Phantom Thief of Heart!but conan

Chapter 1111 Death
When Judy walked out of the Metropolitan Police Department, her expression was relatively calm.

She looked at the young man standing beside her car, looking at his watch, and finally a trace of powerless pain appeared between her eyebrows.

The Tokyo police told her the results of the fingerprint comparison -

The fingerprints collected from the coffee can matched the only remaining fingerprint on the right hand of the corpse that could be used for fingerprint comparison.

Not only the fingertips, but also the palm prints that can be separated on the can are consistent.

Is this true? Is it really that serious?

She was unwilling to accept this reality, and now, it seemed that the only thing that could give her a reassuring answer was the one in front of her...

At this moment, Tang Ze turned around and gave Judy a humble and gentle smile that belonged to Goro Akechi.

"Ms. Judy. How's the investigation going? Is he the person you were looking for?"

As soon as the other party's name came out of her mouth, the pain on Judy's face froze immediately.

Tang Ze didn't behave like this when he accompanied her to the police station and introduced her to the police officers from the Investigation Division.

The sudden use of honorifics could only mean that something had happened that made him unable to easily reveal their relationship...

"...You misunderstood, Detective. I'm not looking for him. I'm just here to assist with the investigation." To avoid being noticed, Judy lowered her eyelids, hiding her cold gaze. "It now appears, unfortunately, that gentleman has indeed been murdered."

"Is that so? What a shame. Seeing how enthusiastic and concerned you were, I thought he was someone you knew." Tang Ze curled his eyes, as if he was genuinely being polite and concerned about the lady. "However, you also provided the police with clues about him, which helped the investigation. It's not a bad thing."

"You're right. Thank you anyway. I'm a complete stranger here, and this is the first time I've encountered something like this. I don't know how to handle it, and I'm sorry to have caused you any trouble..."

Judy lowered her head to express her gratitude while keeping an eye on her surroundings out of the corner of her eyes, secretly on guard.

Who is it? Who did Tang Ze bump into that made him change his address and pretend to be a stranger?

What was it that he couldn't easily reveal? Was it simply a matter of his identity? Or was it related to Shuichi's situation...

Tang Ze, who accepted her greeting, waited until she stood up again before humbly waving his hand. "It's just a small favor, you're very polite. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

This is a polite way of saying you need to leave.

Judy stared into Tang Ze's amber eyes, which were partially covered by his eyelids, and nodded slowly.

It seems that if I want to directly ask him whether he knows about Shuichi's situation, I need to find another time to communicate with him.

There were only a few people at the scene. After waking up, Conan said that he lost consciousness after falling off the embankment. Camille thought that there might have been an accident.

The only person who could confirm what happened was Rena Mizunashi, who was personally involved in the plan.

Even if she simply wanted to contact Rena Mizunashi who had returned to the organization, the only person she could trust and rely on now was still Karasawa.

As if completing the necessary greetings, Tang Ze nodded politely at her, picked up his suitcase, and walked out of the Metropolitan Police Department gate.

Only after watching his back completely disappear around the corner did Judy walk towards her car, open the driver's seat, and sit in it.

Her mind was still replaying the scene of Takagi Wataru explaining the situation to her word by word, sometimes mixed with the chaotic explosion scene and the scene of Camille bringing back the unconscious Conan.

And, before Akai Shuichi left, that was just a calm look, like the one you see every day when you meet...

"In that case, the body is really Akai's?"

Hearing the sound coming from the back seat of the car, Judy suddenly came to her senses and turned her head to look at James sitting in the back seat.

Judy saw his serious expression and shook her head silently, not directly answering his question.

However, James had already figured out the answer from her gloomy expression and sighed slowly.

"No matter why things have developed to this point, at this point, Mizunashi Rena can't be blamed entirely. In that situation, even if she wasn't absolutely sure, if she didn't take action, she would be the one who would die at gunpoint."

With Gin by his side, there are also other members of the organization in Gin's communication.

