Chapter 292: Heiji Hattori's Investigation Results
Conan had to admit, he was partly to blame. He'd been swamped with so many cases lately that the days had blurred together, and he'd completely forgotten to follow up. It wasn't until the trip to Osaka was finalized that the memory resurfaced with a jolt of urgency.
He made a firm resolution: the moment he saw Heiji, he would get a full report on the investigation's progress.
After all, based on the fragments Mr. Okiya had overheard, the Kamisato Clan was very likely preparing to take private action against the mastermind. Conan hoped to unmask the culprit before they did, to prevent them from crossing a line and committing an illegal act in the name of justice.
Once everyone had gathered, the atmosphere was one of quiet anticipation. Aside from Sera Masumi, who shot Okiya Subaru a few extra, curious glances—as if trying to place a familiar face she couldn't quite recall—no one made much small talk. They soon boarded the train, the rhythmic clatter of the tracks carrying them toward Osaka.
"Uncle Mouri, over here!"
The moment they stepped out of the bustling station, a familiar, boisterous voice cut through the crowd, calling out Kogoro Mouri's name.
Everyone turned toward the sound. Sure enough, there stood Heiji Hattori and Kazuha Toyama, waving energetically. Standing beside them, a polite smile on his face, was another acquaintance from their last visit—Thoma.
Just as before, the large group split into two to make their way to the Kamisato estate.
Klee, Ayumi, Genta, Mitsuhiko, Haibara, Dr. Agasa, Kogoro Mouri, Sonoko Suzuki, Sera Masumi, and Natsume all piled into the spacious vehicle Thoma had brought.
Meanwhile, Heiji Hattori slung an arm around Conan's shoulders, pulling him toward a separate car under the pretext of needing a good, long chat after so much time apart. A slightly worried Ran Mouri followed them. After a brief moment of consideration, Okiya Subaru silently chose to join Conan in the same vehicle.
Anticipating the large number of guests, Heiji had arranged for a van to help with transport.
Kazuha and Ran naturally sat together, falling into easy conversation.
Heiji, however, had other plans. He deliberately ushered Conan and Okiya Subaru into the back row, creating a pocket of privacy.
The second the doors slid shut, Conan couldn't restrain himself any longer. "So, what did you find?" he asked, his voice low and urgent, cutting straight to the point.
Heiji's eyes flickered to Okiya Subaru, who sat quietly beside Conan. Seeing that Kudo was asking so openly in front of the man, Heiji understood it as a sign of trust. He didn't bother with any pretense and launched directly into his findings.
"Alright, based on my digging, the biggest suspect behind that incident is the Takahashi Group, run by the Takahashi family. A close second is the Huijian Company, owned by the Kondo family."
Heiji laid out the names of the most likely culprits he'd identified. Without waiting for Conan to probe further, he immediately detailed his investigation process and the reasoning behind his conclusion.
"At first, when the Kamisato Clan announced that idol competition, a lot of local businesses weren't optimistic. But after the auditions turned into a massive success, a bunch of companies saw the dollar signs and wanted a piece of the action.
"Among them, the Takahashi Group was the most powerful and by far the most aggressive. The Huijian Company's influence was a step down, but their attitude was only slightly better. Both of them got shot down by the head of the Kamisato Clan, Kamisato Ayato. Apparently, that left a bad taste in their mouths. They were pretty ticked off that the Kamisatos passed over local Osaka partners to work with companies from Tokyo instead. Both of them even caused some minor trouble for the clan during the event.
"What really puts the Takahashi Group at the top of my list, though," Heiji continued, his voice dropping slightly, "is that the Osaka Police have always suspected them of having ties to the underworld. That's why I'm saying they're the most suspicious."
At this, Heiji sighed, a flicker of frustration crossing his face. He spread his hands helplessly and turned his gaze back to Conan. "And that's everything I've managed to scrape together. Any other questions?"
Hearing this, Conan couldn't help but let his brow furrow. "Two weeks, and this is all you've investigated?" He shot Heiji a look of theatrical disdain, the corner of his lip twitching into a mischievous smirk. "No wonder you didn't call. You were too embarrassed to admit this is all you had, weren't you?"
Heiji bristled, his face flushing with indignation. "Hmph! You think this was easy to look into? My old man and the rest of the department clammed up about the incident, and with the Kamisato siblings out of town, I couldn't get anything from them. Even this much was pieced together bit by bit from grilling my dad's subordinates and some of the event staff, okay?"
He paused, his bluster deflating slightly as he added with a touch of embarrassment, "And it's not like I was intentionally avoiding you. I only confirmed these two companies as the main suspects yesterday. Since I knew you were coming today, I figured it wouldn't make a difference to wait and tell you in person."
"So that's how it was." Seeing the genuine effort Heiji had put in, Conan dropped the teasing and prepared to ask for more details.
On the other side of Conan, Okiya Subaru remained a silent observer. He hadn't interjected once, his eyes closed as if in thought, quietly absorbing every detail of the case as Conan and Heiji continued their hushed discussion.
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