Chapter 12: The Vanishing Gold Coins
Long after Natsume's footsteps faded into the distance, the abandoned building settled back into a heavy, suffocating silence. Dust motes drifted lazily through the stagnant air, undisturbed, making the cavernous space look as though it had been entirely forgotten by the world for decades.
Outside, the fiery hues of dusk slowly bled out of the sky, replaced by a deep, bruised purple. The moon crested over the city skyline, casting long, pale shafts of light through the shattered windows.
A short while later, the quiet crunch of gravel signaled the arrival of four small silhouettes.
Conan Edogawa, moving with the quiet confidence of a seasoned detective trapped in a child's body, had done exactly what he was meant to do. Relying entirely on his sharp intellect, he had unraveled the cryptic symbols on the torn treasure map, tracing the hidden logic straight to this very spot.
He stepped directly beneath the designated coordinates. A sudden glint caught his eye. Resting innocently on the grimy concrete floor was a single, pristine maple leaf gold coin—the breadcrumb Natsume had deliberately left behind.
Conan tilted his head back, his glasses catching the moonlight. Suspended high above them, dangling from the rusted ceiling beams, were several heavy canvas bags.
Genta and the others followed his gaze, their eyes widening as they spotted the gleaming coin on the floor.
"Ah! It's the treasure!" Genta's voice echoed off the concrete walls, practically vibrating with excitement. "We found the treasure!"
Throwing caution to the wind, the heavy-set boy lunged forward, his fingers outstretched to claim their prize.
But before his hand could even brush the metal, a large, calloused hand shot out from the shadows, snatching the gold coin right out from under him.
The air in the room instantly shifted. Stepping out from behind the decaying pillars were the members of the Italian robber gang. They had stalked the children through the city streets, using Conan's brilliant deductions to do their dirty work.
A harsh scuffle broke out, but the size difference was too great. Within minutes, coarse ropes bit into the children's wrists, binding the four of them tightly together in the center of the room.
Yet, panic did not consume them. In this dark, dusty room, the Detective Boys executed their very first coordinated operation. Whispering hurried instructions, they worked in tandem, shifting their weight and using the environment to their advantage. With a final, desperate tug, they managed to snap the main rope securing the overhead haul.
High above, the pulley gave way. The heavy canvas bags plummeted toward the earth.
CRASH!
The bags slammed directly into the three mobsters, driving them into the concrete with bone-crushing force.
Seeing their ambush succeed, Conan, Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi let out a collective, breathless cheer. "We did it!"
But as the dust began to settle, Conan's triumphant smile froze. His brow furrowed.
The sound was wrong. There had been no metallic clatter, no musical ringing of scattered wealth. He stared at the ruptured canvas bags. Spilling out from the torn fabric were not glittering maple leaf gold coins, but jagged, heavy gray rocks.
Someone had beaten them to it.
His mind raced, but the immediate danger pulled him back to reality. The whereabouts of the gold would have to wait. The mobsters were out cold, but there was no telling when they might wake up, and the children were still tied together, completely defenseless.
Their top priority was survival.
After struggling out of their bindings, the four children scrambled out of the building and sprinted through the night streets, bursting through the doors of the nearest police station to report the crime.
Sirens soon wailed through the quiet district. Inspector Megure arrived at the scene with a squad of officers, quickly securing the unconscious Italian robbers.
It was a triumphant debut for the Detective Boys. Inspector Megure, his hands resting on his hips, offered the children warm praise for their bravery and quick thinking in apprehending such dangerous fugitives.
However, a dark cloud hung over the victory. Despite the police tearing the abandoned building apart in a careful search, they found absolutely nothing. The stolen maple leaf gold coins had vanished into thin air.
No one could figure out who had emptied the bags and replaced the contents with ordinary stones. To the Tokyo Metropolitan Police, the whereabouts of the treasure remained an unsolvable mystery.
The next morning, the bright sunshine did little to clear the fog in Conan's mind. As he walked the familiar route to Teitan Elementary School, his hands were shoved deep into his pockets, his brow locked in a tight frown.
He mentally replayed every single step of yesterday's puzzle-solving process. He hadn't made a mistake. He had deciphered the code perfectly. The single gold coin on the floor and the bags hanging from the ceiling proved that the treasure had been exactly where he calculated.
So, where did the gold go? Who took it? And more, how did they know the exact location?
Conan recalled the thick layer of undisturbed dust in the building when he, Ayumi, and the others first arrived. There were no fresh footprints other than their own and the robbers'. Could the coins have been swapped out days, or even weeks, ago?
Unbidden, the image of Natsume Natsuki flashed across his mind.
Aside from the Detective Boys and the Italian mobsters, she was the only other person who had laid eyes on that torn piece of paper.
