Mouri Detective Agency, Evening
"Bye-bye!"
Kurosawa Hoshino and Ran waved as the police car carrying Sonoko drove off into the dusk. With a shared sigh, they turned and headed upstairs to the agency.
"Do you think Dad's back?" Ran wondered.
"It's dark already. He should be," Hoshino replied, though his tone held little conviction. "Then again, sometimes his cases keep him out for days."
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Their casual chatter died as they reached the second-floor door. A sliver of light bled through the frosted glass—Kogoro was definitely home.
Ran pushed the door open. "We're back!"
The scene was familiar yet oddly still: Conan sat stiffly on the sofa, while Kogoro Mouri stood by his desk, silhouetted against the window. He turned slowly, his eyes sharp in the dim light.
"You're back," he said, his voice low. His gaze flicked to the street below. "Ran. Hoshino. Why were you in a police car?"
"We ran into a case, Uncle," Hoshino answered.
"It was really scary," Ran added, hanging her jacket.
At the word "case," Conan perked up, curiosity overriding his usual subdued demeanor. "A case? Ran-neechan, Hoshino-nii, did you solve it?"
"Tell me everything," Kogoro demanded, striding over to sink into his armchair with the air of a critic awaiting a performance.
"With Hoshino there, of course we solved it." Ran's voice held a note of pride. She'd come to see Hoshino's keen mind as a match for Shinichi's—perhaps even sharper.
"Solved it?" Conan's shoulders slumped slightly, a flicker of disappointment in his eyes.
"Out with it!" Kogoro crossed his arms.
"Alright." Hoshino sighed, taking the seat opposite them. "It started when we got back this morning and you weren't here, Uncle…"
"Ahem, skip to the relevant parts."
"We were home until the afternoon…"
Hoshino's recounting was methodical, stripped of flair, yet he laid out the afternoon's events—the mysterious death, the subtle clues, the logical deduction—with ruthless efficiency.
When he finished, Kogoro and Conan exchanged a look. It sounded… straightforward. Almost too simple.
Kogoro waved a hand dismissively. "Pfah! If I'd been there, I'd have wrapped it up just as fast."
"You're just bragging," Ran shot back from the kitchen doorway. "If Hoshino hadn't pointed it out, we'd never have seen it. You only think it's obvious now because he's explaining it step-by-step."
"Hey! I'll have you know—"
"Okay, enough." Ran cut him off. "More importantly, Dad, what did you do today?"
"Me?" Kogoro's chest puffed out, his earlier intensity replaced by smugness. "Heh heh~"
Conan piped up, "Right after you left this morning, Ran-neechan, a client came."
Two cases in one day? Hoshino's brow furrowed slightly. The plot really is thick around here.
"What kind of case?" Ran asked.
"It's all thanks to my brilliant work yesterday," Kogoro began, launching into his boast. "On Valentine's Day, while I was cracking that poisoning at the café, today's client—a doctor from Beika General Hospital who lives nearby—heard about my genius. He's been getting anonymous money transfers and boxes of used toys for over two years. The poor man was terrified out of his wits…"
Oh. This episode. Hoshino's memory clicked into place. The grieving father, the delayed treatment, the son lost to medical failure. A revenge plot years in the making, timed for when the doctor's own son reached the same age.
Kogoro's narration mirrored his thoughts eerily. "…and so, with my expert intervention, we apprehended the culprit just in time. A tragedy averted!"
"Dad, that's amazing!" Ran beamed.
Kogoro's head tilted back, basking in the praise.
Then—two loud, synchronized gurgles echoed in the room.
Kogoro's proud stance deflated. His face flushed as he clutched his stomach. "Ran! Stop chattering and make dinner! I'm starving!"
"Hehe~" Ran giggled and disappeared into the kitchen.
Hoshino picked up the remote and flicked the TV on. A news anchor's bright voice filled the room.
"…Tomorrow, in Saitama Prefecture, Mount Mitake will host the world-renowned 'Number One Night Festival' for the first time after dark…"
"The World's Number One Night Festival!" Kogoro nodded approvingly. "Incredibly famous. Never had the chance to go myself. You've got no school tomorrow—why don't you kids go check it out?"
"Yes! I've only ever seen it on TV!" Ran's excited agreement floated from the kitchen.
Hoshino smiled. "I'm fine with anything."
Only Conan remained unimpressed, his expression one of profound boredom as he stared blankly at the TV.
A Luxurious Hotel Room, Later That Night
The steam from the shower had yet to fully dissipate. Vermouth, wrapped in a plush white towel, sat before a polished table, her blonde hair damp and dripping onto her shoulders.
Before her lay three neat stacks of photographs.
The first: Mouri Ran and Kudou Shinichi, frozen in happier, simpler times.
The second: Edogawa Conan, the bespectacled child who appeared too clever by half.
The third: Kurosawa Hoshino. In every shot, he was never alone—always beside Ran, mid-laughter, deep in conversation, a constant, cheerful presence.
Vermouth's interest, for now, wasn't on Hoshino. The boy was only here because he was glued to Ran's side.
A soft, breathy laugh escaped Vermouth's lips. Her manicured finger trailed over Conan's photo, then Hoshino's.
"One," she murmured to the silent room, "appeared around Ran more than a month ago. The other… a little brat who vanished and only reappeared after he disappeared."
Her finger stopped on Shinichi's image, her gaze hardening.
"It seems," she decided, her voice a low whisper, "I'll be extending my stay at Teitan High School. I need to know if he truly is gone."
She would not leave Beika Town. Not until she found the one she sought. Even if he was dead, she would demand to see the body. She needed proof.
"Gin…"
The name left her lips like a curse, laced with a venomous chill. When she'd learned Gin had administered APTX-4869 to Shinichi Kudo, a part of her had frozen. But as weeks turned into months with no confirmed report of his death, a stubborn, dangerous hope had taken root.
He can't be dead. Not him. He's hiding. He must have sensed something about Gin… and is biding his time.
And she, Vermouth, would be the one to find him first.