Volume 29

Chronology
‹ Volume 28	List of Chapters • List of Cases	Volume 30 ›

Volume 29
Information
Release date:	September 18, 2000
Chapters:	285-295
ISBN:	ISBN 4-09-125499-3
Publisher:	Shogakukan
English release date:	May 19, 2009
English ISBN:	ISBN 1-4215-2197-0
English Publisher:	Viz Media
Featured Detective & Keyhole
Charlie Chan Midori Megure
Aoyama's death & Conan side images

Volume 29 was released on September 18, 2000 in Japan.

Cast

Characters

Conan Edogawa

Ran Mouri

Kogoro Mouri

Ayumi Yoshida

Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya

Genta Kojima

Ai Haibara

Hiroshi Agasa

Sonoko Suzuki

Heiji Hattori

Kazuha Toyama

Tomoaki Araide

Juzo Megure

Ninzaburo Shiratori

Miwako Sato

Wataru Takagi

Kazunobu Chiba

Kiyonaga Matsumoto

Goro Otaki

Jodie Starling

Gin

Vodka

Vermouth

Midori Megure

Yoko Okino (cameo)

Minami Takayama (cameo)

Shiina Nagano (cameo)

Shinichi Kudo (background)

Akemi Miyano (background)

Pisco
(background)

Gadgets

Gadgets

Earring Cellphone

Detective Boys Badge

Stun-Gun Wristwatch

Power-Enhancing Kick Shoes

Chapters

Girl Clubbing Case

File 285 - The Small Suspicion

Matsumoto suspects Megure's judgement is clouded by his past trauma.

The police identify the victim as Tae Aizawa, her boyfriend as Noriyuki Shirokawa, and Noriyuki's friend as Yuri Konno. Ran says that the only person she passed before seeing the body was a security guard, named Yoshio Sadakane, who says he left his post to use the bathroom. Noriyuki's father, Haruyoshi Shirakawa, who is the owner of the department store, appears and lightly accuses Sadakane of being the killer, stating that the guard had worked at a rival department store recently, and thus committed the murder to taint his store's reputation. Before stepping away, he coldly tells his son to look for a new girlfriend, one who is not "tarnished" like Aizawa. Kogoro asks Konno about what the man was implying, and she replies that one year ago, Aizawa had accidentally run over a child who was playing in the parking lot, resulting in the boy's death.

The attacker closes in on their next victim.

Based on past victims' claims stating that the attacker is roughly 150cm in height, the Megure begins to suspect Haruyoshi Shirakawa as the culprit. Conan asks how the victims knew their attacker's height; Sato and Takagi explain that the victims noticed the attacker was roughly equal in height to themselves—who are 151-153cm tall. Conan examines the photographs of the previous three victims and comments that the second victim, Hitomi Endo, is not dressed for the cold weather. He theorizes that she only momentarily exited a warm environment to use the public bathroom—the warm environment likely being a car. Megure realizes that if Conan is correct, the past three victims were all attacked upon exiting a car. He order Takagi to reach out to the Endo for confirmation. Kiyonaga Matsumoto then appears from the crowd and says their presence is spawning rumors of a cold-blooded killer on the loose, and suggests they reopen their investigation tomorrow. Sato agrees, offering to once again coordinate a sting operation. Megure barks at her, saying he will not tolerate another such operation. Seeing his subordinate's intransigence, Matsumoto questions Megure if he is still burdened by a case from the past.
Meanwhile, Sonoko asks Kogoro for the car keys, wanting to load her items in the car before going to use the bathroom. As the girl opens the car door, a silhouette notices something about her, and expresses deep anger. Sonoko finds the main bathroom closed for sanitation, and is forced to head for the one on the eighth floor.
Back at the parking lot, the police move Aizawa's body, but drop one of her shoes in the process. An officer comments on how the shoe does not fit her feet, which causes to Conan notice something odd about her choice of footwear. The boy deduces the likely culprit, but finds them missing from the scene. Nearing the department store's closing time, the lights turn off, leaving Sonoko in the darkness. Behind her, the culprit ominously approaches, wielding their signature dented metal bat.

File 286 - An Unexpected Motive

  Show spoilers »

Sonoko strikes Sadakane with her phone.

Conan deduces that the killer targets ganguro drivers who wear platform boots. The reason Aizawa's shoes did not fit on her feet was because they were not her original boots. The killer had stolen her boots to prevent the police from realizing their victims' common denominator. Sato recalls that Aizawa's platform boots were a contributing factor in her accident, having hampered her ability to step on the breaks. She also remembers that the deceased boy's father's name was "Sadakane." Realizing the security guard, Yoshio Sadakane is missing from the crowd, Megure orders his men to find him.

Megure heroic rescue.

