"What a shame, it's over so quickly."
Tsuneo patted Hattori on the shoulder, letting out a heavy sigh of genuine regret.
After all, the holiday had come to an end, and these kids had to head back to school.
"Y-Yeah, I guess so..." Hattori replied with a stiff, strained smile.
If you don't leave now, I won't even be able to crawl out of bed tomorrow, he thought.
These past two days had nearly been the death of him. He made a mental note to be much more cautious before inviting 'the Fixer' over again.
Uncle Mouri stood nearby, silently puffing on a cigarette, his face a mask of utter exhaustion. It wasn't just Ran and Hattori who had been put through the wringer; even a veteran like him had been dragged into the mix.
To say he was tired was an understatement. At this point, even if someone offered to take him out for drinks with the finest hostesses, he'd probably turn them down just to get some sleep.
Has this kid improved too fast?
Mouri stubbed out his cigarette, casting a bewildered glance at Tsuneo. He remembered clashing with him back during that case involving the male idol. But the experience this time was on a completely different level.
Hattori's kendo skills were nothing to scoff at, and yet, even with his and Ran's help, they had still lost!
"Uncle, what are you thinking about?" Conan asked, looking up at him.
You've been awfully quiet these past two days... Are you upset?
"Beat it, kid. Don't bother me while I'm trying to sleep." The moment they stepped into the car, Mouri closed his eyes, desperate to reclaim any scrap of energy.
"Hehe."
The great detective rested his head on his arms, leaning back against the seat and swinging his small legs contentedly...
By evening, the group arrived safely back in Beika-cho.
"Stop right there!"
"Catch him!"
The moment they stepped out of the station, the unique "ambiance" of Beika-cho greeted them. A middle-aged woman had been shoved to the ground by a man wearing a motorcycle helmet, and she was currently screaming at the top of her lungs.
"Our town really is the wildest," Tsuneo remarked, nodding in approval.
As expected of the land cursed by the God of Death. When it came to pure insanity, Beika-cho was the undisputed champion.
If you didn't believe it, just look: there was a police car parked right on the curb, and someone was still bold enough to commit a robbery right in front of it.
The petty robbery was resolved quickly. The helmeted man hadn't expected that the woman he targeted would refuse to let go of her purse even at the cost of her life, nor did he expect her to have the lung capacity of a jet engine.
"E-Excuse me, ma'am... we've caught him. You can let go now," the patrolling officer said as he handcuffed the thief, gently reminding the woman on the ground.
Her grip strength is terrifying...
"Alright, stop gawking at the circus. It's time to go home," Mouri grumbled, hoisting his luggage and letting out a massive yawn.
Hardly had the words left his mouth when thick plumes of black smoke began billowing from a nearby office building. Panic rippled through the crowd as people scrambled to call the fire department.
"..."
Tsuneo rubbed his temples.
I suppose this is Beika-cho's way of welcoming the God of Death back home?
Ikumi had to head off to meet a client, and the trio of Conan, Ran, and Mouri returned to the agency. That left Tsuneo alone to head over to Professor Agasa's house to scrounge a meal.
"The Professor isn't back yet? He's been gone for several days, hasn't he?" Tsuneo asked curiously, grabbing a drink from the fridge.
"Days?"
Ai Haibara didn't look up from the television. "It's been almost a month."
The news was currently broadcasting the robbery at the station and the unfolding arson case.
"He said the programming for that game has reached its final stage, and he needs to be there for the maintenance," Akemi added with a shake of her head. She didn't quite understand the technical jargon.
"A month?" Tsuneo froze.
Why do I feel like I just saw that old man a few days ago?
He didn't care much about the changing of the seasons, but the way time skipped and buckled in this world still gave him a sense of "temporal jet lag."
"That's not important. The real question is, why are you lot in this news report?" Ai asked, tilting her head with a look of suspicion.
On the screen, the news anchor had seemingly recognized some famous faces and was now talking incessantly, introducing them to the viewers. The reporter was already drawing lines between the appearance of the famous detectives and the arson case that had yet to be fully investigated.
"And here comes the trouble..." Tsuneo's phone began to vibrate.
Predictably, it was Inspector Megure.
"Tsuneo-kun, are you investigating the case in front of the station?" Megure got straight to the point. He had only noticed the group because his subordinates told him the news was making a fuss about it.
"No, we were just passing by." Tsuneo had zero interest in some random arson case.
"I see. Well, we already have a lead on the arsonist. However, I do have something else to ask you."
Tsuneo heard the sound of rustling papers on the other end of the line.
"A murder occurred yesterday. The victim seems to be an acquaintance of yours..."
"Yes... No, I haven't heard anything about that."
Ten minutes later, Tsuneo hung up and let out a helpless sigh.
"Don't tell me another one of your poor clients met an untimely end?" the sisters asked simultaneously, turning their gaze toward the Fixer.
"Unfortunately, you guessed right," Tsuneo nodded.
But it wasn't exactly a "good" client. The victim had been the sharp-tongued, mean-spirited type—the kind of person Tsuneo would never have dealt with a second time anyway.
Truly, Beika-cho was exactly as he had left it.
"I think you're even more of a jinx than Kudo," Ai said, switching off the TV and picking up a magazine.
It was as if the two of them were in a competition to see who could bring more misfortune to those around them.
"Hardly. He managed to rack up a body count of two the moment he stepped foot in Osaka," Tsuneo cleared his throat as they began chatting about the recent events in the southern city.
To give credit where it was due, Shigehiko Wakisaka's methods had been quite impressive. At the very least, his logic had been clear.
"If he hadn't left those ceramic shards and the photograph behind, and if you guys hadn't been there, he might have actually gotten away with it," Ai mused, shaking her head.
Leaving the shards was a neon sign telling everyone it was a serial killing. And without that photo to lead the way, the investigation would have been far more difficult.
"Human nature is a complex thing," Tsuneo said, taking his seat at the dining table, waiting for the meal to be served.
On one hand, the man had woven a web of deceit to avoid being caught; on the other, he had left clues behind, wanting to use the killings as a tribute to the deceased. Even the clue on his personal webpage had been something Wakisaka mentioned himself.
"Have you been reading philosophy books lately?"
Ai found herself slightly unaccustomed to the Fixer acting so serious. Are you trying to steal the 'Great Detective's' lines?
"I've been watching a lot of philosophical television programs late at night," Tsuneo said, nodding to himself solemnly.
He had truly benefited from them! It was his first time seeing the full, uncensored versions of those "strange" variety shows. It had given him much to think about regarding the complexities of relationships between men and women.
Of course, the most important thing was that even without subtitles, he could finally understand everything being said!
"Late-night television programs?"
Ai pointedly moved her chair a few inches further away from him.
Knowing him, those "programs" definitely weren't the educational kind.
"Are you guys talking about a show?" Akemi asked, walking over with a tray.
She was long used to him dropping by for food. It was just a matter of cooking an extra pot of rice and stewing a bit more meat...
"No, I'm not interested in that kind of thing," Ai said, shaking her head firmly. We are not continuing this topic.
"It's very philosophical, really. It makes you think. For example, the host will skillfully use certain 'tools' and then ask the female guests to call their boyfriends..."
"Don't talk while you're eating! Do you want to choke?!"
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