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

After there was no movement, Conan even opened his eyes slightly, only to see Kitagawa Taki confronting a blonde woman.

Because Vermouth was facing away from him, he couldn't see her face.

Kitagawa Taki walked over to Conan, patted Conan's face hard, and said, "This kid isn't dead, is he?"

Conan, looking utterly exasperated, woke up at just the right moment.

However, Vermouth had already put on her disguise again and transformed back into the young Mrs. Nishimura.

Upon seeing the blonde woman transform into a black-haired woman, Conan momentarily wondered if his eyes had been opened after waking up.

But then I realized that this woman must have disguised herself!

Conan rubbed his temples; his head still ached a little.

Kitagawa Taki said without any politeness, "You're awake? You little rascal, if we hadn't discovered the secret passage, you'd be dead!"

That woman probably didn't expect a child to barge in. She was probably still debating whether or not to kill Conan. You know, when facing the two of them, the woman didn't hold back at all.

Upon hearing Kitagawa Taki's words, Conan noticed an old woman lying on the ground.

He realized that he had just been ambushed from behind by this person.

"Thank you." In any case, as Kitagawa Taki said, he was indeed saved by Kitagawa Taki this time.

After thanking her, Conan turned his attention to Vermouth, "Auntie, you're not the owner of this house, are you?"

Conan now understands everything: the old woman on the ground is the lady of the house, and her son is in the cell.

Five years ago, the man who killed the male homeowner was either the female homeowner or her son.

Perhaps it was because his son was a witness that he was imprisoned.

Or perhaps it was because she didn't want her son to be caught that the woman locked him in the cage.

"Oh dear, who are you, little one?" Vermouth indirectly admitted that she was not the mistress of the house.

"Edogawa Conan is a detective!"

Conan regretted it as soon as he finished speaking. He didn't even know the woman's identity. What if she was a member of the Black Organization? Wouldn't that arouse her suspicion?

According to his speculation, Kitagawa Taki is likely connected to the Black Organization.

"detective?"

Vermouth smiled, thinking of a detective boy—Shinichi Kudo.

However, as far as she knew, Shinichi Kudo had been poisoned by Gin, and the investigation concluded that he was dead!

This was also one of Vermouth's reasons for returning to Japan; Shinichi Kudo was the son of her friend, so she wanted to confirm it for herself.

Conan added, "Hehe, I really enjoy playing detective games."

Vermouth gave Conan a meaningful look; the child's behavior and demeanor just now were beyond the scope of a child.

A normal child would have been terrified and run to their mother by now.

Conan's heart trembled. Just who was this woman? He had a feeling that she had seen through him.

At this moment, the man who was sleeping in the cage suddenly let out a strange cry, as if he had been frightened awake by a nightmare. He kept muttering things like "I was wrong" and "I didn't mean to".

The man clearly has mental problems; he showed no reaction to so many people and was absorbed in his own world.

Kitagawa Taki then changed the subject, saying, "Let's see who these two people are first?"

Conan learned his lesson this time and didn't say anything more.

Kitagawa Taki squatted down and pinched the woman's philtrum.

The woman slowly woke up, and just as she was about to move, she felt a chill on her neck.

Kitagawa Taki had already placed a knife against the woman's neck, pointed at the man in the cage, and demanded, "Speak, what's going on here?"

He also used a little force, and the blade embedded itself in the woman's neck skin, drawing out a trickle of blood.

Conan opened his mouth, wanting to stop Kitagawa Taki's violent behavior, but in the end he didn't say anything.

Feeling threatened with death, the woman trembled as she told the truth.

It turns out that five years ago, her son, Akio Nishimura, killed his father in a moment of impulse. In order to prevent her son from being punished, she locked him in the basement, hoping to wait until the statute of limitations had expired.

After listening, Kitagawa Taki couldn't help but shake his head. What kind of nonsense was this?

Akio Nishimura was locked in a basement for five years and tortured into the state he is now, neither human nor ghost. It was worse than a prison!

It's likely that those ghost stories were triggered by Mrs. Nishimura's comings and goings in and out of the mansion.

"Conan, you stay and call the police. We're leaving now."

