Chapter 237
Edogawa Conan stared stupidly at Usuha Izuki, who dropped such explosive information and then nonchalantly got up and walked away, not reacting for a long time.
It was Hagiwara Kenji who knew his friend's personality was quite malicious, and this child Edogawa Conan was indeed quite interesting, so he worried that Samukawa Shinryu was toying with the kid. Therefore, after the initial crime scene examination ended, he quickly came over to check the situation.
Sure enough, he saw the child standing there in a daze, not knowing what his friend had said.
Asking Edogawa Conan now, Hagiwara Kenji also worried about causing more psychological trauma to the child, so he could only pat Edogawa Conan's head, first calling his soul back, then used a universal comfort technique.
"Although I don't know what he just said, he likes to joke around a lot, so don't take it too seriously." Hagiwara Kenji unhesitatingly determined that Little Shinryu must have said something weird again. Since that was the case, his comfort should be effective.
Sure enough, Edogawa Conan, who had been completely petrified just moments ago, finally came back to life.
On his young face appeared a complexity and fatigue that didn't match his age: "Hahaha... was it a joke?"
"Right, that guy actually often says weird things. Don't mind it." Hagiwara Kenji felt his explanation was already quite thorough.
Edogawa Conan: "...I see."
What kind of joke was that at a time like this! Give back his trust! He had actually thought that guy was someone with a serious personality who wouldn't brush off even children! He felt the frustration of having his feelings deceived!
"As long as you're okay, go find Mouri-san. We need to investigate the case here."
Edogawa Conan showed an obedient smile: "Okay, thank you Officer Hagiwara... By the way, what's Little Shizuka-niisan's real name?"
He couldn't associate the other party with such a cute nickname as "Little Shizuka"—it was too painful.
"Samukawa Shinryu. Although it's read as 'Shizuka,' it's actually written as 'Shinryu'... the kanji are written like this." Hagiwara Kenji wrote it on a small notebook he carried for Edogawa Conan to see.
Edogawa Conan, with normal literacy, repeated it in his mind.
Samukawa Shinryu... read as Shizuka, it was taken from the meaning of "still waters run deep."
I see, it quite matched that person's aura.
After resolving one doubt in his mind, Edogawa Conan quietly tried to sneak in as usual to examine the crime scene, but was picked up and carried out by Hagiwara Kenji, who had been watching him.
However, Edogawa Conan wasn't one to give up easily. Using various methods, he finally managed to gather all the information he could confirm.
But as for solving the case, it was still far from that. There were many suspects too. If Mouri Kogorou hadn't run out to smoke and stayed at the main entrance for quite a while, confirming no one had entered or exited through the front door, there would have been even more suspects.
Hagiwara Kenji said to Matsuda Jinpei: "This is a bit troublesome. Should we ask Little Shinryu?"
"Forget it. After being rejected by Mouri-san like that, with that guy's personality, he won't interfere in the short term. Besides, we really do have very little information right now..."
Edogawa Conan listened and took it to heart.
So although he was a retired police officer, his abilities were truly trusted by everyone...
Should he go ask?
But Samukawa Shinryu seemed quite perceptive. If he asked too much, he might be discovered. He still remembered the other party immediately saying he looked like Kudo Shinichi...
Earlier with the [Consultant] topic, he could still use "Uncle Mouri wants to know" as an excuse, but with Mouri Kogorou having clearly shown distrust of Samukawa Shinryu and refusing his participation, this excuse wouldn't work well.
Sigh... better to rely on himself after all. First, let him confirm the culprit's movement route...
Thinking this, Edogawa Conan returned to the original venue, then discovered Samukawa Shinryu was here without any reservations, charging his phone while playing games.
Since it was on silent, Edogawa Conan wasn't sure what he was doing. Only when he walked closer did he realize it was a matching game...
Edogawa Conan seriously thought about it and decided Samukawa Shinryu must be too bored, with nothing else to do, so he had no choice but to play matching games!
How unsuited to his aura!
If Uncle Mouri hadn't shut him out earlier, Samukawa Shinryu should be in that room discussing the case now, and wouldn't be this bored.
Usuha Izuki had already noticed Edogawa Conan approaching, so he put down his phone and turned to ask: "Something wrong?"
"No." Edogawa Conan said with an obedient expression. "Just a bit worried."
"No need to worry." Usuha Izuki said calmly. "This is targeted revenge killing. It won't implicate the innocent."
Edogawa Conan: "............"
What an unexpected angle for comfort.
Usually, people would comfort by saying there were so many people, everyone was staying together, nothing would happen, the police would solve the case quickly, the culprit would be caught soon, etc...
But it had to be said, Samukawa Shinryu's words were really quite useful, much more useful than the words he used to comfort others before.
This ability to understand what others were anxious about from their perspective and then say the most useful words was also a skill. Samukawa Shinryu was indeed someone who could empathize with others' hearts.
Judging by appearance was really wrong!
