Chapter 50: He Looks Rather Experienced...

"Among everyone present, is there anyone who knew the boss beforehand?" Morai asked the people in the room.

What is this guy up to again? Hitoshi Kenito frowned, though fortunately, he truly had no prior connection with the boss. He answered generously, "No, this gathering is the first time we've met."

The others nodded in agreement as well. Except for the waitress Iwai Hitomi, everyone was meeting the boss for the very first time.

"So none of you have a motive to kill the boss?"

Everyone nodded in unison, then turned their gazes toward the waitress.

Iwai Hitomi looked panicked and at a loss.

"The culprit wanted to kill Ms. Ouki Ayako probably because she claimed to have found the truth," Hattori frowned. "Then what was his motive for killing the boss?"

"If we set aside the motive and look at the method, if there was no condensation, then the air conditioning wasn't running in the car. Where did the sound of wind come from?" Conan pinched his chin. "And if the boss was already dead, why did the car suddenly accelerate? How could a dead person press the gas pedal?"

Hattori Heiji's train of thought shifted from the murder case to Conan.

Why does this kid's way of deducing look identical to Kudo's?

He really is suspicious!!

It was the same during the last case: the moment Kudo appeared, this kid vanished, and as soon as Kudo left, he was back!

Could this fellow actually be Kudo??

He wore a skeptical expression. Sensing the gaze, Conan was startled.

He immediately reverted to a child's tone: "Oh my, I really can't figure it out, it's so hard to guess~"

Hattori looked away.

So fake... He rubbed the goosebumps rising on his arm.

Fujisawa Toshimi had been pale and struggling internally since a moment ago. Suddenly, he sighed and pulled out a note.

He stood up: "The person the culprit originally intended to kill was probably me."

Mouri Kogoro took the note, looked at it, and read aloud: "If you want that book, go beneath your car seat at two o'clock tonight to get it."

"Then doesn't that mean...?! "

"Both Ouki Ayako and Mr. Fujisawa smoke and carry lighters with them." Morai pulled out a chair and sat down. "Going at two in the morning, nothing can be seen in the pitch black. The two of you probably don't have the habit of carrying a flashlight everywhere like I do, so you would most likely use a lighter for illumination."

"And the gas in that car had been drained from the start...?! " Conan struck his palm with a fist. "The moment a fire was lit, it would explode!"

Hattori Heiji quietly watched Conan.

Heh, Kudo, keep pretending; once I solve this case, I'll expose you.

"In short, the culprit will likely not give up on continuing to attack Mr. Fujisawa. To be safe, it's best for everyone to stay together now and wait until the rain stops tomorrow to go down the mountain together..."

Heh, it's too late. Hitoshi Kenito smiled with confidence.

Because my trap is about to take effect...!

He watched as Iwai Hitomi plugged the tampered cord into the outlet.

With a snap, the fuse blew, and the room instantly plunged into pitch darkness.

The others gasped in surprise, and Hitoshi Kenito pulled out an ice pick. Sure enough, Fujisawa Toshimi took out a lighter for illumination, also pointing the way for him.

Right now—!

Hitoshi Kenito slipped through the crowd like a fish and rapidly closed the distance.

Morai, who had been waiting for this moment, clicked on a flashlight with a snap.

Blinded by the sudden burst of light, everyone instinctively flinched.

Oh no! Hitoshi Kenito's expression changed drastically, but unfortunately, he could no longer hold back his strike.

"Ah!" Fujisawa Toshimi clutched his upper arm with a scream. As the others looked toward the sound, Hitoshi Kenito froze in place.

"Conan-kun, do you know what kind of criminal can be caught without gathering evidence in advance?" Morai weighed the flashlight in his hand.

"What?"

"An active offender," Morai said, stepping closer.

"Didn't your flashlight break?" Hitoshi Kenito asked, feeling somewhat broken down.

"Only one broke. I have plenty of these things."

"You're only wearing a single trench coat, why do you carry so many flashlights?!"

"None of your business? I also have ropes and binoculars, do you want me to take them out and show you?"

With an expression of grief and indignation, Hitoshi Kenito turned and bolted toward the window, only to be yanked back by the collar by Morai.

"Does he normally carry this many weird gadgets around?" Hattori Heiji asked in a strange tone, squatting down to whisper to Conan.

Conan cast a disdainful glance at him. So uncultured!

Even I have the power-enhancing sneakers, tracking glasses, watch anesthesia needle, and watch flashlight.

Even though Morai's items can be bought, mine certainly can't, hmph.

What kind of expression is that, Kudo... Hattori Heiji felt irritated inside.

Realizing there was no escape, Hitoshi Kenito finally slumped to the floor. At that moment, the power finally restored, and the room lit up once more.

"There is only one thing I don't understand." Morai looked down at Hitoshi Kenito from above. "Why did you want to kill the boss? You and he were clearly meeting for the first time, right?"

"Heh, what do you mean by 'only one thing'..." Hitoshi Kenito wore a look of disdain. "You figured out the method for killing Ayako, so tell me, how did I kill the boss!"

Even if I get caught, at least my trick was ingenious!

"The strange sound of wind in the car—given that there was no condensation, I assume it must have been the heater?" Morai's expression remained calm. "First, place the boss's corpse, which was in rigor mortis, inside the car to press down the brake pedal, and put it in drive. Because the brake was pressed, the car wouldn't move forward."

"And what is the effect of a temperature above thirty-five degrees Celsius on the timing of rigor mortis changes? Conan, you answer!"

"Ah! If—" Conan originally wanted to answer, but noticing Hattori Heiji's lingering gaze, his tone stalled. "Ahahaha, I'm just a kid, how could I possibly know..."

Mouri Kogoro let out a disdainful snort and took over the conversation: "Normally, a corpse takes about forty hours to go limp, but if the temperature is above thirty-five degrees, it will soften in about twenty-four to thirty hours. Once that happens, the brake is released, and the car will automatically move forward..."

Hitoshi Kenito's high-held head finally drooped.

"I find it very strange. Why would you design such a convoluted chain of methods to commit murder?" Morai frowned, offering merciless criticism. "Did you not account for variables at all?"

"As for the plan to kill the boss, what if someone had gone to the garage during the time the corpse was softening, discovered the boss, called out to him and got no response, and then opened the car door—that could very well have happened. If it did, what would you have done?"

"And for killing Mr. Fujisawa, what if someone brought a flashlight like I did? What would you have done?"

"The more elaborate a plan is and the more links it has, the greater the possibility of errors. Your plan is as absurd, ridiculous, and nonsensical as 'to kill a fly, first disguise a pinch of salt as sugar, so the fly tastes the salt, feels thirsty, and wants to drink water, but the water you prepared is disguised with liquor, and after drinking the liquor, the fly trips over a stone and dashes its brains out.' It's utterly ridiculous and bizarre; you'd be better off using the most direct method."

Hattori Heiji wore a complex expression as he squatted down again to whisper to Conan: "Is this guy... really alright? He feels way too experienced..."

Conan chuckled softly, "What do you know? This is just Morai's way of shattering criminals' confidence while advising them not to commit crimes."

"Now, back to the original question. Why did you want to kill the boss?"

Hitoshi Kenito remained silent for a moment, then let out a sarcastic laugh.

"Because of a book."