These people surrounded the FBI vehicle, and Rena Mizunashi had no chance to communicate with them.

In such a situation, the fact that Rena Mizunoshi was able to save Kamal's life was a testament to her superb acting skills and ability.

"Furthermore, during the prior negotiations, she also stated that she had her own position. Even if we were willing to help her family, she would not stand 100% with the FBI. At that time, she made the right choice by putting herself first and preserving her strength."

James said this, not knowing whether he was trying to persuade Judy or comfort himself.

Judy turned her head back and didn't respond to his words.

Following James's verdict-like words, her emotions fluctuated slightly for a moment, but she quickly recovered.

When facing the organization, the FBI, we are not completely without confidence now.

They have another alternative, that is Tang Ze.

Karasawa, who once had close contacts with Shuichi Akai and even had a blood relationship with him, is definitely more trustworthy and valuable than Rena Mizunashi.

Including the line of Rena Mizunashi itself, it was Tang Ze who set up the bridge for them after he found out the situation.

But when it comes to Tang Ze's identity, she needs to be wary of more than just the organization.

Until his death, Shuichi Akai never handed over all the information related to Karasawa and Shirley to the FBI, which was enough to show his concerns.

Karasawa has good abilities, and both Akechi Goro and Kumail are extremely valuable identities.

As a child of the Tangze family, Tangze himself has been given a meaning beyond the surname itself.

If all these things are combined together, it is difficult to guarantee that the FBI, which is not a monolithic entity, can cooperate with Shuichi Akai as fully as he does without any grudges.

So, who was Tang Ze guarding against just now?

Did she encounter someone from the organization at the Metropolitan Police Department, or was she on guard against James's inquiries...? Judy, lost in thought, simply lowered her head further, letting her short blonde hair fall down, obscuring the cold glint in her eyes behind her glasses.

No matter what, she didn't believe that Shuichi Akai was someone who would be easily defeated.

Even if Rena Mizunashi really made a mistake in the execution, Shuichi Akai would not sit idly by and wait for death.

His departure might be because something really went wrong within the FBI, or he might have more concerns, so many that he couldn't even explain them to her easily and needed to prevent any possibility of leaks.

Either he is truly dead, or he has become a more "deeper" identity than the one he was six years ago...

Before finding out what happened to Shuichi Akai, she had to guard everything that needed to be protected for him.

James in the back seat was still discussing the significance of Shuichi Akai's death.

"But this will drive a wedge into the organization. An unbreakable steel wedge that will never fall out. From now on, no one will doubt Mizunashi Rena's identity."

"Snapped!"

Judy raised her hands and gripped the steering wheel, stopping him from continuing.

"I understand. I understand all of this. I also understand that Shuichi must have been fully prepared to take such a risk." Judy lowered her head, trembling, and slowly rested her forehead on the steering wheel. "But this price, this price is... too painful... Shuichi, Shuichi..."

She no longer suppressed her emotions, tears continued to roll down her cheeks, and her sobs gradually became louder and turned into sobbing cries.

Outside the Metropolitan Police Department, a black car drove past.

Sitting in the back row, Vermouth, who was slowly putting on makeup in front of the mirror, seemed to sense something and turned her head in that direction.

Due to the long distance, green belts and flower beds, it is actually impossible to see the scene over there clearly. Only through a little light shining through the windshield can one see a blond head, buried weakly in the steering wheel.

Having guessed something, Vermouth smiled and looked at the mirror again. She pursed her lips, blurring the clear outer lip line a little, as if the deep blood red was extending from the skin and the corners of the lips.

"Do you also think Akai Shuichi is dead?" Looking at the person in the driver's seat, Vermouth asked lazily
After completing the day's mission, Vermouth handed Rena Mizunashi over to Gin. Without a target, she naturally had some free time.

When she heard that Gin was going to leave the finishing work to Kumail, she felt a little gloating, so she followed him and let Kumail be her driver.

