Chapter 49: Are You Going to Watch It or Not? (Please support us with your reads on Tuesday!)

"Welcome to the inn, my friends!"

The innkeeper, Kanaya Hiroyuki, dressed in Sherlock Holmes's classic detective attire and holding a pipe, welcomed his guests. "Every single one of you has been carefully selected by me as true Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts. I hope everyone has a wonderful experience during this gathering!"

"Carefully selected, really?" Fujisawa Toshinaki asked with a displeased expression. "Isn't there a complete novice here who doesn't know a thing?"

"Eh? Really?" Toda Maria, a plump female astrologer, asked in utter astonishment.

"Isn't that themustached man right there?" Fujisawa Toshinaki pointed straight at Mouri Kogoro.

"I might as well just leave..." Feeling the unfriendly atmosphere in the room, Mouri Kogoro felt deeply uncomfortable and turned to leave.

"Now, now, calm down, Detective Mouri," Kanaya the innkeeper played the peacemaker. "Actually, this gentleman is none other than the currently sizzling, renowned detective, Mouri Kogoro-san!"

"Mouri Kogoro... I've seen him in newspapers and on television."

Hearing this, Mouri Kogoro finally turned back with a look of modest pride.

"He might have some capability, but compared to the greatest consulting detective in history, he is still leagues behind," Toishi Kenito, a university student who arrived in the innkeeper's car with his girlfriend, casually evaluated.

"Actually, he's probably not even as good as Dr. Watson, right?" His girlfriend, Oki Ayako, showed no mercy either.

"Tch..." Mouri Kogoro finally reached his limit and slammed his fist onto Conan's head. "It's all because you kept clamoring to come!"

"That's Sherlock Holmes, you know. Isn't it normal that you can't compare..." Conan muttered quietly.

"What did you say?!"

"Well, Conan-kun is still just a child, don't hit him too hard..." Moray advised with his words, but his hands remained buried deep in his coat pockets, showing not the slightest intention of moving.

"Oh, little buddy, your name is Conan!" The Sherlock Holmes fans' eyes lit up as they crowded around. "That's awesome!!"

"Not just that, you know." Conan responded with a smile. "Moray is my older brother's surname, and his given name is actually Sherlock!"

"Really?!" The crowd gasped in fresh amazement.

What is this? Are everyone named Sherlock a good person? Did Sherlock save your life or something? Moray wore a smile on his face, but felt deeply annoyed on the inside.

"Eh? Didn't Kudo come?"

Someone pushed the door open and walked in.

Moray looked back.

He looked at that person's face, which bore a striking nine-out-of-ten resemblance to Kudo, along with a tanned complexion.

A black-subspecies Kudo... Kudo Alter?

He looked back down at Conan.

Kudo in his juvenile form... Kudo Lily?

If he hadn't believed that Kuroba Kaito's face was a disguise, Kuroba Kaito might have beaten Hattori to the punch, claiming the title of the mysterious Kudo X based on his own enigmatic identity.

"You're that Hattori somebody from Kansai..." Mouri Kogoro squinted as he tried to recall.

Some time ago, this person had come to his detective agency looking for Kudo Shinichi, and even brought a bottle of Chinese Baijiu.

As a result, that brat Conan later tried to sneak a drink... Wanting to alcohol at such a young age, who knows who he learned it from!

Mouri Kogoro, who drank alcohol at the agency all day long, criticized inwardly.

"The high school detective from Osaka, Hattori Heiji." He looked at Moray. "I have an impression of you. You're Mr. Moray, who had that showdown with the Phantom Thief Kid a while ago, right?"

Moray nodded.

"Are you a Sherlock Holmes fan too?" Conan's impression of this dark-skinned high schooler, who constantly claimed he wanted to compete with him, improved slightly.

"I only came because I thought Kudo would show up." Hattori Heiji looked bored. "Compared to Conan Doyle, I actually prefer Ellery Queen..."

