Conan, I'm an actor

"That guy's tone really annoyed me, so I came to check it out." Kaito Kuroba shrugged somewhat awkwardly. "As for the case, I'm not interested. Is it so hard to run away when there's danger?"

He couldn't very well say that the guy had revealed his identity, which was why he came to see what the guy was really like. If these detectives found out that he was Kaito Kid, his good days would be over.

His reason for coming here was simple: to expose Moriarty's identity and teach him a lesson, as this was the only way to reciprocate.

"We should be among the first to arrive here, right?" Kaito Kuroba said with a hint of pride as he glanced at the time.

“No, there’s a Ferrari and a Mercedes parked over there. Looks like some people got here before us,” Hakuba Saguru said, pointing to the parking lot next to him. “Looks like these detectives are all quite wealthy.”

Just then, the gate of the villa slowly opened, and a hunched figure walked out. "Since you're already here, come in."

"You must be the owner of this villa," Hattori said somewhat arrogantly. "So, what is the purpose of summoning us detectives here?"

"On the contrary, I am also one of the detectives invited this time. I think no detective would refuse Moriarty's invitation." As he spoke, Senma Shota took out an envelope from behind him, which was none other than an invitation to the Twilight Villa.

"Grandma, could you introduce yourself?" Kaito Kuroba asked shyly, speaking as if he were a junior.

“My name is Senma Shota, and like you, I’m a detective.” Senma Shota said, looking at the three young men in front of him. “That dark-skinned guy should be Hattori Heiji, and the blond one should be Hakuba Saguru. But young man, who are you? There shouldn’t be anyone like you in the detective world.”

"My name is Kaito Kuroba, and I'm a magician," Kaito said somewhat awkwardly. "Perhaps the owner of the annex is interested in magic, so he invited me along."

"A magician?" Hattori Heiji and Hakuba Saguru were both taken aback; they had never expected that Kuroba Kaito's hidden identity would be this.

"Perhaps Mr. Moriarty wants to accomplish something using a magic-like method. We don't know anything about magic, so we'll have to see what you do, young man." Senma Shota turned and walked into the house.

“I remember now, you’re the famous detective who can easily solve cases just by listening to others talk about them while sitting in an armchair.” Hattori pointed at Senma Kouta and said with a shocked expression, “I didn’t expect the owner of the villa to have invited such a senior as you.”

Unlike these young people, this old lady became famous much earlier and was far more well-known. More than a decade ago, she assisted the police in solving many major cases, but because of her advanced age and lack of activity, she disappeared from public view.

"I haven't been a detective for two or three years, and I never expected that anyone would still know my name. I'm an old woman, and my mind is slow. I can't keep up with you young people, so please take care of me." Chima Shota said modestly, but anyone could see the pride on his face.

Just then, as if provoked by something, the eagle named Walterson, carried by Hakuba Tan, flew directly into the villa.

Seeing Walterson fly into the annex, Hakuba Saguru smiled. It seemed he had come to the right place; this must be the scene of the murder forty years ago. He just wondered why that gentleman had summoned them here.

"What is that woman doing?" Kaito asked, pointing to a woman on the stairs who was spraying something onto the railing.

"If I'm not mistaken, this should be luminol reagent," Hattori said seriously, looking at the woman on the stairs. "She's so professional; she must have left the police force."

"This is former coroner, Ms. Ikumi Yagami." Hakuba looked at the woman on the stairs and asked with a smile, "Ms. Yagami, you've been here for so long, you must have already gained something. Could you share it with us?"

“Of course, I found bloodstains in many places inside this villa. There are bloodstains on the doors, walls, and floor. Although someone has wiped them away, the bloodstains will still show up under the influence of the reagent. I’m also very curious about what happened inside this villa to leave such traces.” Ikumi Gunta shrugged. “Apart from that, there are no other valuable clues.”

"By the way, what is that luminol reagent?" Kaito asked, somewhat puzzled.

He, a complete novice, knew absolutely nothing about this kind of professional knowledge. And why was this woman making such frightening claims? Just how many people died in this villa?

