"Sometimes, I really wonder what exactly goes on inside that head of yours."
The relentless little detective, who had been insisting on heading to the Professor's house, didn't get out of the car when they reached the agency. Instead, he remained in his seat, staring at the man behind the wheel—Tsuneo—with a look of pure bewilderment.
The night had been nothing short of madness. If Inspector Megure hadn't been there to personally vouch for him, Tsuneo would undoubtedly be sitting in an interrogation room right now.
"It's time for breakfast," Tsuneo replied simply.
He took a sharp turn and brought the car to a smooth halt outside Professor Agasa's residence. Dealing with the Lion King Society had actually been a decent workout; he'd spent the entire night 'playing' with them.
The two of them—one tall, one small—approached the front door and knocked.
The one who answered the door so early in the morning was none other than the "evil scientist" herself, her expression radiating pure displeasure. It wasn't even six o'clock yet, and since it was Sunday, even Akemi hadn't woken up to start breakfast.
"What? Were you two out hunting the Phantom Thief all night?" Ai Haibara asked, clad in her cartoon pajamas. She sat down on the sofa, stifling a yawn as she shot a sidelong glance at the pair.
She had seen the live broadcast the previous night. Whenever the cameras caught Suzuki Jirokichi, they inevitably caught glimpses of Tsuneo and the others.
It had been an astonishing display. That magical feat of walking through thin air... to think it was performed by that seemingly frivolous young man. The online forums were already exploding with theories.
"No, this guy stumbled upon some organization called the Lion King Society and decided to drive his car right through their front door. I expect it'll be on the news soon..." Conan said, rubbing his temples in exhaustion.
Then there was Ran. Last night, she had personally taken down at least twenty or thirty men...
"Refreshing!" Tsuneo grabbed a carton of cold milk from the fridge and downed it in one go.
With "Big Brother" Megure handling the paperwork, he knew he wouldn't have any issues.
"That gem... it shouldn't have anything to do with Pandora, right?" Haibara picked up the newspaper, her eyes narrowing at the photo of the 'Blue Wonder' clutched in the hands of the Golden Goddess statue.
"It's just a bored rich man's fantasy," Conan interjected dismissively.
A 'Gem of Life'? Such a thing couldn't possibly exist. In his mind, whatever strange organization was hunting for it was simply wasting their breath.
"Heh. Watching you two discuss this gives me a very strange feeling," Tsuneo remarked, looking down at the two "children."
The irony was thick. Two living examples of eternal youth—or at least, de-aging—were standing right there, yet they were analyzing the impossibility of the supernatural from a strictly scientific perspective.
As they spoke, Professor Agasa emerged from the basement, his face etched with fatigue.
"Professor..." Conan's eyes fixed on the old man. Did he pull another all-nighter making gadgets for Kid?
"Now, Shinichi, we had an agreement," Agasa reminded him gently.
Unless they were at the scene of the crime, Kaito Kid was essentially just another client. Hearing this, the "dog-headed" detective's head slumped in a display of utter helplessness.
Nightfall.
After catching up on their sleep, the group returned to the vicinity of the museum.
The sky was thick with the hum of helicopters, a blatant display of the Suzuki Financial Group's bottomless pockets. Even though the heist was scheduled for midnight, the crowd of spectators was several times larger than the previous night.
"The police should have cordoned off the area to civilians," Kogoro Mouri muttered, looking around with a look of pure exasperation.
If things turned chaotic, the Phantom Thief could dive into this sea of people and vanish without a trace.
"My grand-uncle invited everyone on purpose," Sonoko explained brightly. "He wants to film the moment Kid is captured and turn it into a movie. He said having a crowd makes it feel more 'authentic.'"
The surrounding buildings had been entirely rented out, and a special viewing area for tonight's "performance" had been prepared.
The spot where Kid had appeared in the sky the previous night was situated directly between two office towers. Sonoko's grand-uncle had chosen the building on the left to serve as their private observation deck.
On the rooftop terrace, an exquisite Western-style round table had been set up, attended by a professional butler.
"Pardon me, Miss Sonoko, guests... would anyone care for a drink?" the butler asked with a slight bow.
"I'll leave the selection to you," Sonoko replied with a smile.
"I often forget that this girl is actually the young lady of the Suzuki Conglomerate," Tsuneo remarked, leaning against the railing and looking up at the sky.
The air felt heavy. It looked like rain. Flying that many helicopters in such weather seemed like a safety hazard.
"Hmm..." Conan was looking down at the ledge. He noticed two faint scratches on the wall—marks left by something sharp. They looked fresh.
A possibility clicked into place in the Great Detective's mind.
The interior and exterior of these buildings are crawling with guards. How do you plan to pull it off tonight, Kid?
"Your grand-uncle is about to lose a priceless gem, and yet you're here acting like you've won the lottery," Kogoro said, sighing as he sipped his tea.
He remembered all too well—every time Kid appeared, Sonoko turned into this. Even when the target was her own mother, she didn't care.
"Because it's Kid-sama! I've wanted a face-to-face meeting for so long!"
"To be honest, I even suggested to my grand-uncle that I should just sit on the museum roof holding the Golden Goddess statue myself," Sonoko added, her mind clearly wandering into a strange fantasy.
Ran rubbed her arm and laughed nervously. "I say, Sonoko... you aren't hoping to be stolen away along with the gem, are you?"
Her arm still throbbed slightly from the scuffle the night before.
"Exactly! If I get stolen too, then Makoto will definitely do whatever it takes to rescue me! And then, the two of us, because of me..." Sonoko's imagination was clearly running at full throttle.
"I'll be sure to thank Kaito Kid on your behalf..." Tsuneo muttered as he walked back to the table, catching the tail end of her ridiculous daydream.
Kaito is going to end up dead at the hands of his wealthiest fan eventually.
"Hahaha!" Sonoko let out an exaggerated, boisterous laugh.
"The spectacle today is truly over the top," Kogoro remarked, glancing down at the street.
It was rumored that the Suzuki Conglomerate had distributed flyers everywhere to ensure no one missed the event. There had to be over a thousand security personnel stationed in the area.
"Uncle, have you figured out Kid-sama's trick yet?" Sonoko asked curiously. "The one where he walked on air?"
"Hmph. I actually have a very bold theory," Kogoro said, standing up and pointing toward the space between the two buildings. "Sometimes, just because we can't see something doesn't mean it isn't there!"
"For instance, if a massive, unimaginable sheet of glass was suspended between these two towers, his walking posture and the sound of his footsteps would be perfectly explained."
It had to be said—the Muddled Detective's theory was indeed bold.
Even Sonoko and Ran couldn't take it seriously, immediately shooting him down. With so many people watching from below, a piece of glass that large—no matter how transparent—would have been spotted. Furthermore, the logistics of installing and removing such a prop would be an absolute nightmare.
"Truly a masterpiece of logic, Master Mouri," Tsuneo teased with a grin.
"You brat, seriously..." Kogoro grumbled, turning away. He was just giving an example; there was no need to take him so literally.
"KID! KID! KID!"
As midnight approached, the crowd below grew increasingly restless. Many were already waving glowing signs and chanting the thief's name in a deafening roar.
(End of Chapter)
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