The Phantom Thief of Heart! But Conan.

"It's a great shot. I feel like Sonoko has a natural talent for this."

"Really?" Suzuki Sonoko gave a triumphant gesture. "In the past, I was the one who usually took photos when we traveled."

"Well, I almost got into trouble with a man I shouldn't have because of this incident..." Looking at the camera on her chest, Mao Li Ran remembered what happened last time in Izu and couldn't help but tease.

Because Sonoko was holding a camera at the time, she was almost targeted by the hypocritical pervert Dokyo Masahiko.

If Tang Ze had not moved closer and attracted some of the hatred, Yuanzi might have faced greater danger.

I can only think of it as a consolation, because this opportunity to get to know Kyogoku Makoto is a kind of compensation...

"Hmm?" Toyama Kazuha's eyes lit up, sensing gossip. "Sounds like a very interesting story."

"Oh, Xiaolan——"

The three girls started laughing and the model, who had finally been temporarily spared, breathed a sigh of relief and put down the umbrella he had been carrying on his shoulders.

It's not tiring to hold an umbrella, but it's a bit awkward to keep posing like this...

Taking advantage of the fact that the girls were having fun taking photos and had no time to pay attention to him, Tang Ze took out his mobile phone from his pocket, walked to a corner where there were fewer people, and checked the message records.

【Shade: I have arrived at the designated location. 】

Spy: It's perfectly normal if you were me, but it's still surprising that it happened so quickly...

【Shade: My path is not ordinary after all.】

[Spy: They're all on their way to the palace, remember to pick them up.]

[Shade: Got it. However, I think there are some things I need to confirm before the operation officially begins.]

【Shade: Leader? Are you there?】

【Joker: What's going on? 】

【Shade: I think this needs to be reviewed by you and Mr. Matsuda.】

Perhaps because the place they were going to was located in the mountains, the transmission speed was a bit slow, and the photos sent by Xingchuan Hui loaded very slowly.

The dim photo that emerged from the chat interface bit by bit was really a bit scary.

【Joker: Logically I should be shocked, but considering we've seen everything, it seems there's no need to be shocked.】

【Shade: Is it really a secret treasure?】

Joker: That's for sure. But even a magician can create X-alloy...

Tang Ze was thinking about whether to call Kidd to discuss academic issues, but when he turned to the photo again, he paused.

Hmm? Wait, redemption...

Shouldn't there still be a piece of this Buddha statue in Hattori Heiji's hands?

----

"Thank you for the hard work."

Kneeling on the cushion, Hattori Heiji greeted everyone humbly, but his eyes quickly swept over the hands of the three people.

This murderer who committed countless crimes was a master of kendo and kyudo. No matter which of these skills he practiced to this level, it would be impossible for him to leave no trace.

He could wear gloves when committing crimes, but it was unlikely that he would wear them when learning and practicing, especially in archery, as wearing gloves would somewhat affect the accuracy.

In this case, if I had the chance to get closer and observe their hands one by one...

"How could that be? We're also curious about the detective's thoughts." Mizuo Harutarou, sitting at the main seat, smiled. "What happened yesterday was really shocking."

After the performance of the detective at the crime scene, several people who originally didn't take Hattori Heiji seriously now know his identity, and their attitudes have become noticeably more gentle and friendly.

Hattori Heiji is very famous as a detective, and anyone who knows a little about his background should know that his involvement in criminal cases so early on is definitely inseparable from the influence of his family.

Even if you don't respect the famous detective, you have to respect the only son of a high-ranking police officer.

"But this incident must have been premeditated by the murderer." Hattori Heiji placed the tea in front of him, not minding revealing a little about the case. "Mr. Sakura Shozo was killed in the storage room. It's obvious that he and the murderer had agreed to meet there in advance."

"I heard this from the police officers yesterday when I was questioned at the police station." Monk Longyuan nodded and sighed, "I didn't expect that Mr. Sakura Shozo was actually a member of the Genji Hotaru..."

Considering that it was this group of people who stole the precious Buddha statues from the temple, Sakura Shozo's motive for getting to know the abbot and becoming a frequent visitor to Sannoji Temple is probably very impure.

They first approached Abbot Yuanhai because they probably wanted to know if the temple had called the police and if they had found any clues...

