"By the way, is your father held up somewhere?" Uncle Mouri glanced at his watch, puzzled.
It was well past hospital visiting hours, yet the man hadn't returned to the house.
He'd invited Mouri for dinner and a chat, but there was no sign of him.
"He's bathing," an old woman with hands clasped behind her back said, stepping into the kitchen. "That man always bathes before dinner."
"He loves dirtying the water first," she added sharply.
"Grandma, don't say that," Dr. Shinichi sighed, a wry smile on his face.
Caught between them, he looked uneasy.
Mouri chuckled, following her lead. "First bath is the master's privilege, isn't it?"
"Hmph, master? A son-in-law who barged in, shameless as ever," the old woman scoffed.
"Grandma…" Dr. Shinichi rubbed his temples, exasperated by their feud.
"In this house, you're my only blood relative left," she said, glaring at her grandson. "But even you're leaving next month. Are you trying to kill me?" Furious, she stormed off, skipping dinner entirely.
Lin Feng watched Mrs. Shinichi on the phone outside the kitchen, silent.
A widower remarried, still living in his mother-in-law's house.
This chaotic household held together only because Dr. Shinichi stayed. But in Mihama Town, trouble was inevitable.
As the sharp-tongued grandmother retreated, Dr. Shinichi exhaled in relief. "Don't mind her. She's just upset because Father remodeled the bathroom European-style."
Miss Koguang carried a tray of chawanmushi, setting it on the table when—suddenly—the power cut out.
The room plunged into darkness.
"A blackout?" Ran asked, confused.
Conan leapt to the sink, pointing outside. "Only our place is dark. The neighbor's lights are still on."
A crash—shattered porcelain.
Lin Feng's sharp eyes caught Miss Koguang dropping a chawanmushi from the tray.
What a waste…
"You all okay?" Mrs. Shinichi, still on the phone, opened the kitchen door.
"I'm fine. I'll check the breaker," Koguang said, grabbing a flashlight from Dr. Shinichi and darting out.
Lin Feng stayed seated, pulling the remaining chawanmushi toward himself, eating in the dark.
All mine now!
A minute later, the lights flickered briefly, then went dark again. Two seconds passed before they steadied.
Conan glanced at Lin Feng, calmly devouring two bowls of chawanmushi like they weren't scalding hot, and could only marvel.
But then, the detective noticed something else, his expression shifting.
Lin Feng followed his gaze.
Ran, clinging to Dr. Shinichi's arm, gasped at Uncle Mouri across from her, quickly letting go. "Sorry, I thought you were Dad!"
Mouri and Conan stared, dumbfounded, at the flustered high schooler.
"You look good in green today," Lin Feng teased with a grin.
"Me?" Dr. Shinichi glanced at his green sweater.
Conan shot Lin Feng a glare. Talk less, would you?
"What happened?" the grandmother asked, appearing at the kitchen door, eyeing Mrs. Shinichi with the phone.
"You okay, Mother?" Mrs. Shinichi asked, only to be cut off by the woman on the line, prattling about fees.
Koguang ran back. "The lights are back?"
"Obviously," the grandmother snapped.
"Should we check on Father in the bathroom?" Dr. Shinichi asked, worried. His father's weak heart could spell trouble in a blackout.
Koguang and Mrs. Shinichi, now off the phone, rushed to the bathroom.
In the kitchen, Lin Feng polished off his third chawanmushi.
"You're really eating all of those?" Conan asked, tilting his head, incredulous.
No one else had even touched the table yet.
Before Lin Feng could reply, two women's screams echoed from the bathroom.
"They're better hot," Lin Feng said, ignoring the detective's dash and digging in again.
Mrs. Shinichi's cooking was excellent…
Conan and Dr. Shinichi reached the bathroom first.
Koguang and Mrs. Shinichi stood at the door, visibly shaken. The men rushed forward.
Yoshiki Shinichi lay naked in the tub, eyes wide, arm dangling over the edge, half his face submerged.
"Dad!" Dr. Shinichi shouted, moving to pull him out.
"Don't touch him!" Conan yelled. "You'll get electrocuted!"
Uncle Mouri barreled in, yanking a plug from the wall socket. Following the long cord, he fished an electric razor from the tub.
"Could this razor's extension cord have killed him?" Mouri asked.
The cord was clearly an add-on. If it fell in the water while plugged in, it was deadly.
Conan frowned, staring at the scene.
"I'm starting CPR. Aunt, prepare a cardiac drip. Koguang, call an ambulance!" Dr. Shinichi said, pulling his father from the tub and beginning compressions.
Conan's gaze drifted to a mirror on the far wall, lost in thought.
It looked like the extension cord caused the electrocution.
The man was likely shaving, using that mirror.
But why shave while bathing?
No—something's off.
The body lay face-up, head by the mirror, yet Mouri found the razor near his feet.
Twenty minutes later, Inspector Megure arrived, his expression a mix of surprise and dread.
Mouri and Lin Feng were both here…
This household was in for it.
(Chapter End)
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