Though it had been unusually warm, the weather suddenly turned cool again. Hayashi Yoshiki found that he was slowly getting used to these seasonal shifts.
At 1:42 PM, he arrived at the Beika Museum as invited.
Kogoro Mouri, along with Ran, Conan, and Sonoko, was already there. Everyone had gathered on the upper floor, observing the massive security operation underway outside.
There were bomb-disposal vehicles, towering searchlights, and even helicopters circling above.
The museum was entirely surrounded, and crowds had formed to witness the spectacle.
"It's quite the scene. Looks like Tokyo's entire police force is here today," said Kogoro Mouri, clearly impressed.
Even in his days as a police officer, he had never seen anything .
"Well, we are dealing with a world-class thief, after all," replied Hayashi Yoshiki, smiling faintly.
Though he looked at the police below, his thoughts were elsewhere.
Today marked the fifth day that Hideo Kawashima had been on the run in Tokyo...
Starting today, the majority of Tokyo's police would be concentrated here at the museum for two full days.
The seventh day, the very day Hayashi had written in the Death Note for Kawashima's arrest, would be just after the police resources were stretched thin.
Coincidence? Or causality?
"Brother Yoshiki, have you deciphered the code yet?"
Ran turned to him with curiosity, breaking his train of thought.
Kaito Kid had sent a notice ahead of time, and the Suzuki family had shared its contents with both Kogoro Mouri and Hayashi Yoshiki.
April foolWhen the moon separates the twoI will hear the name of the stars in the dark nightFollow the invitation of the waves and go to receive it— Kaito Kid
Conan, who was nearby, also looked over with interest but didn't say anything.
He was still slightly annoyed by Hayashi's comment on Tsukikage Island—that someone always died whenever he showed up.
Still in a sour mood, he stayed quiet.
"I have a few ideas," said Hayashi, casually, "but the mention of 'April fool' makes me think this might just be a prank."
"How can you say that, Yoshiki!"
Kogoro Mouri turned around, suddenly stern.
"Listen—he's a thief. You can't let your guard down just because he tosses in a joke!"
Hayashi nodded respectfully, then added, smiling:"But I've researched Phantom Thief 1412. Despite being a thief, he operates with artistic flair, always returns the jewels after stealing them... I don't think someone like him would tarnish his own reputation with something petty."
"Maybe so, but this commission is from the Suzuki Group. You better take it seriously. It'll be good for your future."
Hayashi Yoshiki was slightly amused by Kogoro's elder-like scolding but nodded politely.
Soon, Shiro Suzuki arrived with Sonoko.
He didn't act arrogant and seemed surprisingly warm. After exchanging pleasantries, his gaze settled on Hayashi Yoshiki.
"You're certainly a fine-looking young man, Mr. Hayashi. No wonder my daughter keeps bringing you up."
His playful remark made Sonoko blush furiously.
Hayashi simply replied with polite humility.
After some small talk, Shiro Suzuki asked if anyone had cracked the code.
At that moment, a police officer from Investigation Section 2 spoke up, suggesting that "invitation of the waves" referred to Tsutsu River, which flowed behind the museum.
This drew a loud laugh from Kogoro Mouri.
"Hahaha! That's a lame deduction!"
"You still don't get it? Waves don't just mean water—they can refer to sound, to signals. And when you say 'stars in the dark,' who do you think of? Idols, of course! Specifically, Yoko Okino is performing tomorrow night at the Mihua Public Hall!"
"And her last song? It's called Moon Girl—that's your 'moon separating the two' clue!"
Kogoro Mouri was completely fired up, his eyes shining like a fanboy.
Conan sighed and facepalmed.
Shiro Suzuki nodded thoughtfully, though he seemed unsure. Just then, he noticed Hayashi Yoshiki had quietly moved away and was typing something on his phone.
Okino Yoko: "My concert's tomorrow. I've been rehearsing non-stop… haven't had much time to talk, Yoshiki-kun…"Hayashi: "Thank you for your hard work."Hayashi: "My uncle was just talking about you. Nervous for the performance?"Okino Yoko: "A little… but with your support, I'm doing great! (•̀ᴗ•́)و"Hayashi: "Yoko, you're very cute."Okino Yoko: "Hey… will you come to see me perform?"Hayashi: "Yes, I'll be there."
They exchanged a few more lines before she went back to rehearsal, and Hayashi Yoshiki put his phone away.
Back in the group, Conan finally asked,"Brother Yoshiki, you said you had some ideas… What did you figure out?"
Although Kogoro's theory had been ridiculous, it had unintentionally sparked some genuine clues for Conan.
This was his chance. He had lost to Hayashi Yoshiki too many times in case-solving. Maybe he could finally win one in decoding a message.
"Ah," said Hayashi, thoughtfully. "The line 'When the moon separates the two' could be referring to the moon coming between the Earth and the Sun—that is, a lunar eclipse. That usually happens between 12:30 and 4:00 AM, a time when BS satellite broadcasts go down."
"That gives us 'Black Star' as a possible keyword."
"As for 'invitation of the waves,' if we take waves to mean radio waves, the direction could be from the BS satellite broadcast zone… which places the entry point near the Haido City Hotel rooftop, visible from the Beika Museum."
You call that just 'having a few ideas'?!
While Conan was still stunned, the nearby police officer and Shiro Suzuki were both nodding eagerly.
"We'll station teams at the Haido Hotel immediately. We're catching that thief today!"