After hanging up on Sato Miwako, Fujino pinched the bridge of his nose, lost in thought.
Megure Juzo got shot with a steel arrow?
This should be the plot from The Fourteenth Target, right?
But, he remembered Megure Juzo only suffered minor injuries.
But on the phone just now, Sato Miwako said Megure Juzo's kidney got pierced by a steel arrow...
Could it be some weird butterfly effect?
Fujino couldn't figure it out.
But thinking too much wouldn't help.
Going to see would clear things up.
Putting his phone away, he quickly retrieved his motorcycle from the underground garage and hurried towards the Midori Police Hospital.
Parking the motorcycle securely and entering the hospital building, his eyes immediately fell upon a female nurse with long brownish-yellow hair sitting behind the front desk, dressed in a nurse's uniform.
"Excuse me, Nurse."
Fujino approached and asked, "Could you please tell me which room Inspector Megure from the MPD, admitted this morning, is in?"
"Inspector Megure?"
"That's right."
After confirming Megure Juzo's name, the nurse lowered her head to check the admission records.
After a moment, she handed Fujino a small booklet – the hospital's visitor log.
After Fujino signed his name, the nurse responded:
"Inspector Megure is currently receiving treatment in room 622."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
Throughout the exchange, the nurse maintained a sweet smile, appearing innocent and kind.
However, Fujino wouldn't be fooled by this appearance.
After all, this was the world of Conan.
The more innocent the girl, the more dangerous she could be.
One moment she might be flashing an innocent smile at you; the next, she could turn out to be a murderer who killed her scumbag husband or boyfriend.
Fujino walked leisurely to the door of room 622.
He glanced at the nameplate: Megure Juzo.
Confirming it was the right room, he pushed the door open.
His eyes met the sight of Megure Juzo lying in the hospital bed.
Currently, Megure Juzo was wearing a patient gown, his complexion relatively rosy, looking quite healthy – not at all like an unlucky fellow whose kidney had been pierced by a steel arrow.
"Oh! Fujino-kun! What brings you here?"
Seeing Fujino enter, Megure Juzo greeted him warmly.
Looking at the enthusiastic, plump inspector, Fujino frowned slightly.
Are you sure this is someone whose kidney got pierced by a steel arrow?
Glancing at the body Megure Juzo kept covered under the blanket, Fujino asked doubtfully, "By the way, Inspector Megure... is your kidney okay?"
"Kid... Kidney?"
Megure Juzo looked utterly confused.
"Yeah."
Fujino continued, "I heard your kidney was hit by a steel arrow, that's why I rushed over."
Hearing this, Megure Juzo paused, momentarily lost in thought.
Wasn't it just his waist that got hit by the steel arrow?
How did the story become that his kidney got hit?
He didn't understand how 'hit in the waist' became 'kidney got hit'... Who started this rumor?
And it even reached Fujino-kun's ears.
This is so embarrassing...
Thinking this, his mouth twitched, and he shot a look towards Shiratori Ninzaburo.
"Ahem."
Nearby, Shiratori Ninzaburo cleared his throat, suppressing a smile, and explained to Fujino, "The steel arrow didn't hit a vital spot. Inspector Megure's kidney wasn't injured; it's just a minor wound. He should be discharged in a few days."
"That's good."
Fujino couldn't help but sigh in relief upon hearing this.
He thought it might have been some bizarre butterfly effect.
Turns out it was just a rumor.
Knock, knock!
Just then, another knock came from the door.
Besides Fujino, Mouri Kogoro had also received the same news.
He arrived at Megure Juzo's room with Conan and Ran.
Shiratori Ninzaburo explained Megure Juzo's condition again, then began recounting the details of the investigation into the attack:
"The assailant who attacked Inspector Megure used a steel arrow fired from a handheld crossbow. Currently, the motive for attacking the inspector is unclear, but we have initiated investigations focusing on both random assault and deliberate revenge."
"Oh, and we found something strange at the crime scene."
Saying this, Shiratori Ninzaburo took an evidence bag from his pocket.
Inside the evidence bag was what looked like a Western sword made from cardboard.
"A Western sword?"
Fujino examined the abstract cardboard sword, stroking his chin.
In that case, everything fits.
This is definitely The Fourteenth Target incident...
His memory of the movie was hazy; he hadn't watched it many times in his previous life.
However, he did remember the culprit was a bartender Mouri Kogoro knew... He couldn't recall the bartender's name.
But he knew who the next victim would be.
That would be Eri Kisaki...
Megure Juzo's 'Juzo' (Thirteen) corresponds to the King of Spades (K), representing thirteen. The card depicts a king holding a Western sword.
And Eri Kisaki corresponds to the Queen of Spades (Q), as 'Kisaki' (Empress/Queen) translates to Queen.
