Chapter 287: The Detective Agency Hostage Incident, Part Four
Natsume listened to Sawaguri Kaoru's desperate plea. While his actions—taking an entire detective agency hostage—were undeniably irrational, she had to admit his suspicions weren't entirely baseless. There were questionable details surrounding his sister's death. For the police to so quickly rule it a suicide... it did seem far too arbitrary.
But then she considered the location: a hot spring inn in Gunma Prefecture. A sinking feeling told her exactly which police officer had likely been in charge of the case—the bumbling Inspector Yamamura.
The thought alone made it perfectly understandable why no suspicious points were ever found. Natsume was firm in her belief that Yamamura was wholly unsuited for police work. She wouldn't be surprised if a significant portion of his closed cases were, in fact, gross miscarriages of justice.
Still, it wasn't her problem. She had no intention of meddling.
At that moment, Sawaguri Kaoru gestured impatiently with his gun. "Read them! Read my sister's posts. The clues have to be in there."
"Alright, alright, keep your shirt on," Kogoro Mouri grumbled, picking up the printouts. He cleared his throat and began to read aloud. "Post one: The first one to pester me for an autograph was an elephant. Seriously, I just got out of the bath and my hair isn't even dry yet. What an annoying elephant."
"Post two: Next up was a fox, who came running in with a ton of unreasonable demands. So noisy. I already signed the autograph, so just hurry up and go home already."
"Post three: The last one to find me was a clueless rat, launching a sneak attack. Signed the name, now kicking them out."
"Final post: Oh my god, they're actually refusing to leave. This is the worst. I'm getting so sleepy... What should I do?"
Kogoro had just finished reading the last of Sawaguri Mihono's cryptic posts and was opening his mouth to comment when a deafening CRACK exploded from behind him. The large window of the detective agency office didn't just break—it imploded, showering the room in a glittering spray of countless glass shards.
The sudden violence of it all was staggering. Sawaguri Kaoru flinched instinctively, his arms flying up to shield his face from the razor-sharp projectiles.
That single moment of distraction was all Natsume needed.
Having been forewarned by Albedo a split second before the impact, she was already in motion. She lunged forward, a blur of motion, closing the distance to Sawaguri Kaoru in an instant. Her hand shot out, clamping down on the wrist holding the detonator. With a sharp, practiced twist, she forced his fingers open. The remote control flew free, and she snatched it out of the air with her other hand.
He recovered with a snarl, his free hand swinging the pistol around to bear on her. But Natsume was faster. Using the same fluid technique, she disarmed him, the heavy firearm now resting securely in her grasp alongside the detonator.
Seeing he was now weaponless, a desperate fury ignited in Sawaguri Kaoru's eyes. He lunged, ready to fight with his bare hands. Natsume, her own hands now full, was preparing to meet his charge with a disabling kick when a figure vaulted gracefully through the shattered window frame behind him.
Across the room, the three suspects, Sera Masumi, and Mouri Ran were huddled together, shaken by the window's explosion but otherwise unharmed. Sera, though initially startled, had seen Natsume neutralize the immediate threats and was already preparing to rush forward and assist.
But before she could take a single step, she froze. The stranger who had just come through the window moved with an unnerving silence. He landed lightly amidst the broken glass and, in a few swift, economical motions, was behind Sawaguri Kaoru. He subdued the struggling man with an efficiency that was both stunning and terrifying.
Ignoring Sawaguri's furious curses and desperate struggles, the man—Albedo—dragged him over to the chair beside Kogoro Mouri. He produced a length of rope from seemingly nowhere, binding the hostage-taker tightly to the furniture. Then, he calmly tore two sheets of paper from the suspect's own evidence pile, crumpled them into a tight ball, and unceremoniously stuffed the makeshift gag into Sawaguri's mouth.
"There. That should ensure there is no further danger," Albedo announced with a nod of quiet satisfaction. He turned to Kogoro Mouri, who had been shoved aside during the takedown and was now staring, utterly dumbfounded. "My apologies, Detective Mouri. I seem to have broken your window. Please don't worry, I will compensate you for the damages. I heard you've had a shooting incident here before; perhaps I could take this opportunity to have it replaced with bulletproof glass?"
"Huh?" Kogoro, his mind still struggling to process the sudden resolution of the crisis, replied on instinct. "No, no, that's not necessary. Regular glass is fine. This sort of thing doesn't happen that often."
Albedo gave the detective a look brimming with unspoken meaning. He felt Kogoro was being far too optimistic. As long as Conan Edogawa was a resident of the Mouri Detective Agency, the probability of "this sort of thing" happening remained alarmingly high.
Forget it, Albedo thought. I'll just have it replaced for him anyway. A little extra safety can't hurt.
By now, Natsume had calmly placed the confiscated gun and detonator on a table near the broken window.
"Mr. Albedo!" With the immediate danger gone and everyone safe, Ran finally let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She carefully picked her way through the glass shards on the floor and approached him. "It's good to see you," she said, before her curiosity took over. "I thought you were going to Dr. Agasa's house with Klee today. What are you doing here?"
Sera Masumi, having followed close behind Ran, fixed the newcomer with an intensely curious gaze. Her eyes, sharp and analytical, scanned Albedo from head to toe. "Ran," she asked, her voice low and intrigued, "who is this? A friend of yours?"
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