Chapter 229 The Magician by the Water
"So, they think one of us is Kudo Shinichi, but there's no way to be sure?" Conan then whispered.
"Probably so." Fengyuan agreed.
The fact that one person turned into two people was unbelievable, not to mention that the person inside who seemed to have also become smaller did not become two people, which further made it difficult for the other party to think of such a thing.
"However," he then reminded Conan, "even this is quite dangerous."
"I know. But I don't know why. That guy seemed to be very sure of my identity when he saw me for the first time. Even if we met ten years ago, it wouldn't be like this..."
Fortunately, Feng Yuan helped cover it up, so the other party couldn't be sure...
"Maybe she has also become smaller." Feng Yuan meant.
Because he and Haibara were not supposed to appear in London, and he had no reason to see the shrunken version of Akai Marie, he had no intention of using this to expose Sera Masumi's secret for the time being.
Moreover, they are almost one of their own, so Fengyuan has not told anyone about this matter.
Conan subconsciously thought that Maplehara was talking about Sera Masumi.
"How is that possible?" Conan immediately objected, "She looks like a high school student now, not to mention that she saw her ten years ago...
If we really want to say that it has become smaller, it can only be because a single part has become smaller...
However, this idea was a bit too rude, so even if he was facing his other self, Conan still didn't say it.
The two of them quietly speculated on the purpose of Sera Masumi calling them here. Soon, Maplehara and Conan followed Xiaolan and Sonoko to the public swimming pool.
It is very convenient for elementary school boys to swim. Maplehara and Conan put on the swimming trunks they brought and walked out to wait for Xiaolan and Sonoko.
After a while, Xiaolan and Yuanzi, both wearing bikinis, walked out of the dressing room to join them.
Conan couldn't help but take a few more glances.
"It's so big!" Xiaolan exclaimed as she looked at the swimming pool.
"Yeah," Yuanzi nodded, "but compared with the swimming pool in my villa, it's still a little narrow."
"Just a little?" Fengyuan asked curiously.
"Of course it's just a polite statement, kid." Sonoko bent down and looked at Feng Yuan, "But it's pretty good to have such a level here!"
“I wonder what kind of swimsuit Sera will wear, I’m really looking forward to it!”
"It should be that kind of sporty one-piece swimsuit!" Sonoko straightened up and speculated.
"Conan, you're looking forward to it too, right?" Xiaolan bent over and looked at Conan.
She was a little closer to Conan, so a certain part of her was closer, and she was just at Conan's eye level. This made Conan's eyes widen and he blushed a little.
"Ah, yes!" Conan responded.
It’s so satisfying…
Conan thought.
However, as soon as this idea came to his mind, another thought suppressed it.
Conan instinctively looked at Fengyuan again and felt more comfortable when he found that Fengyuan was not looking at Xiaolan but looked back at the entrance.
"But isn't Sister Sera flat-chested?" Sonoko said.
"Sister Serang?" Xiaolan was a little confused.
"Yeah, don't you think it feels good to call her Sera-chan?"
"That's what I said..."
"It's okay!" Sera Masumi came over, also wearing a striped bikini.
Just now, Fengyuan looked back because he noticed the movement of her approaching.
Xiaolan and Yuanzi were a little surprised when they looked at the swimsuit she was wearing.
"Just call me Sera-san!" Sera Masumi continued, "Someone did call me that when I was a kid!"
"You," Yuanzi couldn't help but complain, "Although your breasts are not big, your mind is quite big!"
"mind?"
"Eh? Miss Yuanzi?" While they were chatting, someone next to them recognized Yuanzi.
Everyone looked over and saw that it was a man in his early thirties wearing glasses.
His name was Sanomaki Raito, and he was the secretary of President Oiso. President Oiso's Oiso Foundation was a subsidiary of the Suzuki Foundation, so he recognized Sonoko.
Mr. Sanomaki and Sonoko had just chatted for a few words when Miss Nagami Oiso, who was lying on a beach chair beside her, called her to help apply sunscreen.
Alongside Oiso Nagami are her half-sister Oiso Hamaka and the hotel manager Mr. Toshima.
Those people spoke a few words, and from the conversation, Maplehara heard that Mr. Sasaki, who was Oiso Nagami's fiancé, seemed to be having an affair with Oiso Hamaka, and that Oiso Nagami's character seemed to be very bad...
Next, just when Xiaolan and others were about to enter the swimming pool, Fengyuan knew what was worse.
