Chapter 15: Good Grief, a Tea Party

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And so, the workday came to an end. Normally, with such a major case, overtime would be expected. Yet, with no leads to follow, working late was merely a formality. Kiichi feigned some effort for a while before deciding to leave. But he wasn’t heading home; he had a genuine errand to attend to. He drove straight to Mihana Town, Second District. Parking near an elliptical building with a distinctly modern architectural style, Kiichi approached and rang the doorbell. After a moment, a plump, balding yet spirited elderly man answered. Without knowing his background, it would be hard to believe that Dr. Agasa was only fifty-two. And who names their child “Doctor” anyway? One wonders what his parents were thinking. “May I ask who you are?” the doctor asked curiously, surprised to see a stranger instead of the familiar Shinichi suddenly showing up. “Hello, I’m Kiichi Higashino, Police Inspector from the Metropolitan Police Department’s First Criminal Investigation Division, Third Section of Violent Crime,” Kiichi replied. Respectful of the elderly and unwilling to cause unnecessary stress, especially since Dr. Agasa was already worried about Shinichi’s troubles with the mysterious Black Organization, Kiichi showed his identification. Seeing the credentials, Dr. Agasa visibly relaxed; these past days had been nerve-wracking with Shinichi’s sudden entanglement with the dark organization, nearly losing his life. “May I ask what business you have, Inspector?” Dr. Agasa asked, still standing by the door, hesitant to invite Kiichi in immediately. Unlike the Kudo family, who often encountered cases, the doctor thought he was less involved. “Could I come in for a talk?” Kiichi asked cautiously, concerned that the news he was about to share might shock the elderly man. Dr. Agasa nodded and opened the door. The living room was quite cluttered, with some unused inventions and packaging materials haphazardly piled in a corner out of the way. It looked much like Kiichi’s own room—neatly untidy, keeping things as they are unless they interfere with cleanliness. Would he end up like this when he grew old? They sat on the sofa, and after ensuring Dr. Agasa was settled, Kiichi finally spoke. “I’d like to ask for your help in contacting Yusaku Kudo.” Dr. Agasa was momentarily stunned. “Inspector, do you have a difficult case that requires Yusaku’s assistance?” “No, I need to discuss something about Shinichi Kudo with him. And if you don’t mind, please call me Kiichi.”

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A cold sweat broke out on Dr. Agasa’s forehead. “Shinichi… what happened to him?” “Doctor, aren’t you well aware already?” Kiichi didn’t expect such a plump old man to jump so high. Luckily, they were inside; otherwise, the doctor might have fainted out of fright. After a lengthy explanation, Dr. Agasa finally believed Kiichi wasn’t a spy sent by the liquor company. “Actually… I haven’t told Yusaku or Yukiko about Shinichi’s situation yet…” Dr. Agasa admitted sheepishly. “Shinichi thinks he can handle it himself…” “No, he can’t.” Kiichi was certain that even in his later Conan form, Shinichi could not tackle the liquor company alone. He also knew Yusaku and Yukiko were unaware of Shinichi’s condition. After all, he clearly recalled that during the Conan kidnapping incident, the Kudo couple explicitly said the problem arose after their return to Japan, describing it gravely as a “disappearance.” “Alright then,” Dr. Agasa agreed. Notifying Yusaku wouldn’t do any harm. Considering Yusaku lives in Los Angeles and it was still early there, making a direct call was impossible. The doctor kindly invited Kiichi to join him for dinner while waiting. Truly, Dr. Agasa was a kind-hearted old man who bore the burden of caring for Shinichi without complaint. Or perhaps, living alone, he found comfort in company. Kiichi helped prepare the meal. Though not a master chef, he managed ordinary dishes well enough. By contrast, Dr. Agasa clearly needed Ai Haibara’s care. They chatted while keeping an eye on the time, mostly discussing Shinichi, as they were not close acquaintances. When the time was right, Dr. Agasa made a transpacific call. On the other end was Yukiko. Upon learning about her son’s predicament, she immediately began arranging plane tickets with her husband and warmly agreed to Kiichi’s request to use Yusaku’s connections to reach an FBI contact. At the call’s end, Yukiko sternly warned Dr. Agasa and Kiichi not to tell Shinichi about the couple’s imminent return. It seemed that being kidnapped was Shinichi’s destined hardship. The next day, Dr. Agasa called the police precinct, asking Kiichi to come over after work. Kiichi felt it was time to get a mobile phone. Although he would soon replace it, necessity prevailed. Though he was heading to Dr. Agasa’s home, the real meeting spot was a neighboring classic European-style mansion. Standing before the two-story house and its expansive garden, Kiichi felt a pang of envy. Even if he didn’t need such a large home, he longed to live in a grand house like this. Ringing the doorbell and entering, Kiichi was warmly greeted by Yusaku and Yukiko Kudo. Remarkable—they had been notified only yesterday and arrived today. Their efficiency was impressive. “Please come in, Inspector Higashino,” Yusaku said, leading Kiichi inside. Yukiko, meanwhile, was already struggling to fight off several yawns, battling jet lag. Despite her exhaustion, the former actress showed no intention of resting, her concern for her son evident.

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Inside the study, besides Dr. Agasa, another man wearing a knit cap was present. “…” The Kudōs have no fixed jobs, so their prompt return was understandable. But as for this FBI elite—how was he convinced so easily? Didn’t James mind? “This is FBI Special Agent Shuichi Akai,” Yusaku introduced. “He’s been investigating the organization. After I contacted him, he immediately decided to come with me.” It was clear Akai was deeply committed. He hadn’t even let go of his connection to Akemi Miyano yet, but just hearing about the organization from the Kudō family made him restless. Well, that was good. Since they wanted Akai’s help anyway, his arrival would only smooth the plan’s execution. “Inspector, I wonder how much you know about that organization,” Akai asked bluntly. I know they’re a global espionage training center. But I certainly wouldn’t say it that way. “They are a highly dangerous and troublesome group, backed by an incredibly powerful force.” They even have access to submarines—undeniably formidable. Yet, how lame that sounded. So Kiichi decided to get to the point. “From what I understand, Mr. Akai once went undercover within the organization and had some encounters with one of its peripheral members.” Akai’s expression turned intriguing. Kiichi wasn’t worried about questions like “How did you obtain this information?” Intelligence is intelligence; nobody cares how it was acquired as long as it’s credible. Much like in the original case, the FBI didn’t care about Conan’s true identity. They might be curious privately, but that was all. This kid was useful—that was enough. The same applied to intelligence. “I’ve prepared some tea,” Yukiko said, having briefly left the study, now returning with a tray. A tea party, huh?