Conan: The Phantom Heart Thief

Mouri Kogoro lowered his head, scrutinizing Conan's phone screen. After repeatedly comparing it with the photo in his hand, he exclaimed in surprise, "Looks like the real deal. You actually found him just like that. You're pretty lucky, kid."

"Hahaha, well... I was out playing soccer with my friends yesterday and saw an uncle who looked really familiar, so I snapped a photo. Is he the one Ms. Hirota Masami's looking for?" Conan grinned awkwardly, feigning innocence.

"You guys went that far just to play soccer…" Mouri Kogoro muttered, puzzled. But as usual, he didn't overthink it. Instead, he carefully checked the photo again and excitedly called Hirota Masami. "Hello, Ms. Masami? Good news!"

Conan breathed a quiet sigh of relief and silently praised Uncle Mouri for his unintentional smooth cover. He took back his phone and sent a short thank-you message to Joker, once again marveling at how absurdly overpowered Joker's intelligence network was.

While he was still stuck waiting for Mouri to get famous enough to attract leads about the organization, Joker had already begun actively searching and tracking its movements across Tokyo.

It felt like he was constantly being chased by Party A, pressured to solve cases faster.

Stupid organization… this kid-sized body is such a burden!

Grumbling to himself while reviewing the clues Joker had provided, Conan followed along as Mouri Kogoro headed out to search for the target.

——

"You got here so quickly, Miss Masami!" Mouri Ran, waiting by the roadside, waved with a bright smile when she saw Hirota Masami running up, breathless.

Masami's face lit up with joy. Her calm and delicate features seemed even more radiant. "I'm here! Sorry to trouble you all!"

"You're too polite." Embarrassed by her deep bow, Mouri Kogoro scratched the back of his head with a sheepish laugh. "This is what a detective should do. I can't let down a client's trust!"

"I'm just… really happy." Hirota Masami beamed, adjusting the collar of her coat nervously. "Where's my father?"

"Oh, he's in Nerima Ward. Lives in an apartment and seems to be doing alright. Don't worry, Miss Yami." Mouri Kogoro pointed to his car parked by the curb. "We'll take you there."

"Really? Thank you so much, this means so much to me… I thought he wasn't even in Tokyo anymore." Masami sighed with relief and patted her chest. Her every gesture radiated youthful energy, and even Mouri Kogoro couldn't help but smile.

After Joker's warning, Conan had become extra cautious, and now he frowned slightly.

Masami Hirota now seemed a bit different from when she first came to the office.

When they'd first met, she appeared timid, helpless, and dressed plainly—very much the image of a fragile girl alone in a big city, seeking help.

But today, maybe because she was in high spirits, there was a brightness in her expression…

In the car, Mouri Ran chatted warmly with Hirota Masami. Conan curled up quietly beside them, keeping a low profile as he silently listened to their conversation.

Ran was naturally empathetic, easily tuned to others' emotions, and few could resist her warmth. Just by listening to their small talk, Conan gathered a lot of useful information.

Hirota Masami claimed to be a first-year high school student. She had taken a long leave from school to come to Tokyo in search of her father. She'd been in Tokyo for about two or three weeks. Her father, Kenzo Hirota, was the only family she had left. They had relied on each other for years. He had been working as a taxi driver but lost his license due to an accident, and vanished while looking for a new job…

Conan couldn't help but feel skeptical.

Even the police hadn't been able to find this man, yet a girl from a small town could afford to hire a top private detective? Based on the family circumstances she described, would she really have the money and foresight to do that? Wouldn't she have tried a newspaper ad or radio broadcast first?

He pushed these questions to the back of his mind for now and mentally noted them down to discuss with Joker later, depending on how things unfolded.

About twenty minutes later, Mouri Kogoro pulled up in front of the apartment building. Together with his excited daughter and Hirota Masami, he walked toward the entrance.

"We got pretty lucky, actually," Mouri Kogoro said proudly, puffing out his chest. "The kid at home happened to spot your dad while he was out. We stuck around the area for a bit, and sure enough, we ran into him. That led us here… His apartment's just upstairs. This way, Miss Yami."

Conan clutched the edge of Ran's coat and followed them in small steps, his eyes fixed on Hirota Masami.

Joker had said that Kenzo Hirota was a debt slave to a gangster—someone who'd lost everything to gambling. If she really were his daughter, wouldn't she know what kind of places her father would hang around?

They stopped in front of Room 202, the apartment confirmed earlier. Conan looked at Hirota Masami, watching her reaction closely as Mouri pressed the doorbell.

Let's see what happens. The truth isn't clear yet. How will she react when she sees Kenzo Hirota?

"Ding Dong——"

The crisp chime echoed inside. The four of them stood waiting for about a minute, but there was no answer.

"Eh? Maybe he went out?" Ran frowned and glanced at the time. "So early…"

"Ding Dong——"

Mouri rang the doorbell again. The longer chime echoed through the apartment until everything fell silent again—still no response.

Conan's gaze shifted to the doorknob, and an uneasy feeling hit him. "Wait a second, the door… it doesn't seem to be locked…"

"Hm?" Mouri frowned, reached out, and turned the doorknob.

It turned freely, and the door opened without resistance.

…This was not a good sign.

Unlike Ran and Mouri, who were still puzzled, Conan—already suspecting ties to the organization—immediately jumped to the worst conclusion.

"Mr. Hirota? Mr. Hirota?" Ran called out twice as she gently pushed the door open and stepped into the hallway.

Inside the living room, Kenzo Hirota's body hung from the chandelier, his eyes wide open in death. As the door opened, his body swayed in the morning breeze, the tension on the cord creaking under his weight.

"Ah—" The moment Ran stepped in and saw the corpse's twisted expression, she shut her eyes and screamed.

"Aah… ah…" Hirota Masami stared blankly at the scene. She raised her hands to cover her mouth and stumbled back in shock.

Damn it! The worst-case scenario really happened!

Conan's eyes went wide. He rushed inside, staring at Kenzo Hirota's cold, stiff corpse, and clenched his fist against the wall in frustration.

How could this happen? Was the organization tipped off by their tracking, or did Joker's investigation spook them into taking action?

"No… Dad! Dad!" Hirota Masami suddenly let out a shrill wail, then rolled her eyes and collapsed on the floor.

"Ms. Yami? Miss Yami!" Mouri Kogoro caught the fainting girl just in time, his expression hardening. "Ran, call the police and get an ambulance!"

Ran nodded tearfully and pulled out her phone to make the call. Conan took a deep breath to calm himself, then immediately took out his phone and sent a message to the one person who might have answers.

[Joker, something went wrong. Kenzo Hirota is dead.]