Volume 22: Difference between revisions

Kaede Katagiri
	22 years old; Kikuhito Morizono's fiancé;

Akio Shigematsu
	Victim (stabbed); 51 years old; Morizono family butler;

	Volume 22
	Information
Release date:	February 18, 1999
Chapters:	212-221
ISBN:	ISBN 4-09-125492-6
Publisher:	Shogakukan
English release date:	March 18, 2008
English ISBN:	ISBN 1-4215-1674-8
English Publisher:	Viz Media
	Featured Detective & Keyhole
; Shozo Totsugawa	; Yusaku Kudo
	Aoyama's death & Conan side images

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Revision as of 08:30, 24 June 2026

Chronology
‹ Volume 21	List of Chapters List of Cases	Volume 23 ›

Volume 22 was released on February 18, 1998 in Japan.

Cast

Characters

Natsue Hatamoto (background)

Gadgets

Chapters

Wedding Murder Case

Anime Episode 141-142: The Night Before the Wedding Locked Room Case

File 212 - A Matching Set

Kazuha's scream attracts the rest of the mansion's tenants to the crime scene who express a variety of reactions such as shock, confusion, and in the case of Kaede, loss of consciousness. Heiji and Conan immediately begin investigating the windows, finding all of them locked. Ran, who had been watching the room's main window from the building's exterior, reports no unusual activity. Heiji then finds Shigematsu's bundle of keys left in his coat pocket. After learning that it contains the unique key to the room, he declares the case an impossible locked-room murder. Though Yurie floats the idea of a suicide, Kogoro debunks the theory, pointing to the missing murder weapon. Kikuhito displays a callous attitude towards his butler's death, intending to resume his wedding plans without alteration. Enraged, Sakuraba strikes him with his fists sending his client crashing against a glass window. Mikio takes Sakuraba's side, lambasting his son for his insensitivity. He reminds him that Shigematsu was Sakuraba's surrogate father following his orphaning and that the butler also served as an invaluable member of the family business for which he acted as Kikuhito's advisor. Kazuha lets out another scream, believing Shigematsu's body had exhibited movement. However, the family cat Rebecca appears from behind the body and shows its fondness for Yurie.
With news of the police's arrival, Conan and Kogoro accompany a cane-wielding Mikio downstairs, who tells them he permanently damaged his leg in the accident that claimed his wife's life. The trio is then greeted by a swarm of reporters who battle the police for entry into the mansion. After a brief scuffle, Inspector Megure, Takagi, and several supporting officers manage to squeak through, introducing themselves to Mikio.

Kogoro informs Megure about their preliminary findings, noting the sole concentration of blood in the room to the trail leading to the final position of the body. Takagi returns with several alibis, stating that all servants except for Sakuraba were having dinner at the time of the murder, narrowing the list of suspects to Mikio, Kikuhito, Yurie, Kaede, and Sakuraba. Megure commences the investigation by both ordering interrogations and body checks of the five suspects and also instructing his men to conduct a thorough search of the property for the missing weapon.

Some time later, Conan and Heiji stand at the mansion entrance and share their findings—both having noticed four peculiarities about the crime scene. First, the culprit removed the weapon from the body, thus evaporating the likelihood of suicide and increasing the odds of being caught. Second, Shigematsu's body was relocated from one room to another for no apparent reason. Third, only the room with the body had been illuminated. And finally, the cat's presence. As they ponder, they see Sakuraba asking Takagi if he can assist in the search for the murder weapon. The Sergeant refuses, and Sakuraba is soon after accosted by Kikuhito who throws him to the ground in retaliation for their previous physical altercation. Kazuha and Ran rush to Sakuraba's aid, the former noticing that he wears a crystal pendant identical to the one worn by Kaede. The girl's observation draws Conan and Heiji's attention, the two remarking that it may prove to be a pivotal key to solving the mystery.

File 213 - The Evidence...

