Synopsis

As Masao was escorted from the room, he cried out, "Bring out the towel!" He then proclaimed the towel bore a pattern of a horsehair crab from Lake Suwa. Haibara examined Masao's cards, noting the sequence: Ru, Ko, Ni, Te. Realizing this was a coded message, Haibara understood Masao was instructing them to interpret the words "towel," "horsehair crab," and "Lake Suwa" as such, treating the middle characters as a Japanese particle. This transformation yielded the message: Ta Su Ke Te—"Help Me."