THE VALENTINES PARTY CASE.
Sweets, Are No Good Part 3..
The people who had attended the Valentine party were now being held by the police who had arrived, all of them gathered inside the living room, waiting in tense silence. Yoshimi Watanabe was still crying uncontrollably, her shoulders trembling, while Kaori stayed close beside her, trying to comfort and steady her.
In the kitchen, Mrs. Minagawa was washing the used utensils with quiet, mechanical movements. Beside her, her young son Susumu was crying as well, complaining through his tears that his teeth were hurting.
Meanwhile, Wakamatsu and Naomichi stood silently in opposite corners, their expressions dark and unreadable. On the sofa, Conan Edogawa, Ran Mouri, and Sonoko Suzuki sat together, each of them lost in deep thought, processing what had happened.
Then, the sound of the glass door sliding open echoed through the room.
All eyes turned toward the entrance. A man stepped inside—heavyset, wearing a brown leather-like long coat and a matching leather bucket hat. His presence was firm and authoritative. He was Inspector Juzo Megure.
The group stared at him as he met their gazes in return. He cleared his throat and spoke in a grave tone.
"Katsuhiko-san passed away earlier… The cause appears to be an agricultural chemical—used as a food poison."
"Food poisoning?" Ran and Sonoko repeated in shock, their voices overlapping. Their expressions stiffened as they recalled the words Leon had spoken the previous day.
"Th-that's impossible…" Conan muttered in disbelief, his eyes narrowing. He had already suspected poisoning during his earlier inspection of the body, yet hearing it confirmed made it far more real—and far more unsettling.
Ran and Sonoko were equally stunned, still struggling to accept what they were hearing.
Ran quickly spoke up, her voice tense. "Ahnō?! Inspector Megure… was Katsuhiko-san really poisoned to death?"
Inspector Megure looked directly at the group and gave a firm, silent nod.
The room fell into heavy silence. The weight of the truth settled over them—Katsuhiko Minagawa had died, and someone had deliberately poisoned him.
They began exchanging uneasy glances, each person silently trying to piece together who could have committed such an act. However, Ran, Sonoko, and especially Conan were thinking about something else entirely—what Leon had said the day before.
Sonoko turned toward Ran, her expression conflicted. "See, Ran… that's what I'm talking about. It's really hard to explain…"
Ran nodded slowly. "Sonoko… is your brother perhaps able to see the future or something?"
"I would like to know that myself," Sonoko replied, equally puzzled.
Conan, however, was the most affected. His mind replayed yesterday's events in detail—Leon asking where Sonoko was going… and then, unexpectedly, closing his eyes and muttering:
"Murder… using poison…"
Conan clenched his fists slightly as he tried to recall every detail. He couldn't bring himself to believe it. Was it merely a coincidence? Or had it been an exact prediction?
His thoughts spiraled, but he quickly steadied himself.
Focus, Kudo Shinichi… this isn't the time.
Taking a deep breath, Conan regained his composure. As always, he shifted his attention back to the case at hand and began forming his own deductions.
Inspector Megure then directed his attention toward the group, his gaze eventually settling on the woman still seated on the sofa.
"Yoshimi Watanabe-san… he collapsed shortly after eating your chocolate, didn't he?"
Yoshimi wiped her tears and nodded weakly. "Yes… after taking just one bite, he suddenly screamed in pain… and then he collapsed…"
The group turned their attention toward her, her red, tear-streaked eyes reflecting the shock and grief she was still trying to hold back.
Then—
A man's voice suddenly came from behind them, cutting through the tense atmosphere.
"The answer is obvious… this case is an easy one."
Inspector Juzo Megure heard the voice more clearly now—it was coming from just behind him. He turned around abruptly, startled by the sudden intrusion from behind.
His brows knitted as he clenched his fist and shouted at the newcomer, "What are you doing here?!"
The man who had just arrived was none other than Kogoro Mouri, who had rushed to the scene after receiving a call from his daughter, Ran Mouri.
Kogoro stood tall and confident, a well-built man with short black hair, a sharp thin mustache, and a slicked-back style with two distinctive bangs falling over his forehead. He was dressed in a formal blue suit, his presence carrying a mix of authority and bravado.
He raised a hand in a casual salute toward Megure. "Having received word from my daughter… I, the great detective Kogoro Mouri, have arrived!"
Then, without hesitation, he extended his finger and pointed directly at the crying woman. "It was an easy case. Because… you're the one who did it."
Yoshimi Watanabe gasped in shock as the accusation was directed at her.
Kogoro continued with his deduction. "You poisoned the chocolate in order to kill the victim. And your motive… must be something related to romance. All we need to do is examine the remaining chocolate, and that will be proof that you poisoned him."
Yoshimi's eyes widened in panic. "N-no… it wasn't me… it wasn't!" she stammered, her voice breaking. Tears streamed down her face as she tried desperately to deny the accusation. Overcome with emotion, she covered her face with both hands and began crying uncontrollably once again.
