Sora could hardly believe her eyes. Neither could anyone else.
Takagi was the first to speak. "C-Conan-kun! What are you doing here?"
The mini detective looked up at him and Chiba. His serious frown morphed into an innocent smile.
"Takagi-keiji, Chiba-keiji! Hi-hi! I was having lunch with Ran-neechan and Kogoro-ojisan over there." He pointed to the restaurant the Precures ate at. "When I heard the car go off, I got curious and came over. I've been hanging out ever since."
Takagi glanced with concern at his fellow officer who felt the same. He then sighed, giving the little boy half-mooned eyes and an exhausted frown.
"Ttaku. How long will you keep doing this? 'Til high school?"
Conan laughed nervously, a large bead of sweat formed by his head.
Meanwhile, Ageha carefully looked in every direction. He was with two people, right? So where are they?
"Anyway," Chiba interrupted, bending down slightly to the child. "Why did you say this was attempted murder? All evidence points to a near suicide."
The little detective shifted his eyes to the evidence bags. "Check both bottles. Don't they seem odd?"
"Odd?" Takagi and Chiba replied simultaneously. With confusion, each officer analyzed his own evidence bag but found nothing of the sort.
"The caps are sealed shut. Why would she close them?"
"Chiasa-chan probably did it, so they won't spill," Yuriko suggested. "She knows Isamu-kun hates it when people get his car dirty, even a smidge."
Conan gave her a dubious look. "Just as she's about to die? If Fujimura-san was that concerned, wouldn't she end her life somewhere else?"
Pointing to the car's back seats, Conan said, "Now, look closely at these seats."
Takagi and Chiba opened the left and right back doors respectively and poked their heads in. Leaning their faces down, they saw tiny, white grains dotted over the back seats.
Chiba's eyes widened slightly. "What is this?"
"Salt," The boy in glasses said, matter-of-fact. "Most likely from seawater. She must have gotten wet from swimming at the beach. Since the car was very hot inside, the wet spot Fujimura-san left on the seats evaporated quickly, leaving behind salt crystals. Saltwater is really corrosive, so salt left behind can stain or damage leather seats, causing discoloration, cracking, and decrease in softness."
Conan swiveled his head to Isamu. "She knew this. Right, Aranami-san?" He said in an innocent, childish voice.
"A-ah, yes." Isamu stuttered. "While driving, I told them to shower and dry themselves thoroughly before leaving the beach. It'd be a pain to remove sand grains and wet stains in my car!"
The little boy turned back to the police detectives. "Fujimura-san might have stopped the liquids from ruining the seats. But saltwater from her body did. And that caused more damage than a simple spill."
"True," Takagi noted, thinking deeply. "It's strange for her to be so concerned about the water and medicine more than seawater. Why didn't she clean it off before trapping herself?"
"She couldn't," Conan said, his tone suddenly serious. It sent chills down the Precures' spines. "It's highly possible she was asleep before even entering the car. Which means…"
Deep blue eyes narrowed at the three adults. "Someone drugged her drink and locked her inside. And it's one of them."
Isamu, Yuriko, and Yuji gasped in horror at his claim.
Conan's theory grabbed Takagi and Chiba's full attention. The two officers looked at the small child, then each other, and finally at the trio with serious expressions.
"Aranami-san, Shigure-san, Yamaoka-san. We need to question you about your actions at the beach." Takagi stated, flipping another page of his notebook.
"Wha- Officer, you must be joking!" Isamu exclaimed, taking an angry step toward the two. His body stiffened and fists clenched by his sides.
"I agree with Isamu-kun. Chiasa-chan's our friend! We would never hurt her!!" Hands clasped over Yuriko's chest as the distraught girl followed suit.
"Mah, mah. Calm down, guys." Yuji stood in front of them, waving his hands up and down. The bearded man then locked eyes with Takagi and Chiba. "Still, my friends have a point. Neither of us hate Chiasa enough to kill her. Could someone else be the culprit?"
Conan shook his head. "No, Yamaoka-san. I watched you and your friends at the beach. No one, except you three, were close enough to spike Fujimura-san's water bottle."
With that confirmed, Chiba motioned to the three adults. "Now, then. If you would please, follow us. We have several questions to ask you."
Yuriko, Isamu, and Yuji gave each other worried glances before complying and going with the officers to talk privately. Conan tried to go after them, but he only managed two steps before a hand grabbed his arm.
"Conan-kun, no! You mustn't disturb the police."
The mini detective turned around to face Sora who was holding him.
Conan smiled back, though he seemed pretty antsy. "Sora-san! Nice to meetcha, again! Can you please let me go? I wanna help Chiba-keiji and Takagi-keiji."
