Chapter 152: An Inconspicuous Secret
"So, it seems this has nothing to do with Miss Mizunashi's stalker after all. The trail's gone cold." Charlotte's shoulders slumped in a flicker of disappointment, but before anyone could offer a word of comfort, her expression brightened, her journalistic spirit reigniting.
"But I never expected it to lead to the wonderful romance between those two police officers! Hmm, I absolutely have to document this. It'll be a perfect memento for their wedding someday."
With that declaration, under the stunned gazes of the others and before a flustered Editor-in-Chief Takeuchi could even think to stop her, she deftly lifted the hem of her skirt. Strapped to her thigh was a small white pouch, from which she produced a compact camera. Click. She snapped a crisp photo of the three characters etched onto the glass.
"Natsume, you know those two officers, don't you?" Charlotte said, lowering her skirt as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred. "When they finally tie the knot, I'll give this photo to you. You can pass it along for me."
"Oh, sure." Natsume's expression remained perfectly composed, a stark contrast to the others' shock. To her, Charlotte's eccentric methods were just part of her charm. She nodded and added, "However, I think you'll be waiting a while. It'll be a long time before that gift can be delivered."
Editor-in-Chief Takeuchi pressed a hand to his forehead, a headache clearly blooming behind his eyes. "...Charlotte, haven't I told you not to lift your skirt so casually? And why did you strap the camera to your thigh again?"
"...Yeah, why would you hide a camera on your leg?" Kogoro Mouri echoed, searching for the right words. Charlotte's movement had been so swift that he hadn't fully processed it, though he'd thankfully managed to avert his gaze just in time.
"It's for concealment," Charlotte explained matter-of-factly. "Sometimes I need to hide my identity to get a shot in certain places, so naturally, I have to find an inconspicuous spot for my camera. You'll get used to it." She then turned to her worried editor-in-chief, offering a reassuring smile. "Besides, I'm wearing safety shorts underneath. Don't worry, there won't be any exposure."
"That's not what I'm worried about... Never mind." Takeuchi gave up, seeing the utter lack of comprehension on Charlotte's face.
Noticing out of the corner of his eye that Charlotte had already lowered her skirt, Kogoro Mouri sheepishly turned his head back, only to find Conan staring intently at the journalist's leg. The detective's protective instincts flared, and his fist shot out.
"You brat, don't you know not to look at things you shouldn't? What are you staring at at such a young age?!"
"Ah! That hurts!"
Conan, who had been lost in thought while studying the spot where the camera had been, was caught completely off guard by the blow and cried out in pain. He glanced up to see the disapproving looks from both Ran and Natsume and scrambled to defend himself.
"It's not what you think! I just thought Sister Charlotte's camera bag looked pretty, that's why..."
He wasn't lying. When Charlotte had first lifted her skirt, Conan's immediate instinct had been to look away, but he'd been a fraction of a second too slow. In that fleeting moment, he had seen the bag. Though her movements were quick and he'd only caught a glimpse, he was certain of what he saw: the bead decorating the pouch was a Vision. It was a distinct, ice-blue gem—the exact same color as the one that belonged to that man, Kaeya. As for the Vision's frame, the moment had been too brief for him to make it out clearly.
This confirmed his initial guess. This journalist, Charlotte, also possessed a Vision and was connected to that mysterious organization. And by extension, Natsume was deeply involved with them...
"It better be," Kogoro Mouri grumbled, curling his lip at Conan's excuse.
After that brief interlude, the group's attention returned to the case at hand.
"Tomorrow is the Saturday in question," Mizunashi Rena said later, back in her apartment. She sat on the sofa, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.
Kogoro sighed. "It seems the only way now is to wait until tomorrow morning and catch the perpetrator in the act, just like Natsume did before."
At the mention of his previous case, Kogoro suddenly stood up, striking a confident pose. "Please, allow us to stay the night. I, Kogoro Mouri, will personally see to it that this lawbreaker is caught, Miss Mizunashi!"
Seeing his beaming, self-assured smile, the others seated on the sofa simply exchanged glances. For a long moment, silence filled the room.
In the end, Mizunashi Rena agreed to let Kogoro, Ran, and Conan stay at her home.
Natsume, meanwhile, went upstairs to rest in Charlotte's apartment. Since the threatening letter incident had been resolved, Takeuchi Koichi concluded that Charlotte was no longer in any immediate danger. Citing work he had to attend to at the newspaper office, he took his leave.
Conan had secretly wanted to stay with Charlotte as well; it was a rare chance to investigate a member of that mysterious organization. However, his curiosity about the current case won out, and he could only give up the opportunity with a pang of regret.
Night fell over Charlotte's apartment.
"Yawn... So much happened today. It's finally over, for now." Charlotte stretched her arms high above her head, a hint of excitement in her voice despite her fatigue. "All that's left is to catch that culprit tomorrow. Traveler, let's wake up early and go downstairs to see who this person is—someone who dares to ring the doorbell of an organization's undercover agent and has managed to get away with it."
"Sure," Natsume replied, toweling her damp hair dry after a shower. "I'm done. The bathroom's free, Charlotte."
As Charlotte gathered her clothes and headed for her shower, Natsume glanced at the time on her phone. After a moment of consideration, she decided it was time to update a certain missing person on the day's events.
After all, the current situation seemed to be leading directly into the event where Kir would officially make her appearance in the main plot. Natsume recalled that Kir was supposed to carry out an assassination, but with Conan involved, that plan was obviously doomed to fail.
, the FBI was now monitoring Kir. Natsume wasn't sure if the Black Organization was aware of that fact. In any case, it was best to inform her brother about these developments so he could be prepared.
'I really am such a considerate younger sister,' she thought with a wry, internal smile.
Meanwhile, at a simulation training ground owned by the Black Organization, two of its members were honing their skills.
Korn and Chianti stood at their respective stations, conducting sniper training with advanced simulation equipment. They had started at 500 yards and were now increasing the distance in 50-yard increments, competing to see who could achieve the longest effective range.
Partway through their session, the doors slid open and Gin walked in, Vodka trailing behind him. They came to a stop beside Cointreau, who had arrived sometime before them.
"Since when were you interested in others' sniper scores?" Gin asked, his voice a low drawl. He eyed the disguised figure beside him, a frown creasing his brow. "And why have you been using disguises so often lately?"
"It's nothing," Cointreau replied smoothly. "I figured I should occasionally care about the abilities of our fellow members. That way, if we ever act together, I'll have a better grasp of the situation. As for this disguise..."
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