Daily Spy Life in the Detective Conan World

Chapter 219 The Real Victim

Upon arriving in the kitchen, Natsukawa went up to Suzuki Ayako and chatted for a few minutes, expressing his gratitude in his words.

"It's alright, Mr. Xia Chuan, don't be so polite."

By the way, Sonoko told me that Mr. Natsukawa recently stopped Kaito Kid from stealing a jewel, and he actually succeeded.

"Is that right?" Ayako Suzuki turned to her sister, seeking confirmation.

"yes."

Sonoko had absolutely no interest in this topic.

Kaito Kid is her idol, and Natsukawa's looks are also god-like. If she didn't already have a girlfriend, she probably wouldn't be a fan of Kid anymore at this point.

Therefore, she wasn't very happy about the two male gods being at odds with each other.

The main reason is that the two male gods weren't fighting over her, but rather because of a gemstone.

"Speaking of which, our Suzuki family recently received another notice from Kaito Kid. If Mr. Natsukawa is very good at dealing with Kid, could you perhaps..."

Ayako Suzuki felt a little embarrassed for troubling someone on their first meeting.

Natsukawa smiled and said, "Ms. Suzuki, please speak frankly. Sonoko and I are friends, and I will definitely not hesitate to help if I can."

Was it one of the early cases where Kaito Kid targeted the Suzuki Foundation?
The only case that Xia Chuan could think of was the Dark Star case.

The Egg of Memories may have to wait a while, after all, the first theatrical film has just been released.

So, what Ayako Suzuki was trying to say was definitely the Dark Star!
Unexpectedly, he was invited. Xia Chuan chuckled and glanced back at Conan.

Come to think of it, at this point, he probably hadn't yet been dubbed the "Kidd Buster." Would getting involved steal Conan's thunder?

"In that case, I thank you in advance, Mr. Natsukawa."

The adults in the family all scorned Kaito Kid, especially his mother, who even threatened to arrest him on the spot if he dared to make a move.

However, this is not realistic.

Ayako Suzuki had privately investigated Kaito Kid and found that he had committed no fewer than a hundred thefts before and after his comeback, all of which he escaped from the police's pursuit. She felt that an extra layer of insurance should be taken.

Therefore, in addition to Xia Chuan, she also planned to invite Xiao Lan's father.

With the renowned detective Kogoro Mouri's name on his household name, and Natsukawa's experience in burglary prevention, they might actually be able to save him.

The two chatted about this topic for a few more minutes, but Conan grew impatient and nudged Natsukawa's knee.

Xia Chuan felt it was about time and directly shifted the topic to the suicide of Dunzi two years ago.

"Speaking of which, what's the deal with that guy named Dunzi?" Xia Chuan cut straight to the point.

"Yes, can Ayako-neechan tell us?" Conan asked impatiently, finally getting to the point.

He was getting really anxious while the two of them were chatting.

However, since it involved Kaito Kid, he made a slight note of it, knowing he would definitely go and join in the fun later.

He was very unhappy that he didn't realize earlier during the last magicians' gathering that Doi Takuki's name actually meant Phantom Thief Kid.

"Don't ask, Conan!"

Ran, who was washing dishes nearby, changed her expression slightly. It was one thing for Natsukawa to join in, but why did Conan have to get involved? Wasn't this just reopening old wounds?

"It's alright, Xiaolan."

Ayako Suzuki waved her hand, recalled this painful past, then sighed, a hint of sadness in her expression, and said:

"Dunzi died two years ago. At that time, she was also a member of our film club. I don't know why, but one day, she hanged herself in the film club classroom. We found her the next morning."

Before committing suicide, she did not show any signs of world-weariness or depression; the suicide seemed to be a spur-of-the-moment decision.

It happened around the time of graduation. Because of this incident, we film club members never saw each other again after graduation. This was our first meeting in two years.

"Has the cause of Dunzi's death been found out yet?" Conan continued to press.

"No. To this day, I still can't understand why she committed suicide."

She was such a cheerful girl, how could she end her life in this way?

"So."

Before Conan could finish his question, Ayako Suzuki shook her head, squatted down, and pressed her hand on Conan's shoulder, saying, "Alright, that's how it is. Conan, you shouldn't bring it up again. It's not good if others hear it."

As she spoke, she glanced towards the living room to make sure no one was paying attention to their conversation before forcing a smile.

