Kudo Yukiko, still disguised as a plump aunt, sat dejectedly by the roadside.
Not far ahead, the traffic police were handling the accident scene.
After a while, a young traffic officer approached and apologized, "Excuse me, Ms. Edogawa, the surveillance camera at this intersection just happened to be broken. We haven't located the Land Rover you mentioned."
"How about this, ma'am? You can start by filing an insurance claim. The other party is considered a hit-and-run. We'll handle it once we track them down."
Even in Conan's world, where surveillance coverage was relatively sparse, many intersections still had cameras.
Yukiko forced a smile. "Thank you, officer. Sorry to trouble you."
Just then, Yusaku Kudo and Dr. Agasa arrived in a car.
When they saw Yukiko sitting by the roadside, they parked and quickly approached her.
"How's the situation? What exactly happened?"
Yusaku came to her side, frowning with worry.
Yukiko recounted everything that had just taken place in detail.
Yusaku frowned deeper as he thought aloud. "The camera was broken? What a coincidence. The other party must have damaged it deliberately to avoid leaving a trace."
"But there's something that really bothers me. How did they know you were going to impersonate Fumiyo Edogawa to get close to Shinichi?"
"Judging by how prepared they were, they clearly knew about our plan and were waiting for us to take the bait."
Both Yusaku and Yukiko were highly intelligent. After thinking about it, their expressions darkened. They immediately began checking their personal belongings and daily items.
Soon, Yukiko found a small device hidden inside the lining of her handbag.
"I bought this bag in America, and the plan to prank Shinichi was finalized during our flight back to Japan. They must've planted this while I was still in America."
Yukiko recalled carefully, her face darkening as she recounted the chain of events.
Yusaku lowered his head slightly and began analyzing.
"If the Organization that gave Shinichi that strange drug is as powerful and deeply rooted as we suspect… no, there's no need to assume. Any Organization capable of creating such a drug is anything but simple."
"A typical criminal Organization would need to confirm the death of their target. But Shinichi shrunk instead of dying."
"Maybe the Organization didn't find Shinichi's body, suspected he was still alive but couldn't locate him, so they started targeting us instead. They planted listening devices around us in advance."
As public figures, it was easy to find out where the Kudo couple lived or traveled. Yusaku's analysis, as a mystery novelist, was surprisingly accurate.
What he didn't realize was that the Black Organization wasn't involved at all.
They hadn't found Shinichi's body, but they never planned to go after his parents.
This entire incident had nothing to do with them. It was all Toru's doing.
Lacking that crucial piece of information, Yusaku's deductions, while logical, were off the mark.
But in the eyes of Yukiko and Dr. Agasa, his reasoning seemed perfectly sound.
Yusaku was normally a calm and rational man, but at this moment, he couldn't help but complain, "If you hadn't insisted on teasing Shinichi with this little act, how could this have happened?"
His words made Yukiko explode with anger. She was already frustrated, knowing this mess came from her own impulsiveness. Hearing this from Yusaku only made it worse.
She clenched her teeth and snapped, "Didn't you agree to the plan too? And weren't you the one who helped refine all the loopholes in my script? Now you're just blaming me?"
Seeing the couple on the verge of an argument, Dr. Agasa quickly stepped between them. "Alright, enough. Don't fight. The most important thing right now is finding Shinichi and getting him back safely."
After years of marriage, Yusaku and Yukiko had quarreled plenty of times before. Though Yusaku was irritated, he was rational enough to know Agasa was right. Arguing now wouldn't help. What mattered most was rescuing Shinichi.
"Do you think Shinichi is in immediate danger?"
Yukiko still had her mask on, but even so, her face had turned pale.
Yusaku answered seriously, "If I had to guess, I'd say the other party doesn't intend to kill him. Otherwise, there'd be no need to capture him. They have a hundred ways to take his life if that's what they wanted."
"What they want… is to study him. I'm guessing even the Organization didn't expect the drug to shrink someone."