Conan says that he knew Sadakane was suspicious as you cannot recognize if someone is wearing platform shoes while they are driving. Thus, the culprit must be someone who readily observes people entering their car—like a parking lot security officer. He adds that because the victims were wearing platform boots, they stood roughly 10-15cm taller, meaning the culprit, who they claimed was roughly their own height, was not 150cm tall, but closer to 160-165cm (Sadakane is 167cm tall). Kogoro questions why Sadakane would wait for Aizawa to appear at the parking lot instead of going to her house. Matsumoto states that because Aizawa was nineteen-years-old at the time of her accident, the police did not publicly reveal her address.
Ran worriedly looks around for her friend, causing Conan realize Sonoko is also wearing platform shoes. Ran calls Sonoko and learns she is currently climbing the department store stairs. During their conversation, Sonoko notices a presence behind her and dodges a bat swing. She lets out a scream and throws her phone at her attacker's face, knocking off their mask and revealing Sadakane's face. Hearing her scream through the call, Conan relays Sonoko's emergency to the police who immediately begin their search for her.
Megure, Sato, Ran, and Conan eventually locate Sonoko's phone in the stairwell, while Takagi nears the electricity box, hoping to restore the lights. However, just as the light switch is pulled, the city is experiences a blackout, continuing the darkness. Sadakane corners Sonoko and swings his bat but misses again, causing a bowl of small items to shatter against the floor. Conan and Sato deduce the sound came from the destruction of pet-store items and rush to the fourth floor. However, Megure, who deduces that the sound instead came from falling Go stones, heads for the correct floor and successfully defends Sonoko from a strike, suffering a direct blow to the head. He slams Sadakane's bat to the floor and lambasts him for his heinous actions.

Megure's "tragic" past was not so tragic afterall.

Sometime later, Matsumoto, Kogoro, Ran, Sonoko, and Conan visit the police hospital to see a recovering Megure. While walking down the hallway, Matsumoto reveals details about the past case that haunts Megure. Twenty years ago, a serial killer committed multiple hit-and-run attacks against sukeban girls who wore long skirts. One day, a girl volunteered to act as the bait for a sting operation, wishing to avenge her friend who fell victim to the killer's attacks. The police refused, but with no way of stopping her from attempting to lure out the culprit, Megure was assigned to protect her. Despite having a bodyguard, the killer still attacked, ramming both Megure and the girl with his car. Although Megure managed to remember the license plate, which led to the culprit's arrest, the price of victory was high. While Megure suffered an injury to his head, the girl was left in a critical state. Thus, to this day, Megure wears his fedora to cover his scar—wishing to seal the traumatic case away. Ran and Sonoko are moved by the story, assuming the girl died. However, Matsumoto is quick to correct them, saying the girl is still very much alive and became Megure's wife, Midori Megure. As if on cue, Midori approaches the group and greets Matsumoto. Learning of the girl's survival, the group's perspective on the story changes, now believing that Megure wears his fedora not to conceal his trauma, but rather to prevent people from teasing him about his marriage story.

People

Ryouko Mizutani
	Victim (beaten - injured)

Hitomi Endou
	Victim (beaten - injured)

Michiko Ishiguro
	Victim (beaten - injured)

Tae Aizawa
	Victim (beaten) 20 years old Former Haido Department Store clerk

Noriyuki Shirakawa
	24 years old Chef

Yuri Konno
	24 years old Waitress

Yoshio Sadakane
	43 years old Security guard

Haruyoshi Shirakawa
	53 years old Haido Department Store owner

Akira Sakurai
	Deceased

Major Events

• Explores Juzo Megure's past.
  • Introduces Midori Megure.
• Minor romantic development between Sonoko and Makoto.
• Minor romantic development between Ran and Shinichi.

Bus Hijacking Case

Characters introduced

Shuichi Akai
	Mysterious man

File 287 - The Unseen Horror

Vermouth drops the act.

Vermouth suggests mixing a "martini" with Gin.

Gin and Vodka are sitting together in a high-end bar where a famous female singer is giving a live performance. Gin seemingly listens to the vocals in rapt attention until he is interrupted by a waiter, who delivers two dry martinis to their table, claiming they are courtesy of the singer. Vodka happily accepts, but before he has a chance to drink, Gin snuffs his cigarette out in his glass and demands to know what the waiter is doing. When the waiter fails to answer, Gin grows aggressive, and he pins the waiter’s head onto the table and attempts to spear him with an ice pick. The point strikes a latex mask, and the waiter is revealed to be Vermouth in disguise. Gin coldly asks her whether she has found her "target." Vermouth answers evasively, causing Gin scoffs at her secretiveness. She then propositions Gin with an alcoholic euphemism. Gin remains unmoved, commenting somewhat dismissively that mixing black with black will yield nothing but black.

Sometime later, the Detective Boys, accompanied by Professor Agasa, ride a bus to a ski resort. Conan appears bored, prompting Haibara to ask whether he would be thrilled if given a rematch with the Black Organization. Conan says that they certainly are not going to be on a city bus, but a passenger dressed in black passes by, alarming Conan. Haibara tells him not to worry, because, according to her, he lacks the "smell" common amongst Organization members. Conan is not convinced, stating that she failed to identify Pisco at the Haido City Hotel. Haibara explains that she did, and that she decided to keep her mouth shut because she sensed the presence of another member whose smell was significantly stronger. Suddenly, before Haibara can even finish her sentence, a shiver runs down her spine and she rushes to cover her head, imploring Conan to switch seats with her. The Detective Boys happily greet Doctor Araide, who has boarded the bus with Jodie Saintemillion. Upon seeing Conan, Jodie cordially greets him, calling him “cool kid,” while Araide clarifies that they simply work at the same school, and are not on a date. They then sit directly in front of Conan and Haibara, who remains petrified as if her soul has just been sucked out of her body.

