Chapter 251: Case Solved
Alhaitham was right. This affair truly had little to do with him, and the police officers posted at the door had no grounds to detain him. Heiji Hattori could only watch, a scowl tightening his features, as the man's silhouette vanished from the practice room's entrance.
"Seriously? Is that guy always so damn arrogant?"
Heiji knew from Conan that Alhaitham was a member of the Black Organization, but based on the boy's description, his impression had been that of a refined, scholarly type. He hadn't expected the man's personality to be so… utterly dismissive.
He muttered under his breath, figuring that with an attitude like that, Alhaitham probably wasn't winning any popularity contests within the Organization.
"Heiji, do you know Mr. Alhaitham?" Kazuha asked, puzzled by her friend's sudden outburst.
Conan's head snapped toward Heiji, his eyes flashing with a sharp, warning glare. Just as he'd feared—Hattori's mouth was a liability. Thankfully, Alhaitham was already gone. If he had overheard that, it might have aroused suspicion.
"Ah… no, not at all!" Heiji stammered, rubbing the back of his neck with a forced, awkward laugh. "I just, uh, thought his personality was a bit much, so I was just talking to myself. Haha."
"Alhaitham is an outstanding scholar from my homeland," Nilou interjected, her gentle voice drawing their attention. Seeing the lingering unease in the room, she knew they had misunderstood him. "I happened to hear he was in Japan, so I wanted to ask for his help with the stage design. He's actually a very kind person."
She offered a warm, reassuring smile, but the others merely exchanged noncommittal glances.
As the tension Alhaitham had brought with him finally dissipated from the room, Ai Haibara let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She emerged from her hiding spot behind Conan and Genta, though she still made a conscious effort to keep her distance from Okiya Subaru.
Hearing Nilou mention they were from the same country piqued the children's interest. Ayumi trotted over to the dancer, her eyes wide with curiosity. "Miss Nilou, which country are you from? And… and how did you and that man meet?"
"We're both from Sumeru," Nilou replied, looking down at Ayumi with a soft expression. As for how they met, she paused to think. "Our country has a national research institute called the Akademiya, and its highest leader is the Grand Sage. I once worked with Alhaitham to… send the Grand Sage to prison. We met during that operation. Alhaitham even served as the Acting Grand Sage for a while after that."
The room fell silent. Seeing the strange looks from everyone around her, Nilou realized how that must have sounded and quickly added, a light blush dusting her cheeks, "Um… it's because the Grand Sage was doing bad things! That's why we had to do it."
Conan blinked. He hadn't been staring because of the "sending a leader to prison" part; he was simply stunned. He never would have guessed that Nilou, a dancer who appeared so graceful and delicate, had participated in what sounded like a dangerous political coup. It was a stark reminder that you truly couldn't judge a book by its cover.
'And Acting Grand Sage…'he thought, a new level of respect—and caution—forming in his mind.'I didn't expect Alhaitham to have that kind of history.'
His gaze flickered over to Heiji, a silent, pointed look that clearly said, And you didn't manage to dig up any of this?
Heiji felt the weight of that stare and shifted uncomfortably. Hey, he couldn't be blamed for this! How was he supposed to uncover the internal political affairs of another country on such short notice?
The children, of course, weren't burdened by such complex thoughts. To them, Nilou's story was simple: she and Alhaitham were heroes who had impressively taken down a bad guy.
Even Ai Haibara found her deep-seated fear momentarily overshadowed by a wave of intense curiosity. Leaning into her child-like persona, she asked in a small, inquisitive voice, "He only served for a while? Miss Nilou, does that mean he isn't the Acting Grand Sage anymore? Why not?"
"According to him, it was because he didn't want to get involved in troublesome work," Nilou explained, tapping a finger to her cheek as she recalled the conversation. "He said the title of Acting Grand Sage would only bring him more trouble… hmm, yes, that's what Alhaitham said."
Heiji turned his head away, gritting his teeth. "Damn it," he muttered, just loud enough for himself to hear. "That bastard just had to show off again."
Okiya Subaru adjusted his glasses, a faint smile playing on his lips. "That certainly sounds like something a person with his personality would do."
With the brief interlude over, everyone's attention snapped back to the case at hand.
Alhaitham's subtle but pointed attitude toward Murata Yoko had not gone unnoticed. Compared to the other two idols, Mizuno Ai and Barbara, Murata's demeanor toward Nilou had been noticeably colder. Consequently, the police began to focus their investigative efforts squarely on her.
So far, both Heiji and Conan had also come to suspect Murata Yoko the most.
Under the weight of their scrutiny, Murata's panicked expression only deepened. With the assistance of Kamisato Ayaka, who helped coordinate the information, the police began to carefully cross-reference the previous timelines and movements of all suspects with the surveillance footage.
The evidence started to mount. The needles found in Nilou's dance shoes were a perfect match for the sewing needles in the costume room. And according to the records, the only person who had entered the costume room all day was Murata Yoko, who was on staff.
, Nilou recalled an earlier conversation. She had previously mentioned to Murata Yoko that her friend—Alhaitham—would be visiting today, and that she might not be in the practice room around noon.
With that revelation, the cloud of suspicion hanging over Murata Yoko thickened into certainty.
Although there was no single piece of direct, irrefutable evidence, the circumstantial case was overwhelming. Everyone in the room could now practically see the truth.
Murata Yoko's psychological defenses were clearly not very strong. After just a few pointed questions from the detectives, her composure shattered completely, and she confessed to everything.
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