Shizuka Ikenami?
No, it should be Shizuka Hattori!!
Heiji Hattori's mother!
Looking at the short-haired woman in front of him, Senichi gradually matched her with the image of a two-dimensional character in his mind.
Because this person appeared too few times, and the episodes she appeared in were also very early on, and she was just a prelude to the Mermaid Island case, without the "childhood trauma" deepening the memory, Senichi didn't recall this case for a while.
But when it comes to Shizuka Hattori, Senichi's impression is quite deep. After all, the scene where she catched a blade with a folding fan was quite impressive.
Or rather, apart from the beginning, and the ending where she catched a blade with a folding fan. The middle part of this case...
Well... Senichi can't remember the specific details of the case anymore, he just knows the general plot progression.
And since she has appeared, it probably means the case has already happened...
Damn it, it seems like the person might not be saved by the time Mouri Kogoro and the others arrive.
Thinking of this, Senichi felt a bit depressed, realizing that since the case had already occurred, he was probably doomed to not receive the reward for preventing the case.
"Sir... is there something on my face?"
Just as Senichi's expression was changing, Shizuka Hattori, who had noticed Senichi's series of expressions, asked somewhat puzzled.
"Ah, I apologize, I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Karazawa Senichi. I'm here as a guest at the Mouri Detective Agency today."
Senichi snapped back to his senses upon hearing Shizuka Hattori's words, realizing that his staring had been somewhat impolite. He quickly pulled out the only useful information from his memory and improvised, "I just suddenly thought that maybe there's a way to find Mr. Shibata."
"Are you Officer Senichi?" Shizuka Hattori was surprised to hear Senichi's introduction. "I didn't expect to meet you here. It's truly an honor."
"You're too kind," Senichi said as he slightly bowed to Shizuka Hattori and quickly returned the gesture.
"Well then, I wonder what method Mr. Senichi has in mind?" Shizuka Hattori looked at Senichi with an expectant gaze and asked.
"It's like this. Mr. Shibata must have been very talented in kendo, winning awards even at such a young age."
Senichi pointed to the boy holding a trophy in the photo and continued, "If that's the case, it's possible that up until now, he might still be participating in some kendo competitions. Of course, the uncertainty is too great, and I can't guarantee it."
"No, even so, this does indeed seem to be the most likely path without any leads at the moment." Kogoro Mouri's expression brightened. "I'm going to make a call and ask right now."
Seeing everyone's attention focused on Kogoro Mouri as he made the phone call, Senichi couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief.
He hadn't expected his change in expression to be noticed by Shizuka Hattori, but fortunately, he recalled how Conan had found clues at the beginning and used that as an excuse to smoothly pass it off.
Still not good enough at acting; I need to manage my expressions better in the future and try to avoid such situations.
Just as Senichi was silently relieved and reflecting on himself, Kogoro Mouri leveraged his connections and eventually managed to gather information about the person's whereabouts.
Mr. Shibata is now a physical education teacher at a high school in Shizuoka, and he and his wife currently reside in an apartment.
Because Mr. Shibata has never given up on kendo over the years and has participated in competitions in the Shizuoka area, achieving quite good results, Kogoro Mouri successfully obtained his address.
Given that the location was in Shizuoka, Senichi's newly purchased GT-R (R32) came in handy, and this experienced driver drove the group towards their destination.
The journey went smoothly, and apart from Kogoro Mouri's envious comments, the group encountered no issues and arrived in Shizuoka.
For Senichi, this was the first time he had the chance to fully enjoy his newly bought car, and he thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Upon reaching Mr. Shibata's doorstep and confirming the surname on the nameplate, Kogoro Mouri confidently rang the doorbell.
"Ding-dong!"
"Ding-dong!"
However, despite several consecutive rings of the doorbell, there was still no sign of any movement or response from inside the house.
"It seems like they're not home..." Kogoro Mouri commented as he held the doorbell.
"Today is a day off, so most likely the couple went out together," Ran speculated.
"Can't be helped, it looks like we'll have to come back another time," Kogoro Mouri comforted the group as they prepared to leave.
"Wait a moment... are you all looking for Mr. Shibata?" Just at that moment, a middle-aged man with severe hair loss and a small mustache called out to them.
"Yeah, what's going on?" Kogoro Mouri asked.
"In that case, please hurry up. I've actually invited him to my place for a game of mahjong later, and it's a headache with fewer players," the balding man said, passing by the group and repeatedly pressing the doorbell.
"He's probably not at home. I've pressed it many times just now," Kogoro Mouri couldn't help but speak up as he watched the man continuously ringing the doorbell.
"That's not possible. Shibata wouldn't go out. He's most likely sleeping," the balding man said, tugging at the doorknob as a test.
*Click.*
The door was nonchalantly opened by the man, and the sound of the TV from the room entered the ears of the group.
"I told you he wouldn't be out. Look, the door wasn't even locked." The balding man smiled at the group and then took off his shoes, comfortably walking inside.
Kogoro Mouri and the others followed suit, taking off their shoes and entering the room.
Upon entering the living room, Kogoro Mouri's attention was drawn to the half-eaten meal on the dining table. "Is this breakfast? Why is it only half eaten?"
"The miso soup has also gone cold..." Ran touched her bowl and remarked.
"It's a pity about this fish head. The craftsmanship is quite good, it should have tasted delicious." Shizuka Ikenami also expressed regret.
"Fish head?" Ran asked curiously. "What kind of fish is that?"
"It's a sweetfish!" Shizuka Ikenami explained with a smile.
"To leave the door and TV on and go to sleep in the bedroom, quite audacious," the middle-aged balding man commented as he glanced around the living room, realizing he didn't see Shibata and muttered to himself.
"Hey, Shibata-san, still sleeping? We're about to start soon."
The middle-aged man shouted again but received no response. He then walked towards the bedroom.
Meanwhile, Senichi had quickened his pace and bypassed the middle-aged man, heading straight for the bedroom. As soon as he entered the room, he activated his super sense of smell and detected the pervasive smell of blood in the air.
When he pinpointed the source of the blood smell and opened the bedroom door, he saw the victim lying on the ground, covered in blood, right before his eyes.
"Sure enough, he's dead," Senichi muttered, his eyes vacant as he inwardly commented, "Indeed, fate is fickle. The law of death always transcends the rules."
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