253

Mouri Kogoro and Conan turned around to see Shiratori Ninzaburo, dressed in a suit, appearing behind them. 

"Detective Shiratori?" 

Uncle Mouri looked a little puzzled to see Shiratori there. "What are you doing here?" 

"I was planning to take a vacation in Okinawa... I didn't expect to run into you all." 

… 

Fujino had just returned to his seat when Mouri Kogoro and Conan happened to come back as well. 

"Mouri, did you find the source of the smoke?" Fujino asked curiously. 

"Yeah, I found it and handed it over to Officer Shiratori." 

Mouri Kogoro grumbled, "It turned out to be just a smoke bomb, but it caused such a panic. I really don't understand what kind of person would play such a nasty prank." 

"A smoke bomb?" 

Fujino sighed in relief. "As long as no one got hurt, that's all that matters." 

Conan, however, gave him a deadpan look. *'This guy… why does he always assume someone's dead?'* 

"Dad." 

Ran, standing beside them, asked in confusion, "Is Officer Shiratori on this plane too?" 

"Yeah." 

Mouri Kogoro nodded. "He's sitting in the business class section, right behind first class. Apparently, he's also traveling to Okinawa." 

"I see… *cough cough*." 

Before Fujino could finish his sentence, he coughed a couple of times, clearly irritated by the lingering smoke. 

Hearing this, Momiji Ooka's ears twitched slightly as she turned toward Fujino with concern. "Are you okay?" 

"I'm fine." 

Fujino pinched his nose. "The smell in this smoke is just too strong..." 

"Really?" 

Ran, sitting behind them, sniffed her sleeve and nodded. "You're right… even my clothes have absorbed the smell." 

"It's likely from those smoke bombs," Haibara Ai explained calmly. "Judging by the scent, the primary component of the smoke bomb was sulfur. Sulfur has a very strong and persistent odor that's hard to remove, even after washing." 

She then looked at Fujino with what seemed like a hint of sympathy in her eyes. "For most people, this smell might just be unpleasant, but for someone with a sensitive sense of smell, it must be torture." 

"Wow, Ai, you really know a lot..." 

Ran was impressed, then turned to Fujino with sympathy. "If that's the case, then Fujino-senpai must be feeling really uncomfortable." 

"It's not a big deal… *cough* I'll just cover my nose with a handkerchief." 

Fujino instinctively reached into his pocket, intending to pull out a handkerchief, but came up empty-handed. 

"…" 

Right. He had cleared out his storage space a few days ago and had tossed out anything he considered unnecessary—including his handkerchief. 

"Here, use mine." 

"Take this." 

Two voices spoke up simultaneously. 

To his surprise, both Haibara Ai and Momiji Ooka had extended their handkerchiefs toward him at the same time. 

One was a plain pink handkerchief, the other a light blue one adorned with white maple leaves. 

The two girls paused, then glanced at each other. 

Haibara Ai: *Stare…* 

Momiji Ooka: *Stare…* 

Ran, who had been reaching into her own pocket, suddenly hesitated. 

"…" 

She had also wanted to offer Fujino a handkerchief. It was the same one he had lent her last time, which she had washed and kept, waiting for a chance to return it. 

But now… on second thought, she decided against it. 

Fujino: "…" 

Why did the atmosphere suddenly feel so tense? 

Just an illusion, right? 

Yeah, it must be the lingering smoke messing with his senses. 

In the end, Fujino took both handkerchiefs and doubled up on protection, which made things much more bearable. 

… 

The source of the smoke had been found—it was just a smoke bomb placed in the rear section of the second-floor cabin. 

The smoke gradually dissipated, making it much easier for Fujino to breathe. 

He didn't even need to cover his nose anymore. 

However, the captain was still holding a handkerchief over his face. 

After bowing to the passengers in first class from the cockpit entrance, he returned to the flight deck. 

Shortly after, the curtain separating the area was drawn back again. 

A young man in a white uniform stepped out and introduced himself. 

He was the co-pilot of the flight, Kojinei, and he explained that, following the captain's orders, he was checking on all the passengers along with the cabin crew. 

"Are you two feeling unwell?" 

A flight attendant with her hair neatly tied up—her name tag reading "Kagatani Yui"—approached Fujino and Momiji Ooka, her voice full of concern. 

"I'm fine." 

Momiji Ooka sighed lightly, though there was a hint of complaint in her tone. "But the person next to me has been having a really tough time with the smoke. When will all of it clear out completely?" 

"I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience." 

Kagatani Yui bowed deeply. "The cabin's ventilation system is running at full capacity. The smoke should be gone soon." 

