"You must be talking about that cold attitude, right?"
"I mean, they're a loving married couple. Normally, they'd definitely say something to warn us."
Fujino pops open a can. "Not only did he not warn us, he even looked back. There's definitely something fishy going on there."
Ran agrees with Fujino's analysis. "That's what I thought too. It felt a bit strange, but Sonoko didn't believe me at all..."
Sonoko is startled when she hears this. "Really?"
"I saw it too!"
Conan says in a child's voice, with a slight hint of teasing. "Sonoko-neechan, you were chatting so excitedly with Ms. Chie, you didn't notice a thing!"
"Hahaha... Well, we were really hitting it off."
Sonoko sheepishly scratches her head, giving Conan a resentful look with dead fish eyes.
She feels like the more she looks at this brat, the more annoying he gets, just like that annoying detective...
But then, she changes her mind and asks seriously and doubtfully, "But why would he act like that...? I mean, they looked like such an affectionate couple."
"Even with loving couples, you can never really be sure what they're like behind closed doors."
Conan recalls the previous case where the car exploded right in front of them, the one about wanting to swap wives, and says in a low voice.
However, there's a long silence, and Conan starts to feel something is off.
He looks up and sees the three of them, six eyes in total, staring at him curiously, like they're watching a wild animal.
Conan: "..."
Oh no, my cover's blown again!
Obviously, those weren't the words of a sloppy elementary school kid, which is what he usually pretends to be.
Realizing this, Conan quickly reverts back to his usual self, using examples to explain away his unusual behavior. "Mouri Ojisan always says things like that, and that case we had last time was just like that too."
"Dad..."
Ran's eyes narrow slightly when she hears this, the corner of her eye twitching.
She clearly and innocently believes Conan's explanation.
It must be because her dad, that big drunk, said something bad about her mom when he was drunk, and Conan overheard it and repeated it like a parrot.
"Haha..."
Fujino looks at Ran, who is about to explode, and can't help but feel a cold sweat for Mouri Ojisan.
Mouri Ojisan is in danger!
Hopefully, Mouri Ojisan can survive tonight.
Ran's memory is like a fish's, she'll probably forget in a couple of days.
Hmm, but when she remembers again, she'll definitely give him another beating.
"But, you don't think so, do you?"
Sonoko feels a bit helpless. What's gotten into everyone around here?
Why are they all starting to act like that idiot detective?
This makes it really hard for the timid but bold Young Lady Sonoko to keep up, you know?
"I think Conan might have a point too."
Ran has made up her mind now, calming herself down. She says, "In that case, why don't we all go visit Ms. Chie's house together tomorrow!"
Conan looks at Ran, who is planning to take the initiative, feeling a bit surprised.
At the same time, he feels that this matter isn't simple.
Tomorrow he can also follow along and see what's really fishy about the Yoshino family.
Fujino also agrees to Ran's decision.
He also feels that this matter is a bit fishy.
...
That night.
"Dad, did you say something weird to Conan again after drinking?!"
"Nani?! Which time are you talking about...?"
"The doctor clearly told you to drink less, and you're still drinking so much!"
"Ran! Ran! Let me explain... Ah!"
Fujino leans on the balcony of his bedroom, listening to the shouts echoing from the Mouri house across the street, the corner of his mouth twitching slightly.
The Mouri family has quite the fighting spirit...
This hasn't just been happening for a day or two.
Only Mouri-san could handle this. If it were anyone else, they'd probably be in the hospital after being beaten up by Ran.
"That kid Conan is causing a lot of trouble," Fujino sighs silently to himself. Taking advantage of the night, he turns to look at his system character interface, thinking about the matter of Chie Yoshino from earlier today.
\[Detective Occupation Mission: The Design of a Murder Case]
\[Mission Objective: Find the method that will be used to kill Chie Yoshino, and the culprit who is plotting to kill Chie Yoshino.]
\[Mission Reward: One million Japanese Yen, fifty points of Detective Reputation]
Just after returning from the swimming pool, he triggered a system mission.
Based on the hints given by the system mission, Fujino feels that Chie Yoshino's unconsciousness is definitely not as simple as it seems.
His objective this time is to find the method that will be used to kill Chie Yoshino, and to find the culprit who planned it.
The current main suspect is Akio Yoshino.
Based on his suspicious behavior during the day, Fujino thinks he's the biggest suspect.
