Options system in my brain: Detective Conan

Sera Masumi silently observed the exchange of questions and answers between Tsukino Takashi and the police officer interrogating him.

She had already learned from Nakamori Ginzo that the gems Tsukino Takashi placed in the display case earlier were genuine.

Then Tsukino Takashi deleted the video footage from that afternoon.

In addition to not wanting others to discover that he had been hiding in his private lounge,

Perhaps it was to communicate with the detective from the First Investigation Section who had obtained the genuine Scarlet Shadow's Heart.

After Tsukino Takashi denied that the gem people had fought over that afternoon was fake,

He began denying once again any connection between the explosion and himself.

"I know there was an explosion inside the venue, but I don't know what happened!"

However,

How could Sera Masumi and the police believe his story so easily?

Megure Juzo then ordered the police to search the private lounge where Tsukino Takashi had been.

At that moment, an officer returned with a security guard.

He informed Megure Juzo:

"This is the security guard from the scene. He said he saw Kaitou Kid flying from the roof."

"Hasn't some time passed since then?"

Megure Juzo was puzzled.

He already knew that after Kaitou Kid's identity was first exposed, he had cut the glass with a diamond knife and escaped through the roof of Arena B.

"No, he said he saw him not long ago—about ten minutes ago."

Upon hearing this, Sera Masumi and the officers on the scene quickly looked up at the venue's ceiling.

Indeed,

In addition to the piece of glass that Kaitou Kid had cut with a diamond knife, there was also a hole in the roof.

Sera Masumi already knew that Kaitou Kid had personally entered the control room, so it wasn't surprising that he had found an opportunity to escape.

What truly caught Sera Masumi's attention were the next words spoken by the security guard:

"And I saw Kaitou Kid holding a gem in his hand when he broke the glass and left."

"That gem looked very similar to the Scarlet Shadow's Heart."

"Hmm? Kaitou Kid got the gem?!"

Sera Masumi's first reaction was that it was impossible.

The fake gem had been handed over to Conan himself, and Conan had passed it on to Toru Amuro.

All of this took place in Arena C.

How could Kaitou Kid have obtained the gem, then broken the glass ceiling of Arena B, and escaped?

However, these doubts didn't linger long in Sera Masumi's mind.

She quickly deduced a possibility.

Perhaps Kaitou Kid had stolen the genuine Scarlet Shadow's Heart from Tsukino Takashi.

Sera Masumi quickly noticed Tsukino Takashi's reaction.

She saw his pupils constrict, beads of sweat forming on his face, and an expression filled with disbelief.

"Mr. Tsukino, are you absolutely certain that the gem people fought over this afternoon was genuine?"

"Now, someone claims to have seen Kaitou Kid leave with the Scarlet Shadow's Heart."

This time, after Sera Masumi finished speaking, Tsukino Takashi did not immediately refute her.

Sweat continued to pour down his face, and his expression grew increasingly anxious.

Sera Masumi, who knew the truth, naturally noticed Tsukino Takashi's inner turmoil.

She leaned closer to Tsukino Takashi and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear:

"Mr. Tsukino, haven't you realized that Kaitou Kid stole the real gem?"

"We already know the gems placed in the display case this afternoon were fake."

"And you should have handed the real one to the detective from the First Investigation Section who put the gems in the case at noon."

Every word Sera Masumi spoke hit straight at Tsukino Takashi's heart.

The shock in his eyes as he looked at Sera Masumi was beyond words.

Tsukino Takashi couldn't understand how Sera Masumi knew these secrets.

But after hearing her words, he began to lose confidence.

Previously, he had believed that Kaitou Kid would not take any action if he wanted the real gem.

But because he had no memory after fainting,

Tsukino Takashi didn't know whether Kaitou Kid had stolen the Scarlet Shadow's Heart from his private lounge.

After waking up a moment ago, all he could think of was quickly denying the transmission that Kaitou Kid had exposed.

But there had been no time to double-check if his Scarlet Shadow's Heart had been stolen.

Sera Masumi silently watched Tsukino Takashi caught in his inner conflict.

Seeing him struggle between insisting the fake gems were genuine and worrying whether his gem had been stolen, she noted his growing anxiety.

After a few minutes,

As if making a significant decision, Tsukino Takashi spoke weakly:

"In my private lounge, there's a painting hanging on the wall."

"Behind the painting is a safe that requires a passcode to open."

"And the passcode to the safe is..."

Tsukino Takashi finally decided to reveal the location of the real Scarlet Shadow's Heart.

What he did amounted to indirectly admitting the truth of Kaitou Kid's broadcast.

Sera Masumi, accompanied by several officers and Tsukino Takashi, headed to his private lounge.

The police followed Takashi's instructions, removing the painting from the wall.

Behind it, they saw a safe.

The police entered the passcode as provided by Tsukino Takashi. After completing the input, they heard a "click" as the safe opened.

Tsukino Takashi immediately looked inside.

The next moment, his sweat-drenched cheeks turned pale.

The small box that contained the Scarlet Shadow's Heart was missing.

It was as if all of Tsukino Takashi's strength had been drained in an instant. His legs gave way, and he collapsed.

Fortunately, a nearby detective reacted quickly, catching him before he hit the ground.

However, by then, Tsukino Takashi was like a lifeless doll, his legs too weak to support him.

While many were confused by Tsukino Takashi's reaction,

Sera Masumi explained to the baffled Megure Juzo and the other officers present:

"Mr. Tsukino conspired with the detective from the First Investigation Section at noon, asking him to replace the real gem with the fake one in the safe."

"The genuine Scarlet Shadow's Heart was stored in this safe."

"But now the safe is empty, and Kaitou Kid has stolen the real Scarlet Shadow's Heart."

(End of Chapter)