Volume 88
| ‹ Volume 87 | List of Chapters • List of Cases | Volume 89 › |
| Volume 88 | |||
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| Release date: | December 18, 2015[1] | ||
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| Chapters: | 927-937 | ||
| ISBN: | ISBN 978-4-09-126540-1 | ||
| Publisher: | Shogakukan | ||
| English release date: | October 10, 2023[citation needed] | ||
| English Publisher: | Viz Media | ||
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Volume 88 was released on December 18, 2015.
Contents
Cast
Gadgets
Chapters
A Secret of the Big Couple
File 927 - Illusion in the Back Room
People
A Killer in Ramen Ogura
File 928 - The Strange Customers of the Ramen Restaurant
Ran, Sonoko, Sera and Conan head to Ramen Ogura for dinner upon the recommendation of Sera, who is a return customer of the restaurant. Since the staff there has not changed, they know Conan as well; Sera asks him why, which prompts Conan to mention that he went there with Kogoro once and was involved in a murder case. After serving the ramen to the four customers, the owner, Katsumasa Ogura, asks Sera (whom he calls “真梨”, or “Mari”, instead of “真純”, or “Masumi”) whether she wants a take-away of fried rice and dumplings as usual. Sera says “sure”, and explains that that will be her breakfast, but Conan does not believe her, and says that perhaps it is for a certain person (i.e. “the little sister from outside the domain”) hiding in her hotel room. Sera easily fends off this question by claiming that the person she is hiding is her boyfriend, disappointing Conan and causing Ran and Sonoko to shout “Whaaat?” in shock. Sera then clarifies that she is just joking.
There are three other customers in the restaurant: Yuna Shono, Sosuke Mizushina and Osamu Nakanishi. Shono, who is sitting beside Conan, asks him and the girls to pass her the bottle of vinegar in front of them, as hers is empty. Mizushina has a similar request, but he wants soy sauce; and Nakanishi asks Ogura for more pepper. They soon get the seasonings, and all three start pouring unbelievable amounts of them into their dishes, slightly surprising Conan. After finishing quickly, the three customers leave at the same time, making Conan wonder whether they know each other. The waitress, Sayo Ohashi, replies that they do not, and asks whether Conan finds them suspicious as well. Conan does not know what she is referring to, so Ohashi and Ogura explain that several days ago, a while after those three people entered to dine, the police arrived and declared them to be suspects of a murder case. They add that although they are allowed to move around freely and no longer face questioning, the police still doubt them, as evidenced by the fact that two officers stop by the restaurant every day to ask Ohashi and Ogura about them.
This day is no exception. Before long, two officers storm into the restaurant, and ask loudly and in a serious manner if any of the three suspects has acted like they got richer. Ohashi answers that they have behaved normally, and Ran interrupts the conversation as she realizes that the officers in question are just Yumi Miyamoto and Naeko Miike. According to them, several days ago, when they were patrolling the surrounding area, they saw a suspicious figure swinging a hose on the front porch of a house. Upon seeing the police car, that person started running away, which prompted Yumi to chase and enter the alley that the person had gone into and Naeko to drive to the other end of the alley for interception. During Yumi’s chase, the person threw the hose (it was two meter long) at her and made her trip, and by the time she got up, the person was gone. And since Naeko did not see anyone passing by her, the two officers determined that the person must have entered the only business on the alley open at the time - Ramen Ogura. They entered and found Shono, Mizushina and Nakanishi inside. Meanwhile, Sato and Takagi went to the house in front of which the figure was spotted, and found its owner (who was a hostess) dead, her body lying on the stairs before the door. The inside of the house was in a very messy state, because of which Sato and Takagi deduced that the owner, while returning home after work, saw a robber coming out of her house and was killed in the subsequent struggle with the robber.