Beside her, Kaori gently patted her back, trying to soothe her. "Calm down, Yoshimi…" she said softly.
Meanwhile, Conan Edogawa stood quietly, listening intently as he sank into deep thought.
If Yoshimi-san really poisoned Katsuhiko-san… then everything is too convenient.
His mind worked through the details. Everyone had eaten the same food. The feast had contained numerous dishes—how could the culprit have ensured only Katsuhiko was affected?
The coffee was shared from the same pot, and everyone drank it.
That left only the cake…
But Katsuhiko hadn't eaten the cake.
Then what does this mean…? Or was Yoshimi-san truly the murderer after all…?
Suddenly, Conan heard the faint clicking sound of a lighter.
He turned his head sharply—and saw Naomichi lighting a cigarette, the flame briefly illuminating his face.
Conan's eyes widened.
"That's it…!"
He quickly ran toward Kogoro, grabbing his attention. "Oji-san…!"
Inspector Megure and Kogoro both turned around, looking down at the child.
"Come to think of it… there was a cigarette butt at the crime scene, wasn't there?" Conan said urgently.
"A cigarette?" Megure repeated, his eyes widening as the possibility clicked into place. "That's right… that's also possible!"
Megure then raised a plastic evidence bag from the table. "This is the cigarette recovered from the crime scene."
Kogoro examined it closely. "Yes… you're right. There are many ways to poison a cigarette."
At that moment, Wakamatsu turned his gaze toward Naomichi, who had remained silent the entire time.
"Naomichi… didn't you give your cigarette to Katsuhiko earlier… when he was about to go outside?"
Naomichi's eyes flickered in irritation as he stared back at Wakamatsu. Suddenly, the cigarette in his mouth slipped free and dropped to the floor.
Wakamatsu's expression tightened as he realized the implication. "N-Naomichi… h-how could you…?!"
Inspector Megure and Kogoro both turned sharply toward Naomichi.
Megure raised his voice. "Well?! We can always determine the truth if we examine the cigarette butt left at the crime scene!"
Naomichi had reached his limit. His teeth clenched tightly, his fists tightening in raw frustration as the truth came crashing down on him.
"AH—… IT'S TRUE!! I'M THE ONE WHO DID IT!!" he suddenly shouted. "I poisoned that stupid piece of shit! I've hated him for a long, long time!! Katsuhiko was always making me look like a fool… and he even dared to hurt my Kaori!!"
His voice cracked with emotion, every word spilling out in anger and anguish as he confessed everything in one breath.
Kaori froze, her eyes widening in shock upon hearing Naomichi's confession.
The others, who were aware of Naomichi's past struggles, remained silent—listening without interruption, their expressions heavy with understanding.
Naomichi continued, his voice lowering but still tense.
"S-so I put poison… in the cigarette filter… to kill him!"
But at that moment—
Conan Edogawa suddenly snapped to attention.
"Filter…?" Conan repeated, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the cigarette inside the evidence bag.
"No! He didn't do it!" Conan suddenly shouted, gritting his teeth. "He's not the culprit!"
Reality struck him hard.
The poison was placed in the filter… but Katsuhiko had removed the filter before smoking.
Before Conan could continue, a small voice broke through the tension.
"Mama…! My tooth hurts…"
Conan turned sharply. From behind, the sound of running water echoed. He looked toward the kitchen—and there he saw Mrs. Minagawa washing dishes at the sink, while Susumu clutched her kimono, tugging at it while crying in pain.
Conan's gaze sharpened.
She's washing the coffee cups… at a time like this?
Then it hit him.
His expression shifted as realization dawned. A faint smile formed on his lips.
"…Sōka… that's it… I get it now."
At that same moment, he noticed Inspector Juzo Megure already placing handcuffs on Naomichi.
Conan did not hesitate. He raised his wrist—revealing a sleek silver watch.
Using his right hand, he pressed the adjustment button. The glass-like cover of the watch lifted, revealing its hidden mechanism.
This was no ordinary watch—it was a tranquilizer device created by Hiroshi Agasa. With it, Conan could put anyone within close range to sleep instantly.
Without wasting time, Conan aimed the watch toward Kogoro Mouri.
The moment he clicked the button—
Fooosh…
An invisible dart fired silently from the watch, striking Kogoro in the neck.
Kogoro didn't even have time to react. His body instantly went limp, collapsing into the nearby brown sofa as he fell into deep sleep.
Conan quickly moved behind the chair. He grabbed his red ribbon-like necktie—another invention from Professor Agasa.
By twisting the circular control, he activated the voice-changing function.
"…If I remember correctly… his voice setting was number 59…" Conan murmured.
Meanwhile, Inspector Megure was already escorting Naomichi out of the house when suddenly—
"Wait a moment… Inspector Megure…"
Megure paused and turned around. Sitting in the chair was Kogoro—appearing composed.
"Hmm?" Megure responded.
