"Of course, my dad was a policeman, but Conan couldn't have known that, so it doesn't count," Ran said to comfort Conan.
"Pfft, when I was a cop, this brat hadn't even been born. Hattori, that's cheating."
Kogoro Mouri looked at Heiji with disdain.
Heiji shrugged: If Conan were really a primary school kid, naturally he wouldn't know. But he's actually Shinichi Kudo. Not having counted him just means he selectively ignored Kogoro Mouri.
Conan's face was not good at all: Damn it, how could I have forgotten about uncle?
Ignoring already known information is a taboo for a detective. For a mystery fanatic, it is an absolutely intolerable mistake.
"Conan, you're already very good, don't be discouraged," Ran encouraged him.
"Don't worry, Ran-neechan. I think Heiji-niichan is absolutely right," Conan said, looking up.
"Wow, little one, so you don't admire your Shinichi-niichan anymore. Be careful he doesn't give you a beating when he comes back," Sonoko said with a malicious smile.
"I'm not afraid, Shinichi-niichan surely won't scold me."
Conan smiled bitterly: I have to thank Hattori. If it weren't for his unintentional reminder, I still wouldn't have realized my own flaw. Dad was right, clues are found in the small details. It seems I'm really not as good as Hattori.
"Heiji, you said there were twelve policemen. Apart from Uncle Mouri, who is the other one?" Kazuha asked with curiosity.
A confident smile formed on Heiji's lips as he looked at a man at the next table: "He is the twelfth policeman."
Conan and the others followed Heiji's gaze. They saw a man in his twenties, with slightly curly hair and dressed in a blue suit.
[Him?]
Conan made a face: That guy looks like a playboy, how can he be a policeman?
"Heiji, could you be mistaken? He looks more like a playboy," Sonoko voiced what Conan was thinking.
"Oh, really?" Heiji smiled confidently. "Does little Conan think so too?"
"Heiji-niichan, because of their profession, policemen handle a gun every day. Over time, a small callus forms on the flesh between the thumb and index finger, and also on the inside of the middle finger. But that guy... that gentleman, when he holds the wine glass, you can see he has no calluses between his fingers, nor on his middle finger. That doesn't match the characteristics of a policeman."
As a policeman, even an inspector cannot avoid having this characteristic, because it is an officer's honor.
"This little Conan is right. The way that guy tastes red wine is correct and elegant, something a normal policeman couldn't do. Heiji, you must be mistaken."
Although Sonoko admired Heiji, as the daughter of the Suzuki Corporation, wine tasting was one of the etiquettes they had to learn. She could see that the way that man tasted wine was not that of an ordinary person. And would a rich kid become a policeman?
That conclusion was evidently impossible.
Heiji smiled slightly, picked up a glass of red wine from the table and swirled it gently. The crimson liquid inside shone with a reddish hue.
Sonoko's eyes widened: "Heiji, do you like red wine too?"
"That's not the point. The point is, can you tell by my appearance that I know how to taste wine?"
He gently swirled the glass, brought it closer to his nose, slowly placed it on his lips, took a small sip, and savored it slowly...
This sensation brought back memories of his former life as an assassin.
Red wine, beautiful women, corpses.
"Hey, brat Hattori, what does you drinking wine have to do with whether that guy is a cop or not?" Kogoro Mouri asked bluntly.
"Uh, nothing to do with it."
Conan almost fell over, an expression of disbelief on his face.
"However, that man is a policeman, that's a fact," Heiji said confidently.
"But Heiji-niichan, he doesn't have the characteristics of a policeman, nor the attitude. This time, you're mistaken," Conan said smugly.
Heiji put down the glass and looked at Conan with confidence: "Little one, today I'll teach you a lesson: you can't judge a book by its cover."
With that, under the watchful eyes of Conan and the others, he walked towards that man.
"Inspector Shiratori, what a coincidence."
Ninzaburo Shiratori, who was talking to another person, turned and frowned: "Hello, do we know each other?"
Conan and the others were dumbstruck.
"Is that playboy really a policeman?" Sonoko exclaimed, surprised.
Inspector Shiratori looked at Sonoko Suzuki and, for a moment, was frozen. Out of politeness, he approached: "Hello, second Miss Suzuki. My name is Ninzaburo Shiratori, it's a pleasure."
"Hello. Excuse the question, but are you really a policeman?"
"Yes, my rank is inspector of the Third Violent Crimes Section of the First Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Department."
Inspector Shiratori's tone had a slight touch of pride.
Everyone was speechless. It turns out he was also an inspector.
After chatting briefly, everyone looked at Heiji.
"Heiji, how did you know he was a policeman?"
Kazuha asked the question everyone wanted to ask.
Heiji looked at them confidently: "Because I've seen him on television and read about him. That's why I know he's a policeman and that his family is very rich."
Conan and the others were instantly speechless. They were expecting a spectacular deduction, and it turns out...
"As a detective, it is necessary to accumulate all information that might be useful."
Heiji put on an expression of profound wisdom.
Conan lowered his head, his chin resting in his hand: Hattori is right. It seems my accumulation of information is still not enough.
At that moment, there was a commotion among the crowd.
"Ah, my father has arrived."
As Sonoko Suzuki had to receive Heiji and the others, she and Tomoko Suzuki had arrived earlier. Shiro Suzuki and Ayako Suzuki arrived a little later.
All eyes focused on Shiro Suzuki, watching him as he walked step by step onto the stage.
"Sonoko, what are your father's hobbies?"
Heiji looked at Shiro Suzuki, a flash of insight in his eyes.
"My father's hobbies? He likes to watch fighting shows. He often says that if he didn't have to run the company, he would have dedicated himself to cultivating a muscular body, which leaves my sister and me speechless," Sonoko said with resignation.
"Thank you all very much for attending the commemorative banquet for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Suzuki Corporation."
As soon as Shiro Suzuki finished speaking, thunderous applause was heard.
"Next, my wife Tomoko will explain the content of tonight's banquet."
Another round of thunderous applause.
Tomoko Suzuki approached the microphone, about to speak.
"Wait a moment. Who told you to leave?"
A discordant sound suddenly broke the silence of the banquet hall.
All eyes instantly focused on Heiji, looking at this young man with astonishment.
[Which family is this boy from? How can he be so rude on such an important occasion?]
Kazuha pulled Heiji's hand. Almost all the gazes in the hall were fixed on him.
Everyone present awaited Tomoko Suzuki's wrath. It was well known that in the Suzuki Corporation, her word was law, and in the business world, she was an Iron Lady.
On such an important occasion, such a rude person would surely be thrown out.
"Heiji, is something wrong?" Tomoko Suzuki asked kindly.
Instantly, everyone was dumbfounded. This Lady was being incredibly courteous to this young man.
"Mrs. Tomoko, I believe that before you give your speech, it would be better to catch that fake President Suzuki. Otherwise, the Dark Star could be in danger."
[Fake President Suzuki? Could he be Kaito Kid in disguise?]
Suddenly, all eyes turned to Shiro Suzuki. The hall fell into absolute silence.
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