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E116 - The Mystery Writer Disappearance Case (Part 1)

Source: Crunchyroll
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(Please feel free to edit the speaker names if incomplete or inaccurate. Names are handled on a best-effort basis depending on the info on the source file. Dialogue is left as is.)
[00:01] ---
    Encounters are mysterious!
    But the world is even more so!
[00:04] ---
    I'm so glad I'm with you!
[00:06] ---
    Today's an author mystery!
    Some mysteries exist outside of writing!
[00:10] ---
    He sees the single truth for what it is,
[00:11] ---
    and looks like a kid
    but has the mind of an adult!
[00:13] ---
    His name? Detective Conan!
[01:52] ---
    The Mystery Writer
    Disappearance Case (Part 1).
[02:10] ---
    I, Matsuda Samonji, have solved
    tonight's bloody string of murders!
[02:17] ---
    That person is undoubtedly the killer!
[02:19] ---
    Detective Samonji
[02:27] ---
    The son! The son! The son did it!
[02:31] ---
    That's dumb! The son is a fake!
    It's the wife of the murdered man!
[02:36] ---
    Who do you think did it,
    Conan-kun?
[02:39] ---
    I'll say the same person as you!
[02:42] ---
    See! Even he thinks so!
[02:45] ---
    How would he know?
    Kids don't know anything!
[02:53] ---
    The killer...
[02:55] ---
    ...is you, his son!
[03:00] ---
    I knew it!
[03:02] ---
    That's impossible!
[03:04] ---
    It was different the last time I saw it...
[03:06] ---
    The Detective Samonji
    series is always being remade,
[03:10] ---
    and the killer changes each time!
[03:13] ---
    That's why it's always so interesting!
[03:20] ---
    You blockhead!
[03:21] ---
    What was that for?!
    Don't make me mad!
[03:25] ---
    That's not mad!
[03:27] ---
    What are you doing, Dad?!
[03:30] ---
    Quick-draw detective,
    my butt! How pathetic!
[03:33] ---
    Turn it back! Samonji's about to
    pull out his sword and say a haiku!
[03:39] ---
    Too bad!
[03:41] ---
    Come on! Turn it back!
    It's going to end!
[03:46] ---
    Things sure are peaceful for
    father and daughter to argue over this...
[03:51] ---
    So many people have fallen
    victim to their organization.
[03:56] ---
    But nobody realizes it's
    the organization's fault.
[04:00] ---
    If I want to be normal again,
[04:03] ---
    I have to turn this bumbling
    detective into a real master detective
[04:08] ---
    and obtain information on the
    men in black's organization!
[04:14] ---
    If he gets more work, I'll eventually
    run into a case involving them!
[04:20] ---
    If I continue to seek
    the truth, I know I can do it!
[04:27] ---
    Now it's over!
[04:30] ---
    What's so good about it anyway?
    He's just a third-rate detective.
[04:36] ---
    So says the dimwitted detective...
[04:41] ---
    Besides, the original
    series ended long ago.
[04:45] ---
    It's annoying that
    they keep putting it on TV.
[04:47] ---
    Oh, they started the serials again!
[04:54] ---
    Let's see. I'm sure it's around here.
[04:56] ---
    Literature Era started it two months ago.
[04:59] ---
    See!
[05:00] ---
    "Shinmei Nintaro's highly
    anticipated 'Detective Samonji' returns!"
[05:06] ---
    Seriously?!
[05:10] ---
    This takes me back!
[05:12] ---
    He and a killer disappeared
    into a fire ten years ago,
[05:15] ---
    but I guess he survived!
[05:17] ---
    It takes you back?
[05:19] ---
    That's what Shinichi-*niichan
    *said on the phone the other day...
[05:23] ---
    Shinichi did?
[05:25] ---
    That mystery nerd, huh...
[05:37] ---
    Oh? I think someone's
    at your office downstairs...