"I understand." Conan nodded regretfully, sensing that there was nothing useful to be gained.

Xia Chuan then started washing the dishes for the three of them. He couldn't help it; they had all come over, and it would be a bit awkward to leave without helping.

As for Chikako Ikeda, all he could say was sorry, it was all Conan's fault.

If the Grim Reaper wants you to die, you have no choice but to die.
While we were still reminiscing, the two kids finished asking their questions, wiped themselves clean, and ran away.

After leaving the kitchen, Conan realized that Anya had disappeared sometime during the night.

"Huh? Where did Anya go?"

Ai Haibara looked around and said, "I didn't see them either. They probably went off to play by themselves."

"Let's go find her first. It's too dangerous for her to wander around here alone. We don't even know if the bandaged monster sneaked in when we all ran out of the villa."

The bandaged monster hasn't been caught yet, it's dangerous for him to run around. Didn't you see that Ota Masaru and Kakutani Hiroki had to lock the window together?

Conan lifted his foot to look for Anya, only to find her hurrying downstairs, looking somewhat nervous.

"Ania, where did you go?"

"Conan!"

Anya's eyes lit up, and she jumped down the stairs in a few steps, whispering something in Conan's ear.

"I just saw Takahashi-nii acting suspiciously upstairs. He's got a lot of problems!"

"No need to speak so quietly, there's no one else around." Ai Haibara crossed her arms and stared at Anya with dead fish eyes. Did this girl have to avoid talking to her? We're all just kids, why is she doing this? Is she trying to isolate me?

They really are just kids!

"what is the problem?"

Conan narrowed his eyes; it seemed Anya was about to provide him with crucial evidence again!
This isn't the first time something like this has happened.

Speaking of which, it seems like Anya and him look a bit alike.

When he went out with Uncle Maoli, he often provided him with clues.

So Anya's behavior reminded him of himself.

wrong!

I'm so smart, while Anya always gets the worst grades in exams. We're not even the same kind of people!

"I can tell you, but when we solve the case later, you'll have to admit that I solved it."

Anya stood with her hands on her hips and stamped her feet, giving off an air of "I won't tell you unless you agree."

In this case, Anya must be the one to take the lead!
However, this didn't matter to Conan at all; he would love for all the cases he solved to be attributed to other people, so that he could reduce his screen time.

“Sure, no problem. If you can provide crucial clues, you'll solve this case.” Conan nodded and glanced at Ai Haibara: “Haibara, aren’t you right?”

"That makes sense. All the credit for this case goes to Anya." Neither of them is suitable to appear on camera. If Anya wanted to appear on camera, that wouldn't be a problem; in fact, it could cover for them.

Anya: Suddenly I don't feel so eager to solve the case anymore.
Things that are stolen usually taste better, but in this situation, it seems like things that Conan and Ai Haibara don't want.

However, Anya didn't want to worry about that anymore. If she didn't do something soon, that aunt named Chikako Ikeda would probably die.

"I just saw Takahashi-nii climb down the tree from the second-floor corridor."

And before he went downstairs, I think I saw him take something out of his shirt, it looked a bit like a head, but it was too dark for me to see clearly.

"You mean he took something that looked like a 'head' out of his clothes?"

Conan stroked his chin, wondering how something so big could be stuffed inside his stomach.

Moreover, how could someone as fat as Takahashi Ryoichi possibly fit such a large thing inside his stomach?

and many more!

A flash of lightning streaked across the night, and Conan suddenly had a flash of inspiration!

"I see!"

After pondering for a long time, Conan revealed a smug smile of having solved the case. If that's the case, it explains why Ran was attacked, and it also explains why Ryoichi Takahashi, who is so fat, could take out a "head" from his clothes.

"So that's the method!"

Conan gave a knowing smile, then patted Anya on the shoulder to show his approval, and casually fed her some peanuts.

He was so familiar with this process that he couldn't be more familiar with it.

"Speaking of which, that Takahashi Ryoichi is really strange. He's so fat, yet he runs so fast." Ai Haibara glanced at Anya and continued:
"When the bandaged man appeared, he was probably alone. If the bandaged man wasn't from outside, but one of the members of these film clubs, then he's very likely the one."

Ota Katsuyuki invited Ran out, so he probably didn't have time to change his clothes. Kakutani Hiroki and Ikeda Chikako were together, so they can vouch for each other. Only Takahashi Ryoichi seems off.