"He's dead," Tang Ze said calmly in a flat voice. "Regardless of anything else, even if he couldn't beat Akai Shuichi physically and was captured by him, Kiel's marksmanship is still decent. In that case, he would be a useless person if he survived."

"Have they got the results of the fingerprint verification?" Vermouth raised her eyebrows.

She asked this very politely, but deep down, she had other thoughts about Kumail's so-called investigation conclusions.

It's not surprising that Kumail approached Jodie and used her need for help to find out about Shuichi Akai's fate, but it's strange that he didn't mention "cool guy" at all.

Gin may not know this, but she knows it very well because her mission is to track Shuichi Akai's vehicle and she has discovered some clues.

There is a major flaw at the scene of Shuichi Akai's death: Gin did not find any trace of Cool Guy.

Either the cool guy really wasn't involved, or that kid has some deeper plan.

She believed that Kumail must have realized something, but perhaps for similar purposes as hers, he remained silent.

"Well, they are determined to be the same. I guess they compared it with some daily necessities that Shuichi Akai usually uses. I think Gin finally doesn't have to use this excuse to cause trouble again and again." Tang Ze rolled his eyes without any concealment.

"I see." Vermouth nodded, slowly put the lipstick away, and closed the mirror. "What about Curacao? Have you checked it too?"

"Not yet." Tang Ze, who had personally transported Curacao away, lied with his eyes open. "I don't think he'll survive, but as long as his body isn't found like Akai Shuichi, then everything is still possible."

"Oh? You think highly of her. I remember you didn't know Curacao." Vermouth tilted her head.

"I don't know her, but I think since she was thrown out by Rum to carry out such a crucial mission, she can't be a mediocre person. We still have to have some 'confidence' in her."

The words he used were very friendly, but just by listening to his description, Vermouth could sense an unconcealable murderous intent.

Thinking of Kumail's performance in the mission regarding Pramya, Vermouth curled the corners of her mouth.

How Kumail judges the organization now is not so easy to see as he grows older and becomes more sophisticated.

But he had sensed a threat from Rum and had entered another state. Curacao, Rum's loyal confidant, was naturally classified by him as someone who needed to be guarded against and vigilant, and who should be killed if possible.

This fighting spirit may be one of the reasons why Kumail can do what none of them can do.

"Then I'll cheer you on, accomplice. I don't like that woman very much either." Knowing that the cautious Kumail must have paid attention to the surrounding equipment, Vermouth did not embellish her words.

"Have you had any conflict with her?" Tang Ze glanced at the rearview mirror.

In the night, Vermouth's fluffy curly blonde hair was spread out on the back seat. With the light from the street lamp shining into the car, only her upturned blood-red lips could be seen.

“I almost, I almost executed her.” Vermouth clasped her hands on her knees. “What a pity.”

"Is the hatred between you two so great?"

"No, it's not a matter of hatred. I only needed one look at her and I knew that if I couldn't find a reason to kill her at that time, she would just be a pawn and puppet even more pathetic than me. I wanted to kill her almost immediately." Vermouth smiled.

"It's better to die in ignorance than to fall into a miserable situation?" Tang Ze asked speculatively.

“Just think of me as being hypocritical.” Vermouth did not deny it. “That golden, platinum hair, and those eyes, that expression…”

"I didn't know that the so-called experimental subjects had this kind of perception." Tang Ze told the truth.

The special thing about Teru Hoshikawa is that after he got to know them, he asked and realized it himself, about Vermouth and Curacao. This was entirely from the information of Chaoyou. He judged from the beginning that they were not ordinary people.

But how did Vermouth discover it...

"I recognized Akai Shuichi the same way the Karazawas fell in love with her. Curacao is a perfect 'carrier'. It would have been great if she hadn't fallen into Rum's hands."

Sitting in the back seat of the car, Vermouth let out a long sigh, not sure whether it was out of emotion or malice.

(End of this chapter)