As Senichi walked towards the interior of the shrine, he was stopped before he could get close to the building.
"Please halt, no idlers are allowed in here," a shrine priest responsible for the festival stopped Senichi.
Senichi had anticipated this and flashed his police badge, saying, "I have something to discuss with Elder Mikoto."
"Well..."
The shrine priest hesitated upon seeing the police badge Senichi presented. Senichi naturally understood the reason for their hesitation and spoke up, "Rest assured, I'm not here to cause trouble. I just have something very important to discuss with Elder Mikoto."
After a brief moment of hesitation, the shrine priest nodded and said, "Please wait..."
Not long after, Kimie Shimabukuro came out instead of Elder Mikoto.
"Senichi-san?" Kimie Shimabukuro looked surprised upon seeing Senichi and asked, "Are you the Officer looking for my grandmother?"
"Yes," Senichi nodded.
"I'm sorry, my grandmother is quite old and has already gone back to rest. I'm afraid there's no way she can see you. If you have something to discuss, you can tell me instead" Kimie Shimabukuro apologized.
"Haha, is it because of lack of energy or because it's not possible?" Senichi said with a meaningful tone.
As soon as these words were spoken, it was like a startling thunder, causing Kimie Shimabukuro's expression to drastically change.
However, quickly, she composed herself and forced a calm smile, saying, "What are you talking about?"
"Well then, I'll just say it plainly." Senichi took a couple of steps forward, looked down at Kimie Shimabukuro and said, "Elder Mikoto is none other than Miss Shimabukuro."
"Thud, thud!"
Faced with her biggest secret being exposed, Kimie Shimabukuro couldn't maintain her composure anymore. In the face of the immense pressure brought by Senichi's proximity, she instinctively took two steps back on the wooden floor.
Before Kimie Shimabukuro could say anything, Senichi spoke again, "Judging by your reaction, it seems I'm right. Elder Mikoto is just a disguise of Miss Shimabukuro, isn't she?"
"Why do you say that?" Kimie Shimabukuro stared at Senichi and asked.
Senichi smiled and said, "While your disguise skills are quite high, there are still some flaws. My sense of smell is quite acute, and the scent on Elder Mikoto's body when she appeared was the same as that on Miss Shimabukuro's. That raised my suspicion.
And coincidentally, I've had several encounters with Kaito Kid, the Phantom Thief, so I've gained some insights into seeing through disguises. Your disguise skills might be quite high, but it's obviously not on par with Kaito Kid."
"So, why did you come to me?"
Upon hearing Senichi's words, Kimie Shimabukuro realized that her impersonation of Elder Mikoto was now undeniable and calmed down, saying, "It can't be that you came specifically to expose my disguise as Elder Mikoto, right?"
"Of course not." Senichi smiled and said, "I came to find Miss Saori Kadowaki."
"About that, didn't I say that I would take you to her house after the festival?" Kimie Shimabukuro asked in confusion.
"I'm afraid that by that time, Miss Saori Kadowaki would indeed have no chance of survival," Senichi chuckled.
"What do you mean!?" Kimie Shimabukuro questioned, though a hint of panic in her tone was noticed by Senichi.
"Three years ago, the charred remains found in the warehouse, the one burnt in the fire, those were your mother's, weren't they?
She probably did something similar to what you did, disguising herself as Elder Mikoto and tying her legs, which is why her remains looked so strange."
As if under a time freezing spell, when this revelation slowly escaped Senichi's lips, although Kimie Shimabukuro didn't show any outward disturbance, her thoughts were a tangled mess, making it impossible for her to pay attention to the world around her.
And her behavior at the moment was like that of a puppet in Senichi's eyes, standing still without any reaction to the outside world.
One could imagine how huge the impact of this revelation was on Kimie Shimabukuro.
She could never have expected that this man before her would so casually reveal this immense secret!
While Senichi wasn't aware of the tumultuous storm raging within Kimie Shimabukuro, he did have a rough understanding of the impact she was facing.
After all, he could wave his hand in front of her face without her blinking; the extent of the shock was evident.
However, regardless of the shock, Senichi immediately snapped Kimie Shimabukuro out of her daze. He still had to communicate with her properly; and what's the matter with this "intracranial war" all the time.
"Judging by your current reaction, it seems I don't even need to say it. I'm sure your mother also impersonated Elder Mikoto in a similar way back then."
Senichi gazed at Kimie Shimabukuro, whose eyes were gradually brightening with realization. Ignoring her curious stare, he continued his deduction, "In fact, before I came to Mermaid Island, I had asked a friend in the police to investigate the mysterious cases that occurred on your island.
From my experience, cases involving such mysteries, the strange distress letter sent by Miss Saori Kadowaki might be connected to it in some way.
After all, compared to the bustling cities, this island appears quite isolated. There's very little population movement, which implies that if there are any grudges or conflicts, they are likely to persist."
Upon hearing Senichi's words, Kimie Shimabukuro's facial expression changed repeatedly. She then responded coldly, "Even if it's true that my mother disguised herself as my grandmother and died in the warehouse, it's an ugly part of our island's history.
But how does that have anything to do with you looking for Saori? Does exposing others' scars give you even the slightest help in finding someone?"
Upon hearing this counterattack, Senichi couldn't help but want to applaud. This questioning was indeed sharp, as searching for someone had absolutely no connection to pointing out someone's past scars.
When someone knows a bit less about the situation, they can easily be silenced by such questioning. Once that happens, the next step is often met with a cold shoulder and stubborn refusal to cooperate.
However, facing Kimie Shimabukuro's counterattack, Senichi remained composed. After all, this was one of the memorable scenes in the Conan storyline that left a strong impression on him. With the advantage of information on his side, there was no way he'd get stuck here.
"Well, well, well, calm down. I'll explain your questions slowly."
Senichi gestured calmly with a smile, using his hands to signal for Kimie Shimabukuro to be quiet. He looked at her meaningfully and said, "You mentioned that a few days ago, you accompanied Saori Kadowaki to the dentist."
At his words, Kimie Shimabukuro's pupils contracted dramatically, followed by her unfriendly tone, "And what does that have to do with our previous conversation? Besides, I separated from Saori after the dental appointment."
"Separated? Did Saori Kadowaki not beg you to help her obtain another "Dugong Arrow"? At the very least, she must have asked for your help to deal with her problem, right?"
Senichi looked at Kimie Shimabukuro with a half-smile, half-serious expression and asked, "But this contradicts what I've learned about Saori Kadowaki from my information gathering on the island.
After all, she has an unwavering and fanatical belief in Elder Mikoto. Otherwise, losing the "Dugong Arrow" wouldn't have terrified her enough to call us for help."
"Isn't that right, Miss Shimabukuro?"
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