The crowd's enthusiastic chatter suddenly ceased. They turned in unison, fixing icy glares upon Hattori Heiji.

Hattori Heiji's body stiffened for a moment, then he nonchalantly added, "However, in terms of writing techniques and so on, Conan Doyle is definitely superior..."

Only then did the crowd's expressions soften.

"It's getting late, everyone should head to bed and rest." Innkeeper Kanaya clapped his hands to draw everyone's attention. "Tomorrow night is the main event of this gathering: the ultra-difficult deduction quiz session!"

"The winner will receive my prized possession, the debut appearance of Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle's breakout masterpiece, the first-edition collector's copy of *A Study in Scarlet*!"

Everyone except Moray, Hattori Heiji, and Mouri Kogoro was filled with intense excitement.

"But before that, everyone still needs to prove that you are true Sherlock Holmes fans." The innkeeper raised an eyebrow. "To that end, I have specially prepared a one-thousand-question Sherlock Holmes quiz."

One thousand questions? Moray found it a bit difficult to maintain his composure.

"Furthermore, you need a score of 990 or higher to earn the qualification to enter the final round! Security cameras have been installed in the rooms, so don't even think about cheating, understood?"

"Do I have to take the test too?" Mouri Kogoro raised a question, as he genuinely knew nothing about the subject!

"You're exempt. After all, you're our special guest. You just need to give a speech during the final segment," the innkeeper smiled.

And so, everyone returned to their respective rooms.

Four o'clock in the midnight.

"Stop writing! Go to sleep!" Mouri Kogoro stared at the brightly lit room and slapped the bedside table in utter exasperation.

"Jeez..." Conan had no choice but to stop his pen. Looking at the test paper where he had already answered over three hundred questions, a proud smile couldn't help but form on his face.

Hmph, it's not even that hard~

After returning to his room, Moray couldn't be bothered to sleep, so he simply started looking at the questions on the test paper.

Question one... I don't know. How am I supposed to know when I wasn't even there?

Question two, skipped.
Skipped.
Skipped...
...
Question two hundred and forty: What was the exact time when Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty plunged off the cliff?
Around 4:30 PM on May 4, 1891.
Question two hundred and forty-one: The complete cipher from *The Adventure of the Dancing Men*...

He flipped through the subsequent pages, all of which were bizarre and fiendishly tricky questions.

I'm not writing this anymore! Time to copy the answers!
So what if there are security cameras?
Heh, internal database, activate!

He pulled up *The Complete Sherlock Holmes* that he had previously synchronized and scanned, and began copying down the answers.

It took quite a while to finish all 1,000 questions, and by the time he was done, breakfast time had already arrived. The main reason for the delay was that he hated reading those Sherlock Holmes stories, yet had to search for information word by word, dragging out the process considerably.

As for why he didn't simply choose not to write it...
If he couldn't even defeat that guy's fans, how could he call himself his arch-nemesis?!

However, starting from the morning, the innkeeper was nowhere to be seen. By the time dinner was nearly over, the innkeeper still hadn't appeared.

The deduction quiz was originally scheduled for ten o'clock, but by twelve o'clock, there was still no clue where he had gone.

"He's simply messing with us. I'm going to sleep!" Publisher Fujisawa Toshinaki slammed the table and walked away.

"It seems that rumor is true..." Toda Maria the astrologer supported her plump face with one hand, looking utterly listless. "I heard others say that giving away the first edition was completely a scam. He always comes up with ultra-difficult questions to prevent anyone from actually passing the test and getting the book... He just wants to show off."

What? Moray was shocked. If no one grades the papers, how am I supposed to prove that I'm better than these Sherlock Holmes fans?

The crowd left their seats one after another. In the end, the only ones remaining in the living room were Moray, Conan, Hattori, the university student Toishi Kenito, and his girlfriend Oki Ayako.