The child tried yanking away from Sora's grip. However, it was so strong, yet gentle, his arm did not budge.
Sora shook her head firmly. "Sorry, but we should go. Crime scenes like this aren't for little kids. They're dangerous, and I don't want you getting hurt."
Conan opened his mouth to protest, but before he could…
"THERE YOU ARE, BRAT!!!!!!!!"
Everyone flinched at the loud voice.
The Precures glanced to where Conan is and froze in fear.
Conan gulped. Someone's standing behind him. Slowly, he looked up, hoping he wouldn't regret it.
Bitty eyes met the big eyes of a ticked-off mustached man with fists on his hips. Though in a yellow Hawaiian shirt and gray shorts, it was the same adult Sora first saw on the train. His eyes were huge as soccer balls, twitching like mad at the small kid. Teeth grinded together that seemed painful, as if he were chewing meat off a bbq rib bone.
"How DARE you run off!! And mess with a crime scene!!!" One of his fists raised in the air and punched down, aiming at its target: Conan's head.
The blue-eyed boy winced. This is gonna hurt. He braced for the impact.
BAM!
It never came.
At the twitch of a muscle, Sora jerked Conan behind her and caught the punch with one free hand. Both the child and adult gaped at the Skylandian in complete shock. Ran has scary strength, but this girl really takes the cake.
Sora's eyes locked onto the man's. Swirling in the blue was a fierce anger toward the man who dared to punch Conan, sending a chill down his spine. But, there was also a certain tranquility that prevented her rage from growing out of control. Like the glass part of a lanturn containing a flickering flame.
"… Are you Conan's guardian?" She said, with a scary calmness.
"Er… well… y-yeah." He stuttered, still off-guard by her quick intervention.
"Then, why'd you try to hit him!?" Sora's voice raised an octave, making the man jump back in terror and stutter like crazy. It made her blood boil to see a grown man almost whack a child on the head.
On the other hand, Conan continued to stare wide-eyed at Sora. No one's ever protected him from Kogoro's painful punches. Or called him out. Not the police. Not bystanders. Not even Ran.
Speaking of which, a young woman above average height was searching around the same block desperately. When she caught sight of the little boy, her face immediately lit up with relief and jogged toward him. She has bluish-purple eyes that eyed Conan with intense worry, with a pinch of frustration. Her dark brown hair reached down to her hips, with short wavy bangs and a triangular hair formation on her right side. The girl wore a loose pale blue t-shirt, beige skirt, and white double strap sandals.
"Conan-kun! Yokatta, I found you!"
When the child saw her, he smiled widely. Sora released him, so he can go to her, but still stood protectively between the man and little boy. Immediately, the girl knelt down and hugged Conan, lightly scolding him for leaving without telling her.
"Oi, oi! Easy! I'm no threat." The man raised up his hands in surrender. "I was gonna teach the kid a little lesson, that's all. You know kids! Wandering everywhere, saying nonsense, meddling in other people's business. Conan does it all the time." Wearing a frown, he side-glanced at the boy with irritation. "Brat's always been snooping around crime scenes and getting in the police's way. It's so annoying! Not to mention dangerous. He's interfered with their investigations so many times, I've lost track. So, what better way than to smack sense into him?"
Sora narrowed her eyes furiously, hardly believing her ears. Is he really Conan's guardian?
"That doesn't excuse your actions! There are other punishments more fitting for a child like Conan-kun. Why choose one that hurts him badly? A guardian's duty is to take care of people they're responsible for. Sometimes it's comfort, sometimes it's discipline. What you're doing is the complete opposite! Since Conan-kun keeps doing the same things, your method clearly isn't working. If you keep this up, he'll suffer serious brain damage!"
The middle-aged man opened his mouth then closed it into a thin, tight line. The thought of Conan contracting a critical head injury from his punch never crossed his mind. Though the boy gets on his nerves, he never wished to land Conan in a hospital.
Ageha stepped forward to Sora's side and rested a gentle hand on her shoulder. She looked at the man with a serene and serious face.
"Sorry to interrupt, sir. But Sora-chan has a good point. It's important to be firm, but it's also important to be fair."
When male adult saw Ageha, his demeanor changed. Staring at the young woman bug-eyed and wide-mouthed, he stood dumbstruck as a red blush crossed his face. The man then cleared his throat, fixed his hair, and flashed a charming grin.
"Why hello, miss." He said, striking a flashy pose. "Let me introduce myself: I am Mouri Kogoro. The world's most famous detective! I've solved thousands of cases all over Japan in my sleep! And you?"