A hijacker catches Conan with his gadget.

Haibara feels another jolt in her body as a man wearing a beanie and a mask passes by, taking a seat in the back row. His arrival is followed by two men in skiing suits. But it is soon clear that they are not skiers, as they immediately draw their guns and shoot at the ceiling, forcing the driver to make a call to his bus company and to not stop the bus from this point on. They also force the passengers to hand in their cell phones. The passengers comply in fear. Once the bus company picks up the driver's call, one of the hijackers takes over the phone and instructs them to relay the following demand to the police: release Kunio Yashima, a jewelry broker/robber who was arrested a month ago and is presently serving a sentence. From this, Conan is able to determine immediately that the hijackers are two of Yashima's accomplices, and that they want Yashima out of prison so that he can reveal where he hid the robbed jewelry.
One of the hijackers goes to the back seats to collect cell phones from three passengers: the masked man in the beanie, Shuichi Akai, who does not carry a phone; the man in black, Yasuhiko Machida, who wears a hearing aid; and a woman chewing gum named Miharu Tomino, who is given a warning shot for her impudent behavior. On the walk back to the front, the hijacker trips on Jodie’s extended leg. She pretends it was an accident and rushes to the hijacker to apologize in English. The hijacker, confused by the foreign language, simply tells her to return to her seat.
Once both hijackers have gathered at the front, Conan takes out his Earring Cellphone in an attempt to contact Inspector Megure. This is somehow noticed by a hijacker, who throws Conan to the floor while taking his gadget, threatening to murder him if he attempts anything else. Conan, knowing that it is impossible for the hijackers to observe him from the front, strongly suspects that one of the passengers in the back row is also an accomplice.

File 288 - Danger Signal

Araide risks his life to protect Conan.

The police have been notified of the hijacking, and Megure coordinates the response. Sergeant Takagi, along with several other officers, relay information which paints a dire picture. Shiratori informs Megure that the upper command has ordered the prioritization of the hostage lives, and that they intend to capitulate to the hijackers' demands. Still, he remains optimistic, arguing that since the bus has only been circulating the city, it will be easy for the police to capture them. Megure disagrees and insists that the hijackers must have a secret plan that will allow them to evade the police.
Back on the bus, the hijackers are informed that the police have agreed to release Yashima. They state they will consider their demands fulfilled once they receive of phone call from Yashima confirming his safety in one hour. Then, they will begin by releasing three hostages. Notwithstanding, their subsequent actions do not seem to fit this narrative: the hijackers proceed to place two ski bags on the aisle, which Conan suspects contain explosives. Just as he leans over to check them, a hijacker catches him again, pressing a gun to his head. However, before he can pull the trigger, Araide fearlessly puts himself between Conan and the gun. The hijacker is angered by Araide’s resistance, but his partner calms him down, reminding him that if he misfires and hits “that thing” then there will be undesirable consequences. Conan is therefore temporarily safe. As the boy returns to his seat, he confidently deduces that one, the bags contain bombs and two, there is a third accomplice in the back row.

During this time, Haibara has been trembling in her seat, believing that Vermouth is on the bus but has not yet noticed her. Jodie then turns around and interacts with Conan before asking Haibara who she is kindly. Haibara is clearly unable to answer, and all she can do is to tightly hold onto Conan’s hand. Noticing his friend's distress, Conan lies that he does not know her, and that since she is in extreme fear it would be better not to bother her. This forces Jodie to stop asking questions, but doubt is already forming inside her head.

Vermouth is seemingly aware of Conan's abilities, calling him "Cool Guy."

Conan begins to understand Haibara’s dread, but he also knows that he must deal with the hijackers before addressing the potential Organization member on the bus. Thus he tries to focus on finding the accomplice, but it turns out to be rather difficult. Akai’s coughs could be signals, but Agasa is also coughing continually; Tomino is chewing a bubble gum, but the noise is not loud enough for the hijackers to hear; and Machida’s hearing aid does not seem to be a viable communication method either. Conan’s thoughts are interrupted by a phone call; it is Yashima telling the hijackers that he is free. Now that they have fulfilled their first goal, the hijackers change their plan. They instruct the driver to use the highway and leave the city. He also tells him to decelerate once they enter Kobotoke tunnel. The hijackers then summon Araide and Akai to the front of the bus. These commands, along with a balloon that Conan happens to see, inspires him and allows him to figure out both the hijackers’ plan and the identity of their third accomplice. Conan therefore smiles confidently while passing a note reading “do you have lipstick?” to Jodie. Jodie throws her lipstick to Conan from under the seat, and Conan takes out his Detective Badge. As the boy begins to execute his plan, Vermouth smirks, thinking to herself, “what can a lipstick bring us? Show me your magic, cool guy...”

