The first time Jolyne met Conan, she thought he was a very clever child, possessing a strong curiosity and desire to understand everything. It somehow reminded her of Emporio.
"N-not really," Conan forced a stiff smile, tinged with the embarrassment of being caught. "I just wanted to help Uncle Mouri catch the culprit sooner."
But Conan quickly returned to his usual self. For someone frequently caught by Mouri Kogoro, pretending to be a clueless child to smooth things over was second nature.
"He seems like a capable kid. So, little guy, you're also a Stand— mmph!" Okuyasu Nijimura started, but Josuke clamped a hand over his mouth before he could finish.
"Huh? What was that big brother about to say?" Conan sensed something off but maintained the facade of a clueless elementary schooler, trying to extract useful information.
"Okuyasu here meant... uh..." Josuke's forehead twitched. "He meant you're a good kid who helps adults! Yes, that's right, a good kid." Josuke laughed awkwardly, trying to sound convincing.
Conan: "..." He had followed Jolyne here, and their evasiveness only deepened his suspicions.
"Conan," Jolyne interjected, unable to watch any longer. If she didn't say something, Conan's sharpness would lead him to discover Stand users. "Morioh isn't safe right now. You should stay with Mr. Mouri and Miss Ran. Don't run around alone."
"But I'm sure Jolyne big sister can protect me!" Conan stared at her with wide, innocent eyes, attempting to appeal to her sympathy for cute children.
However, Jolyne wasn't buying it. "Conan, I have no obligation to protect you."
"...Okay." This was the first time Conan's cute act had failed on someone other than Mouri Kogoro. "Then... goodbye, Jolyne big sister. I'm heading back..."
After Conan left, Josuke finally relaxed and released Okuyasu. "That was close. He almost found out."
Okuyasu, nearly suffocated, gasped for air, still completely bewildered.
"Do you think that kid will really listen and go back?" Josuke was skeptical. The kid seemed the type to be shrewd beyond his years, not the obedient sort.
"I noticed it too," Koichi said hesitantly, finally confessing to the group. "Before we met you, I saw Conan following Jolyne and Josuke."
At first, Koichi thought it was a misunderstanding—kids that age are often playful. But after observing, he realized Conan was indeed tailing them. Unsure of his motives, Koichi called Jolyne and Josuke over.
Jolyne fell silent. It seemed Conan had marked her as a suspect. But it made sense; aside from Mouri Kogoro, she and her father, Jotaro, were the ones who had approached the victim's body.
And, as expected, the police handling the case would likely come for her soon.
Sure enough, right after parting ways with Josuke and the others, the moment she stepped into the Morioh Grand Hotel, she was greeted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.
"Miss Jolyne Cujoh, we need to ask you some questions regarding the hotel murder case. We hope for your cooperation."
Jolyne looked at the police badge presented—it read [Sato Miwako]—and then at the officer's stern face. Ah... it was the one who missed the elevator the other day.
Sato Miwako clearly recognized her too. The bad first impression meant Sato didn't give her a friendly look on the way to the station.
Jolyne: ...She really was incompatible with the police.
Morioh had its own police station, but due to poor solve rates over the past decade and the severity of this case, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police had taken over entirely.
At the station, besides Sato Miwako, a male officer was also present for the interrogation.
He was quite young, tall, wearing black sunglasses, and his demeanor was very casual, not much like a police officer.
"I'm Matsuda Jinpei, recently transferred to the criminal investigations division. I have zero experience interrogating suspects," Matsuda said, removing his sunglasses and hanging them on his collar. He pulled out a notebook. "You're Jolyne Cujoh, right?"
Jolyne nodded. "Officer Matsuda, what do you want to ask me?"
Matsuda thought for a moment. "Nothing much. Just wanted to ask if you killed the person."
"...Huh?" Jolyne was thrown off by Matsuda's blunt approach. Who asks that right away?
His partner, Sato Miwako, was equally startled. She nudged him discreetly and whispered, "Senior Officer Matsuda, that's too direct..."
"Ah, is that so?" Matsuda apologized awkwardly. "I used to dismantle bombs. Just transferred to investigations—completely clueless about interrogations. My apologies."
Jolyne: . Could they get a more professional cop next time? No, better not have a next time.
Sato, exasperated by her senior's incompetence, took over. "Miss Jolyne Cujoh, you recently arrived in Japan from America?"
