"Sorry, I need to step away to the restroom for a moment." Jodie stood up, a bright smile on her face as if she were politely asking for the trio's permission.
"There's definitely something wrong with her identity, but..."
As soon as she was out of earshot, Hattori let out a quiet sigh of relief and turned toward the Great Detective. The English teacher was clearly not who she claimed to be, but seeing how relaxed Tsuneo was, Hattori figured she wasn't an immediate threat.
"This guy definitely knows the truth." Conan glared at Tsuneo, who was still focused on the meat. He felt a sudden urge to kick a soccer ball at the back of Tsuneo's head. If there was any real, uncontrollable danger, Tsuneo would never have let the conversation get this far.
"I just remembered something," Tsuneo said, looking up at Hattori.
"What?"
Hattori took a swig of soda, looking curious.
"Didn't someone say he needed to wrap this case up quickly so he could catch a flight back to Osaka?" Tsuneo asked, turning to Conan.
"I... I think he did."
Conan and Hattori exchanged a look. The expressions on their faces were a masterclass in realization and dread.
"Crap!" Hattori scrambled for his phone, bracing himself for the inevitable bombardment from Kazuha. At this hour, there was absolutely no way he was making it back tonight.
"Sorry to keep you waiting!"
A few minutes later, Jodie returned to the table. "Shall we continue our previous topic?"
The topic of allies and enemies.
"Let's leave it at that for now," Tsuneo said, glancing at Hattori and Conan.
The two detectives had likely pieced enough together by now. Tsuneo had dropped plenty of hints about the Black Organization in the past. On the international stage, almost every major agency—FBI, CIA, MI6—was investigating the "Syndicate" and planting their own moles.
"Then let's get back to the beer!" Jodie's voice returned to its peculiar, high-low pitch, shifting back into the persona of the eccentric English teacher.
Though she wasn't sure why they had suddenly slammed on the brakes at the climax of the conversation, the current situation was murky. Not having to expose her exact identity just yet was probably for the best.
"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt!" A waitress walked in carrying a tray. After placing the fresh plates on the table, she turned to leave.
Just then, she noticed something on the floor behind the chair of the little boy with glasses. It looked like it had slipped out of his jacket pocket.
"Little boy, this is your—" The waitress picked up the small slip of paper, but as she spoke, the words died in her throat. Her face went pale, then red, then pale again.
It was a photograph.
There was no fancy background. It was just a picture of a child.
He was sitting in front of a computer...
Conan was deep in thought and didn't respond immediately.
"What is it?" Jodie asked, her curiosity piqued. She reached out and took the photo from the waitress's hand.
"Hmm?"
Hattori leaned in as well. It's just a photo. Let me see what all the fuss is about...
"?!" Conan finally snapped out of his trance, noticing the looks of pure shock on Hattori and Jodie's faces.
He immediately patted his pockets. Oh no! That photo!
"We... we should probably just pretend we never saw this..." Hattori cleared his throat. He took the photo from Jodie and placed it face-down on the table with a trembling hand.
That website... is truly terrifying...
The meal ended shortly after.
"I knew you two were going to come and harass me," Tsuneo muttered as he drove his pickup truck toward his small apartment, with Hattori and Conan squeezed into the cab.
After saying goodbye to Jodie, the two of them had hopped into his truck as if they had pre-planned the whole thing.
"I suggest you start telling the truth. Someone's anger is currently reaching a boiling point," Hattori said. He had voluntarily sat in the middle today, acting as a human wall between the other two.
The contents of the photo had been accidentally exposed to everyone, and Conan was beyond fuming.
"Hey, hey, I wasn't the one who dropped the photo on the floor," Tsuneo said, stepping on the brakes as he reached a crosswalk. He waited for the pedestrians to pass before continuing.
"Hmph..." Conan leaned his head against his hand, his expression gradually becoming one of soul-crushing despair.
He could still see the waitress's face in his mind. He probably wouldn't be able to forget it for a long time. It was the kind of thing that gave people nightmares...
They arrived home without further incident. The three of them sat around the table to discuss serious matters.
"Are you sure it wasn't Ms. Jodie who stole those files from the Metropolitan Police Department?" Conan asked, still unable to let it go.
Even if Jodie was from a foreign intelligence agency—FBI, CIA, or MI6—why would she forge a local identity? What information was she trying to collect? Had they gotten their hands on the Organization's hit list and noticed the name Shinichi Kudo?
"It's possible they took those files to investigate us," Tsuneo said, switching on the TV. It wasn't midnight yet, so the decent programs hadn't started. He flipped through the channels aimlessly.
"Didn't that AI say he could help with this?" Hattori asked.
With Hiroki's capabilities, surely he could track down whoever had pinched the files.
"He did say that," Conan nodded. "But if the police couldn't find a single clue, it might be difficult even for Hiroki to trace."
"What do you think Jodie is doing right now?" Tsuneo asked with a sudden grin.
They had nearly played their cards face-up tonight. He bet the FBI was currently holding an emergency meeting.
"Investigating me?" Hattori said, showing a rare bit of self-awareness.
"You shouldn't have been so impulsive," Conan said, his voice flat. "What would you have done if she actually pulled a gun? How would the scene have ended?"
Even if they managed to take her down, a gunshot would have brought Megure running. How would they have explained that mess?
"I know, I know. Stop nagging!"
"I only kept pushing because I saw that Tsuneo didn't seem inclined to stop me, alright?" Hattori had heard this lecture several times already. Conan had been muttering under his breath all evening.
"And if this guy actually decided to bury her, were you planning on helping him shovel the dirt?" Conan asked, casting a side-eye at Tsuneo.
"Bury her?" Hattori scratched his head.
Okay, he hadn't thought quite that far ahead.
"Don't worry, Hattori. I won't stop you next time either," Tsuneo said, nodding encouragingly as he settled on a news program. "Say whatever you want. Disposing of a body isn't actually that hard."
If their covers were truly blown, burial or a trip to the bottom of the ocean were always viable options.
"The pressure is real!" Hattori sighed, looking at Conan.
It wasn't just the threat of enemies; their own "ally" was constantly contemplating serious crimes.
"Heh, glad you're finally starting to realize it..."
Conan stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Was Jodie truly an ally?
"Yes... tonight's dinner was quite full of surprises."
Jodie, dressed in her pajamas, stood on her balcony with a phone to her ear.
"We need to pay closer attention to that handyman from now on," a deep, masculine voice replied from the other end.
"He is not an ordinary person. Be careful..."
Jodie hung up and looked out over the sparkling night skyline of the city, a faint smile on her lips.
That way of speaking... those skills.
Could he be connected to that Organization?
-------------------------------
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