Volume 23

Yuriko Tomosato
	23 years old; Concession manager;

Toshiyuki Ide
	21 years old; College student;

	Volume 23
	Information
Release date:	April 17, 1999
Chapters:	222-231
ISBN:	ISBN 4-09-125493-4
Publisher:	Shogakukan
English release date:	May 20, 2008
English ISBN:	ISBN 1-4215-1675-6
English Publisher:	Viz Media
	Featured Detective & Keyhole
; Ninzaburō Furuhata	; Ninzaburo Shiratori
	Aoyama's death & Conan side images

Chronology
‹ Volume 22	List of Chapters List of Cases	Volume 24 ›

Volume 23 was released on April 17, 1999 in Japan.

Cast

Characters

Shinichi Kudo (background)

Eri Kisaki (background)

Kazuha Toyama (background)

Heizo Hattori (background)

Gomera
(movie screen)

Tomomi Sakaguchi (movie screen)

Kamen Yaiba (backgound)

Gadgets

Voice-Changing Bowtie

Stun-Gun Wristwatch

Chapters

Movie Theater Case

Anime Episode 138-139: The Final Screening Murder Case

File 222 - Cinecittà

Genta, Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko ferociously pressure Conan into watching a Gomera movie. Conan and Haibara have more "intellectual" preferences, and the Detective Boys decide to choose their movie via rock paper scissors.

Naturally, the 3/5 majority prevails and the group zealously watches Gomera's battle against a rival kaiju, creating a major disturbance within the mostly empty theater. Still, their intrusive actions are scolded by fellow audience member, Toshiyuki Ide. Conan notes the venue's state of disarray and Ayumi and Genta mention the theater is known for hosting spontaneous brawls.

The children gush over the film's qualities after the showing, as Conan suggests going home and playing a game of soccer. He is overruled yet again and alerted to a six hour long three-movie-screening of old Gomera films he has already seen. The Detective Boys rush to buy popcorn and drinks from the concession worker, Yuriko Tomosato, who gives them extra popcorn for being the last customers. When asked about what she means by "last," the establishment owner, Akio Muramatsu, appears and sadly informs the children that today marks the closure of the thirty year old theater. On the other hand, the property's real estate developer, Seiji Haruta, could not be happier about the business' imminent closure, as he disrespectfully taunts the workers for the low audience turnout. Haruta is eventually chased away by the projectionist, Minoru Furuhashi. The staff tell the Detective Boys about Haruta's grunts who would purposefully start fights during the screenings, damaging the theater's reputation and expediting their claim over the property. In the meantime, Muramatsu allows Ide to take commemorative photos of his childhood theater and Tomosato realizes she had forgotten to run to the convenience store to buy everyone's lunch, deciding to head over once the next showing begins.

The next Gomera sequel opens with a title card as Haruta sits in the back row of the theater scaring off the few people who came to see the film. A few moments later, the man notices something rapidly approach him from behind. As the movie progresses, Mitsuhiko notices the theater AC gradually increasing in intensity. Conan tries to leave to use the bathroom but is trapped by both Ayumi and Haibara who have simultaneously fallen asleep on his shoulder. Suddenly, a strange large shadow appears on the screen swinging side to side. The audience members turn towards the projector to see Haruta's body hanging on the back wall.

File 223 - The Truth In The Mirror

Inspector Megure arrives at the movie theater begins his investigation by questioning those present, asking for the exact time at which Haruta was hung. Genta and Mitsuhiko pinpoint the moment to the scene where the fairy, Emera, quells Gomera's rage at exactly 12:44. Sergeant Takagi returns with confirmation from the ticket booth lady that, excluding the children, only four people were present in the building at the time of death. Furuhashi protests, saying that only he would have the strength necessary to pull a grown man up into the air by the noose, and that he was present in the projection room the entire time. Ide also provides an alibi in the form of a burst of photographs of the movie screen taken before, during, and after the hanging. Using the photos as reference, Megure asks Muramatsu where he briefly went. The elderly man says he felt an unusual drop in temperature caused by the theater AC and exited to a service hallway right of the screen to adjust its settings.
Megure then investigates the projection room where he finds two projectors facing the theater, one for playing the film and the other for retrieving the played film. Conan floats the idea of using the two projectors in tandem. Haruta's pre-hung body can be hidden in darkness while the first projector plays and then suddenly occlude the frame after switching to the second projector. Furuhashi laughs, saying that if he were to enact such a plan, one would be able to find a seam in the films where he stitched the two strips together. Tomosato corroborates him, saying that only one projector was on when she entered the room.

