Solving cases with Detective Conan's science? No, I'm a cultivator!

Kitagawa Taki said, "Inspector Megure, there's one more thing to note: why would Yashiro Entarō go to the shipyard? Nobody goes there except for the crew."

“I believe he was definitely coerced!” Kogoro Mori said decisively. “We can investigate Chairman Yatsushiro’s social connections.”

Inspector Megure pondered for a moment and said, "Indeed, none of the deceased's belongings have been touched!"

“Inspector, there are no signs of forced entry on the door. The culprit likely used a master key,” Takagi Wataru warned.

"Who holds the master key?" Inspector Megure asked, looking at Natsumi Tsujimoto.

"There are quite a few, including myself, the guards, and even the supervisors and other service staff."

After saying that, Tsujimoto Natsuho hesitated for a moment, then added, "We lost a master key before."

"What? When did that happen?" Inspector Megure asked immediately.

Tsujimoto Natsuho said, "It was lost three weeks ago after Mr. Kusaka's interview."

"Mr. Kusaka?"

Kitagawa Taki helped explain: "Hiroshige Kusaka, a screenwriter, said he wanted to create a script related to cruise ships."

“This Mr. Kusaka is very suspicious!” Inspector Megure ordered, “Takagi, go and bring him over!”

"Yes!" Takagi Wataru saluted and left the room.

Just then, a police officer's exclamation drew everyone's attention.

"Little kid, what are you doing here?!"

Conan rubbed his head and crawled out from the corner of the room.

He had already discovered the murder, but fearing that Kogoro Mouri would throw him out of the scene, he simply hid in his room.

"What are you doing sneaking around like that, kid!" Kogoro Mouri didn't hesitate to give Conan a sharp rap on the head, but Conan dodged it.

Kogoro Mouri was about to grab Conan by the back of his collar and chase him all over the room.

Inspector Megure's face twitched, and he said helplessly, "Brother Mouri, don't worry about Conan. He's been listening for so long anyway."

Kogoro Mouri then stopped.

Chapter 331 A Different Kogoro Mouri

Takagi Wataru brought Kusaka Hiroshige back to the room.

Hiroshige Kusaka appeared very calm and composed when questioned by the police.

“I see. Your guesses are interesting. However, at 10:15, I was in my room talking on the phone with Ms. Minamiko. It was impossible for me to have gone to kill someone.”

Wataru Takagi and Ninzaburo Shiratori were taking notes.

Kogoro Mouri asked, "Is Ms. Minamiko the designer Akiyoshi?"

Hiroshige nodded slightly: "Yes, because we can't use cell phones at sea, we used the landline in the room to make the call."

Inspector Megure pressed further, "When did you start talking on the phone? How long did it last?"

"It started around ten o'clock and lasted for about thirty minutes! You can find out this by checking."

Thirty minutes later, it was 10:30. Kitagawa Taki remembered meeting Akikichi Minamiko outside the room at around 10:20.

Inspector Megure and Kogoro Mouri exchanged a glance: "Would it be convenient for us to go to your room?"

“Okay.” Hiroshige Kusaka did not refuse.

……

Hiroshige's room.

Takagi Wataru checked the landline's call logs and confirmed that it was indeed as Hiroshige Kusaka had said.

Inspector Megure asked, "Mr. Kusaka, if it's convenient, could you please reveal the content of your conversation?"

Hiroshige Kusaka sat at the table, legs crossed: "I just finished the project proposal, so I wanted to hear her opinion."

"A proposal?"

Hiroshige Kusaka opened his laptop and began to speak eloquently: "It's a proposal for a TV series set on a luxury cruise ship. Ms. Minami gave me some advice regarding the cruise ship aspect..."

Conan, sitting on the edge of the bed, noticed Hiroshige's bag, with a recorder half-exposed.

"Brother Kusaka, why don't you just go find Sister Akiyoshi?"

Hiroshige Kusaka chuckled: "Kid, it's normal that you don't understand. She's a single woman, so it's not very convenient to go to her room, and if we go to a coffee shop, I'm afraid someone might hear us."

Everyone nodded; this reason was valid.

……

Leave Hiroshige's room.

Kogoro Mouri expressed his opinion: "I think Mr. Kusaka is innocent, and the loss of the master key must be a coincidence."

Inspector Megure looked at Kitagawa Taki: "Kitagawa, what do you think?"

Kitagawa Taki said, "Let's confirm with Ms. Akiyoshi first."

Just then, a couple who had just come out of the room walked towards them.

Several people brushed past each other.