At this point, Ogura comments that Yumi has always been careless. Ran and Sonoko are surprised that even Yumi is Ogura’s acquaintance; Ogura explains that she used to come to his restaurant with her boyfriend Shukichi Haneda. Yumi insists that the correct term is “ex-boyfriend”; she complains that she was expecting a closer relationship with Haneda after the kiss (see the second case in Volume 85), but in reality, nothing changed and Haneda was always busy when she asked him out. But it is clear that Yumi still cares about him: she recounts that Haneda likes ramen a lot, has stubble and is very intelligent. Sera says that her second brother is so as well, and adds that he has an excellent memory and is quite handsome, so if he were to dress well he would be popular. Yumi thinks that Sera’s descriptions fit Haneda completely, and adds that for example, a glimpse would be enough for Haneda to remember a phone number. Then, at the same time, the two say that the person they are talking about likes saying “I am skillful at memorizing things. I am the best in Japan, no… maybe the best in the world.” As they finish this sentence and find themselves looking at each other in silence, Yumi notices that she has gone off topic. So she brings it back by saying that Naeko and she initially thought that the hose was the murder weapon, as there was some residue of duct tape on one end of it (this would have allowed the killer to attach something heavy to the hose). However, since there is no evidence of blood on the hose, they had to rule out this possibility.
File 929 - The Culprit Who Swings the Hose!?
“If the victim was not bludgeoned to death, then how did she die?” ask Sera and Conan. Yumi and Naeko answer that it is likely that during the struggle, the robber pushed the victim, causing the back of her head to hit the stairs leading to her door. Sera raises the possibility that the victim accidentally fell and killed herself while trying to avoid being hit by the heavy object that the robber had attached to the hose. Yumi dismisses Sera’s conjecture, saying that the victim had shoes on, so she definitely was returning home at the time. Then, as soon as they saw each other, the robber and the to-be victim would start a confrontation, leaving the robber with no time to make a weapon (and obviously the robber would not bother to make a weapon before the victim’s return, when nobody was in the house). Sera therefore concludes that the murderer did not stick the duct tape onto the hose until after the murder.
But this raises an interesting question: what thing that can be achieved by swinging a hose is more important than escaping? Sonoko and Ran suggest that the murderer used the hose to signal a nearby associate, but this theory is quickly rejected; Yumi argues that if it were true, the murderer would not have used something belonging to the robbed household for signalling. Conan reasons that if swinging the hose was more important than escaping, and yet the murderer had to use the one from the robbed household, it must mean that using the hose was not in the murderer’s original plan. In other words, something unexpected happened during the robbery, and the murderer was forced to use the hose.
Sera and Conan then ask whether the police searched the suspects’ belongings. Yumi answers in affirmative, and gives a detailed list of what each of the suspects was carrying that night. None of the suspects had duct tape or gloves (which are very important to a robber because they allow fingerprints to not be left), which is because the murderer threw the duct tape at Yumi as well, and the gloves somehow found their way into the drainage system. By the time the police were able to retrieve them, the gloves were so badly contaminated that it was impossible to know who had worn them.
The next issue that Sera and Conan are interested in is the relationship between the victim and the three suspects. They learn that all the suspects knew the victim (whose name is finally revealed: Atsuko Tonda) and (likely) her working schedule, for Shono and Tonda were once co-workers, Nakanishi frequents the place where Tonda worked and seemed to prefer her over other hostesses, and Mizushina works in the convenience shop across the street from Tonda’s house. Ogura also contributes to the conversation: he mentions that there was once when the victim and the three suspects were at his restaurant at the same time. It was not exactly a happy moment, as Tonda was showing off the expensive earrings that a client had gifted her, mocking the other three customers for not being able to afford them, and throwing insults at them (to give a sense of how harsh and egregious the insults were, she called Mizhushina a “creepy, disgusting loser” in his face). In short, all of them seem to have a good motive to kill her and take away her earrings.
