A Request from the Criminal / Heiji Hattori: I Haven't Even Made a Move Yet, So Why Did the Criminal Turn Herself In? ...

But the key was that by the time he found any clues, Jiang Hang might have already solved the problem!

After an intense internal struggle, Conan decided that temporarily giving in was still acceptable.

Then Jiang Hang beat him up again.

"There's no feeling in the way you said it at all, and it sounds really disgusting."

You were the one who told me to call you big brother, and now you're saying it's disgusting? Who's the truly disgusting one here?!

After getting beaten up again, Conan grumbled indignantly to himself.

After beating Conan up, Jiang Hang's expression turned serious as well.

"Let me ask you something. Of course, this is only a hypothetical."

"If someone killed the husband she had lived with for decades, what do you think her motive would be?"

Chapter 89: A Request from the Criminal

Conan was startled by Jiang Hang's "hypothetical."

He had only suspected that something might have happened between Ikemura Kimie and Katsuragi Sachiko, but who would have thought Jiang Hang had discovered something even more shocking!

He stared wide-eyed at Jiang Hang. "What? Mrs. Ikemura wants to kill her own husband?"

"I already said it's just a hypothetical." Jiang Hang glanced at the overreacting Conan, signaling for him not to speak so loudly. "This won't happen anymore. What matters now is dealing with what comes afterward."

From Jiang Hang's words, Conan quickly understood that Jiang Hang had probably known all along that Mrs. Ikemura intended to kill her husband.

Although he had no idea how Jiang Hang had discovered it, since Jiang Hang said it would no longer happen and Diplomat Ikemura Isao was still alive and well... could it be that Mrs. Ikemura had originally planned to kill her husband in the study, then use the detectives present to establish an alibi?

Conan had only failed to identify the problem before. Now that he knew it, he instantly figured out the likely method she had intended to use.

"I thought you'd discovered some connection between Mrs. Ikemura and Katsuragi Sachiko... I never expected you'd found this instead..." Conan muttered, seemingly upset that he had completely pursued the wrong lead.

Jiang Hang's eyebrow twitched when he heard Conan's words.

He knew Conan was not someone who spoke carelessly. If Conan thought there was a connection between those two women, perhaps there really was something there.

Jiang Hang had originally planned to send Conan back immediately, but after hearing Conan's suspicions, he asked how Conan had noticed it.

Conan briefly explained his reasoning.

"But now that I think about it, Mrs. Ikemura was probably just impatient with Miss Sachiko because she had something on her mind..."

As Conan said this, he effectively dismissed his own speculation before looking at Jiang Hang again.

"Anyway, how are you going to handle this? Don't you usually call the police whenever something like this happens?"

"Can you really treat every situation the same way? I'll figure out her motive first. Just leave this to me, and hurry back to your sister Ran!"

After sending Conan back to the living room, Jiang Hang headed toward the room where Ikemura Kimie was.

It seemed that she really had given up on killing her husband. Otherwise, while Jiang Hang had been talking with Conan, she would have had a second chance.

Of course, Jiang Hang had been watching her with Eagle Vision the entire time. He only spoke with Conan for so long after seeing that she had no intention of acting.

Ikemura Kimie was currently sitting quietly in seiza in the tearoom.

When she saw Jiang Hang enter, she gave him a slight nod, indicating that he should sit down.

"I thought the plan I prepared was flawless. It seems I truly underestimated you..."

"Tell me about yourself. I asked the butler just now. Though you remarried into this family back then, and Ikemura Takayoshi is the son Ikemura Isao had with his former wife, you've still spent twenty years together. Why would you think of doing something like this?"

Ikemura Kimie sighed, then began telling Jiang Hang her story.

Jiang Hang quickly understood the grudges and tangled emotions that had spanned twenty years.

Twenty years ago, Ikemura Kimie's former husband had also been a diplomat. He had been framed and imprisoned through despicable means by Ikemura Isao, who had been his rival, yet she knew nothing about it.

Later, after her life suddenly fell into ruin, she was deceived by Ikemura Isao's sweet words and remarried him, remaining with him until now.

After so many years, she had nearly forgotten about her former husband. Yet not long ago, through an accident, she learned of the despicable methods Ikemura Isao had used back then. But her former husband had already died unjustly in prison fifteen years ago.

After telling Jiang Hang her motive for murder, Ikemura Kimie seemed to let out a breath of relief.

But Jiang Hang felt that she was hiding something.

He had no proof. It was simply that Advanced Disguise made him feel as though she had deliberately concealed certain things.

"Is that everything?" Jiang Hang asked as he looked at her.

Ikemura Kimie nodded.

"Yes, Detective. I've told you everything..."

But Jiang Hang did not believe her. After Conan had mentioned Katsuragi Sachiko to him, a suspicion had taken root in his mind.

Now, he voiced that suspicion.

"Then I have one last question. Why do you and Katsuragi Sachiko... look so alike?"

