Chapter 57: Klee Causes Trouble
Vermouth's eyebrows arched in mild surprise. "Mr. Kaeya has a child? It certainly isn't safe to leave a little one all by herself. Is her name Klee? What an adorable name. If you're worried, would you like me to send someone to look after her?"
Her mind raced, cross-referencing the intelligence unit's files. There was no mention of him having a child. Was this a secret he had guarded exceptionally well? Or perhaps the child belonged to a friend? If so, this could be the perfect opportunity to find a weakness, a lever to pull on this enigmatic man.
"There's no need," Kaeya replied, a hint of uncertainty creeping into his smooth tone. "I've asked a friend here to look after Klee for the time being. There shouldn't be any issues... well, probably."
He offered a brief, edited explanation of Klee's identity. "Klee is the younger sister of a friend of mine. Her brother is away on business, so I'm watching over her for a while."
In truth, Kaeya had never intended to bring Klee along. The decision had been forced upon him just before his departure when Klee had caused a rather significant incident. While enthusiastically "blast fishing," she had accidentally destroyed a large portion of the raw materials Diluc had been preparing for a new batch of Dandelion Wine. The mishap forced the master of the Dawn Winery to adjust his entire production schedule, substituting the lost ingredients with Apple Cider. The change massively increased his workload, and for several days, the atmosphere in the winery was so heavy that Klee didn't even dare to play with her Spark Knight bombs.
Left with no other choice, Kaeya had compensated Diluc for a portion of the damages before fleeing the oppressive silence of the winery with Klee in tow. It was a stroke of luck that Lisa was in town; otherwise, Kaeya truly wouldn't have felt comfortable leaving Klee to her own devices.
Vermouth was intrigued to learn that Kaeya had friends in Japan. Just as she was about to probe into the identity of this "friend," the hall was plunged into darkness, swallowing her words.
The memorial service had reached the slide presentation segment.
Kaeya's gaze drifted upward, his single eye catching the faint, almost invisible fluorescent traces on the pull ring at the apex of the grand chandelier.
'So that's the plan,' he thought.
Vermouth, ever observant, noticed the subtle shift in his focus. "It seems Mr. Kaeya has already guessed how we plan to make our move."
"I have," he confirmed, his voice a low murmur in the dark. "It appears the person in your organization responsible for this operation has quite the steady hand and a good eye."
The events that followed unfolded just as he had anticipated. A gunshot, so faint it was nearly lost in the ambient noise of the room, echoed from an unseen corner. A moment later, the massive chandelier tore free from its moorings and crashed down with a deafening roar of shattering crystal and groaning metal, landing directly on top of their target, Tomoguchi Atsuhiko.
After a thorough but fruitless investigation of the scene, the police had no choice but to allow the attendees to leave. However, before the crowd could disperse from the hotel, the lead inspector halted everyone once more. He requested that the seven individuals who had received purple handkerchiefs, as noted on the registration list, remain behind for questioning. Chris Vineyard was, conspicuously, among them.
Kaeya produced the blue handkerchief he had been given, a look of theatrical regret on his face as he addressed his companion. "Miss Chris, it seems you have some business to attend to. I suppose you won't be able to accompany me any longer."
Vermouth watched him prepare to depart, a wry smile playing on her lips. "Mr. Kaeya, you're not much of a gentleman, are you? Your female companion might be in trouble, yet you're so quick to leave her behind."
Kaeya shrugged, the gesture casual and unbothered. "I can't help it. No one ever taught me how to be a gentleman. Besides, the girls I grew up with were often far more capable than the boys."
With a final, jaunty wave of his hand, he turned and walked toward the exit.
Vermouth felt a flicker of helplessness. With police officers watching her every move, she couldn't risk contacting anyone, forced to simply watch as Kaeya disappeared into the crowd.
However, Kaeya did not leave the hotel. He found a staff member, politely inquired about the location of the old building that housed the wine cellar, and headed in that direction.
He recalled the original course of events: Haibara would be discovered and taken away by Pisco, only to awaken from her unconscious state an hour or so later. Pisco, he reasoned, must now be trapped inside the hotel by the police cordon, unable to leave. This presented a perfect window of opportunity to copy the data from the Black Organization's computer stored in that very cellar.
Kaeya arrived at the cellar entrance. He slipped on a pair of thin gloves before twisting the doorknob, confirming that it was locked.
He let out a soft sigh. Lockpicking wasn't one of his many talents. There was no other choice. He would have to use the chimney exit on the roof.
Taking the service stairs up to the rooftop, Kaeya pushed the door open. The roof was blanketed in a pristine layer of fresh snow. To avoid leaving any tracks, he channeled his Cryo abilities with each step. A delicate rime of frost spread from the soles of his boots, freezing the snow beneath them into a hard, trackless surface that left no impression. He finally reached his destination, carefully lifted the heavy cover of the chimney flue, and dropped silently inside.
As he emerged from the fireplace into the cellar below, his eyes immediately fell upon a small, brown-haired child lying motionless on the floor. Sherry. He gave her small form a brief, professional glance, his focus already shifting. Fearing he might wake her, he moved with practiced silence toward the desk and the computer resting upon it.
"Tsk, a password, as expected," he muttered under his breath. "This isn't my area of expertise, either. At times like this, one really must rely on outside help."
Kaeya pulled out a discreet, custom-built phone and decisively contacted Alhaitham. He sent a quick, encrypted message detailing the situation and, on a whim, tacked on a question: how long did he plan on keeping his membership in the Black Organization a secret from the Traveler?
It wasn't long before Alhaitham's reply came through. It was a single, curt phrase: `shelling ford.`
A second message followed moments later. `Strictly speaking, I have not been keeping it a secret from the Traveler; I simply have not volunteered the information. As for when she finds out, that depends on when she proactively asks. Just as you did.`
Kaeya sighed, a faint smile touching his lips. He decided to set that particular matter aside and focus on the prize in front of him.
He typed the phrase Alhaitham had sent. The screen flashed, and the system granted him access. The password was correct. With swift efficiency, Kaeya plugged in a USB drive and copied all the relevant research data from the computer.
His next task was to erase his presence. He carefully wiped down every surface he had touched, returned to the chimney, and ascended back to the rooftop. He carefully replaced the heavy cover, then used his Cryo abilities once more to retrace his steps across the snow, leaving the white blanket as undisturbed as he had found it. After one last look back to ensure no footprints marred the surface, he departed the old building.
The primary goal of his visit to the memorial service was now complete, but he had no intention of leaving just yet.
Kaeya knew that soon, Gin would be shot with a tranquilizer dart by an unknown assailant—Conan. To fight off the encroaching paralysis, the ruthless executive would not hesitate to shoot his own arm. If Kaeya were to disappear without a trace at such a critical moment, Gin's paranoia might flare. He could easily suspect that Kaeya was the one who had helped Sherry escape. That was a complication Kaeya had no interest in creating.
He found a quiet corner and made a subtle exchange. Noelle, whom he had notified in advance, appeared as if by chance. He passed her the USB drive containing the stolen data, asking her to take it back for safekeeping. It was far too dangerous to carry such an item while mingling with members of the Black Organization.
Back at the Beika Hotel's main hall, Vermouth stood with her arms crossed, feigning boredom as she awaited her turn for police questioning. Suddenly, she felt a presence behind her. The footsteps were impossibly light, almost imperceptible unless one was listening with intense focus. Just as a flicker of vigilance sparked within her, a familiar, amused voice reached her ear.
"Miss Chris," Kaeya greeted her with a charming smile. "We meet again."
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