her tone tinged with a sense of melancholy over the complexities of wealthy families.

"Unexpectedly, it ended up causing the death of my lover."

“That’s not necessarily true.” Lin Xiuyi shook his head. “Don’t forget, Minamino Momoko is no ordinary woman either.”

"She has been engaged in the 'second wife business' for many years, specifically marrying wealthy middle-aged and elderly men for the purpose of acquiring their property."

“If Shinzo Mito were to die in an accident, according to the law, Momoko Minamino, as his wife, would have the right to inherit a portion of his property.”

"As an only son, Mito Jun naturally did not want his father's property to be divided up by an outsider."

"So his target could also be Minamino Momoko."

"But aren't they lovers?"

Yukiko, who was arguing with Eri, stopped and curiously peeked over.
"As the saying goes, even a day as husband and wife is worth a hundred days of kindness. Even if they are lovers, it's not fair to be so cruel, is it?"

"Just a lover, not a spouse,"

Eri rolled her eyes, giving her a "look at me like I'm an idiot" look.

"Moreover, Minamino Momoko is still his father's wife in terms of law and status."

"This relationship was doomed to be flawed and without a future from the very beginning..." (End of Chapter)