"I have some important business to attend to."
Kurosawa Hoshino gestured toward the sofa, giving Kogorō room to handle his client and discuss the case.
After brief introductions, they learned the woman's name: Tsujimura Kimie. Fifty years old. Wife of a diplomat. And the reason for her visit?
"Investigate your son's girlfriend's background?" Kogorō raised an eyebrow.
Figures. Diplomat family. They vet everyone thoroughly before letting them in.
"Yes. Here's her photo and basic information." Tsujimura Kimie slid a folder across the table.
Kogorō flipped through it, reading aloud. "Katsuragi Sachiko. Twenty-four. Valedictorian in junior high and high school. Currently attending Tokyo Medical College." He looked up, confused. "Ma'am, what exactly is the issue here? This girl seems perfect. And the photo—she's beautiful. What's not to like?"
Tsujimura Kimie's gaze flickered away. Her voice remained even. "Let's not dwell on that now. Please come speak with my husband about the rest."
"Your husband couldn't come himself?"
"He's a diplomat. If word got out he hired a private detective..." She trailed off, but everyone understood. Media scrutiny. Unfounded scandals. The works.
"In that case," Hattori Heiji cut in, "why don't we all go together? High schoolers, an elementary kid—if we show up as a group, no one will suspect anything. Just friends visiting."
"Excellent idea." Tsujimura Kimie nodded approvingly.
Ran leaned toward Kurosawa Hoshino. "You going?"
"What about you?"
She thought for a moment. "Yeah. You?"
"Might as well. Lying around playing on my phone gets boring. A walk sounds nice."
An hour later, they arrived at the Tsujimura residence—a walled, standalone house.
They changed into slippers at the entrance. A middle-aged man in a black suit approached.
"Welcome home, Madam."
"Mm." Tsujimura Kimie gestured. "Everyone, this is our butler, Koike Fumio."
Polite nods all around.
"These are my husband's friends. They've come to speak with him." Tsujimura Kimie turned back to the butler. "Where is my husband?"
"In his study upstairs."
"Very well. You may go. I'll escort them up."
She led the way. Everyone followed in silence.
Suddenly—
A hand shot out from the living room doorway and grabbed Kurosawa Hoshino.
He stopped. Turned. A young man and woman stood there.
Ran hesitated, then decided to wait. Her eyes flicked between the two strangers.
The woman must be Katsuragi Sachiko. The man—Tsujimura Kimie's son, Tsujimura Takayoshi.
The man stared intently at Kurosawa Hoshino. "I'm Tsujimura Takayoshi. The butler might not recognize you, but I won't make that mistake. You're the famous high school detective. Kurosawa Hoshino."
"So why are you stopping me?" Kurosawa Hoshino's voice was flat.
Takayoshi's expression darkened. "I want to know why my father hired a detective. He's always disapproved of Sachiko and me being together. Now this? What does she have that displeases them so much?"
"Takayoshi."
An aged voice interrupted. Everyone looked up.
An elderly man with white hair had reached the bottom of the stairs.
"Grandfather." Takayoshi acknowledged him.
"Darling!"
A frantic shout erupted from the study upstairs. The door hadn't been closed.
Takayoshi's face shifted. He grabbed Sachiko's hand and sprinted up the stairs.
Even his grandfather—old Tsujimura Toshimitsu—moved with sudden agility and hurried after them.
"Let's go." Kurosawa Hoshino nodded to Ran. They followed.
Before they could ask what happened, Kogorō's voice rang out. "Ran! Call the police! Diplomat Tsujimura is dead!"
Ran froze for a second, then pulled out her phone and stepped outside.
Kurosawa Hoshino moved forward, weaving through the crowd gathered around the desk. On the floor lay a bald, middle-aged, heavyset man. Diplomat Tsujimura Isao.
"Dad! Dad!" Takayoshi knelt beside the body, shaking his father's shoulders.
No response. The man was already gone.
Hattori Heiji straightened up after examining the corpse. His gaze swept the room. "Lips and fingertips have a faint bluish-purple tinge. Conjunctival hemorrhaging in the eyes. Classic signs of asphyxiation. Body's still warm, but no strangulation marks, no signs of drowning. Most likely poisoning—a fast-acting neurotoxin. Time of death: within thirty minutes before we arrived."
Everyone except Conan and Kurosawa Hoshino recoiled.
Takayoshi snapped out of his daze and lunged at Kurosawa Hoshino, grabbing his hand. "Kurosawa-kun! Is this true? My father was poisoned?!"
"Calm down." Kurosawa Hoshino shook him off, crouched beside the body, and pretended to examine it briefly. Then: "Alright. I'm starting to see it. Hattori—there's a red dot on the neck. Just below the ear. Notice it?"
"Yes. And I found a needle on the floor."
"Then let me ask: who touched the body first?"
Hattori's gaze shifted to Tsujimura Kimie.
"Me." Her voice trembled with grief. "I saw him sitting in his chair, arm on the desk, chin resting on his hand. I thought he was asleep. I went to wake him—he swayed and collapsed."
"Mrs. Tsujimura." Kurosawa Hoshino's tone was calm. "How many keys to this study?"
"Two. One with me, one with him. When we arrived, the door was locked. I had to use my key to open it. Mr. Mōri and the others saw that."
"True." Kogorō nodded. "I can confirm."
Hattori's eyes narrowed. "A locked-room murder?"
Conan frowned and began scanning the room again.
Kurosawa Hoshino spoke evenly. "Mrs. Tsujimura. That makes you the prime suspect."
"What?! How could it be me? This young man said my husband died within the last half hour. We were still on our way here then! How could I have killed him?"
"You opened the door and entered. That was also within the last half hour."
Silence.
Everyone's eyes widened.
Tsujimura Kimie could have killed him—right under their noses.
Is this guy about to solve another one? Conan's head snapped up, staring at Kurosawa Hoshino.
Hattori Heiji felt his stomach drop. He wanted to argue—Kurosawa had no evidence. This was nonsense.
But the news reports flashed through his mind. His heart raced.
No way. Is he really going to pull off one of his instant solves right in front of me?