Chapter 258: Eavesdropping on Alhaitham
The flowers on stage were a stunning spectacle. Some unfurled with petals like glistening jewels, dewdrops clinging to their edges. Others opened in soft, elegant bursts of white, reminiscent of clouds drifting across a summer sky.
They bloomed in succession, each blossom opening in perfect time with Nilou's graceful steps. It was as if she had truly embodied the spirit of the Goddess of Flowers herself during the dance, bestowing an ethereal radiance upon the stage. The audience was captivated, their gazes locked on her performance, utterly immersed in the beauty and forgetting everything else around them.
"Is this the effect of that potion Alhaitham gave Miss Nilou?!" Conan's jaw hung slightly ajar, his sharp mind struggling to process the incredible scene unfolding before him.
Even Okiya Subaru found himself pushing his squinted eyes open just a fraction wider. He muttered under his breath, his voice a low hum of calculation, "To develop such a potent formula… The Organization certainly had a keen eye when they recruited a genius of this caliber. He won't be easy to deal with."
"Is this really not magic?" Genta asked, his face a mask of pure shock.
"It should just be the effect of the potion," Mitsuhiko said, though his tone lacked conviction. He remembered Kazuha mentioning that Nilou had asked a friend for a special formula to make the plants bloom, but he had never imagined the on-stage effect would be this miraculous. Now, he wasn't so sure if a mere chemical compound could achieve something so magical.
"No," Ai Haibara countered, her expression a complex mixture of awe and scientific curiosity. "An ordinary potion could never produce this result." How in the world did he do it?
"She's so beautiful! Sister Nilou is just like a real Goddess of Flowers!" Ayumi, on the other hand, cared little for the scientific impossibilities. She was simply clapping her hands, her praise effusive and endless.
Suzuki Sonoko and Mouri Ran stared at the stage without blinking, their eyes filled with enchantment. Hearing Ayumi's heartfelt declaration, they both nodded in fervent agreement.
Sitting beside them, Natsume allowed a small, proud curve to grace her lips but remained silent. Instead, she held her handmade support sign high, letting her actions speak volumes of her encouragement for Nilou.
When the performance concluded, the theater erupted in thunderous applause.
Suddenly, a thought struck Conan. He turned to Ran, chirping his now-familiar excuse, "Ran-neechan, I need to go to the bathroom!" before darting away from his seat.
Before Ran could voice her concern and move to follow, Okiya Subaru calmly intercepted her. "I'll go with him," he offered, his steady presence instantly reassuring.
Haibara watched Conan and Subaru leave one after the other, a slight frown creasing her brow.
Moments later, Conan arrived at the spot in the lobby where he had seen Alhaitham earlier. Sure enough, the scholar and his companion were preparing to leave now that Nilou's performance was over.
Taking full advantage of his small stature and the bustling crowd, Conan began to shadow them, using the throngs of people as moving cover. He moved with a quiet stealth that was second nature to him.
Not far away, Okiya Subaru observed Conan's movements but made no move to intervene. Firstly, his adult frame was too conspicuous; a sudden attempt to stop the boy might alert their target. Secondly, he knew Conan was both brilliant and bold. Subaru trusted the young detective's ability to assess the situation and act accordingly. He positioned himself at a safe distance—close enough to intervene and extract Conan if anything went wrong.
Since Alhaitham had seen Conan at the hospital during the Organization's rescue of Kir, the boy knew he had to be careful. He couldn't risk the man connecting him to the FBI. His plan was to avoid the sharp-eyed youth accompanying Alhaitham, circle around, and plant the listening device and a tracker on Alhaitham himself.
The maneuver was executed flawlessly. As a small group of theater-goers shuffled past, creating the perfect screen, Conan darted forward. In a single, fluid motion, his small hand brushed against the back of Alhaitham's coat. A faint click, too quiet to be heard over the ambient noise, signaled his success. The bug and tracker were in place.
Now, he just had to see if he could gather any intelligence before it was discovered.
Conan met up with Subaru in a quiet corner. Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, he activated the receiver, and the two began to listen.
At first, there was only the sound of footsteps and the muffled chatter of the surrounding crowd. After a minute, they heard the distinct thud of a car door opening and closing. The ambient noise softened, and then, finally, a voice came through the earpiece.
"Hey, why aren't you driving? What, suddenly forget how?" the Wanderer's sharp, mocking voice cut through the static.
"No," Alhaitham replied, his tone as placid as ever. "I'm just a bit reluctant to go back to work so soon."
The Wanderer let out a derisive scoff. "Heh. As far as I know, you have it easy enough in the Organization. You haven't put an ounce of real effort into those research projects."
"I have completed my share of the work," Alhaitham denied coolly. "Besides, Cointreau has added to my workload recently. Things have gotten busier."
"Oh? You mean that potion that can dissolve disguises?" the Wanderer pressed. "You finished it?"
Hearing this, Conan's head snapped toward Okiya Subaru.
Subaru's eyebrows rose, and a low note of genuine admiration entered his voice. "This Alhaitham is truly a genius, to actually develop something like that."
Dark lines formed on Conan's forehead. "Mr. Akai, this isn't the time to be praising the enemy."
The timing was terrible. Kir had already sent word that Bourbon, the Organization's intelligence expert, was planning to make a move soon. What if he grew suspicious of Subaru's identity and decided to use this new potion to test him?
"Don't worry." Noticing the genuine anxiety in Conan's expression, Subaru offered a calm, reassuring smile. "I'll be careful."
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