Chapter 148: The Photograph
The man who sent the threatening letter did, in fact, have an accomplice. Natsume shadowed him as he fled in a panic, tailing him all the way to a quiet residence. She found a way to slip inside undetected and listened in on a hushed conversation between him and another person. Once she confirmed there were no others involved, she moved to subdue them both.
Of course, her methods may have been a touch… unrestrained. That, combined with her subsequent search for evidence, led the two culprits to believe they were victims of a home invasion. They even had the audacity to threaten to call the police on her.
Naturally, under Natsume's "friendly" persuasion, they wisely abandoned that notion. By the time the police arrived, summoned by Natsume herself, the two men were practically falling over each other to turn themselves in and repent for their crimes.
When Kogoro Mouri heard the news that the culprits had been apprehended, he was already mentally prepared. The speed of the resolution hardly surprised him anymore. While it was a shame he wouldn't be collecting the full commission, the case was closed, and that was cause enough for a good mood.
Through a brief phone call from Natsume, the group at the apartment learned the full story behind the threatening letter from Charlotte.
Conan's earlier guess had been spot on. One of the culprits was a high-ranking administrator at a local high school. During a previous interview, Charlotte had stumbled upon evidence that he was taking kickbacks and manipulating student scholarship quotas. Realizing she was onto him and was planning to return to the school to investigate further, he sent the letter to intimidate her into dropping the case.
The other culprit—the one who delivered the letter and was nearly caught by Charlotte—was a subordinate who had helped the administrator embezzle funds and cook the school's books.
Though the case was solved, Kogoro Mouri and the others didn't leave immediately. Knowing Natsume would be coming to meet Charlotte after tying up the loose ends, Ran wanted to stay a little longer to see her. It had been a while, and this was a perfect chance to catch up properly, and to get to know Natsume's new friend, Charlotte.
Neither Kogoro nor Conan was comfortable leaving Ran alone in the city, so they stayed as well. This, in turn, left Takeuchi Koichi feeling too awkward to depart on his own, so he resigned himself to waiting with them.
The group chatted for a while longer before the distinct sound of a key turning in the lock of Charlotte's front door echoed through the apartment. A moment later, Natsume walked into the living room.
Conan's sharp eyes immediately noted that she had opened the door herself. That meant she had a key. Just how close were this reporter, Charlotte, and Natsume? To be trusted with a key to her home… Was that something ordinary friends did?
While Conan was lost in thought, Ran, Natsume, and Charlotte were already deep in animated conversation. As young women with mutual acquaintances, they found common ground with ease, their laughter filling the room.
Kogoro Mouri and Takeuchi Koichi, unable to break into the lively discussion, were left to their own devices, nursing their drinks and making idle small talk.
"Are you saying that celebrities actually live in this apartment building?" Ran asked, her curiosity piqued when Charlotte happened to mention the other residents.
"Yeah," Charlotte nodded. "The security here is excellent, and it offers a lot of privacy, so it's quite popular with public figures. I've accidentally run into several of them in the elevator."
"Really? Like who?" Ran leaned forward, intrigued.
"Let's see… there's Mina Mizuno, Jun Watanabe…" Charlotte tapped her chin, thinking back. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "Ah! I also ran into Yoko Okino!"
"Miss Yoko!"
The name was like a switch. Kogoro Mouri instantly abandoned Editor-in-Chief Takeuchi, scrambling over to Charlotte's side. "You really saw Miss Yoko here?!" he asked, his voice booming with excitement. "That's impossible! I thought she lived somewhere else. Did she move?"
Charlotte instinctively used both hands to push back against Kogoro's chest as he leaned closer and closer. "Detective Mouri, you… please calm down a little…"
"But if Miss Yoko is here, how can I—urgh!"
Before Kogoro could finish his sentence, a grim-faced Ran stepped forward and seized her father by the collar. Ignoring his choked gasps as his face turned a alarming shade of red, she dragged him unceremoniously back to his seat. Only then did she release him, turning to Charlotte with an apologetic bow. "I'm so sorry he scared you."
She completely ignored the sounds of her father behind her, who was desperately patting his chest and coughing as if he'd just survived a near-death experience.
Charlotte blinked, shaking her head. "No, it's fine."
"By the way, Charlotte," Ran continued, "you were saying you saw Miss Yoko here?" Though she was annoyed by her father's embarrassing display, she couldn't deny her own curiosity.
Hearing Ran's question, Kogoro immediately stopped his dramatic coughing, his ears pricked to catch Charlotte's answer.
Conan rolled his eyes at the detective's antics. He had absolutely no interest in celebrity gossip and, feeling a wave of boredom, decided to get up and wander around the living room.
No one paid him much mind. Ran shot him a quick, "Don't wander off," before diving back into the conversation.
He scanned the room, finding nothing particularly out of the ordinary. There were some camera parts scattered about and a pile of old newspapers on the floor—the typical clutter of a journalist. His eyes then landed on a shelf where several framed photographs were displayed.
Curiosity getting the better of him, Conan picked them up for a closer look.
Two of the photos were of Natsume and Charlotte together, smiling. A third was a solo picture of Natsume. Then his gaze fell upon the last two. They were group photos of Charlotte with two different women.
In the first, she stood beside a sweet-looking young woman with long brown hair. The woman wore a modified kimono in shades of blue-green, heavily adorned with cherry blossom motifs. And there, on her belt… was a Vision.
Conan squinted, bringing the photo closer. It was unmistakably one of the familiar glass-like orbs. This one, however, was a color he had never seen before: a vibrant green. The quality of the photograph made it difficult to make out the symbol within the gem, and even the frame it was set in was of a design completely new to him.
So, his guess was correct. Charlotte was indeed connected to other Vision holders.
His curiosity now fully ignited, Conan examined the final photograph with even greater care.
In this picture, Charlotte was posed with an elegant and poised beauty. She had long, curly blonde hair and wore a large, black top hat that framed her face. Her outfit consisted of a stylish white and black tube-top minidress, with a distinctive helm-shaped ornament at her waist and yellow bows tied around her sleeves. Hanging from her left arm was another familiar glass orb.
The color of her Vision was yellow—the same Geo element as Noelle's. The frame, however, was identical to the ones he'd seen on Lyney and Lynette. A Fontaine design.
Conan frowned, his mind racing. What did the color and the frame of a Vision truly signify? Each new one he saw only deepened the mystery.
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