Chapter 377

Sonoko ran over excitedly.

"Caught you..."

Seeing the two of them, Sonoko’s eyes widened instantly.

Akaso Kaze suddenly made a gesture for silence.

He pulled Sonoko into the darkness as well and pressed her against the wall.

The two girls were pressed together, their little faces facing each other, both blushing at the same time.

They struggled together with coquettish complaints.

An hour later, Conan saw the three of them return and asked suspiciously: "Why did it take you so long to come back?"

Sonoko said embarrassedly: "Those two were too hard to find; I spent a lot of effort to find them."

Akaso Kaze smiled slightly; the one who spent the effort was me, okay?

"Conan, seeing your expression so bad, did something happen?" Ran asked.

Conan said: "President Yashiro has gone missing, very likely thrown into the sea, and Madam President Kijie was murdered in her room..."

"What?" Both Ran and Sonoko were shocked.

Conan looked at Akaso Kaze, and seeing his calm expression, thought to himself, he definitely knows who did it again.

But fortunately, he had already promised me to let me deduce it first, so I am absolutely in an invincible position.

Conan’s little brain began to turn rapidly, his mind operating like a supercomputer, turning all the details into clues...

*Buzz!*

On the cruise ship deck helipad, Kogoro Mouri greeted Officer Megure and his party, who had arrived by helicopter, amidst the loud sound of the propellers.

"Thank you for your hard work, Inspector Megure!"

"Brother Mouri!"

Megure brought Takagi and Shiratori off the helicopter, holding his hat so it wouldn't be blown away by the wind. Although they had received the report, they didn't know the specific details of the case.

"Where is President Yashiro?"

"So far, we don't know," Kogoro Mouri stepped forward to explain, "However, based on the current situation, it is very likely that he was thrown into the sea. We have already notified the Japan Coast Guard."

"Mr. Mouri," Takagi couldn't help but sigh, "Whether in the sky or on the sea, wherever you are, there is a murder case."

"Are you planning to take a rocket into space next time?"

"How could that be?" Uncle listened to the familiar teasing, looking embarrassed, and led everyone into the cabin.

"The time of Madam President Kijie’s murder was probably before 10:15. At that time, a suspicious person with their head covered appeared in the corridor. In addition, President Yashiro left while playing billiards with former Prime Minister Niimi and subsequently disappeared."

"Now it seems he should have gone to the boat dock, because the President’s iron fan was found at the dock, and a small amount of blood was found by the gate, though I don't know if it’s the President’s own blood."

"Good," Megure said cautiously, "The boat dock and the Yashiro father and daughter’s room—these are the two main places to investigate next. We must also keep in touch with the Coast Guard!"

"Yes!"

Conan was currently examining the Yashiro father and daughter’s room. Madam President Kijie was lying in front of the curtains, visible as soon as one entered the door.

She was wearing a bathrobe, a towel covering her head, a dagger stuck in her abdomen, blood staining the bathrobe and flowing all over the floor. Her beautiful legs, which didn't quite match her age, were exposed, and one slipper had fallen to the side.

It seemed she had been murdered just as she stepped out of the bathroom and was drying her hair.

Conan walked to the side of the corpse with his hands in his pockets, his gaze attracted by a stain near the corpse’s arm; it seemed as if a pool of blood on the wine-red carpet had been wiped away.

The position was quite strange, appearing particularly abrupt in the entire crime scene, at least in Conan’s eyes.

The ship’s conference hall was used by Megure as a temporary investigation headquarters.

After the forensics personnel finished their investigation and evidence collection under Uncle Mouri’s guidance, the person in charge of the forensics team reported to Megure: "President Yashiro’s fingerprints are concentrated near the blood-stained boat dock entrance, and the blood on the ground also matches President Yashiro’s blood type."

"It seems there’s no mistake," Kogoro Mouri said with his hands in his pockets, "Most likely the President was attacked by someone at the dock, then the gate was opened and he was pushed into the sea. I think that’s definitely it."