Megure then moves to examine the room where Tomosato took her lunch, finding a dingy room which appears to have been seldom cleaned. As the group makes its way back to the lobby, Conan notices Mitsuhiko in a state of indecision. When asked what is on his mind, the boy reveals that he saw Tomosato in the woman's bathroom adjusting her contact lens shortly before Haruta's hung body appeared. Although Mitsuhiko's statement contradicts the woman's initial claims about being in the break room for the entire time, her excursion lasted a mere minute and likely contributed little to her ability to hang Haruta. Takagi additionally informs the group that according to his research, Haruta was in extreme gambling debt and his real estate company was on the verge of collapse. Conan surmises that while Haruta does have a legitimate reason for suicide, his preceding actions did not paint him as obviously suicidal.

Genta and Mitsuhiko exit the theater to see Professor Agasa waiting for them outside. He asks where their three other friends are, to which the two boys reply they are using the bathroom.
Conan observes the distance between the projection room and the bathroom, still caught up on Tomosato's odd behavior. When staring into the mirror, he is surprised by Haibara who comments on his calmness about his reflection. She says she feels chills every morning upon seeing "Haibara" in the mirror, unsure of who she is exactly. Seemingly inspired by her words, Conan leaps from the sink and rushes off to the auditorium. He finds dozens of old cigarettes on the floor in front of Haruta's seat and the mark his shoes left on the row before him.

File 224 - Dreamland

After Conan unmasks the murderer and his trick, he asks Professor Agasa for help in solving the case and gives him instructions. He also gives the Detective Boys an assignment. Just as Inspector Megure is about to send the suspects home, assuming Haruta committed suicide, the lights in the cinema suddenly go out, and Agasa's head appears at the window of the projection booth.

Show spoilers »

The children are allowed to finish the movie, and the theater owner, seeing them so happy, decides to keep the theater open.

People

Akio Muramatsu
	62 years old Theater owner

Seiji Haruta
	Victim (hanged) 43 years old Real-estate agent

Minoru Furuhashi
	39 years old Projectionist

Cruise Ship Murder Case

Anime Episode 174: The Twenty Year Old Murderous Intent: The Symphony Serial Murder Case

File 225 - Planner in the Shadow

File 226 - Burning Murderous Intent...

File 227 - The Unintentional Target

File 228 - Disappearing Among The Waves...

File 229 - This Is The Truth

File 230 - The Witness Returned Alive

Show spoilers »

People

Toji Samezaki
	62 years old Former superintendent of the Homicide Department

Teruyoshi Kameda
	Victim (burned) 45 years old Passenger

Korehisa Kanie
	Victim (gunshot) 46 years old Passenger

Minoru Ebina
	42 years old Passenger

Sadao Kujirai
	Victim (gunshot - injured) 50 years old Passenger

Nagisa Isogai
	27 years old Passenger

Saizo Kano
	Leader of the robbers 20 years ago

Yoshimi Samezaki
	Deceased (gunshot) 21 years old Toji Samezaki's daughter Bank employee

Major events

It's implied that Ran knows who Conan is.
Ran and Conan share a quiet moment together. Also, when Heiji knew he had to take off his clothes to signal for help, he made sure to not take off his pants and his onamori good luck charm that Kazuha gave him. He gets embarrassed when Ran and Conan catch him admiring it and thinking about her.
Kogoro's good friend, a retired detective from the police force, helps Kogoro and his friends solve the case.