In the world of Detective Conan, however, he was bound to the Naruto System.

Chapter 42: The Search for "Sherry" and the End of a Childhood Trauma

Upon seeing that a guest had finally arrived, Akutagawa Hiko immediately stood up and served the relaxed lady, who showed no signs of being embroiled in a case, a cup of hot tea.

"Thanks."

Akutagawa handed over a form and said very professionally, "Please fill in your basic information. If you don't mind, you can tell me what kind of trouble you've encountered."

Then, Akutagawa Hiko also picked up his teacup and pretended to listen.

But one sentence from the person who made the request straightened his back: "It's nothing serious, it's just that our Shirley ran away."

Akutagawa Hiko's first reaction was that Sherry's defection had already occurred, and the Black Organization had issued a search mission. However, the member who received the mission went mad and, through layers of outsourcing, actually found him, the righteous detective.

However, upon closer reflection, the timing is off. No matter how much the Black Organization might have disregarded the familial bond between the two sisters, they wouldn't have been so eager to inform Shiho Miyano immediately after Akemi Miyano's death.

The two sisters must have had a fixed time to contact each other. She lost contact with them multiple times around that time, which led her to suspect that her older sister might have gotten into trouble. She was then imprisoned, shrunk, and escaped after taking some stolen medicine.

Moreover, the client's choice of words was also incorrect. He used "it's not a big deal" to describe "Shirley running away" and seeking the help of a detective to find her. How could he use such an adjective as "it's not a big deal"?

At that moment, Akutagawa Hiko raised his own question: "Who is Sherry?"

The wealthy woman realized what was happening and pulled a photo from her handbag: "It's our Ragdoll cat. My husband and I both love sherry, so we named it that."

This photo was taken through glass. The Ragdoll cat, bathed in sunlight, stares at the drifting dust with its pair of sapphire blue eyes.

Even though Akutagawa Hiko wasn't particularly interested in long-haired cats, he had to admit that there was a reason why many people liked Ragdolls.

She truly lives up to her name, Shirley—like Spanish sunshine in a bottle.

Akutagawa Hiko shared his insights and was instantly regarded as a confidant by the person who commissioned him.

The client, who loved both wine and cats, was immediately impressed by the young man's eloquent speech and the lively little dumpling, and understood why his friend admired the detective.

Akutagawa Hiko took the completed form from the client with a confident and serious demeanor, which made the client unconsciously place their trust in him while also feeling valued.

"Rest assured, this beautiful Ragdoll cat will soon be back with its rightful owner."

The client blushed slightly, clearly pleased with Akutagawa's words.

Being complimented on your beauty by a young and handsome man, even if you know it's just polite talk, makes you feel ten years younger instantly.

"Thanks."

The two chatted for a while longer, until the tea had been refilled three times, before the person making the request reluctantly took his leave, thinking about when he could ask the servants and housekeeper to be careless again.

Looking at the photos and the toys that the soon-to-arrive "Sherry" often played with, Akutagawa Hiko shifted his gaze to Tangbing, who was playing with a cardboard box.

Finding cats, catching dogs, and stalking mistresses can be considered entry-level jobs in the detective world, and Kogoro Mouri has mastered these three skills to perfection.

Therefore, Akutagawa Hiko did not take this commission lightly.

Putting aside the commission fee, which is almost enough to buy another high-quality Ragdoll cat, the connections and resources behind it are enough to make Akutagawa Hiko put his heart into completing the task.

However, searching for a needle in a haystack by oneself is futile; who knows how long it would take to find it...

You raise a dog for a thousand days, but only use it for one. It's time for Tangbing to come in handy.

Despite its seemingly "intelligent" appearance, the husky is now a true ninja dog. It's far from being able to speak human language, but there's no need to worry about its intelligence.

Xiao Long Bao was also very interested in this commission, so she jumped onto Tang Bing's back and prepared to go find the runaway "Shirley" together.

Akutagawa glanced at the sky and put the books he had borrowed from Beika Library into a bag.

Today was the last day of the book return deadline, which is perfect timing as I can return the book now. Otherwise, I don't know when I'll be able to return it next time.

To prevent missing any requests when leaving home, Hiko Akutagawa hung the request form on his door, along with a pen and his phone number, ensuring he wouldn't miss any thoughtful requests.

……

The Mihana Library was bustling with activity, with Mihana residents reading and borrowing books, library staff and the librarian, elementary school students catching up on their homework, and even police officers investigating a case.

It turns out that last night, Tamada Kazuo, who was working overtime at the library with Director Tsugawa, did not return home. His wife was very worried, so she called the police.

According to Kazuo Tamada's wife, Kazuo Tamada was a very meticulous person, and he would always call home from the library before going home to let her know.

Based on this, it can be inferred that Kazuo Tamada likely went missing in the library.

Therefore, the librarian, Tsugawa, who was working overtime with Tamada Kazuo at the library, is a suspect.

Moreover, according to Director Tsugawa's own account, he finished his work and left the library before Tamada and Kazuo, but the staff who opened the library the next day found the doors closed.

This contradicts the description given by Tamada Kazuo's wife.

If Tamada Kazuo was truly the last person left in the library when the incident occurred, it would be impossible for a criminal without a library key to have locked the library properly.

However, we cannot rule out the possibility that Tamada Kazuo simply forgot to call his wife yesterday due to carelessness; even the most meticulous person can be careless one day.

Moreover, working overtime until late at night can indeed lead to a lack of energy and carelessness.

So Director Tsugawa is only a suspect. At most, they will search here for a while, but they can't take Director Tsugawa away for investigation.

After listening to Takagi Wataru's report, Akutagawa Hiko nodded knowingly.

In short, they couldn't provide any useful information until the search was over.

In contrast, Akutagawa Hiko could only express his inability to help.

Although he is a seer, in the large-scale werewolf game stage of Beika Town, it is not a good thing to just jump out directly. Without any clues, there is naturally no room for him to play his part.

After greeting the members of the Junior Detective Club who had run downstairs to join in the fun, Akutagawa Hiko quickly completed the book return procedures.

As always, the police found nothing.

Akutagawa sighed inwardly, preparing to use the excuse of taking the elevator upstairs to casually mention that he had smelled the stench of a corpse, so that the police could discover the body.

Unexpectedly, Tangbing, the husky, carried Shirley and Xiaolongbao, broke through the blockade, and pounced on Akutagawa Hiko.

Immediately afterwards, Tangbing barked wildly at the elevator, and both cats simultaneously bristled...