Edogawa Conan began reflecting on himself again.
"Samukawa-san used to be a police officer too." For some reason, under those eyes that seemed to see through everything, Edogawa Conan found it very difficult to act like a child. When he tried, he felt his toes could dig out a Hawaii. "Did you notice anything?"
Usuha Izuki asked back: "I didn't even enter the crime scene. What could I notice?"
Edogawa Conan: "...Should I describe it?"
Usuha Izuki raised an eyebrow: "Kenji and Matsuda actually let you, a child, run around the crime scene? Where's your guardian?"
Edogawa Conan sweated: "This, this I only heard from Uncle Mouri..."
"Very few children are this interested in such things."
Seeing the other party was getting suspicious, Edogawa Conan mentally thanked his elementary school classmates and pulled out his prepared excuse: "Actually, I'm a member of the Detective Boys. When I go back, I'll definitely tell my friends about this case! So I couldn't help wanting to learn more..."
"...Speaking of which, you're called Edogawa Conan, right?"
"Right."
"It's almost like a fake name."
Edogawa Conan: "............Ha, haha, because my parents are both mystery fans, having such a good surname, they couldn't help playing with it..."
Could they still have a proper conversation?! Why was it so hard to get some information!
It felt like he hadn't learned anything, but instead had been questioned about many things... Wait, this conversation rhythm being completely controlled by the other party, revealing no important information—was this a subconscious reaction left from being a police officer, or was it intentional?
Edogawa Conan felt his true identity was getting dangerous if they continued talking like this, and he started thinking about retreating.
Just as he thought this, he heard the person across from him say:
"Conan-kun sometimes has expressions that don't look like a child at all, but rather like an adult stuffed into a child's body... Are you sure it's not some kind of age regression?"
Edogawa Conan started sweating again, but because he felt the person across from him wasn't a bad person, he wasn't as nervous as last time. He quickly found an excuse: "People often say that, but I just read more books than others. Besides, age regression is too science fiction, right? Does Samukawa-san actually believe in such things?"
Usuha Izuki readily admitted: "Just joking around."
Edogawa Conan secretly sighed in relief, but couldn't help complaining: "Officer Hagiwara was right, Samukawa-san really does like to joke around. Please don't joke with me anymore..."
"Again? When else have I joked with you?"
Edogawa Conan was startled: "Just now, when I asked about the [Consultant], didn't you say you were him?"
"Mm..." The dark-haired, red-eyed youth pondered for a moment. "But that wasn't a joke."
"...I said stop joking around." Edogawa Conan felt the atmosphere seemed to become heavy and stagnant again, inexplicably feeling restless. "This isn't just me being curious—mainly Uncle Mouri wants to know... Do I have to tell Uncle Mouri that Samukawa-san is the [Consultant]?"
"Why not?"
The youth lightly raised an eyebrow, his previously suppressed arrogance emerging with several degrees of sharpness.
"Anyway, some people can't do anything about me no matter how dissatisfied they are."
Edogawa Conan: "............!!!"
Hah??? This arrogant?! But didn't Officer Hagiwara just say...
No, Officer Hagiwara just now had no idea what Samukawa Shinryu had told him, and couldn't imagine that he, a child, would discuss the [Consultant] with someone. He was just making judgments based on past experience, which was why he comforted him that Samukawa Shinryu was just joking. It wasn't that he actually denied the fact that [Samukawa Shinryu was the Consultant].
And Samukawa Shinryu really being the Consultant better matched his earlier speculation, as well as... the first impression his subconscious had formed. This was indeed a very dangerous person!
Especially having been a police officer and then consulting for criminals after retirement... the expertise was too perfectly matched. He'd heard a few years ago about a retired police officer who opened an agency and then was arrested for murder.
Supposedly the crime scene was perfect, and the investigating officers had already determined the deceased committed suicide, but the perpetrator came forward to confess.
The more professional these detectives were as police officers, the closer to perfect their crimes became when they turned criminal, because they understood very clearly how police would investigate and what conclusions they'd reach... Moreover, if he was the [Consultant], he wouldn't personally act, so finding evidence to arrest him would rely entirely on criminal confessions, which was truly difficult. He indeed had the leeway to appear openly in front of informed police without being arrested.
But Officers Hagiwara and Matsuda's attitude toward Samukawa Shinryu was indeed not bad. Was it appeasement, or because they were friends and felt that since there was no evidence and they couldn't arrest him anyway, they might as well ignore it...
The more Edogawa Conan thought, the more terrified he became. That face he had gradually gotten used to seemed to have another sinister filter applied to it.
The youth with the dangerous aura said: "...By the way, there's one more thing. What I said earlier about 'just joking' was actually a joke."
Edogawa Conan couldn't follow the conversation anymore and could only ask in confusion: "What do you mean?"
"I mean."
The usually expressionless youth suddenly smiled, as if carrying pure malice, or perhaps just casually curving his lips.
"I actually do believe in it, about the age regression thing."