The coast guard arrived, repaired the cruise ship, and the night finally ended. But everyone was still caught up in the thrill of what had happened. From the moment they boarded, the night had been one shock after another.
"Ran, this was the liveliest party I've ever been to in my whole life," Sonoko said, her voice full of excitement.
Ran, however, felt there had been more than enough excitement. First the zombie performance, then a murder case, then Kaitou Kid, then killers—it was way too much stimulation.
By the time they got home it was nearly dawn, but no one could sleep. Sonoko sat in her pajamas on Ran's bed, deciding to stay over for the night.
Conan, meanwhile, was still thinking hard about who among those around him could be the Organization's mole.
"Araide-sensei, come help us too. Let's get the students home safely," Jodie said.
"Alright, I'll come," the doctor replied. Even now she still didn't know where Gin and Vodka had gone.
On the bus, Vermouth noticed that Haibara—who looked suspiciously like Sherry—was sticking close to Ada. She already knew Haibara had been adopted. Originally, Vermouth had planned to kill her. But during her investigation into Ada, she found too many questionable things. That was why she hadn't made a move yet.
Haibara fell asleep in the back until sunrise. By then Jodie had gotten off the bus, and the only ones left inside besides the driver were Ada and Araide.
"From now on, please don't disturb my daughter's life again," Ada suddenly said.
?? Vermouth froze, then instantly grew alert. "Ada-sensei, what are you talking about? I don't understand."
"You're working with those two killers in black suits, aren't you?" Ada had seen straight through Araide's disguise. In her Microcosmos vision, Araide was nothing but a woman—curves too obvious to be hidden, no matter what.
"Hehe, I must be getting confused," Vermouth tried to play dumb.
"Vermouth—that's your name, right? The long-haired one is Gin, the muscular one is Vodka."
Hearing Ada calmly state their codenames, Vermouth felt the pressure. Were they cops? Had they adopted Sherry just to protect her? All sorts of thoughts rushed through her mind in an instant.
"You must have me mistaken," Vermouth tried to deny it completely.
Ada smiled faintly. Then, quick as lightning, she grabbed Vermouth's chest. Even with the inflatable lining in the way, Ada's bold move forced Vermouth's female instincts to react—she instantly blocked Ada's hand.
"Still want to deny it?" Ada said smartly, exposing her slip. "A woman understands another woman best."
It was over. Vermouth hadn't expected her opponent, who looked cold and distant, to act so decisively—and so brazenly. 'Didn't think I'd get exposed like this.'
"Your killing intent can be felt from a whole street away," Ada said. "I don't care what your goal is. But if you so much as harm a single hair on Haibara, I swear I'll destroy you all. I'll rip you out root and branch—leave no trace behind!"
A feeling she had never experienced before. Vermouth was completely suppressed, unable to even muster defiance. Ada was serious, and Vermouth could tell she really had the power to do it.
Since joining the Organization, Vermouth had seen its power firsthand. But this was the first time she had felt from an outsider a force strong enough to shake the Organization. And this wasn't just talk of dismantling it. This was annihilation. A will beyond simple humanity, a presence surpassing the limits of mankind.
"I think you've already understood. So I'll trouble you to keep Haibara's secret. And make sure your companions never show up in front of me," Ada said, radiating overwhelming force.
"Passenger, Araide Clinic is here."
"Doctor Araide, this is your stop," Ada said firmly.
Vermouth was shaken, so distracted she even forgot what she originally came to do.
Haibara was actually awake. But hearing Ada's sharp warning, telling Vermouth not to come near her, made her feel safe. Her foster parents were both protecting her in their own way. Liu A'dou wanted her to become strong, to learn self-protection. Ada wanted to drive danger away from her completely.
This was what it felt like to be protected. Haibara felt warmth inside, lighter than ever before. The Organization's shadow was being pushed away. Her foster parents stood tall like two great trees, their crowns spreading wide to shelter her, giving her a safe sky where she could grow.
Haibara kept pretending to sleep. She felt her head being gently rested on a warm, soft lap. She had never laid on her mother's or sister's lap before. It was a brand-new experience, and from deep in her heart, family affection began to bloom.
So warm. So safe. Here, Haibara could dream good dreams. Dreams of having a family. Dreams worth holding onto.
Even after they got home, Haibara was still asleep. Ada carried her carefully into her room. Nono stared wide-eyed at her sister, noticing right away how much better she looked compared to before.
As for who the mole really was, Conan wasn't so lucky. He tossed and turned, unable to sleep. A mole meant Ran was also in danger—that was what worried him most. If it were only him, he was confident he could negotiate with the Black Organization. But if Ran's safety was at risk, he had no way to protect her.
"Damn it, who is it?!" Conan wracked his brain. He still thought Jodie was suspicious. His second suspect was Ada, because she, like Jodie, appeared only after he shrank. Liu A'dou was the third suspect.
And even though Liu A'dou and Ada were clearly husband and wife, they kept pretending not to know each other. That alone made them even more suspicious than Jodie. But then again, they had adopted Haibara, and she wasn't in danger because of them. Looked at that way, maybe they weren't suspicious at all.
Wait. After he shrank, there wasn't just those three—there was a fourth person. Doctor Araide.
In the past, Conan hadn't suspected her because Araide's build was so different from Vermouth's. But after last night, when Kaitou Kid taught him that even a short person could disguise as a tall one, he had learned his lesson.
Doesn't matter. He would investigate them all. Conan made up his mind—anyone who had appeared after he shrank would be investigated.
The weather was beautiful. The sun was warm, making people forget their troubles. Mouri Kogoro sat with a beer can in his left hand and a cigarette in his right, feeling like this was the life of a god.
"Ah, paradise. World peace really is wonderful." He gazed at the blue sky and white clouds. Drunk—not from alcohol, but from his own bliss.
This was how life should be. No cases, no killers, no victims' tears. Just another peaceful day in Tokyo.
Sonoko and Ran had gone out. Conan was gone too. Only Mouri was left in the detective agency. The peace was too perfect, with nobody disturbing him. "Ahhh~~"
Boom!
Mouri fell off his chair. Scrambling to the window, he saw thick black smoke rising from the source of the deafening blast. "An… explosion?!!"
Yes, an explosion. A massive one. The short-lived peace was shattered. A new criminal had appeared.