[05:41] ---
    Yeah, tell them it's late
    and to come back tomorrow.
[05:45] ---
    Okay.
[05:51] ---
    I'm sorry! The office is closed for the day!
[05:54] ---
    But I really do need to talk
    to Detective Mori about something.
[06:00] ---
    Could he at least hear what I have to say?
[06:05] ---
    Hottie!
[06:06] ---
    It's rather late, so could
    you come back tomorrow?
[06:10] ---
    Wait, wait, wait!
[06:13] ---
    What are you saying to our guest?!
[06:16] ---
    Sorry to keep you waiting!
    I am Mori Kogoro!
[06:21] ---
    I apologize for my rude daughter!
[06:25] ---
    Please! Come right in!
[06:28] ---
    Thank you.
[06:28] ---
    Right this way!
[06:31] ---
    What's with that attitude?
    You told me to turn her away!
[06:36] ---
    Please, have a seat!
[06:44] ---
    My apologies! Go right ahead!
[06:47] ---
    Thank you.
[06:55] ---
    It's nothing special, but...
[06:57] ---
    Thanks.
[07:01] ---
    Now, then.
    May I ask what brings you here?
[07:05] ---
    Yes. My name is Shinmei Kaori.
[07:08] ---
    Shinmei Kaori
[07:08] ---
    Yes. My name is Shinmei Kaori.
[07:10] ---
    Shinmei? You don't mean--?!
[07:12] ---
    The mystery writer's--?
[07:14] ---
    Shinmei Kaori (22), office worker
[07:14] ---
    Yes. Shinmei Nintaro is my father.
[07:19] ---
    You're the daughter
    of that great master?!
[07:23] ---
    I can never get enough of
    Samonji's haikus!
[07:27] ---
    Right?!
[07:29] ---
    So, how can I help you?
    Does he want to use me in a novel?
[07:35] ---
    No, actually... my father
    has been missing for two months.
[07:42] ---
    He's...
[07:43] ---
    ...missing?!
[07:44] ---
    That is quite--
[07:46] ---
    Don't be silly!
[07:48] ---
    He's been writing serials for
    Literature Era for the past two months!
[07:53] ---
    But it's the truth! He and my mother
    disappeared from their home!
[07:57] ---
    Y-Your mother, too?
[08:01] ---
    They both vanished about one
    week before this serialization began.
[08:10] ---
    I checked with all our relatives
    and acquaintances of course,
[08:13] ---
    but no one knew anything.
[08:15] ---
    Still, don't his serials mean
    that he is writing manuscripts?
[08:21] ---
    Yes.
[08:24] ---
    Oddly enough, the manuscripts
    are faxed to the editing department.
[08:29] ---
    Every Saturday, at exactly midnight.
[08:38] ---
    But don't the faxes have the
    sender's phone number or anything?
[08:43] ---
    No, nothing at all.
[08:45] ---
    It seems the sender has it configured
    not to display those things.
[08:49] ---
    Hmm...
[08:50] ---
    It's probably because he and
    his wife are on vacation somewhere
[08:56] ---
    and he sends the faxes
    from the hotel they're staying at!
[08:59] ---
    I thought so too at first!
[09:02] ---
    But they've never been
    quiet for two months like this before!
[09:08] ---
    I can only think that something happened!
[09:13] ---
    Did you contact the police?
[09:16] ---
    Yes.
[09:17] ---
    I asked them to investigate,
    but there had been no ransom calls
[09:22] ---
    and the manuscripts were
    being sent, so they said not to worry.
[09:27] ---
    I tried the other detective agencies,
    but they all said the same thing.
[09:34] ---
    You're my last hope, Mori-san!
[09:41] ---
    This is pointless!
[09:43] ---
    We're only wasting time by sitting here!
[09:47] ---
    Let's check the editing department
    where his manuscripts get sent!
[09:53] ---
    You can save your
    troubles for after that!
[09:57] ---
    R-Right!