File 289 - Concealed Beneath the Truth

Sato tails the bus as it enters Kobotoke tunnel and heads towards the Yamanashi prefecture. Megure orders his men to standby, noting the bus will soon run out of fuel, he intends to storm the bus once the doors open. On board the bus, the hijackers give their clothing to Akai and Araide, stating that they intend to escape with the passengers once the bus doors open. They assure the two that they will be absolved once the other passengers vouch for their innocence. In order to maintain control over the bus, they randomly select Miharu Tomino to be their hostage—threatening to kill her if the bus driver fails to cooperate.

  Show spoilers »

Conan and Agasa hold up the bomb bag, instructing the driver to "STOP."

Conan sits quietly in his seat, confident that Miharu Tomino is the third accomplice. He realized that whenever a passenger acted in a fishy manner, she would burst the bubble gum and use her fingers to get it off her face. This process would allow her to point at the suspicious passenger, and her partners will see this by looking at the rear-view mirror. He also deduces that once the three robbers (dressed as normal passengers) are off the bus, they will detonate the bombs inside the ski bags to kill everyone inside. They will then pretend that they are the three freed hostages and give coordinated false testimonies about an altercation between the two hijackers and the passengers which resulted in the bus's accidental detonation. By ensuring that the costume exchange occurs inside a tunnel, the darkness will mask their identity swap. Additionally, the police will be misled to think that Akai and Araide are the actual hijackers, allowing the trio of hijackers to vanish into thin air.

Jodie tells the hijacker that "a secret makes a woman woman."

A "James Bond-like" escape.

Shuichi Akai reports that his target did not appear.

Conan notes that the hijackers' plan has a flaw: while inside the tunnel, the hijackers' vision is also impaired. He uses the Detective Badges to instruct Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, Genta and Agasa to write the word “STOP” on the ski bag near them using Jodie’s lipstick. Once the bus exists the tunnel and begins to accelerate per the hijacker's orders, Conan and Agasa hold up the bomb-filled bag, catching the hijackers' attention. The bomb in the bag acts as a deterrent long enough for Conan to order the driver to view the rear-view mirror. Seeing the message, "STOP," the driver slams on the breaks, causing the hijackers to tumble to the floor. As they struggle to get up, one hijacker is tranquilized by Conan, the third accomplice is pinned by Araide per Conan's orders, and Jodie neutralizes the last hijacker. He tries to fight back by using his gun, but finds it no longer works. Jodie, collected and seemingly jubilant, tells him that when she tripped him, she locked the gun hammer so that it would not fire. The hijacker is shocked by her and asks who she is; Jodie responds that “a secret makes a woman woman." Meanwhile, the third accomplice shouts that their fall had triggered the bomb's countdown, and that the bus is going to explode in less than thirty seconds.
Everyone rushes towards the exits, confusing the police who were gathering outside. But they soon grasp the gravity of the situation, and disperse to help the evacuating passengers or to stop the cars on the highway from approaching the bus. As the Detective Boys join the evacuation, Ayumi notices that Haibara is missing.
Back on the bus, Haibara remains in her seat, now looking much calmer. Knowing the Black Organization member who was aboard the bus will undoubtedly find her during the interrogation, she logically concludes that her death aboard the bus will produce the best outcome. With her gone, it will end her suffering and perhaps spare the ones around her from being erased. As she embraces death, she thinks of her sister, Akemi, and a peaceful smile emerges on her face. Suddenly, a gun discharges, blowing out the back window. Conan grabs Haibara’s arm and jumps through the broken window. The blast ensues, and the two are blown away to the side of the highway, but fortunately, neither is seriously injured. Takagi notices them and rushes over, as Conan informs him that Haibara is injured and needs to taken to the hospital; he volunteers to be interrogated alone. Before Takagi carries her away, Conan tells Haibara to "never run away from her own destiny." As his friends drive off, Jodie approaches Conan, commending him for his bravery. He tells her how he deduced the third accomplice's identity, and that Yashima will also likely be captured soon since the police would not release him without a plan. At this moment, Sato announces that all the passengers should head to the police station for interrogations. Conan heeds her request, but is stopped by Araide, who thinks that Conan should get his wounds treated first. Jodie watches this exchange unfold in silence, and Akai looks at her from some distance, also without uttering a word.
Meanwhile, in Takagi's car, Haibara seems to have abandoned the thought of dying, and is grateful that Conan saved her. She also thinks to herself that now they are square.
Back at the highway, Akai quietly reports to someone via handheld transceiver that his pursuit was unsuccessful, and that his "target" did not appear. He states he will resume his operation on another day.

People

Man #1
	Hijacker Robber gang member

Man #2
	Hijacker Robber gang second-in-command

Kunio Yashima
	Jewel broker Leader of robber gang

Shuichi Akai
	Passenger

Yasuhiko Machida
	Passenger

Miharu Tomino
	Passenger

Major Events

• Haibara reveals that she can recognize Black Organization members by their distinct smell.
  • She feels the intense presence of an Organization member (Vermouth) while in the vicinity of Jodie Saintemillion, Tomoaki Araide, and Shuichi Akai.
• Araide protects Conan from the bus hijackers.
• Vermouth, like Jodie, calls Conan "Cool Guy."
• Jodie says that "a secret makes a woman woman."
• Haibara accepts her fate and elects to let the bus' explosion consume her.
  • Conan re-enters the bus and saves her.
• Introduction of Shuichi Akai, a mysterious man who is revealed to be tracking someone.

