While waiting for the others to return, Ran Mouri and Ren Kuroda passed the time chatting over coffee.
"Seriously," Ran said, propping her chin on her hand, "what's with Shinichi? It's like—wherever he goes, someone dies! Every single time!"
Ren smirked. "That's how you know he's a real detective. If dead bodies don't start dropping the moment you show up, then you're just an amateur. Take your dad, for example—he doesn't have that kind of 'luck.' That's why he's not world famous."
Ran blinked. Then, unable to help herself, she burst into laughter, her voice light and musical. "When you put it that way… that actually makes sense!"
Ren chuckled along. "See? Science."
But before their laughter could fade, two unfamiliar men stopped beside their table.
Ren's smile vanished. He glanced up casually, sizing them up. Both were tall, rough-looking, with faces that screamed trouble.
"What can we do for you?" he asked evenly.
One of them, a bleach-blond with a smug look, barked, "You Ran Mouri? And you—Ren Kuroda?"
Ren knew right away these weren't professionals.They hadn't even confirmed identities before showing up in public. Sloppy.
"Yes, that's us," Ran admitted politely, though her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why? What's going on?"
"Come with us," growled the other man—a hulking type with dark sunglasses and a voice like gravel. "We've got some questions for you."
"Can we see your badges first?" Ren asked calmly, more out of curiosity than fear.
"No badges," the blond sneered, pulling back his jacket to flash something far more convincing. "But I've got this!"
A gun glinted at his waist.
Ren raised an eyebrow. That's it? You came swaggering in here because of one pistol?If he pulled out a shotgun right now, he wondered, what kind of face would the guy make?
Ran froze, eyes widening. She looked to Ren instinctively, silently asking: Do we fight?
It wasn't that she was reckless—just that the two thugs were idiots.Neither had drawn their weapons. They were standing close enough that Ren could disarm both before they blinked.
He weighed the idea for a moment.Sure, he could knock them out cold right here. But what would that accomplish? A little show of power, nothing more.
They'd just send another batch next time.If he wanted to end this cleanly, he'd need to trace the line back—to whoever sent them.
Which meant playing along.
Ren exhaled softly and said in a measured, uneasy tone, "Alright… we'll go with you. Just don't hurt anyone else here."
Ran immediately caught on and played along, lowering her hands slowly. The café was busy—too many bystanders to risk a scuffle.
"Smart move," the blond grunted. "Now get up."
Under their watchful gaze, Ren and Ran stood and followed the men out of the café. A black van was waiting by the curb.
"Hand over your phones," the blond ordered.
Ren obediently passed his over. Ran hesitated, then did the same.
"Now blindfolds." He tossed two over. "Put 'em on. You take them off before I say, and you're dead. Got it?"
"I… I understand," Ren said, his voice faintly trembling.
Ran glanced at him, her fear plain in her eyes. He gave her a small, reassuring smile. "It'll be alright," he murmured.
She nodded weakly.
Once the blindfolds went on, the world turned black. Ran's heart thudded in her chest. Every bump of the road made her muscles tense.
Without thinking, she clutched Ren's arm.
Ren felt the warmth of her grip through his sleeve—and almost smiled.He'd been planning to use this situation to draw out their enemies, but hey, a little accidental bridge effect wasn't exactly a loss.
Bonus points, he thought dryly.
He gently squeezed her hand in return, giving her a quiet sense of safety. Then his mind shifted gears, analyzing.Who would go to the trouble of kidnapping them?
His public identity was clean. Nothing should've led anyone to target him.Which meant the real goal here… was probably Ran.
The van rattled and turned for about twenty minutes before coming to a halt.
"Take the blindfolds off! Get out!" the blond barked.
Ren peeled his off and blinked at the sudden light. He stepped out, still holding Ran's hand.
They were standing in front of an abandoned factory—rusted walls, shattered windows, weeds poking through cracked concrete.
"Inside. Move!" the blond ordered, waving his gun.
Ren gave a meek nod, putting on his best "scared civilian" act, and led Ran forward into the shadowy warehouse.
"Call Kogoro Mouri," the blond snapped once they were inside, tossing Ran's phone back at her. He drew his gun, pointing it at her chest. "And don't try anything stupid."
So that's who they're after, Ren thought. This has nothing to do with me.
Ran's hands trembled as she dialed. "W-what do you want from us?"
The blond's lip curled. "Your old man took our money."
Ran's eyes widened. "That's impossible! My father would never do something like that!"
The man snorted. "Don't play dumb! Remember the Moonshadow Island fire? The mansion that burned down? The gold from the vault—gone without a trace!"
Ren blinked. Ah. So that's what this is about.
The thug continued, voice rising, "You and your dad were both there! Don't tell me it's a coincidence. Before that fire, that gold was in the vault. Afterward—poof! Gone! Who else could've taken it but Mouri?"
Ran's outrage flared. "We had nothing to do with that! You've got the wrong people!"
The blond sneered. "Then explain this—why'd your old man suddenly get rich afterward, huh? Gambling, nightclubs, blowing money in Ginza every night!"
Ren's expression turned subtly wry. Oh boy. Someone's made a huge mistake.
Ran shook her head furiously. "That's not true! Dad doesn't have that kind of money!"
"Really?" the thug said coldly, pulling photos from his jacket and tossing them to her. "Then how do you explain these?"
Ran picked them up—and froze. Photos of her father, drinking and laughing in expensive clubs, surrounded by hostesses and flashing neon.
"This… this can't be…" she whispered, stunned.
Ren sighed and said gently, "You're mistaken. That money came from Conan's mother—she paid Kogoro for taking care of him. It wasn't stolen."
Ran turned to him, wide-eyed. "Wait, really? I didn't know that!"
Ren blinked innocently. "He never told you?"
"Nice try," the blond interrupted with a mocking laugh. "You think I'm buying that garbage? Why would she 'suddenly' give him money now, huh? What kind of coincidence do you take me for?"
Ren scratched the back of his neck. "Fair point," he muttered. "Guess we're not talking our way out of this."
"Enough!" the thug snarled. "Call him—now!"
Ran quickly tried again, but no matter how many times she dialed, the line wouldn't connect.
"H-he's not answering," she said nervously.
The blond snatched the phone from her hand. "Doesn't matter. He'll call back. And when he does, he's bringing the gold."
He gestured toward the iron door. "Until then, you two stay right here."
He slammed the heavy door shut behind them. A loud clang echoed through the empty factory, followed by the metallic click of a lock.
Then—silence.
Through the narrow slit of the door, Ren and Ran could see their captors walking away, disappearing into the foggy dusk outside.