"It's not just Sakura Masazo. There might be another person named Hotaru Genji among the people present last night." Conan reminded at the right time.

At such times, the only way is to use the murderer's brutality to intimidate those who have nothing to do with the case, so as to prevent someone from being concerned about trivial matters and concealing certain circumstances.

"But the police said they can't rule out the possibility that the murder was committed by an outsider..." Mizuo Harutarou was indeed shocked. "Are you saying that there's a member of the thieves' gang here too?"

His eyes swept over Nishijo Taiga and Ryuen who were sitting on the other side, and he felt a little panicked.

It is a bit scary to think that someone I am quite familiar with is actually a murderer who even killed someone right next to me last night.

"I'm not sure." Hattori Heiji didn't insist on saying this, lest the real culprit take action desperately. "After all, Sakuraya is a teahouse, and they need to pay attention to the privacy of their customers. There are no surveillance cameras installed, so we really can't be 100% sure that there are no intruders. In addition, this person may be a staff member of Sakuraya, or they may have sneaked in..."

As he was saying this, the sliding door towards the yard was knocked twice gently and then opened.

"Sorry, I'm being rude." A girl in a brightly colored yukata stood at the door. "Something delayed me, so I'm a little late."

Hattori Heiji and Conan looked over at the same time, blinked for half a minute, and then suddenly realized something.

"Eh? Are you Miss Chika Suzu?" Hattori Heiji pointed at her pretty face, very surprised.

It’s not surprising that Qian Heling is a beauty. Geisha makeup can cover up many physical features, but it also requires the person’s basic qualities.

If your face shape and facial features are not good-looking enough, this method of smoothing out all shadows will only make the flaws more prominent.

It is normal for a face to be able to withstand such makeup to have excellent modeling skills. What really surprised Hattori Heiji was her youth.

Without makeup, Chiha Suzu looks very youthful, and seems to be about the age of a high school student or a college freshman.

"Thank you." After thanking the monk Longyuan for the slippers, Chika Ling walked into the room from the courtyard and smiled at Hattori Heiji who asked the question, "Is it hard to recognize you after taking off your makeup? You've changed a lot, right?"

"No, it's just that I'm a little surprised. Miss Chiga is much younger than I thought..." Hattori Heiji quickly explained.

It's somewhat impolite to say that a woman is unrecognizable after removing her makeup.

"Because everyone's impression of geisha is that they are adults, right?" Chika Ling smiled and knelt down. "My situation is a little special. I grew up in Sakura-ya, and when I was old enough, I started helping my mother run the teahouse... I'm sorry for bothering you all last night. I look forward to your guidance in the future."

Although she had removed her makeup, when she sat down and started talking and laughing, the kind of charming and versatile geisha naturally emanated from her.

So when she finished saying this and bowed her head on the tatami, everyone present followed suit and returned the greeting.

"Please give me more advice."

"No, it's us who caused trouble for the teahouse..."

Conan and Hattori Heiji, who were a little slow in saluting, couldn't help but exchange glances.

No wonder she can be so popular in a place like Gion at this age. This young geisha is no ordinary person.

"I want to discuss last night's case. I think Mr. Mizuo is absolutely innocent." After listening to Hattori Heiji's question, Chika Ling held her face in her hands and recalled, "When I accompanied Mr. Mizuo to the bathroom, I stood in front of the stairs the whole time. At least the lights in the storage room were definitely not on at that time."

The body was discovered by the proprietress Chikura last night because Sakura Masazo entered the storage room looking for something and turned on the light.

The proprietress who went to the bathroom noticed the light coming through the gap of the sliding door, so she opened the door of the storage room to check and found Sakura Masazo lying on his back, dead.

"Yes, Ms. Chiga is right." Mizuo Harutarou nodded. "We told the police the truth yesterday and were released soon after."

Although the possibility that Chiga Suzu is an accomplice cannot be completely ruled out, after all, the three people present are frequent visitors to Gion and have known Chiga Suzu for a long time. It is entirely possible that they conspired in advance, but the possibility of the two of them committing the crime is indeed the lowest.

At the very least, with the murderer's skills, he doesn't need to use an accomplice to exonerate himself. This accomplice may have little to do with Genji Hotaru, so the risk will only be higher.

Hattori Heiji didn't pursue the matter, but just looked at the other two people.