"Alright… I'm fine now." 

Fujino defused the situation. 

But as he spoke, his gaze subtly shifted toward the co-pilot, Kojinei. 

Under normal circumstances, in-flight emergencies don't warrant the cockpit being opened. 

That's a hard lesson learned from past aviation disasters. 

Yet here, not only had the captain stepped out in a potentially dangerous situation, but the co-pilot was also personally handling routine matters that could have been left to the flight attendants… 

Was this crew even properly trained? 

To be honest, Fujino found it a bit odd. 

"Ahhh!!" 

Suddenly, a terrified scream erupted from the first-class cabin. 

At the same time, a system notification echoed in Fujino's mind: 

**[New Detective Mission Detected. Please check your objectives.]** 

**[Mission: Murder at 30,000 Feet]** 

- **Objective:** Solve the murder that occurred mid-flight. 

- **Reward:** 1 million yen + 200 detective reputation points. 

- **Time limit:** 30 minutes. 

Fujino: "…" 

Yep. Wherever *that* little reaper in sneakers goes, murder is never far behind. 

"Co-pilot Kojinei, please return to the cockpit immediately." 

A voice suddenly came over the intercom. 

"That's odd. I think I just heard someone scream…" 

Mouri Kogoro murmured in confusion. 

"There was definitely a scream from the front cabin," Momiji Ooka confirmed. "I heard it clearly." 

"I did too," Haibara Ai added. "It sounded like a woman." 

"What the hell is going on…? First, the smoke, and now someone screaming?" 

Mouri Kogoro frowned. Then, noticing Conan getting up from his seat, he immediately asked, "Brat, where do you think you're going?" 

"I need to use the bathroom!" 

Conan put on his best innocent-kid act. "I can't hold it anymore!" 

"I'll go with him." 

Fujino stood up. "I was going to check out what happened up front anyway." 

"I'll leave it to you, Fujino-senpai," Ran said with concern. 

… 

Inside the cockpit area, the door to the flight deck was open. 

Flight attendants Kagatani Yui and Momoyama Akari stood frozen at the entrance, their faces pale with fear. 

Kojinei pulled back the curtain and asked, "Kagatani, Momoyama, what's wrong?" 

"Co-pilot Kojinei…" 

Kagatani Yui turned toward him, her voice trembling. "The… the captain…" 

"What about the captain?" 

Confused, Kojinei stepped into the cockpit. 

The moment he saw what was inside, he gasped. "Captain Shida!" 

Conan was about to sneak in for a better look when he was suddenly yanked back by the collar. 

"Conan-kun," Fujino warned, "the cockpit isn't a place for kids to wander into." 

"Ahaha… I was just curious!" 

Conan sighed internally. *Why is this guy always ruining my plans?* 

But then, pointing into the cockpit, he exclaimed, "Oh wow! That pilot looks like he's asleep!" 

Fujino glanced inside. 

Captain Shida Tomoaki was slumped in the pilot's seat, head tilted back, a visible dark bruise around his neck. His hands dangled lifelessly at his sides. 

"Asleep?" 

Yeah. A sleep he'd never wake up from. 

So, the victim this time… was the captain himself. 

At least there was still a co-pilot. No immediate danger. 

Fujino slipped on a pair of gloves and called out, "Conan, go get Officer Shiratori." 

"On it!" 

Though annoyed, Conan ran off to find Shiratori. 

Once Conan left, Fujino stepped forward and checked the captain's pulse. 

"He's dead." 

"How could this happen…" 

Hearing this, Momoyama Akari covered her mouth in shock.

Koganei comforted her briefly before turning to Fujino with a puzzled expression. 

"Excuse me, but who are you?" 

Fujino turned around, glanced at everyone in the room, and decisively revealed his identity. 

"My name is Fujino. I'm a detective." 

"Huh?" 

At that moment, Akari Momoyama finally snapped out of her daze and looked at him in surprise. 

"You're not *the* famous detective Fujino, are you?!" 

"Hmm… that should be me." 

Fujino responded nonchalantly, then immediately asked, "Who was the first to discover the body?" 

"That would be me." 

Momoyama raised her hand slightly. "Senior Kaga and I came to deliver drinks when we found the captain like this." 

"I see." 

Fujino nodded, then turned away and activated his detective's keen eye, scanning the scene for any clues related to the case. 

The crime scene was inside the cockpit of the passenger plane, and the available evidence was limited. 

A rope had fallen beside the left seat. 

The captain's hat was placed on the central control panel. 

Fujino crouched down, picked up the rope, and narrowed his eyes slightly. 