"That's right, that's what I wanted to say!" Anya was a little anxious. She had promised to let her solve the case, so why was Ai Haibara trying to steal the spotlight?
"Yes, the bandaged man is definitely Ryoichi Takahashi! I've seen through the truth!"

Conan's smile suddenly vanished. He ran back to the kitchen, glanced around, and then came out with a strange expression.

"What's wrong?" Ai Haibara asked.

"Strange, what is Takahashi Ryoichi planning to do at this time? Ran-neechan is still in the kitchen, and there are so many people around. How could he dare to make a move?"

Just now in the forest, she and Sonoko scared each other so much that they ran away. Now Ran has three people with her, one of whom is Natsukawa.

Even if Takahashi Ryoichi didn't know Natsukawa's strength, he shouldn't have made a move when there were so many people around.

Not right.

"That guy's main target isn't Sister Xiaolan, is it?" Anya's face showed an unusual seriousness. "The real victim should be someone in the film club!"

Conan thought about it for a moment, and it seemed to make sense.

Ran was attacked because she discovered the secret about Ryoichi Takahashi's physique.

He had been misled by this reason, but now that Anya had pointed it out, he immediately began to think about it.

"Someone from the film club?"

Ayako Suzuki was washing dishes in the kitchen with her companions, Masaru Ota and Hiroki Kakutani, who were inspecting the doors and windows of the villa together. If the bandaged man was Ryoichi Takahashi, then his target must be Chikako Ikeda, who had not appeared in her room since returning from the suspension bridge!

Only Chikako Ikeda was alone at this time.

That's right, it's this woman with a bad temper!
"I should have thought of that sooner!" Conan realized everything.

The group hadn't seen each other for two years, so the reason why Takahashi Ryo wanted to kill them must be related to Atsuko's death two years ago.

His sixth sense was right.

During their previous conversation, he found it strange that this woman could be so indifferent to the death of a fellow member of the gang.

Now it seems they had something to hide!

Chikako Ikeda is definitely involved in Atsuko's death.

Even if she didn't do it, it's definitely related to Dunzi's death!

The situation of “I didn’t kill Bo Ren, but Bo Ren died because of me” is not uncommon in reality, and Chikako Ikeda is at least in this situation.

With that thought in mind, Conan took a step forward, preparing to go upstairs.

However, he suddenly stopped halfway through the run.

The sudden braking caused the two people behind him to be unable to brake in time, resulting in a violent collision.

"Hey, Conan, what are you doing?" Anya asked, puzzled.

"Why did Ryoichi Takahashi climb over the tree to go downstairs? There must be something fishy going on here!"

After a moment's thought, Conan had the answer.

"Perhaps he didn't intend to act inside the villa. Such a large axe, if used to kill someone, would definitely cause a huge noise from the floor or walls!"

He's preparing to make his move in the forest!

Conan talked to himself for a while, then turned around, went downstairs, and ran to the front door to take a look.

"Detectives are so annoying!" Ai Haibara muttered to herself. It's only because Shinichi Kudo is so lucky that Gin hasn't discovered his impatience yet.

At the front door, Conan glanced left and right.

"Not here!"

Then, he quickly went to the back door, saw the slippers on the ground, and immediately rushed out the door.

The slippers on the floor by the back door were the same style that Chikako Ikeda wore before.

Anya grabbed a broom from the doorway as a weapon and rushed out with Conan.

Ai Haibara stopped at the doorway, her lips twitching.

These two guys are way too reckless!

Shouldn't an adult be notified about this? Ryoichi Takahashi has a nearly meter-long axe in his hand. Without an adult, the two children would have been killed.

Conan is alright; his leg-strengthening shoes and tranquilizer watch ensure his safety. But what about Anya? What good is a broom? Does she think she's Mona the Little Witch?

"where?"

In the forest, Conan looked around.

The forest was so vast that without prior knowledge of its location, it would be impossible to pinpoint the exact location from which Takahashi Ryoichi would strike.

“Here!” Anya followed and pointed to the footprints on the ground.

Chikako Ikeda appeared to be wearing high heels, and Anya noticed the small holes in the ground.

After walking for a few minutes, the two heard Chikako Ikeda's voice.

"Who are you? Show yourself!"

Chikako Ikeda's voice was full of anger, but there was a hint of insecurity at the end of her words; her loud voice was just a way to embolden herself.

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(End of this chapter)