"Kindaichi, you really came!"

Standing by the roadside below the platform was a boy about the same age as Kindaichi, with shoulder-length blond hair.

However, his slightly fashionable business attire made him look much more mature than Kindaichi, a high school student.

"Ah, Kentaro!" Upon seeing his friend, Kindaichi immediately abandoned Yoruichi Toyama, grabbed Miyuki, and ran downstairs, asking her all sorts of questions.

"You're doing great! You're the company president now, and you're dressed so fashionably!"

"Hey, is this your car? It's so luxurious! You've become so rich already?..."

As Kentaro waved his hand in denial, the door of the black luxury car opened, and a middle-aged man in a sharp suit stepped out of the driver's seat.

She walked straight to Yoruichi Toyama, who was standing behind Kindaichi.

"Excuse me, are you Mr. Toyama? My surname is Kaizaki, and I am the secretary of President Kasai."

Fire Sacrifice? Isn't that the name on the envelope that half-baked detective just pulled out? ...

Jin Tianyi glanced at the rather imposing secretary, then at the luxury car in front of him, his face filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.

Yoichi Toyama nodded calmly, then asked knowingly, "Wasn't President Kasashi already deceased?"

"You mean the former president, Mr. Kasashi Seiryu?" Secretary Kaisaki replied calmly, as if he had expected this question. "The current Kasashi Enterprise is being run by the former president's eldest son, Mr. Kasashi Akatsuki. I was sent here by President Akatsuki."

"In other words, the person who commissioned Mr. Toyama to conduct the investigation."

...

Finally, Yoruichi Toyama, Kindaichi, and Miyuki, along with Kentaro Izawa who came to pick up their friends, all got into Secretary Kaizaki's car.

This was something Toyama Yoru already knew.

Like himself, Kindaichi was also lured here by Takato.

A certain puppeteer, perhaps because his life was as lonely as snow, had no choice but to invite old and new friends to play with him in this way.

Kindaichi, who was quite sensitive to this, also realized what was happening and kept pressing Kentaro, who was beside him, for answers.

"So why did you write to ask me to come over?"

"Well, that's because... I also think the death of President Hōsai Seiryū is too suspicious, and I was wondering if Kindaichi could find out anything..."

It seemed that Kentaro Izawa was a little embarrassed in front of Yoruichi Toyama, and he stammered as he spoke.

On the surface, it seems reasonable, since the Fire Sacrifice family has properly hired a detective, and it doesn't seem like it's the turn of a collaborating programmer to worry about these things.

Yes, Kentaro Izawa, although only 17 years old like Kindaichi, is already the head of a computer engineering company, and can be referred to as the president.

According to him, he had recently been doing business with the Fire Sacrifice Enterprises, but then the incident involving President Fire Sacrifice Seiryu happened, which is why he thought of asking his friend Kindaichi to conduct an informal investigation.

Although the Hijiri family was unaware of these matters, Secretary Kaizaki, who was entrusted by him to drive to pick them up, certainly knew about them.

Out of professional ethics, I won't comment much on the fact that a car picked up two detectives.

In the somewhat awkward atmosphere, Kindaichi reached out and scratched his messy hair.

"So, Kentaro, did you really send me here because you wanted to investigate the matter of former President Kajishi?"

"It wasn't because someone hinted at it..."

"Hey, Kindaichi-kun!" Seeing that Kindaichi was about to say Takato's name, Yoru Toyama had to stop him.

Just then, a building with an American country style, which looked old but still impressive, came into view outside the car window.

"Look, that's the Fire Sacrifice family's villa!"

Secretary Haiqi, who had been driving silently, nodded at the rearview mirror.

"Yes, that villa is a very historic building in the area, and it's called the Grape House."

"However, because of some of its legends, the locals have another name for it—"

"—Voodoo House"