Chapter 123: Death's Patrol
Before Sherry could finish speaking, Natsukawa had already hung up the phone.
It was fine for the sisters to check on each other's safety, but letting them talk too much would be problematic.
He didn't want the plot to deviate drastically from its course.
Right now, he was the one in control, overseeing the entire situation and offering his input. But if the plot changed too much, he'd lose that advantage and end up reacting instead of acting. He needed to maintain his priorities.
As for whether or not to protect Miyano Akemi's life—that would depend on how things developed.
If possible, he wouldn't mind saving her. But if taking action would expose him, he'd choose to stay out of it.
This wasn't callousness, just self-preservation.
Miyano Akemi glared at Natsukawa, clearly dissatisfied with how short the call had been.
"Focus on your own business. Whether you can talk to your sister again depends on your performance."
Tequila's smile had a sinister edge that made Miyano Akemi uneasy, but she had no choice except to comply.
"How's the plan progressing? When can it be officially implemented?"
Natsukawa finally got to the point, asking about the specifics of the one billion yen heist.
Miyano Akemi was in charge of this operation, handling all the arrangements herself, so there wasn't much documented information.
"Soon. But I urgently need manpower. It's unrealistic for me to rob a bank alone—I need a few peripheral members to help."
Natsukawa nodded. "I'll handle the personnel, but we need to speed things up. I'm only giving you one month. If the plan hasn't been implemented by then and I haven't seen the money, you can start packing your things."
"Pack my things? You're letting me go?"
Miyano Akemi's face lit up with excitement. That would be wonderful!
"Go? You wish. If the mission fails, you can pack your bags and go visit your parents."
Miyano Akemi's smile froze, and she nodded somewhat stiffly.
Of course—there wasn't a single decent person in this Organization! Except for her sister.
After his meeting with Miyano Akemi, Natsukawa had planned to visit White Dove Pharmaceuticals the next day to see Sherry before she transformed into a child. However, Kogoro Mori's unexpected arrival made him temporarily abandon that idea.
Kogoro Mori's face was beaming, and his smug smile immediately gave Natsukawa a whiff of an incoming case.
Sure enough, as soon as the man spoke, Natsukawa's suspicions were confirmed.
"Natsukawa, I heard from Anya the other day that you were planning to go to Mount Yamazumi to see the cherry blossoms?"
Kogoro Mori went straight to the point. "Tomorrow and the day after are my days off, and Ran's been pestering me to go see the cherry blossoms. How about we all go to Mount Yamazumi together?"
Ever since Natsukawa had moved to the neighborhood, Kogoro Mori felt like his income had skyrocketed. Not to mention the Shikishima incident—just the recent case involving the Hiramoto Group alone had earned him a fortune.
The car gifted by Natsue Hiramoto made him look incredibly prestigious wherever he went, and because of the Hiramoto family's case, many wealthy clients were now seeking his services. His recent income had surged dramatically.
And what do you do with money? Spend it, of course!
Simply drinking at home was no longer enough for Kogoro Mori. With his newfound wealth, he began seeking out more experiences.
Just a few days ago, Anya had mentioned that Natsukawa planned to see the cherry blossoms at Mount Yamazumi, and the idea immediately appealed to him.
After quickly wrapping up his current case, he'd rushed straight to Natsukawa's house to discuss the cherry blossom viewing.
Natsukawa raised an eyebrow, looking somewhat concerned.
With the Grim Reaper on patrol, the probability of encountering a case was practically 100%!
However, Uncle Mori was so enthusiastic that refusing would be difficult, and with Anya bouncing excitedly beside him, Natsukawa thought for a moment and agreed.
It just so happened he was nearly finished with his plans with Yor for today, and relaxing among the cherry blossoms tomorrow seemed pleasant enough.
The two briefly discussed the route, and Kogoro Mori left in high spirits.
Apparently, he was going out to buy groceries—tomorrow he'd bring gourmet food and fine wine to Mount Yamazumi to enjoy a wonderful time.
"Papa, how about we go see the cherry blossoms tomorrow and go to the hot springs the day after?"
Anya obviously remembered that her father still owed her a hot spring trip and took this opportunity to remind him.
"We'll see. If we're lucky, sure. But if we're unlucky, it's hard to say."
This was a conservative statement meant to avoid dampening Anya's enthusiasm.
With the Grim Reaper on patrol, there was no way things wouldn't go wrong.
Natsukawa suddenly asked, "By the way, Anya, why hasn't Conan been walking to school with you lately?"
He remembered the two of them used to go together, but for the past several days, Bond had been accompanying Anya to school instead.
He hadn't seen Conan in days and honestly missed the kid a bit.
"Conan, he..."
Should I tell Papa that Conan's reputation at Teitan Elementary is completely ruined, so he has to sneak around now and even needs to be completely covered up just to go to school?
"Conan wants some peace and quiet lately, so he won't be walking with me."
Anya considered for a moment but then abandoned the idea. Conan had already suffered enough with his destroyed reputation these past few days—she didn't want to make things worse.
Even though Conan's current predicament was entirely her fault, she'd had a change of heart.
These past few days, she couldn't hear Conan's thoughts at all—his mind was completely blank, making her worry that her telepathy had malfunctioned again.
If it weren't for the fact that she could still hear the thoughts of the other Detective Boys members, she might have become as withdrawn as Conan.
The next morning.
A Mercedes and a GT-R carrying both families departed Tokyo.
Inspector Megure, upon hearing that Detective Yor was going on a trip with the Mori family, breathed a huge sigh of relief, yanked out his IV drip, and instantly became fully revitalized.
Finally! Is the Grim Reaper taking a break?
April's rainy season brought humid air—the perfect time to view cherry blossoms. Standing on the hillside and turning left or right revealed an ocean of pink blossoms. These cherry trees, clustered in small groves, swayed their delicate branches in the spring breeze, dancing gracefully.
Not far away, a winding stream flowed past, its clear water like a mirror reflecting the white clouds and cherry blossoms on its surface.
"Conan, look! There's a cliff over there—it's so high!"
Anya exclaimed excitedly. The beautiful scenery and cool breeze made her feel exceptionally comfortable, her cheeks flushed as if touched with blush.
Conan turned his deadpan gaze toward her, hesitated for a few seconds, then walked to Anya's side.
This annoying brat had caused him considerable trouble these past few days, but he was a seventeen-year-old high school detective. Reason—and the decade of maturity he supposedly had over her—told him not to get angry. Don't get angry. Anger is the enemy.
"It really is very high."
Conan nodded sincerely, then leaned against the railing, craning his neck to look down at the view below the cliff.
At the end of the stream was this precipice, where the cascading water formed a waterfall, splashing countless droplets into the air.
"Be careful—there's a lot of mist here, and the ground is covered in moss. Watch your step so you don't slip."
Natsukawa stood with Yor beneath a cherry blossom tree, enjoying this rare moment of tranquility.
[End of Chapter 123]
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