Chapter 261
Even Edogawa Conan hadn't expected that shortly after his conversation with Hattori Heiji, they would meet again.
However, the meeting place wasn't in Tokyo, or Hattori Heiji would have definitely contacted him earlier... Edogawa Conan encountered Hattori Heiji on a cruise ship.
Not long ago, Mouri Ran had discovered an interesting activity in the newspaper, saying it invited people to bring treasures that almost every Japanese person owned during the Showa period to Tsutsumi Mutsu Port, with the first ten people having a chance to win a free three-day, two-night Ogasawara dolphin tour. The organizer was named Furukawa Dai.
Seeing that Mouri Ran seemed very interested, Edogawa Conan shared his speculation and, bringing a "10,000 yen note from the Showa era", passed the activity's screening and obtained the opportunity to board the cruise ship for free.
There were ten spots in total. Edogawa Conan was a child so he didn't count, leaving eight other people, including one of Mouri Kogoro's former seniors at the Metropolitan Police, former Officer Samezaki Shimaji.
Among the remaining seven people, four had come to the restaurant for dinner and met everyone, but three had never appeared.
Since such a large restaurant had so few people, making it seem rather strange, Mouri Kogoro asked the cruise ship staff about it.
"So quiet, are there really this few people?"
The staff member answered: "Including the child, there are eleven guests total. Two of them have been resting the whole time, and one asked us to deliver dinner to their room..."
Mouri Ran asked curiously: "The detective and elderly person mentioned earlier aren't coming to eat?"
A talkative, short and stout middle-aged man nearby laughed and joined the conversation: "I did pass by that elderly person in the hallway. He seemed very taciturn. What does he do?"
The staff member checked the registration materials: "Well, I heard he's a marine research scholar named Hacai San..."
Several people in the restaurant immediately changed expressions, including Mouri Kogoro's senior, former Officer Samezaki.
Mouri Kogoro struggled to recall: "That name sounds familiar..."
Former Officer Samezaki glared at him: "That's the name of the main culprit from the 400 million yen robbery case we pursued! How could you forget that?!"
Since a suspect had appeared, the two former detectives naturally couldn't sit still. After asking which room he was in, they immediately rushed toward the guest rooms, only to open the door and find no one inside.
At this point, Mouri Kogoro noticed the adjacent Room 2. After the staff member said "that's the detective who's been staying in his room since boarding," he immediately became suspicious and banged on the door, insisting the person inside come out.
Then the person who was woken up slammed the door open with a bang, nearly knocking Mouri Kogoro's nose askew, and shouted at the people outside: "So noisy—huh? How is it you?"
This was how Edogawa Conan reunited with Hattori Heiji on the cruise ship.
However, with so many people watching, there was no way to discuss investigating Samukawa Shinryu at this moment. Edogawa Conan quickly explained the current situation to Hattori Heiji.
"Simply put, you suspect the mastermind from twenty years ago, Hacai San, is on this ship. The elderly person who was supposed to be staying next door has also disappeared, possibly hiding to disguise his identity. And because I haven't shown my face, you became suspicious of me, right?"
Hattori Heiji summarized: "What about the remaining person who hasn't appeared?"
The air fell silent for a moment.
The staff member coughed: "That person is in Room 3, right next door..."
"So with all this commotion, he doesn't come out to look? That is rather strange." Hattori Heiji couldn't help but become suspicious too.
The staff member showed a hesitant expression.
Mouri Kogoro raised an eyebrow: "What's wrong? Do you know something?"
"...That guest probably isn't the criminal you're talking about, because he's very young, probably only in his early twenties." The staff member said with distress. "Moreover, disturbing his rest somehow doesn't feel right... He's a very... well, very imposing guest."
The people present: "..........."
That description was too abstract—they couldn't imagine it at all!
Since such an incident had occurred and someone was being mysteriously secretive and refusing to appear, it seemed very suspicious. No matter what, they had to meet face to face.
But this time Mouri Kogoro didn't want to knock on the door. His nose still hurt from when Hattori Heiji opened the door and hit him, so he had Hattori Heiji go knock.
Hattori Heiji had no objections and knocked very patiently: "Guest, something has happened on the ship. I think you have the right to know about it—it's quite dangerous... Please open the door... Open the door..."
After a while, the door opened.
The room had no lights on. Looking inside at first glance, what they saw first were a pair of dark red eyes coldly watching them in the darkness. The hallway light shone in, revealing hair that had almost melted into the darkness, reflecting a blue color with an almost metallic quality.
This room was like some kind of abyss, emanating an unknowable and dangerous aura.
Even the usually bold Hattori Heiji hadn't expected to see such a scene when the door opened, and inexplicably broke out in a cold sweat: "You..."
"Samukawa?" Mouri Kogoro finally recognized the person inside. "What are you doing here?"
This familiar surname made Hattori Heiji pause: "You know each other?"
Edogawa Conan coughed: "This is Samukawa Shinryu, previously..."
Former Officer Samezaki also coughed: "So you know each other. I should have said so directly... Samukawa, what are you doing in there? Why aren't the lights on?"
Samukawa Shinryu replied flatly: "Sleeping."
"Although I know your sleep schedule is poor, you don't need to be sleeping now, do you?" Former Officer Samezaki was exasperated. "Anyway, let me tell you—the person in Room 1 registered under the name Hacai San, but we can't find him."
Samukawa Shinryu nodded carelessly: "Got it."
"...Fine, we disturbed you. Go back to sleep." Former Officer Samezaki's expression looked somewhat speechless.