Kogoro spoke again, his tone firm.
"He is not the murderer."
"What are you talking about?!" Megure countered. "He confessed, didn't he?"
"Yes, he did plan to kill the victim… but his plan failed."
Kogoro then pointed toward the cigarette evidence.
"Please examine the cigarette butt. All the other cigarettes in the house were unfiltered."
Megure raised his hand, staring at the evidence as realization began to form.
Kogoro continued his explanation.
"After receiving the cigarette from Naomichi, the victim removed the filter before smoking it. In other words… he did not smoke the part that contained the poison."
Ran, listening closely, asked, "Then… who did it… otōsan?"
A heavy silence followed.
The real murderer was about to be revealed.
Kogoro paused deliberately, allowing the tension to build.
All eyes turned toward him—toward the sleeping body that spoke with a borrowed voice.
"…It was you."
"…Katsuhiko-kun's mother."
Mrs. Minagawa stiffened, her expression frozen in shock.
"What are you talking about?!" she cried. "How could I possibly have done it?!"
"By poisoning the food," Kogoro replied calmly.
"But everyone ate the same food!" she protested.
"Yes… but only Katsuhiko-kun died."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"And he died because he didn't eat it."
Ran frowned. "What do you mean… he didn't eat it?"
Kogoro did not answer immediately. Instead, he posed a question.
"Mrs. Minagawa… you were nearly boiling with anger when Susumu-kun ate some chocolate… and yet, you allowed him to eat the cake. Why was that?"
The question hung in the air.
Mrs. Minagawa's eyes widened in shock, her face draining of color as she realized exactly where this line of reasoning was leading…
Kogoro—under Conan's control—continued his deduction without hesitation.
"…It was because you put poison in the coffee… and the antidote in the cake."
"…And when you saw Susumu drink the poisoned coffee, you rushed immediately and fed him the cake that contained the antidote."
"You knew that Katsuhiko-kun didn't like sweets… and that he would inevitably eat the cake. So you devised this plan."
"You used Yoshimi-san's love for him to your advantage… because you knew, without a doubt, that he would eat her chocolate."
"Being the first one to arrive at the scene… you took the chocolate he had already partially eaten… and replaced it with the poisoned one."
"And all the while… you shifted suspicion toward Yoshimi as the prime suspect."
Mrs. Minagawa could no longer endure the relentless pressure of the deduction.
"Enough of your nonsense!" she shouted, her voice trembling. "You act as if you saw everything—when you have no proof at all!"
"But there is," Kogoro replied calmly.
"In the coffee cups—before the police arrived—you were already washing them, trying to erase any trace of evidence. But no matter how thoroughly you washed them, a detailed examination would still reveal the poison residue on the cups."
Mrs. Minagawa's eyes widened in shock.
"But even if there's nothing left in the cups…" Kogoro continued, "there will still be traces of poison in the drainage pipes."
A heavy silence fell over the room as everyone listened intently to the unfolding deduction.
"…Mrs. Minagawa…"
"It appears it's beginning to melt…"
"…Yoshimi-san's original chocolate bar—the one you hid within your kimono."
As he finished speaking, Mrs. Minagawa's expression stiffened.
She looked down at her kimono—and there it was.
A brown stain slowly spreading across the purple fabric on her chest.
In a panic, she hastily covered it with both hands.
"Nonsense…!" she denied desperately. "In the first place, how could I have known that he would eat Yoshimi's chocolate? And why would I ever kill my own son?!"
Her voice shook with fear and agitation.
Kaori, having heard her words, suddenly spoke up.
"No… Katsuhiko's real parents passed away in an accident seven years ago… you were his father's sister—you took him in!"
Kaori clenched her fists tightly, her eyes shut as she spoke with emotion.
"A-and Katsuhiko liked Yoshimi… because she looked just like his real mother…"
She opened her eyes and turned toward the still-crying Yoshimi Watanabe.
"That's right… you resemble Katsuhiko's real mother…"
Yoshimi stared back at Kaori in shock, wiping her tears as realization struck her.
Kogoro's voice lowered, steady and certain.
"That's why… you were sure he would definitely eat Yoshimi's chocolate."
Mrs. Minagawa remained frozen, staring blankly at the weeping Yoshimi. Slowly, her strength gave out. Her resistance collapsed, and she could no longer argue.
At that moment, her son Susumu rushed to her side.
"Mama… are you okay? Does your tooth hurt too?" he asked innocently, his voice filled with concern.
Mrs. Minagawa looked at her son—and finally, she broke.
Tears streamed down her face as she pulled him into a tight embrace.
"…Susumu… my child…" she whispered softly.
"…It looks like… Mommy will be gone for a long time…"
She tightened her hold, her voice trembling as she continued.
"…Remember what I told you… okay…? Sweet things are…"
"No good!" Susumu finished the phrase, his small voice echoing her words.
AM N. NOT.
(っ－＿－)っ
♤DRAFT ♤