The Luxury Hotel Murder Case 6

In the kitchen, Conan leaned against the wall with a despondent expression. Had his chance quietly slipped away? Ran's words made him realize that he had missed a perfect opportunity to tell her the truth. If he had worked up the courage to confess everything, perhaps there would not have been a barrier between them. But now, he had personally drawn an uncrossable gulf between them.

Conan sank into deep self-reproach and regret, but he quickly pulled himself together. He knew he could not keep dwelling on past mistakes and had to focus on the case before him. He decided to follow up on the bloody smell Ran had mentioned and investigate this mysterious kitchen more thoroughly.

Conan cautiously followed the bloodstains deeper into the kitchen, every step filled with vigilance. When he reached the very back, a powerful stench of rot hit him head-on. Fighting through his discomfort, he looked closely and found the place in an exceptionally filthy mess, covered everywhere in dust and grime. In one corner stood an old, battered refrigerator.

Conan slowly approached the refrigerator, a sense of foreboding rising within him. Taking a deep breath, he slowly opened the door. In an instant, a foul stench assaulted him, nearly making him vomit. Yet when he saw what was inside, he was completely stunned.

The refrigerator was filled with fresh blood, severed arms and limbs, and chunks of flesh, all giving off a thick stench of blood. Conan's eyes widened, and his body began trembling involuntarily. He stared at the sight before him in terror, utterly unable to believe his own eyes. "Th-this..." Conan stammered, pointing at the refrigerator, unable to form a complete sentence.

Just then, Conan suddenly felt a chill rise up his spine. He instinctively took a step back, and his arm accidentally struck a protrusion. With a crisp crack, the wall behind Conan slowly opened, revealing a pitch-black passageway.

Conan stared fixedly at the opening, his heartbeat accelerating rapidly. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. After some thought, he decided to bravely face this unknown tunnel. Conan cautiously stepped inside.

On the third floor, at the murder scene. Beside the bookshelf, a mysterious opening suddenly appeared. After Conan emerged from it, he was surprised to discover that it was positioned directly behind the victim! From this well-concealed angle, the killer could have slit the victim's throat in a single stroke while the victim was unaware, dealing a fatal blow. A glint flashed across Conan's glasses as he thought to himself, So that's it... I already know how this murder was committed!

Next came the moment to reveal the truth. He lured Kogoro Mouri to the crime scene, then took the opportunity to fire a tranquilizer dart and put Kogoro Mouri to sleep. Conan then swiftly climbed into the executive chair where the victim had once sat.

Once everything was ready, Conan gathered everyone together in Kogoro Mouri's name. Everyone assembled, watching Kogoro Mouri expectantly, unsure of what would happen next. Meanwhile, Conan hid behind the chair, secretly activated his voice changer, and began his brilliant deduction.

"The real killer is you!" Conan pointed at the head chef among the crowd, confidence shining in his eyes.

The crowd erupted in an uproar, and everyone turned to look at the head chef.

"How could that be? What evidence do you have that I killed him?" The head chef's face turned pale as he vehemently denied it.

Unruffled, Conan activated the mechanism on the bookshelf, and the opening from before appeared again. "Conan found this in the kitchen. Your fingerprints should be inside, and most importantly, Conan found the murder weapon in there. Besides, only you had enough motive and time to commit the crime!"

The head chef immediately collapsed to the floor, his lips trembling slightly as he could no longer say a word. Yet no one noticed the corner of his mouth curl upward into a sinister smile, as though he were silently swearing to make these people pay.

"That was amazing! Just what I'd expect from the old man!" Sonoko Suzuki exclaimed, admiration gleaming in her eyes.

"Hehe, it was nothing." Conan wore a smug grin as he answered confidently.

"Brat, I wasn't praising you. What are you so proud of?" Sonoko Suzuki rolled her eyes at Conan disdainfully.

Suddenly, just as several officers were about to handcuff and take away the head chef, he shoved them aside and pulled a sharp knife from his person. The blade gleamed coldly, sending chills down everyone's spine. His face twisted into a savage expression, his eyes filled with murderous intent as he glared viciously at Kogoro Mouri, who lay sleeping on the floor. Then he stabbed at him without hesitation.

"Everyone, watch out!" Inspector Megure realized something was wrong and hurriedly shouted. His eyes widened as he stared ahead tensely.

At that moment, seeing Kogoro Mouri in danger, Ran rushed forward without hesitation and swiftly placed herself in front of her father. Her gaze was firm and her movements agile as she lashed out with a kick, striking the chef squarely on the wrist.

Crack! Accompanied by the crisp sound of breaking bone, the head chef's wrist snapped instantly, and the kitchen knife fell from his hand. The tremendous force sent him flying backward, and he slammed heavily into the wall.

The wall of the hall could not withstand the impact and shattered instantly, with countless chunks of rubble raining down. The head chef was buried beneath the wreckage.

"Gulp!" Conan swallowed, his eyes wide as he muttered, "Ran seems to have gotten even stronger." Looking at Ran's delicate figure, then at his own small body, he could not help shuddering. As if imagining himself being hit by such a kick, he was instantly horrified.

Inspector Megure walked over, gave her a thumbs-up, and praised, "Well done, Ran, but wasn't that kick a little too fierce?"

Ran smiled somewhat embarrassedly, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. "I was just worried Dad might get hurt..." she said softly, her eyes filled with concern.

Inspector Megure patted Ran's shoulder reassuringly, then turned and ordered his subordinates to check on the head chef.

When the officers carefully cleared away the rubble, they found the head chef lying on the ground, unconscious. They quickly examined him and confirmed that his life was not in danger, though he had suffered serious injuries.

Inspector Megure let out a sigh of relief and said thankfully, "At least no one died. Send him to the hospital for treatment first. We'll interrogate him after he wakes up."

With that, the police moved quickly, lifting the head chef onto a stretcher and carefully carrying him to the police car, ready to take him to the hospital for further treatment.