Symbiosis 17

"Please come this way, Officer Date," the middle-aged man led the way for the detective team. Although he kept looking at Chie Kurokawa and Conan Edogawa with a puzzled look, he did not raise any objections due to the police officer ID shown by Date Kou. "Usually at this time, Mom will push Grandpa to the living room, where the light is better," he thought for a moment and added, "But just like when the previous officer came, Grandpa didn't react at all..."

As they were talking, a man, a woman and a child had already seen the target of their visit, the former landlord of Aoki Apartment, an elderly man. He was curled up in a wheelchair, his bald head and dry skin already revealing his age. Facing the strange guest, he showed no curiosity at all, and basked in the sun like an ornamental plant without even opening his eyelids.

"Sir..." The man put his hands on his knees, bent down and shouted into the old man's ear, "This is a police officer from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. He wants to ask you about 709 Aoki Apartment, nineteen years ago."

This roar almost broke several people's eardrums. Edogawa Conan had already covered his ears with his hands, but the old man still didn't seem to react - his grandson shouted a few more times before he straightened up with an apologetic smile, "Sorry..." The man's voice was a little hoarse, "Grandpa... cough cough cough... My ears are not very good now, so to communicate I must..."

"No, don't bother," Idahang quickly interrupted the enthusiastic man. Although it was expected that the witness could not ask anything in this state, he was still a little disappointed. "You should go and have a drink of water. We just want to try our luck..."

After sending the man to the kitchen to get some water, Ida Hang squatted in front of the old man's wheelchair and tried to ask, "Hello..." He got nothing except the same hoarse voice as his grandson. The same was true for Kurokawa Chie, but the latter's voice was so shrill and scary that Ida Hang even suspected that if he let her scream, the neighbors would call the police.

"Um..." Edogawa Conan approached the old man with an innocent smile, trying to try his luck again, "Grandpa, do you still remember--"

As expected, he did not get any response. Edogawa Conan looked at his two companions in disappointment. When he was about to complain, he saw their horrified expressions.

It was like there was something scary behind him.

"...Shuo...?"

It was like a machine that had not been started for a long time was forcibly turned on, the rusty gears turned slowly, and a strange, difficult, and unfamiliar accent was forced out from between the lips and teeth. Edogawa Conan stiffened his body and turned his head back little by little, his dry fingers like branches still on the child's shoulders.

The old man raised his sagging eyelids, revealing a pair of cloudy pupils. He drooped his neck forward, as if trying to look at the child in front of him with his lifeless eyes, "...Shuo," as if he finally remembered how to speak, the old man's pronunciation was a little smoother than before. At least Edogawa Conan heard the name the old man in front of him was muttering, "Does your body still hurt... Is your leg okay? You will be able to stand up in a few days..."

"Why didn't your mother take you with her? How could she bear to leave you to that beast?"