"The suspect seen by Detective Mouri is about 170cm tall, thin build, about the same as the murdered Madam President Kijie. At least you two have no suspicion."

Shiratori looked at the two, Tsujimoto, who were either too short or too fat, and analyzed: "If I had to say, Miss Tsujimoto would need to be 10cm taller."

"No," Uncle Mouri shook his head, "Although I didn't pay special attention, the other party shouldn't have been wearing height-increasing shoes."

"Just based on these characteristics, we don't even know if it’s a man or a woman," Takagi recorded on the side, "Mr. Mouri, is there anything else special?"

"It seems not. That trench coat covered most of the body and face. Oh right, they should have been wearing glasses too!"

"Anyone can wear glasses."

Megure looked speechlessly at Mouri, who looked like he had thought of a key clue.

Shiratori interjected, "The suspect didn't touch the deceased’s wallet or valuable items like jewelry; it should be a personal grudge."

"In addition, there are no signs of the room lock being pried open. Either the victim let the suspect in, or the suspect had a master room card."

Hearing this, Megure’s brows twitched, and he asked Naoya Misaki: "Mr. Misaki, who on the ship has a master key?"

"Quite a few people," Naoya Misaki said, "Besides me, there are the security guards, the nanny working for them, Kaho, and the cleaners who clean the rooms. Almost everyone has one."

"This is difficult," Megure’s brows squeezed together, "We can only investigate from the perspective of social relationships."

It was completely imaginable how many enemies the Yashiro Group had. In this way, the scope was huge. Screening over 600 people on the ship and investigating alibis was truly a huge project.

"In any case, Takagi," Megure gave the order, "You continue to ask the passengers for information and try to find witnesses. Mr. Misaki and Miss Tsujimoto, tell us more carefully about the crew and passengers."

At night, so as not to cause panic, the cocktail party was held as scheduled.

The lights at the party scene were extinguished, leaving only the stage lights. The delicate Tsujimoto Kaho, wearing a white uniform, appeared in front of the podium as the host.

"Everyone, welcome aboard the Aphrodite. I am the host of tonight’s party, Kaho Tsujimoto."

Facing the enthusiastic applause of the crowd, Kaho Tsujimoto smiled sweetly: "First, let me introduce the main staff members. The first is the chief waiter, Naoya Misaki..."

At the party scene, chief waiter Naoya Misaki, ship doctor Mizukubo, the head chef, and the first mate stood on the stage one after another. Finally, Captain Wataru Kaitou took the stage to speak.

"Everyone," Captain Wataru Kaitou nodded to the enthusiastically applauding passengers and said, "Before the speech, let me introduce the beauty who designed this ship. She is the designer, Miss Minako Akiyoshi."

"Captain!" A passenger looked at the distinguished-looking Minako Akiyoshi taking the stage, but didn't pay much attention, instead asking Wataru Kaitou anxiously, "Is it true that Madam President Kijie was murdered?"

"We heard that President Yashiro is also missing."

"This..."

The scene suddenly became restless, especially when they saw Captain Wataru Kaitou unable to explain, and they began to whisper and discuss. Even Megure and the others in the back were questioned.

"Can we really hold a party so leisurely now?"

"What exactly is going on?" Several fat ladies squeezed Takagi, who was sweating profusely, in the middle and asked urgently, "Aren't you police? Did you find the culprit or not?"

"Please calm down."

"Please, everyone present, calm down first,"

Kogoro Mouri stood on the podium at some point, took the microphone, and said, "Everyone, don't worry. The serial killer who committed these brutal murders has already been locked onto by me, Kogoro Mouri!"

"Ah?" Everyone’s eyes focused on Kogoro Mouri, and they quieted down, waiting for Uncle to speak.

"It’s the famous detective Kogoro Mouri."

"The murderer who killed President Kijie Yashiro and President Yashiro," Kogoro Mouri looked at the reaction below the stage with satisfaction, paused, and raised his hand to point to the person beside him, "That person is you, Minako Akiyoshi!"