Traveling back thirty years to Conan, intercepting Princess Eri

"Alright, why are we talking about this?"

Lin Xiuyi shook her head, turned and walked towards the kitchen.

"It's none of our business how other people behave. Let's wait a little longer, dinner will be ready soon."

He lifted the curtain and walked into the kitchen, the murmurs behind him gradually subsiding.

But in Lin Xiuyi's heart, that lingering unease still hadn't dissipated.

……

After having lunch at Liuli's house, everyone sat for a while longer before saying goodbye and leaving.

I took the tram back to Beika Town and returned to the familiar streets. It was already three or four o'clock in the afternoon.

The sun was still shining brightly, and the wooden door of the izakaya gleamed warmly in the sunlight.

As evening approached, the izakaya (Japanese pub) resumed normal business hours.

As night fell, regular customers began to walk in one after another.

While Hayashi Hideichi and Yukiko were busy in the kitchen, Mouri Kogoro was greeting guests in the outer area.
Eri Kisaki sat behind the cashier reading a book, occasionally glancing up at the store.

Orisaka Midori was running around, serving dishes and wine, busy as a bee.

Everything is the same as usual.

Around 8 o'clock, when the store was full of customers, the phone suddenly rang.

Kogoro Mouri happened to be nearby and casually answered the phone: "Hello, this is..."

"Kogoro, it's me!" A hurried female voice came from the other end of the phone, her voice filled with obvious panic and anxiety.

"Liuli?"

Kogoro Mouri paused, recognizing his girlfriend's voice.

He subconsciously raised his voice, attracting the attention of several customers at nearby tables.

"Mr. Arai has been in an accident!" Ruri exclaimed quickly. "He was hit by a car!"

"A car accident?" Kogoro Mouri exclaimed in surprise, nearly dropping the phone. "What happened? Is it serious?"

"I...I don't know the specifics either."

Liuli's voice was filled with anxiety.
“I just heard that it happened at the intersection not far from our house. Someone saw him get hit by a van, and then the van just drove off without stopping! It was a van that hit him!”

"A minivan?" Kogoro Mouri frowned. "So what?"

“A minivan!” Ruri reminded her urgently again, emphasizing the word. “This morning, wasn’t it a minivan that brought Mrs. Arai back? It was white, do you remember? We all saw it from the window!”

Kogoro Mouri was stunned.

Yes, the car that brought Mrs. Arai back this morning was a white van.

The driver even chatted and laughed with Mrs. Arai for a few words, and they seemed to be quite familiar with each other.

"The driver of that van seemed to know Mrs. Arai quite well..."

Kogoro Mouri muttered to himself, his mind racing, when suddenly a terrifying thought surged into his head.

"Uh, could it be that Mrs. Arai had Mr. Arai run over and killed?"

The thought was so terrifying that he was startled when he said it aloud.

That's exactly what I think!

Liuli's voice became even more anxious.

"But I haven't told the police yet. Kogoro, what should I do now? Should I tell the police that Mrs. Arai came back this morning?"

"Should we mention the van? What if I'm wrong? What if Mrs. Arai is innocent? Wouldn't I be putting her in trouble?"

She bombarded him with a barrage of questions, leaving Kogoro Mouri momentarily speechless.

"Wait a minute!" He gripped the phone, turned towards the kitchen, and shouted, "Shuichi! Something's happened! Come quick!"

The kitchen curtain was lifted, and Lin Xiuyi strode out, holding a spatula in his hand. Seeing Kogoro Mouri's tense expression, his brows immediately furrowed.

"what happened?"

Kogoro Mouri, without bothering to explain, simply handed him the phone.
"It's Liuli's phone, listen to it!"

Lin Xiuyi took the phone and held it to her ear: "Liuli, it's me. What happened?"

On the other end of the phone, Liuli quickly recounted the events.

Mr. Arai was hit by a van, which fled the scene. The van that brought Mrs. Arai back was also a white van.

She was worried that there was a connection between the two and didn't know how to handle it.

Lin Xiuyi listened quietly, his expression growing increasingly serious.

"Where are you now?" he asked.

"At home," Liuli replied. "I haven't dared to go out since I heard the news, and I've been waiting for your call."

"Okay." Lin Xiuyi's voice was calm and steady. "Listen to me, don't panic. Do two things right now."

"First, confirm Mr. Arai's current condition, whether his life is in danger, and which hospital he has been sent to."

"You can ask your neighbors or call the police directly."

"Second, observe Mrs. Arai's movements. Is she home? Is there anything unusual? Has anyone entered or left her house?"

"I...I'll go right away." Liuli's voice became more composed.

"Call me immediately if you have any news," Lin Xiuyi said, then hung up the phone.

He turned around and found that everyone had stopped what they were doing and were all looking at him.

Yukiko, Eri Kisaki, and Midori Orikasa all gathered around, their faces showing tension and curiosity.

"What's wrong?" Yukiko couldn't help but ask.

Lin Xiuyi took a deep breath and briefly repeated Liuli's words.

"Oh my god!" Yukiko covered her mouth. "Is it really murder?"

"It's not certain yet," Lin Xiuyi shook her head. "It might just be a coincidence."

He walked to the window, looking at the neon-lit streets outside in the night, quickly processing all the events of the past two days in his mind.

Mrs. Arai's disappearance, Mr. Arai's lies, the mysterious van this morning, and now this car accident.

Each event, viewed in its own context, may have a reasonable explanation.

But when they are linked together, they form an increasingly clear outline.

"Shuichi," Eri Kisaki walked to his side and asked softly, "Is this what's been bothering you all this time?"

Lin Xiuyi nodded silently.

The izakaya quieted down, with only the whispers of customers in the distance and the soft clatter of pots and pans.

Everyone was distracted, glancing at the silent phone every now and then.

A few minutes later, the phone rang again.

Lin Xiuyi walked over quickly and answered the phone.

"Shuichi!" Ruri's voice came, even more panicked than before, "Mr. Arai... Mr. Arai, he..."

"What's wrong with him?" Lin Xiuyi's heart sank.

“He’s dead.” Liuli’s voice trembled. “He was already gone when he was taken to the hospital. The police said he died at the scene, and the vehicle that hit him fled the scene. They are investigating.”

Lin Xiuyi tightened her grip on the phone.

“Where is Mrs. Arai?” he asked.

“She…” Liuli’s voice trailed off, “She’s not home. I knocked on the door just now, but no one answered. I can’t get through to her on the phone either.” (End of Chapter)