"On April 19th, the Sally Beth sets sail from Yokohama Port. The genuine black pearl, Night Star, aboard that ship is mine!"
"Signed, Kid the Phantom Thief."
Tsuneo glanced at the latest notice Conan handed him. "No riddle this time, huh?"
Conan, dutifully delivering a dessert to Dr. Agasa, nodded. "No clue what trick he's planning to pull."
The massive cruise liner departing from Yokohama Port would reach Tokyo Port in three hours.
What kind of grand entrance would that phantom thief make?
"Perverted creep…" Tsuneo muttered, his mouth twitching.
"Who're you talking about?" Haibara asked, glancing up from her fashion magazine. Sure, it was full of male models, but pervert? That was a bit much!
"Kudo," Tsuneo replied, catching her sharp look. Without elaborating, he pointed straight at the detective, who was busy serving tea to Dr. Agasa.
"I'll second that," Haibara said with a slight nod, returning to her magazine.
Who else but a creep would shrink, hide their identity, and go bathe with high school girls?
"Haibara, about that baijiu I mentioned—have you started looking into it?" Conan asked, seizing a moment.
A high school detective from Osaka had visited the agency, challenging Kudo Shinichi to a duel. Conan had drunk the baijiu the guy brought, temporarily reverted to his normal self, and solved a case.
"Hm," Haibara replied with a single syllable, tilting her head to glance at him.
"What's with her?" Conan whispered to Tsuneo, puzzled by her lack of the usual highbrow jargon.
Tsuneo scratched his nose. "Who knows…"
…
Time flew, and soon it was April 19th—the day Kid's notice promised he'd steal the Night Star.
Tsuneo was thrilled to receive a personal invitation from Shiro Suzuki himself.
Conan, of course, knew exactly why Tsuneo was so excited…
Evening fell.
Yokohama Port, aboard the luxurious cruise liner Sally Beth.
"Our Suzuki Consortium celebrates its sixtieth anniversary today. I sincerely thank all of you for your support and encouragement," Shiro Suzuki said from the stage, his smile warm and welcoming.
"Let's forget about that pesky thief for tonight. I hope all five hundred-plus distinguished guests here can fully enjoy this celebration."
"You gonna clap or what?" Conan asked, eyeing Tsuneo, who was clutching a plate of food.
"It's all in my heart!" Tsuneo replied, dressed in a sharp black suit, too busy eating to bother.
As Shiro Suzuki prepared to continue, a poised woman with short hair and a gauzy shawl stepped forward, holding a small box. With a subtle smile, she spoke: "Before we toast, I'd like to share a little idea of mine."
"When you boarded, I gave each of you a small box. Please, open them now!"
The hundreds of guests opened their pink boxes, revealing a black pearl nestled inside.
"This is my personal challenge to that foolish thief," Tomoko Suzuki said, her smile sharp. "Yes, this is our Suzuki family's heirloom, the Night Star—Kid's target tonight!"
As the guests began examining their pearls, Tomoko's smile widened. "Of course, only one is real, and only I know who has it!"
"Now, please pin the pearl to your chest."
"Let's see if Kid the Phantom Thief can find the real one within three hours!"
Tsuneo opened his box, frowned, and pinned the black pearl to his suit.
Free food, so I'll play along with this little game.
They wouldn't trust just anyone with their heirloom…
Right?
"Sonoko, your mom's got some serious flair!" Ran, in a striking red gown, admired her pearl and the commanding figure on stage.
Sonoko, less impressed, scanned the crowd. "Where's my sister? Don't tell me she's still at home!"
She dialed home.
"What? The ship's already left port? How?!" Ayako's confused voice came through.
"That's my line!" Sonoko snapped. "What time do you think it is?"
"But the police called and said the departure was delayed two hours!" Ayako replied, turning to their father, who was reading a newspaper. "Right, Dad?"
"What?! Dad's at home too?!" Sonoko gaped at the now-empty stage.
Dad's at home…
Then who was just speaking up there?
Conan's expression shifted. He immediately began asking around for anyone who'd seen Mr. Suzuki.
In the end, the young detective found Kid's disguise props in a restroom.
…
"He disguised himself as my dad…" Sonoko muttered, cringing as she recalled calling him "Dad." Her toes curled in embarrassment.
But Tomoko Suzuki, the wife, looked even more mortified.
Tsuneo, no stranger to wild situations, couldn't help but think: What a remarkable high schooler…
"Where's Ran?" Conan asked, scanning the crowd and not spotting the girl in the red gown.
Uncle Mouri, holding a beer can, shrugged. "You were gone so long, she went looking for you. I was wondering if that Phantom Thief 1412 nabbed her."
Despite his words, the old man didn't seem too worried.
His daughter's martial arts skills were no joke, after all.
"It's not 1412—it's Kid the Phantom Thief!" Officer Nakamori corrected sternly.
"Got it…" Mouri nodded blankly, watching Nakamori storm off.
"Who's that guy?" he asked Tomoko Suzuki, curious.
"That's Officer Nakamori from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police. He's in charge of Kid's case. Like you, he's one of our Suzuki family's hopes—a trusted knight to protect our Night Star," Tomoko said, glancing at Tsuneo with a faint smile.
Tsuneo: ???
(End of Chapter)
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