Chapter 17: The "Pitiful" Girl
Amid the traffic, the black Porsche 356A stood out conspicuously.
“Boss, it seems that woman has messed up,” Vodka said while driving. “The surveillance team reported she even went to see a detective.”
“Doesn’t matter,” Gin, with his silver hair flowing down to his waist, scoffed. “She wouldn’t dare act recklessly.”
“The police have made new progress in the recent case of threatening letters sent to executives of several renowned financial groups. Sources reveal that some letters share similarities in their mailing methods, and the police are focusing on potential suspects. Moreover, some executives have received second threatening letters with more menacing content. Currently, major financial groups have heightened security measures. The police urge vigilance and encourage those with information to come forward to swiftly identify the culprit.”
The radio inside the car broadcasted the news.
Gin clicked his tongue and reached out to turn off the radio.
“Boss?”
“It’s annoying.”
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“Higashino, do you really think those threatening letters are just pranks?” Sato lowered his voice. “Shouldn’t we verify them further?”
“You saw it yourself. The second letter was an overt kidnapping threat. But the question is, who sends a warning letter before kidnapping someone?” Ki seemed very certain. “So the key issue isn’t the kidnapping itself, but what the culprit really intends to do.”
“Hmm...” Sato pondered.
Ki felt eyes occasionally drifting toward him.
“You should assist Inspector Megure with the bank case. I can handle this on my own.”
“Uh...” Sato hesitated but eventually agreed.
Ki summoned a few officers.
“Let’s go. We’ll verify the details of the second threatening letter at Otsuka Holdings.”
“Yes, Inspector!”
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“What did you say? You found that bastard?” Inside the hotel, the tall man stood up excitedly while listening on the phone.
“Don’t rush. Next, you just need to lure that woman to the address I gave you tonight.”
“Why?”
“If you want to split it with her, I don’t mind.”
“No, of course not! But all I have to do is get her to that place?”
“Yes,” the voice on the other end said. “Remember, if you don’t want to die, don’t go there. Then come to the address I gave you in the morning, and you’ll get the money.”
“...Alright.” The tall man agreed.
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“Inspector, aren’t you leaving?” Takagi noticed Ki hadn’t moved before finishing his shift.
“No, I still need to confirm a few things. I’ll leave later.” Ki smiled at him. “See you tomorrow.”
Takagi was curious. He remembered Ki wasn’t one to work overtime, but given the large-scale threatening letter case, even Higashino Ki must be under considerable pressure.
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“Why meet at the park now?” Masami Hirota held the phone cautiously.
“I found that guy. Are you coming or not?” The man on the other end sounded impatient. “If you don’t come, don’t blame me for keeping all the money myself!”
Masami Hirota fell silent.
But she couldn’t give up the billion yen.
“Alright.” She agreed.
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“Boss, the surveillance team says that woman has gone out. Seems like she got news about the money,” Vodka called back to report.
“Let her be. She won’t escape anyway.” Gin lit a cigarette disdainfully.
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“Inspector, someone reported that near the Third District park, a person was abducted and forced into a car!”
At the Metropolitan Police Department, Ki was still there when the officer came in with the report.
“Let’s go!”
Ki quickly led his men out.
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“What did you say? That stupid woman disappeared?” Gin was shocked when he received the report the next day. Did Akemi Miyano really dare to run? “What happened?”
“Last night, she said she was going out to get the money, but never came back.”
“Useless.” Gin cursed. “Vodka, drive!”
“Yes, boss!”
“Go to the park that woman went to last night.”
“Yes, boss!”
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The tall man got up and, as expected, picked up a letter from the front desk with an address written on it.
Excited, he stepped outside to hail a cab.
Now, the billion yen was all his—well, no, nine hundred million.
However, when he arrived at the apartment at the given address and pushed the door open, he found the room filled with police officers.
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Kogoro Mori sat on the sofa of the detective agency, deep in thought.
“Damn it, this guy rarely interacts with others. None of his colleagues know where he is, not even that he has a daughter...” Mori was frustrated. “All we know is that every evening, he stops taking passengers and drives his car back and forth at high speed on a certain road.”
“Damn it, what kind of business is this?” Mori continued. “Also, why did a man wearing a knit cap also come asking around?”
At that moment, the TV was showing a live horse race.
Upon hearing the winning horse’s name, Conan suddenly snapped awake.
He jotted down the names of four cats belonging to Kenzo Hirota in his notebook...
“Could it really be?” He felt uneasy.
Ran passed by, caught sight of the TV and Conan’s notebook on the table.
She suddenly grabbed the notebook, startling Conan.
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“Mr. Hirota must love horse racing, so he named his cats after horses. We can find him at the racetrack!” Ran said excitedly and headed to the racecourse.
“Wow, it’s my first time at a racetrack. It’s so magnificent! Let’s hurry and find Ms. Masami’s father!”
Meanwhile, Mori and Conan were less enthusiastic.
“Foolish, how could we find him here?” Mori said.
“You’re underestimating detective work...” Conan replied.
Nonetheless, the two diligently searched through the chaotic crowds.
As expected, they found nothing.
When the three were tired and returned to the resting area, Conan, putting on a cute act, suggested that Kenzo Hirota was a regular at the souvenir shop and maybe someone there would recognize him.
Mori thought it made sense.
The souvenir shop clerk was watching TV.
Before Mori could ask, the news flashed on the screen.
“A major breakthrough in the highly publicized 1 billion yen robbery at Mitsubishi Bank. Police announced today the successful arrest of the suspects involved.”
Photos of two robbers appeared on the screen, one of whom was none other than Kenzo Hirota!
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“Tsk, that woman sure knows how to cause trouble,” Gin stood outside the police cordon, watching the busy officers inside.
“Boss, what now?” Vodka asked.
“Have someone inquire quietly. After the police finish their work, we’ll go in. Those idiots won’t figure anything out anyway,” Gin instructed, then turned and got back into the car.
“Yes, boss!”
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“How could it be? Ms. Hirota’s father is actually a bank robber!” On the way back, Ran was incredulous. “In that case, what will happen to Ms. Masami?”
Tears welled up as she thought, “It’s so tragic. She’s already lost her mother, and now even her father...”
“No, it’s not like that...” Conan calmly analyzed. “The bank robbers were two men and one woman, and the police only caught the two men. That means the remaining one...”
Lost in thought, his pace slowed, falling behind.
“If our guess is right, the address she left is fake. So where should we look?”
Suddenly, a flash of insight.
The transmitter is in Ms. Masami’s watch!
“How could I forget such an important clue?”
Taking cover in a phone booth, he activated the tracker on his glasses.
“Why isn’t it moving? Perfect, it’s not far!”
Conan turned and dashed off.