Ageha blinked in surprise. "O-oh, hi. I'm Hijiri Ageha. I'm a kindergarten teacher from Sorashido City. Right now, I'm on vacation with my three friends: Sora, Mashiro, and Tsubasa."
She motioned to the three teens who were just as baffled as her.
On the other hand, Conan and the female brunette stared at him with annoyed expressions. She immediately stood up, marched toward the man, and gave him a sharp elbow jab to his side.
He let out a painful yelp as she said, "Otou-san! Cut it out! Remember what she said?"
That earned her a grumpy pout from her father. "Wakatta, wakatta! You didn't have to do that." He muttered, rubbing the painful spot.
Now more serious, Kogoro turned back to Sora and Ageha. "You're both right. Perhaps I was too harsh on Conan-kun. I'll treat him better next time."
The two girls smiled in relief.
Conan looked at Kogoro with a flat expression. Somehow, he doubts it. Usually, the old man acted friendly to him in front of young women. Once they're gone, it's back to clobber city. His head took so much beatings, he considered wearing a helmet around Kogoro. It'd be a miracle if he actually followed their advice.
A small smile curled on Conan's lips as he directed his attention to Sora and Ageha. Nevertheless, he felt grateful for the two standing up for him. Especially the bluenette. She saved him from Kogoro, like Conan saved her from Natsumi.
"Oh, I almost forgot." Kogoro stepped closer to Conan. "Bozu, why'd you disappear?"
After he told the whole story, it was the older detective's turn to be shocked.
"Nani?! A woman almost died in a hot car? And you think someone was responsible for it?"
Conan nodded. Kogoro crossed his arms and stared down at him with a doubtful face.
"Ridiculous! Every door and window of the car was locked tight as a drum. On top of that, the car keys were inside. Even if a person were to lock it, they'd be stuck in the car with the victim!"
"Yeah, but…"
"No buts!" A big hand thrusted in front of the mini detective's face. Kogoro then looked at the two police officers still questioning the suspects, shaking his head in disappointment.
"Great. You've convinced the police this case is an attempted suicide. It's wasting those three's time, along with the police's."
The moustached man turned to his daughter. "Ran, watch Conan. Make sure he doesn't escape again."
"Hai." The female teen gently but firmly grasped Conan's wrist.
Kogoro pointed a finger at Conan. "Stay put! Leave this to the real detective. Moi!"
The man pounded a fist to his chest, puffing up with arrogance. Turning heel, he strolled toward Takagi and Chiba to fix Conan's "mess".
Watching him in the distance, Ran and Conan sighed simultaneously. Old habits die hard, especially for the old man.
"Sumimasen," The brunette girl said to the Precure. "Otou-san is very strict with Conan-kun."
Ageha shook her head. "No need to apologize. Though it did worry me when Mouri-san took a swing at this cutie-pie." She flashed a sweet smile at Conan who awkwardly smiled back.
"Yeah, my father's a lot." Ran bent her knees a little to stroke Conan's head. "But deep down, he cares about Conan-kun. You could say it's tough love. Perhaps too tough." That last sentence, she murmured in irritation.
The Precures nodded in understanding.
"Ne, Mashiro-san? Can I ask you a question?" The blue-eyed boy made eye contact with her.
"Sure, Conan-kun. What is it?"
"Why did you look at Sora-san funny?"
"Really?" The female bluenette turned to Mashiro with surprise and curiosity.
"Uh-huh. She seemed confused when you told the police you were around Aranami-san's car."
The pink-haired girl crossed her arms in uncertainty. "Oh, it's just…" She hesitated, glancing at Sora. "I saw Sora near a different car."
"Hah?" Her friends exclaimed together, giving Mashiro confused looks.
"What made you think that?" Conan asked.
"When Tsubasa, Ageha, and I came here, I glanced at one of the side mirrors and spotted a girl with long blue hair in the reflection. Her head was poking out from behind a car. I thought it was Sora, but once I turned around she was gone."
Feeling sweaty, Mashiro lifted an arm to shield her face from the sun. "Maybe it was a mirage. Sun's pretty hot today."
Conan wasn't convinced. With a hand under his chin, he thought deeply for a while and said, "Mashiro-san, which car was that person from?"
"Well… It was big and red… and about two or three parking spaces behind Aranami-san's vehicle." The pink-haired girl pointed down many cars parked in a straight line behind the black car.
When Conan spotted a car that fits Mashiro's description, he ran toward it.
"Matte!" Ran cried, following him.
He stopped short in front of a big, red SUV. Walking to its rear, Conan discovered something on the floor and squatted down, blue eyes studying it curiously.