Suddenly, Toishi Kenito pointed out the window. "What's that? Isn't that the innkeeper's car?"

The others looked over and saw that it was indeed the innkeeper's car moving slowly, with a gloved hand gripping the steering wheel tightly.

"But isn't that a sheer cliff right ahead? What on earth is he driving for?" Moray raised his doubt.

Hearing this, Hattori and Conan hastily pushed the window open, vaulted outside, and rushed to the slowly advancing car, pounding on the windows and calling out the innkeeper's name.

Moray followed closely behind, glanced at the car window, and then came to a halt.

No vital signs. Moray frowned.
This person is already dead.

The car suddenly accelerated. Unable to stop it, Hattori and Conan could only watch with pale faces as the vehicle plunged off the cliff with a loud crash.

...

The commotion outside was significant, and coupled with the notifications from those present, all eleven people quickly gathered at the scene.

"It's nothing more than suicide." Mouri Kogoro was woken up from his sleep, still yawning. "He just didn't want you guys to get the first edition..."

"Wrong. In my view, murder is not entirely out of the question," Toishi Kenito smiled with confidence. "As long as you drug the innkeeper unconscious, shove him into the car, and put it in drive, you can easily create the situation we just saw."

"But the car suddenly accelerated while it was moving forward," Hattori muttered, pinching his chin in thought.

Conan also lowered his head in deep contemplation. "And I heard a strange hissing sound inside the car. It definitely wasn't the sound of a gas canister."

"Maybe it was the air conditioning or something..." Kawatsu Ikuo offered his perspective.

"In any case, we have to report it to the police first," Mouri Kogoro said, looking at the waitress Iwai Hitomi.

Catching his meaning, she replied, "The telephone is in the innkeeper's room."

A few people went ahead to make the call, while Conan and Hattori stayed behind, crouching on the ground searching for something.

"It's so dark, I can't see a thing... Ouch!" Conan clutched his head. "That hurts..."

"What are you two doing?" Moray asked, speechless.

"I'm just checking to see if the air conditioning was actually turned on!" Hattori Heiji rubbed his head as well.

"Because if the air conditioner was running, there would be traces of condensation water!" Conan shot a sidelong glance at Hattori Heiji.

!!!
This brat, just like last time, ended up thinking on the exact same wavelength as me!

A trace of suspicion arose within Hattori's heart.

"Honestly..." Moray casually pulled out a flashlight, switched it on, and illuminated a large patch of the ground. "Will this do?"

"Where did you pull that out from?!" Hattori Heiji was shocked.

"Mind your own business. Are you going to look or not?"

Hearing this, both of them lowered their heads and began searching for clues once again.

Standing nearby, Toishi Kenito saw the flashlight in Moray's hand, and his pupils dilated violently.
How can someone casually carry a flashlight around with them?!
What am I supposed to do with my subsequent plan then??

His original intention was to drain the fuel tank of the remaining car and splash gasoline underneath the seats.
Then, he would place that first-edition book beneath the seat, luring the smoking Fujisawa Toshinaki to go look for it. Since it was pitch black and Fujisawa lacked a lighting tool, he would use a cigarette lighter to illuminate the area, igniting the gasoline and blowing himself up.

As a result, a flashlight had now appeared, and Fujisawa had seen it too. Who knew if he might borrow it?

He gritted his teeth in secret. No, that flashlight had to be dealt with!

...

Returning to their rooms, as expected, the telephone had been smashed to pieces.

Unable to bear it, Fujisawa Toshinaki wanted to leave in his own car, only to be informed by Hattori, who had just inspected it, that the fuel tank of that car had leaked completely dry and the battery was dead.

However, Oki Ayako, who had learned from Hattori Heiji that there was no condensation water, suddenly burst into a confident, hearty laugh.

"I already know who the culprit is." She lit a cigarette, smiled proudly, and exhaled a puff of smoke. "And I also have conclusive evidence."

