Ghost Detectives in the Detective World

Page 166

Dry……

Matsuda's expression also turned ugly.

He understood what Megure meant.

The Liberal Democratic Party is currently the ruling party in Japan. Tsujimura, a diplomat and a member of the Liberal Democratic Party,

If his past actions of framing his colleague were exposed by the media...

This will undoubtedly become an excuse for the opposition to attack the Liberal Democratic Party.

In present-day Japan, the economy has come to a standstill due to the collapse of the real estate bubble.

The current ruling party, the Liberal Democratic Party, is already facing numerous problems.

If, at this time, a high-ranking member of their party is embroiled in a scandal,

This will obviously be a big blow to the Liberal Democratic Party.

The root of all this is that diplomat Tsujimura is dead.

The Liberal Democrats will naturally direct their hatred toward the person who exposed the scandal.

Matsuda's goal is to become the pinnacle of the Japanese police force, the Superintendent General of Police. Naturally, he can't afford to offend the ruling party now.

"In any case, thankfully this case was solved by Shinichi Kudo,"

Megure watched with a sly smile as the high school detective argued with Ran nearby.

"This kid is extremely famous in society. Neither the ruling party nor the opposition party would easily offend someone like him for the sake of votes..."

"It's perfect for using as a scapegoat in this case." Matsuda clapped his hands lightly.

The two old foxes, one old and one young, couldn't help but exchange a knowing smile.

Having figured all this out, Matsuda prepared to leave first, as Megure had instructed.

Unexpectedly, Xiaolan suddenly screamed.

"Shinichi! What's wrong?"

Matsuda looked in the direction of the sound and saw Shinichi Kudo clutching his stomach in pain, his body curled up on the ground.

Is it going to revert back?

Matsuda's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly stepped forward, grabbed Kudo's arm, and ran outside.

Once outside the courtyard, he shoved Shinichi Kudo into the back seat and immediately started the police car.

Ran, a step too late, saw the police car and shouted, "Officer Matsuda!"

"Don't worry! I'll take this kid to the hospital!"

Matsuda leaned out the window and waved, then glanced at Shinichi Kudo, whose physique was beginning to change, in the back seat through the rearview mirror, and chuckled softly.

"Kid, you owe me another favor."

The only response he received was a muffled groan of pain from Shinichi Kudo.

On the moving police car, high school detective Shinichi Kudo gradually reverts to being that little devil of death.

……

In the Tsujimura family's yard, Ran watched the police car drive away with worry.

Beside her was Hattori, who had followed her out.

“Strange…” The dark-skinned detective’s eyes sharpened.

"What's wrong? Is there any problem?"

Ran, who was standing nearby, thought Hattori was talking about Shinichi Kudo, and hurriedly asked him.

“Then, Ran,” Hattori Heiji asked, “don’t you think we’re missing someone here?”

"One person is missing?" Xiaolan was taken aback.

“There were five of us when we arrived at the Tsujimura house, but now, one of us is missing,” Hattori Heiji pointed out.

"Officer Matsuda, Hattori, Dad, it's me..."

Xiaolan counted on her fingers for a moment, and finally realized what it meant.

"By the way, Conan wasn't feeling well earlier, so Officer Matsuda took him to his room to rest."

As the girl spoke, she hurriedly made her way back into the house to check on Conan's condition.

“No need to go,” Hattori stopped her. “I’ve already checked, and that brat isn’t in the house.”

“That brat used to love wandering around crime scenes,” Hattori Heiji said in a deep voice. “Even if he wasn’t feeling well, given his personality, as long as he could stand up, he shouldn’t have missed any cases.”

“Besides him, Shinichi Kudo is also suspicious,” Heiji Hattori said slowly. “He appeared at the crime scene suddenly, yet he seems to know a great deal about the entire incident, as if…”

"Like what?"

Ran seemed to remember something, and stared at Hattori Heiji with a slightly dazed expression.

"It's as if he's always..."

Before Hattori could finish speaking, Kogoro Mori, who had been standing in the background for a while, suddenly interrupted.

"What's so strange about that? Conan has always been in contact with Shinichi Kudo, hasn't he? Maybe he told that brat about the details of the case over the phone during his break."

"Is that right?"

Hearing her father's explanation, Xiaolan breathed a sigh of relief, and a thought that had just surfaced in her mind gradually dissipated.

"But what about that brat? How do you explain his sudden disappearance?"

Hattori snorted.

"There's no explanation for that. Officer Matsuda must have put him in the police car beforehand, and he just happened to be taken to the hospital with Kudo."

Mori gave him a look of utter disdain, as if to say, "How can you be so clueless about something so simple?"

"In any case, the case is closed, and we should head back!"

"Damn it, the commission fee is gone again."

Mori scratched his head, grumbling as he walked out of the yard.

"Ever since that brat Conan came to our house, I feel like my bad luck has increased."

"Now the money for pachinko and horse racing is gone again, not to mention Yoko's concert..."

"Dad, what does this have to do with Conan?!"

Xiao Lan complained.

Just as she was about to leave with Mori, she noticed Hattori Heiji still standing there.

"Hattori, the case is solved. Aren't you leaving?"

Chapter 205 Companions

"You guys go first,"

Hattori waved his hand, a strange smile playing on his lips.

"I need to confirm something with Officer Matsuda."

"That's it,"

Ran didn't suspect anything. She remembered that Officer Matsuda had been summoned to the Mori Detective Agency by Hattori earlier that day.

At that moment, Hattori seemed to want to say something to Matsuda.

"Oh right, I also need to go find Inspector Matsuda to check on Shinichi and Conan's situation. Shall we go together?" Ran clapped her hands and suggested.

She originally wanted Mori to take her to Matsuda, but seeing Mori still muttering complaints in the distance, the girl had to give up the idea.

"Okay," Hattori nodded casually, but then said something that left Ran somewhat puzzled.

"However, I think you're going to be disappointed again."

"What disappointment?" Xiaolan asked, puzzled.

Hattori did not answer and walked straight out.

……

In the hospital ward, Matsuda's phone rang. When he answered, it was Hattori Heiji calling.

Matsuda gave the address of the hospital.

After hanging up the phone, he looked at Conan on the hospital bed, who was receiving an IV drip due to a cold.

"Hattori and Ran will be here soon."

"Ah."

Conan was still a bit dazed because of his fever, so he just nodded to indicate that he understood.

“Kid, Hattori just said on the phone that he needs to confirm some things with me,” Matsuda raised an eyebrow. “Your transformation today probably can’t be kept from him.”

"...I hope we won't be exposed," Conan said hoarsely, sounding embarrassed.

"Won't be exposed?" Matsuda sneered. "Do you think you left many loopholes in the case just now? Don't forget, your original clothes are still in the Tsujimura family's bedroom."

The clothes mentioned here refer to Conan's children's outfit that was torn during his transformation.

To avoid Shinichi Kudo transforming in public, Matsuda left in such a hurry that he forgot to take the children's clothes with him.

"What do we do now?" Conan panicked.

“Let’s wait until Hattori arrives,” Matsuda said with a helpless expression. “If he doesn’t find out, everything will be fine. If he does find out, you can decide for yourself.”

"I'll decide for myself?" Conan paused, seemingly confused.

“Kid, don’t carry everything on your own shoulders,” Matsuda admonished. “One person’s capacity to bear burdens is ultimately limited. Sometimes, having more like-minded partners is a good thing.”

“…Partner.” Conan lowered his head and fell silent.

Having personally experienced the terror of the Black Organization, he rarely revealed his ordeal to others.

So far, the only people who know about his situation are Professor Agasa, Conan's parents, and Matsuda.