9:40 PM.
Inside a pharmaceutical company in Toriya Town.
Shiho Miyano, dressed in a white lab coat with an icy expression, strode purposefully toward the company's private bar.
The door swung open. The burly Vodka stepped out and blocked her path. His voice was calm. "Sherry. Big Brother said he won't grant your request."
"Why?" Shiho clenched her fists, glaring at him. "It was agreed. That person agreed. Why won't he let me see my sister?"
Vodka didn't answer. He simply stood there—a gatekeeper, refusing entry.
"Fine." Shiho's voice turned cold. "If he won't give me a satisfactory answer, I won't conduct any more experiments. Let's see if he can withstand that person's wrath."
Vodka's brow furrowed. Her words carried weight.
The stalemate hung in the air.
Just as the tension threatened to snap, the bar door opened again. Gin emerged—long silver hair, an aura of pure ice.
Shiho's eyes flickered with fear at the sight of him. But she thought of her sister and forced herself to meet his gaze. "Why won't you let me see her?"
"Your contributions aren't enough." Gin's voice was flat.
"That's not an excuse." Shiho didn't believe him. She'd asked to see her sister before—never been refused. If they wouldn't let her now, something was wrong.
Gin didn't answer.
Shiho's mind raced. One possibility surfaced. Panic flickered in her eyes, but she fought to stay calm. "Gin. I want the truth. What did you do to my sister? I'm serious this time. No more experiments until I see her."
Gin stared down at her for a long moment. Finally, his lips moved. "Your sister is missing."
"Missing? Impossible. This is your doing." Shiho clung to the hope that this was one of Gin's schemes—that her sister was still safe.
Vodka interjected. "Sherry. Big Brother isn't lying. Your sister vanished after your last meeting. Big Brother even suspected rats in the organization—he ran tests. Nothing."
"No... it can't be..." Shiho staggered back, her face pale.
Gin's tone remained flat. "You know the truth. Go back to work."
"No. Not until you find her."
"Vodka. Lock her up. Let her calm down."
"Yes, Big Brother." Vodka stepped forward. "Sherry. Let's go. Don't make this harder on yourself."
Shiho gritted her teeth, her eyes reddening. She turned and walked back in silence. Inside, she was ice.
She didn't believe them. Her sister wouldn't just disappear. She was certain Gin had ordered her killed.
Because of the Rye Whiskey incident, Gin had always wanted her sister dead. He'd held back only because she was still useful to the organization.
Now her sister was gone, and Gin's attitude was immovable. Shiho's thoughts spiraled. Had another lab made a breakthrough? Was she no longer indispensable? Was that why Gin had stopped tolerating her?
I'm sorry, sister...
Tears streamed down Shiho's face. She felt hollow—lifeless. The farther she walked, the lower her head sank. Her expression became unreadable.
One hand slipped into her lab coat pocket. Her fingers brushed against the APTX4869 she always carried.
Gin exhaled softly, watching the two figures disappear into the distance. A cold gleam flashed in his eyes. He muttered, "Who took Akemi Miyano?"
The truth was, Gin hadn't lied. Akemi Miyano had genuinely vanished. It wasn't his doing. He'd even dedicated considerable organization resources to finding her—and found nothing. It was as if she'd evaporated.
He suspected a mole. Only someone intimately familiar with the organization's movements could pull off something like this without leaving a trace.
Someone high-ranking. Someone who knew the investigation's direction and could erase every lead before the organization found anything.
Meanwhile, at the same time.
Kurosawa Hoshino and the others emerged from a Chinese restaurant called Shuanglong.
"So good!" Ran beamed.
"At those prices, it better be." Kogorō Mōri picked his teeth, thoroughly satisfied.
Kurosawa Hoshino stood by the roadside, glanced back at the restaurant, and shook his head. No comment.
It was tasty—but not authentic. Every dish had been modified for local tastes. He was disappointed.
"Wow, that car's fast!" Conan shouted.
Everyone turned.
A car was speeding toward them. Up ahead, a figure crossed the road. Collision imminent.
Screeeech—!
The driver slammed the brakes. The car stopped inches from the pedestrian.
"Hiss—" Kogorō sucked in a breath as a suited man with glasses got out. He marched over and yelled, "You trying to kill someone driving like that at night?"
"Sorry, sorry! I didn't mean to!"
"Hmph. Lucky you didn't hit anyone." Kogorō turned to lecture the jaywalker—but the guy was already gone, too far to catch.
"Tch. Lucky bastard."
A phone rang. The suited man—Izumi Takeo—pulled out his phone and answered. "Yes, this is Izumi Takeo... What? Metropolitan Police Department, First Investigation Division, Inspector Megure?"
Kogorō's ears perked up. He leaned in and shouted into the phone, "Inspector Megure! It's me, Kogorō Mōri! What do you want with this guy?"
"Huh? Mōri?" The voice on the other end was surprised.
"Mr. Izumi, please hand the phone to the gentleman next to you."
Izumi Takeo wiped cold sweat from his forehead and handed over the phone.
Kurosawa Hoshino and the others gathered around. Kogorō listened for a moment, then his expression sharpened. He fixed his gaze on Izumi Takeo as he spoke seriously into the phone. "Inspector Megure, don't worry. If this guy's connected to a murder case, I guarantee I'll bring him in. He won't escape."
Murder case? Conan perked up, instantly excited. He glanced at Kurosawa Hoshino.