Oiso Nagami's necklace seemed to be lost, because she thought it might have been dropped in the swimming pool. She immediately asked Manager Toshima to expel all the guests in the swimming pool and search them, and also sealed the place.
Fengyuan and others who had not yet had time to get into the water were able to escape the trouble of having to deal with her body search.
They had no choice but to go back to the locker room to change their clothes, and then stopped by the swimming pool to take a sneak peek.
There was no one else in the swimming pool. Oiso Yongmei even took the oxygen bottle used for diving and wanted to dive down to find the necklace. Then she kicked Manager Toshima and others out, planning to look for them alone.
When they returned, they happened to see her losing her temper and driving people away.
"...Really, are all young ladies so willful?" Sera Masaki couldn't help complaining.
"Yuanzi is not like this, right?" Xiaolan looked at Yuanzi.
"Hmm...probably not..."
If so, we won’t be kicked out together...
Maplehara thought.
The swimming thing was a waste, but it was already here and it was almost noon, so they just went straight to have lunch. After lunch, they were ready to leave.
"You all wanted to come to the swimming pool," Sera Masaki said to Xiaolan and Sonoko sheepishly, "but in the end this happened."
"It's not your fault Sera!"
"Sister Sera, sister!" Sonoko reminded Xiaolan, "But the lunch at the hotel is delicious, so forget it!"
"yes!"
"Huh?" Sera Masumi looked back at Maplehara and Conan, who had stopped in place, "What's wrong?"
"Ah, it's nothing," Conan turned around, "The waiters in the hotel seemed to be in some commotion from just now..."
Behind them, at the end of the aisle, were two waiters talking. Feng Yuan heard it, but did not say it directly.
Because whether you tell it or not, others will know.
"What? Miss Yongmei is missing?"
Masumi Sera looked at Manager Toshima and the other three people she had just met in surprise, "Isn't she looking for her necklace in the swimming pool?"
"Y-that's how it should be!"
"But she suddenly disappeared." Oiso Hamaka explained, "We also searched the changing rooms and restrooms near the swimming pool."
"It seems like he didn't go home either!" Secretary Zuo Juan added.
"Hey, that!" As he was talking, the shocked voices of two waiters from behind by the pool came over, "It seems to be a person!"
"Ah?" Everyone looked back.
"Look!" One of the waiters continued, pointing at the swimming pool, "The one sinking in the swimming pool!"
They all ran over.
Then they were all stunned for a moment.
In the middle of the swimming pool, a woman was lying there on the bottom of the swimming pool, most likely lifeless.
That was none other than Oiso Nagami.
Secretary Zuoma took off his glasses as he ran over. Manager Toshima also took off his shirt while running, and the two of them jumped into the swimming pool one after the other.
There were two waiters nearby. They were not needed in this situation for the time being, so Fengyuan and the others did not enter the water.
"Hurry up and call the ambulance and the police!" Masumi Sera shouted to the dazed waiter on the side.
"Yes, yes!" The waiter quickly took out his mobile phone.
"Miss? Nagami?" Secretary Zuo Juan quickly picked up Oiso Nagami who was sinking at the bottom of the pool. In the process, the oxygen bottle she was carrying fell off, and Manager Toshima held her in his arms.
"But it's so strange," the waiter couldn't help but say while dialing the phone, "ten minutes ago there was nothing in the swimming pool!"
Xiaolan and Sonoko did not immediately understand the meaning of this sentence, and still stared closely at Oiso Nagami who had just been picked up.
However, Sera Masumi and Conan both realized from these words that this was probably a murder case, so they both looked at the waiter.
Immediately afterwards——
"Mr. Toshima," another childish voice came from beside them, "What are you doing?"
This is Maplehara's voice.
Masumi Sera and Conan quickly turned around again, followed Kaedehara's words and looked towards the field. After scanning around, they saw Manager Toshima in the swimming pool.
Manager Toshima, who was holding an oxygen bottle, froze on the spot.
…
After a while.
"Drowning?" It was still the Memu Police Department who rushed to the scene.
"Yes," it was still Officer Takagi who replied, "It is estimated that the time of death is between 12 noon and 1 pm."
"Hmm! But I really don't understand it! The water in this swimming pool is not deep enough to stand up! Why is it drowning?"
"It's very simple." Sera Masumi said.
"Huh?" Megure Police Department looked back and found that Maplehara, Conan and others were standing aside, "So you are all here..."
