第534話: 新しい傷と笛吹き男

534

The next day, a TV show features the case with this serial killer, which is three days away of being definitely closed. A popular criminal psychologist named Douji Hiramune is one of the guests and he arrogantly challenges the serial killer to reveal himself, even daring him to come kill him if he wishes so. Hiramune happens to live in the same apartment complex as Ayumi, where the Detective Boys are staying over since she's home alone. Haibara and Ai go for food and drinks, and when they return she reveals to Conan that she saw a mysterious man whistling Let It Be which is the serial killer's trademark. Conan immediately contacts Takagi, Chiba and Sato and tells them that the killer is around. He then tells the others to stay put and runs out of the Yoshida apartment, finds Hiramune's flat and sees the door is open. He steps in and finds Hiramune murdered, with the letter "Z" slashed into his back and his throat slashed... exactly like all but one of the serial killer's victims, who died either 20 (three of them) or 15 (the last one) years ago. (The victim who wasn't stabbed, Matsumoto's best friend/Megure's mentor Morimura, was ran over by the killer's car during the first days of the murder investigation, bleeding to death in Matsumoto's arms. Additionally, Matsumoto later confronted the suspect they were chasing after and got slashed across his eye, gaining his trademark scar.) The police department arrive and are confused as the letter they were expecting was "N" as the previous victims had the letters "E", "S", "W" and were thought to be cardinal direction. Conan and the police notice Hiramune's left hand was on his keyboard on the keys "Ctrl" and "C" and his right hand holding the wire of his mouse. Takagi and the Detective Boys decide to accompany him and his interrogation of the victim's relatives: Boukawa's widow, Mugita's younger brother, and Nabei's son. Conan than realizes the victims share one thing in connection, Mahjong. It's confirmed that 20 years ago, all the victims save for Morimura attended a popular Mahjong parlor on a regular basis. (source: detectiveconanworld)