[10:02] ---
    Taxi!
[10:08] ---
    After you!
[10:22] ---
    Yes, Shinmei-sensei's manuscripts get sent here every week.
[10:23] ---
    Daigakukan
[10:27] ---
    More should be sent today,
    at any time now...
[10:32] ---
    Are these manuscripts
    really written by him?
[10:37] ---
    Yes. Although they're typed out,
    the words are most definitely his!
[10:42] ---
    He signs his name next
    to the title each time, too.
[10:46] ---
    I can show you the faxed
    manuscripts, if you'd like.
[10:50] ---
    Halves at the Top
[10:57] ---
    The title is "Halves at the Top"?
[11:00] ---
    And he's signed them, too.
[11:06] ---
    Are you certain this is his signature?
[11:09] ---
    Yes. We confirmed it
    when I came here earlier.
[11:13] ---
    There's nothing
    to worry about, Kaori-san!
[11:16] ---
    I'm sure he's just so focused
    on writing that he forgot to contact you.
[11:22] ---
    The same thing happens
    to lots of other writers!
[11:28] ---
    But are you sure he forgot?
    His wife's with him...
[11:34] ---
    Yeah, now that you mention it...
[11:36] ---
    Did he seem different in any way?
[11:40] ---
    Different?
[11:42] ---
    You know, like during
    a meeting or something.
[11:45] ---
    Yes, we had a simple meeting
    before we started the serials,
[11:50] ---
    but he didn't seem any different...
[11:54] ---
    Anything at all?
    Even the tiniest thing might help...
[12:00] ---
    I suppose there is the fact he
    restarted his Detective Samonji series.
[12:07] ---
    Huh?
[12:08] ---
    You see, I have been asking him
    to restart this series for the past four years.
[12:14] ---
    But he always answered by saying...
[12:17] ---
    Samonji is dead.
    There's no bringing him back.
[12:22] ---
    So I had half given up when
    he suddenly called two months ago
[12:28] ---
    to ask if we could make
    room for his new Samonji series.
[12:35] ---
    We were more than
    happy to oblige, of course,
[12:39] ---
    so we hurriedly canceled
    the new series we were running
[12:42] ---
    and replaced it with Samonji.
[12:44] ---
    I see. Anything else?
[12:49] ---
    Oh, come to think of it,
    this doesn't pertain to him exactly,
[12:54] ---
    but for the dedication, he wrote this:
[12:57] ---
    "Attention, all master
    detectives throughout Japan!
[13:00] ---
    If you wish to surpass my intellect,
    solve this case's true mystery."
[13:07] ---
    That's quite a provocative dedication.
[13:10] ---
    Yes. And ever since the
    first chapter, we've received
[13:14] ---
    tons of calls and fan letters saying,
    "This is how it was done!"
[13:19] ---
    As an editor, it makes me happy,
[13:22] ---
    but it seemed like a rare move
    for such a mild-mannered writer.
[13:26] ---
    Though, fans have been waiting
    like crazy for over ten years,
[13:31] ---
    so it's only natural he's
    getting such a big reception.
[13:34] ---
    "Like crazy"?
[13:36] ---
    Yes, there was even a scary
    call last year from a crazed fan
[13:41] ---
    who threatened to set this place
    on fire if he didn't restart the series!
[13:48] ---
    Talk about extreme...
[13:50] ---
    Oh, yes! There's one
    other thing that seemed strange!
[13:54] ---
    He appears in his own novel!
[13:57] ---
    Come again?
[13:58] ---
    Shinmei-sensei appears in the story,
    as an old friend of Samonji's!
[14:04] ---
    He's a struggling
    writer who resides in France.
[14:09] ---
    There are about forty stories in
    the series, but this is a first!
[14:15] ---
    I think it's going to end
    with all the previous cases
[14:19] ---
    being things Samonji told him about!
[14:22] ---
    Kind of like how
    Watson is to Sherlock Holmes!