Dog Lovers Case

File 290 - The Dog Lovers

Haibara likens herself to Marie Antoinette, wishing for a dog who would follow her decapitated body into the Seine river.

Conan finds Doyle's collar in the burning furnace.

The Detective Boys play with a male Shiba Inu named Arthur (derived from Arthur Conan Doyle), while the dog's owner, Teruya Kanou, greets Agasa, who is his father's friend. Agasa brings Haibara with him, who is still psychologically recovering from her experiences during the bus hijacking. Arthur suddenly becomes uncharacteristically aggressive towards Agasa and Haibara, requiring Kanou to calm him. Conan correctly surmises that the two had recently encountered a larger dog, sparking the animal's defense mechanism against external threats. Haibara gloomily comments that the dog would be right to consider her a threat, causing her friends to worry. The group is joined by fellow dog-lover, Yoshio Tsunashima, as they enter the house to recieve Kanou's antiques.
Kanou explains that he is giving away much of the house's contents before he moves to London. He adds that he intends to bring Arthur with him, but leave his second dog, a Papillon named Doyle (also derived from Arthur Conan Doyle), with his parents. Tsunashima says that Doyle once won a dog pageant, and is likely worth one million yen. Another dog lover, Aki Toshibayashi confirms his appraisal, coldly stating that she claims Kanou's vase before stepping back outside. While Kanou comments on how the woman's personality has changed as of late, Tsunashima is reminded of an errand and hands Doyle to Haibara. The girl shares a grim sentiment while bonding with the dog, leading Agasa to inform Conan about her recent oddities. Despite Takagi confirming that there were no "suspicious" individuals amongst the hijacked bus' passengers, Haibara remains terrified of the outside.
Arthur bursts into the room and pulls Kanou into the hallway where Shino Hasuki and her female Shetland Shepard named Christie (derived from Agatha Christie) patiently wait. The two dogs rush outside to play together while Hasuki claims Kanou's stereo. The clock strikes 12:00, causing Doyle to jump from Haibara's arms and scamper off. Kanou explains that Doyle is used to receiving cheese at 12:00 in front of his grandfather's butsudan. He adds that Doyle will patiently wait while sitting atop his favorite blue zabuton.
However, when they open the door to the room, Doyle is nowhere to be found. The group splits up in search of the dog, but find no success. They then hear Arthur in the yard barking at a burning furnace. Imagining the worst, Conan and Kanou rush over, only to find Doyle's searing collar from within the coals. Believing his dog has burned in the flames, Kanou screams in anguish.

File 291 - A Tiny Trace

Conan reassures Kanou that Doyle has not perished in the furnace as his remains are not inside. Mitsuhiko notices that the gate is open, suggesting someone had stolen Doyle and escaped. Conan rejects the theory, stating that a dognapper would not take the time to burn Doyle's collar in the furnace and leave traces of their escape—insinuating that the culprit must be one of Kanou's guests. Toshibayashi notices Hasuki's shoes by yard door. Believing she wanted to avoid walking on the dirt without her shoes, she accuses Hasuki of training Christie to transport her shoes from the genkan to the yard. In any case, Conan suggests they resume their efforts to find Doyle. He pulls Agasa aside and warns him that the culprit may possess a knife, seen from the clean cut made on the collar.

The group finds Arthur distracted.

The Detective Boys begin their search by employing Arthur's nose. Kanou brings Doyle's sleeping cushion for Arthur to sniff; the dog immediately rushes out of the room and down the hall. Arthur returns with Doyle's blue zabuton. Conan realizes that Arthur has found an additional blue zabuton, as there were only two when they had previously entered the room. Genta attempts another scent-guided search, which has Arthur sprinting out of the house. The group gains hope, only to find Arthur licking Christie in the yard.

At another dead-end, Conan asks if Doyle has any favorite hiding spots. Kanou answers that he does not, but recalls Arthur often hiding under his bed, adding that he would have to scold him for tearing up the furniture when Doyle was a pup. Ayumi expresses her sympathy for Doyle, which prompts Haibara to utter another defeatist phrase. Conan approaches her and rebukes her, assuring her that the Black Organization member aboard the bus is unaware of her identity. Haibara asks how he can be so sure; Conan responds that as a detective, he can detect the presence of murderous intent—though admits he obviously cannot trace its source.

Just like Haibara, Conan claims to also have a "sixth sense."

Sometime later, Conan finishes recounting details. He asks Kanou when his guests intend to take their chosen items home. The man says that Tsunashima will take his clock tomorrow, Hasuki will receive the stereo in ten days, and Toshibayashi will likely take her vase home today. Conan then rushes for the vase but fails to find Doyle inside. Still, after Mitsuhiko points out that the clock is five minutes late, and Genta finds a cotton-like tuft on the floor, the answer reveals itself to Conan, who rushes to the furnace. He takes his tongs and pulls out glass wool.

File 292 - The Remaining Evidence

As the sun begins to set, Tsunashima and Toshibayashi prepare to excuse themselves. Suddenly, the clock randomly rings, prompting everyone to investigate. They find Conan, Haibara, and Ayumi standing in the hall, and Mitsuhiko and Genta moving to the living room to prepare. Haibara reveals that they have found Doyle, holding him out for a relieved Kanou. Conan then begins a small experiment for the adults to see.