'But that's impossible,'Conan thought, kicking a stray pebble down the sidewalk.'Finding the treasure required the specific shapes of the neon signs lighting up at night. I solved it as fast as humanly possible, and I didn't see her anywhere near the building.'
It was broad daylight when they bumped into her. There was simply no logical way she could have cracked the code and emptied the bags so quickly without the neon lights to guide her.
Despite his rational deductions, a nagging itch at the back of his detective's brain refused to let the blonde woman go. She was a suspect. He needed to test her. He decided that the moment the final bell rang, he would head straight back to the street where they had bumped into her, hoping to cross paths again.
The second classes ended, Conan grabbed his backpack, eager to slip out the classroom door unnoticed.
Unfortunately, a heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"Hold it right there, Conan!" Genta demanded, pulling him back. "What's wrong with you today? You've been spacing out since morning!"
Mitsuhiko stepped into his path, crossing his arms. "Exactly. We called your name three times during lunch, and you completely ignored us."
Ayumi leaned in, her large eyes filled with genuine worry. "Conan, did you run into some kind of trouble? You can tell us."
Caught off guard by their sudden interrogation, Conan waved his hands awkwardly. "Ah, haha, it's nothing! Really! I just... have something I need to confirm, that's all."
Genta's eyes narrowed suspiciously. He leaned his face entirely too close to Conan's. "You aren't trying to ditch the rest of the Detective Boys to go solve a case all by yourself, are you?"
"It's really not that," Conan sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Realizing these three wouldn't let him leave the school grounds alive unless he gave them an answer, he opted for a half-truth. "I was just planning to go look for Sister Natsume."
Instantly, the tension vanished, replaced by bright, eager smiles.
"Sigh—Conan, you're so sly!" Genta grinned, slapping him on the back. "We want to see Sister Natsume again too!"
"Yeah!" Ayumi chimed in, clapping her hands together. "She left so quickly yesterday, and we didn't even get to ask where she lives."
Before Conan could protest, Genta, Mitsuhiko, and Ayumi exchanged a knowing, synchronized glance.
"Then it's decided!" they shouted in unison, their voices ringing down the school hallway. "The second official group activity of the Detective Boys starts right now! Target: Find Sister Natsume!"
Without waiting for his approval, the trio marched forward, taking the lead toward their destination.
Conan let out a long, defeated sigh, his shoulders slumping as he dragged his feet to follow them.
By the time they arrived at the bustling commercial street from yesterday, the afternoon rush hour was in full swing. A sea of pedestrians moved past the storefronts. Genta and the others stared at the massive crowd, their initial enthusiasm faltering.
"Uh, Conan..." Genta scratched his cheek. "There are so many people here. Where are we even supposed to start looking?"
Conan adjusted his glasses, slipping effortlessly into his element. "We can start by asking the staff at the surrounding shops. Specifically, places like coffee shops or cafes. If Sister Natsume was walking around here, she might have stopped inside one to rest."
He pointed down the street. "Sister Natsume has a very striking appearance. Plus, it hasn't been that long since yesterday. If she went inside, someone is bound to remember her. We might be able to pick up a clue."
"Hmm, makes sense!" Genta nodded seriously. He spun around, scanning the street until his eyes locked onto a cozy-looking storefront with a wooden sign. "Look! There's a coffee shop right over there! Let's go!"
Before anyone could say another word, Genta was already sprinting toward the door. Ayumi and Mitsuhiko hurried eagerly after him.
"Sigh..." Conan pinched the bridge of his nose, having no choice but to trail behind his self-appointed assistants.
A soft bell chimed as they pushed open the glass door of the cafe. The rich aroma of roasted coffee beans and sweet pastries washed over them. Conan quickly scanned the room, spotting a waitress wiping down a counter who looked friendly enough to tolerate a group of children.
He trotted up to her, putting on his most innocent, childish smile. "Excuse me, big sister! Can I ask you a question?"
Hearing the sweet voice, the waitress paused her work. Seeing the group of elementary schoolers, her expression softened, and she crouched down to their eye level. "Of course, little one. What do you want to know?"
"Big sister, did you happen to see a really pretty lady around here yesterday?" Conan asked, his tone bright and curious. "She was wearing a yellow and white dress, and she had bright golden hair. She stands out a lot!"
"Oh! And that big sister's eyes are golden too!" Ayumi stepped forward, adding to the description with a wide smile. "They look just like sunlight! She's super beautiful!"
The waitress blinked, the cloth in her hand going still. As soon as she heard those specific adjectives, a look of immediate recognition washed over her face.
"Oh," the waitress smiled warmly. "Are you talking about Natsume Natsuki?"
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