Yumi blasts Ogura for never having revealed this to the police, and Ogura defends himself by claiming that he was not able to recall the incident until now. Ogura continues to say that there is another thing that he forgot to mention: that on the day Tonda was murdered Haneda also had dinner at the restaurant, leaving one minute before the three suspects’ arrival. Yumi confirms Ogura’s account by admitting that she met him during the chase (the reason she has been keeping quiet about this is that Yumi does not want Haneda to be dragged into a case where his role was negligible). Concretely, Haneda helped her up after the trip and told her that he had not seen the murderer’s face, and Yumi told him that he was in a dangerous spot and left him to keep chasing. Additionally, Yumi promised to give Haneda details of the murder afterwards, but has not yet done so to this day. Conan thus encourages her to call Haneda, and Yumi agrees; Sera also takes out her phone, saying that since her second brother frequents Ramen Ogura as well, perhaps he knows something about the three suspects. Yumi’s call is picked up first, but before she is able to finish describing the situation to Haneda, he tells her to wait, because “someone else is calling”. At this moment Sera’s call is picked up, but before she can say anything, her brother tells her that he is on a call with a very important person, and hangs up. This leaves Sera annoyed, and Yumi now has Haneda’s attention again. She asks whether he noticed anything as the murderer ran past him, and Haneda replies that he heard the murderer make a strange noise as he (or she) ran. Upon hearing this, Sera and Conan rush into the restaurant’s restroom and pull off the cover of the flush toilet’s water tank. There appears to be something shiny at the bottom of the tank, and for Sera and Conan this seems to be the last piece that they need to complete the puzzle that is this murder case.
File 930 - Excessive Seasoning
People
Major events
- Yumi's boyfriend Shukichi is the brother of Masumi, although they don't realize the connection.
- Conan finds a handkerchief that Sera left behind with the name "Mary" in English on it. He suspects this could be the name of the Unknown child.
Zombie Movie Murder Case
File 931 - Zombie Blade
One night, Kogoro, Ran, and Conan are watching a zombie movie Kogoro rented a zombie movie staring Yoko Okino, called "Zombie Blade". The next morning, Kogoro takes them on a pilgrimage drive to the rental villa that was used for that same movie. As Kogoro photographs the outside of the villa, Heiji and Kazuha unexpectedly appear. They tell the trio that there was a couple who also came to this villa on a pilgrimage, and after a while they drove off. They accidentally ram over something that flew in front of them; Kazuha describes that "something" to be a rotten zombie with a broken neck and tattered clothes. Heiji and Kazuha learned about this incident from Goro Otaki who was a friend of the couple.
As they were talking, the staff that filmed the movie Kogoro, Ran, and Conan watched last night arrive at the same villa to film the trailer for its sequel. Kogoro is shocked to learn that Yoko can not be in the sequel due to her agency turing down the role. Ria Kawabata will play the role of Yoko's character's cousin who inherits the Zombie Blade. The Producer, Takashi Harawaki, reveals that he has planned out the subtitle of the movie and has it sealed in an envelope. Everyone begins to head inside when Kogoro begins to act strangely, asking for a toilet. He reveals that he unknowingly bit a poisonous mushroom called Omphalotus Japonicus. The five of them had no choice but to borrow a room in the villa for Kogoro to rest in. Ran and Kazuha decide to quietly watch the filming. At one point it is decided to break for dinner since the only scenes left to film were night scenes. During the break, the staff wondered where Takashi is, so Conan and Heiji went to search for him. In a roo m, they find his dead body, holding a cell phone that is still recording.
File 932 - Funeral Procession of the Departed
Conan and Heiji tell everyone that Takashi died from potassium cyanide poisoning about 30 minutes to an hour ago. Heiji reveals that he is a detective and that the victim's cell phone had recorded the whole incident showing the victim taking the poison. They hook up the phone to a tv monitor and watch the incident. After drinking the poison the victim falls back word and reaches for the phone and knocks it face down. 50 minutes later you can hear Heiji's voice as he entered the room. Conan's voice is also recorded and the way he speaks reminds Ran of Shinichi's voice. Heiji covers for him by saying that Conan was just imitating him.
A creepy note on the victim's phone announces that he took his own life in order to beckon the dead back to life in a "funeral procession of the departed", which is also the subtitle of the movie written inside the sealed envelope. The note in the phone was addressed to Joji Naito who is the deceased younger brother of the current director Tetsuo Naito. Joji was the president of a film club that the remaining cast and crew had been a part of in the past. 8 years ago, the crew was stayed in this house to film a movie, however Joji wanted to change the theme and ending of the movie. To prove his point he prepared a trick where he vanished from a sealed room. After searching for him with no success the crew left for several days. When they returned they found him starved and dehydrated to death propped up against the bed.
