2 PM. Metropolitan Police Department.
Kurosawa Hoshino and the others accompanied a woman with a somewhat haggard face as they walked out of the building.
"Miss Nakamura, would you like me to take you home?" Kogorō Mouri acted very gentlemanly, trying his best to appear courteous.
The woman before him was indeed Nakamura Misao. Kogorō was right—she wasn't a man, but a beautiful woman.
Nakamura Misao had been rescued from the villa's attic by Kurosawa and his group after they had tied up the two men. The two men, after interrogation, confessed that they were members of the "Whirlwind Fairy Theft Gang" from ten years ago, and that Nakamura Misao's grandfather, Fuchimon Tokiro, was the gang's leader. Ten years ago, Fuchimon Tokiro had disbanded the gang, distributing the stolen goods among the members but keeping some for himself. These two men, having recently learned of Fuchimon Tokiro's death, had come to his residence to search for the stolen goods he had left behind.
So, after observing for a few days and discovering that only Nakamura Misao lived in the villa, they stormed in and subdued her. They originally wanted to ask Nakamura Misao if she knew where the stolen goods were kept, but they learned that Nakamura Misao had actually written a letter to the high school detective Kurosawa Hoshino, saying that he would come to investigate the strange things at the villa. Of course, this was a little lie Nakamura Misao had told, hoping that Kogorō—who claimed to be Kurosawa's teacher—would notice something amiss in her words.
As for why they didn't kill Nakamura Misao but only imprisoned her in the attic, it was entirely to prevent leaving any clues that the famous detective Kurosawa might discover, which would be disastrous. However, they hadn't expected that even with such caution, the two men would still be detected as suspicious by Kurosawa the moment they met—and he dealt with them quite quickly.
"Mr. Mouri, thank you for your kindness, but I can go back by myself. You don't need to trouble yourself to accompany me." Nakamura Misao politely declined, then looked at Kurosawa, her voice soft yet earnest. "Kurosawa-kun, there are still some things I haven't figured out about the villa. Could you please come again? Don't worry, I'll pay the commission fee."
As soon as she finished speaking, Kogorō clutched his chest, his face contorted in pain. His gaze was fixed on Kurosawa. The letter had clearly invited him, making no mention of money—yet Kurosawa was now being offered a commission fee. This stark contrast was heartbreaking.
"Ms. Nakamura, you should know that those two kidnapped you for what your grandfather left you. That was also left to you by your grandfather. I won't get involved in what happens after that." Kurosawa refused directly. Having already obtained the Origin Point, he had no interest in going back and causing trouble. He had earned another Origin Point—he had eleven left to obtain his next superpower.
"Okay, I understand." Nakamura Misao didn't press the matter further. This incident had greatly impacted her, and she just wanted to calm down as quickly as possible. She looked at Kogorō again, her tone exceptionally sincere. "Mr. Mouri, thank you so much for rushing over as soon as you saw my letter. If it weren't for you, Kurosawa wouldn't have come, and I might not have survived many days."
Kogorō immediately perked up, rubbing his hands together and laughing. "Miss Nakamura, this brat won't help you look, but I will! How about we keep one for now—"
"Dad!" Before he could finish speaking, Ran couldn't stand it anymore. She reached out and grabbed his arm, pulling him aside. "Be serious. So many people are watching."
"What's wrong with me?" Kogorō struggled but couldn't break free, retorting angrily.
Nakamura Misao watched the interaction between father and daughter, a smile appearing in her eyes. She bowed deeply to everyone present, thanked them again, and then hailed a taxi by the roadside, gradually driving away.
"Misao! My Misao-nee—" Looking in the direction the taxi disappeared, Kogorō cried out in a mournful voice, his expression so grief-stricken that one might mistake it for a farewell to the dead.
Ran couldn't help but laugh at her father's appearance. She let go of his hand and nodded in satisfaction.
Sonoko leaned close to Ran and quietly gave her a thumbs-up. "Ran, you really have a way with people. Only you can handle Uncle Mouri."
Haibara, who had been standing quietly to the side, hadn't said much the whole time, only occasionally letting a hint of envy flash across her eyes.
"What are you thinking about?" A sudden voice brought Haibara back to her senses. The next second, she felt a hand gently land on her head—a warm touch.
I'm really fed up with this childlike body of mine, Haibara thought. Being touched on the head so often—if this continues, I worry I'll be bald one day.
"Hoshino-nii, I want to go back." Haibara sighed inwardly but deliberately softened her tone, making it sound childishly sweet.
"Don't rush. We haven't had lunch yet. We'll find a restaurant to eat lunch first, and then I'll take you back." Kurosawa bent down, hugged Haibara tightly, and deliberately rubbed his cheek against hers, teasing her with a smile. "Haibara is so cute. Can I give her a kiss?"
Instantly, Haibara's tense face almost crumbled. Her ears turned red, and her usually aloof persona nearly collapsed. A clear panic flashed in her eyes. She quickly put her little hands against Kurosawa's chest. "Hoshino-nii, put me down. I don't like being held."
"Okay, I won't tease you anymore." Seeing that Haibara was really flustered, Kurosawa stopped teasing her and gently put her down.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, Haibara immediately took two steps back, ran to Ran and Sonoko's side, and stood there, her bright eyes fixed on Kurosawa like a wary little animal.
Sonoko said irritably, "Hoshino, really—you always tease Haibara. Be careful she won't come to see you next time."
Haibara thought it made sense and nodded in agreement.
Ran said, "Alright, it's already two o'clock. Let's find a place to have lunch. Dad, you pay."
"Huh? Me?" Kogorō subconsciously reached for his pocket, really reluctant to part with his little pocket money. Then his eyes lit up, and he thought of a good idea. He quickly said, "No, I have something to do. I just remembered the cat-finding request I made earlier. The client's cat seems to have been lost near the Metropolitan Police Department. I have to go look for it."
After saying that, he didn't give his daughter a chance to catch him. He turned and ran, disappearing into the street in a flash.
"Honestly, Dad runs way too fast!" Ran had just finished complaining when her phone rang. She took it out, looked at the number, and exclaimed in surprise, "Huh, it's Ms. Chris!"
Vermouth probably misses Ran again, Kurosawa thought to himself. He glanced at Haibara and said, "Haibara, I'll take you back to Professor Agasa's house first—and buy you some snacks on the way."
This surprised the three of them, who looked at him in confusion.
"Ran, Sonoko, I'll come find you later." Kurosawa said without further explanation, letting Haibara leave with him.