Five p.m.
Because it was winter, the sun was about to set and the light of dusk began to cover the world.
At this time, Maori and his group were heading to a location in the palace according to Officer Qian Xing's instructions because the national treasure, the Queen's Crown, was stolen.
"I don't know where Mr. Colin has gone to."
On the way, Xiaolan said something with some concern.
They had not met since Colin ran away in the Queen's rooms.
The father, who had been clamoring to find Mr. Colin, suddenly stopped talking after going to the bathroom. It was only after she reminded him that he resumed the investigation.
"Don't worry, Sister Xiaolan. Didn't Officer Qian Xing say to gather everyone together? We will be able to see Uncle Colin at the agreed location." Conan looked at Xiaolan, who looked a little worried, and said with a smile.
He was the one who cared the most about Colin's 'disappearance'.
Although after a period of calm reflection and inquiries to the doctor and others over the phone, he was sure that Colin was not a member of the Dark Organization and had basically no ill will towards him, he was still extremely wary of Colin.
This was understandable. After all, his background had been completely exposed. If Colin was hostile, he would not need to do anything else. He only needed to make his true identity known to the public, which would put him and everyone who knew his identity in danger.
He needed to conduct more verbal and physical tests to ensure that Colin was harmless, and be prepared to deal with various situations that might arise if something went wrong.
He was thinking about all these and had a few general ideas.
As a result, before he could find Colin to test him, the person suddenly disappeared. For a moment, he couldn't help feeling a little upset.
"That's true, Conan."
Listening to Conan's comfort, Xiaolan rubbed Conan's head and seemed to be much more relaxed.
After walking for a while, the group arrived at the location they were told was a pavilion.
"Mr. Colin is not here."
Xiaolan looked around and frowned slightly.
The pavilion is very large. Except for the wide pillar in the middle of the pavilion, the remaining space can accommodate more than a dozen people without feeling crowded.
At this time, most of the people in the palace had arrived, including Princess Mira, Earl Keith, the waiters in the palace, and some guards surrounding them, but there was no sign of Colin.
Conan and Maori also looked at her and listened to Xiaolan's words, with different reactions.
For Conan, not seeing Colin here was something he had expected. Although he was still very concerned, he was prepared to put aside the investigation of Colin for the time being. It would not be too late to continue the investigation after the truth of the queen's murder was solved.
As for Maori, no, it should be said that for Lupin III who knocked out the real Maori Kogoro in the bathroom and disguised himself as him, an X factor that had the ability to influence the outcome of this incident suddenly disappeared at this time, and he had no way to relax.
Time passed slowly as everyone had different thoughts. No one had to wait for long. Soon, Duke Girard arrived here with several guards and Officer Qianhang, who initiated the call.
"Hey! Calling everyone here this time..."
After a few pleasantries, Officer Qian Xing began to explain the reason for calling everyone over. On the other side, Conan turned over and came to the back of the pavilion. He raised the anesthetic watch with the anesthetic needle replaced in it and aimed it at Maori's neck.
It’s not too late to hear the reasons later, now he should solve the issue of the queen’s murder first. Only in this way can he concentrate on... How could it be!
The anesthetic needle did not make Mao Li fall asleep as it did in the past, but was unexpectedly dodged by him and shot at Officer Qian Xing who was narrating the story.
After being stunned for a moment and looking at Officer Qian Xing sitting unconscious in the pavilion, Conan adjusted the voice of the Butterfly Voice Changer and prepared to bite the bullet and use Officer Qian Xing as a cover this time.
"What's wrong with you?"
In the pavilion, a sturdy man who served as the captain of the Wang family's security team looked at Officer Qian Xing, who was speaking, and suddenly sat on the ground, staggering, and asked with some vigilance.
"...Nothing, what I mean is that the murderer who killed the queen and the prince, and wanted to kill Princess Mira, is among you..."
The topic suddenly changed from Lupin the Third's theft of the national treasure to the queen's murder case.
The scene was slightly chaotic, and several maids who knew about the situation and Count Keith looked over in surprise.
"What's going on, Dad?" Xiaolan asked Maori in surprise.
"Ah! This~~" Mori, who was disguised as Lupin the Third, hesitated and couldn't answer. Although he had roughly investigated Mori and his group, the time was too short after all. He still had a rough understanding of it, but he was not clear about the more specific details.
"Is he the one being investigated?"
"No, it should be Miss Lan's father and that young man."
There were also whispers coming from the maids.
Conan, who was listening, grinned and continued, "Everything started with that shotgun..."
"Ah, why do I feel so sleepy all of a sudden..."
Qian Xing, who was unconscious after being injected with an anesthetic, suddenly stretched and muttered.
Conan, who was hiding behind the pavilion, was startled when he heard the sound and looked over in disbelief.
The dose of anesthetic on the anesthetic needle is enough to make an elephant sleep for thirty minutes, but he woke up so quickly. Is this guy really a human being
No, now is not the time to think about this. The anesthesia has worn off. What should I do next
"Ahem! Uncle, no, Officer Qian Xing was right. It wasn't an accident, but a murder disguised as an accident!"
While everyone was stunned, Lupin III, disguised as Mouri Kogoro, coughed twice, stepped forward and said.
Conan was slightly stunned, and when he looked over, he saw that Maori was holding a special camera in his hand behind his back.
And this is possessed by the monkey-faced thief that he met while investigating outside with Jigen. He disguised himself as Uncle Maori at this time, so he is the great thief Lupin the Third
The slightly surprised look met Lupin the Third's eyes for a moment, and the next second, the two began to cooperate with tacit understanding.
…
In the pavilion, Conan and Lupin the Third's reasoning show continues.
On a bridge not too far from the pavilion, Colin, who had been hiding, took a step forward as he looked at the palace guards who had been knocked unconscious and piled up like a mountain of flesh.
The leather shoes made a light tapping sound as they landed on the concrete floor.
Jigen Daisuke and Goemon, who had just cleared out the guards, turned their heads at the same time, one took out a gun, and the other put his hand on the hilt of a knife.
Colin raised his head slightly, looked at the two people who overreacted, and laughed heartily.
The New Year is here, and there are many things going on at home and outside. As usual, there is only one chapter today. I will resume normal updates when things have calmed down.
Also, because everyone doesn't like this part, I omitted a lot of plots, and some places inevitably seem a bit rushed. I tried my best to explain everything clearly so that people can understand it.
(End of this chapter)