But sticking to the principle of not talking nonsense without evidence...
Fiction isn't fabrication, and adaptation isn't random compilation.
This matter can't be concluded too early...
Some things will have to wait until more information is gathered tomorrow.
...
The next day, it's still a holiday.
Early in the morning, after making a phone call and confirming that they were home, Fujino drives Ran, Sonoko, and the God of Death to the Yoshino house.
The Yoshino house is located in a prosperous neighborhood in Beika Town. It's still within the Tokyo area, not too far from Beika itself.
"Ran-san!"
Chie Yoshino, who had already received the news, is waiting at the door, wearing a purple short-sleeved top with a cinched waist and a pink apron-style long skirt, greeting them.
"Ms. Chie."
Ran smiles gently, responding politely, "We're so sorry to bother you on your day off. We must be a trouble."
"Not at all! I should be the one apologizing for bothering you. After all, I almost hit you yesterday."
Chie Yoshino also smiles and waves her hand, subtly giving off the aura of a married woman. "Oh, since you've come from so far, you must be thirsty and tired. Please come in first, I'll go prepare some juice..."
The Yoshino house has a very large plot of land. Besides the split-level two-story Western-style house, there's also a garden next to it, filled with various flowers and trees, giving it a feeling of a cozy botanical garden.
"It's really beautiful!"
Sonoko and Ran can't help but exclaim, "Ms. Chie, your house is decorated really nicely!"
"Thank you for the compliment!"
Chie Yoshino is mixing juice in the open-plan kitchen in the living room. "To be honest, this house was actually newly built a month and a half ago. The decoration style is the latest, so it really is decorated very well."
"Ah, I see..."
Ran looks at the brand new furniture around her, walks back to the sofa, and sits down. "No wonder I thought all this furniture looked so new."
"So this is truly a new home, then."
Sonoko follows behind, also looking around. "It's really nice, a new house and all..."
"But even though the house is beautiful, there's still a 40 million yen loan to repay."
Chie Yoshino brings the juice from the kitchen to the coffee table. "The pressure is quite significant."
"This house costs 40 million yen?" Fujino also looks around when he hears this.
Is this house made of gold or silver?
Based on his financial capabilities, he could probably only build about five or six houses like this at most.
Furthermore, he doesn't know if that 40 million yen is the total value or just the loan amount.
He just feels it's much more expensive than his own small house.
Thinking about it, that makes sense. Since it's a loan, a large portion of it is taken by the bank.
However, since this is Tokyo, that's pretty standard.
"Yes, it's definitely a significant amount."
Chie says, placing the juice on the coffee table, a hint of happy smile on her face. "But if my husband and I work hard together, we should be able to repay this loan in ten years."
\[Latest novel first released on liu9shu8!]
"You two are really working hard."
Fujino nods, showing understanding for the office workers burdened by housing loans.
Housing prices in the Tokyo area are like those in major cities elsewhere – every inch of land is precious. Although it's a bit expensive, it's not hopeless. Ordinary people can save money and work hard for ten or twenty years, and it's still possible to build a home here.
But the ideal is grand, and reality is harsh. The annual income of most people is also difficult to reach five or six million yen.
No money, but have time?
Then take out a 30-year loan.
Wait until your son grows up to repay the debt together...
I have to say, those wicked banks and real estate developers are overdrafting the future of young people.
Bringing his thoughts back, Fujino places the kraft paper bag next to the coffee table. "Oh, Ms. Chie, this is the prescription for the Chinese medicine I mentioned yesterday. You probably asked me to buy a dose over the phone just now."
"Yes, since I don't understand it, I had to trouble Fujino-san for help."
Chie nods slightly. "How much do these herbs cost? I'll go get the money..."
"Don't worry about it. These medicines aren't expensive."
Fujino waves his hand. "It's quite a bother visiting your home today, so just consider it a small gift."
"That's really kind of you, Fujino-san."
Chie Yoshino smiles. "It's only our second meeting, and you're already helping with prescriptions and buying herbs."
"Oh, Ms. Chie, I'm a little curious."
Ran suddenly asks at this moment, "Speaking of which, why do you travel so far, going to Shizuoka for work in the morning and coming back in the evening?"
"To be honest, it's all because of the loan."
Chie doesn't hide anything from Ran's curiosity. "Honestly, I used to teach at a floral art school in the city, but recently, through my husband's friend's introduction, I found that school in Shizuoka. The main reason is that the salary is much higher than before."
