Beep—beep—beep—
Just as Commissioner Gordon finished reading Kaito Kid's preview letter, a sudden ringing broke the silence in the meeting room.
Director Danilo Auffe stiffened.
The sound came from his pocket.
For reasons he couldn't explain, a deep sense of unease crawled up his spine the moment he saw the caller ID.
It was his secretary.
He answered immediately.
"Director—this is bad news!"
The secretary's voice was breathless, panicked.
"We just found Kaito Kid's preview letter in your office!"
Director Auffe's hand tightened around the phone.
"What?" he exclaimed. "What do you mean found?"
"It was placed directly on your desk," the secretary continued. "The contents are identical to the one faxed to the GCPD. We've already confirmed its authenticity."
Auffe's face drained of color.
So it wasn't a fake.
And it wasn't a coincidence.
What made things worse was what the secretary said next.
"Director… it's not just us. Every major media outlet in Gotham received the same letter at the same time."
Auffe felt his throat go dry.
This was classic Kaito Kid behavior.
He never cared about secrecy.
In fact, he seemed to fear the opposite—that not enough people would know about his upcoming heist. He always made sure the entire city was watching.
Slowly, Director Auffe lowered the phone.
But instead of relief, confusion flooded his mind.
"Then why…" he muttered, barely audible, "why wasn't it found earlier?"
Brock caught the words.
He raised an eyebrow.
"Mr. Auffe," he said bluntly, "you're not still thinking that the person who impersonated the Smithsonian staff earlier was Kaito Kid, are you?"
The words hit like a hammer.
Director Auffe froze.
Then his eyes widened.
"Wait… are you saying—?"
Before he could finish, Commissioner Gordon spoke, his tone heavy and calm.
"It's obvious now," Gordon said. "There's more than one thief targeting the Hope Blue Diamond."
The room fell silent.
Two thieves.
Not one.
Brock crossed his arms, his expression darkening.
"Jim," he asked, "who do you think the other one is?"
Gordon didn't answer immediately.
He stared at the preview letter in his hand, as if trying to see through the paper itself.
After a moment, he spoke.
"The Hope Blue Diamond isn't an ordinary gem," he said slowly. "Its reputation alone would scare off most criminals. Anyone bold enough to touch it isn't just a thief—they're a master."
He paused.
"And this impersonator was highly skilled. Perfect disguise. Confident behavior."
Brock frowned.
"You're thinking it might be a woman?"
Gordon nodded slightly.
"If we assume the impersonator was female, there's only one person who fits."
Brock's expression changed instantly.
"…You mean her?"
"But she's been inactive for years," Brock said. "Some people even think she retired."
Gordon shook his head.
"It's just a hypothesis. Disguise specialists can be anyone—male or female. Kaito Kid himself has impersonated women before."
He folded the preview letter carefully.
"Until we confirm their identity, we can't make assumptions."
Director Auffe wiped cold sweat from his forehead and forced a bitter smile.
"I truly believed the diamond's cursed reputation would deter thieves," he said weakly. "After all, no one dared touch it during all those years at the Smithsonian Museum."
He laughed dryly.
"But the moment Gotham hears about it… two legendary thieves appear."
Brock snorted.
"Welcome to Gotham."
---
A Dangerous Suggestion
Brock suddenly remembered something.
He turned to Director Auffe.
"If I'm not mistaken, the Hope Blue Diamond hasn't even arrived yet, correct?"
"That's right," Auffe replied. "It's still at the Smithsonian Museum."
Brock leaned forward.
"Then why not cancel the exhibition altogether?"
The suggestion hung in the air.
"With no diamond," Brock continued, "there's no target. Kaito Kid won't show up. Neither will the other thief."
"It's not like the Smithsonian hasn't canceled before," he added. "Doing it again wouldn't be impossible."
Director Auffe hesitated.
His fingers trembled slightly.
"I'm afraid… that won't work."
"Why not?" Brock pressed.
Auffe sighed deeply.
"To prepare for the exhibition, I invested nearly half of my personal savings into new security systems."
His voice tightened.
"If the exhibition is canceled now, all that money is gone. Worse, I signed a contract with the Smithsonian Museum. Canceling unilaterally would mean paying an enormous breach-of-contract penalty."
Brock frowned.
"We can negotiate," he said. "The police can advise the Smithsonian to withdraw voluntarily. That would protect you legally."
"You can try," Auffe said quietly, "but I don't have much hope."
He looked genuinely troubled.
"For reasons I don't understand, the Smithsonian seems extremely determined to hold this exhibition in Gotham."
His eyes hardened.
"They already canceled once. Yet they agreed again—after knowing the diamond would attract thieves."
Gordon nodded slowly.
"That alone tells us this exhibition is important to them."
He straightened.
"Even so, negotiation is still worth attempting."
Turning to Director Auffe, Gordon added,
"The Smithsonian representative you spoke with earlier—she's still in Gotham, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then take us to see her," Gordon said firmly.
Without delay, the group left the GCPD and headed straight for the Orpheus Jewelry Exhibition Hall.
---
Wayne Manor
At the same time…
Wayne Manor, west wing.
Dick Grayson sat alone in his small study.
The glow of his computer screen illuminated his focused expression.
Displayed on the screen was a scanned image of a white sheet of paper.
Several lines of text stood out clearly.
Behind him, the door opened quietly.
Alfred Pennyworth entered, carrying a tray with pastries and freshly brewed coffee.
"One would think, judging by your expression," Alfred said calmly, "that Kaito Kid has issued another preview letter, Master Richard."
Dick didn't look away from the screen.
"Mm," he replied softly.
Alfred smiled faintly.
"Please don't overwork yourself," he said, setting the tray down. "Your afternoon tea."
"Thank you, Alfred."
Alfred exited silently, closing the door behind him.
Not long after—
Dick's phone rang.
He answered without hesitation.
"Hey," came Barbara Gordon's voice. "Pixie Boots. You saw the preview letter, didn't you?"
Dick frowned.
"You're getting involved again?" he asked. "After last time?"
Barbara scoffed.
"Last time you and Kaito Kid made a fool out of me," she shot back. "What—am I supposed to just forget that?"
She paused, then continued seriously.
"I underestimated him. That won't happen again."
Dick didn't respond.
"And honestly," Barbara added, "that just proves you need my help more than ever."
Dick exhaled slowly.
Annoyingly enough…
She was right.
Every encounter with Kaito Kid ended the same way—always a step behind, always just missing the truth.
No matter how fast he reacted, Kid was faster.
Smarter.
At least equal.
Relying on himself alone meant repeating the same mistakes.
After a long silence, Dick finally said,
"…Alright."
Barbara smiled on the other end of the line.
"I knew you'd come around."
"You've decoded the preview letter already, haven't you?" she asked.
"More or less," Dick replied. "This one's simpler than the last."
Barbara leaned forward in her chair.
"Then tell me."
Dick stared at the screen.
His voice lowered.
"The message points to a very specific time."
He paused.
"And a very dangerous stage."
Barbara's smile faded.
"…Meaning?"
Dick spoke slowly.
"Kaito Kid isn't just announcing the heist."
He clenched his fist.
"He's inviting someone else."
The call went silent.
Two thieves.
One diamond.
And Gotham standing in the middle.
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