---

### Chapter 255: Conan: Am I Really Being Treated Like a Sniffer Dog? 

Before long, Inspector Sango Shiratori and Kogoro Mouri arrived at the cockpit under Conan's guidance. 

"I'm Shiratori from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's First Investigation Division." 

Shiratori briefly flashed his badge before turning to the captain's body. 

"Fujino-kun, what's the victim's condition?" 

"He's already dead." 

Fujino calmly lifted the rope. 

"The victim is Captain Tomoaki Shida. There was a rope scattered beside his seat, so he was likely strangled to death. There's no livor mortis pattern on his neck. The body was discovered by two flight attendants who were delivering drinks—Miss Momoyama and Miss Kaga." 

"So he was knocked unconscious before being strangled?" 

Shiratori rubbed his chin, deep in thought, before turning to Momoyama. 

"Miss, could you prepare one or two towels for us? Preferably larger ones." 

"Yes!" 

Momoyama immediately acted, retrieving a blanket from the compartment. 

With that, Shiratori and Mouri worked together to move the captain's body from the seat and covered him with the blanket before examining it in more detail. 

"There's bruising on his face and purplish strangulation marks on his neck. Fujino was right—Captain Shida was definitely strangled." 

Shiratori knelt down and carefully examined the body. 

"With that in mind, we can now narrow down the time of death. Strangling someone to death takes at least four to five minutes—longer for a physically fit captain. So, the murder must have taken at least six to seven minutes." 

"The captain was near the passengers during the commotion," Momoyama added. 

"He only returned to the cockpit after the situation settled down to switch shifts with Captain Koganei." 

"Do you remember the exact time of the switch?" Shiratori asked. 

Momoyama thought for a moment. "I wasn't really paying attention to the time…" 

"It was 3:20 PM." 

Conan glanced at his watch. 

"The body was discovered at 3:30 PM. I saw the co-pilot instruct those two flight attendants to deliver drinks to the cockpit." 

"So the crime happened between 3:20 and 3:30 PM?" 

Shiratori glanced at Conan, then considered the timing. 

"With ten minutes available, the culprit had more than enough time to strangle the captain using the rope." 

"I got it! I figured out how the culprit did it!" 

Kogoro Mouri suddenly straightened up, striking a confident pose. 

"The culprit first used a smoke bomb to create chaos in the cabin, using the smoke as cover. During the confusion, they sneaked into the compartment next to the cockpit and hid there. 

"Then, when Co-Pilot Koganei left the cockpit, they slipped inside and killed the captain!" 

He wagged his finger and continued. 

"After completing the crime, they simply returned to their seat, acting completely innocent!" 

"That sounds about right," Shiratori nodded. 

"The smoke only spread on the second floor, meaning first-floor passengers didn't have enough time to commit the crime. We can shorten the suspect list by questioning second-floor passengers about anyone who disappeared for more than five minutes during the commotion." 

"Of course, we can't rule out the flight attendants either…" 

He paused, then looked at the two flight attendants. 

"Miss Momoyama, Miss Kaga, do either of you have an alibi during that time?" 

"I was in the cabin checking on the passengers," Kaga replied. She then turned to Momoyama. 

"We were together the whole time, weren't we?" 

"Yes, that's right," Momoyama confirmed. 

"When Captain Koganei took over for Captain Shida and patrolled the cabin, the two of us never separated." 

"In that case, we can rule out Captain Koganei as a suspect. Next, we need to check everyone else's alibis." 

Fujino, however, stood quietly beside the body, observing everything without speaking. 

According to the usual *Mouri Deduction Method*, Mouri's theory was probably wrong. 

Of course, it wouldn't be thorough to dismiss his theory just because of that. 

But something about this case didn't sit right with Fujino. 

There was an unsettling feeling in his gut—something vague and indescribable. 

That feeling had been there ever since the smoke began filling the cabin. 

It was like… something was off. 

With that thought, Fujino pulled up his system's task interface and checked the remaining time: 

**[Remaining Time: 26 Minutes]** 

"This is cutting it close…" 

Fujino took a deep breath and silently pulled up the recording from his enhanced detective glasses to review the events. 

At 2:10 PM, the smoke started spreading from the rear of the second floor, creating chaos. During this time, the captain left the cockpit to calm the passengers and had an argument with a woman named Maria Ishida. 

At 2:20 PM, they found the source of the smoke. The captain returned to the cockpit, while the co-pilot exited to patrol the cabin. The two second-floor flight attendants never left their posts, and neither did the head flight attendant. 

