The Luxury Hotel Murder Case ③

Meanwhile, Kogoro Mouri followed the receptionist all the way to the entrance of the hotel kitchen.

The moment he reached the kitchen door, Kogoro Mouri caught a rich aroma and heard the clamor coming from inside.

After pushing open the door, Kogoro Mouri saw numerous chefs in white hats and white uniforms bustling about.

At that moment, a burly-faced chef noticed Kogoro Mouri and the receptionist. He immediately frowned and barked at them in an unfriendly tone, "This is the kitchen. All unauthorized personnel, get out!"

The receptionist hurriedly explained, "Head Chef, this is the detective the manager hired. He's here to investigate the disappearance cases from a few days ago. Please cooperate with him."

The head chef glared at Kogoro Mouri before saying coldly, "I don't care who he is. This isn't a place just anyone can enter. If something goes wrong, who's going to take responsibility?"

The receptionist looked somewhat helpless, but she still answered firmly, "This was the manager's decision. If you have any objections, you can speak to the manager directly."

At those words, the head chef's expression darkened further. He shot Kogoro Mouri a vicious look, then turned and left the kitchen.

Watching the head chef's retreating back, Kogoro Mouri couldn't help frowning. He quietly asked, "Is there something wrong with that head chef?"

The receptionist sighed and lowered her voice. "Mr. Mouri, please don't take offense. He and our manager have always been at odds. A few days ago, the head chef's nephew was sent to prison by the manager for molesting a woman. So now, whenever it's an arrangement made by the manager, the head chef always comes looking for trouble."

Kogoro Mouri nodded in understanding, thinking that the head chef was truly a troublesome character. Still, he knew he couldn't easily offend people in a situation like this, or he might invite unnecessary trouble for himself. So, he decided to focus on investigating the disappearance cases first and avoid clashing with the head chef.

Just as Kogoro Mouri was inspecting the kitchen, the manager's office was filled with a pungent stench of blood.

The plump manager was slumped in his office chair, his eyes wide open and his mouth agape. His expression was twisted in terror, as though he had seen something horrifying.

A long gash ran across his neck, blood gushing from it and staining the entire floor red.

The bloody smell drifted out through the office door.

"Urk ×2." Ran Mouri and Ai Haibara retched at the same time, covering their mouths as their faces turned pale as paper.

"Ran, Xiao Ai, are you two alright?" Sonoko Suzuki asked anxiously.

"I-I'm fine, but... where is that smell of blood coming from?" Ran asked, her face slightly pale and her voice trembling as though she were trying hard to suppress her discomfort.

"The smell of blood? No! I don't smell anything!" Sonoko Suzuki sniffed hard, her brows knitting slightly as a trace of confusion flashed through her eyes.

"Ran is right. There really is a smell of blood," Ai Haibara said as well.

Pregnant women were often more sensitive to smells, especially the scent of blood.

Conan also sensed that something was wrong. Like an arrow released from a bow, he sprinted upstairs and searched every room with painstaking care, provoking several guests into furious outbursts like cats whose tails had been stepped on.

Finally, on the third floor, Conan found the dead lobby manager, his eyes still wide open as though they were telling of his resentment and grievance before death.