"If right now..."
Fujino was pondering, about to say something, but was interrupted by a ringing phone.
It was Mouri Kogoro's phone.
Under Fujino's gaze, Mouri Kogoro answered the call. Before exchanging more than a couple of sentences, he exclaimed, "What did you say?! Eri's been poisoned!"
The call ended, and Mouri Kogoro's face darkened.
"How is Mom doing?!"
Ran asked anxiously from the side.
After a moment of silence, Mouri Kogoro took a deep breath and replied, "She's been taken to Touto University Hospital. The specific situation isn't clear yet."
"How could this happen..."
Ran's pupils widened slightly, her face filled with worry.
...
Soon, the group hurried to Touto University Hospital, with Shiratori Ninzaburo accompanying them.
By the time they arrived, Eri Kisaki had already received emergency treatment.
Eri Kisaki was wheeled out of the emergency room by two nurses. Lying on the gurney with her hair disheveled, her face looked somewhat pale.
One had to admit, the disheveled Eri Kisaki was quite attractive, almost T1 level like Kudo Yukiko.
No wonder there were so many 'Cao Cao thieves' in his previous life.
The doctor explained the situation, stating she needed to stay for observation for a few days, then sent Eri Kisaki to a ward.
Meanwhile, at the scene, the officer investigating the case presented key evidence: Gevaert chocolate and a white flower.
"Gevaert chocolate?!"
Mouri Kogoro, looking at the items presented by another detective, exclaimed in surprise, "This is Eri's favorite chocolate!"
"Mouri-san, let me see."
Fujino took the evidence bag from Mouri Kogoro, examining the chocolate packaging and the flower inside, his brow furrowing.
After thinking for a moment, he said gravely to the others, "If I'm not mistaken, the culprit in both these incidents is the same person."
"Fujino-kun, have you discovered some pattern?"
Hearing this, Shiratori looked at Fujino in surprise.
Fujino then explained the pattern of the culprit's attacks based on his memory.
"Meaning, the culprit is using the order of playing cards to determine the sequence of victims?"
After listening to Fujino's reasoning, Shiratori Ninzaburo nodded in agreement. "Megure Juzo's name contains thirteen, K. Eri Kisaki's 'Kisaki' corresponds to Queen, Q. The evidence left by the culprit at the scenes also matches."
"Then the next person the culprit will target should correspond to 11, which is J (Jack)..."
Mouri Kogoro, with a grim face, scratched the back of his head. He thought for a long time but couldn't come up with anyone fitting this condition. "But even so, we still don't know who that guy will target next..."
"Actually, finding them isn't too difficult. If Inspector Megure's attack was a coincidence, then Attorney Kisaki's attack was not accidental, but deliberate revenge against someone specific."
Fujino paused, then continued, "If I'm not mistaken, the culprit is likely someone Mouri-san knows... and someone who holds a grudge."
"Could it be that guy?!"
Hearing this, Mouri Kogoro's face darkened.
"That guy?"
Conan looked puzzled.
"Murakami Jou."
Just then, Shiratori Ninzaburo explained, "Murakami Jou committed murder ten years ago due to gambling and was arrested by Mr. Mouri and Inspector Megure. He was just released from prison a week ago. That's why we notified Mr. Mouri... We suspect Murakami Jou is seeking deliberate revenge."
"I don't think it's Murakami Jou. If he was just released a week ago, logically, he shouldn't have been able to prepare so thoroughly."
Fujino, knowing the culprit was the bartender, paused to organize his thoughts, then continued, "Furthermore, knowing the specific brand of chocolate Attorney Kisaki likes clearly indicates the culprit is actually an acquaintance of either Attorney Kisaki or Mouri-san."
In his memory, this Murakami Jou was definitely not the culprit.
The reason he was suspected by the police, and why Megure Juzo and Eri Kisaki were attacked, was all due to that bartender Mouri Kogoro knew deliberately misleading the evidence.
And Murakami Jou had already been murdered when he went to see Mouri Kogoro a week ago...
Meaning, Murakami Jou was just a scapegoat to divert attention.
The next victim, if Fujino remembered correctly, should be Dr. Agasa.
Although he had no deep connection with Dr. Agasa, and there was no reward involved, intervening wasn't strictly necessary.
But since the man just gave him two million yen the other day, not helping out didn't feel right.
Thinking this, Fujino spoke up, "Although we can't confirm the culprit's identity, we can predict the next victim. As mentioned before, the culprit is attacking in descending order from thirteen. Therefore, the next target's name should relate to eleven."
"But that's still too broad."
Mouri-san looked troubled, thought for a moment, then suddenly said seriously, "Someone with eleven in their name... hard to think of someone off the top of my head... Could it be Ms. Matsushita Juichiko from the cabaret club?"
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