At 2:30 PM, the co-pilot ordered the two flight attendants to bring drinks to the captain and report on the situation—only to discover his body. 

The entire timeline spanned just twenty minutes—ten minutes of smoke and ten minutes of calming passengers… 

Fujino quickly spotted an inconsistency. 

As he watched the footage through his glasses, he murmured to himself. 

"If that's the case, then the culprit must be…" 

But if that person was the killer, then they shouldn't have had time to commit the murder within those ten minutes. 

Fujino wasn't fully confident yet. 

He activated his Detective's Intuition. 

**[Detective's Intuition: Active Boost Enabled!]** 

**[Boosting deduction ability by 150%!]** 

With a total of 455% enhanced reasoning ability, the details of the case started to become crystal clear in Fujino's mind. 

He gathered his thoughts, lifted his gaze, and swept his eyes over everyone in the room. 

A sharp glint flickered in his deep black pupils. 

"…?" 

Conan, who was also analyzing the case, suddenly noticed Fujino's expression and furrowed his brows. 

He thought to himself: 

*Did Fujino's detective intuition kick in again?!* 

With that thought, he stepped closer and tugged at Fujino's sleeve, whispering, 

"Fujino-niisan, did you find any clues?" 

"Clues? I did find a few…" 

Fujino lowered his gaze to Conan and suddenly had an idea. 

He crouched down, smirking meaningfully, and whispered into Conan's ear, 

"Conan-kun, I need your help." 

"Help?" 

Conan looked puzzled. 

"I need you to sniff out the scent on those two flight attendants and the head flight attendant." 

"…Huh?!" 

Conan's face twisted. 

Was this guy seriously asking him to *smell* the flight attendants?! 

Was he being treated like a sniffer dog now?!

The flight crew—two flight attendants, Kagaya Yui, Momoyama Akari, and Chief Mechanic Sekiguchi Shinobu—responded immediately. 

"Have you identified the culprit?" 

The co-pilot rushed out of the cockpit upon hearing the commotion. 

"Co-pilot Koganei?" 

Fujino turned to Koganei. "Shouldn't you be at the controls? Is it okay for you to leave the cockpit?" 

"It's fine. The plane is currently on autopilot, so there's no immediate risk." 

Koganei explained, "If you're about to name the person who killed Captain Shida, I need to be here to witness it…" 

Just then, Mouri Kogoro and Inspector Shiratori Ninzaburo entered, bringing along Ishida Maria and Oe Rei. 

"Wait a minute! Why did you bring me here?" 

Ishida Maria protested, clearly annoyed. "Just because I went to the bathroom, I'm suddenly a murder suspect?" 

"Murder suspect?" 

Fujino's brows furrowed. "Where did you hear that the captain was dead?" 

"I only heard that someone on the plane died…" 

Maria froze. "Wait, are you saying the captain is dead?!" 

As the realization sank in, panic flashed across her face, and she instinctively tried to run. 

"What's with this woman?" 

Oe Rei restrained her again and said in a serious tone, "Even if the captain is dead, we still have a co-pilot, don't we?" 

He tightened his grip on Maria and turned to the others. "So, is that why you called us here? Do you think we're the killers?" 

"Of course not." 

Shiratori explained, "It's just that you two are the only ones without alibis. That's why we had to bring you here. Besides you, all the crew members from the second-floor operations team are also present." 

"Wait… are we suspects too?" 

Sekiguchi Shinobu couldn't help but ask. "We all have alibis, don't we? Weren't we already cleared?" 

"You all had alibis after the chaos ended, yes." 

Fujino interrupted, "But Captain Shida wasn't killed after the smoke cleared. He was murdered right at the start of the commotion." 

"What?!" 

The revelation shocked everyone in the room. 

Meanwhile, Conan silently observed Fujino, his expression calm and unreadable. 

After a brief pause, Fujino continued, "The captain was killed during the chaos. In that ten-minute window, anyone could have used the smoke as cover to murder him." 

"But, Detective Fujino," 

Momoyama Akari interjected, looking puzzled. "When the smoke filled the cabin, the captain was still alive. He even spoke to passengers before returning to the cockpit after the commotion settled." 

"That's true." 

Fujino nodded in agreement but then changed his tone. "But that's only if that person was really Captain Shida." 

He looked around the room and continued, "I remember when 'Captain Shida' came out, he was wearing his hat, sunglasses, and a coat. To avoid inhaling smoke, he covered his face with a handkerchief, only exposing his sideburns. His voice was muffled and deep because of it." 

Fujino turned to the others. "The only reason you believed he was the captain was because he was wearing the captain's uniform and hat, right?" 