Ran hesitates, "Then Ms. Chie, aren't you very tired? Driving so far every day."
Sonoko also nods. "If you took the train, you could sleep on the way."
"Actually, I quite like driving. It's not far from here to the highway, and I usually need to carry some teaching materials and luggage, so driving is more convenient."
A gentle smile appears on Chie Yoshino's lips. "And my husband is already working very hard to support the family. If I don't work harder, all the pressure will be on him. I always need to share some of the burden."
"Oh, speaking of which, have you bought insurance?"
However, she pauses mid-sentence, then covers her mouth and laughs awkwardly, saying sheepishly, "Oh, I'm so sorry. Actually, it's like this, because my husband is an employee at an insurance company... To help him get some business, I often help promote it, and it just slipped out."
"Ah, I see..."
Sonoko smiles. "Ms. Chie, you really are a supportive wife."
Fujino also nods in agreement.
He had seen people selling insurance in his previous life.
They wouldn't leave your house unless you bought insurance, which was very annoying.
But for such a sensible and family-oriented wife...
To be honest, it's quite enviable.
"Hehe, it's nothing."
Chie Yoshino clearly takes Sonoko's compliment to heart. "But if I only talked the talk without walking the walk, it wouldn't be very convincing. I just took out a 100 million yen accidental insurance policy a while ago."
"One... one hundred million yen?!"
Ran and Sonoko are both shocked.
Conan's eyes also narrow, realizing something is wrong.
Fujino, meanwhile, rubs his chin, feeling like this could be solid evidence.
The suspect is basically confirmed, so the method of the crime...
Vaguely, a flash of inspiration suddenly strikes Fujino's mind, and he has already grasped the truth of the matter.
Damn it, that little brat from Beika, he wants to kill his wife for the insurance money...
You can only say it's worthy of the talented and spiritual land of Beika City.
Before, there was a pervert who swapped wives, murdered, and claimed insurance, and now there's a breaking bad who kills his wife for insurance money.
Isn't an honest, virtuous, and beautiful wife good enough?
Why bother doing something that will land you in jail...
Fujino can't help but complain inwardly.
"Actually, my husband asked me to do it. Anyway, paying for the insurance doesn't waste much money; when the term is up, the insurance company will refund the money."
Chie doesn't pay too much attention to their surprise, merely explaining, "Since the agent is my husband, if I can help him get some business, it's naturally a foolproof deal."
"Yeah!"
Sonoko nods. "You're just like a model wife, like a Yamato Nadeshiko."
"Hehe."
Chie Yoshino smiles. "You noticed."
"Speaking of which, Chie-neechan!"
Conan suddenly asks childishly, "When did your headaches start?"
"It probably started about a month ago..."
Chie Yoshino thinks for a moment, resting her chin. "That's when I just transferred to the school in Shizuoka, so I remember it clearly."
"A month ago?"
Conan thinks about this when he hears it.
If it started a month ago, then that would be half a month after this house was built.
Thinking of this, he guesses, "Could it be something called sick house syndrome?"
Ran thinks about this when she hears it. "Ah, sick house syndrome..."
"What's that?"
Sonoko seems a bit naturally slow, thinking with her chin in her hand. "Shi-ku-ha-tsu... is that some kind of code?" (Misunderstanding 'sick house' as sounding similar to Japanese words like 'four苦八苦')
"I mean sick house syndrome!"
Conan gives Sonoko a speechless look. "It's a symptom that causes discomfort to the body when a house is built. Sonoko-neechan, you haven't heard of it?"
Fujino quietly adds from the side, "Actually, it's just formaldehyde exceeding the limit."
"Ah, so it's formaldehyde exceeding the limit... I've heard of that, more or less..."
Sonoko is speechless for a moment, looking at Conan. "You brat, if you mean formaldehyde exceeding the limit, just say formaldehyde exceeding the limit! Why use those foreign words?"
"But I don't think that's the case."
Chie listens silently to their guesses, explaining, "The construction company that helped us build this house is one my husband knows. He specifically told them not to use any materials that would cause physical discomfort."
"But that doesn't mean..."
Ran wants to say something more, but Fujino interrupts. "I also think it's probably not about formaldehyde. If it were formaldehyde poisoning, it should be detectable at the hospital, and even if someone was overly sensitive, it shouldn't logically only affect Ms. Chie."
(End of this chapter)