[14:26] ---
    Say! Could you show me that scene?
[14:29] ---
    Sure!
[14:35] ---
    But can you read kanji, little boy?
[14:37] ---
    A little!
[14:41] ---
    Oh, you're right! Here he is!
[14:44] ---
    Shinmei-sensei makes his first appearance
[14:48] ---
    when Samonji calls a friend living
    in France for advice on a case.
[14:54] ---
    His character is absentminded and funny!
[14:58] ---
    W-What's this?!
[15:04] ---
    
[15:06] ---
    This is strange!
[15:08] ---
    Look at this!
[15:10] ---
    10:00 is written in kanji here,
    but 1:00 is written with a number!
[15:15] ---
    This guy must've been pretty tired, huh?
[15:21] ---
    That is strange. Could this actually be...
[15:25] ---
    ...a misprint on your part?
[15:29] ---
    No!
[15:31] ---
    We wanted to fix it to
    make it easier to read, too!
[15:36] ---
    But he said, "The lay of the letters
    is a novel's life! Don't change it!"
[15:41] ---
    He said it many times before the serialization.
[15:44] ---
    He also said he'd cancel the
    series immediately if we defied his wish.
[15:52] ---
    Then that makes it all the odder.
[15:55] ---
    It's almost as if something
    is being hidden in the writing.
[16:00] ---
    And then there are
    Shinmei-sensei's signatures.
[16:06] ---
    If my theory is correct,
    it's possible that he's already...
[16:13] ---
    Oh! Here's his latest fax!
[16:20] ---
    Let's see here...
[16:22] ---
    You can't look yet!
[16:24] ---
    It's a mystery story!
    Wait until it's in book form to read it!
[16:31] ---
    Hey!
[16:35] ---
    I thought so!
[16:38] ---
    Hey, you!
[16:40] ---
    But his signature is weird!
[16:43] ---
    Chapters six through eight match perfectly.
[16:49] ---
    Nintaro
[16:51] ---
    Th-They do!
[16:53] ---
    Chapters one through six are all
    slightly different, though. I wonder why!
[16:59] ---
    He obviously just
    copied an earlier signature.
[17:03] ---
    Why would he do that?
[17:05] ---
    Because he didn't
    want to write it anymore...
[17:09] ---
    ...or he couldn't anymore?
[17:11] ---
    Mori-san!
[17:12] ---
    If he can't write anymore,
[17:15] ---
    that means Shinmei-*sensei
    *might already be dead, doesn't it?
[17:20] ---
    Y-You can't be serious!
[17:21] ---
    This is bad! This
    requires immediate action!
[17:26] ---
    You! The police! Call the police!
[17:29] ---
    Right!
[17:33] ---
    It's not 100% yet!
    There's a chance he's still alive!
[17:38] ---
    The key to saving his life is
    probably hidden inside this novel!
[17:45] ---
    As a message he's left for us detectives!
[17:49] ---
    Daigakukan
[17:52] ---
    You can't open an investigation?
[17:54] ---
    No, we still can't. Not at this stage.
[17:59] ---
    Hold on, Inspector!
[18:02] ---
    Shinmei Nintaro,
    her father and a mystery writer,
[18:08] ---
    has been missing for two months now!
[18:11] ---
    What's more, his wife is also gone!
[18:15] ---
    I can only think they got
    caught up in some sort of incident!
[18:20] ---
    Even so, his manuscripts are
    being faxed here every single week.
[18:31] ---
    Even though they're faxes,
[18:32] ---
    his daughter and the editors
    all agree it's his writing!
[18:39] ---
    And like I said, those
    faxes are the issue here!
[18:44] ---
    Don't those signatures
    seem strange to you?!
[18:47] ---
    Signatures? But they were
    already confirmed to be his.
[18:52] ---
    Between Chapter one and six,
    his signatures are all slightly different,
[19:00] ---
    but between Chapter six and eight,
    they're all exactly the same!
