Takayanagi Ichiro had no intention of following along to see what was happening. After all, having received his beginner's package, he now possessed an immortal body. There was no need to trail behind Conan, the story's protagonist, hoping for some side benefits.
For now, it was better to once again organize the memories of his predecessor and review the loans that were about to expire. Even with the system in place, Ichiro preferred to have complete control over such matters.
After finishing most of the work, Ichiro heard the sound of police sirens coming from the road outside.
His brow furrowed. Thanks to his strengthened body, he could tell the sirens were right on his street.
He got up, walked to the window, and looked down. Two police cars had stopped in front of the building, engines off. The people inside were likely already on their way upstairs.
Sure enough, moments later the doorbell rang.
Without hesitation, Ichiro opened the door and found a large-bellied man blocking the entrance.
"Good evening, Takayanagi-san. I'm Megure Juzo from the Metropolitan Police Department. I'm here to talk to you about a kidnapping case that occurred tonight, if you don't mind." Megure introduced himself and stated his purpose.
"The nights in Tokyo really aren't safe, huh?" Ichiro remarked. Through Megure, he spotted a tall, thin young man behind him—likely Officer Takagi. "Please come in, Inspector Megure. I'm happy to cooperate with the investigation. No need for me to call my lawyer."
Both Megure and Takagi felt a twinge of unease at those words. It seemed Takayanagi Ichiro wasn't a simple man. Fortunately, they hadn't approached him in a confrontational way.
Ichiro stepped aside to let them in but soon found the doorway blocked again—this time by a trio consisting of a middle-aged man, a teenage girl, and a small boy.
"Inspector Megure, has Detective Mouri returned to work?"
Megure replied somewhat awkwardly, "This kidnapping case was solved by Mouri, so as someone involved, there are a few details we'd like to confirm with you."
Ichiro already knew the truth. He ignored Mouri Kogoro and instead fixed a meaningful gaze on the bespectacled little boy. "Kid, I'll let you in, but if you mess around in my house, I'll have my lawyer sue you."
Conan was puzzled as to why Ichiro was singling him out, especially with such a restriction. That meant any covert investigation on his part was out of the question.
"I need to use the bathroom," Conan said in a slightly childish tone, trying to sound pitiful.
Mouri Kogoro had no intention of pleading on Conan's behalf. Having just realized Ichiro was the very lender he owed money to, his demeanor had weakened a bit.
Ran, however, doted on Conan. "Takayanagi-san, please let Conan use the bathroom here. I'll keep an eye on him."
"Fine. I trust you wouldn't want your mother suing you either." Ichiro agreed but added a pointed reminder.
Ran's expression shifted slightly.
Earlier, when Ichiro had said that if Conan messed around, he'd have his lawyer sue them, Ran had dismissed it—after all, her mother was a lawyer and a formidable figure in the legal world.
But now, hearing Ichiro's remark, she realized his lawyer might very well be her own mother.
"I understand. I'll watch Conan closely," Ran replied seriously.
With her assurance, Ichiro let them in, pointed out the bathroom, and then returned to hosting Megure and his companions.
He poured each of them a glass of water, though none of the three touched theirs.
"Takayanagi-san, do you know someone named Naoto Mizukami?" Megure asked directly.
"Mizukami Naoto? Oh, yes, I recall. He owes me three hundred million yen. Did he commit a crime?" Ichiro remembered the name clearly—both the system and his own records noted that the man's debt was due tonight.
Megure's group exchanged glances before the inspector spoke again. "Earlier tonight, Mizukami kidnapped the daughter of a company president. After being caught by Mouri, he claimed he did it because of something you told him. I'm here to confirm if that's true."
"That's nonsense. He probably couldn't repay his debt, took the wrong path, and, once caught, tried to pin me as the mastermind." Ichiro brushed off the accusation and added, "As for my character, I believe Detective Mouri can give you both an answer."
(End of Chapter)
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