During the story it was revealed that Takashi was the only one who could drive out of the crew. With Heiji's bike almost out of gas and Kogoro still on bed rest, there was no one who could go drive to get the police. While Ran ans Kazuha are standing in the hallway, suddenly Kogoro appears behind them looking like a zombie. He tried to tell them that the house is now surrounded by real zombies, but they tell him he must be seeing things due to fever. However, the window behind Ran has a zombie peering in.
File 933 - Man-Eating Zombies
They take Kogoro back to bed for rest despite his claims and discuss what they have learned of the current case. After a while they open a window to prove to Kogoro that he is just seeing things but they actually see zombies and freak out. The zombies soon find a way in and Heiji begins herding people up to the second floor. Conan grabs a stage light for defense and begins to swing it when suddenly Heiji appears with the Zombie Blade. After taking out a few more, Heiji swings high and cuts off a zombies head! However the zombie kept moving!
When they head up stairs they find Ran and Kazuha standing outside a room saying that Kyoko is bleeding from the neck and is unresponsive. Inside the room, the rest of the cast was gathered around her, but it was too late, she was already dead. Across from her dead body, propped up in a chair was her cell phone, still recording. It shows her running into the room as if she were being chased. Behind her was a zombified version of Takashi who is shown biting in to her neck and then walking toward the camera. Conan and Heiji quickly run back to the room where his body was, but it has disappeared and in its place was a bloody cutter knife!
File 934 - The Whereabouts of the Corpse
Heiji reveals that Kyoko's neck was not actually bitten the way it shows on the video, the scar on her neck shows that she was actually cut. He is convinced that there must be some trick with the phone and opens a window to ask the zombies whether or not they saw anyone enter or exit the house. No one had entered or left, which meant that the body had to have been hidden somewhere inside that room. Orie reveals that it was the same room that Joji had disappeared from 8 years ago. Back then Ria and Kyoko were the first to find the body. Masahachi brings up that there was also a trolley cart that went missing around the same time.
Just then, Ran walks into the room to say that the zombies had called the police. In bursts demon hunter Inspector Yamamura, who immediately pulls out a set of rosary beads to fend off the zombie hordes. Conan and Heiji review the evidence collected this far only to have Yamammura convinced that Takashi really did turn into a zombie. Masahachi says that the footage from the movie 8 years ago may be on Takashi's tablet, and Heiji retrieves it from the dresser. Orie pulls out her phone and shows Conan what their group looked like 8 years ago. Conan notices that Kyoko's shirt had the letter E on it. Kazuha commented on a toilet paper roll that had gone missing earlier, had mysteriously reappeared. As Yamamura investigates the dresser in the corner of the room, his rosary breaks and beads that fell in to the top open drawer mysteriously roll out the bottom drawer. Conan and Heiji think to themselves that they know who the killer is.
File 935 - The Darkest Place is Under the Candlesticks
People
Girls Band Murder Case
Characters introduced
File 936 - Girls Band
After watching a Girls Band movie, Sonoko goes to the Poirot Cafe to try to convince Ran and Masumi to create a band with her. With Sonoko on drums, Ran on keyboard, Masumi on base and Azusa on gitar, she expects them to be able to perform at the Beika festival at the end of the year. However when asked to perform by several men in the cafe, she fails miserably, only to be saved by Rei who plays really well. Rei is then invited to join in place of Azusa and they all head to a sound studio to record. Throughout several conversations, Masumi mentions that she was taught how to play the base by a friend of her oldest brother. Rei accidentally let slip that he knew that the friend was a guy, despite the fact that he and Masumi were not supposed to have met until today.