“Nluminol, once sprayed on bloodstains, will produce a special bluish-purple fluorescence based on the active oxidizing enzymes in the blood,” Hakuba Saguru said. “That’s why this stuff is often used in on-site blood tests.”

Just then, a gentle voice came from behind them.

“Actually, luminol is only useful to laymen. Those who frequently commit murder know that bleach can interfere with luminol test results. The main component of bleach is calcium hypochlorite, which reacts with carbon dioxide and water in the air to form hypochlorous acid, a highly oxidizing acid. The resulting fluorescence reaction can be confused with the fluorescence reaction of bloodstains, thus interfering with blood test results.” Xincheng, dressed in a black suit, appeared at the door. “Of course, bleach only interferes temporarily and is ineffective for detecting old bloodstains. You could try combining it with ammonia and chicken blood. The former prevents the police from extracting DNA, and the latter interferes with blood volume analysis, causing some trouble for the police in finding evidence. However, personally, I still prefer to burn it; that way, no trace will be left.”

Standing next to Shinjo, Koshimizu Nanatsuki opened her mouth, but couldn't say a word. Her mind was blank. Who am I? Where am I?

The detectives present all focused their attention on the man and woman. No one spoke, but the meaning in their eyes was clear—such a dangerous statement, are you really a detective?

"Sir, would you mind telling me your identity? I can't pretend I didn't hear what you just said," Hakuba Saguru said in a deep voice.

Just then, the sound of birds came from inside the annex. Walterson flew out from the corridor on the second floor of the annex and landed steadily on Hakuba Saguru's leather wristband.

"This is my assistant. I am the detective invited here today, Koshimizu Nanatsuki." Koshimizu could only say this with a forced smile. "His previous work had some connection with the police, so he knows this knowledge."

Chapter 75 The Reason for Coming to the Annex

“I see.” Gunda Ikumi nodded. “You have a good eye, little sister. With an assistant like this, solving cases should be much easier.”

"Hey, if I heard you right, you just said your friends who frequently kill people all know that," Hattori said, his face dark. "I can't pretend I didn't hear that! You bastard..."

“Heiji Hattori, watch your words,” Shinjo said with a smile. “My name is Tetsuo Shinjo, not ‘Hey.’ Also, if you want to accuse me of murder, please provide evidence. Otherwise, you will not only be facing me, but also a lawsuit.”

"This guy is really annoying," Kaito Kuroba couldn't help but mutter.

Hattori, whose words had been cut off by Shinjo, nodded in deep agreement. However, he had already marked Shinjo Tetsuo as a dangerous individual who needed to be kept in check.

"Esteemed guests, I am Ishihara Aki, a maid in this annex. Please follow me; the master has prepared rooms for you." Just then, Ishihara Aki, dressed in a maid's outfit, came out.

“A maid?” Shinjo frowned. “The guests have already arrived, why isn’t the master coming out? Besides, as far as I know, this villa has been abandoned for over forty years. If it was a maid from back then, she would be about the same age as Granny Senma by now. Miss Ishihara must have entered the villa recently.”

“It’s not gentlemanly to bring up a woman’s age so casually.” Granny Chima gave Shinjo a deep look.

From the moment she started observing, she had been watching everyone in the villa, trying to figure out who Xincheng's accomplices were.

But so far, she has not been able to find the existence of that "accomplice".

The girl next to him, Nanatsuki Koshimizu, is highly suspicious, but judging from the shocked expression on Shinjo's face after he said those words, this girl is not very likely to be the suspect.

She was most likely a pawn brought in by Shinjo as a cover, so among the remaining people, only Ikumi Gunda was the most likely candidate.

Hakuba Saguru and Hattori Heiji are both high school detectives and sons of high-ranking officials in the Metropolitan Police Department. They have no need and no right to become accomplices with Shinjo.

As for Kaito Kuroba, he's an outsider, at least on the surface.

Of course, it cannot be ruled out that his accomplices were among the few who were not present.

Just then, thunder suddenly roared outside, and a heavy rain poured down from the sky.

"This is not a good sign. A dark and stormy night is a night for murder. It seems this gathering is destined to be anything but peaceful." Shinjo shrugged.

Yue Shui, standing beside him, was somewhat speechless. Wasn't this party arranged by you? You prepared all the venues, so why are you provoking me now?

