Chapter 168: More and More People Know
Sensing Cointreau's gaze lock onto his hiding spot, Conan knew he'd been discovered. With a quiet sigh, he stepped out from the shadows, his expression utterly serious.
The two of them—the man in the driver's seat and the small boy on the pavement—stared at each other in silence. It was a silent battle of wills, as if the first to speak would be the one to lose.
In the end, Conan couldn't hold out. He had concocted an excuse to slip away from Ran, all to ask Cointreau a few urgent questions. He couldn't afford to waste any more time.
"You're Cointreau, aren't you?" Conan asked, getting straight to the point.
"It seems that little bug of yours picked up quite a lot that day," Cointreau replied, not answering directly. His words, however, were a clear admission.
Conan's expression shifted. "How did you know the listening device was mine? The fingerprints..."
"It was merely a guess before," Cointreau said, raising a single, elegant eyebrow. "But now, I know for certain." He had been eighty percent sure it was the boy's work, but he'd only thrown the line out as bait. He hadn't expected Conan to bite so easily.
"As for the fingerprints..." Cointreau deliberately let his voice trail off, watching as the child's small hands clenched into fists at his sides. Only then did he continue, "The analysis came back some time ago. The results were... truly unexpected. The prints on the device belong to someone the Organization has already confirmed as deceased."
Cointreau fixed his gaze on the boy, his voice dropping to a low, deliberate tone. "...Kudo Shinichi."
He watched the color drain from the child's face, feeling not a shred of pity. "And the one who signed off on Kudo Shinichi's death confirmation was Sherry. As luck would have it, she's another person who mysteriously vanished after defecting from the Organization."
Leaning forward slightly, Cointreau feigned a look of innocent curiosity. "So, tell me, Conan-kun. Do you suppose there's a connection between the two of them?"
"What are you talking about? I don't understand," Conan said, tilting his head. His face was a mask of childish confusion.
In truth, Conan was reeling. He had no idea how much Vermouth had told Cointreau, or how much the man had pieced together on his own. Terrified of letting another crucial detail slip, he could only feign ignorance.
"Forget it. If you don't know, you don't know," Cointreau said with a dismissive wave. "I've already covered up the matter of the fingerprints for you. You can tell those FBI agents you have lurking around to stand down." It would also save him from Natsume's recent complaints about the uncomfortable feeling of being watched whenever she was with Ran.
Glancing at the sky, Cointreau decided he'd wasted enough time on the boy. With the situation clarified, he turned, pulled open the car door, and settled into the driver's seat, ready to head back to the base.
As the car purred to life and began to pull away, Cointreau glanced at Conan, who had stepped back to give him space. After a moment of consideration, he slowed, his window rolling down.
"Thank Vermouth," he said, his voice flat. "She paid a price for my silence on this. I hope you're this lucky next time."
Watching the car accelerate and disappear down the street, Conan slowly lowered the hand holding his transmitter. He felt a pang of regret. He had planned to plant a bug on Cointreau's car, hoping it would lead him to one of the Organization's bases.
But after that final, chilling warning, and recalling the man's unnervingly sharp intuition during their past encounters, Conan abandoned the dangerous idea.
Still, according to Cointreau, Vermouth had asked for his help. It was the same as the incident at the harbor. It seemed she had no intention of harming him or Ran.
Why? What was the connection?
Back at the base, Alhaitham had the misfortune of running directly into Gin.
The air around the silver-haired executive was frigid. His face was a thundercloud, and it was clear to anyone with eyes that he was in a foul mood. Alhaitham silently guessed that another mission had gone south, souring his temper.
"Cointreau!" Gin's voice was a low growl, his mood darkening further upon seeing the man who had been out of contact for nearly a full day.
Hearing that tone, Alhaitham sighed internally. It seemed the one who had angered Gin this time was none other than himself.
"Why haven't you answered any messages all day?" Gin demanded, his voice colder than ice.
"Ah, I didn't have my phone with me today. Left it at the safe house," Alhaitham offered a placid, well-rehearsed excuse. "Nothing usually happens, so once I was out, I couldn't be bothered to go back for it."
In reality, Natsume had his phone. At the café, she had mentioned wanting Noah's Ark and Nahida to install some new protection systems and software on it. He had simply handed it over, agreeing to retrieve it when they met the next day. So, technically, he wasn't lying. He really didn't have a phone on him.
"It had better be," Gin snarled. He stared at Alhaitham for a few long, tense seconds before turning to stalk past him, his face a grim mask.
As Gin walked by, Alhaitham turned to watch him go. After a moment's thought, he decided to offer a small warning. "I have matters to attend to tomorrow as well. Don't worry, I won't be out of contact. However, unless it is an absolute emergency, do not contact me."
Without waiting for a reaction, he continued walking forward.
Gin stopped dead in his tracks. He turned, his eyes blazing with murderous intent as he watched Cointreau's retreating back.
Behind him, Vodka watched his big brother with a evident sense of dread, his eyes darting nervously to Gin's coat, half-expecting him to draw his pistol.
Meanwhile, at the Beika Hotel.
Kaeya sat comfortably on a plush sofa, a glass of wine held loosely in his hand. He brought it to his lips, slowly savoring the familiar, crisp taste of dandelion wine.
'So, you're saying the Traveler received a love letter recently?'he thought, his mental "voice" carrying a distinct note of amusement.'And her good-for-nothing brother knows about it, too?'
He and Alhaitham were exchanging information through their unique method of communication. During a lull in their operational reports, the conversation had drifted to more personal matters, and somehow, the topic had landed on their mutual employer.
That was how Kaeya learned this particularly interesting piece of news.
A slow, wicked smile spread across his face, the kind that promised mischief. He pressed Alhaitham for more details.
Unfortunately, Alhaitham either didn't know much more or simply lacked the curiosity to find out.
After disconnecting, Kaeya rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He then contacted Noelle, who was helping out at the restaurant situated just below Natsume's residence. If anyone knew the details, it would be her.
A short while later, Kaeya put down his phone, a satisfied smirk playing on his lips.
He stood and walked over to where Klee was, for once, sitting quietly and reading a storybook. He gently patted her head. "Klee, we haven't seen the Traveler much lately. Do you miss her?"
"Klee misses Big Sister Natsume!" Klee looked up from her book, her eyes wide and expectant. "Is Big Brother Kaeya going to take Klee to play with Big Sister Natsume?"
Then, she lowered her head, her brow furrowed in concentration as she counted on her fingers. "Um... and Ayumi, and Mitsuhiko, and everyone else! I haven't seen them in a long time either. When can we go play with them, Big Brother Kaeya?"
"Well then, Klee should get to bed early tonight," Kaeya said, his smile widening. "You can see your Big Sister Natsume tomorrow. She's coming here to see you."
Klee had recently developed a fascination with storybooks and would often stay up far too late reading them. Kaeya had been wracking his brain for a way to get her to sleep at a reasonable hour. He hoped the promise of a visit from the Traveler would finally do the trick.
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