"Then, regarding tonight's meeting…"
Koleda looked at Mouri Kogoro.
"Of course, I can't let you go alone!"
Mouri Kogoro waved his hand dismissively.
"I'll go with you! I want to see what kind of trick this assassin named Tachibana Maya is trying to pull!"
"I want to go too!"
Conan immediately raised his hand and shouted.
How could he miss an incident involving a professional assassin's request?
"Hey! Kid! Why are you trying to join in the fun! It's dangerous!" Mouri Kogoro glared at him disapprovingly.
Conan immediately put on an innocent look.
"But, Uncle, wouldn't it be a bit strange if only you and Koleda-neechan went to a hotel room together? If I come along, we can pretend to be a family on vacation! That way, it won't easily arouse suspicion!"
Mouri Kogoro paused, stroking his chin in thought.
"Hmm… what you're saying makes some sense…"
He turned to Koleda, "Koleda-san, what do you think? Bringing this kid along would be convenient for cover."
Koleda's gaze fell on Conan, and her scrutinizing look made Conan feel as if he had been scanned by an X-ray.
A moment later, she nodded slightly. "Alright. Kudo Yukiko-san mentioned this child to me."
"Eh?" Conan's heart skipped a beat. This person knows my mom?
Koleda continued.
"She said you were her second child, Kudo Shinji, born in Hawaii. Although young, you are very smart and alert, sometimes noticing details that adults overlook. Bringing you along might indeed be helpful."
Conan roared internally. Mo—om—!!!What kind of identity have you been randomly assigning me out there?!And Kudo Shinji?!Do you think you're naming a pet?!
Conan ranted wildly in his mind, but on the surface, he could only force out a harmless, silly grin. "Hehe… you flatter me…"
Mouri Kogoro didn't think much of it, he just scratched his head.
"Oh? So Koleda-san knows Kudo-san, huh? Alright then, it's settled!"
He stood up, full of fighting spirit.
"Tonight, we're going to meet this principled assassin! Conan, get ready! Koleda-san, we'll meet downstairs at the Agency tonight!"
Ben seemed to want to say something, but Koleda stopped him with a look.
She stood up and bowed slightly to Mouri Kogoro. "Then, I'll be relying on you tonight, Detective Mouri. We'll see you tonight."
With that, she left the Agency with Ben, coming and going like the wind.
After they left, Mouri Kogoro, who had been so serious, laughed so hard his tongue stuck out, jumping three feet high.
"This is great, I finally got a big case! After this, I can lie around for a few months."
Mouri Kogoro rubbed his hands together, looking exceptionally excited.
Conan, however, frowned slightly, looking at the threat letter on the table.
Tachibana Maya… professional assassin… abandoning the mission… meeting… all of this seemed reasonable, yet it always felt like a trap.
Tonight's meeting would likely be far from as simple as it sounded… As night fell, the streets of Beika Town's 5-chome were lit up by neon lights.
At 8:40 PM, a discreet Mercedes silently pulled up downstairs at the Mouri Detective Agency.
The car door opened, and Koleda and Ben stepped out.
Mouri Kogoro and Conan, who had been waiting downstairs, immediately went to meet them.
Mouri Kogoro wore what he considered his most handsome suit, and his hair was meticulously styled with gel, making him look confident.
Conan was still dressed in his usual elementary school attire, but all his essential tools—the Detective Badge, tranquilizer watch, portable belt soccer ball, etc.—were brought along.
"Koleda-san, you're very punctual," Mouri Kogoro greeted her.
"Punctuality is a basic principle."
Koleda nodded slightly, then looked at Ben,
"Ben will be waiting in the car near the hotel afterward. If we enter the room and don't make contact after the scheduled time, or if he receives an emergency signal, he will act immediately."
Ben nodded silently, his gaze sweeping around, and after confirming there were no anomalies, he opened the rear car door for Koleda.
"Hmm, this arrangement is very secure," Mouri Kogoro agreed, then pulled Conan into the car.
The car smoothly drove towards the Beika City Hotel.
The atmosphere inside the car was a bit silent. Mouri Kogoro seemed to want to lighten the mood, so he cleared his throat and asked.
"Um… Koleda-san, don't you feel a lot of pressure managing such a large company at such a young age?"Koleda was silent for a moment, then looked out the car window and replied.
"Pressure is the shadow of responsibility. To avoid pressure is to abandon responsibility. I am the president! A leader should always lead by example."
Her tone carried a maturity beyond her years, leaving Mouri Kogoro momentarily unsure how to respond.
Soon, they arrived at the Beika City Hotel.
According to the plan, Koleda, Mouri Kogoro, and Conan got out of the car and walked into the hotel lobby like a family.
Ben slowly drove the car into a nearby parking lot, ready to act at any moment.
They took the elevator to the 21st floor and found room 2104.
The corridor was covered with thick carpet, absorbing footsteps and making it exceptionally quiet.
Mouri Kogoro took a deep breath, stepped forward, and gently knocked on the door.
No response.
He knocked harder. "Hello? Is anyone there? Tachibana Maya-san?"
Still, silence.
Mouri Kogoro and Koleda exchanged glances, both seeing vigilance in the other's eyes.
Mouri Kogoro tentatively twisted the doorknob—Click.The door, surprisingly, was unlocked!
"Careful!"
Mouri Kogoro instinctively shielded Koleda and Conan behind him, then cautiously pushed open the door.
The room was brightly lit and neatly arranged, but empty.
The bed was made, with no signs of anyone having stayed there, as if no one had ever come.
"No one?" Mouri Kogoro frowned, warily scanning every corner of the room, "Is it a trap?"
Conan also quickly slipped into the room, his gaze sweeping under the table, under the bed, and into the bathroom—places where someone might hide.
But ultimately, he found no sign of anyone hiding.
"Strange, we agreed to meet, but the person didn't come, and the door isn't locked. What does this mean?"
Mouri Kogoro mused, stroking his chin.
Just as the three of them were wondering, the door to the adjacent room, 2103, creaked open.
A figure leaned against the doorframe, smiling at them.
It was a woman who appeared to be in her twenties, with neat, short, orange-red hair and a bright, charming face.
Most notably, she wore a pair of uniquely shaped large circular earrings that swayed gently with her movements.