Kogoro Mouri stopped and looked back at the couple.

Seeing this, Takagi Wataru asked, "Mr. Mori, what's wrong?"

Inspector Megure looked enlightened. "He must have been captivated by that beautiful woman just now."

Kogoro Mouri gave an awkward smile, but doubts arose in his heart.

The way that woman turned to protect her chest as she brushed past those people was exactly the same as the mysterious man's action when they encountered him in the corridor.

Could that mysterious person be a woman?

With these questions in mind, I arrived at Akiyoshi Minamiko's room.

Takagi Wataru recounted the incident to Akiyoshi Minako.

"Mr. Kusaka did call me at 10 o'clock, and we talked for about 30 minutes."

He told me in the morning that he would call me at ten o'clock and that I should wait for his call in my room.

After saying that, Minako Akiyoshi glanced at Taki Kitagawa without leaving a trace.

Kitagawa Taki returned the smile.

This left Akiyoshi Minako unsure whether Kitagawa Taki had actually seen through her disguise.

"Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Akiyoshi."

Inspector Megure stood up. Now that Hiroshige Kusaka's alibi had been confirmed, he could be cleared of suspicion.

"Wait a minute." Kitagawa Taki suddenly asked, "Ms. Akiyoshi, what exactly did you and Mr. Kusaka discuss?"

Minamiko Akiyoshi said, "He was just talking about the plot, and I was just listening."

Conan quickly asked, "Sister Akiyoshi, didn't you say anything?"

“No.” Minako Akikichi shook her head. “If I interrupted, he would yell at me. I’ve been yelled at before, so I haven’t interrupted since.”

"It wasn't until he finished reading the story and asked me what I thought that I said, 'It was quite interesting,' and that was it."

"I see." Kitagawa Taki stood up from the sofa. "Inspector Megure, let's go."

……

The group left Minako Akiyoshi's room and returned to the crime scene.

Upon seeing Inspector Megure return, a forensic officer approached and reported, "Inspector, we found traces of reddish-brown liquid that had been wiped away on the floor near the body."

Conan hurriedly asked, "Isn't that blood?"

The officer replied, "Although it looks very similar, no blood reaction was detected."

Conan looked at the remaining marks on the floor and fell into deep thought.

Inspector Megure glanced at his watch and said, "The party starts at five o'clock tonight. Now, Takagi and Shiratori, you two split up and go ask the other passengers if there are any witnesses."

After the two left, Inspector Megure asked, "Kitagawa, Mori, do you two have any ideas?"

Kogoro Mouri shook his head with a sullen face; he couldn't be sure yet.

Kitagawa Takido: "At present, Kusaka Hironari is the most suspicious. According to Ms. Akiyoshi, Kusaka Hironari did all the talking during their phone call, and the two of them did not exchange any words except at the beginning and the end."

Therefore, Hiroshige's alibi is not very reliable, as he could easily use recordings to create an alibi.

However, if that's the case, he certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to leave behind a recording as evidence, so we need other evidence now.

We can only wait for the Japan Coast Guard to find Yatsushiro Entarō's body or for Officer Takagi and his team to find eyewitnesses.

Inspector Megure suddenly realized and said, "Brother Kitagawa, you're absolutely right! However, for now, we really can only wait."

Kogoro Mouri, however, disagreed and said, "Inspector, we'll head out first and meet up with Ran and the others."

Inspector Megure nodded.

After leaving the room, Kogoro Mouri called Taki Kitagawa aside to speak with him alone.

"Brother Kitagawa, do you remember when you met Miss Akiyoshi?"

Kitagawa Taki was somewhat surprised. He looked at the extremely serious and earnest Kogoro Mouri, thought for a moment, and said, "It should be around 10:30. After I met her in the cabin department, we went to the coffee shop together."

Kogoro Mouri frowned slightly. He found the two at 10:40, which was roughly the right time.

Kitagawa Taki tentatively asked, "Brother Mori, why are you asking this?"

Kogoro Mouri scratched the back of his head and laughed, "It's nothing, just asking. Kitagawa, why don't you go find Ran and the others first? I'm going to the restroom."

Afterwards, Kogoro Mouri and Taki Kitagawa said their goodbyes.

As Kitagawa Taki watched Kogoro Mouri's retreating figure, he sensed that Kogoro Mouri was somewhat different this time, as if he were questioning Minako Akiyoshi.

Thinking of this, he glanced around and, finding no one else, made a "formation" gesture and stealthily followed Kogoro Mouri.

Chapter 332 Be My Woman