Hattori Heizo and the other two sat on the sofa, staring at that spherical Rubik's Cube, completely motionless.
All of them were deep in thought, but this 12th-order Rubik's Cube—which was furthermore in the shape of a sphere—was something that even with the highest IQ and the strongest deduction capabilities, would be impossible to restore in just a single day.
Everyone unanimously agreed that the Night Baron was toying with them.
A Rubik's Cube is the kind of puzzle where one small adjustment affects everything else. With a 12th-order cube—especially one shaped like a sphere—every single move demands careful planning and constant reevaluation. The difficulty was obvious.
So from the start, Heiji had never truly expected them to solve it within a day.
The telephone rang again.
Hattori Heizo furrowed his brows slightly. This time, it was his own mobile phone.
Seeing it was his son calling, he answered at once.
"Father, what kind of game is the Night Baron playing with you?"
Hattori Heizo's expression tightened. "He called you too?"
"Yeah. Just now." Heiji's voice turned serious. "Father, does this have something to do with the Yasakani no Magatama?"
"Come to the office."
Heizo was extremely satisfied with his son. Maybe Heiji would notice something they hadn't.
"Got it. I'm on my way."
Heizo ended the call.
"Heizo, was that Heiji?" Toyama Ginshiro asked, frowning.
"The Night Baron dragged him into this." Heizo sounded resigned.
Kudo Yusaku felt a flicker of anticipation. He wanted to see the famous high-school detective from Osaka—Shinichi's rival, whose reputation might even be greater.
Just then, Yusaku's phone rang.
His heart jumped, and a thought struck him: Did Shinichi get contacted too?
"Dad, did the Night Baron make another move?"
Conan's urgent voice came through the line.
Yusaku immediately understood. His expression sharpened. "Did he contact you directly, or did he call Mouri's office?"
Conan fell silent for a beat, then caught the meaning. "Don't worry. He called the agency. I only found out from Mr. Mouri. There's no way he knows my secret."
Yusaku nodded. "So his goal is just to toy with us."
"Dad, you still haven't told me what happened."
Conan pressed.
Yusaku quickly explained the sequence of events.
"Forget it. With you all there, why should I worry about Tokyo?" Conan's interest dropped instantly.
"Since when do you react like that?"
Yusaku was genuinely surprised.
"A 12th-order spherical Rubik's Cube… I have zero confidence. If even you can't solve it, there's no way I can." Conan sounded frustrated.
Yusaku frowned. He nodded once to Heizo and the others, then stepped out of the meeting room.
"Shinichi, if you want to be a great detective, you can't let that mindset bind you. 'If I can't solve it, you definitely can't'—how can you say that? When you face a hard case, does that give you a reason to give up?"
His tone wasn't harsh, but Conan fell silent.
"…I get it, Dad. I won't lose to Hattori."
Yusaku paused, then fell into thought. So that detective from Osaka really does put pressure on him.
After that exchange, Yusaku's curiosity about Heiji only deepened.
Back in the meeting room—
"Mouri Kogoro was also notified."
As Yusaku said it, a thought flashed through Heizo and Toyama's minds.
"What exactly is the Night Baron's goal?"
If this were only about mocking them, there was no need to contact so many people. But if it wasn't only mockery, then why call so many detectives?
For a moment, the Night Baron's actions threw all three men into confusion.
Outside the police station, Heiji had already parked.
"Heiji, what brings you here?"
As he walked inside, he ran into Officer Sakata.
"I'm looking for my father."
"The Superintendent is in his office. Just head straight in."
Heiji nodded and made his way deeper inside. Along the way, people greeted him, and he returned each greeting politely.
Heiji pushed the door open and stepped in. When he saw Kudo Yusaku, he hesitated for a split second, then recovered and walked straight to Heizo's side.
"Father. Mr. Toyama."
The two men nodded.
"This is Mr. Kudo Yusaku," Heizo introduced.
"Kudo Yusaku… you're Kudo's father?"
Surprise flickered across Heiji's face.
Yusaku stood and smiled. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Heiji."
Heiji nodded. "Likewise, Mr. Yusaku. I've read your Night Baron mystery novels—they're excellent. But…"
He paused.
"But what?" Yusaku asked.
"But it seems your novels also inspired a certain famous thief…"
Yusaku blinked, then laughed. "You can't blame me for that. My 'Night Baron' has nothing to do with that thief."
Heiji grinned. "Just joking. Don't take it seriously, Mr. Yusaku."
"Heiji. Watch your words and behavior," Heizo said sternly.
Heiji shrugged. "Understood."
Yusaku smiled faintly, surprised. No wonder Shinichi gets overshadowed. In just a few lines, he erased any awkward distance—natural, effortless, and sharp. Impressive.
"Father, what clues did the Night Baron leave?"
"Heiji, look at this," Toyama said, handing him the spherical Rubik's Cube.
"This…?"
Heiji took it, and his expression shifted. "A 12th-order spherical Rubik's Cube… that's…"
The three men weren't surprised at all.
"Father, is this the only clue?"
Heiji's face didn't look good. He swallowed his frustration and forced himself to stay calm. How much longer would he have to keep up this act?
"There's also this," Toyama said, handing him a slip of paper.
Heiji stared at it and fell into thought.
Heizo and Toyama sat quietly on the sofa, sipping tea.
Yusaku watched with interest. He wanted to see what this high-school detective—Shinichi's age—would do next.
Time passed.
Then the ringing of a phone suddenly sounded unusually loud.
Heiji snapped back to reality, glanced at the screen, walked to the window, and answered.
"Kazuha? What's up?"
"Heiji, are you coming home for dinner? Your mom already made food."
"I'm at the police station."
"Then ask your dad and my dad if they're coming back."
Heiji looked toward Heizo and Toyama. "Kazuha's asking if you and Mr. Toyama are coming home for dinner."
The two men paused, then smiled.
"Tell her we'll eat out here," Toyama laughed.
Heiji turned back to the phone. "They're not coming back, but I'll be there."
"Okay. We'll wait for you."
After he hung up, Heiji picked up the spherical Rubik's Cube again. "I'll take this home and study it a bit. I'll bring it back after dinner."
None of the three men objected.