Seeing someone appear in his study, Tsugawa instantly froze.
His first instinct was that it might be a thief.
But when he saw the Beretta M9 pistol equipped with a suppressor in the intruder's hand, that thought vanished immediately.
A regular thief wouldn't be able to get a firearm like this.
When Tsugawa looked up and saw the cold gaze of the foreigner sitting in his chair, dressed in black with a matching top hat, he couldn't help but swallow hard and stammer:
"W-Who are you?"
Toru, wearing a mask and disguised with a European face, spoke coldly.
"Tsugawa Toshio. Director of the Eguchi Library, and also a drug trafficker working under a certain Diet member. You control a secret supply line from Mexico to Japan. Am I right?"
Toru looked down at the terrified, sweat-drenched middle-aged man with a half-smile.
"Shall I tell you the name of that Diet member?"
"N-No, please don't."
Tsugawa's face turned pale, his voice trembling.
If that name was said aloud, he'd be a dead man.
Those who dared to traffic drugs were already desperate types. Once they gained political power, they became even more ruthless.
The bigshot behind him might fear certain people, but when it came to eliminating underlings, there'd be no hesitation.
"W-What do you want from me?"
Tsugawa saw that Toru hadn't killed him immediately and felt a faint sliver of hope.
"Where's the money?"
Toru didn't bother beating around the bush.
When Tsugawa heard the question was about money, he didn't feel relieved. Instead, he became even more tense.
After all, wasn't the whole reason he'd risked his life dealing drugs because of money?
There was no way he'd easily give up the fortune he'd spent years accumulating.
Seeing his hesitation, Toru smiled coldly. "Looks like you're not willing to talk. Or maybe, you think I won't shoot? You think this gun is a toy?"
Pff—
As soon as he finished, a bullet silently fired from the suppressor.
It pierced Tsugawa's knee with pinpoint precision, shattering the joint.
The man let out a howl of pain and collapsed to the floor, sobbing and trembling as snot and tears streamed down his face.
"This room of yours... you had it soundproofed to prevent outsiders from hearing anything. That's very considerate of you."
"Even if you scream until your throat's hoarse, no one outside will hear."
Toru spoke calmly, spinning the gun in his hand. "You don't have to talk right away. I'm not in a rush. I'll take my time. Let's see how long you can hold out."
"This room isn't that big. Even if you've hidden something in a false wall or the basement, I'll find it eventually. We've got all night."
Tsugawa was so terrified he thought his heart might give out. He collapsed, trembling, and cried out:
"I'll talk, I'll talk! The cash and product are in the attic, behind the cabinet. There's a hidden compartment inside!"
Toru nodded. "Kir. Go check it out."
"Yes."
Only then did Tsugawa realize there was another person in the room.
Rena stepped out of the shadows. As an elite CIA operative and former Black Organization member, her experience was extensive.
She carefully checked the attic. After confirming there were no traps, she followed Tsugawa's instructions and quickly found several bags of rock candy and stacks of US dollars.
Rena returned to the study and reported back.
"I told you! Please, I told you everything! Spare me!"
Pff—
Another silenced shot rang out. The bullet pierced Tsugawa's forehead.
The Eguchi Library director who tried to kill Yukino now lay lifeless on the floor.
"The people I hate most... are drug dealers."
Toru said flatly.
Rena remained quiet. She didn't know if Toru's words were also a warning directed at her.
As an undercover agent, there were times when she had no choice but to dirty her hands for the Organization to maintain her cover.
"Take me up there."
Rena led Toru to the attic.
Toru took out a few pieces of the "rock candy" to test the purity.
This drug was currently more popular than heroin, primarily because it attacked the central nervous system, while heroin caused irreversible damage to the immune system.
It produced intense euphoria without directly killing the user in the short term, which made it dangerously addictive.
Worse, it was cheaper to produce, with simpler materials and processes, meaning it could flood the market easily.
But drugs were drugs. They destroyed families and ruined lives.
"How much is here in US dollars?"
"I counted roughly... about 3.5 million."
"Tsugawa must have exchanged yen at an underground bank. Use the Organization's channels to launder the money. Transfer 3 million into this anonymous Swiss bank account. The remaining amount, after fees, is yours."
"Boss—"
Rena was about to say something, but Toru's sharp glare silenced her.
She immediately understood.