The investigation continues as the police struggle to locate the missing murder weapon. With the property's impeccable security system diminishing the likelihood of an external burglar, attention falls on the five candidates. Megure explains that Mikio was waiting in his study for a pre-planned meeting with Shigematsu, Yurie was taking a bath, Kikuhito was reading a magazine in his room, Sakuraba was searching for the family cat, and Kaede claims to have been sleeping. The Inspector notes that Yurie had attempted to invite Kaede to take a bath but received no response when she called. A pair of forensic analysts then discover a faint bloodstain on a glass door latch. Heiji reasons that the culprit had opened the glass door with their bloodied gloves and exited onto the balcony. Conan finds a broken glass shard with a small perforation. Prior to Kikuhito slamming into the glass, the hole would have been positioned near a window grill, making it difficult to spot upon first inspection.

Mikio then enters the room and expresses his desire to hold a funeral service for Shigematsu—having him buried near his late wife's tomb. Heiji is reminded of gossip his mother had shared with him about the wife having originally been in love with Shigematsu. The wife had regularly visited the mansion to meet the butler but Mikio had misinterpreted her frequent appearances for a sign that she had romantic feelings for himself. Following Mikio's proposal, the two families greatly supported the arrangement and overwhelmed her into agreeing to the marriage. Conan admits he smells a simmering conflict. Heiji also says Mikio's story bears a striking resemblance to the rumors swirling about the coercive nature of Kikuhito's engagement with Kaede. Conan seemingly agrees with his analysis but shifts the discussion to the culprit's escape route. Conan pressures Heiji into tying a rope around his waist in an experiment to test whether one can escape to a lower level. Heiji effortlessly maneuvers around the third floor balcony and lands on the platform below. He then notices an object caught in the nearby tree canopy. As Conan leans over the railing to get a better look, he is caught off guard by Kikuhito and tumbles over the edge, barely managing to hold onto the ledge. Kikuhito is unable to help the boy due to his acrophobia, leaving Sakuraba to be the one to rescue him.

After reuniting with Heiji, the two boys ascend the suspicious tree to discover a bloodstained shirt tied up by a long thin string with a piece of tape stuck to the end. Opening it up, they find the killer's bloodstained kitchen knife. The two happily remark they have solved the mystery but still feel as though closure eludes them. Rain begins to fall, prompting Ran and Kazuha to call for them to retreat inside. Hearing the word "rain," the two boys are reminded of the initial state of the rain shutter. Their collective realization sparks an elaborate plan to bypass their lack of evidence.
Some time later, everyone is summoned to the crime scene where Heiji steps forward, declaring that he has solved Shigematsu's murder. He then immediately turns to Sakuraba and names him the killer

File 214 - Caught Prey

Heiji prepares a long thin string with a loop created at one end with tape. He exits the shattered glass door and restores the shard with the perforation to its original position lining the grills. He then places the string's loop around the latch and passes the string through the hole. From the outside of the door, Heiji pulls on the string which in turn maneuvers the latch to lock the door. The string is then removed from the room entirely by tugging on it with greater force. Furthermore, Sakuraba had attempted to destroy the evidence of the perforation by punching Kikuhito into the glass. Ultimately, Mikio cannot perform the outlined trick due to his injured knee, Yurie and Kaede are also incapable due to wearing dresses, and Kikuhito would not be able to exit onto the balcony because of his acrophobia. Thus, the only remaining suspect is the athletic Sakuraba. The servant is shocked by Heiji's accusation, exclaiming that he is innocent. Kaede steps forward and corroborates his plea, revealing that she had been accompanying him on his search for the cat during the time of Shigematsu's murder. Megure asks why she did not come forward with this information sooner. Heiji deduces that the two are secretly lovers, pointing to their matching pendants. Despite Sakuraba and Kaede's continued denial over their involvement in the crime, Megure ushers the former away for further questioning at the police station, telling the latter that testimonials made by individuals with deep personal connections do not hold up in court. Kikuhito comforts a distraught Kaede, voicing his resolve to wait for her to eventually come around to him. Kazuha and Ran watch with concern as Heiji coldly labels Sakuraba a violent killer as he is led out the door. Megure suspends the investigation for the day, planning on resuming the search for the weapon tomorrow. With the case seemingly closed, Kogoro prepares to take his leave, but is stopped by Conan, who suggests they stay the night.