No wonder there are cases...
I hope this person named Sera will not be infected by Mori like Conan...
"What you just said..." Megure Police Department asked next.
"Miss Nagami Oiso——"
"Oiso Nagami? Who is that?"
"Uh...she is the deceased. She is the eldest lady of the Oiso Consortium." Officer Takagi quickly reminded the Megure Police Department.
"Oh I got it."
Sera Masumi was speechless when her reasoning was interrupted like this, but she continued:
"Miss Nagami Oiso is diving here alone with an oxygen bottle on her back to find her lost necklace. Just grab her by the back of her neck in the swimming pool and remove the respirator of the oxygen bottle from her mouth so that she can't breathe. Oxygen will do.”
"Miss Nagami, who is carrying an oxygen tank and wearing a diving suit, can easily sink to the bottom, and her screams cannot be heard in the water." As he said this, Masumi Sera looked at the woman who was standing aside and being guarded by two waiters. Manager Toshima, "That's right, hotel manager Mr. Toshima Ensaku?"
"What!?" Megure Police Department and Officer Takagi looked over in surprise. They've just started and the case is already solved?
Manager Toshima remained silent.
"Wait, wait a minute," Memu Police Department said quickly, "Let me explain the matter in detail first..."
He didn't know what was going on, but Brother Sera suddenly started reasoning, making him completely confused about the situation.
"Ah, yes..."
Then Sera Masumi explained the situation in detail with the cooperation of others. But just when the Megure Police Department thought they could close the team like this, Secretary Zuo Juan raised a question.
"But, but, ten minutes before Yongmei was found sinking at the bottom of the pool, there was nothing in the swimming pool, right?" Secretary Zuo Juan looked at the waiter beside him as he said that, "Isn't that right?"
"Yes, I said it before. The manager and I came here to look for Miss Yongmei, but we couldn't find her. When we came back ten minutes later, we found Miss Yongmei sinking at the bottom of the swimming pool."
"It was around two o'clock in the afternoon." The waiter looked at Fengyuan and the others, "They were also nearby at that time, and they had confirmed with me before..."
"That's right..." Officer Takagi nodded, "That means the body of Miss Nagami, who died at noon, was hidden somewhere... and then moved to the middle of the swimming pool around two o'clock in the afternoon, right?"
"That's not right." Feng Yuan said.
"ah?"
"Thanks to Kaedehara for noticing Mr. Toshima's little move, we thought of it quickly." Sera Masumi said, and reached out to touch Kaedehara's head, but was dodged.
But she didn't care.
"S-little action?" Megure Police Department looked at Manager Toshima.
Manager Toshima remained silent.
"Yes, he took the oxygen bottle he picked up from the swimming pool and wanted to smash the sink." Masumi Sera explained, "Although the sink was still smashed by him when he noticed it, it also exposed him..."
"Water, sink?"
"Yes, it was a magic trick done using the water tank - Miss Yongmei's body was actually in the swimming pool all along."
"W-what?"
"Because of the total reflection of light." Masumi Sera went on to explain, "Although water and air are both transparent, the refractive index of light is different. When light passes from water with a higher refractive index into air with a lower refractive index, If you look at the interface between water and air from a nearly horizontal angle, all the light will be reflected back by a mirror, so you will not be able to see what is behind the mirror."
Except for Masumi Sera, Maplehara, Conan, and Manager Toshima who was silent, everyone else looked confused and didn't understand at all.
"Then let's demonstrate it! Maplehara! Conan!"
"Yeah!" Maplehara and Conan replied in unison.
Megure Police Department and others looked over there and found Maplehara and Conan standing by a sink.
This is another sink they borrowed from the hotel earlier.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Maplehara threw a ten-yen coin into the sink filled with water.
"Look," Conan explained, "You can see the ten-yuan coin that Maplehara threw into the sink, right?"
"Um."
"yes."
"But if you turn the cup upside down, keep the air inside, and put it on a ten-dollar coin..."
Maplehara was still responsible for the operation and Conan was responsible for the explanation. As soon as the cup was put on, the ten-yen coin disappeared from everyone's sight.
"Disappeared!"
"That's awesome, Conan, Xiao Kong!" Xiao Lan praised.
"It's just a simple science experiment!"
"Sister Xiaolan, you should have learned it when you were in school!"
"Yes, is that so..."
