How to Survive With a Death-Flag Character Setting in Detective Conan - Chapter 15

Before Higashino Hiromu was about to fall asleep, Hatori Yuiichi finally finished blow-drying his hair.

“All done.” Before putting away the hair dryer, he casually rubbed Higashino Hiromu’s head.

Higashino Hiromu patted his own cheeks to wake himself up a little, then said, “Do you often help people dry their hair? You seem very skilled! The massage also felt really good!”

Hatori Yuiichi said naturally, “There are many people in my family, so I’ve gotten used to taking care of them.”

Higashino Hiromu gave him a thumbs-up. “Looks like Hatori is a good brother after all! I give you a like~”

Hatori Yuiichi smiled without replying.

A while later, the staff delivered the dried clothes and shoes.

After Higashino Hiromu changed clothes, the two of them returned to the third floor.

There were three hours left on the countdown.

* * *

After the police took over the scene, they gathered everyone in a lounge and questioned them one by one.

Edogawa Conan, taking advantage of his familiarity with the police, wandered all over the scene, and no one stopped him.

Not long after, Shiratori Ninzaburo received a phone call from the hospital.

As soon as Edogawa Conan saw him hang up, he immediately asked, “Hey~ Officer Shiratori~ Did the hospital find out anything?”

Shiratori Ninzaburo nodded and said seriously, “The hospital detected gamma-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) in Hoshimoto Kana’s blood.”

Edogawa Conan’s pupils shook.

This is a drug!

In small amounts, GHB suppresses the central nervous system, causing drowsiness, sexual arousal, and other effects. In larger doses, it causes nausea, vomiting, hallucinations, short-term memory loss, and even confusion, convulsions, coma, or respiratory arrest. It is often used by criminals as a sedative or date-rape drug, and it is a prohibited substance.

According to Suzuki Sonoko’s account, although Hoshimoto Kana played around, she was about to get engaged next month. She would never allow “obedient water” to appear at an event she organized at such a critical time.

So, she must have been drugged by someone!

Whether the culprit’s intention was to humiliate her or to drown her, secretly spiking her drink was too despicable!

He had to find out who it was!

As Edogawa Conan walked, he recalled that when Hoshimoto Kana entered the room, she was not carrying any drink, and none of the ten-plus people inside had gone out, so they could be ruled out. But outside, there were more than thirty people…

He scratched his head in frustration. If only he had looked outside more carefully at the time!

He wanted to ask Higashino Hiromu about the situation, but after searching around, he couldn’t find him. So he went over to Adachi Shizuku, tugged at his sleeve, and asked, “Adachi onii-san, do you know where Higashino onii-san went?”

Adachi Shizuku bent down slightly and said with a smile, “He went to get a room with his kouhai.”

Edogawa Conan’s eyes turned into dots: Eh? T-this fast?

Next to them, Matsuzaki Toru had several black lines forming on his forehead and couldn’t help saying, “If you slander Higashino senpai like this, be careful he doesn’t settle accounts with you later.”

Adachi Shizuku spread his hands indifferently, “Am I not just telling the truth? He really did go to get a room to change clothes! Someone here has such a dirty mind.”

Matsuzaki Toru sneered, “Then go explain it that way directly to Higashino senpai if you dare.”

Edogawa Conan silently pressed his hand against his chest.

It was at that moment that Higashino Hiromu returned to the third floor.

When Edogawa Conan saw him appear with another man, he couldn’t help blushing, ashamed of his own wild thoughts.

Seeing Higashino Hiromu’s rosy complexion, Adachi Shizuku let out a whistle, “Looks like you had a pretty good rest~”

Higashino Hiromu explained, “I just took a shower, didn’t rest long.”

Adachi Shizuku’s smile froze. He looked Higashino Hiromu up and down and asked, “What situation requires taking a shower?”

Higashino Hiromu was utterly confused, “Since I was already changing clothes, what’s wrong with taking a shower as well?”

Standing next to Adachi Shizuku, Matsuzaki Toru said, “A dirty mind sees everything as dirty~”

Adachi Shizuku rolled his eyes at him. He pointed at Edogawa Conan and said, “This kid was looking for you.”

Higashino Hiromu immediately lowered his head and asked, “Conan, what do you need from me?”

He thought to himself, I wonder if Conan has found any clues. If he still hasn’t narrowed down the suspects, then I’ll have to think of a way to make him notice those four people.

The blush on Edogawa Conan’s cheeks had already faded. He looked up and asked, “I just wanted to ask, when you rescued Hoshimoto Kana, did you notice anything unusual?”

Higashino Hiromu felt a surge of joy. This was practically handing him the microphone!

He said, “Before Hoshimoto Kana sank to the bottom, I saw her struggling a few times, but her movements were soft and powerless. By the time I swam to her side, she had already lost consciousness. Normally, when people drown, they struggle desperately and wouldn’t pass out so quickly. So I suspected she might have been drugged, and that’s why I asked someone to call the police.”

Edogawa Conan nodded. Higashino Hiromu’s reasoning was sound. Hoshimoto Kana was indeed drugged. But who was the culprit?

Higashino Hiromu continued, “When I pulled Hoshimoto Kana ashore, the first one to rush forward to help was Kaneda Kaichou, and the second was Nagao Shu. It was also Kaneda kaichou who made the emergency call.”

In his analysis, Kaneda kaichou was the least likely to be the culprit.

