There's no need to dwell on sermons and words of thanks. After hanging up the phone, the two relaxed once again.
"What are you guys planning to do next?" Senichi asked Hattori, "Are you heading back to Osaka? It's normal to want to return as soon as possible after such an incident."
"We're not going back. We finally came to Tokyo," Hattori waved his hand, showing no signs of fear at all as they had just escaped from danger. "This little incident can't scare us."
"That's right. I also want to chat more with Ran," Kazuha chimed in.
"Then let's go eat okonomiyaki later, a celebration for you getting out of danger." Senichi took out his phone and dialed Ayako's number. Before it connected, he smiled and said, "My treat."
After the call connected, Senichi quickly explained the situation to Ayako, asking her to get ready and meet them at the okonomiyaki restaurant.
Subsequently, Senichi and the others first accompanied Hattori and Kazuha to the mall to buy new clothes. Both of them had gotten soaked in the rain earlier, and they hadn't had the chance to dry off while being in the attic.
After getting clean clothes, the group discussed and confirmed the address of the okonomiyaki restaurant. After Senichi called Ayako, they headed towards their destination.
Due to the number of people, Senichi took Conan and Hattori, while Kogoro Mouri took Ran and Kazuha in separate taxis.
Arriving at the okonomiyaki restaurant called "Wafu," Senichi saw Ayako sitting by the window, waving at their group.
After entering, Senichi took off his coat and sat down next to Ayako. "Where's Sonoko? Why didn't she come with you?"
"She was dragged by her mom to see an opera together," Ayako reached for Senichi's coat and hung it on the back of her seat, "I was dealing with some matters at the company. I came right after receiving your call."
"Thank you for your hard work. I appreciate you handling things at the company," Senichi poured a glass of water for Ayako, speaking warmly.
"It's not too much trouble," Ayako smiled and shook her head, "I just made some arrangements according to your plan; the rest was carried out by the people under me."
"Coordinating is hard work too," Senichi smiled as he held Ayako's hand. It seemed that Ayako felt a bit shy with so many people here. She discreetly released Senichi's hand, placing it under the table to block it from the others' view.
The hot pot quickly arrived, and after Senichi and the others ordered the rest of the side dishes, they started chatting while enjoying the meal.
"Come, let's have a drink to celebrate Hattori-kun and Kazuha-san safely escaping danger!"
After toasting with beverages, Ran happily raised her glass, and everyone picked up their juices or beers, clinking glasses to celebrate.
"But I really didn't expect Misari Ito, that famous defense attorney, to do such a thing... and even kidnap Hattori and Kazuha." Ran sighed.
"Hmph, people who pretend to be something good on the outside but have a dark side behind them," Kogoro Mouri sneered. "Think about it, those who help the financial world evade taxes make much easier money than those who fight lawsuits."
"But Mr. Kusukawa has already regained consciousness," Senichi said with a smile. "The contents of the safe have also been taken out in cooperation with the police. None of those guys can escape."
"But that obasan (auntie) was a bit too much," Kazuha said angrily. "She actually wanted to burn us alive, really nasty."
"Burn you...?" Ran was a bit puzzled.
"An excuse after committing murder and silencing someone," Hattori Heiji sarcastically said. "She planned to burn Mr. Kusukawa and the two of us to death, then disguise it as someone unhappy with the verdict seeking revenge through arson, creating the illusion that connected to us as guests."
"That was really close..."
Kogoro Mouri picked up a piece of beef, mixed it in the bowl with an egg, and put it directly into his mouth. "If a fire had really been set, at this time, it might have been mistaken for the work of an arsonist."
"Arsonist?"
"It's a villain who's been setting fires continuously in Tokyo," Senichi explained. "The case doesn't fall under our jurisdiction, there's a specialized arson investigation unit responsible. I heard that the person in charge is Inspector Yuminaga."
"Eh? Fiery old fossil?" Kogoro Mouri couldn't help but exclaim after hearing Senichi's words. "Is he in charge of this case?"
"What 'Fiery old fossil'?" Hattori Heiji wondered. "That arson Detective?"
"Yeah, he used to be my boss," Kogoro Mouri explained. "In the beginning, I spent some time in the arson division."
"If it's a serial arsonist, does this guy have the same method every time?" Hattori Heiji asked Senichi while picking up some vegetables.
"No, this guy doesn't have a fixed method for arson," Senichi shook his head. "The reason we could determine it was the same person is that the guy always leaves a mark at the crime scene."
Hattori Heiji's eyes narrowed. "A mark?"
"Yeah, a doll," Senichi nodded. "A red horse stained with purplish-black blood all over its body!"
"A red, red horse?"
Upon hearing Senichi's words, Kazuha felt a bit frightened, while Hattori Heiji had an understanding expression. "So that's how it is. This is indeed a blatant provocation."
"Huh? Why do you say that?" Ran asked in confusion.
"Because within the criminal investigation community, the term 'Red Horse' is a veiled reference to an arsonist," Senichi explained. "The reason for such a nickname might be because the shape and color of the flames resemble a red horse.
Of course, some might compare it to a red dog or a red cat, as flames are intangible, and the perception varies from person to person."
"If the 'Red Horse' doll was intentionally placed there by the arsonist, the culprit is indeed quite audacious," Hattori said with a serious expression.
"Yeah, it's like saying, 'If you detectives can, come and catch me,'" Senichi shook his head. "These days, there are quite a few crazed criminals, but fortunately, there were no casualties in the three previous arson incidents, which is a stroke of luck."
"But those victims were all inexplicably targeted," Kogoro Mouri said as he sipped from his wine glass. "They had no commonalities, never bought a Red Horse doll or received one, so the Red Horse found at the crime scenes can be confirmed as something left by the culprit. However, nowadays, not many people use the term 'Red Horse' as slang."
"If that's the case, could the culprit be targeting older detectives, deliberately using the doll as a symbol?" Hattori Heiji said after hearing Kogoro Mouri's words.
"This may also be the motive and cause of the culprit's actions," Hattori Heiji mused, rubbing his chin. "Aside from that, are there any other patterns in these three cases?"