"Well, actually, I've never met the owner of this villa before. This interview can only be described as bizarre." Ishihara Aki was now scared.

She had already arrived, but the shock of "many people dying in the villa" had kept her silent. After hearing the detectives' deductions, she was now quite terrified. She was determined to quit her job after the gathering. If she had known this villa was so haunted, she wouldn't have applied for the job.

"It's weird. Could you please explain in more detail?" Kaito asked, resting his chin on his hand.

“Many people came to the annex that day; they were all there for job interviews. I wasn’t outstanding at all among them,” Aki Ishihara said. “The entire interview was conducted online; my interviewer was a computer. While I was thinking about the interview questions, the interviewer told me that I had been hired.”

Senma Shota glanced at Shinjo beside him, but couldn't discern any expression on his face, which puzzled him.

She recognized Ishihara Aki; she was the one Oogami Kisuke had chosen from among many interviewees. She had originally thought that Shinjo would replace the maid for this party, but she hadn't expected him to accept her entirely. Didn't he consider that this maid might ruin his plans?

"A master who never shows himself?" A smile appeared on Kaito Kuroba's face. "Things seem to be getting interesting."

On the highway, Kogoro Mouri had to slow down. The road conditions were poor, and the roads were slippery due to the rain, so he didn't dare to drive too fast.

However, some people were even later than them. At this moment, Professor Agasa didn't care about the slippery road due to the rain and kept stepping on the gas pedal, making the little Beetle feel like a race car.

They should have made it in time, but just now, Shinichi Kudo's body instantly transformed into Conan's, leaving him extremely weak and suffering from a high fever.

"Shinichi, maybe we should just forget about it. The effects of that drug are very unstable. If you suddenly revert back, things will get really bad." At this moment, Professor Agasa was extremely glad that he had insisted on driving Shinichi here.

If a taxi driver were to see that Shinichi Kudo has become Conan Edogawa, not only would their trip to the annex be ruined, but the crucial fact that Conan Edogawa is Shinichi Kudo would also be spread around.

"I just checked, the effects of the medicine will last for about 12 hours. As long as you take the medicine in time, there shouldn't be any major problems." At this moment, Conan was sitting in the passenger seat, wearing a blue suit, looking as ridiculous as could be.

Seeing that Shinichi insisted on going, Professor Agasa could only shake his head helplessly. This kid has always been like this since he was a child, and he can't be persuaded.

Around 6 PM, as the gates of the annex reopened, Kogoro Mouri, Ran Mouri, and Harufumi Mogi, all holding umbrellas, appeared at the entrance.

"Oh, I didn't expect there to be so many people already. We're not late, are we?" Harufumi Mogi asked with a smile.

“Harufumi Mogi, if I remember correctly, a little over two weeks ago, you had a conflict with the local mafia in Italy, and it seems you were injured. It caused quite a stir, and it was even reported in the newspapers. You just got back to Japan and came straight here. Can your body handle it?” Shota Senma asked, staring at Harufumi Mogi.

“I didn’t want to come here either, but the owner of this villa tempted me with conditions that were enough to make me fall in love with someone else. Unfortunately, I couldn’t resist the temptation, so I came.” Mogi Harufumi shrugged.

"What are the conditions?" Kogoro Mouri asked, somewhat bewildered.

"Is it the car? Mr. Mogi just said the car is his beloved woman," Ran asked tentatively.

“You’re very clever, baby,” Mogi Harufumi said with a smile. “That person said he has a first-generation Alfa Romeo Juliet, which is a very old model. Only a few collectors have it, and they all treasure it. He said that if I win this detective competition, he will give me the car.”

"So that's the reason?" Hattori Heiji said, stroking his chin. "The owner of this villa said that by coming here, I could have a showdown with Kudo Shinichi. I've always wanted to compete with Kudo Shinichi, so I came. What are the reasons for everyone's visit?"

“I’m rather shallow. The owner of the villa said that Karasuma Renya’s treasure is hidden inside. If I can help him find it, he will give me half of the treasure.” Ikumi Yagami shrugged. “I need to eat. I won’t miss such a good deal. If I succeed, I can live a life of comfort and financial freedom.”