"If you don't want me to expose you, I'll give you ten minutes to come find me and confess."

With that, she pushed the door open and walked out.

The people inside the room exchanged glances in shock and doubt. Toishi Kenito felt a surge of panic. How much does she know?

No, I have to chase after her and ask!

"What are you going out for? Going out alone might get you targeted by the killer..." he feigned a warning.

Sure enough, Oki Ayako gave him a look. "Then aren't you going to protect me?"

The people inside the room discussed animatedly, but to everyone's surprise, Toishi Kenito returned shortly after.

"Did she say anything? Who is the killer?" Fujisawa Toshinaki asked anxiously.

"No, she didn't tell me who it was either, she just hid in the restroom..." Toishi Kenito laughed awkwardly twice.

Hmph, I guess I'll just have to use the scheme originally intended for Fujisawa to get rid of this annoying woman first. Fortunately, she took the bait and is also interested in that book... However, there is still one more matter to resolve.

"I suddenly feel that it might actually be someone from the outside who committed the crime," he said to Moray. "Moray-kun, you seem to have a flashlight. Could you lend it to me? I'd like to go outside and patrol."

Moray had no objections and handed the flashlight over to him.

"To be safe, is anyone going with me?"

Moray happened to want to go outside for a cigarette anyway, so he agreed to tag along.

Great, plan accomplished! Toishi Kenito suppressed the smile at the corner of his mouth and went outside together with Mouri Kogoro.

A few minutes later, Oki Ayako returned to the room to borrow a flashlight from Moray, only to discover with disappointment that Moray and Toishi Kenito had already gone out. She frowned, but didn't say anything, and headed outside by herself once more.

After a while.

With a loud roar, an immense burst of fire erupted from the garage!

Another explosion had occurred in the garage. Since no one had any intention of sleeping under the circumstances, everyone hurriedly rushed toward the garage.

Next is... Toishi Kenito gritted his teeth, intentionally tripping and falling forward while running—

It hurts!

Yet, he watched with satisfaction as the flashlight slipped from his hand, crashed directly against a stone ahead, flashed twice, and then went dark.

Moray frowned, picked up the flashlight, and patted it.
Tch, it's broken.

"I'm sorry..." Toishi Kenito said, his face full of remorse. "I'll pay for it!"

Moray gave him a deep, meaningful look and shook his head. "No need."
Anyway, I have plenty of spares of those things, flashlights, ropes, and the like.

Ever since the last incident where he plunged into the ocean, he had placed the vast majority of his money into a safe and packed a large quantity of such items into his imaginary space.

It was just that this person...
Why would he go to such deliberate lengths to break my flashlight?
Wasn't that intentional fall just now a bit too fake?

However, there was no time to dwell on it. He and Toishi Kenito hurried to the scene together.

Teary-eyed, Toishi Kenito wailed as he threw himself toward the sea of fire: "Ayako—Ayako—!"
His cries were heart-wrenching.

A chilling voice came from right behind him: "Toishi-kun. How is it that the moment you arrived, you already knew the person who died was Ms. Oki Ayako?"

The crying stopped abruptly.

He looked back over his shoulder. Under the flickering glow of the fire, Moray's expression appeared unfathomable.

"This... I just took a quick glance and noticed that only Ayako wasn't there..."

Moray offered no comment.

Kawatsu Ikuo brought over a fire extinguisher, and the flames were quickly put out. Gazing at the charred corpse in the backseat, Toishi Kenito finally burst into mournful tears once again.

...

A few minutes later, inside the house.

Moray and Toishi Kenito provided mutual alibis, establishing that both of them had ironclad alibis; meanwhile, everyone else had been inside the house when the explosion occurred.

Splendid. Toishi Kenito grew excited. All I have to do is wait a little longer for the trap mechanism to trigger a power outage, and then kill that publisher Fujisawa, and my divine retribution will be...