Beika Hospital – Emergency Wing
The television had been quiet that morning.
No new murder cases. No high-speed chases. Just a smiling anchor reporting on the upcoming grand opening of "Water Crystal," an ocean-themed entertainment facility near Tokyo Bay.
For once, it seemed the day would remain ordinary.
But fate, as always, had other plans.
Hayashi Yoshiki was in the middle of brainstorming the opening paragraph for his next mystery novel when his phone rang.
"Yoshiki-san! Are you free right now!?"
Her voice was shrill, panicked—almost breaking.
"Mom is in the hospital! It looks like... food poisoning—"
"What?! Where? I'm coming now."
She told him the hospital's name. He was already grabbing his coat before she finished.
Tōda Hospital – Operating Wing
By the time Hayashi Yoshiki arrived, the red light above the emergency room had just switched off. Ran, Kogoro, Conan, and Eri's secretary Midori Kuriyama were already gathered outside.
A doctor in a white coat emerged from the double doors.
"Are you the family?""Don't worry. She was brought in quickly. Gastric lavage has been performed. She's out of danger."
Everyone exhaled at once.
Ran's knees nearly buckled in relief.
Yoshiki gave a quick nod to Kogoro, then turned to Midori Kuriyama.
"Miss Kuriyama, did Aunt Eri eat anything unusual this morning?"
"Just some Zigoba chocolate someone sent to the office…" Midori answered hesitantly."She started choking shortly after."
Hayashi's brows drew together.
Zigoba—Eri's favorite. But something didn't add up…
Moments later, Kisaki Eri was wheeled out of surgery.
She was conscious, though pale and visibly exhausted. Her loosely cascading hair gave her a strangely fragile air as she tilted her head to see her daughter.
"I'm fine," Eri whispered, managing a gentle smile. "Don't worry, Ran."
Kogoro approached, genuinely worried.
"You're here too…" Eri sighed, clearly not in the mood for his theatrics.
But when she spotted Hayashi Yoshiki nearby, her expression softened again.
"Yoshiki… You look tense."
"I was worried. How are you feeling now?"
The attending doctor interjected:
"Tests indicate pesticide poisoning. Thankfully, she's stable, but we recommend at least 48 hours of observation."
"We understand. Thank you, doctor."
Yoshiki and the others watched as she was wheeled away to a recovery ward, Ran and Midori Kuriyama following close behind.
Left behind were Hayashi Yoshiki, Kogoro, Conan, and a well-dressed police officer.
"Mr. Hayashi, I'm Inspector Shiratori, under Megure's command."
The man extended his hand with bureaucratic grace.
"Pleasure.""What happened exactly?"
Kogoro leaned forward, unusually serious.
"Yoshiki… It's not just Eri. Inspector Megure was attacked this morning!"
"Someone fired a crossbow at him during his morning jog. And… these were found at the scene."
He held up evidence bags.
Inside: a cardboard sword, and a flower, both meticulously crafted.
Conan squinted at them.
They looked familiar—but he couldn't place why.
"It's the King and Queen from a deck of playing cards," Yoshiki said quietly.
Everyone turned to him.
"The King holds a sword. The Queen, a flower. If we interpret the 'K' as the thirteenth letter—Inspector Megure Juzo—and the Queen as a metaphor for Eri, often called 'Princess' in court..."
"That's it!" Kogoro clapped his shoulder."You're a genius, Yoshiki!"
"The attacker isn't finished," Yoshiki warned."They're leaving symbolic warnings. This was intentional."
"Playing cards, a grudge, police connections… It must be Murakami Joe!"
Kogoro's shout drew curious glances.
Murakami Joe—the former casino card dealer turned murderer—had been arrested by Kogoro himself ten years ago. He'd just been released last week.
"Megure and Eri are both linked to me. He must be getting revenge!" Kogoro declared.
Shiratori looked uneasy but nodded.
"Let's bring him in before he hurts someone else."
"Yoshiki, stay and watch over the hospital. I'll handle this."
Kogoro and Shiratori rushed out. Conan, as expected, silently followed.
Hayashi Yoshiki didn't follow.
Because he already knew: Murakami Joe wasn't the culprit.
The truth? It was a wine taster, carefully orchestrating murders and planting clues to frame Murakami, using his recent release as the perfect smokescreen.
A puppet master's diversion.
He adjusted his coat and turned toward Eri's recovery ward.
There was still a long game to play—and he had every intention of uncovering its rules.