  Show spoilers »

Conan reveals Doyle's hiding spot behind the stereo.

Conan directs his friend to ring the clock again, causing Doyle to rush down the hall. Toshibayashi predicts the dog went to his usual room, but once again finds it empty. Kanou realizes that his clock was not making the noise, instead Mitsuhiko and Genta had played a recording of the clock's ring on the stereo in the living room.

Conan explains that while dogs have fantastic olfactory and auditory senses, their sense of sight is limited. Thus, Doyle did not recognize his favorite zabuton via the color but rather its smell. Additionally, the dog did not learn that his cheese appears at 12:00 beside the butsudan, but rather at the source of the clock's ringing noise once he sits atop his zabuton. Conan walks over to the stereo and reveals was Doyle was kept. The culprit removed the sound absorbers and placed his zabuton inside. They also kept Doyle from making noise by adding a sedative to his cheese. Lastly, he states that the culprit adjusted the clock by twelve hours, making it display 00:00, knowing the clock only rings at 12:00.

As a dog-lover, Tsunashima can not bring himself to harm dogs.

After absolving Hasuki, Conan names Yoshio Tsunashima as the dognapper. Tsunashima had immediately searched the living room and repositioned the stereo in order to hide the opening where Doyle had entered. He had likely prepared the recording and modified the stereo during his past visits, and he altered the clock's time while everyone was welcoming Hasuki and Christie into the house. He burned the sound absorbent glass wool in the furnace along with Doyle's collar, and he knew Arthur would not search for Doyle in the living room because he has bad memories of being scolded in that room.
The Motive:
Tsunashima was not after Doyle but rather the jewel on the dog's collar. Conan explains he found it stuck behind the clock's pendulum. He was alerted to it after seeing the clock fall behind by a minute every hour, deducing something was hampering its mechanism. Thus Tsunashima intended to receive the jewel when he was scheduled to receive the clock the following day.
Caught, Tsunashima runs away, jostling Kanou, which angers Arthur and Christie. The two dogs circle Tsunashima who considers striking Arthur, but fails to bring himself to harm a dog. Conan explains that as a dog-lover, Tsunashima took precautions so as to not harm Doyle by leaving the stereo door ajar to allow he could exit once he would wake up. Tsunashima confesses stealing Doyle's collar's jewel to get enough money to care for his numerous dogs, who cost him more and more, and he can not resolve to leave them die from hunger or put them down. And none would buy them as most of them are abandoned mongrels taken in by him.
Hearing this, Teruya agrees to give Tsunashima the jewel, stating his grandfather would not disagree if it was to help dogs.

A smile returns to Haibara's face.

Agasa notes that one mystery remains: how Hasuki's shoes ended up in the yard. Conan smirks, leading Kanou to the genkan to catch the culprit. They spot Arthur stealing Hasuki's shoes. Kanou scolds his dog for his improper behavior, which causes Arthur to hide behind Haibara. Hasuki wonders if Arthur has grown to dislike her, but Conan surmises that Arthur simply believes that humans cannot leave the house without their shoes. Thus, to extend his time with Christie, Arthur was attempting to hide her shoes. The woman smiles and assures Arthur that he will not be separated from his beloved Christie, as she too has decided to move to London. Konou is overjoyed to hear the news, revealing that he and Hasuki are in a romantic relationship.
Seeing Arthur still in a cautious state, Haibara bends down and joyfully reassures him. Seeing her smile, the Detective Boys rejoice. Conan approaches her and tells her to "keep that face." Since a bright smile is a child's ultimate disguise.

People

Teruya Kanou
	26 years old Son of Professor Agasa's friend

Arthur
	Kanou's pet dog Shiba Inu

Yoshio Tsunashima
	45 years old Dog lover

Doyle
	Victim (dognapped) Papillon

Aki Tosabayashi
	39 years old Dog lover

Shino Hasuki
	27 years old Dog lover

Christie
	Hasuki's pet dog Shetland Shepherd

Major Events

• Haibara suffers from an extreme sense of dread following the events of the bus hijack.
  
  • She feels better after interacting with dogs.

K3 Murder Case

File 293 - K3

Conan expresses his desire to attend the party.

Heiji invites Conan to attend an opening party for a restaurant in Osaka. Though the boy is initially indifferent, his attitude completely reverses once he learns of who will be in attendance.

At the event, Kogoro marvels at the celebrity line-up: Mai Kuraki, Miho Komatsu, TWO-MIX, and his favorite, Yoko Okino. Meanwhile, Kazuha pulls Ran aside and informs him about suspicious phone calls Heiji is making with someone who is concerned about being hidden. She is confident that the caller is a nefarious girl who is seducing Heiji, and enlists Ran's help in scoping the party out in case the mystery girl appears. The announcer then takes the stage and introduces the trio of restaurant owners, three famous athletes from the United States: the former undefeated middleweight boxing champion, Ricardo Barreira; Cy Young Award winner, Mike Norwood; and finally, the goalkeeper nicknamed "the iron fort," Ray Curtis. Conan jumps with excitement at the sight of his idolized soccer player, as the event shifts to an interview with the three athletes. Curtis demonstrates his Japanese fluency, stating that he considers Japan a second home since his wife is Japanese. He explains the restaurant, named K3, derives its name from the knockout, the strikeout, and the keeper. However, before Curtis can continue, a menacing journalist approaches the stage. His name is Ed McCay, and he accuses the restaurant for its subpar sanitation practices before rudely stepping away. Kogoro explains that McCay is a famous sports writer who publishes popular gossip news about famous athletes—most of which tends to be fake.