He had actually noticed it earlier. Ikemura Kimie was already fifty this year, yet through Eagle Vision, the contours of her face and certain details around her eyes and brows were nearly identical to Katsuragi Sachiko's.

But there were simply too many people in Conan's world who looked alike. If Conan had not proactively pointed out something suspicious, Jiang Hang might not have connected the two women.

Sure enough, Ikemura Kimie's entire body trembled when Jiang Hang asked this.

The way she looked at him even became somewhat fearful.

"I never expected you to see through even that. You truly deserve the title of 'Eagle Eye Detective' that Detective Mouri gave you. I had originally wanted to keep this secret forever..."

"Yes, Katsuragi Sachiko is my daughter. She was born to my former husband and me. After my divorce from him back then, she was taken away by relatives from his side of the family. I haven't seen her again in these twenty years... I didn't even know she had changed her name to Katsuragi Sachiko."

"Even the reason I learned the truth about the past was because Ikemura Isao strongly opposed Katsuragi Sachiko marrying into the Ikemura family. I felt something was wrong, and only learned it from him after repeatedly questioning him." Ikemura Kimie's expression became somewhat agitated.

"I wasn't a good wife, nor was I a good mother... But I know that my daughter and Takayoshi truly love each other. The grudges of our generation should not affect their future."

"But I also knew that Ikemura Isao would never allow the two of them to be together... He was afraid that his ugly deeds from back then would be exposed and cost him his position as a diplomat." Ikemura Kimie spoke slowly. "So from that moment on, I began thinking of killing him. In the end, though, you stopped me."

"After doing this, I can no longer remain in the Ikemura family... So I will turn myself in to the police. But I hope you can keep this secret for me. I don't want Sachiko to know that her mother is this kind of person."

After saying that, she gave Jiang Hang a deep bow, indicating that she had nothing left to hide.

Chapter 90: Heiji Hattori: I Haven't Even Made a Move Yet, So Why Did the Criminal Turn Herself In?

Ikemura Kimie ultimately chose to turn herself in.

She had probably formed that intention the moment Jiang Hang stopped her.

But honestly, even the police had a hard time handling a confession like this.

You say you want to turn yourself in?

Fine. Then tell us, what crime did you commit?

You wanted to kill your own husband, but gave up after someone stopped you, so now you came to turn yourself in?

In a situation like this, most police officers would probably treat it as a joke. Some might even advise you to communicate more with your husband if your relationship had problems. If he had a tendency toward domestic violence, the police would also investigate and mediate accordingly.

It was only after Ikemura Kimie said that she had purchased potassium cyanide and had already intended to carry out the murder before being stopped that the police realized the situation might not be as simple as they had thought.

Then, while Kogoro Mouri and the others relaxed in the living room with afternoon tea as they waited for dinner, Takagi Wataru arrived with a group of officers to investigate.

Perhaps because no murder had actually taken place, and because the "murderer" had turned herself in, Inspector Megure did not come. Takagi Wataru himself looked utterly confused when he arrived, as though he had no idea what was going on with this supposed "murderer."

However, when he saw both Kogoro Mouri and Jiang Hang inside this grand, luxurious villa, Takagi Wataru immediately realized there had to be more to it.

The combination of Jiang Hang and Kogoro Mouri had not appeared since the Art Museum Incident.

These two detectives had caused quite a stir in Tokyo over the past month. One was the "Eagle Eye Detective," the other "Sleeping Kogoro," and nearly half the cases handled by their Criminal Investigation Division had involved one or both of them.

If the two kept up this pace, they might soon be known together as the "Twin Detective Stars of Beika City."

Now that the two of them had joined forces again, it would be stranger if nothing had happened.

As for Kogoro Mouri, he was somewhat puzzled when he saw Takagi Wataru arrive with a group of police officers.

"Officer Takagi, what's going on?" Kogoro Mouri asked in confusion.

"Detective Mouri." Takagi Wataru greeted Kogoro Mouri, then briefly explained that the police had received a call from someone turning herself in.

Then, under the astonished gazes of Kogoro Mouri and Heiji Hattori beside him, Takagi Wataru took Ikemura Kimie away to record her statement and collect evidence.

"What's going on here..." Kogoro Mouri was stunned, and even Heiji Hattori, who called himself a great detective, was dumbfounded.

He had thought Kogoro Mouri's recent performances might have something to do with Shinichi Kudo, so he had come along to see whether he could find clues about Shinichi Kudo through Kogoro Mouri.

Yet after drinking afternoon tea here for half an hour, a criminal suddenly wanted to turn herself in?

At first, he instinctively suspected that this was some trap designed in advance by a murderer. He had even prepared to reveal his identity as Osaka's great detective, head to the crime scene, search for clues, and uncover the truth hidden beneath the surface.