"Conan-kun!" A worried voice brought him out of his thoughts. Head rotated to see Ran standing on his left with a concerned and frustrated expression.
"Moh, stop running away. You're making me worried sick. What are you doing?"
"Gomen, Ran-neechan." Conan said in an innocent voice. "It's nothing. Let's go."
Hand in hand, the brunette duo started walking back. Now, the Precure quartet are sitting under the tree's shade, protecting themselves from the sun's rays.
The instant he saw them, Conan's eyes grew in astonishment. He stopped in his tracks.
Ran noticed and eyed him worriedly. "Hm? What's wrong?"
"Oh, uhhhh… I need to use the toilet! Bad!"
Holding his legs together, the mini detective made a confounded face.
"Now? But you already went at the restaurant." Ran said, looking dubious.
"Ah-heh. Guess I drank too much."
"Alright. Don't take long, ok?"
"Hai!"
Conan hurriedly ran into the men's restroom. Instead of going, he peeked his head out a bit. When the female brunette wasn't looking, he quietly scampered off to Kogoro, Takagi, and Chiba.
Unbeknownst to Conan, Tsubasa spotted him. Confused, he raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. Where's he going?
The orange-haired boy stood up. "Minna. I'll be right back. I have to get Conan-kun." He said before jogging to where the younger boy went.
X
"... The victim is Fujimura Chiasa, 23 years old. She's in a professional surfing club with Aranami Isamu, Yamaoka Yuji, and Shigure Yuriko. She and her friends were surfing together at the beach around 2:45 pm. Some time later, Shigure-san, who was riding alone, fell off her surfboard and cut her right leg on a sharp reef. The wound wasn't fatal, but she still was bleeding and had to get out immediately. With Fujimura-san's assistance, the group swam back to shore. Yamaoka-san went back to the water to retrieve Shigure-san's lost board. Fujimura-san stayed with Shigure-san the whole time, while Aranami-san began treating her injury. He soon found out the bandages in the first aid kit were missing. Shigure-san believed they're in the car, so her best friend requested him to lend her his keys. Though hesitant at first, Aranami-san obliged and joined Yamaoka-san in his search for the surfboard. Since Shigure-san doesn't like being alone, Fujimura-san carried her to the parking lot. Fujimura-san unlocked Aranami-san's car, and the two women explored inside. Eventually, the bandages were discovered in the trunk by Shigure-san. After Fujimura-san bandaged her best friend's leg, Shigure-san left to walk around the parking lot without Fujimura-san. Suddenly, she heard a car blare at 3:09 pm that made her turn back and saw the car's window smashed to pieces. Fearing the burglar was around, she ran to the beach, unaware someone broke in to save Fujimura-san inside that car. As the two men dragged the surfboard back shore, Shigure-san was on her phone calling the police. That was at 3:13 pm. Afterwards, she informed her two friends about the break-in and asked where Fujimura-san was. Neither of them saw her, so the three scoured everywhere and asked around, but had no success. They decided to search the parking lot, where we were investigating the broken car."
Takagi was reporting their findings to Kogoro who was listening intently.
"Fujimura-san's bottle came from the beach cooler. So, we believed it was drugged either at the beach by Aranami-san or Yamaoka-san before surfing. Or the parking lot by Shigure-san who carried the victim to the car." Chiba added. "However, Fujimura-san kept the water bottle with her the entire time, except surfing. Her friends stated she sips water exactly every hour to stay hydrated. It's hard to imagine her leaving it in someone else's hands. Plus, after further searching, we found that none of the three held strong resentment against Fujimura-san."
"Naruhodo," said Kogoro. "No way is this attempted murder. Because of one clue: the car keys. Even if the victim was drugged. Even if she was placed in the car. It's impossible to lock it from the outside and plant the keys inside. There's no open windows. No means, no motive, no opportunity. Therefore, Fujimura-san attempted suicide."
Takagi and Chiba nodded, beginning to believe Kogoro's words.
The mustached detective humphed loudly, crossing his arms. "That little brat… Getting everyone worked up over nothing. Wait 'til I give him a piece of my mind."
Little did he know the small detective was secretly listening in before approaching the victim's friends.
"Ne, Aranami-san." Conan tugged at his pants, causing the man to look down. "Did something happen that made Fujimura-san depressed?"
"Well… about a week ago, the four of us went night surfing at another beach. Everyone was having a blast until Fujimura-san stopped us from going back in the water. She looked panicked saying she saw a shark, so we had no choice but to leave. The next day, I went to her house, inviting her to go surfing again with us." A concerned frown formed on Isamu's face. "However, she declined with the most despondent look I've seen. For days, she avoided us, constantly missing out on our outings. We got really worried and tried to help, but Fujimura-san wouldn't let us."
