Volume 7

Norikazu Sasai
	Author; Imatake's friend;

Satoru Imatake
	Victim (gunshot); Author/Novelist;

	Volume 7
	Information
Release date:	November 18, 1995
Chapters:
ISBN:	ISBN 4-09-123377-5
Publisher:	Shogakukan
English release date:	September 8, 2005
English ISBN:	ISBN 1-59116-978-X
English Publisher:	Viz Media
	Featured Detective & Keyhole
; Lieutenant Columbo	; Sango Yokomizo
	Aoyama's death & Conan side images
	Chronology
Prev volume:	« Volume 6
Next volume:	Volume 8 »
	List of chapters • List of cases

Volume 7 was released on November 18, 1995 in Japan.

Cast

Characters

Gadgets

Voice-Changing Bowtie

Stun-Gun Wristwatch

Tenkaichi Festival Case

Anime Episode 9: Tenkaichi Night Festival Murder Case

File 061 - The Photo Trap

People

Yamada
	Representative from Imatake's Publisher

Piano Sonata Case

Anime Episode 11: Moonlight Sonata Murder Case

File 062 - The Invitation To Tsukikage Island

Rather than take a vacation during Golden Week, Kogoro has been summoned by a strange letter and phone call from a man calling himself "Keiji Asou" to a small town on Tsukikage Island. When he, Ran, and Conan arrive, at first it seems as though Keiji Asou does not exist, until a man reacts badly to overhearing the name. He declares that Keiji was a famous pianist who committed suicide-murder ten years ago by setting his house on fire with himself, his wife, son and daughter trapped inside, and playing Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata until the blaze consumed him. Kogoro is dejected at the idea of an elaborate prank, but Conan suggests that since the anonymous client already paid, he likely wants them to investigate Keiji's death. Ran suggests asking the Mayor, who had been a friend of Keiji, for more information, and asks a woman (Narumi Asai) standing nearby where to find him.

During the conversation the looming mayoral election comes up, and Narumi explains the three candidates: Masato Shimizu , popular with the fisherman population of the island, Tatsuji Kuroiwa, the current mayor, and Hideo Kawashima, the island's richest inhabitant. All three should be at the community center, as the previous mayor, Isamu Kameyama, died exactly two years ago. As well as the candidates themselves, the mayors daughter, Reiko Kuroiwa, and her fiancee, Shuuichi Murasawa, are present to attend the memorial ceremony. When Kazuaki Hirata, the mayor's secretary, announces that a detective wishes to see Mayor Tatsuji, Tatsuji and Reiko both look shocked.

While Kogoro grumbles about the wait, Conan notices a piano in a nearby room that overlooks the ocean right outside. Ran notices how dirty the piano is, but Kazuaki stops her from touching it with the warning of a curse—not only is it the piano Keiji played the night of his suicide, but Kazuaki found Isamu at the piano, dead of a heart attack, just after hearing the Moonlight Sonata being played. Despite the tale, Conan plays the piano and notes how it remains in good shape. Kazuaki asks them to wait in the lobby until after the ceremony, where they find Narumi and Shimizu have just arrived. Narumi came to burn incense for Isamu because he was the first body that she inspected on Tsukikage Island. Also present at the ceremony is Ken Nishimoto, an old acquaintance of both Isamu and Kenji. Mayor Tatsuji privately accuses Hideo of hiring Kogoro to use against him, but Hideo dismisses it and steps out to the bathroom.

Still waiting, Conan wonders why someone would have been secretly tuning the "cursed" piano, and for what purpose, as well as what the mysterious letter that summoned Kogoro might mean. Suddenly, the sound of Moonlight Sonata fills the community center, and Conan rushes to the piano room only to find Hideo slumped at the piano, already dead as the song plays on.

File 063 - The Piano's Curse

Kogoro orders Ran to call the police and declares that Hideo's murder was planned, because a tape recorder hidden in the piano is playing the music just as it had for the previous mayor's death. Conan silently berates himself for not having realized the letter's meaning sooner while Narumi examines the body. Narumi declares the cause of death to be suffocation by drowning, which Conan supports by pointing out what looks like Hideo's jacket in the sea outside the music room. Since evidence points to Hideo having been drowned by someone in the community center, all the ceremony attendees are suspects. Narumi mentions that she went to the toilet soon after Hideo, but didn't see anyone suspicious. The remaining mayoral candidates accuse each other of killing Hideo, but Kogoro orders them to calm down.

Conan mentions that due to Hideo's size and build, his murderer was likely a man to have drowned him and dragged him into position so quickly. Kogoro wonders why risk using the piano; Kazuaki suggests the piano's curse, since Keiji donated it fifteen years ago. Kogoro discovers a piece of sheet music on the piano that hadn't been there before, the sight of which causes Ken Nishimoto to panic an run from the room. Kazuaki explains that Ken used to be rich and popular, but for the past two years he has become reclusive and seems afraid of something. Ken is an old friend of Tatsuji, though Tatsuji seems reluctant to confirm that they were.

Ran arrives with the islands only policeman, but due to the late hour, the guests are released home to be questioned in the morning. Reiko wishes the creepy piano would burn; Shuuichi agrees with a slightly creepy smile, which garners him a dark look from Kazuaki. After everyone else leaves, Natsumi compliments Conan's intelligence and persuasiveness; Conan credits Kogoro to Natsumi but privately is certain Kogoro has no chance of solving the case when even Conan is confused. As he ponders the murder, the music, and the letter mentioning that 'shadows will begin to vanish', Conan realizes with horror that Hideo's death is only the start.