Chapter 41: No Overtime Work at Night

Back to work after returning from Shikoku.

Early in the morning, Kiichi sat at his workstation and let out a yawn.

"Why are you still looking so listless after coming back from a vacation?" Sato gave him a sharp slap on the back.

Kiichi sighed internally. *Do you really think I went there on a holiday trip? Exercise those gray cells in your head just a little bit, you idiot. I am, after all, a quasi-career-track Inspector and a frontline mainstay—could you please not act so carefree all the time?*

Ultimately, Kiichi said nothing and simply took a gulp of coffee.

Suddenly, he felt a strong urge to resign and become a detective. He used to worry he wasn't capable enough, but thinking about it now, with his current level of skill, wouldn't being a private detective earn him far more than being a police officer?

Yet, he still couldn't bear to let go of this stable government position...

Damn habits.

Throughout the day, the only good news seemed to be that Beika Town was exceptionally quiet.

He wondered if the Grim Reaper had been sealed away by Teitan Elementary School or had traveled out of town to expand its business.

In any case, with no one dying, it was the greatest bliss.

Taking a moment to give Odagiri an oral report on the events in Shikoku, Kiichi found himself actually having some downtime within the Investigation Division One of the Conan world.

This was truly unbelievable.

However, having some free time wasn't necessarily a bad thing. After going through the ordeal in Shikoku, he had carefully reflected on it. Take the Lavender Villa case, for instance—suspecting a connection to the Curtain Maker simply because someone who wasn't the killer stood to benefit was a bit too neurotic.

It was completely like looking for a needle in a haystack purely by chance.

Therefore, he decided to hit the pause button and carefully ponder the potential connection between his parents' deaths and the Curtain Maker.

He couldn't afford to have zero direction.

Consequently, he slacked off at his desk for the entire day.

Once again, he declined an invitation to go grab a drink. He had no idea why they persistently asked him every single time, knowing full well that he didn't drink at all.

Was it probably just out of politeness?

Anyway, Kiichi didn't dwell on it too much.

However, he didn't head straight home after getting off work.

On a whim, he decided to visit his usual CD store. It had been a while since his last visit, and it was high time to replenish one of his only two remaining hobbies.

Pushing open the door, the first things that caught his eye were huge promotional posters for new releases, along with some young people wearing headphones to preview new albums.

"Oh, Inspector Toyono, long time no see." Akita Seizo, the owner, greeted him as he walked over.

"Long time no see, Manager Akita." Kiichi politely replied, expertly winding his way toward the back corner of the store.

"Inspector Toyono's tastes really don't look like those of a young man," Manager Akita remarked, following him over and noticing that Kiichi was once again ignoring the J-Pop music playing in the bustling front section.

"It's not that I dislike it; I just need music that can help me quiet down," Kiichi replied. "My everyday life is already thrilling enough; I don't need music to bring any rhythmic stimulation."

"That still sounds like something an old man like me should be saying," Akita noted.

"Who knows? Maybe I am already very old. Like the legendary immortal Yaobikuni, what if my current identity is just a disguise?" Kiichi joked casually while browsing through the CDs.

"Hmm... That sounds quite reasonable. Perhaps only someone who has lived through countless eras like you can tell at a glance who the culprit is among a crowd." The owner seemed to be taking his words seriously.

Kiichi sighed. "I can't pinpoint the culprit at a glance."

"Is that so? But I often see reports praising the Inspector to the skies," the owner pressed on persistently.

"I remember telling you many times, I'm not that kind of brilliant detective who can see the whole picture from a tiny clue like Sherlock Holmes. I think if I were meeting Watson for the first time, I wouldn't be able to deduce that he was a retired veteran," Kiichi explained. "Actually, as long as you master the relevant knowledge and are willing to settle your mind down to start from the most basic observations and listening, free from any bias or preconceptions, solving a case isn't all that difficult. The only thing I do relatively well is just being a bit more meticulous and taking every single detail a bit more seriously than others."

Akita's face clearly showed that he didn't believe a word of it, but he pressed no further. Instead, he pulled a CD from a nearby shelf and handed it to Kiichi. "This is a new release."

Kiichi took it and read the title: *From the Romantic Era to the 20th Century ~ Reiko Akiba's Brilliant Masterpiece Collection*.

He flipped it over to read the liner notes on the back cover.

"Reiko Akiba, weaving eternal melodies.
*Lascia ch'io pianga*, *Queen of the Night Aria* ──
This is a brilliant compilation of selected opera and art song masterpieces.
From the Romantic era to the early 20th century, melodies that have transcended time and been deeply cherished by people are brought back to life through Reiko Akiba's delicate and passionate vocals.
Contained within this album is a gift of voice and music.
A record that quietly plays in the stillness of the night, deep within the corridors of memory."

It looked promising. Kiichi remembered buying a few of Reiko Akiba's albums before; she was indeed a powerhouse soprano.

After browsing a bit longer, he picked out another album: *Brahms in the Wind ~ Seiji Ozawa · Symphonic Memories*.

That would do. He checked out and headed home.

After playing with his cat for a while, he unwrapped the newly purchased CD and placed it into the stereo system.

Just as he lay down on the mattress, his phone suddenly rang.

Ah, wait a minute? Could it be that he had to work overtime?

Kiichi felt a headache coming on. Who enjoys being dragged out for overtime late at night? Especially when the overtime involved a murder case.

He answered the call.

"Moon Shadow Island?" Kiichi paused for a moment. This name sounded so familiar...

Then it finally dawned on him: Moon Shadow Island!

Wasn't this the case involving the cross-dressing doctor?

Wait, what actually happened again?

Oh no, although he remembered it, he only remembered the culprit; the victim and the details of the crime were completely gone from his mind...

He could only say that the death of this particular individual was a bit too profound for a child.

The bad news was that there genuinely was a case; the good news was that he didn't need to work overtime tonight and could just catch an early morning ferry over tomorrow.

Kiichi turned the stereo back on and lay back down on the mattress.

He needed to mentally retrace this case properly and try to recall more details so that things would go smoother once he reached the island.

What he remembered very clearly, however, was that the cross-dressing doctor in this case used his life to teach Conan a lesson, marking one of the most crucial turning points in Conan's evolution into Director Conan.

Yet, this held little significance for him. He considered his worldview relatively sound; he wasn't suffering from adolescent delusions and didn't need that kind of lesson.

What about the rest of the case?

It seemed to involve a grudge stemming from many years ago? Driven by revenge for something or other, right?

Wait, was this grudge somehow related to illicit drugs?

The early days of the Conan series were truly daring; things like illicit substances—which would get censored immediately if you just named them in a novel—kept making guest appearances in a manga targeted at children...

And what was the connection between that piano and the case again?

Oh no, the details really were escaping him...

Whatever. He would go to sleep early and play it by ear once he got to the island. After all, he had gotten through so many cases he completely forgot about, and this one at least had plenty of actual key information.

Hopefully, he could prevent the tragedy from happening.