"I see, I see!"
After a long pause, Inspector Megure's excited voice came over the radio.
"As for the time... 'When the sun's shadow aligns, one minute after the clock strikes.'"
"This can be understood as noon, 12:00 PM. That's when the sun is highest and shadows are shortest, aligning completely on the summer solstice."
"The explosion happened at 12:01 PM. It matches perfectly," Heiji continued.
"Then how did you know the bomber's next target was Beika Central Hospital, Hattori?" Inspector Megure asked.
"'No time for repairs, no need for sorrow. Two hours later, the nearby Knights of the Round Table will arrive in a sea of blood.'"
"'I will stand above the broken flow of people and watch you foolish, cunning police officers weep.' This line already states the next target."
Heiji's words left Megure and the others confused.
Conan thought: Two hours after 12:00 PM is 2:00 PM. It's 12:30 now, so there's an hour and a half left.
[Wait, what am I worrying about? Hattori already told the inspector.]
Conan immediately relaxed, no longer thinking about the case.
"Heiji, stop keeping us in suspense," Miwako Sato said, exasperated.
Heiji glanced at her. "You seem to be in a hurry, Officer Miwako."
Miwako Sato's expression faltered, but she didn't say anything.
"Hattori, are you still there?" Megure's anxious voice came over the radio.
"Yes, I'm here."
Hearing Heiji's voice, Megure sighed in relief. "I was worried something had happened to you."
"Back to the topic. 'Knights of the Round Table' are from medieval Europe."
"Their armor, especially their helmets, often features a prominent cross symbol. What does a cross make you think of?"
"A hospital," Megure's serious voice replied.
"Exactly. A hospital," Heiji said calmly.
"But, big brother, Tokyo is huge and has so many hospitals. How do we know which one?" Mitsuhiko asked.
"'Nearby.' The note said 'nearby Knights of the Round Table.' That's the clue," Conan said seriously.
"'Arrive in a sea of blood' means a bomb will explode there. Bodies everywhere, blood staining the ground."
Ai's words, combined with her voice, sent an unprovoked chill down everyone's spine.
"What Ai said is so scary." The three kids shivered.
"What about the last sentence?" Megure pressed.
"Beika Avenue is in front of Beika Central Hospital. Is there a place on that avenue where you can see into the hospital? Like an overpass?"
Heiji looked at Miwako Sato, as he wasn't familiar with this area.
"Yes, the Beika Overpass," Sato nodded.
"Inspector Megure, send someone to check it out. It's best to be discreet."
"No problem. I've already given the order." Megure already trusted Heiji completely.
"Big brother, you still haven't explained the last sentence!"
"Yeah, I want to hear the rest!"
"I think your deductions are even better than that Kudo guy's!"
The three kids clearly worshipped Heiji.
[Heh. Are these three saying I'm not as good as Hattori? Damn it!]
Conan was annoyed and called out, "But Shinichi is really amazing, too!"
Ai glanced at Conan, her eyes cold. "How can that Kudo guy compare to my brother-in... How can he compare to Heiji?"
[Hey, hey!]
Conan looked at Ai, speechless. What's with Haibara? She's been different ever since she met Hattori.
Heiji smiled faintly. "'The broken flow of people' refers to people in cars."
"Because cars pass one by one, the flow is broken. And 'stand above' it clearly refers to a structure like an overpass."
The scene fell silent.
Everyone mulled over Heiji's words, their eyes lighting up.
"I see! Hattori, you've really done it!" Megure's amazed voice came from the radio.
"As expected of Superintendent Heizo Hattori's son. Brilliant," Superintendent Kiyonaga Matsumoto said with admiration.
"That was so amazing, big brother! I've decided, I'm going to be a detective too!" Ayumi shouted.
"Ayumi, you're a girl, you can't be a detective. I'm going to be a detective!" Mitsuhiko said excitedly.
"Who says girls can't be detectives? I'm going to be one! And with my big brother helping me, I'm sure I can!"
Ayumi ran over and hugged Heiji's leg, shouting.
The gesture was a bit too familiar.
"Ayumi, come over here."
Seeing this, Ai's face turned cold. She walked over and pulled Ayumi away.
Conan stared at Ai in shock. Something is really wrong with Haibara today. She's getting so worked up over anything involving Hattori. What's their relationship?
"Ai is acting so weird," Mitsuhiko said.
"Ai, what's wrong?" Ayumi looked at her nervously.
"It's nothing."
Ai let go of Ayumi's hand, put her own hands in her pockets, and reverted to her cool self.
"Inspector Megure, we've found no sign of the culprit on the Beika Overpass."
Just then, another officer's voice came over the radio.
"What? Impossible! Are you sure you checked thoroughly?" Megure asked in disbelief.
"We've checked. No suspect found."
The voice from the radio silenced everyone.
"How can that be? Did our big brother's deduction... get it wrong?"
The three kids were extremely disappointed. Heiji was their idol.
[How could there be no one there? Did Hattori's reasoning really fail?]
"It's impossible! The bomber has to be there. He must be hiding. I'll go find him."
A restless look flashed in Miwako Sato's eyes, and she turned to leave.
Suddenly, she stopped. "Heiji, can I have the radio back?"
Heiji handed the radio to her.
Miwako Sato glanced at Heiji, her brow furrowing. "Heiji, this doesn't concern you anymore. You should just take the kids and go play."
Her engine roared to life, and she drove off.
"What did she mean by that? Is she blaming Heiji?"
Ai stared coldly at Sato's departing car.
"Ai is really scary right now."
Ai was like a block of ice in winter, making the three kids afraid to approach.
[There's definitely something wrong with Haibara today.]
Conan looked at Ai suspiciously. She was fine this morning, but ever since she saw Hattori, she's like a different person.
She's completely lost her usual calm. What's going on? They shouldn't even know each other.
Heiji was also puzzled by this outcome. Could it be... was my deduction actually wrong?
---
There are 130 advanced chapters on Patreon, which I'm currently rewriting and polishing for a better reading experience. Thank you for your support and patience.
https://www.patreon.com/c/LEYI396