"Your dad said he didn't really want to go whale-watching?"
"Uh, yeah. He said the flight made him feel sick, and if he got on a boat right away, he might throw up or something..."
"What a pain. We already reserved our spots..."
When Conan came downstairs a beat late, distracted, he happened to overhear the conversation between the two girls waiting in the lobby.
He gave the elevators a complicated look before walking over to the gathering spot.
It wasn't strange for Mori Kogoro not to want to tag along with a bunch of kids and play babysitter, but skipping the whole activity? Was he really airsick from the flight, or had he secretly drunk the hotel's alcohol and was too embarrassed to show his face now...?
"It's fine if he doesn't come. One less person won't stop the boat from leaving." Ran Mouri patted her friend's shoulder. "The kids are really looking forward to seeing whales."
"This is Hachijōjima Island's most famous attraction right now. It'd be such a waste for him to come all this way and not join."
"Let's just treat it like a vacation. It's fine to take things easy..."
Having reluctantly accepted that explanation, the group left the hotel. Conan, however, spotted a familiar figure again.
If he hadn't seen wrong, the person who had just gotten into a car and left really was Hitoshi Shiratori, wasn't he?
It wasn't as though police officers couldn't go on vacation. But in Conan's understanding, the First Investigation Division would only be busier than usual during a long holiday. Even if Shiratori took leave, it normally wouldn't be at a time like this. The only reason he would be staying at this hotel was probably because Hachijōjima Island had no other hotels of decent quality.
It didn't