Ran asks for Ray Curtis' autograph on behalf of Shinichi.

The announcer switches to Q&A, where Ran immediately raises her hand and beseeches Curtis to sign her paper board. The goalkeeper overrides the event's rules and makes an exception for Ran, thanking her for restoring a sense of levity to the tainted event. Ran asks for the signing to be addressed to Shinichi, greatly flustering Conan. Kazuha asks why Curtis wears the number 8 instead of the traditional 1. Conan explains that Curtis was originally a left-fielder who substituted for his injured goalkeeper teammates during the World Cup. He recorded several spectacular saves, leading his team to the semi-finals. He kept his original number 8 even upon returning to the European leagues as a full-time goalkeeper. Kazuha then asks why Norwood wears 99; Heiji says he wears it because his fastball has an average speed of 99 miles per hour. Finally, she asks why Barreira signed a boxing glove with the number 4; Kogoro explains that it is because he always records a knock out during the fourth round. Ran returns and hands Conan a ticket to Curtis' next game. While the boy celebrates, Ran reveals that Curtis gave her a handheld transceiver for the purpose of guiding the construction of their evening spectacle.
Later that night, Ran coordinates the three athletes in creating the letter "K" on the side of the restaurant by turning on the lights of certain hotel rooms. However, just as the last piece of the puzzle slides into place, a gunshot rings in the night. The three athletes immediately rush out onto their respective patios. Heiji and Conan rush to investigate, bursting into the room where the sound originated. They find Ed McCay dead on the floor with the gun beside him. Conan inspects his body closer and notices that he is clutching his belt.

File 294 - The Last Possibility

The positions of each athlete relative to the murder.

Inspector Otaki from the Osaka Prefectural Police is called in for the investigation. Heiji tells him about the athlete's plan to create a "K" on the side of the building. He adds that Curtis was assigned the five rooms on the bottom two floors, Norwood was assigned the middle four rooms, and Barreira was assigned the two rooms on the top floor. Otaki notes that the three athletes are the only people capable of committing the murder, but Ran disagrees. She states that at the time of the murder, Norwood was in the room directly above the murder, Barreira was diagonally above on the top floor, and Curtis was in the bottom right corner room. Conan suggests that the murderer was a party attendee, which will expand the number of total suspects. The boy also points out how McCay is clutching his belt with his left hand and showing the number three with his right hand. Kogoro dishes out a flurry of ludicrous "deductions" based on McCay's hand gestures, making Otaki skeptical about the detective's supposed abilities. At a dead end, the investigators begin by searching for gunpowder residue on all of the attendees.
The test results of the three athletes all return negative. Conan says that the three were the only three athletes to win their defamation cases against McCay, and thus are unlikely to harbor strong feelings of resentment towards the journalist. Seeing Conan's seemingly blind trust in the victims' innocence, Heiji steps off on his own.
He inspects the interiors of the room, noting each athlete's distance from the murder. Conan stops by and invalidates his theories, mentioning the several injuries each player has received which greatly limit their mobility. He opens the closet and finds a mob and dust tray. The boy says that strangely each room contains a pair. Suddenly, both boys are hit with a realization. Heiji deduces a plausible trick and culprit, but Conan remains in denial. He runs off swearing to disprove his theory. Heiji blankly looks on, internally remarking that it was Conan who told him that, "when you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."
Conan notices Norwood and Barreira help Curtis walk through his injuries. He runs into the bathroom and sifts through the trash, finding a needle. He then hears Kogoro, Ran, and Kazuha discuss the detective's faulty theories. Kogoro claims that he remembers a restaurant use words like "bunt" and "geta," believing McCay's dying message to have some form of connection to restaurants. Conan lowers the gaze, having accepted the results of his deductive reasoning. He curses at the results.

File 295 - Red Card

The hotel employees find a deflated soccer ball under the lottery table. The three athletes ask Otaki if they are excused, while the Inspector is hesitant, he agrees per Heiji's suggestion.

  Show spoilers »

The soccer ball bounces down the stairs and triggers the contraction which turns on the lights.

Curtis' five rooms.