Hearing that Shinichi might become a research subject made Yukiko even more panicked.
Being experimented on, especially by a criminal Organization, could be a fate worse than death.
Yusaku continued, "Right now, our top priority is to track down that car."
Yukiko wasn't someone to cry over spilled milk. Since it had come to this, she steadied herself and began thinking clearly again.
"I know a few people in the transportation bureau. I'll see if I can pull some strings to access traffic footage from nearby intersections."
"If that doesn't work, we can ask Eri. She's one of Japan's top lawyers. This was a hit-and-run, so she can pressure the traffic bureau to release the surveillance footage legally."
Her approach was sound.
Yusaku nodded. "I suggest going straight to Ms. Kisaki. That'll save us time and give us the best chance to get the data."
He hesitated, then added grimly, "But that's not even the most difficult part. Even if we rescue Shinichi… it won't change the fact that we've been exposed. That Organization is watching us now."
The Kudo family was wealthy, but wealth alone meant nothing when faced with an international criminal Organization. If they had really been targeted, the whole family would be in danger.
"Should we ask for help from the authorities?"
Images of the FBI and CIA crossed Yukiko's mind.
Yusaku shook his head decisively. "No. That would be the worst possible choice. If we go to them, we're finished."
If it became known that Shinichi's body had shrunk and he turned into a child, those government agencies would treat him like a rare specimen. He would never be free again.
America's agencies would be even more ruthless than the Black Organization. Greedy elites hungry for eternal youth would exploit them without hesitation.
The Black Organization, at least, feared consequences. The CIA wouldn't care at all and would break every law if they saw profit.
Faced with such a bleak reality, Yukiko was overcome with despair.
No matter how she looked at it, it felt like their family had reached a dead end.
Yusaku, under the pressure, muttered bitterly, "That brat… always meddling in other people's business. Now look what he's done. Got himself captured, and dragged his parents into it too."
But in the end, Shinichi was their son. They had to try to save him.
Agasa could only sigh. "If there's anything I can do to help, I'll do whatever I can."
Shinichi had provoked that criminal Organization. As someone who helped him many times, Agasa knew he would be a target too.
With Eri Kisaki's powerful legal status and her deep ties in official circles, the Kudo family quickly obtained access to the surveillance footage of streets near the intersection.
Yusaku and Yukiko, under staff supervision, carefully reviewed every camera feed.
But the result was surprising. The Land Rover was nowhere to be found.
They weren't allowed to copy the footage. After checking twice, they left in disappointment.
At the entrance of the traffic bureau, Eri hugged Yukiko. The two had been good friends since high school. Although they lived far apart, they still stayed in contact and had a strong bond.
"I'll use some of my connections to try and locate that hit-and-run car," Eri promised.
"Thank you, Eri," Yukiko replied sincerely. "But don't worry about it too much. If we can't find it, we can't."
She hadn't told Eri that Shinichi was missing. If she did, the situation would spiral out of control and risk revealing his condition to the public.
Yukiko only used the car accident as a reason to ask for help. She didn't want Eri involved in a matter tied to international criminal activity.
Eri had other matters to attend to. After a short chat and a promise to meet for dinner soon, she left.
As soon as she was gone, Yusaku said, "I think I've figured out where Shinichi is."
Yukiko turned to him immediately.
Yusaku explained, "We've reviewed all the nearby surveillance footage, but didn't see the car leave."
"That means one thing. The vehicle never left. After they captured Shinichi, they must've stayed nearby."
"In other words, he's probably in a house close to that intersection."
"If we investigate every home in the area, we'll find him."
…
Conan slowly woke from the anesthesia. His entire body ached, especially his lower back, which felt like it had been pierced.
Remembering what he had heard before blacking out, he realized they had likely performed a bone marrow extraction on him.
He was still tied to the operating table.
Opening his eyes with effort, he turned to the side and froze.
Standing there, staring coldly at him, was a man dressed in black, wearing a black top hat.
(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.)