Early the next morning, Takato was woken by the roar of a car engine, followed by the sound of the doorbell ringing.
Takato struggled to get up. Seeing that it was half past seven, he felt a surge of helplessness. He quickly got dressed and washed up, then opened the door to find Kudo Yukiko already standing outside.
Today, Kudo Yukiko had her long hair pinned back, wore sunglasses, and looked very capable. Behind her, a red sports car was parked.
"Yukiko... sister."
Takato said with a yawn, "Didn't the new product launch event start at ten in the morning? It's not even eight yet."
"Since it's an investigation, we should go early. The participants are already there preparing."
Yukiko said, "Hurry, get in the car!"
So, Takato looked at the car Yukiko had driven—the distinctive inverted triangle on the front of the car confirmed it was an Alfa Romeo GTV! No wonder when Yukiko drove this car with Conan after returning to Japan in the original story, Conan complained, "Are there no other cars to rent?"
After getting in the car, led by Yukiko, the two soon arrived at the Beika City Hall. After parking the car in the underground garage, they headed to the second floor of the shopping mall where the "Fusae" new product launch event was located.
Arriving at the shopping mall on the second floor, they saw many staff members busy in the main hall at the entrance, setting up display stands. A sign on the ground nearby read "Fusae," indicating that this would be the exhibition stand for the upcoming new product launch.
"By the way, did the client say who we should look for here?"
Seeing the scene, Takato asked Yukiko beside him.
"Oh, I remember it said to go directly to the specialty store here and find the person in charge of this event."
Yukiko said, looking thoughtful, then glanced around and spotted the "Fusae" specialty store not far away. However, the store's door was closed, and a display board was specially erected at the entrance, stating that it would open at half past ten today.
Walking to the storefront, Yukiko looked at the locked main door with a puzzled expression.
"Strange, why is the door closed?"
"However, it looks like there should be someone inside."
Takato looked into the store through the glass display window, seeing the bright lights on, and made this judgment.
"Let's see if there's a staff entrance."
Hearing Takato, Yukiko suggested, and walked around to the side of the storefront, where she saw an open staff entrance.
"Hurry, go see how many chairs can be placed there!"
Inside the door, a male voice came, and then a young man in a business suit Ran out of the door in a hurry. Immediately after, a middle-aged man in a business suit followed him out, watching the man's departing back, and muttered to himself, "Really, he can't even do such a small thing right."
As he spoke, the man saw Yukiko and Takato standing at the door.
"Could it be? Are you Ms. Kudo?"
The man suddenly asked after seeing Yukiko.
"Yes, I am."
"Hello. I am Horii Ryosuke, the person in charge of this 'Fusae' event. President Kinoshita mentioned you, and I have been waiting for a long time."
Horii Ryosuke said, then led the two into the store.
Upon reaching the office area in the store, Horii Ryosuke explained to Yukiko, "I also heard from the president that Mr. Kudo's wife would be coming this time. I didn't expect it to be such a great beauty like you. I have long heard of the title 'Dark Night Baroness.'"
"Oh! Not at all!"
Praised in such a way, Yukiko responded with a joyful expression.
"Actually, for this incident, I originally advocated calling the police, but Miss Yamahara, the party involved, was always unwilling. As a result, it even alarmed the president and troubled you to come. I am truly sorry."
Horii Ryosuke explained, then looked at Takato and asked, "And this gentleman is?"
"Oh, he is my consultant for this case. He's also a somewhat famous Detective!"
"Akechi Takato. Nice to meet you!"
Under Yukiko's explanation, Takato introduced himself.
"Then could you tell us in detail what exactly happened?"
Yukiko asked.
Horii Ryosuke did not explain in detail, but instead went to the door of an office, opened it, and motioned for the two to enter.
"Excuse me, I still have things to attend to. You can ask the party involved first."
Inside this office, three ladies were present: one in her twenties, dressed in an evening gown, sitting on a chair, while another makeup artist, also in her twenties and plainly dressed, was applying her makeup. The third lady, appearing slightly older and dressed in a business suit, stood nearby.
"Atsuko, the Detective who came to investigate is here. Please entertain him first."
Horii Ryosuke said to the standing lady. After she responded, he excused himself from those present and left.
Undoubtedly, the lady in the evening gown was Miss Yamahara Akisato, the party involved in this incident. The other two appeared to be a makeup artist and an Manager—Takato deduced.
"Atsuko?"
Hearing Horii Ryosuke address the lady in the business suit this way, Yukiko seemed to remember something. As a result, the other person also looked somewhat surprised upon seeing Yukiko.
"You... aren't you Fujimine Yukiko from back then!"
The lady called Atsuko said in surprise.
"Yes, who are you?"
"It's me! I was also one of the actors in the TV drama about Sakamoto Ryoma that you starred in back then!"
"Could it be! You are Atsuko!"
Yukiko thought and recognized the lady in front of her.
"Atsuko, who is she?"
At this moment, Miss Yamahara Akisato, who had heard their conversation, suddenly spoke, her tone somewhat sharp.
"She is Fujimine Yukiko, the super popular actress from twenty years ago!"
Atsuko did not mind Miss Yamahara Akisato's tone and still spoke excitedly.
"Hmph, twenty years ago, huh."
Miss Yamahara Akisato muttered softly, then stopped talking, which made Takato, who heard this, have a very poor impression of her.
"I really didn't expect it to be you. When I heard that the president entrusted Mr. Kudo, I wondered if I would have a chance to see you again, and I didn't expect you to actually come!"
Atsuko said excitedly, "Thanks to your support back then, I later had the opportunity to participate in other performances, so I have always wanted to thank you in person."
"Is that so? Then I am truly honored!"
Yukiko responded with a smile.
At this time, in the Beika City Hall underground parking lot, Hirota Masami arrived here driving a car, with the short-haired brown-haired girl also in the car.
Today, both were dressed in similar attire: slightly tight white sweaters paired with dark knee-length pleated skirts, highlighting their graceful figures. The difference was that Hirota Masami wore a beige cardigan, while the short-haired brown-haired girl wore a pink shawl.
After getting out of the car, the two walked towards the shopping mall upstairs in the Beika City Hall, chatting and laughing, paying no attention to the Alfa Romeo GTV parked next to their car.