Chapter 368: The Jet-Black Bell Tree Express (10)
Conan almost tipped over, leaning his entire body to the side in sheer disbelief.
Hey, hey... he grumbled internally, a deadpan expression settling over his features. After all that intense anticipation, he genuinely thought the operatives from the elusive Teyvat Organization might possess some new, highly logical techniques for solving complex locked-room cases. Who would have thought their resident detective would turn out to be even less reliable than the perpetually clueless Uncle Kogoro?
Before anyone in the crowded corridor could voice their mounting doubts, Heizou simply chuckled, waving a hand dismissively. "Now, now, don't underestimate my intuition. It boasts a remarkably high accuracy rate. From the very moment I laid eyes on this particular master and servant duo, my instincts flared. There was a distinct, almost imperceptible sense of dissonance hovering around them."
Heizou paced slowly, his gaze sharp. "It wasn't until just a moment ago, when I flipped that coin and the 'maid' subconsciously tracked its trajectory with the trained eyes of a predator, that I experienced a sudden flash of inspiration. The puzzle pieces finally snapped into place."
Stopping right in front of Natsue Komino, who currently wore the wrinkled, frail visage of an elderly woman, Heizou casually rested one hand right next to Hiruka Sumitomo's grip on the back of the wheelchair. A knowing, dangerous smile curved his lips. "Miss Sumitomo... or should I say, the one pushing this chair. If I'm not entirely mistaken, you and this elderly lady are indeed bound by a master-and-servant dynamic. However, the reality is the exact opposite of the visual you've presented to us. She is the attendant, and you are the master."
A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers. Everyone's heads snapped toward Natsue and Hiruka, eyes wide with shock.
"," Heizou continued, his voice dropping to a smooth, conversational cadence, "I couldn't help but notice a rather glaring behavioral quirk. You, Madam Komino, never uttered a single syllable whenever your supposed maid, Miss Sumitomo, stepped away from your side. Even when other passengers directly addressed you with questions, you maintained an absolute, stony silence."
A sharp glint of realization flashed across Conan's oversized glasses. The gears in his brilliant mind whirred into overdrive.
Shifting his attention, Heizou looked up at Kogoro, who still wore an expression of utter bewilderment. "Detective Mouri, let's put the clues together. Someone possessing the extraordinary ability to flawlessly disguise themselves and perfectly mimic voices... combined with Mr. Suzuki's highly publicized provocation in the newspapers prior to this journey... you should already have a specific name in mind, shouldn't you?"
The fog finally cleared from Kogoro's mind. He gasped, his jaw dropping before he aggressively thrust an accusing finger directly at Hiruka. "It's you! You are Kaitou Kid!"
Knowing the charade had completely unraveled, a soft, helpless chuckle escaped Hiruka's lips. The nervous maid persona vanished in an instant, replaced by a confident, theatrical aura. He slowly raised both hands in a mock gesture of surrender, tilting his head down just enough so the brim of an imaginary top hat seemed to cast a faint, enigmatic shadow over his eyes. "I truly didn't expect that exposing such a minuscule, fleeting flaw would allow you to corner me so quickly, Detective Shikanoin."
Kid's lips curled into his signature smirk. "However, I only boarded this luxurious train at the esteemed Mr. Suzuki's personal invitation, purely to admire the exquisite gems on display. This gruesome murder case has absolutely nothing to do with me. You can't just slap a murder charge on my head simply because of my nighttime profession, can you? You claim I'm the killer, but where is your hard evidence? Please don't tell me this accusation is also solely based on your 'intuition'? I'm afraid the Tokyo Metropolitan Police won't accept a gut feeling in a court of law."
Having laid out his defense, the phantom thief tilted his chin up, flashing Heizou a brilliantly provocative smile.
"Oh, it's not just intuition." Heizou took a deliberate step forward, closing the distance. His vibrant eyes locked onto Kid's, unyielding and sharp. "The primary reason is quite simple: among everyone present in Car No. 8, you are the only individual capable of executing this specific murder."
Seeing that the young detective wasn't the least bit flustered by his taunts and still maintained that infuriatingly cheerful smile, Kid clicked his tongue in mild annoyance. "Oh? Is that so? Then please, enlighten us, Detective Shikanoin. Why am I the only one?"
Heizou began his breakdown, his tone methodical. "Let's examine the crime scene. The chain lock on the door of Room B in Car No. 8 is noticeably longer than the standard locks installed in the other carriages. A cunning culprit could easily reach their arm in from the outside corridor to hook the chain back into place. Therefore, a true 'locked room' never actually existed."
He held up a finger to emphasize his point. "According to the conductor's sworn testimony, when the train plunged into the tunnel and the corridor lighting dimmed, he clearly saw the victim open his door. After that specific moment, he never witnessed the door to Room B open again. This strict timeline dictates that the murderer absolutely had to have killed Mr. Murobashi during that dark passage through the tunnel."
Kid crossed his arms, looking entirely unimpressed. "Fascinating timeline. But so what? What does any of that have to do with me?"
"Patience. Don't be in such a hurry; I'm getting to the best part." Heizou gestured for the thief to hold his horses. "The culprit could only slip into Room B to murder Mr. Murobashi during the brief window when the conductor was occupied at the door of Room A, and the victim stepped out to investigate the commotion. But when the killer needed to exit the room after the deed was done, the conductor was no longer distracted at Room A. This meant that if the killer simply opened the door to step out, they would be immediately spotted."
Heizou paced a few steps down the hall. "Following that, the conductor never saw Room B's door open. It was only later, while he was busy handling Mari Izumi's noise complaint down at the door of Room E, that he caught a glimpse of someone seemingly peeking out from a distance. To his eyes, the door that opened appeared to be located all the way down near Room A."
Heizou leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a theatrical whisper. "Among all the passengers currently residing in Car No. 8, only you possess the technical expertise and the theatrical flair to use optical illusions to manipulate the perceived distance observed by the conductor... Mr. Ma-gi-cian Kid." Heizou heavily emphasized the word 'Magician', letting it hang in the tense air.
"Eh? So that's how the trick was done..." Amuro, who had quietly slipped away at some point during the commotion and had just smoothly reintegrated himself into the crowd near the Car No. 8 crime scene, nodded slowly, a look of deep realization washing over his handsome features.
"No! You're completely wrong! The real culprit isn't Kaitou Kid!"
Before Kid could even open his mouth to mock Heizou for lacking physical evidence or a coherent motive, Conan sprang into action. Triggered by the crucial phrase 'optical illusion,' the young sleuth's mind connected the final dots. Wasting not a single second, he adjusted his wristwatch, took careful aim, and fired a tranquilizer needle directly into Kogoro's neck.
As the older detective performed his signature dizzy spin and slumped heavily against the corridor wall, Conan ducked out of sight, adjusted his voice-changing bowtie, and hurriedly corrected the deduction using Kogoro's booming baritone. "The real murderer is actually Satoru Ando, who is currently residing in Room C, right in the middle of this very carriage!"
Conan's hidden voice echoed down the hall. ", Ando possesses the exact tools necessary to set up this specific visual trick! Inside that conspicuously heavy, fake painting he's been lugging around, there is undoubtedly a mirror. By attaching that mirror to the door, he could easily mislead the conductor's line of sight. Only from his specific position in Room C could the conductor be tricked into believing the person peeking out was located all the way down at Room A!"
"Amuro!" Conan barked the authoritative order through Kogoro's voice, projecting absolute certainty. "Go and inspect Satoru Ando's painting immediately!"
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