Their conversation is interrupted by a group of people sitting close by. Someka Kibune was yelling at her fellow band mates about them being out of practice despite them having a show coming up in a week, which is a memorial show in honor of Akane Shuto. Hagie Yamaji decides to go into the studio room to nap for 10 minutes as a break before they continue to practice. During this time, Rei asks who do the vocals and they come to the conclusion that none of them can sing. Masumi asks is Ran could call Shinichi because "he can play the guitar as well, right?", but Ran points out that he is tone deaf but can play the violin. Its then that they hear a scream and run down to find Hagie sitting at her drum set, dead from strangulation, surrounded by her band mates. They go to the security office to watch the camera footage and discover that the screen was blocked out by another member's cellphone on a selfie stick.
File 937 - The Disappeared Clue
The police arrive and Megure inquires who set up the selfie stick. Tadako Fuekawa had set up the stick, but only on instructions from the others. The set up was taking too long so Hagie had ordered them to leave it where it was. Takagi points out that one side of the room is mirrored and that the curtain over it was pulled. However the band mates point out that the curtain was also Hagie's doing. They decide to review the security tapes again while getting the alibis of the suspects. All three suspects had entered the room. Tadako was first, she entered the room to get her sewing kit to fix Someka's jacket. To do so, she sat on a stool right at the edge where the cellphone covered the footage. She tried to wake Hagie by calling out to her, but she got no response. Next was Someka, who was trying to restring her guitar. She then walked off camera to tune her guitar next to the Hagie in order to wake her up to resume practice, but was unsuccessful. The final person to enter the room was Rumi, She moved the keyboards away from where Hagie was sleeping and played the keyboards to change the notes. Even though she sang, Hagie never woke up. All three of the suspects were searched and the weapon is no where to be found.
Masumi sees a guitar case and a memory is sparked. She remembers seeing her brother, Shuichi Akai, on a train platform 4 years ago with a friend. They were both carrying guitar cases. She had followed them until Shuichi noticed. He then left to buy her a ticket and send her home. During that time, the friend pulled out his guitar and taught Masumi a few notes. She notes that even though he was carrying a soft case, it remained standing after the guitar was removed. Conan thinks to himself that it may have had a sniper rifle inside. A third person had walked up to them with a hat down over his face and refereed to the friend as "Scotch". When Masumi says that Rei looks like the person who was wearing the hat, he dodges the question.
The three suspects point out that they had altercations with members of other bands, and that it is possible that one of them may have been the killer. They also explain how Akane died, in a car accident via a crushed throat. Conan asks to see the video recorded by the cellphone from before the murder. It had been filming vertically because it was stylish and so it would not show their legs. Rei and Masumi lean in to get a better look, and they realize how the trick was done.
People
Major events
- Sera officially meets Amuro for the first time and is suspicious of him, thinking she has met him before.
- Sera recalls when Scotch teaches her guitar, and Amuro briefly meets them there (she does not officially meet him, though).
- Scotch was an undercover MPD Public Safety officer who was killed by Akai. Conan confirms that Akai Shuichi is Sera's eldest brother. Also, Sera knows that Akai is FBI.
Cover in other countries
References
See also
| Volumes of the Manga | ||
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| Volume 1 • 2 • 3 • 4 • 5 • 6 • 7 • 8 • 9 • 10 • 11 • 12 • 13 • 14 • 15 • 16 • 17 • 18 • 19 • 20 • 21 • 22 • 23 • 24 • 25 • 26 • 27 • 28 • 29 • 30 • 31 • 32 • 33 • 34 • 35 • 36 • 37 • 38 • 39 • 40 • 41 • 42 • 43 • 44 • 45 • 46 • 47 • 48 • 49 • 50 • 51 • 52 • 53 • 54 • 55 • 56 • 57 • 58 • 59 • 60 • 61 • 62 • 63 • 64 • 65 • 66 • 67 • 68 • 69 • 70 • 71 • 72 • 73 • 74 • 75 • 76 • 77 • 78 • 79 • 80 • 81 • 82 • 83 • 84 • 85 • 86 • 87 • 88 • 89 • 90 • 91 • 92 • 93 • 94 • 95 • 96 • 97 • 98 • 99 • 100 • 101 • 102 • 103 • 104 • 105 • 106 • 107 |