First, Kaneda kaichou was the pursued one. Although he disapproved of some of Hoshimoto Kana’s behavior, her pursuit had not caused him trouble. If he truly disliked her, he wouldn’t have attended the event. Second, the mission information stated that Kaneda kaichou felt no resentment toward him for saving her, which suggested he did not wish Hoshimoto Kana harm. Finally, Kaneda kaichou had been the one to call the police. Even if he were the culprit, making that call would mean giving up on today’s plan entirely. He would not have the chance to attack again.

By the same reasoning, Nagao Shu was also unlikely to be the culprit.

Both of them are probably red herrings and might even be linked to the source of the drug.

He told all of this to Edogawa Conan, not to mislead him, but so that he might notice unusual behavior in the other two.

And indeed, things developed as he expected.

Edogawa Conan, relying on his cute appearance, managed to obtain important information by acting innocent and silly, and quickly narrowed the suspects down to four. However, he still could not determine exactly who the culprit was.

At this moment, Higashino Hiromu pretended to pass by and muttered to himself, “By the way, didn’t Arisumi Hiyomi say that a lot of people outside wanted to meet me? Then why didn’t I feel that way at all?”

Suddenly, inspiration struck Edogawa Conan.

He ran back and forth for a while, and finally found the decisive piece of evidence!

Time flew by, and Higashino Hiromu’s countdown was now less than one hour!

The police still refused to let anyone leave, and some people began to grow agitated.

“If you’re saying Hoshimoto’s drowning wasn’t an accident, then show us some proof!”

“Exactly! You can’t just stop us from leaving because of someone’s guess!”

Higashino Hiromu immediately said, “Is my name too hard to say out loud? Can’t you just be direct?”

The man was about to retort after being confronted, but when he saw the tall figure standing beside Higashino Hiromu, he silently shut his mouth.

Edogawa Conan hid under the table, found the right angle, and fired a tranquilizer dart into Suzuki Sonoko’s neck.

Suzuki Sonoko spun around twice on the spot before slumping into a nearby chair, unconscious.

“Sonoko-chan?” Mouri Ran turned her head in confusion. When she saw her imitating her father’s “sleeping” pose, she exclaimed excitedly, “Could it be that you already know who the culprit is?”

The people around them all turned their heads in unison, staring at them in shock.

“Suzuki Sonoko” gave a light cough, “That’s right, I already know who the culprit is!”

Shiratori Ninzaburo said, “Suzuki-san, please explain in detail.”

“Suzuki Sonoko” said, “The method of committing the crime this time is actually very simple. The culprit drugged Hoshimoto Kana, and before the drug took effect, made her enter the water. Afterward, once the drug began working, her limbs became weak, and she was unable to stand or call for help in the water, which led to her drowning.”

“According to that, wouldn’t anyone be able to drug her?” someone asked.

“Suzuki Sonoko” replied, “Yes, everyone outside is a suspect. However, based on the time it takes for the drug to take effect, and from other clues, only four people are strongly suspected. They are Iizawa Isamu, Arisumi Hiyomi, Nagao Shu, and Kaneda Hajime.”

Iizawa Isamu immediately retorted, “It wasn’t me! How could I ever do something like that!”

Arisumi Hiyomi also said, “It wasn’t me either! I would never get near ‘obedient water’!”

Someone beside them said, “Then it must be Nagao Shu. After all, he came from ‘that kind of place’.”

Nagao Shu glanced at him and said, “What? Is the word nightclub too hard to say? I admit, I worked part-time in nightclubs and bars, but GHB is a prohibited substance. Do you think I’d throw away my future and dare to mess with that stuff?”

“That’s not certain. Who knows if you secretly did those kinds of deals?” Iizawa Isamu said scornfully. “After all, that stuff brings in money fast.”

Nagao Shu shot back, “And how do you know it brings in money fast? Have you sold it yourself?”

Iizawa Isamu immediately grew nervous, “Don’t you dare slander me!”

“You’re the one slandering me!”

The two confronted each other, nearly ready to fight.

Shiratori Ninzaburo quickly stepped between them to stop them, “Stop!”

“Suzuki Sonoko” said leisurely, “Gentlemen, please calm down. There is still one suspect who hasn’t spoken yet.”

Everyone’s eyes turned to Kaneda Hajime. He slowly said, “Of course I’ve never been in contact with such things. But I know that GHB is a synthetic drug that can be produced in a school laboratory.” The corners of his mouth curled upward. “So there’s no need to argue. Based on that fact, everyone here is a suspect.”

Arisumi Hiyomi said, “But I’m not a chemistry major. How could I possibly synthesize something like that?”

“Suzuki Sonoko” said, “Ara, the synthesis formula is simple. Even an amateur can learn it.”

Arisumi Hiyomi pursed her lips and said nothing.

“Inspector Shiratori, we’ve found something!” The police discovered a small amount of GHB in Nagao Shu’s backpack.

Nagao Shu immediately shook his head, flustered, “That’s not mine! I don’t know where that came from!”

Iizawa Isamu crossed his arms and sneered, “Told you so.”

The surrounding people whispered among themselves.

“So it really was him?”

“Wasn’t he close with Hoshimoto? How could he do something like that?”

“I heard he borrowed a lot of money from Hoshimoto recently. Could it be he didn’t want to pay it back?”

“What? Killing her just to avoid paying? That’s too cruel!”

…

Nagao Shu stood frozen in place, his hands and feet cold. He shook his head, saying, “It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me, it really wasn’t me!”

Just as Shiratori Ninzaburo took out the handcuffs and was about to cuff him, “Suzuki Sonoko” suddenly said, “Oh my, I never said he was the culprit~”

Everyone was stunned.

“Suzuki Sonoko” said with a smile, “Think back carefully to the conversation just now. The culprit has already given themselves away.”