Jiangxia Tongzhi froze, then turned to look at the pier.
There stood Ran Mouri and Kazuha Toyama, waving at him.
Kazuha was dragging along a friend from Osaka, who looked like he wanted to disappear into the sea.
Jiangxia glanced at the girls, then at Hattori Heiji.
…Another event physique holder has arrived.
—
Three minutes later.
The head of the Hatamoto family stared at the two additional strangers on the boat. His face darkened like a thundercloud.
Already in a foul mood, and unable to yell at the strangers who'd forced their way on, the patriarch promptly redirected his wrath toward his own kin.
Jiangxia watched with mild interest as the old man unleashed on his son-in-law, grandson-in-law, son, and granddaughter in order...
Then, just for good measure, he also scolded his grandson, who'd been quietly painting in the corner. Only then did the patriarch finally seem satisfied.
With his hands clasped behind his back, the patriarch shuffled toward the cabin.
Before entering, he shot a look at Takeshi, who was about to follow the rest of the family:
"You. Come with me. I have something to say."
Takeshi nervously let go of Natsue's hand and trotted over to the old man. The two figures, one elderly and one twitchy, soon vanished down the corridor.
Behind them, Ichiro Hatamoto, the patriarch's grandson, held his paintbrush and stared at his canvas. His already alarming murderous aura surged to new heights.
Jiangxia, noticing the spike, instinctively reached into his pocket and grabbed his trusty baton. He was drawn to the murderous aura like a moth to a shikigami.
But before he could approach, Ichiro seemed to sense something.
He glanced around, saw no threats, then hesitated. Finally, he quietly packed up his art supplies and retreated into the cabin.
Jiangxia watched him go, disappointed.
—
The yacht was huge. The ocean view was incredible.
The only thing off was the eerie lack of crew on such a massive ship. It was as if the boat had achieved full sentience and unionized them all out of a job.
Jiangxia lounged lazily on the deck, pretending to admire the scenery while actually shifting his gaze to a ghost. The ghost obligingly floated into the cockpit to inspect this marvel of modern technology.
Meanwhile, Ran, Kazuha, and Sonoko had gone to help in the kitchen.
Joji Hatamoto—the patriarch's second son—was a famous chef who sometimes popped up on food shows. So naturally, the girls had gone to admire the star kitchen.
A short distance away, Hattori Heiji leaned on the railing and sighed dramatically at the sea.
"Went on a trip, ran into Jiangxia. Guess that's it—there's definitely gonna be a case…"
Conan, reading the sigh like subtitles, patted Hattori's calf. "Don't worry, this is just a family gathering."
Hattori only looked more depressed. "You think family murders happen less often?"
"…" Conan had to admit he had a point.
But still, he scowled. "Don't jinx it. It's probably just a normal argument. Not everyone who argues ends up—"
The two fell into heavy silence.
After a beat, Conan decided to change the subject. "So... why are you going to Mermaid Island? Don't tell me you came to pray for eternal youth?"
"Please," Hattori snorted. "Like I'd believe in that nonsense."
He pulled out a letter and handed it to Conan. "Got this."
Conan unfolded the letter. The writing was messy, like the sender had been shaking—or panicking.
It read:
[I'm going to be killed by mermaids. Please save me!]
Signed: Saori Kadowaki. A phone number followed.
"I called right away," said Hattori. "Asked her if someone was after her. She just said she 'lost the dugong arrow and the mermaid would kill her.' Begged me to save her, said she'd do anything. I told her maybe try... I don't know, seeing a psychiatrist? She hung up. Angry."
Conan: "…"
Blunt, yes. But honestly, Conan agreed with Hattori's diagnosis.
Still, he raised an eyebrow. "So then why'd you come all the way out here? To make sure she got to her doctor's appointment?"
He didn't take Hattori for the overly concerned type. If he was that enthusiastic, maybe he should drag Jiangxia in for a checkup too…
Come to think of it, has Jiangxia ever seen a doctor?
Hattori shivered.
He pulled his jacket tighter around himself and said, evasively, "She sent cash with the letter. I couldn't trace the remittance address, didn't want to keep the money, so... I had to deliver it back in person. And, well, it's a tourist island. Might as well take a trip."
—
By nightfall, everyone had returned to the cabin and gathered in the dining room.
In the kitchen, the food had mostly been prepped. With the boiling done and the stews stewing, the three girls came back to the table.
Waiting for dinner was boring, so Natsue Hatamoto took up a pen and sketched a family tree for the curious guests to kill time.
Conan and Hattori looked over the diagram and instinctively began drawing a "hatred map" in their heads.
From what they'd seen since boarding, the Hatamoto family wasn't exactly swimming in harmony. Something big was brewing. Hopefully it was just their imaginations.
Jiangxia looked too, though he didn't need the diagram. He already remembered everyone's relationships and their drama.
The patriarch had planned to announce his will at his granddaughter Natsue's wedding, leaving everything to her.
The rest of the family were either broke or fed up with him.
So yeah, the old man was basically sitting on a pile of dynamite.
But the real problem wasn't any of them—it was the grandson, Ichiro Hatamoto.
Ichiro liked Natsue. He'd begged the patriarch to let them marry. The old man refused and, in classic patriarch fashion, sneered at him.
So Ichiro went full emo rage mode. He decided to kill the patriarch and frame Natsue's fiancé, Takeshi, in the process.
—
By dinner time, everyone had gathered at the table.
Everyone except the patriarch.
The housekeeper went to fetch him.
A moment later, a terrified scream echoed down the hallway.
The classic "we found a body" scream. Every detective at the table immediately sprang to their feet and ran.
They found the old housekeeper collapsed at the door to the patriarch's room, trembling, speechless.
He pointed a shaking finger at the wide-open doorway.
Inside... was the corpse.
*Goal #1: Top 200 fanfics published within the last 31 - 90 days by POWER STONES.
Progress: 42/60(approx) for 10 BONUS CHAPTERS
Goal #2: One BONUS CHAPTER per review for the first 10 REVIEWS.
Progress:2/10*
Glossary (this chapter only):
Hatred map – A comedic way to chart inter-family grudges, used semi-seriously in mystery plots.