Chapter 30: A Business Trip

Kiichi placed a call to the police department in Shikoku.

"Are you saying that the Lavender Villa case from four years ago, which occurred in our jurisdiction, might be linked to a serial murder case you’re currently investigating?" The officer on the other end was clearly skeptical. "I think you must be mistaken. That case of ours is already closed; the culprit committed suicide out of fear of punishment."

"I see..." Kiichi pondered for a moment, then sounded quite troubled as he replied, "It’s just that my superiors have insisted I look into it. I’m quite helpless in this matter..."

"Fine, fine. We’ll fax the case records to the Metropolitan Police Department. Will that suffice?" Although the officer was somewhat impatient, he didn't want to make things too difficult for a fellow grunt in the trenches.

"I am truly grateful to you." Kiichi feigned deep gratitude; offering a few polite words cost him nothing.

Soon enough, the documents arrived via fax.

"What case are you investigating, Kiichi-kun? Why are there faxes from Shikoku?" Sato, feeling curious, leaned over to take a look.

"Orders from above," Kiichi replied. It was the truth—after all, it was Hakuba who had given the order.

"I see..." Sato didn't press further; after all, what if it was a classified directive from the top?

Kiichi began reviewing the files.

How to put it? After finishing them, he suddenly found the various "NPCs" at the Metropolitan Police Department much more tolerable. Throughout the entire investigation, the police in Shikoku had exhibited a level of lazy, do-nothing governance that was truly staggering. Initially, they had rushed to close the case simply because it was a "locked-room" mystery. Later, when a detective arrived, they immediately turned around and relentlessly hounded the suspect without any substantive evidence.

While it was true that the police at the Metropolitan level often relied on detectives, whether it was Shinichi Kudo or the current Kogoro Mouri, they had to produce actual evidence before Inspector Megure would truly believe them and take action. In Shikoku, however, months after the crime had occurred, they had convicted the culprit based solely on a detective’s word.

Kiichi now deeply suspected whether the person had truly committed suicide out of guilt, or if they had simply suffered a mental breakdown from being pushed too hard. After all, if the police had absolutely no evidence, would a real killer be so terrified that they would kill themselves? Wouldn't a criminal’s psychology lean more toward feeling smug and triumphant?

Logically, matters like this—outside his jurisdiction—were none of his concern. Furthermore, based on the records from Shikoku, it was impossible to determine if the "Curtain Maker" had been involved behind the scenes.

But Kiichi felt he couldn't just let it slide. He was a police officer; how could he stand by knowing a miscarriage of justice had driven someone to their death? He wasn't that much of a bastard.

***

He stood up and headed to Toshiro Odagiri’s office.

Technically, this wasn't proper procedure—bypassing the chain of command was rarely a good idea—but given that Matsumoto knew nothing about the cases related to the "Curtain Maker," he had no choice. This was an assignment handed down directly by Hakuba, so it had to be reported directly.

"You suspect this case in Shikoku is connected to the Curtain Maker?" Toshiro Odagiri thought for a moment. "It certainly fits his style, but..."

Odagiri fell silent. No matter how he looked at it, the conduct of the Shikoku police in this case was nothing short of absurd.

"It’s just that, based on the investigation in Shikoku..." Kiichi wasn't sure how to describe it. To speak the plain truth would seem like undermining police unity, yet he didn't know how to express it tactfully without losing the original meaning.

"I understand. So, you intend to go there yourself and re-investigate the case from four years ago, is that it?" Odagiri chose the simplest path: to offer no commentary at all.

"Yes," Kiichi nodded. "There are some details that must be verified by speaking to the parties involved."

"I understand. I will have Matsumoto approve your leave," Odagiri agreed. "But remember, try not to burn bridges with them."

In truth, Odagiri understood Kiichi well enough to know he would maintain a polite demeanor on the surface, but he still worried that the young man might act impulsively at times. Especially if the Shikoku police had truly driven an innocent person to their death...

Soon, Kiyonaga Matsumoto approved the leave. He had long known that Kiichi was investigating a major, classified case under the guidance of Hakuba and Odagiri. He even suspected that this was the very reason Hakuba had insisted on keeping Kiichi on the front lines. Otherwise, given Kiichi’s abilities and his relationship with Hakuba, he would have been at the National Police Agency, preparing for a high-ranking career. Though he was curious about what kind of case could warrant such personal attention from Hakuba, Matsumoto had no intention of asking. The higher-ups had their own agendas; if he were ordered to risk his life, that was his duty, but poking his nose into things that could get him killed was just plain foolish.

"Eh? You’re taking leave already?" Sato looked bewildered. Hadn't he just taken leave for the Maple Leaf Gold Coin case? Could he really take them back-to-back?

"It’s time I’d saved up. I have some family business, so I figured I’d apply for it now," Kiichi offered as an excuse. His track record was impeccable, so no one found it strange that he had some leave stored away.

"I see..." Sato felt a twinge of envy. She loved her job, but having time off was always nice; unfortunately, she didn't have the luxury of such an impressive record.

"By the way, Shiratori, have the statements been processed?" Kiichi asked, spotting Shiratori in the office.

"Everything is handled," Shiratori replied with a detached nod.

It seemed the "key memory" hadn't been triggered yet; the rivalry for affection would have to continue.

***

Still... what were the keywords for Shiratori and Kobayashi again? He only remembered they were a couple, but what was the trigger for their childhood memory?

Never mind. The Junior Detective Matchmaking Team would figure it out eventually. He couldn't be bothered to overthink it.

Kiichi packed his bag and headed home.

See? This was the beauty of Conan. If he was away, and a case actually broke out, Conan would surely step in to handle it. Otherwise, he would have to worry about the "NPCs" under his command causing another miscarriage of justice. Thinking about it, perhaps Conan, the savior, was also saving him in his own way...

He finished packing and bought his train ticket.

While he was at it, Kiichi gave the Shikoku police another call.

"You still haven't given up?" The officer in Shikoku was truly impatient this time. What were the people at headquarters trying to pull?

"It’s like this: we’ve discovered that while this case might not be directly related to our primary investigation, we’ve found that other individuals involved in this case have surfaced in connection to a different one..." Kiichi explained.

He hadn't uttered a single lie.

"So headquarters is sending someone over?"

"Yes, my superiors have ordered me to go on a business trip..." Kiichi made his voice sound utterly weary, adding, "Even though it’s highly likely there’s no connection at all."

"Fine, we understand. Just contact us when you arrive." Perhaps out of empathy for a fellow grunt in the system, their tone softened significantly.

And just like that, everything was arranged.