Chapter 263: Scarred Akai Leaves
"Why?!" Jodie's voice, usually crisp and professional, cracked with a sliver of raw disappointment. The single word hung in the tense air, heavy with dashed hopes.
"His build is... slightly off," Baizhu observed, his analytical gaze sweeping over the man with the scarred face. He spoke calmly, his voice a low counterpoint to Jodie's agitation. "However," he continued, a thoughtful expression on his face, "we cannot rule out the possibility that his physique changed due to some kind of accident."
Baizhu paused, his eyes distant for a moment. "Now that I think of it, I encountered another gentleman a few days ago who bore a resemblance to Mr. Akai. In his case, the build was a perfect match, but the face was different. This man, however, has the face, but not the build. A curious coincidence, indeed."
"Is that so?" Jodie replied, her voice distant.
She was adrift in the bitter sea of her own disappointment, Baizhu's words barely registering. His denial that the man was Shuichi Akai had struck her hard, yet a stubborn, desperate flicker of hope refused to be extinguished. What if? The thought was a painful whisper in her mind. She made a silent vow: once this bank robbery was over, she would find that man and confirm his identity herself, once and for all.
Forcing herself back to the present, Jodie refocused on the immediate danger.
Conan, meanwhile, had his entire being concentrated on the robbers. His sharp eyes tracked their every move. Since Jodie and Baizhu had been speaking in hushed tones, he hadn't overheard the crucial detail about a second look-alike, and thus remained blissfully unaware of how close Jodie had just come to uncovering the real Shuichi Akai's current disguise.
At that moment, the two remaining robbers were growing visibly agitated, constantly glancing at their watches. The prolonged absence of their three accomplices was clearly shredding their nerves.
"Where the hell are they?" one grumbled, his voice a harsh whisper.
"Should I go look for them?" the other suggested, shifting his weight anxiously.
"No! There's no time left! We have to start the final phase now."
"Fine, forget 'em. They're on their own."
With their decision made, one of the robbers abruptly brandished a stun gun and jabbed it into the bank manager, who had been forced to work at a computer terminal. The manager crumpled to the floor, unconscious.
Conan's brow furrowed. No time left? What are they rushing for? And why did they separate the hostages based on whether they knew each other?
The two criminals seemed to be preparing for their exit. They scanned the area, their eyes sweeping across the terrified hostages. Baizhu acted instantly, pulling the children back behind the solid cover of a wall, shielding them from view.
After a tense moment, they cautiously peeked out again. The robbers had selected several hostages and were herding them into a tight circle, their backs turned, around a few large boxes. Then, to Conan's horror, the criminals began shedding their masks and coats, pulling them over their own faces and mouths as they prepared to melt into the crowd of victims.
"Oh no!" The realization struck Conan like a physical blow. "They're going to disguise those hostages as robbers and blow them up!" He knew with chilling certainty that the boxes were bombs.
"Genta, Mitsuhiko, find a pushcart, now!" Conan's voice was sharp with urgency. "Haibara, get to the elevator and hold the 'door open' button! Don't let it close!"
Qiqi, her head tilted in silent understanding, trotted after Haibara toward the elevator.
"Qiqi, wait!" Conan started to protest, a surge of worry rising in his chest. He feared her reactions were too slow, that she wouldn't be able to get away in time if something went wrong.
Baizhu placed a reassuring hand on Conan's shoulder. "Don't worry," he said softly. "Qiqi knows what to do."
A moment later, Genta and Mitsuhiko reappeared, rattling across the marble floor as they pushed a heavy-duty maintenance cart. The small group converged on the ominous-looking boxes.
"The timer shows three minutes," Baizhu announced, his voice steadying them all. "That's enough time. You children handle the bombs. Jodie and I will take care of the robbers."
It was a risky plan, but Baizhu had faith in the Detective Boys' capabilities when properly motivated. Besides, with Qiqi providing unseen support, he knew that even if an accident occurred, the consequences wouldn't be severe.
With that, Baizhu and Jodie slipped away, moving silently toward the last known position of the two criminals.
Conan, now in his element, directed Ayumi, Genta, and Mitsuhiko as they carefully, painstakingly, transferred the bombs onto the cart.
Once the last box was loaded, they pushed the cart with all their might toward the waiting elevator.
"Haibara, Qiqi, get out of the elevator! Now!" Conan yelled.
Haibara reacted instantly, grabbing Qiqi's hand and pulling her out into the lobby. As her fingers closed around Qiqi's, however, she couldn't help but frown.
Why is her hand so cold?
Qiqi allowed Haibara to pull her a safe distance away just as the elevator doors slid shut with a metallic hiss.
A moment later, a deep, muffled "BANG" echoed from within the elevator shaft. The bombs had detonated.
Conan stared at the elevator, his brow furrowed in confusion. The explosion was loud, but the heavy steel doors hadn't even buckled. Was the explosive power really that weak?
Unseen by the others, Qiqi watched the scene unfold. A faint, frosty mist, invisible to the naked eye, had coated the inside of the elevator car, a secret application of her Cryo abilities that had flash-froze the explosives and drastically dampened their power. She gave a small, satisfied nod.
Just then, Baizhu and Jodie, having swiftly and silently neutralized the two robbers, heard the explosion and came running back, their faces etched with concern.
Seeing that the crisis was over, Baizhu immediately went to check on the children, his shoulders slumping in relief when he found them all unharmed.
Suddenly, Jodie remembered her mission. She spun on her heel and sprinted back toward the main bank lobby.
The sound of the explosion had been the signal for the police tactical team to storm the building. The main doors burst open, and officers poured in. The scene devolved into controlled chaos. Amid the shouting and movement, Jodie frantically scanned the crowd, but the man with the scar, the man who looked so much like Shuichi, was nowhere to be found.
On the other side of the bank, Toru Amuro, still wearing his Shuichi Akai disguise, used the pandemonium of the police raid as cover. He slipped away from the main group, melting into the shadows and exiting the bank through a side door, unnoticed.
Strolling down the street, his hands casually tucked into his pockets, Amuro lowered his head, replaying the scene in his mind. Jodie's reaction upon seeing his face... it wasn't the look of someone seeing a ghost, of someone finding out a man she thought dead was still alive. It was something else entirely.
Suddenly, the sharp, insistent blare of a car horn cut through his thoughts, sounding from directly behind him.
Toru Amuro stopped and turned his head toward the sound.
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