Conan: The Phantom Heart Thief

"The deceased is Kenzo Hirota, 49 years old..."

The police officers from the First Investigation Division surrounded the scene. The unconscious Hirota Masami was sent to the hospital by ambulance. Conan and his friends, as the first ones to discover the body, stayed at the scene.

"How could this happen..." Watching Hirota Masami being carried into the ambulance, Mao Lilan tightly gripped her wrist, tears in her eyes. "I finally found my father, but the first thing we saw was such a tragic scene. Miss Masami..."

"Yesterday afternoon, we saw Mr. Hirota alive. Who would have thought that just one night later, he'd be gone forever." Mouri Kogoro's brows were furrowed. "Damn it, who did this..."

Conan stared at the police as they untied Hirota Kenzo's body from the chandelier, gripping his phone tightly while waiting for Joker's response, his mind spinning with analysis.

"The deceased was strangled to death and then hung here." After a simple on-site inspection, Inspector Megure reached a preliminary conclusion. "The method was very rough. There are multiple overlapping strangulation marks on the neck. The deceased struggled obviously. There are rope and cloth fibers under his fingernails... The murderer must be very strong. Likely a healthy adult male."

Adult male, strong and healthy...

The cell phone vibrated. Conan raised his hand, saw the caller ID, quietly stepped out into the corridor, and answered the call.

"Hey, Joker."

"It's me." Joker's low voice came through, no longer sounding casual. "Kenzo Hirota is dead. How did he die?"

"He was strangled and then hanged. That's Inspector Megure's judgment. I think it's accurate." Conan, now in detective mode, no longer sounded like a child. "The last time we saw him was around 6 PM yesterday at a convenience store near the apartment. Uncle Mouri confirmed his features before returning to the office. Do you think this has something to do with the organization?"

After a short silence, Joker asked, "Describe the condition of his room. And Hirota Masami—where is she? Still at the scene?"

"The room is very empty. Just some simple chairs, a coffee table, and a TV. No decorations. It's a small single apartment. From what I saw, there were no personal belongings at all. It's strange." Holding the railing and looking down at the police cars on the first floor, Conan saw the officers questioning the tenants and the landlady. He recalled and asked, "According to you, he's a gambler in heavy debt, right? Then why would he rent an apartment in this area? It's close to the CBD, and even small apartments here are expensive... Miss Hirota Masami fainted after entering the room. She should be at Beika Central Hospital now."

On the call, Joker let out a loud sigh, his breath brushing across the microphone and causing static noise.

"This is troublesome. Looks like an organized hit. Little detective, don't contact me for now. I need to handle something. As for Hirota Masami—did you make any precautions?"

"Yes." Conan's reply didn't surprise Kazawa. "I placed a transmitter on Miss Hirota Masami. Originally I planned to listen in on the conversation between her and Kenzo Hirota after they met... But now, that may not be meaningful."

"That's not true." Joker chuckled. "Thanks for being cautious... Try to catch the killer quickly. I've got things to take care of too."

After getting Joker's answer, Conan's heart sank.

He looked at Ran Mouri, who was watching out the window with a worried face, and Mouri Kogoro, who was discussing the case seriously with Inspector Megure.

If this case is connected to the organization... should he warn Ran and the others under the identity of Kudo Shinichi?

"...So, this person is the father your client was looking for?" After asking why they were at the scene, Inspector Megure stroked his round chin with a worried expression. "So you only know his name and occupation... I guess we still need to talk to the victim's daughter, Hirota Masami. Takagi went to the hospital with her, right? Contact Takagi. Ask if Miss Hirota Masami is awake. Is she emotionally stable?"

The police officer on standby responded and called Takagi Shigeru.

I should tell Ran.

Once Kenzo Hirota's fake identity is exposed, it's hard to say whether the forces behind him will show up.

Conan, observing their movements, made up his mind. He reached for the voice changer around his neck and was about to go to the quiet stairwell to call Ran.

"What? You said that while you went to see the doctor, Hirota Masami disappeared?!"

Conan turned around suddenly and saw Inspector Megure shouting.

"Hurry up and find her! The killer hasn't been caught yet—she's in danger!"

—

In each machine, the steel balls clattered and rolled under dazzling lights. In front of each machine sat people—some shouting and slapping the glass, others quiet with lifeless expressions. The sound poured out in bursts every time the pachinko parlor's doors opened.

Miyano Akemi pushed up her sunglasses, her high heels clicking rhythmically against the tile. She scanned face after face until she found her target.

"Kishi!" She called through clenched teeth from behind the man.

The tall man didn't react at all. He just dumped more steel balls into the machine and twisted the knob. His bloodshot eyes stared at the flashing screen.

"Hirota Akira!" Miyano Akemi slapped the plastic tray in his hand to the floor.

Startled, he let go of the button too early. He stared at the missed ball, clicked his tongue in frustration, then frowned at Miyano Akemi with irritation.

"It's you..." Kishi rolled his eyes, ignoring the now-empty basket. He stood up. "What is it?"

"Come here." Miyano Akemi glanced at the noisy players around and tugged his sleeve. "Come out and talk..."

Kishi curled his lips, shoved his hands in his pockets, and lazily followed Miyano Akemi, who stomped ahead in her high heels. He muttered, "Yami, you're always so jumpy. The mission's there. Even if it's two days late..."

"You killed Kaizuka Shirou?!" Outside the store's side exit, Miyano Akemi couldn't hold back her anger and fear anymore and shouted. "Why didn't you notify me when you found him?! I'm the one in charge!"

As soon as she entered that empty apartment, she understood everything.

Kaizuka Shirou had taken all the cash from their robbery—enough to fill six or seven large suitcases. Since it came from a bank, the money was all brand-new bills with consecutive serial numbers. He couldn't launder it in a short time. He wouldn't dare store the bills with recorded numbers, so he had to keep them as-is.

In such a small apartment, there was nowhere to hide so many suitcases. The only person who could've come for the money besides her—was Kishi.

"Tsk..." Kishi dropped his lazy expression and gave a malicious smile. "You're going to ask me where the money went, huh? Useless woman..."

Miyano Akemi's face turned pale. Her anger was overflowing, but she wasn't surprised by Kishi's change in attitude.

What kind of credibility or morals do gamblers even have?

She closed her eyes. Her right hand lifted. A small pistol slid from her sleeve into her palm.

Raising it and pointing it at Kishi, she repeated coldly,

"I'm asking you—why didn't you notify me when you found him?"