Nishijo Taikawa and Ryuen's statements were similar, both saying that they didn't notice anything unusual when they went to the bathroom, and didn't even pay attention to the situation in the storage room. They were not sure whether there was someone there, or whether Sakura Masazao was alive or dead at the time.

"Excuse me, is there anyone who knows Kyudo?"

"Kyudo? I've never had any experience with it." Nishijo Taiga shook his head.

"I've learned a little bit about acting for the performance, but I can only put on airs. If I really shoot arrows, I'll miss the target." Mizuo Harutaro shook his head.

"I have used a bow in some exorcism rituals, but for safety reasons, we simply pull the bowstring. I personally don't know how to use a bow and arrow at all," Monk Long Yuan explained in detail.

"Well...where's Sister Chiga?" Conan glanced at the Band-Aid on Chiga Ling's thumb and asked an additional question.

"Eh? Am I also included in the scope of the inquiry?" Qian Heling was stunned for a moment, then quickly raised her hand generously to let them see the condition of her fingers. "I have been learning recently, but I'm just a beginner. In order to learn to play the string instrument, my fingers were all cut..."

Hattori Heiji observed her hands for a while and nodded secretly.

Qian Heling's hands were still very clean and soft, and apart from the Band-Aid, there were almost no calluses.

As a geisha working in a teahouse, her main job, besides serving tea and performing, is to play games with guests. It is normal that her hands have no marks left by her job.

"Can the prisoner also know Kyudo? I've never heard of that." Monk Long Yuan touched his chin.

"It's not definitive information, but we might have encountered the attacker before coming to Gion," Hattori Heiji said calmly. "Maybe he heard I was investigating this and was worried the detective would find out."

His words sound logical, but if you think about it a little, you can tell that he is bragging.

Just relying on a name to scare the murderer into coming directly to assassinate him is almost equivalent to praising his ability and fame in disguise, making the criminal terrified.

Nishijo Taiga, who was sitting opposite him, twitched his eyelids.

"Did he attack you with a bow and arrow?"

"Yes, we didn't find any obvious features on him, but he was very accurate with his bow and arrow. If there hadn't been a kendo expert among the people traveling with me, I might have been injured too..."

After hearing this, Conan somewhat understood Hattori Heiji's thinking.

As to why they were attacked by the murderer before they even touched upon the core of the case and had any important clues, their opinions were obviously different from what Hattori Heiji said.

Although the murderer certainly does not want his identity to be exposed and targeted by detectives, considering Hattori Heiji's age, it is normal for him to be looked down upon.

There are only a few possibilities for choosing to attack them instead of attacking the more famous Kogoro Mori, who is more likely to find the murderer. One of them is that the murderer may not be targeting Hattori Heiji's identity, but Hattori Heiji himself.

Hattori Heiji's dream did not indicate any danger, but it hinted at his relationship with the case.

——The courtyard of the temple where he met his first love eight years ago was Shanneng Temple.

Therefore, it is very likely that Hattori Heiji at that time either witnessed some information related to the case, or his actions accidentally caused some losses to the thieves' group.

Although Kogoro Mouri had indeed been invited, before the murder happened yesterday, his focus had always been on the mystery and he had no intention of getting involved in the case of the thieves' gang.

Solving the puzzle is also the murderer's need, so of course the murderer will not attack the "helper".

In this way, the reason for inviting Kogoro Mori to the social event yesterday was even more sufficient. In addition to Monk Ryuen, there must be other people present who knew the real purpose of Sannoji Temple inviting Kogoro Mori.

He came to inquire whether Kogoro Mouri had found any clues about the Buddha statue, and Sakura Masazo probably came the same way.

Therefore, the real purpose of Hattori Heiji's words is very obvious.

He was concealing his level of force and exaggerating his situation in an attempt to mislead the murderer and lure him into attacking him again.

The more you strike, the easier it is to leave traces. As long as there are one or two more chances, identifying the real culprit will not be a problem.

Next, just add another fire...

"It's because we've encountered him before that we got the key clue!" Conan said cheerfully, deliberately using a childish tone. "As long as we find the owner of that thing, we can immediately identify him. Did the police collect your fingerprints and DNA yesterday? If they did, they would be able to eliminate you as a suspect very quickly!"