"I say this because my father, Senma Kyosuke, died in this villa," Senma Shota said. "It's true that there's a treasure of the Karasuma family in this villa, a treasure left to Karasuma Renya by his mother. However, his mother didn't tell him the location of the treasure or what it was. In order to find the treasure, Karasuma Renya gathered many scholars, locked them in the villa, and tried to unravel the secrets of the treasure."

"And then?" Harufumi Mogi asked, staring at the old woman.

"Those scholars failed to find the treasure, and knowing his days were numbered, Karasuma Renya chose to ruthlessly kill them," Senma said. "In the last letter my father sent me, he wrote in secret script about the entire process of Karasuma Renya's persecution of the scholars. However, by the time I understood the script, it was more than ten years later, and by then Karasuma Renya had already passed away."

"Please accept my condolences." It took Mogi Harufumi a long time to finally manage to utter this sentence.

Chapter 76 The Last Trump Card

"Don't try to comfort me. Even if I had discovered the secret of the cryptic text back then, I couldn't have done anything to Karasuma Renya." Granny Senma shook her head. "But what about the others? What are your reasons for coming here?"

“That Mr. Moriarty said there was a grand magic show here, so he invited me, a fellow magician, to help him with his predictions.” Kaito Kuroba scratched his head somewhat awkwardly. “My father, Toichi Kuroba, was once a famous magician.”

"So it was Kuroba Toichi, no wonder." Senma Shota nodded. "That great magician was a legend, it's a pity he died young. Sorry, I'm being a bit too talkative."

Hakuba Saguru nodded, noticing Kaito's somewhat grim expression. No wonder Kaito hadn't wanted to reveal why the owner of the villa had invited him. No one wants to talk about their father's tragic death; he probably wouldn't have come here if he hadn't been forced into it.

All eyes immediately turned to Kogoro Mouri and Nanatsuki Koshimizu, waiting for them to explain the conditions under which the owner of the annex had invited them.

“The owner of the villa paid me 500 million yen in cash and a bottle of top-grade cognac, which has already been transferred to my firm’s account via bank transfer, so I came here,” Kogoro Mouri said somewhat helplessly. “Breaking the contract is not good, and I suspect he has connections with a criminal that the Metropolitan Police Department is investigating.”

“If I’m not mistaken, that bottle of cognac should be…” Hattori was about to speak when Hakuba Saguru interrupted him.

“Louis XIII, it should be this bottle, right?” Hakuba Saguru asked, looking at Kogoro Mori.

Kogoro Mouri nodded. "I didn't expect this criminal to be so famous that even you all know about him."

"They sent such a large sum of money before they even arrived. This is probably the best treatment we get here," said Ikumi Gunta with some envy.

Just as everyone's attention was focused on Nanatsuki Koshimizu and Tetsuo Shinjo, the door of the villa opened again, and a young man with wet clothes walked in from outside. It was none other than Shinichi Kudo, who made his final appearance.

"I shouldn't be late, right?" Shinichi looked a little embarrassed when he saw so many people standing in the lobby.

"It's not too late yet, dinner probably hasn't started yet, but judging from your appearance, I think you need a bowl of ginger soup," Shinjo said with a smile. "Ms. Ishihara, everyone should be here by now."

“Everyone’s here.” Aki Ishihara nodded. “There are eight detectives in total.”

"So, Kudo, you're the last trump card to appear," Shinjo said with a smile.

"Uncle Shinjo, what are you doing here?" Shinichi said instinctively when he saw Shinjo.

"You two know each other?" Ran Mouri keenly sensed something was amiss. Why would Shinichi know Tetsuo Shinjo, and why did he address Conan in the same way?

“I know him.” Shinjo’s facial muscles twitched slightly when he heard Shinichi Kudo call him Uncle Shinjo, and then he said, “I’m friends with his mother, Ms. Yukiko. By the way, if Conan were here, this man should call him Uncle Edogawa. Theoretically speaking, Conan should be Ms. Yukiko’s younger brother.”

"But I've heard Conan call him Shinichi-nii-nii (older brother Shinichi)." Ran Mouri looked at Shinichi with some suspicion.