Facing Conan's questions, Ran recounted the story of Shinmei Kaori.
After listening, Conan fell silent. He hadn't expected that Kurosawa Hoshino had not only helped solve a case over the phone today but also found a missing famous writer.
And what about him? He was clearly at the filming location, but he couldn't find the murderer. He'd had to rely on Kurosawa's reminder to figure out who it was.
Just then, a beep sounded—a car horn. They looked over and saw a black car parked by the roadside.
The moment they saw the car, Kurosawa and the others knew Sonoko had arrived.
Sure enough, Sonoko got out, waved, and strode over.
"Ran, Hoshino! I've come to hang out!"
"Sonoko!" Ran called out happily.
Kurosawa glanced at the car and said quietly, "Judging by your tone, you're not just here to hang out, are you?"
"Why do you say that?" Sonoko shot back.
"I could tell from your car. Usually, you only have your driver pick you up when you're heading home. When you come to see us, it's either to take us somewhere fun. But when that's the case, you always tell us beforehand—you don't make decisions for us. So, what's the matter?"
"Hehe, I didn't expect you to know my habits so well." Sonoko laughed happily, her cheeks flushing slightly.
Ran urged, "Sonoko, stop laughing. Get to the point."
"Ahem, let's go upstairs and talk."
"You're impossible."
They all went upstairs together.
Once inside, they sat down on the sofa. Sonoko got down to business.
"The Beika Museum is preparing to hold a jewelry exhibition—bringing together famous gemstones from all over the world. My dad is also planning to exhibit our family heirloom. It's said to bring us good fortune."
"What heirloom?" Kogorō Mouri interjected.
"It's a black pearl—the largest black pearl in the world. It's called the Black Star. Ever since my grandfather got this pearl, our family has been on a winning streak. So the Black Star became our family heirloom."
Hearing this, Kurosawa Hoshino suddenly realized this must be the episode where Kaito Kid appears.
Without further ado, he said directly, "Let me guess. Someone might be eyeing your family heirloom, so you've come seeking my help?"
"Yes, that's right." Sonoko nodded. She took a piece of paper from her bag and placed it on the coffee table for everyone to see. "It's Phantom Thief Kid. He sent a notice. He's planning to steal our family heirloom. When my dad saw this notice, he was so angry he tore it up on the spot. I had to piece it back together."
"Phantom Thief Kid?" Conan raised an eyebrow. He remembered when he hadn't shrunk yet—he and Inspector Megure had been in a helicopter at the clock tower in front of Ekoda-cho Station. They'd stopped him once. He hadn't expected to hear that name again now.
Kogorō Mouri stroked his chin. "I have a vague recollection. I remember Phantom Thief Kid appeared eighteen years ago, disappeared eight years ago, and now he's reappeared."
"Yes, that's right." Sonoko pointed to the notice on the coffee table. "Hoshino, could you please take a look and see if you can decipher the code?"
"Let me do it." Kogorō picked it up and read aloud. "April Fool. When the moon separates the two, the long-renowned Black Star—I will follow the wave's invitation to collect it. Phantom Thief Kid."
"Why did he send it out in advance?" Ran asked, puzzled.
"That's why Kaito Kid is so famous." Sonoko's tone was serious. "Every time he sends out a coded message, he specifies the time, place, and target. If you can decipher the code, you can catch him. Whether you actually catch him or not depends on you."
Ran suddenly understood. She looked at her father. "Dad, did you decipher it?"
Kogorō's face reddened. He put the message back on the coffee table and said stubbornly, "It's such a simple matter. I don't need to lift a finger. Hoshino can handle it."
Kurosawa glanced at Kogorō, shaking his head with amusement. When things were fine, he called him "brat." But when things got serious, he called him by name.
"Hoshino!" Ran and Sonoko blinked their beautiful eyes and looked at him simultaneously.
Conan also took this opportunity to carefully examine the message, trying his best to decipher the code.
"You don't need to look at me." Kurosawa shrugged at the two girls. "Didn't the notice start with 'April Fool'? It's related to April Fool's Day. I'm guessing he's not really coming to steal anything tonight. He's just playing a prank."
"That's right, that's what I thought too." Kogorō nodded in agreement. "That kind of behavior is perfectly acceptable for a thief like that."
Sonoko complained, "That's outrageous. There are already a lot of police at the Beika Museum, waiting to arrest Phantom Thief Kid tonight. I didn't expect it to be an April Fool's joke."
Conan, who hadn't spoken until now, suddenly asked, "Hoshino-nii, where does the notice say Phantom Thief Kid will appear?"
Kurosawa didn't press Conan on this matter. He simply said, "Beika City Grand Hotel."
"Huh?" Ran asked in surprise. "Hoshino, isn't that the location you told Ms. Shinmei about this morning?"
"Yes."
"That's quite a coincidence." Ran smiled.
Conan pressed, "Hoshino-nii, how did you figure out this location? Can you tell me?"
"Think about it yourself. I believe you can figure it out." Kurosawa was telling the truth. After all, this was the location Conan had come up with in the original story.
Sonoko got up from the sofa. "I'm going to the Beika Museum. Ran, Hoshino, do you want to come with me?"
The scene shifted to the Beika Museum.
Kogorō Mouri was the first to get out of the car. He observed his surroundings and exclaimed, "As expected of the Suzuki Foundation. They managed to mobilize so many police officers. Judging by the numbers, it's probably half of Tokyo's police force here."
Outside the museum, a police officer stood every few meters. Numerous helicopters patrolled overhead. The scene looked like they were dealing with a terrorist group—it was unbelievable that all this was set up to catch a single thief.
"This is overkill," Ran said, clicking her tongue.
Sonoko added, "This is a notorious thief wanted by every country. It's normal to take it seriously."
Kurosawa remained silent. He was just there to take a look around. Tonight's Phantom Thief Kid was really just playing an April Fool's joke—while leaving behind a real warning.