[19:05] ---
    They're obviously copies
    of a previous signature
[19:08] ---
    and evidence that he's now in
    a condition in which he can't write!
[19:13] ---
    In other words,
    something has happened to him!
[19:17] ---
    Then tell me...
    Who did what to Mr. Shinmei?
[19:22] ---
    I'd believe you more if there
    was a threatening phone call,
[19:27] ---
    but there's been nothing at all.
[19:30] ---
    Besides, maybe he got sick of
    signing them and used copies instead.
[19:37] ---
    True. Given the circumstances,
    Inspector Megure is right.
[19:42] ---
    It wouldn't be surprising
    for an eccentric writer
[19:46] ---
    to take his wife and hole up
    somewhere to focus on his writing.
[19:52] ---
    But something bugs me!
[19:54] ---
    Attention, all master detectives throughout
    Japan!
[19:54] ---
    It wasn't like him to write that dedication.
[19:58] ---
    It was very extreme and provocative
    for someone so mild-mannered.
[20:03] ---
    Then, there's the fact the writer
    suddenly appears in the series.
[20:10] ---
    And then there's his odd dialogue
[20:13] ---
    that mixes numbers, kanji
    numbers, and English letters...
[20:20] ---
    If my theory is correct,
[20:22] ---
    there must be a message
    from Shinmei-sensei in here!
[20:27] ---
    Inspector! I made copies of all
    the lines Mori-san was curious about.
[20:37] ---
    Mr. Shinmei makes
    four appearances so far?
[20:41] ---
    Can I have a copy, too?
[20:43] ---
    Stop that! Don't get in the way!
[20:47] ---
    It's okay! There are extras!
[20:49] ---
    Here you go!
[20:50] ---
    Thank you!
[20:51] ---
    Let's see, his first appearance
    is when the main detective character
[20:57] ---
    calls Mr. Shinmei,
    who is residing in France.
[21:02] ---
    He's also in France the second time...
[21:06] ---
    He's in France the third time...
[21:09] ---
    And the fourth time, too.
[21:13] ---
    Does Mr. Shinmei like France?
[21:16] ---
    Yes. He and my mother
    often traveled there.
[21:19] ---
    Damn! Reading them backwards
    or rearranging them doesn't work!
[21:25] ---
    If only I had a point to start from!
[21:28] ---
    Umm, do you mind if we use
    Chapter eight of "Halves at the Top,"
[21:34] ---
    the manuscript he just faxed?
[21:36] ---
    Halves at the top?
[21:38] ---
    It's the title of the work
    you're reading right now!
[21:44] ---
    Halves at the--?
[21:47] ---
    Halves at the top?!
[21:50] ---
    Hold on, now!
    Could this actually be--?!
[22:00] ---
    T-This is--!
[22:03] ---
    Just as I thought!
[22:04] ---
    There's a message from
    Shinmei-sensei hidden in these lines!
[22:09] ---
    Which makes it all fit:
    that provocative dedication,
[22:14] ---
    the author's appearance in the story,
    and the odd lines of dialogue!
[22:20] ---
    But what is the goal of the person
    holding him and his wife captive?!
[24:01] ---
    Inspector!
[24:03] ---
    What is it, Takagi-kun?
[24:05] ---
    Look at this manuscript!
    There's more dialogue!
[24:09] ---
    Huh? This is the eighth
    chapter that was just faxed here?
[24:14] ---
    "Hurry..."
[24:15] ---
    "There's..."
[24:17] ---
    "...no time..."
[24:20] ---
    "Hurry, there's no time!"
[24:26] ---
    On the next Conan--
[24:27] ---
    "The Mystery Writer
    Disappearance Case (Part 2)."
[24:47] ---
    Next Conan's hint:
[24:50] ---
    French language.
[24:51] ---
    Message from author Aoyama-sensei.
[24:54] ---
    What'd he say? That he likes this segment?
[24:56] ---