Chapter 376: Zoo
"You mean to tell me Sherry was never on that train, and the woman who met with Bourbon was merely a thief in disguise?" Gin's voice crackled through the phone speaker, dripping with icy skepticism.
On the other end of the line, Cointreau leaned back, his tone casual. "Kaitou Kid is no ordinary thief. He is an absolute master of disguise. If it were not for the facial recognition software provided by Ningguang, I suspect Bourbon would have been completely fooled by his little magic trick."
A heavy silence hung over the line for a fraction of a second. "In that case," Gin finally replied, his words measured and dangerous, "that so-called Kaitou Kid must have a significant connection to the rats who helped Sherry escape."
"Yes, that aligns with my thoughts," Cointreau agreed, tapping his fingers lightly against his knee. "I just ran a quick background check on our elusive phantom thief. Kaitou Kid, originally designated as Phantom Thief 1412, first made his debut in Paris eighteen years ago. He is highly proficient in disguise, voice imitation, and escape arts, treating his crimes like grand magic shows. He vanished without a trace eight years ago, completely ceasing all activity until his recent reappearance."
Cointreau paused, a faint smirk touching his lips. "However, based on my direct interactions with him today, this current Kaitou Kid is almost certainly not the original. The one running around now is far too young. I estimate he is not even twenty years old."
"Aside from his age," Gin demanded, "is there any other actionable intelligence?"
"I discovered that Kaitou Kid seems to be hunting for a specific type of gemstone," Cointreau explained. "In doing so, he has clashed more than once with a certain underground syndicate."
Cointreau let out a low chuckle. "Here is the amusing part. This particular syndicate uses various animals as their operational codenames and exclusively targets rare jewels. Rumor has it they are desperately searching for a cursed gem known as Pandora, which supposedly sheds tears that grant immortality."
A cold scoff echoed from Gin's end. "To actually believe in such baseless fairy tales... what pathetic wishful thinking."
Gin had zero patience for supernatural delusions that belonged in children's books.
"But they are entirely convinced of it," Cointreau pointed out. "They have been actively operating toward this singular goal for decades. Immortality... it sounds exactly like our Boss's ultimate objective. Are all leaders of underground syndicates this terrified of death?"
Gin completely ignored Cointreau's blatantly disrespectful jab at their leader. "So you are suggesting that this so-called Zoo might also be involved in the Sherry situation? And what about the FBI? Did they fail to show their faces? I was under the impression she relied on that man to help her evade our grasp."
"Gin, you really cannot let go of Rye, can you," Cointreau teased lightly. "But I am going to have to disappoint you. Bourbon did not encounter a single person tied to the FBI during his entire operation., after Vermouth thoroughly tested him, she found absolutely no flaws in his cover. For all intents and purposes, Shuichi Akai can be considered confirmed dead."
"Do not disgust me," Gin spat, his voice dropping to a lethal chill. "I will report this intelligence to the Boss. As for Kaitou Kid and that ridiculous Zoo, we will wait to see what the Boss instructs next."
The massive iron wheels of the Bell Tree Express screeched against the tracks as the Mysterious Train finally ground to a halt at a nearby platform. The heavy doors slid open, releasing a flood of exhausted passengers. Having survived a chaotic series of accidents, fires, and locked-room mysteries, the crowd spilled onto the concrete, immediately corralled by flashing red lights and shouting police officers demanding statements.
Blending smoothly into the chaotic flow of the crowd, Toru Amuro stepped off the train. He adjusted his cap, his eyes darting quickly to ensure he was out of Vermouth's direct line of sight. With a smooth, practiced motion, he brushed past a completely unremarkable stranger, slipping a small glass test tube filled with blood into the man's waiting hand before vanishing into the throng.
A short distance away, Vermouth stood near a concrete pillar, her sharp eyes fixed on a specific group of children. She watched Sherry, currently shrunk down and walking alongside the Detective Boys. A genuine, relaxed smile graced the young girl's face as she listened to the children chatter.
Vermouth's expression tightened into a complex mask of conflicting emotions.
'Sherry...'Vermouth thought, her gaze narrowing slightly.'You seem so much calmer facing the Black Organization today. Who exactly gave you the courage to change your attitude?'
Conan Edogawa trudged alongside Mouri Ran, his small legs feeling like lead. The sheer volume of adrenaline pumping through his veins over the past few hours had finally crashed, leaving him utterly drained. His mind continuously flashed back to Car Number Eight. When Cointreau had suddenly zeroed in on his hiding spot, taking those slow, deliberate steps toward him, Conan's entire body had locked up in sheer terror.
Even though his logical mind dictated that Cointreau likely would not murder a child in broad daylight, dealing with the Black Organization meant logic often took a backseat to survival. Thankfully, Cointreau had eventually turned and walked away.
Yet...
Conan lifted his head, his half-lidded eyes staring blankly ahead. He still could not fathom why Cointreau had specifically sought him out for a casual chat right before the train arrived at the station. The man's motives were a complete black box.
To make matters worse, Toru Amuro had vanished entirely. The revelation that the cheerful, eager apprentice was actually the Black Organization's Bourbon was a massive blow Conan had not anticipated.
He chewed on his lower lip, a knot of anxiety twisting in his stomach. Would Amuro continue to hang around Uncle Kogoro Mouri now that he had failed to capture Sherry?
Conan let out a heavy, silent sigh. He desperately hoped Toru Amuro would cut ties and disappear. Having active syndicate members constantly circling his daily life was putting far too much strain on his heart. If another crisis erupted, he could not guarantee he would be able to keep Haibara's true identity hidden from Bourbon's piercing gaze.
A few paces behind the detective, Natsume and Shikanoin Heizou stepped off the train, easily handling through the dense crowd of police and passengers.
Heizou stretched his arms high behind his head, lacing his fingers together with a lazy yawn. "What a terrible pity. Thanks to that sudden fire, Kaitou Kid actually managed to slip away in the end."
Hearing the casual remark, Conan immediately stopped and whipped his head around to glare at the young detective. "Brother Heizou, do you honestly believe Kaitou Kid was the one who committed the murder?"
Conan's eyes narrowed with deep suspicion. Something about this entire situation felt incredibly off. As a high-ranking member of the enigmatic Teyvat Organization, was Shikanoin Heizou truly riding this dangerous train just to play a simple deduction game?
Putting aside the universally known fact that Kaitou Kid strictly avoided killing, even a novice could see that Mr. Anton was the most glaringly obvious suspect in the locked-room case. Conan refused to believe a mind as sharp as Heizou's had actually missed the crucial clues.
To Conan's absolute surprise, Heizou dropped his arms, a playful glint flashing in his emerald eyes as he shook his head.
"No," Heizou replied simply, completely denying his own previous statement.
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