"Exactly." 

Oe Rei, who was present at the scene, thought back. "We didn't clearly see his face, and his voice was muffled." 

"Now that you mention it… yeah." 

Ishida Maria also recalled the moment and nodded. 

"There were two culprits." 

Fujino scanned the room before speaking. "One of them drugged Captain Shida to ensure the plane was on stable autopilot. Then, they ordered the second culprit to kill him. Meanwhile, the first culprit disguised themselves as the captain to reassure passengers and create an alibi." 

"To avoid anyone seeing their face, they used the smoke as part of the plan…" 

Fujino turned to Koganei, his voice serious. "Co-pilot Koganei, you're the murderer, aren't you? The only one who could disguise as the captain and set the plane to autopilot is you." 

"That's ridiculous!" 

Koganei shouted. "Do you have any proof? On what basis—" 

"There's more than enough evidence. The handkerchief you used to drug the captain, the fake mustache you wore for the disguise… Once we land, I'm sure we'll find them on the plane." 

Fujino's eyes locked onto Koganei. "From the start, I found it suspicious that the captain came out at all during such an incident. If there was a murder happening in the cockpit, it would make perfect sense." 

"That's your reasoning?" 

Koganei took a deep breath. "I don't know why the captain acted that way, but this is just your baseless speculation!" 

"It's not baseless." 

Fujino turned to Kagaya Yui. "And your accomplice didn't realize they left behind a clue either… Isn't that right, Ms. Kagaya?" 

Momoyama Akari looked shocked. "Wait, Senior Kagaya is… also a culprit?" 

"What nonsense is this?" 

Kagaya Yui panicked. "You have no proof! What's the so-called clue?!" 

"The smell." 

Fujino narrowed his eyes. "The smoke bomb was mainly sulfur-based. That smell is incredibly hard to remove—even washing doesn't get rid of it completely. Right, 'police…'" He hesitated before correcting himself, "…Conan?" 

Conan's face darkened. 

(He was definitely about to call me a police dog, wasn't he?! Absolutely!) 

Taking a deep breath, Conan forced himself to stay calm and resist the urge to tranquilize Fujino on the spot. 

"Oh! I noticed it too!" 

Conan's childlike voice piped up. "Kagaya-san doesn't have the smell at all! But Momoyama-san and Fujino-nii both do." 

He turned to Koganei. "And Co-pilot Koganei does too!" 

"If everyone in the second-floor cabin was exposed to the smoke, they should all smell of sulfur… But Kagaya-san doesn't. That's probably because she was in the cockpit at the time, committing murder. Meanwhile, Koganei, who disguised as the captain, ended up covered in the smell." 

Fujino faced them. "Do either of you have anything to say? Once the police find the disguise and the drugged handkerchief, the truth will come out." 

"It wasn't me! I only helped!" 

Koganei panicked. 

He knew the evidence was stacked against him. If he didn't speak now, he'd take the fall for everything… 

"It was her idea! She wanted revenge because the captain dumped her! I only helped!" He pointed at Kagaya Yui. 

"You liar!" 

Kagaya Yui was furious. She grabbed Koganei by the collar, tears in her eyes. 

"You begged me to help! You said, 'If the police catch me, my life is over! Please, you're my fiancée! You were abandoned by him too!'" 

"I never said that! Where's your proof?" 

Koganei averted his gaze. "You were the mastermind! Officers, arrest her!" 

"You bastard! I did this for you!" 

In her rage, Kagaya Yui pulled out a pen and lunged at Koganei. 

"You scumbag!" 

"Stop!" 

Fujino rushed forward and kicked her away. 

Koganei collapsed, clutching his chest. Blood gushed from his mouth. 

Fujino's face darkened. "He's dead…" 

"Wait, if both the captain and co-pilot are dead, who's flying this plane?!" 

The flight engineer paled. "We have forty minutes until landing! If no one flies the plane, we're doomed!" 

"Make an announcement." 

Fujino took a deep breath. "It'll cause panic, but it's better than having no pilot at all." 

Minutes later, the grim answer came: 

"Out of 400 passengers, no one else can fly a plane… And we have 30 minutes left before fuel runs out." 

"If no one takes control…" Shiratori grimly concluded, "the plane will crash." 

At that moment, Fujino saw a system notification: 

**[Pilot Quest: Emergency Landing]** 

**Objective: Land a Boeing 747-100SR at Naha Airport, Okinawa.** 

**Reward: ¥500,000 + 500 Pilot EXP.** 

"…So I can actually fly a plane?" Fujino murmured. 

Then, he stood up and said calmly, "I'll do it."