But in the end, the answer he received from the police was that no one had actually been harmed from beginning to end. The criminal who had originally intended to act had suddenly given up on murder because someone stopped her, then voluntarily turned herself in?

What kind of situation was this supposed to be?

Heiji Hattori was shocked. Since becoming a detective, he had never encountered anything so bizarre.

According to the standard detective formula, shouldn't there first be a murder, then he, the detective, would call the police and gather clues at the scene? Then, after the police arrived, they would stand beside him and watch him show off his skills, until he solved the mystery, identified the culprit, and had them arrested?

For the first time in his life, Heiji Hattori questioned the value of his own existence.

Who am I? Where am I? Why has the criminal turned herself in before this great detective even got a chance to act?

Watching Heiji Hattori question his entire life at the side, Conan gave a dismissive snort.

What an inexperienced guy. Once you got used to Jiang Hang's style, you'd get used to all the unbelievable things he did.

However, while looking down on Heiji Hattori, Conan forgot that he himself had not been much better not long ago.

While Heiji Hattori was busy questioning his existence, Conan ran over to Jiang Hang and asked him a question.

"Just as expected of your style. What was her motive?"

"Love, and years of deception." Jiang Hang only said that much, leaving Conan to fill in the rest himself. He had promised Ikemura Kimie to keep her secret, so it was better to let the matter stay buried inside him.

Then he corrected Conan. "I didn't call the police. She turned herself in."

Conan did not understand why Jiang Hang was specifically emphasizing that point. To him, there seemed to be no difference between the two.

"There's a huge difference. The former requires me to make a choice, while the latter is her own choice." Jiang Hang looked at Conan. "I've always hated multiple-choice questions, so most of the time, I choose the option that saves the most trouble. Though exceptions do come up occasionally."

Jiang Hang did not say what he would have chosen if the choice had been his, because the current outcome was already the best possible result.

Conan somewhat understood what Jiang Hang meant. Looking at Ikemura Kimie, who was giving her statement, he said, "This really is best for her. Attempted crime and voluntary surrender, and the circumstances aren't particularly serious. Even if it goes to court and she's sentenced, she won't have to stay in prison for long."

"Besides, her husband is a diplomat. For the sake of his reputation, he'll probably take the initiative to suppress this matter." As Conan said this, if Ikemura Isao, the "victim," was unwilling to make a big issue of it, the police might not even file it as a criminal case. They could treat it as a civil matter instead, perhaps detaining Ikemura Kimie for a few days at most before releasing her.

Of course, once this matter was over, divorce and other disputes would no longer be anything for detectives like them to worry about.

Yet Jiang Hang shook his head at Conan's words.

"No. Ikemura Kimie chose to turn herself in precisely because she wanted to make this matter public. This is her 'final revenge' against Ikemura Isao."

"A diplomat's wife developing murderous intent toward her husband is the biggest scandal, regardless of whether the diplomat himself did anything wrong. As long as Diplomat Ikemura Isao's rivals aren't idiots, they'll definitely seize this chance to kick him while he's down."

"I wonder how Diplomat Ikemura Isao will feel when he wakes from his sweet dream and discovers that his household has suffered such a massive upheaval. Perhaps losing his current position would be even more despairing to him than death."

Thinking of that, Jiang Hang could not help but smile. He looked at Conan. "But there's one thing I can be sure of. Your future father-in-law lost a job because of me today, and he doesn't even get to mooch dinner. He'll definitely give me a brutal scolding after he gets home."

Chapter 91: If You Can't Fill in the Blanks, What Kind of Great Detective Are You?

Conan's face turned red as he once again denied that Kogoro Mouri was his future father-in-law, so Jiang Hang stuffed him directly into Ran's arms again.

At the very least, there was not the slightest reluctance visible on Conan's face when Jiang Hang did that.

After dealing with Conan, Jiang Hang sensed the unfriendly gaze coming from Kogoro Mouri and gave him a somewhat awkward smile.

But Kogoro Mouri was not really a problem. As someone who understood priorities, although he did not seem to have a very good attitude right now, and might later grumble to his daughter and Conan that Jiang Hang had been "unfair," he would not truly take it to heart. The next time Jiang Hang visited, all he needed to do was bring a bottle of liquor, and Kogoro Mouri would probably be calling him brother again.

Compared to that, the looks from the other members of the Ikemura family who had rushed over after hearing the news made Jiang Hang far more uncomfortable.

Even now, Ikemura Takayoshi could not believe that his stepmother, who had lived with him for twenty years and had rarely had any serious conflicts with his father, had actually wanted to kill his father!

Ikemura Kimie was currently being questioned by the police, and Jiang Hang, who had prevented this tragedy, was the only person who knew the full story.

If the police had not stopped him, Ikemura Takayoshi might have gone over to demand what Jiang Hang had done.

Jiang Hang could understand why he was emotional. A major upheaval had happened to the Ikemura family, and he was their son.

Besides, being a detective was simply that kind of profession.