Conan raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What time did she spot the shark?"
"11:40 pm." Yuji answered. "It's normal as sharks are most active at night." He suddenly seemed troubled. "Although, Chiasa-chan seemed more terrified when she warned us. Strange, she's usually controlled after seeing one."
The small detective hummed, eyes in deep thought. 11:40 pm… if he recalls, that was when…
His eyelids sprung wide open. Of course! That person must be the culprit.
He folded his eyebrows, now concerned. But… where's the solid evidence?
Yuji and Yuriko eyed their friend with sad expressions.
"Then last night, Isamu, Yuji, and I received a call from Chiasa-chan. She invited us to surf at this beach tomorrow morning, with Yuji offering to drive us." Yuriko broke into a cheerful grin. "It was a miracle! I don't know why, but I was sooooo happy she was back to her bubbly self!"
"What a relief!" Conan said in a kiddy voice, wearing a big smile. "I'm glad everyone's still friends!"
"Mhm!" The woman with a hair bun nodded with glee.
Yuji chuckled at the sight. "My, my. Those are some bright smiles." Wearing a gentle smile, he turned his head to the beach. "Reminds me of the orca sand sculpture. It was pretty cute: the dolphin's big, toothy smile shining in the sun…"
Conan's smile disappeared. His face jolted with shock as he was hit with a flash of realization.
"Yamaoka-san, when did you see it?" The blue-eyed boy said urgently.
The bearded man flinched slightly at his change in demeanor. "Ah, well… Isamu-kun and I were hauling the surfboard to shore. When I looked up, a bright light from the sculpture's mouth caught my attention. The very next moment, Yuriko-chan popped out from behind it and ran to us in a panic. Why do you ask?"
"Nothing. Just curious. Arigato, Yamaoka-san." Conan chirped with a goofy grin on his face.
Turning heel, he smirked confidently, the light on his glasses covering his eyes. Finally, the last piece of the puzzle plopped into place. The culprit is…
"Conan-kun?"
"YAH!!!"
The mini detective jumped a foot in the air, as if his feet touched hot coals. He was so focused on his train of thought, he didn't notice Tsubasa behind him until he called his name.
"Ah-ha! I should've known!"
A gruff voice yelled. Mouri Kogoro stomped angrily in the boys' direction, gritting his teeth and swinging his arms. Soon, the older detective towered over Conan. Before the boy could blink, Kogoro grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up.
"What part of 'stay put' did you not understand?!" He yelled right at the child's face.
Conan chuckled nervously with a sheepish grin. "Gomenasai, Kogoro-ojisan."
The adult's narrowed eyes then shifted to Tsubasa.
"And you, get back to your folks! Don't make them worried sick like Conan-kun does to Ran." He said, pointing a finger to his friends' location.
"H-hai!" Tsubasa nervously replied, intimidated by the ticked-off man. He felt a little guilty for accidentally getting the blue-eyed boy in trouble.
While the two were focused on each other, Conan took this opportunity. Opening his wristwatch, he aimed it at Kogoro's neck and fired.
"AIE!" The middle-aged man cried out as soon as the tranquilizer dart hit its mark. His eyes instantly became droopy, and his grip on Conan weakened. Thankfully, Tsubasa caught him before he hit the ground.
The orange-haired boy watched in confused fascination as Kogoro's body did an unusual dance around the parking lot. Arms swayed loosely side-to-side, and feet stumbled in erratic movements. He looked like he just got out of a spinning teacup ride, too dizzy and disoriented. When his back hit Isamu's car, he slumped down, fast asleep.
"Kogoro-ojisan! Daijoubu?" Conan-kun worriedly exclaimed, going to him. Without turning his back, the child pulled his bowtie forward and spoke.
"Of course. In fact, I have solved the case."
Tsubasa's eyes flew wide open. He gaped at the sleeping detective. What…What is going on?! His eyes are closed. His lips aren't even moving! Yet, he's speaking normally, like an awake person. The orange-haired boy's mind scrambled furiously for a logical explanation but found none.
"Conan-kun, go and get Takagi-keiji and Chiba-keiji."
"Haaaaaai!" The boy drawled with a bubbly voice. He took off as if obeying his instructions. But first, he hid beside one of the nearby cars.
"Tsubasa-kun, bring your friends here, too. Including Mashiro-san. She is a key witness to this entire case."
"E… E… EHHHHHHH?!?!"