allendalepharm Chapter 66: The murder can be overlooked, but the drug dealers must die.
Chapter 66: The murder can be overlooked, but the drug dealers must die.
Chapter 66: The murder can be overlooked, but the drug dealers must die.
"Dad, you got a commission?!"
Ran Mouri leaned closer and saw the letter of entrustment. Her worries about the family's finances, which had been a bit lessened because Kogoro Mouri had been neglecting his duties for so long, were now lessened.
Although Conan's parents left behind a full ten million bar of foster care fees before they left, which improved things considerably, Kogoro Mouri's life of debauchery and dissipation is truly worrying.
Moreover, the bulk of this money should be spent on Conan.
It's wonderful to receive this commission.
"But this letter is really bizarre; it's just words cut out and pieced together from a newspaper. There's also a strange phone call and a transfer of 500,000 baht into the account. We absolutely have to go!"
While it's true that we wouldn't refuse business if it came to us, this practice of directly removing the option to refuse is really awful and makes one want to complain.
"Maybe they don't want the information to leak, so they're having Dad investigate secretly. Besides, it's a perfect opportunity for a vacation, right, Conan?"
Investigating a case and traveling with Ran were both irresistible options for Conan, so he readily agreed.
"Hmph, I don't think that deserted island will be any fun, but—"
Kogoro Mori's eyes kept glancing at the luxury cruise ticket in his daughter's hand. But if he could just hitch a ride on a luxury cruise, that would be a different story; champagne, beautiful women, and delicious food would be standard.
"Cough cough—..—"
Kogoro Mouri coughed twice. Although he felt a little embarrassed to be using a junior's ticket, he couldn't possibly use four tickets by himself, could he?
After hearing her father's request, Ran Mouri seemed hesitant. Conan offered his best assist: "Akutagawa-nii is usually alone..."
"You must be very lonely, and you'd probably want to hang out with people you know!"
Ran Mouri thought about the scenes of them being together, and it seemed that Akutagawa's mood would indeed improve, so her eyes gradually became firm: "I'll go ask, but I can't guarantee that I'll succeed."
Conan, however, did not think he would fail.
As a renowned detective, top-notch observation skills and meticulousness are fundamental qualities; it's impossible that he wouldn't have noticed such a large missing ticket.
Therefore, we can conclude that the ticket was deliberately left unused, and the meaning is obvious: to invite them to join a luxury cruise trip.
As for why he didn't just say it directly, Conan didn't think about it in detail. In short, it wasn't that he wanted to lure the three of them to the wilderness to kill them and cover it up.
When Akutagawa returned to the office, he habitually glanced at the mailbox, which usually only contained GG, newspapers, and magazines, but unexpectedly found a bulging envelope.
Upon opening it, one would find a letter of authorization identical to the one used by Kogoro Mouri, along with 500,000 yen in cash, and the mailing address was Tsukikage Island.
On this night of the full moon, shadows will begin to disappear again on Moonshadow Island. Please investigate the reason. — Keiji Aso
Akutagawa folded the letter and put it in his pocket.
"Luckily, I haven't set any strange principles for myself. As the first person to send me a letter of entrustment, I will stop you."
Akutagawa Hiko was well aware of the purpose behind Asano Minami's (who was dressed as a woman) sending these letters of entrustment.
Unlike other murderers who seek to create alibis or challenge famous detectives, Asano genuinely wants someone to stop him.
Keiji Aso, who colluded with drug dealers and transported drugs, deserved to die, and so did the drug dealers.
Perhaps Asano Minori had benefited from the money his father helped him smuggle drugs, but after taking revenge, he felt that his hands were stained with blood and so he set himself on fire to atone for his sins. Akutagawa Hiko wouldn't mind giving him a hand.
As for the three drug dealers, Hiko Akutagawa decided to add a backstory to a Root ninja who appeared only once.
The premise of becoming an orphan because his parents discovered a drug den and were murdered to cover it up, and then being adopted by the leader of the Root organization, is quite good.
In the future, when encountering drug dealers, Akutagawa Hiko will use this disguise.
On the luxury cruise ship, none of the murders that Akutagawa had hoped for occurred. There was no incident of someone collapsing after drinking a glass of wine, foaming at the mouth after eating a snack, or screams suddenly erupting from the bathroom.
However, it did refresh the Suzuki sisters' perspective.
Although Sonoko Suzuki said she came to accompany her sister, who was recovering from a serious illness, Akutagawa Hiko noticed that she seemed to be looking for someone even before the group met.
Ran Mouri's surprised reaction to Sonoko Suzuki didn't seem fake; she probably hadn't expected to run into her here either.
"Akutagawa, what a coincidence!"
Sonoko Suzuki remained as carefree as ever. Since it wasn't a formal banquet, she wore casual clothes, and her ever-present headband reduced her original nine points of attractiveness to six. If she had just changed her appearance a little, she wouldn't have had to wait until Makoto Kyogoku to find someone she was interested in.
Although he felt that his whereabouts had been exposed, Akutagawa Hiko still nodded in response: "Yes, I didn't expect to run into you on the cruise ship." Upon hearing this, Suzuki Sonoko smiled more brightly than flowers, secretly pleased with herself.
It was worth the money she spent to get the tickets; she even admitted that they were destined for each other. How far away is it for her to win him over?
Because he was going to take a luxury cruise, Kogoro Mouri made a point of dressing up, putting on a brand new brown suit, and his mustache was neatly trimmed, vaguely reminiscent of the Detective Mouri from ten years ago.
Kogoro Mori, enjoying the sea breeze, held a bottle of expensive champagne he rarely had the chance to drink before, admiring the beautiful women mingling with each other, and couldn't help but admire his own cleverness.
This trip was definitely worthwhile.
If we were to actually ride in that filthy little boat, it would not only be disgusting but also incredibly boring.
Conan, carrying a plate of snacks specially prepared for children, passed by a man and two women who were talking, and a large hand very naturally took a pastry from his plate.
Conan:
"..."
If you want some, just go get it yourself. There's plenty over there.
However, Xiaolan then took one as well.
cough cough—
It's really not appropriate for two high school students and one adult to take snacks and treats from the children's section, so I'll reluctantly take a little more.
How could Conan, a first-grade elementary school student, possibly feed four people? The plate was empty in no time.
After finishing what was on his plate, Conan quickly switched to a larger plate and returned to the railing with a large plate full of children's meals.
"Oh, right, do you guys know Phantom Thief 1412? He's that international thief who's already in his forties and is admired by so many girls!"
Conan glanced at Sonoko Suzuki, whose face lit up after the phantom thief was mentioned, and then at Akutagawa, who didn't seem to find anything amiss and instead appeared intrigued.
It seems like one of them is completely unaware that he's trying to woo someone else, while the other seems oblivious to the fact that he's being wooed.