Before the three athletes can leave, Heiji asks Curtis a favor. He obliges and, as instructed, he walks to the room where he heard the gunshot. When he arrives, he is shocked to see the room wide open with items configured in a familiar manner. Conan descends the stairs and explains that the culprit's trick was simple. The closet door is propped up between the fully opened room door and a mop. By kicking a soccer ball down the stairs and into the mop, knocking it away, the closet door will fall onto the light switch and turn the room's lights on. Since the essence of the trick requires elite ball handling skills, the culprit must be Ray Curtis.
Conan explains Curtis' plan. He was assigned to light the two first-floor rooms and the three second-floor rooms. After lighting the room (1), he set his contraption in room (2), leaving it dark. He would then ascend to the second floor and light rooms (3),(4), and (5). Afterwards, Ran told him he had forgotten to light room (2). He then executed the trick, simultaneously entering McCay's room while turning on the lights in the room below. He then shot McCay and immediately rushes downstairs to room (2) to exit onto the balcony like the other athletes. Neither Norwood nor Barreira could have done it, since Curtis would have encountered them on the lower floors. Additionally, they would not be able to return to their balconies in such a short period of time.
The police found no powder traces on Curtis because he had turned his shirt and trousers inside out and left his jacket downstairs before the shooting. He quickly wore his jacket when he rushed onto the balcony. He would then turn his clothes inside out again after the crime. Therefore, unless a complete body check was conducted (which was refused per request of his managers), no traces of gunpowder residue would be detected on Curtis' clothing. Conan also explains that Curtis bursted the soccer ball he used with a needle and discarded the needle in the bathroom, leaving the deflated ball under the lottery table.
Conan then explains McCay's dying message. His right hand's finger positions refers to how one would hold sushi. The gripping of his belt referred to the word "band." Sushi restaurants employ a cant where the word for "eight" is spoken as "band (バンド)." Eight refers to Curtis' unique jersey number 8.

Conan says he found the wet towel Curtis used to wash the gunpowder residue from hands and face. Conan ironically remarks the more evidence of Ray's innocence he tried to gather, the more evidence of his guilt he found. Curtis denies the allegation, stating he usually sweats a lot, and that he changed clothes and gave the old pairs to his manager. Conan reminds him of the shoes: a classic revolver spreads a large amount of gunpowder—enough to cover the feet. Since Curtis needed shoes to kick the ball, gunpowder residue is undoubtedly on his shoes.

"Drugs and murder are foul without any excuse... deserve a red card for a loser..."

Curtis thanks Conan for his "advice," and says he will scrub his shoes. Before he can leave, Conan demands he explain one more thing. He charges his shoes and fires a ball at Curtis, striking him in the face. Conan angrily asks why Curtis, the "European Steel Gate", is unable to catch a ball kicked with the strength of a high school player. The man confesses his body was weakened by heroin consumption. Conan says he noticed Curtis was drug-addicted given his repeated yawns and muscle pain, signs of a drug dependence. Curtis lied about his injury as he claimed his left knee was aching while he always held his right knee. Drug addicts need constant narcotic consumption for its euphoric effects, and because it calms the muscle and joint pains caused by withdrawal.Curtis says he began taking heroin after he won the defamation lawsuit he levied against McCay. The journalist had falsely accused him of drug consumption, which mentally taxed his wife to the point she developed neurosis, leading to her suicide. He had taken the drug to cope with his loss. Curtis lured McCay to the hotel room by agreeing to provide him with information about his drug addiction.
Conan tells him to stop, saying that even if he is facing a bitter aspect of life, drugs and murder are foul without excuse, deserving of a red card. Hearing the boy's words, Curtis commends him for his morality, and agrees to turn himself in to the authorities.

The two boys play like brothers.

In the aftermath of the case, Conan falls into an emotional slump. He states his disinterest in attending the soccer game he received free tickets for, despite the all-star line up on both sides. Ran is reminded of Shinichi, who had a child-like tendency of abandoning something he loved after it received even the slightest blemish. She worries that Conan has fallen out of love for soccer. Suddenly, a soccer ball collides with Conan's head, knocking him off balance. Heiji approaches him, expressing his confusion as to how kicking a ball could be so entertaining. Seeing his friend's ineptitudes, Conan steps forward and showcases his skills with the soccer ball, having recovered some spirit.

People

Ricardo Barreira
	36 years old Former pro boxer

Mike Norwood
	35 years old Major leaguer

Ray Curtis
	37 years old Pro soccer goalkeeper Shinichi's idol

Ed McCay
	Victim (gunshot) 48 years old Journalist

Mai Kuraki
	Real-life pop singer

Miho Komatsu
	Real-life pop singer

Major Events

• Romantic development between Shinichi and Ran
• Minor romantic development between Kazuha and Heiji.

Cover in other countries

• 

  China
• 

  China (2020 reissue)
• 

  Finland
• 

  France
• 

  Germany
• 

  Hong Kong
• 

  Indonesia
• 

  Indonesia (reprint)
• 

  Indonesia (Premium, combined volumes 29-30)
• 

  Italy
• 

  Italy (La Gazzetta dello Sport)
• 

  Italy (New Edition)
• 

  Korea
• 

  Malaysia (Chinese)
• 

  Malaysia (Malay)
• 

  Norway
• 

  Rep. of China (Taiwan)
• 

  Spain (Spanish, Volumen 2, part 1)
• 

  Spain (Spanish, Volumen 2, part 2)
• 

  Spain (Spanish, New Edition, combined volumes 29-30)
• 

  Sweden
• 

  Thailand
• 

  United States
• 

  Vietnam
• 

  Vietnam (New Edition)

See also

• Manga
• Volume 21-30
• Detective Conan