Show spoilers »

Later that night, a silhouette wearing a rain coat exhumes a bloody knife from the ground beneath a tree. They quietly sneak into the servants quarters and approach a room labeled "Sakuraba." They find a duffle bag placed atop the bed and attempt to plant the knife into the man's belongings. Suddenly, the lights are switched on by Heiji, catching Kikuhito Morizono in the act of framing his employee.
The Method:
Heiji states that the trick he outlined against Sakuraba was a diversion installed by Kikuhito. Despite leaving a bloodstain on the door latch, no such marks were left anywhere on the balcony. Moreover, someone who made sure to not leave their finger prints in the interior would not then remove their gloves once they exited the room. Conan then appears, explaining that Kikuhito had never left the locked room. Kikuhito was likely hiding behind a curtain the darkened adjoining room. The reason only one of the rain shutters were closed was to shield him from being spotted by people outside. The trail of blood leading to the bright room were to direct the initial responders away from his hiding spot. He then joined the rest of the group in reacting to Kazuha's scream, making it appear as though he had just arrived. Lastly, he placed the cat at the crime scene to ensure that Sakuraba would be without an alibi—searching for a cat that is hidden in a locked room.
The Evidence:
Conan reasons that no killer would bundle all of their tools together unless they were afraid of stepping out onto the balcony. Kikuhito objects, saying he was not trying to plant the knife but rather just found it moments ago in Sakuraba's bag. Heiji reveals that the bag belongs to him and that they moved Sakuraba's name plaque down one room—perfectly trapping Kikuhito in their sting operation. Conan also alerts him that the police have surrounded the building with nowhere left for the man to go.
The Motive:
Kikuhito explains that Shigematsu had threatened to leak his company's malpractices to Mikio if he did not call off his wedding with Kaede. Thus, Kikuhito chose to murder him and place to blame on Sakuraba whom he believed stole his woman. Heiji corrects him by revealing that Kaede had always been interested in Sakuraba, having only agreed to marrying Kikuhito because she did not want to hurt his feelings. Having experienced the exact same set of circumstances when he was younger, Shigematsu wished to see Sakuraba and Kaede live the happy ending for which he was deprived.

The next day, Kogoro and Conan see Heiji off at Tokyo Station. They recall Sakuraba and Kaede both showing a melancholic expression after hearing the news—their future now solely in their hands. Heiji then asks about Kazuha's whereabouts before hearing her pleading with Ran not to pressure her into their plan. He turns around to see Ran push his childhood friend towards him, dressed in a similar pinstripe shirt as his own. Embarrassed, Kazuha attempts to run to the bathroom to change into something else but is stopped by Heiji who says he does not mind, remarking that they look like siblings.

People

Yuji Sakuraba
	23 years old Morizono family servant

Yurie Morizono
	28 years old Eldest Morizono daughter

Mikio Morizono
	57 years old Head of the Morizono family

Kikuhito Morizono
	26 years old Eldest Morizono son Kaede's fiancé

Major events

Ran and Kazuha's friendship grows after Ran quickly changes shirts to prove to Kazuha that she didn't wear the striped pattern because Heiji did.
Kazuha is still very jealous of Ran, and still thinks she has feelings for Heiji, after finding out that Ran and Heiji are wearing the same style striped shirt. Kazuha's feelings for Heiji are once again briefly explored.

North Star Murder Case

Anime Episode 144-145: The North Star No.3 Express Leaving Ueno

Characters introduced

Kyohei Nishimura
	Inspector from Hokkaido Prefecture Police

File 215 - The Northbound Train

File 216 - Search The Train!?

File 217 - To Be Continued...

File 218 - The Last Station

Show spoilers »