"That's correct."
"What is your relationship to Jotaro Kujo?"
"He's my father... brother."
Sato looked up at Jolyne, then flipped through the thick file on the table, the pages rustling. "But according to our investigation, Mr. Sadao Kujo and his wife, Holly Kujo, only have one son: Jotaro Kujo. How do you explain that?"
Jolyne couldn't explain it. She couldn't very well say she was Jotaro Kujo's daughter from the future, could she? That would just get her locked up in a mental institution.
Jolyne remained silent, then tentatively asked, "What about Jotaro Kujo? Is he being interrogated too?"
"No need to worry about that, Miss Cujoh," Matsuda cut in. "Better explain your identity first. Like, are you a secret love child or something..."
Based on Detective Mouri's account, some inexplicable phenomena occurred at the scene, such as Jotaro Kujo's apparent teleportation.
The police had investigated Jotaro's background but found little beyond his parents and job. The man was full of mysteries, especially regarding his family. The only information available was that he was married, but his wife's name, address, and whether they had children were unknown.
As for Jolyne Cujoh, she was even more mysterious. While Jotaro had some traceable details, Jolyne's information was a complete blank, as if she appeared out of thin air.
"Miss Cujoh, do you plan to remain silent?" Matsuda pressed. "Aren't you going to explain your background?"
It was impossible to explain, so Jolyne decided not to. If she remembered correctly, under Japanese law, police could only detain a suspect for 24 hours without substantial evidence. After that, they had to release her.
As long as she stayed silent for those 24 hours, she'd be fine. Besides, the real culprit—the rat—had already been dealt with. Telling Matsuda and Sato the killer was a rat would only make them think she'd lost her mind.
In short, she adhered to the principle: the more you say, the more mistakes you make; say little, make few mistakes; say nothing, make no mistakes.
However, she didn't even last 24 hours before Sato Miwako reluctantly informed her she was free to go.
While removing the handcuffs, Sato whispered in her ear, "I don't know your methods, but we will find evidence of your crime. Not even the SPW Foundation can protect you forever."
Jolyne understood—her father must have used the SPW Foundation's influence to pressure the police into releasing her.
To Sato's anger, she could only offer a dry response: "I'm really not the culprit."
Leaving the interrogation room, she walked down a dim, narrow corridor. In the bright lobby, she saw a tall, broad-shouldered figure in white.
Jotaro was speaking with a portly police officer, but the atmosphere between them seemed tense.
Hearing her approach, Jotaro turned and gestured for her to come over. Jolyne complied.
"Jolyne, tell me, did they do anything excessive to you?" Jotaro asked. Though his tone was calm, Jolyne sensed the undercurrent of anger.
She was sure he was furious. Was it because of the portly officer? Or... because of her?
Jolyne shook her head. "No, they were just following procedure with routine questions."
"Inspector Megure, if you want the truth, contact SPW," Jotaro said finally, taking Jolyne's hand and leading her out of the police station.
No sooner had they left than Matsuda approached Inspector Megure. "Inspector, what did you talk about?"
"Nothing."
"You didn't accept a bribe, did you?! Or yield to power?!" Matsuda put on a pained expression, mourning his superior's perceived corruption.
"Stop talking nonsense!" Inspector Megure gave Matsuda a sharp knock on the head, asserting his authority. "In any case, the SPW Foundation will give us the truth." That's what Jotaro Kujo had told him.
"What exactly is the SPW Foundation's background?" Sato Miwako's expression was grim. As a justice-driven officer, she despised those who flouted the law using powerful connections.
"That's a long story..." Inspector Megure had heard of SPW. The foundation originated in 19th-century Britain, founded by Speedwagon, who made his fortune in oil before expanding into healthcare, technology, transportation, and more.
In short, it was immensely powerful. Even though its headquarters were in America, it held significant sway in Japanese politics and business. And Jotaro Kujo was the heir to this foundation.
Outside the station, Jolyne and Jotaro hadn't gone far when they ran into Ran Mouri rushing in.
"Inspector Megure! Officer Matsuda! Officer Sato! Conan— Conan, he— he—" Ran was so out of breath from running she couldn't form a complete sentence.
Sato Miwako patted her back soothingly. "Ran, calm down. Take a deep breath first."
Ran complied, finally catching her breath. "Conan is missing."
"What?!"
***
Btw i added some prologue... go check it out.