Chapter 105: I Am Edogawa Conan, a Detective

Conan brought over a chair and stood on it.

He then filled glasses with beer from each type of tap on the self-serve beer dispenser. Carefully, he began observing the beer in each glass.

He noticed something peculiar.

The amount and duration of the foam produced by the [non-alcoholic beer] button were no less than those of any other beer.

Conan leaned in closer to smell the "non-alcoholic beer."

The rich aroma of malt and hops hit his nose, but the unmistakable scent of alcohol sent a wave of energy through him.

In Japan, minors under 20 are prohibited from consuming alcohol, so Conan had "basically" never consumed much of it.

However, he was well-versed in knowledge related to beer.

"The alcohol content of non-alcoholic beer is usually below 0.5%, and the Foundation Suzuki's non-alcoholic beer here appears to be a legitimate alcohol-free brew."

"Additionally, after years of technological advancement, the appearance, aroma, and taste of non-alcoholic beer have come incredibly close to regular beer."

"Unless it's a beer with a particularly high alcohol concentration, it's difficult to tell whether you're drinking non-alcoholic beer or regular beer unless you pay close attention."

Conan remembered how once, Ran had replaced Kogoro's beer with a non-alcoholic version at home. Kogoro hadn't noticed the switch and only found it slightly different in flavor.

"Ordinarily, the foam in non-alcoholic beer doesn't last as long as in regular beer, but the 'non-alcoholic beer' here shows no difference in foam quality compared to regular beer."

"Moreover, this 'non-alcoholic beer' clearly contains alcohol."

"In reality, it's regular beer, disguised as a non-alcoholic option."

Conan's thoughts clicked into place as he observed one particular glass. Its foam was significantly less compared to the others.

He sniffed it again.

This time, all he could smell was malt—there was no trace of alcohol.

---

Conan returned to the leisure area on the second floor of the hotel.

By then, Megure Juzo and Sera Masumi had finished questioning Hota Yoshitoki.

Hota looked deeply wounded, as if betrayed by a close friend.

When Sera Masumi noticed Conan's return, their eyes met briefly.

Conan nodded and then turned his attention to Oda Ema, who had just risen and was heading toward the restroom.

"Ah, I need the bathroom too," Conan announced, trailing after her.

---

In the restroom, Oda Ema stood before the mirror, gazing at her unusually pale face.

She tried forcing a smile, but her reflection betrayed her. Her rigid expression revealed how unnatural her smile looked.

Noticing the foundation on her cheeks had smudged from sweat, Oda pulled out her makeup kit. She began touching up her face with precision.

She pressed blotting paper against her cheeks to absorb the excess oil and sweat. To her surprise, the paper was much more saturated than usual.

As she dabbed liquid foundation onto her face, she realized her hands were trembling uncontrollably.

"That Takao Ohga is despicable—there's no doubt about it."

"He ruined the face of Yoshitoki Hota, someone I once admired deeply. It's unforgivable!"

Over time, Oda Ema had also heard rumors about Ohga's involvement in supplying morphine to prominent figures.

Deciding to put an end to Ohga's schemes, she set out to ensure he would never walk free again.

However...

Oda had only intended to use Tsunekazu Kosaka—another drug abuser—as a pawn to bring Ohga down.

She hadn't anticipated Takao Ohga's brutal retaliation, which resulted in the deaths of two more people.

While Oda tried to convince herself that Ryo Sogabe and Miho Souma were also drug abusers and deserved their fate, deep down, she felt overwhelmed with guilt and terror.

After all, their crimes didn't warrant death.

It took Oda nearly 20 minutes to reapply her makeup.

The moment she stepped out of the restroom, a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Mrs. Oda."

Startled, she turned around.

A young boy in a suit and red bowtie was staring at her.

"Uh... Little one, do you need something?"

Oda Ema assumed Conan was just another fan and tried brushing him off.

But what Conan said next froze her in place.

"Mrs. Oda, you're the one who killed Director Kosaka."

"Wh-What?!"

Oda Ema's panic was evident. She glanced around to ensure no one else was nearby. Leaning toward Conan, she whispered nervously, "What are you talking about, little boy? Don't joke like that."

But Conan pressed on, his voice calm yet sharp:

"I noticed something earlier when Officer Megure was questioning you. You already knew about Mr. Ohga's morphine dealings, didn't you?"

Oda's eyes widened, her surprise betraying her.

Ignoring her reaction, Conan continued:

"You've harbored resentment toward Mr. Ohga for years. So you decided to use Mr. Kosaka as your scapegoat.

"You knew about Mr. Kosaka's respiratory issues and his fondness for beer. That's why you planned this carefully."

"You deliberately chose the less popular 'Shiga Kogen' draft beer and replaced the non-alcoholic version with regular beer."

"The flavor of non-alcoholic beer is so similar to regular beer that most people wouldn't notice the difference."

"Mr. Kosaka unknowingly drank alcohol, exacerbating his respiratory condition, which, combined with the morphine in his system, led to his death."

"The police will undoubtedly find alcohol in Mr. Kosaka's blood during their investigation."

"And once that happens, Mr. Ohga's illegal activities will be exposed as well. That was your plan, wasn't it?"

"But Mrs. Oda, you never anticipated Mr. Ohga's ruthlessness. He murdered Director Sogabe and Director Souma to cover his tracks."

"That's why you were so shocked when you heard about their deaths."

Oda Ema collapsed to the floor, her face drained of color as Conan spoke.

He leaned closer, his voice unwavering.

"The Metropolitan Police Department hasn't issued a warrant yet, Mrs. Oda. You still have the chance to turn yourself in."

"But if you wait any longer, the last shred of decency Mr. Hota feels toward you will be completely destroyed."

Conan glanced at the faint white mark on Oda's ring finger, a sign of her once-worn wedding ring.

With that, he turned to leave, walking back toward Mouri Ran and the others.

"Who... Who are you?"

Oda Ema's trembling voice called out from behind him.

"My name is Edogawa Conan," he replied, turning slightly to face her.

"And I'm a detective."

(End of Chapter)