Megure comes to the detective agency to implore Kogoro to help him. Kogoro accepts, and Megure explains the situation: a young man called Ryuji is suspected of having killed his uncle, a famous literature scholar. A witness claims to have seen him exit his uncle's house at the time of the crime. However, the culprit confessed to having burglarized a woman the same day, at the same time he is suspected to have killed his uncle. How could he have been in two places at once?
Murder (Past)
Location:Yotsubadai District
Victim:Yutaka Reigan
Age:70 years old
Time:3 weeks ago
Cause of death:Stab wound
Suspects:Ryuji Maihama
Yutaka has been found stabbed in his house three weeks ago.
Robbery / Assault (Past)
Location:Sasago-cho
Victim:Hide Tenyama
Age:73 years old
Time:3 weeks ago
Offense weapon:Baton
Suspects:Ryuji Maihama
At the same time, Ryuji has knocked Tenyama unconscious twice before putting a mess in her house and robbing 500,000 Yen.
Arson? (Past)
Location:Sasago-cho
Time:3 weeks ago
Suspects:Prank Caller
A suspected fire occurred and fire fighters were sent there to find there wasn't any fire.
As Megure is about to leave, Conan stops and tells him that Kogoro told him he should ask if any fire trucks were dispatched in Yotsubadai and calls. Then, Kogoro gets out of the washroom and was told by Megure that a small fire occurred at 8 PM and before the detective could express his misunderstanding, Conan stuns and knocks him out and hides behind the couch ready to start Sleeping Kogoro's deduction. After having knocked the old woman out, he left the house with her. He first entered her home at seven and then headed towards Yotsubadai with her inside his van. He then murdered Reigan and started a fire in a nearby house's courtyard.
Arson (Past)
Location:Yotsubadai District
Time:3 weeks ago
Culprit:Ryuji Maihama
Ryuji had set a fire in a home near Reigan's house.
He then called the fire department and also made a false report of a fire in Sasago-cho. As he heard the fire trucks coming, he woke Hide up and turned on the TV in the car and asked her for the money's location before knocking her out again. He then moved her back to Sasago-cho and placed her in her original position and made it seem as if he was there the whole time all in order to make her believe she heard the siren and the TV in her home although she was in a car parked in front of Reigan's house. It would then confirm Maihama's alibi. The evidence is inside Hide's nose and ears. She smelled the fire but didn't hear the bathtub's notice programmed to be at 8am thorough investigation of Maihama's car will confirm everything. Megure then calls his subordinates to inform them of the facts and evidence. It was all clear now Ryuji Maihama was the culprit.
Aftermath
As Megure leaves the detective agency, he thanks Kogoro for his help. He then wakes up and starts inventing other conclusions about the alibi which makes Megure curious and Conan jumps on him trying to make him stop talking. He then tells himself it's the last time he'd call for Kogoro's help.
Trivia
According to Detective Conan producer Michihiko Suwa, the subtitle of the episode was The First Time Inspector Megure Relied on Kogoro (目暮警部、初めて小五郎を頼る,Megure-keibu, Hajimete Kogorō o Tayoru?) when the script was being written[1].
The Toyota Crown Sedan from the police that appeared in Mystery of the Burning Tent reappeared in this episode as it was in front of the furniture store where the suspect bought a knife.
Michihiko Suwa wrote on his blog that he and Ryuji Maihama's voice actor, Kentaro Ito, were friends since university.
Ryuji Maihama's car is a Toyota HiAce Fifth generation 2017. The license plate number is 新宿 332, ら 38-95 (Shinjuku 332, Ra 38-95).
Anime-original locations: Yotsubadai (四葉台) and Sasago Town (笹五町).