If she refused, Toru wouldn't trust her. He might even see her as a potential threat who would report him later.
But by accepting the money, she was joining him on his ship. Once onboard, there was no getting off.
It also showed that Toru trusted her. Shared dirt was a powerful bond.
Rena bowed her head. "Thank you, Boss, for your trust."
She couldn't help but compare him to her past superiors.
The CIA Director never gave her opportunities like this, only manipulation and psychological pressure.
The Black Organization didn't even pay salaries. Rena had to work as a TV reporter and online influencer to make ends meet.
But Toru? Just like that, she'd earned 400,000 dollars.
Washing the 3.5 million would cost maybe 100,000 through Organization channels. That left 400,000 for her. All clean, usable money.
Four hundred thousand dollars was no small sum. For a woman who loved beauty, fashion, and travel, that kind of money went a long way.
"Let's go. Tomorrow, change identities and report this to the police anonymously. Have them clean up the body. For now, wipe the place down."
"Yes, Boss."
...
The next day—
"Inspector Megure, the deceased has been confirmed as Tsugawa Hisao, director of the Eguchi Library. Cause of death: a gunshot wound to the forehead. His knee was also shot."
"The bullet used was a 9mm. Based on ballistics, the shooter fired from a distance of about one to two meters."
Officers reported their findings to Megure.
"Eguchi Library again?"
Megure felt his scalp go numb at the name.
"Inspector, we found a large amount of rock candy in the attic!"
Another officer ran over with an update.
Megure's face darkened. "So not just a murder, but drug trafficking too. It's likely this was a dispute between dealers."
"Huh? Wait... Conan, why are you here?"
Megure suddenly spotted a small figure at the scene.
"Ah, I was just playing nearby and happened to pass by... so I took a look. Haha..."
Conan awkwardly scratched his head. He'd been quietly observing the scene.
But in cases where the killer escapes immediately after the crime, there's often little a detective can do without extensive field investigation.
Still, returning to the crime scene would've been a rookie mistake.
Especially for a rational killer, it was rare.
As Megure was about to scold Conan, a neighbor stepped up to the officers.
"I saw two strangers come by last night."
"Can you describe them?"
"Ah, sorry. It was late. They were dressed in black and wore black hats... kind of like fedoras. I couldn't see their faces clearly."
Hearing this, Conan's thoughts exploded.
Black clothes, black fedoras... could it be... the Black Organization?!
The Eguchi Library's director was a drug dealer, and the fire at the library must've been set by him to destroy evidence.
Someone must've found the drugs, and Tsugawa set the fire in panic.
And Toru... those eyes he had at the scene that day, that wasn't the look of a normal college student.
He had killed before. More than once. You could tell from the way he carried himself.
Was the murder of Tsugawa connected to him? Toru foiled Tsugawa's plan. They had motive.
Could Toru really be part of the Black Organization?
It was only a guess. A hunch. But as a detective, Conan had learned to trust his sixth sense.
"Alright, kid, scram."
Officer Takagi grabbed Conan by the collar and carried him off the scene.
But Conan had already gotten what he came for.
...
The next day—
"Yusaku Kudo and Yukiko Kudo have left America. They're headed back to Japan."
Toru looked at the message on his phone, sent from CIA agents stationed in America.
He had instructed them earlier to monitor the Kudo couple's movements.
Once the message was read, it auto-deleted.
Only then did Toru look up and ask the young officer in front of him, pretending to be puzzled.
"Officer, Toru Amuro is indeed my employee. Did something happen?"
The officer's face lit up as soon as he saw Toru.
"You... you're Mr. Fujiwara?!"
He was stunned. To think he'd be talking to the national hero in person.
Trying to contain his excitement, the officer continued:
"Mr. Fujiwara, I just wanted to inform you. This Toru Amuro was caught harassing women in Okubo Park. We arrested him on the spot. Since he's your employee, we're letting you know so you can keep an eye on him, in case he harasses your female staff or customers."
Toru gave Amuro a strange look. The man stood off to the side, awkward and red-faced.
What... did you actually go to Okubo Park to be a gigolo?
I was just joking that time. Did you take it seriously?
Why would we need some sketchy karaoke gig to make money?
I just made three million dollars in one night.
(To be continued.)
◇◇◇
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 200 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on Pat if you're interested: p-atreon.c-om/Blownleaves (Just remove the hyphen to access normally.)