Chapter 497 Observation of Detective Habits

Conan heard the topic of "human heads" and finally realized that Mao Lilan was afraid.

He smiled dryly and comforted: "Maybe it was just that the food was left in the bag and forgot to take it out, and it accidentally broke. There is no littering on the mountain, so they had to put it in the bag and cover it. When we got to the rest stop, we Just find a chance to take a sneak peek."

Although it is illegal to go through other people's bags, he is still just a 7-year-old child on the surface and will not be sanctioned for this...

 “...Really?” Mao Lilan was doubtful.

Jiang Xia nodded and agreed with the statement of "food spoiled".

 At the same time, he stared at the fresh shikigami on the lovers' legs, lost in thought.

 …Idle time is also idle. If I find an opportunity to scare these two people, can I scare them into extra murderous intent?

 Or wait until you get to the rest stop, say "How weird" like Conan, get close to their bags, and then find a chance to be alone together and expose your back to them?

There was a sudden chill behind the resting couple. The two of them raised their heads warily and looked at Jiang Xia following their instincts.

　　However, he saw that the young detective had already looked away and was drinking water and resting leisurely.

The couple looked at each other. Although their legs were still sore, they stood up strongly and walked quickly to the resting point. I always feel that if I continue to stay, something bad might happen.

As soon as they left, there was no one else around. Jiang Xia and others became the last group of travelers to go up the mountain.

The client looked around and found no "Silver Fox" hiding around, so he stood up and said, "Let's go, the sky is getting cloudy and it might rain. We have to go to the rest stop early."

 A group of people set foot on the mountain road again.

 …

After walking for a while, a man's scream suddenly sounded through the dense forest.

"!?" Conan and Amuro Toru's ears twitched and they rushed over immediately.

Jiang Xia followed up seamlessly—the "Detective Observation Notes on Detective Habits" in his mind was no longer thinner than Haihara Ai's "Jiang Xia Observation Notes", and he had already roughly figured out the action pattern of a detective.

A group of people ran following the sound and passed through the dense forest. They saw Etsuko Tokura, the novelist who just came to chat with Jiang Xia, sitting on the edge of the cliff, looking at the bottom of the cliff in surprise.

"What happened?"

Jiang Xia asked, already running to the edge of the cliff.

 You can see below, on a protruding rock seven or eight meters away from here, a person is lying quietly.

 —It is the enthusiastic male college student who is said to often come to climb mountains.

 …

 There is a sloping and winding path from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the cliff.

 A group of people went down to the protruding rock.

Jiang Xia walked up to the male college student, squatted down and touched him, a little surprised: "...he is still alive."

This classmate has a very strong head... It may be that when he fell, he brushed against the path and vegetation on the cliff and was cushioned.

　Conan and Toru Amuro could not hide their surprise.

—When they heard the screams and saw someone lying motionless on their backs at the bottom of the cliff, they instinctively began to look for the murderer.

At this time, when I heard that the person was still alive, I slowly came to my senses and began to try to give him first aid.

Of course, during first aid, the detectives did not forget to make simple observations.

 There was a narrow scar on the male college student's face. It didn't look like a scratch from a fall, but rather a scratch from something sharp.

In addition, there was a small knife stuck in a tree a few meters away.

—It’s not like he slipped and fell, but like he accidentally fell while dodging a flying knife or something like that.

Throwing knives...Silver fox? !

 The client quickly came to the same conclusion.

The scream that the male college student made when he fell off the cliff just now attracted not only them, but also several other tourists. At this time, a group of people were gathering here to look around.

 Although that couple was the sneakiest, they set out late and did not have enough time to commit the crime.

Then all that’s left is…

　　The client looked at Etsuko Tokura, who was contemplating Jiang Xia, and pulled her away: "Did you do it?"

—Just now Conan told Jiang Xia that "Etsuko Tokura is also suspected." Jiang Xia didn't pay much attention, but the client eavesdropped.

Etsuko Tokura was pulled out of her thoughts.

She slapped the client's hand away and arranged her scarf and collar slowly: "When I heard the shouting and ran over, things had already become like this. And judging from the appearance of the injured, he seemed to have been injured. I have been attacked with sharp weapons, and I will not use those things - besides, since he is still alive, when he wakes up and asks about the situation, won’t everything be clear?”

The client snorted coldly and let go of his hand: "...The attack was so cruel, who knows if he can wake up."

A thunder crashed.

A few flashes of lightning flashed across the gloomy sky filled with dark clouds. Raindrops also followed, and the water droplets hit the ground.

 Today’s weather forecast is indeed inaccurate. It was promised to be cloudy, but it suddenly started raining, and it got heavier and heavier.

Jiang Xia took out her mobile phone and looked at it: "No signal."

Mao Lilan nodded disappointedly.

　　She had already called the police when she saw a person lying under the cliff. Now at the foot of the cliff, she desperately called the ambulance again, but still failed.

 …

After performing simple first aid, Jiang Xia put down her phone, looked at the male college student lying on the ground, and sighed.

 After a while, he took off his waterproof hat and slapped it on the face of the tall male college student to protect him from the rain.

He didn’t want to continue getting wet in the rain, so he suggested: “It’s not good for the wound to get wet, and if we continue to stay in the mountains, we will be in danger. Let’s go to the rest stop first.”

 …

 Ten minutes later.

 Before it got completely dark, a group of people who were soaked finally arrived at the nearest rest stop.

 It is said to be a rest stop, but it is actually just an old house.

Jiang Xia raised her hand and knocked on the door twice. Seeing that the door was unlocked, she simply pushed it open.

 A crunching sound. As the door rang, in the dim light, the white-haired old man in front of the stove turned around and looked at the door.

 The old man has thick beard and hair, and his eyes are fierce. He stared at the people entering the door, and just as a thunder and lightning struck outside the window, he looked as horrified as if he had just stepped down from the cannibal's family tree.

Mao Lilan's whole body trembled, and he put on a defensive posture.

Jiang Xia silently pressed down her hand in front of her.

Toru Amuro glanced at the old man's uniform and whispered, "She should be the manager here."

The manager of the cabin looked at them with disdain for a while, then threw in a few bath towels of average quality: "Dry them off before you come in."

  The tone of "…" should really be the manager, not some monster that haunts during thunderstorms...

Not only Mao Lilan, but also several other timid travelers also secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

 A group of people carried the male college student who fell unconscious into the house and found some bandages and disinfectant as a temporary emergency.

 (End of this chapter)