"The same is true for Ms. Nagami." Masumi Sera continued to reason, "As long as there is an upside-down tank filled with air in the swimming pool, other people will not be able to see her."
"But if you look at it from directly above, can't you see it?" Police Department Megure looked down at the cup used for the experiment.
"If you look at the junction of air and water from a place with a small angle of incidence, there won't be a mirror effect. But this is a swimming pool, so you can't look at it from above, right?"
"Yes, it makes sense!"
“In other words, the criminal drowned Ms. Yongmei who was looking for a necklace, hid her body under a prepared sink in the swimming pool, and then used fishing line to pass through the drains at both ends of the swimming pool to secure the sink.
Then just tilt the sink slightly, reach through the gap to open Miss Yongmei's oxygen bottle, and fill the sink with air. The fishing line is elastic, so if you just tilt the water tank a little, you should be able to do it. "
"But," Police Megure continued, "can the water tank be fixed with a fishing line? The water tank is full of air."
"As long as we make four grooves at the bottom of the water tank and pass the fishing line back and forth, it won't float easily." Masumi Sera blinked at Maplehara, "Thanks to Maplehara, Mr. Toshima is still here Before I could completely destroy the sink, I was discovered..."
"Go and get the fragments!" Megure Police Department quickly ordered Officer Takagi.
"Mr. Toshima took advantage of Mr. Sanomaki to pull Miss Nagami's body out of the swimming pool. He put his feet into the water tank and dragged the water tank under the water. When he moved the water tank to the corner, he wanted to use an oxygen bottle. Smash it on the spot..."
"You probably think that other people will be attracted by the body fished out of the water, and will not hear the noises in the water, nor will their movements be seen, right?" Masumi Sera asked Manager Toshima.
"...Yes." The trick was completely exposed, and Manager Toshima was no longer silent. "The result still failed to escape the eyes of this little brother."
Maybe it's the ears... Conan complained in his mind.
Manager Toshima's motivations are related to his sister.
His sister's family wanted to stay in the hotel's penthouse suite to celebrate their son's birthday, but the suite they booked was temporarily snatched away by Oiso Nagami.
As a result, when his sister's family had to rush to another hotel, they were accidentally hit and killed by a friend's car driven by Oiso Nagami. Oiso Nagami then asked Manager Toshima to help her perjury, and Manager Toshima made a murderous move.
However, his method of secretly smashing the sink in front of everyone to hide himself was exposed.
The case is over.
"I'm really sorry that you came all the way and I haven't been able to entertain you properly." Sera Masumi escorted Fenghara and the others out of the hotel.
"There's nothing we can do about it, there's a case happening."
"Speaking of you," Sonoko said, "It was the same during the 'Dessert Show' before. You could always appear and disappear in unexpected places, just like a magician."
"Magician?" Sera Masumi was stunned for a moment, then looked at Feng Yuan and Conan, "Magician... it's not me!"
She deliberately said that she wanted to observe the expressions of the two people, but unexpectedly found that the expressions of the two people were the same, as if they didn't know what she was talking about.
hateful…
I can really pretend...
However, although Kudo Shinichi didn't show anything, Xiaolan had a vague impression of what happened ten years ago after hearing these words.
"Um...Sister Sera, were you and me before..."
"Ah, you called her sister just now!" Yuanzi said.
"Ah, sorry!"
"It's okay, it's okay!" Masumi Sera waved her hand and ran towards the hotel, "See you next time!"
Xiaolan said goodbye to her, and then out of the corner of her eye, she saw Sera Masamune chatting with a little girl wearing a hat who looked like a junior high school student in the hotel lobby.
Conan didn't notice this, but then he noticed that Feng Yuan had put away his phone. Realizing something, Conan subconsciously looked into the hotel, only to find Sera Masumi blending into the crowd.
Xiaolan and Yuanzi were also urging him and Fengyuan to follow.
"You guy," Conan complained in a low voice to Fengyuan while following Xiaolan, "you didn't even remind me."
"Who makes you lose focus at this time?" Fengyuan replied, "And that person has been quietly observing us for a while..."
Manager Toshima was not the only one who felt that his little tricks would not be discovered.
"Huh? Is it the one in the hotel room?"
"yes."
"Damn it..." Conan became even more depressed, and then he reacted, "You just secretly took a photo, right? Show me!"
"No pictures were taken."
"Huh? I obviously saw it."
"The video was taken." Maplehara took out his mobile phone and sent the video to Conan, "I sent it to you."