Suicide or Murder
Watching Xia Yu's sudden, abrupt movement, Conan and Ran exchanged bewildered glances, a shared look of confusion settling over their faces.
Just as Conan was hesitating, wondering whether he should follow her, Bamba Raita—who had only just been knocked to the ground alongside Bourbon—picked himself up, strode over to them, and anxiously began dialing Kado Michihane's number on his terminal.
The call connected almost at once.
"Hello? Hatsune, where are you right now?"
"Huh? 'Farewell forever'?"
"What are you talking about?! Hatsune? Hatsune! Hatsune! Where are you?!"
Whatever he had heard on the other end, Bamba Raita was now shouting her name in naked panic.
The moment the words left his mouth, a deafening boom! tore through the air—an enormous explosion. Every head snapped toward the window, where a car was now raging with flames.
Bamba Raita stared at the burning vehicle in open disbelief. "D-don't tell me... that car... is that Hatsune's...?"
Kogoro and Ran cried out in shock at the same instant. "What?!"
Then Kogoro snapped into action. He bolted for the scene, tossing reminders over his shoulder for his daughter to call the police and get the fire department and an ambulance on the way.
Conan was quick on his heels.
Even as he ran, a flicker of worry crossed his mind: Sister Xia Yu headed in that direction just now. She's all right, isn't she?
Before long, Kogoro and Conan came scrambling up to the car, which was now blazing furiously, flames roaring skyward. Billowing smoke rolled over them, sending both men into fits of coughing.
Anxious and desperate, they had no time to even think about how they might check the vehicle for any sign of Kado Hatsune before their eyes were suddenly drawn to the ground a short distance from the burning car. Two figures lay sprawled there, their shapes blurred and wavering in the firelight.
Judging by their backs, there was no mistaking them—it was Xia Yu, and Kado Hatsune, whom everyone had assumed was still inside the car! At that moment, Xia Yu's body was angled slightly forward, shielding Hatsune beneath her. From that posture alone, it wasn't hard to guess what had happened: in the split second before the explosion, Xia Yu had dragged Kado Hatsune clear of the vehicle.
Seeing that the two of them appeared to be all right, Kogoro and Conan let out breaths of relief and hurried over to check on them.
"Xia Yu—are you both okay? Can you get up?" Kogoro asked anxiously.
Xia Yu, who seemed to be only just coming back to herself, gave her consent, and he carefully helped her up off the ground.
While Kogoro was lifting Xia Yu, Conan was hard at work on the other side. He crouched down with practiced gentleness and began carefully examining the unconscious Kado Hatsune's condition.
There was some blood on Hatsune's forehead. For all of Xia Yu's protection, she seemed not to have entirely escaped the powerful shockwave of the blast.
Fearing they might make her injuries worse, Kogoro and the others did not attempt to move her themselves—they would wait for the ambulance crew to transfer Kado Hatsune properly. The risk of secondary injury was too great to handle her casually.
Fortunately, it wasn't long before the shrill, urgent wail of a siren sounded from not far away.
Xia Yu had been caught in an explosion at close range, and even though her outward appearance showed no visible wounds or abnormalities, a thorough medical examination was unquestionably the prudent course of action.
Besides, someone would need to stay at Kado Hatsune's side—and everyone remaining inside the restaurant was, to some degree, a suspect in the attack on her.
And so Xia Yu boarded the ambulance alongside Kado Hatsune, accompanying her to the hospital for further treatment and examination.
Only moments after Natsume Xiayu and Kado Hatsune departed, the police and fire crews arrived on the scene and brought the situation under control.
"Right... I understand." Inspector Megure, having secured the scene, was on the phone with Xia Yu, who was staying beside the victim, getting her account of what had happened. "Then get some proper rest, Xia Yu. And the moment Ms. Kado comes to, let me know right away."
Hanging up, Inspector Megure stood in the center of the restaurant and, addressing the crowd gathered around him—Bamba Raita in particular, whose eyes were fixed on him with barely contained dread—first gave them an update on Kado Hatsune's condition.
The instant Bamba Raita learned that Hatsune was out of danger and would regain consciousness soon, the tension drained from his face all at once.
Megure continued, "According to Xia Yu, when she rescued Ms. Kado, there was no one else in the car. Ms. Kado was conscious, though she seemed emotionally agitated. Given how urgent everything was, Xia Yu didn't have time to make any closer observations. With that in mind, we are currently treating this as a suicide."
At the inspector's words, Bamba Raita could hardly believe his ears. Hatsune would kill herself? The wedding is tomorrow.
But before he could voice his objection, Conan—standing at the great detective's side—beat him to it with a question of his own, asked with just the right note of childish curiosity. "But Inspector, didn't you find a little bit of skin residue on the tip of that nail near the car? Doesn't that mean Ms. Kado probably met with someone else before Sister Xia Yu got to her?"