After finishing his sentence, Kitagawa Taki knocked out Mrs. Nishimura and pulled Vermouth outside.

"Hey..." Conan wanted to follow, but after looking at the mother and child on the ground, he gritted his teeth and ultimately decided to stay and call the police.

Vermouth joked, "Is it really okay to just leave a child like this?"

Kitagawa Taki said, "Don't tell me you didn't realize that kid wasn't an ordinary child."

Kitagawa Taki then asked, "Let's not talk about that. What exactly do you want from me?"

"Hahaha!"

Vermouth suddenly laughed, and after a moment, said, "I've come to see if you've forgotten me."

Kitagawa Taki's lips twitched; he wasn't going to be foolish enough to believe Vermouth's words.

Vermouth stepped out of the mansion, waved, and said, "That phone number is mine!"

Then, he disappeared around the street corner.

Kitagawa Taki didn't chase after him; he knew there was no point in asking any more questions.

He went straight back to the exorcism office.

As soon as I opened the door, I saw Ai Haibara sitting on the sofa.

Ai Haibara looked up when she heard the door open, as if she had been waiting for Taki Kitagawa.

"How is it? What did that woman want with you?" Ai Haibara asked with concern.

Kitagawa Taki sat down on the sofa and joked, "Ai-chan, so concerned about my romantic entanglements?"

Ai Haibara slapped Kitagawa Taki in an annoyed tone, "Seriously!"

Kitagawa Taki's smile faded, and he said seriously, "I don't know what she wanted to do either. That woman left without saying anything."

Ai Haibara glanced at Taki Kitagawa hesitantly: "Is that so?"

Kitagawa Taki saw that Haibara Ai still didn't quite believe him and said painfully, "Would I lie to you? She's not really my lover. Our relationship is obviously much closer!"

Ai Haibara blushed slightly, but stubbornly retorted, "I have nothing to do with you!"

Chapter 119 With his old arms and legs, he still wants to carry out assassinations.

a few days later.

Dr. Agasa's house.

On the street, Vermouth sat in a black sedan, a cigarette between her fingers, staring intently ahead.

Based on her investigation over the past few days, the anonymous message was sent from this address!

Vermouth also investigated the owner of this place, Professor Agasa, and discovered some very interesting things.

Professor Agasa is not only a relative of Kitagawa Taki, but also an acquaintance of Kudo Shinichi.

Therefore, Vermouth did not intend to use force.

After waiting for several hours, Professor Agasa finally left home.

Vermouth gathered her hair up and put on a human skin mask.

He nimbly rolled over into the yard and went into the house.

Vermouth observed the layout and installed several miniature listening devices on the tables, chairs, sofas, and other surfaces.

After cleaning up the traces, Vermouth returned the way she came.

Next, all she had to do was wait for the person who sent the message to appear.

Will it be Kitagawa Taki, who possesses mysterious powers, or Kudo Shinichi, who has been marked as dead but has not been heard from since?

Vermouth's lips curled into a slight smile; this was getting more and more interesting...

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Mihua Grand Hotel.

Vermouth listened in for several days, but nothing happened at Professor Agasa's house.

Until this day.

Professor Agasa finally finished preparing the gadget for Conan and dialed Conan's number.

"Hey, Shinichi, I've made the props you wanted. Come and get them from me!"

In the hotel, Vermouth, wearing headphones, leaned lazily against the sofa.

Upon hearing the name "Shinichi," the answer became quite obvious.

Shinichi Kudo, who was marked as dead, did not die and remained in Japan.

interesting!

She specifically investigated and found that Sherry was among the organization members who went to investigate Shinichi Kudo on both occasions, and that the investigation results were changed by Sherry.

Could there be any connection between the missing Sherry and Shinichi Kudo?

Several tens of minutes later.

Vermouth heard a familiar child's voice in her earpiece. She was certain it was the child named Conan Edogawa she had seen a few days ago, but that wasn't the point.

The key point is that in their conversation, Professor Agasa actually calls Conan Shinichi!

Vermouth narrowed her eyes. Shinichi Kudo hadn't died, and he'd shrunk?!

Dr. Agasa's house.