It seemed that the rainy season had finally arrived.
Rain fell continuously, and the air—indoors and out—was always humid.
From the window of a luxury apartment on the 23rd floor, Beika-chō was blanketed in gray beneath the persistent rain.
On the sofa in the living room:
"It was done so cleanly.""That's great.""I was right about you—you're a very talented woman, Reiko."
A flash of lightning lit the sky outside.
Boom!
The room flickered briefly with white light.
A smile formed on Hayashi Yoshiki's face as he looked toward the woman before him—kneeling on the floor, gazing up at him with delight in her eyes.
"Mr. Hayashi..."
With a dreamy, almost intoxicated expression, Reiko Shimizu's face was flushed.
She wore a black bunny costume.
The thin straps over her smooth shoulders looked like they might snap if tugged. The glossy black bodysuit hugged her curvy silhouette tightly, narrowing along her waist before disappearing into an inverted triangle of fabric that bordered on scandalous.
Her long legs shimmered under sleek, black pantyhose.
"You truly are exceptional."
Hayashi Yoshiki stroked her face gently, praising her once more.
Reiko had applied bright red lipstick today. Obediently, she leaned in and presented her face for him to admire.
"However, you still need to keep an eye on Ito Suehiko's movements."
"Yes~ Once all the properties he invested in are transferred to my name, I'll handle the rest of him..."
With a fiery glint in her eyes, Reiko tucked her hair behind her ear with delicate fingertips.
She confessed everything to Hayashi Yoshiki without hesitation.
From the way she shot Shōji Nishio and framed Suehiko Ito, to how she convinced Ito to destroy his rifle and tamper with his car—so he'd die without a trace—she spared no details.
But Suehiko Ito had survived.
Though left completely hemiplegic, he eventually disappeared from the hospital.The police had now issued a wanted notice for him.
The only thing different from the original plan was that Reiko Shimizu had wiped all traces from the rifle scope, sparing her from police suspicion or summons.
"Told you I cleaned everything up~"
She hesitated slightly. Her half-lidded, peach-like eyes shimmered with desire.
"Mr. Hayashi was so worried... He finally agreed to see me today."
"I've just been very busy lately."
Hayashi Yoshiki patted her head like one would a dog, even as his gaze remained fixed on the TV.
The news was reporting the recent wave of shootings.
Over the past two weeks, several criminal investigators had been shot dead by unknown assailants. A criminal investigation manual had been left beside each of their bodies.
Speculation ran rampant—were these acts of radical terrorism or vengeance by violent gangs? The special police investigation unit had yet to release any statements.
What intrigued Hayashi Yoshiki was that things had oddly returned to normal over the last half-month.
—Starting, it seemed, from the moment he received that wedding invitation.
He had encountered such phenomena before. Time or fate seemed to settle after certain triggers... but never for this long.
Suddenly—
"What are you doing with your hands?"
He looked down.
Reiko Shimizu had begun acting a little restless.
"...Because I've been waiting for Mr. Hayashi for so long."
"You really do love to act spoiled."
Though he said so with feigned annoyance, Hayashi Yoshiki was clearly pleased—especially at the way she trembled faintly with joy.
"But I can only give you time until around five in the afternoon."
Around 5:30 PM,Hayashi Yoshiki returned to the Beika Second Apartment to pick up Kisaki Eri, and together they headed to the Beika Sun Plaza Hotel.
It was a truly upscale venue.
He handed the car keys to the valet, then walked into the banquet hall with Eri, who looked radiant in her formal suit.
Today was the wedding celebration of Shiratori Ninzaburo'ssister, Shiratori Sara. Though it wasn't a wedding ceremony, it was a grand affair attended by many political and business elites.
"I didn't expect to receive an invitation,"Hayashi remarked.
"Why so modest?"Eri chuckled. "With your current status and reputation, it would be strange if people didn't invite you, Yoshiki."
"Is that so?"
He returned her smile.
Sara Shiratori, a promising future attorney, was a junior of Eri Kisaki—so she, too, had been invited.
They signed the guest books one after another.
The names Kogorō Mōri and Ran Mōri were already written there.Seeing this, Eri Kisaki smiled, clearly pleased, and headed off to find her daughter.
"Mom~ Donburi~!"
Ran Mōri had been waiting at the entrance. As soon as she spotted Eri, she waved enthusiastically.
"Brother Yoshiki~!" she added, smiling at Hayashi.
"How long have you been waiting?"Eri asked as she approached, her tone warm.
"Not long. I just dropped my bag at the check-in desk."
"Conan is here too,"Hayashi added, raising a hand toward the boy."Where's Uncle Mōri?"
"Dad went inside. He saw someone he knew."
Ran looked toward her mother with a hint of caution.
But Eri Kisaki was still smiling.
"Alright, let's go in together."
The four entered the bustling banquet hall.
Even with its spacious layout, the crowd made it feel a bit tight.
"Inspector Megure and the others are here too,"Conan observed, spotting the Inspector and other officers nearby.
"Ah, lots of police around. You can spot them right away,"Eri remarked with a chuckle."They've all got such stern faces."
She even noticed Kogorō Mōri, currently chatting with his former superior.
Hayashi Yoshiki studied the crowd carefully.
There were many powerful people present. If the Death Note were used to manipulate any of them, the resulting impact would be enormous.
"But the mood feels heavy—makes the whole event uncomfortable."
"It's probably the recent string of cases,"Hayashi replied with a faint smile."No one's in the mood to celebrate."