Conan: No, why aren't you following the script?

As an adult, Kitagawa Isao admitted that his alcohol tolerance was indeed not very good.

He had been avoiding accepting Kogoro Mouri's invitations, partly because he was afraid of being forced to drink too much alcohol by the guy.

In particular, he heard some interesting information from the conversation between Shinichi Takeda and Robert and others.

It's worth noting that three years ago, Robert claimed that he got lost and accidentally encountered a mudslide, which led to him being rescued by Misa Takeda.

Why would a foreigner like him, instead of documenting so many uniquely Japanese tourist spots, come to the desolate countryside of Tottori Prefecture to photograph rural scenery?

If you're really interested, why not go to Kyoto or Osaka to document the people, or to Hokkaido or Akita Prefecture to document the scenery?

These places are not only scenic, but also have very comprehensive security measures. How can they be as dangerous as the deep mountains of Tottori Prefecture?

Moreover, even locals rarely wander into these deep mountains, for fear of encountering a lost brown bear or two...

By then, no one will be there to collect his body.

Kitagawa Isao naturally did not believe that Robert's trip was truly spontaneous; that his so-called appreciation of the scenery and recording of nature's beauty was merely an excuse.

His real purpose in coming to the Takeda family in Tottori Prefecture three years ago was to contact Takeda Shinichi, a major drug lord hiding deep in the mountains!

Yes, the reason why Shinichi Takeda was so certain that the case was the work of a family thief was because he suspected that someone in his family disliked him and wanted to kill him in order to control the drug trafficking center in Tottori Prefecture, which was actually named after puppets.

The reason he didn't report the murder was because he was worried that the police would discover his drug trafficking operation, which is why he contacted Kogoro Mouri and Isao Kitagawa.

However, in front of Hattori Heiji, the son of the Osaka Prefectural Police Chief, he dared not reveal these things in detail, so he used vague language in an attempt to cover it up.

In Shinichi Takeda's view, whether the murder case can be solved is a minor matter; if the police discover his shady dealings, then he will really suffer a huge loss.

These days, it's hard to find a three-legged toad, but there are plenty of two-legged middlemen helping with sales.

So, upon learning of Akio Negishi's death, Shinichi Takeda immediately contacted Robert, with whom he was preparing for further negotiations, hoping the foreigner could introduce him to a new batch of buyers. Only then did he contact Kogoro Mouri, considering how to expose the mole within his family who coveted his position.

In Shinichi Takeda's view, if Robert could reach an agreement with him three years ago, he would certainly be able to offer him a price three years later.

Although the bond between them—Misa Takeda—was dead, she wasn't his biological daughter, but rather an illegitimate child born from his wife's affair with his younger brother. Shinichi Takeda didn't care about this at all.

He thought someone like Robert would never care about a country girl with depression and a disfigured forehead, but...

It's clear that Shinichi Takeda was wrong.

Robert is not only a natural-born womanizer, but the forces he represents have also long coveted the drug market and resources of Tottori Prefecture.

He was able to avenge his lover while also completing the task assigned by his superiors.

This was exactly what Robert had been dreaming of, which is why, after killing Akio Negishi, he returned to the Takeda family home, pretending that he wanted to discuss things further with Shinichi Takeda.

In reality, what Robert truly wanted was Shinichi Takeda's life...

Thinking of this, Kitagawa Isao couldn't help but sigh softly.

There's no doubt something big will happen at the Takeda family by dinner time, and if he's drunk then, how will he have the energy to participate?

Moreover, he also needs to investigate the forces behind Robert. Under these circumstances, he must be extremely careful. How could he let himself get distracted by drinking?

Yes, he had perfectly good reasons, and it wasn't because of Ai Haibara's warning look!

Kitagawa Isao was absolutely certain of this...

……

Soon it was evening, and under the care of Ryuji Takeda's wife, Yoko Takeda, a grand banquet was held in the Takeda family's dining room.

Since Kitagawa Isao hadn't been drinking, Takeda Shinichi and Takeda Yuzo found it difficult to be polite with him, so they could only awkwardly offer him a toast from afar to express their hospitality.

Kitagawa Isao, however, paid no attention to this. He was focused on serving food to Ai Haibara and did not care about the dying man at all.

Now, all he could see was Ai Haibara, who was carefully eating fish beside him...

"Ai, which dish do you like? I'll get it for you."

"No need... I can pick it up myself. Kitagawa-kun, you should just focus on eating your food."

"Oh, it's alright. You'd have to stand up to pick up the food, wouldn't that be too much trouble?"

"I said, no need..." Ai Haibara raised her eyes, "And can you please stop treating me like a child?"

"But aren't you just a child...?"

Haibara Ai:"……"

For a fleeting moment, she really wanted to drug this annoying guy and shut him up forever.

"Oh my, Mr. Kitagawa, it seems you and Ms. Haibara have a very good relationship. Are you two siblings?"

At this moment, Robert suddenly leaned over. He was already slightly drunk, his face was flushed, and there were even some tears sliding down his cheeks.

Upon seeing this uninvited guest, Kitagawa Isao thought for a moment and was about to reply when he saw Robert pick up the bottle again and take a swig.

"Honestly, Japanese sake is still so easy to get drunk on. I think I've really had too much to drink. When I saw you and Ms. Haibara just now, it felt like I was seeing Misa... I'm so sorry."

Ok?

Upon hearing this, Ai Haibara, who had been eavesdropping silently, suddenly perked up her ears.

Did her behavior just now really cause a misunderstanding?

But Kitagawa-san doesn't seem to care, and hasn't she been like this all along?

They might bicker occasionally while eating, but they still care about each other as usual.

Logically speaking, this should be a perfectly normal thing, right? Isn't that how siblings usually get along? Why would Robert have this misunderstanding...?

After much thought, Ai Haibara still felt that perhaps Robert was unable to withstand the blow and that's why he was having fantasies.

In short, it's definitely not a problem with my own condition...

Yes, that's absolutely right!

Meanwhile, while Ai Haibara was still lost in thought, Robert sighed, looked at the open window not far away, and said softly:

"Speaking of which, Misa and I once saw such a beautiful moon, but now... sigh, Mr. Yuzo, I'm planning to visit Misa's grave later. I wonder if it would be convenient for me to borrow your car?"