The door that had just opened closed again without any courtesy.
Mouri Kogoro turned to look at former Officer Samezaki: "What exactly is going on?"
Former Officer Samezaki looked a bit embarrassed: "Let's talk while walking."
Hattori Heiji and Edogawa Conan also followed.
Both of them were somewhat shocked and urgently wanted to know what the current situation was.
After reaching the deck, former Officer Samezaki explained: "Actually, I invited Samukawa to come."
Mouri Kogoro: "Huh???"
"You retired early, so you don't know. Samukawa has something quite famous in the Criminal Affairs Department." Former Officer Samezaki said. "He has an accident-prone constitution—it's quite mystical. When we know the general area where criminals might appear but can't find them, we bring him out for a walk in places where criminals might show up, and maybe the criminals will appear... Even if there are no criminals, we might encounter other cases..."
Everyone: "..........."
Former Officer Samezaki continued: "After I saw Furukawa Dai's activity in the newspaper, I guessed it might be related to Hacai San. After all, look—if you rotate the kanji for Furukawa Dai 90 degrees, 'furu' becomes 'ha,' 'kawa' becomes 'san,' and 'dai' becomes 'sai.' Furukawa Dai could be Hacai San. Plus, tonight at midnight, the statute of limitations for their case expires. I thought I'd take a gamble and asked Samukawa to come along too."
Everyone: "..........."
Seeing everyone's expressions of "Is the Metropolitan Police really playing it this fancy now?", former Officer Samezaki explained: "I retired two years ago and worked with Samukawa for several years! I really think it works! Look! Didn't someone claiming to be Hacai San appear?!"
Mouri Kogoro's mouth twitched: "I see."
Hattori Heiji: "...Isn't it possible that even if you hadn't called Samukawa... Samukawa-kun, this Hacai San would have appeared anyway?"
Former Officer Samezaki's expression was serious: "We can't rely on luck. This is the last chance—we must use every trick available!"
Hattori Heiji: "..."
You're already believing in mysticism! What are you talking about luck or no luck!
Though Samezaki-san's feelings weren't incomprehensible, his level of attention to this Hacai San case seemed a bit strange—not like ordinary concern...
"Also, I'm asking you all—if Samukawa shows up later, please pretend you don't know him and don't know he used to be a police officer." Former Officer Samezaki said. "Many criminals show their tells in front of him, so I want to observe."
Hattori Heiji thought, no wonder even though he knew the remaining person was someone they recognized, Samezaki-san still pretended not to know and let him knock on the door—there were such considerations...
Mouri Kogoro was puzzled: "Didn't he go back to sleep?"
"Don't let his appearance fool you. He actually quite likes watching the excitement... quite responsible."
"...Okay."
—You've already let it slip! And you still insist on bringing Samukawa Shinryu along?!
The others immediately felt speechless.
Since former Officer Samezaki still wanted to continue looking for that Hacai San and Mouri Kogoro was going to help, Hattori Heiji took the opportunity to quietly chat with Edogawa Conan on their way back to the restaurant.
"That person is the Samukawa Shinryu you mentioned before?" Hattori Heiji was still shaken. "No wonder you said I'd understand once I saw him... Indeed, I can completely understand your suspicions about him now."
Edogawa Conan was very moved: "Right! You finally get it!"
"I've seen people who are naturally fierce-looking or give off the impression they're not good people, but this is the first time I've seen it to this degree."
Hattori Heiji sighed: "However, since he used to be a police officer and is even now a Metropolitan Police consultant, and from Samezaki-san's attitude, he seems to trust him quite a bit... To be so trusted by police while having that kind of aura, I think he'd have to be much more upright than ordinary police officers, right?"
After all, if an ordinary police officer needed a clearness level of 10 to gain trust, Samukawa Shinryu obviously needed to put in 100 to achieve the same.
This was very unfair, but thinking about it in reverse, it made him seem more trustworthy.
Edogawa Conan's expression was heavy: "I hope so too. It's just that he appeared at the game launch event at the same time as Botanist, and he somewhat matches the image of Botanist I've heard about... Even if he's not connected to that organization, regarding the [Consultant] matter, what Officer Hagiwara let slip was also very strange..."
"I understand. Let's wait until he comes out and see. No matter what, we still need to look at what a person actually does."
Soon, they returned to the restaurant.
Since this cruise ship didn't have many entertainment options, most people remained in the restaurant, either drinking or chatting and playing cards.
Hattori Heiji also explained that he had come to this cruise ship because he received a letter inviting him as a detective... Now with the Hacai San incident, this cruise ship really seemed problematic.
"So you're that detective?" A fashionably dressed woman smiled and struck up a conversation with them. "I saw them rush out earlier. If they're looking for Hacai San, did they find him?"
"Not yet."
Hattori Heiji sighed: "The cruise ship is still too big."
"In that case, want to play cards?" the fashionable woman suggested. "It's boring just waiting around anyway... But for cards, it's more fun with more people. How about you folks over there—want to join in?"
The two men at the bar looked up this way, seemingly about to agree, but for some reason, their expressions suddenly froze.
Hattori Heiji sensed something and turned around sharply.
A young man in a black windbreaker, with an aura as cold and dangerous as the sea under night, walked in from the entrance.
He said flatly: "I don't like the smell of smoke."
Several men who were smoking reflexively extinguished their cigarettes.
The young man, as terrifying as a dictator, sat down across from Mouri Ran as if nothing had happened.
"Weren't you going to play cards? Count me in."
After a pause, he politely added: "Thank you."