Case Closed Episode 1196: The Spiral Mansion Mystery, Part Two

The episode opens with an imposing aerial view of the spiral-shaped Tsurufuji Art Museum, a building of distinctive design. Inside, the first unsettling discovery is made: Tsuyufuji Sensuke, son of the museum’s founder, is slumped lifelessly over a toilet. His eyes are closed, confirming death. A shotgun, still smoking faintly, lies nearby, hinting at the violent end.

Kogoro Mouri, Ran Mouri, and Conan Edogawa arrive at the museum, immediately drawn into the unfolding tragedy. Conan begins his quiet observations, noting the spiral patterns everywhere, from an art piece to a mysterious floor indentation marked "ABYSS." Just as questions begin to mount about the missing Oomagari Satoshi, husband of Mai Mai, his body is discovered in a nearby river, a chilling spiral of blood blooming in the water. Inspector Megure and Takagi Wataru are now dealing with two deaths.

The title card heralds "Mansion Mystery: Uzumaki Mansion (Part 2)," and the scene shifts to the river where Oomagari's body lies. Mai Mai is distraught, crying for her husband. Conan connects the spiral current in the water to a theory about the victim's death, challenging Kogoro's initial assumptions. He points out a hidden spiral, the rifling in the shotgun barrel, a detail missed by the adults. Inspector Megure receives autopsy results, revealing Oomagari died from a blow to the head around 1:15 PM.

With the time of death established, Inspector Megure questions the remaining suspects. Kaoru Neji, the curator, and Kazumi Hayase, an editor, confirm their alibi together, which Ran and Conan corroborate. Attention then turns to Mai Mai, who claims she was in her fourth-floor atelier. When Yokosan states she was "right here," Mai Mai aggressively presses her, pointing out that the restroom window provides an exit, implying Yokosan could have committed the crime. The tension in the room is palpable as Yokosan reacts with agitated disbelief.

Conan, ever the observer, steps outside to the spot where Oomagari was painting, wondering if the victim saw something important. He notices the pristine windows and learns from Neji that she cleans them herself using a rope from the roof due to budget constraints. Back inside, Conan overhears a heated exchange between Mai Mai and Yokosan about inheritance. Yokosan, furious at having no claim to the art, threatens to steal pieces, but Mai Mai warns her of the police presence. Yokosan retreats, momentarily startled by Conan in the hallway, but Conan feigns innocence.

Conan asks Mai Mai to see the painting Oomagari had. He notices two canvases stacked together, an unusual detail for a new work. Mai Mai, intrigued and then shocked, carefully removes the nails, revealing a vibrant, swirling painting beneath Oomagari's sketch of the museum. This revelation brings Mai Mai to her knees in despair; the paintings Oomagari was selling were not his, but her deceased father's. Conan pieces together the fraud, and Mai Mai desperately implores him to keep the secret, especially from "that woman."

Still thinking about the clean windows, Conan is approached by Neji. She asks him if he thinks the hidden room and the newly revealed painting should be made public, suggesting it would boost museum visitors. Before Conan can fully respond, he sees something falling and shoves Neji out of the way. A block crashes to the floor, narrowly missing them. A black silhouette is seen fleeing across the rooftop. Conan, ever analytical, finds a dropped watering can, creating another spiral pattern. He then notices a rope dangling from the roof, connecting it to the window cleaning, and meticulously counts its length, determining it to be about 18 meters.

Conan returns to Mai Mai, asking for clay, then uses it with the rope he found. He ties the rope to a ceiling bell, creating a hanging loop, and climbs a ladder. Ran Mouri and Kogoro Mouri, alarmed, rush to him. Conan declares he wants to insert his "Tower of Babel" into the "ABYSS," referring to the spiral art piece and the hidden room. He tells Ran he will be on the second floor, then activates his power-enhancing shoes, ready to set his trap.

Conan launches the spiral art piece into the "ABYSS," activating the hidden room. The shocked culprit emerges, caught red-handed. Conan, having crawled through the ventilation shaft, appears from an opening, stunning everyone. He explains the hidden room's mechanics and how the culprit used the 18-meter-high ventilation shaft, a space unaccounted for by the museum's four-floor structure, to hide and move unseen. Kogoro, now "speaking" Conan's deductions, accuses Kaoru Neji and Kazumi Hayase of murder. Kogoro details how Neji used a clay spiral to disguise the hidden room's lever, striking Oomagari and sealing him inside. She then positioned the shotgun to fake suicide, rolled the body into the river, and fabricated an alibi by framing Hayase using the spilled water and a discarded block. Her motive: to sell the valuable hidden painting and pay off her debts.

Overwhelmed by the undeniable evidence, Kaoru Neji breaks down, confessing to the murders, her face a mask of despair as police escort her away. Conan offers a quiet word of praise to Kogoro, who, as usual, takes all the credit. Mai Mai sincerely thanks Conan, recognizing his true role in solving the case. As they drive away, Kogoro complains about the strange museum, while Ran asks Conan about the eccentric architect, Hiroki Masataro, who mysteriously disappeared. Conan's final thoughts confirm the architect's odd nature and abrupt disappearance, leaving a sense of lingering mystery.