Options system in my brain: Detective Conan

Just as the morning talk show ended, Conan, Mouri Ran, and the others were preparing for lunch when they suddenly saw Sera Masumi taking out her phone and placing it to her ear.

"Alright, I understand."

"I'll head over immediately."

Sera Masumi hung up the phone after a brief exchange.

She then looked at Mouri Ran and the others and said loudly, "It's Officer Nakamori. Ran-Chan, you all can go ahead and have lunch. You don't need to wait for me."

After Sera Masumi finished speaking, she turned and walked in the opposite direction.

---

When Conan heard this, he immediately realized something was wrong and quickly followed her.

"Ran-Chan, Sonoko, you both go eat. Miss Sera and I will go check this out!"

Before Mouri Ran could react, she saw Conan running off in pursuit of Sera Masumi.

---

"Honestly, why does he keep running off like that?"

Mouri Ran sighed as she watched Conan disappear down the corridor.

Conan had already left early that morning without even saying a word.

Ran had originally thought he hadn't eaten much breakfast, so she planned to treat him to a good lunch.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Conan caught wind of another case, he ran off with Sera Masumi.

---

"That boy is too stubborn. He's so disobedient at this young age—I can't imagine how much worse he'll be when he grows up."

Suzuki Sonoko placed a comforting hand on Mouri Ran's shoulder, sharing in her disappointment with Conan.

---

Meanwhile, on the other side...

Conan jogged to catch up with Sera Masumi and then asked, "What happened?"

"Officer Nakamori said the Scarlet Shadow's Heart has been found."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

"But the Scarlet Shadow's Heart was returned by a detective from the First Investigative Division."

"Huh?"

Conan was stunned.

---

"Weren't the gems temporarily being held as evidence by the First Division?"

"Apparently not," Sera Masumi replied.

---

"That's a bit strange."

Conan touched his chin thoughtfully.

"Before today's exhibit officially opened, there was already a sign outside the Scarlet Heart Collection Room clearly stating that the Scarlet Heart would be displayed tonight."

"So how can they be so sure that the Scarlet Heart will be returned this afternoon?"

---

Conan asked with doubt in his voice.

"It probably has something to do with Detective Tsukino from the First Investigative Division. He likely asked them to return the gem as soon as it was recovered," Sera Masumi speculated.

"Masayuki Tsukino is also one of the trustees of the Tsukino Foundation. It's impossible for him to flee."

---

"I considered this possibility from the beginning," Conan continued.

"Mr. Tsukino Takashi, as the next heir to the Tsukino Foundation, would certainly find a way to get the Metropolitan Police Department to return the gem promptly to avoid any negative repercussions from this incident."

"He likely used his connections to convince the police to return the gem early. That's not an issue."

"The problem is that the police could only return the gem if they caught Masaru Tsukino and retrieved it from him."

"So how could Takashi Tsukino be so confident that Masaru Tsukino would be caught so quickly?"

"After all, we only guessed the identity of the thief this time but didn't find any direct evidence."

---

Conan found it strange that Tsukino Takashi was so certain the gem would be returned that afternoon.

Sera Masumi also felt something was off as she listened to Conan.

---

"Kid, are you suggesting that this entire drug theft case was orchestrated by Tsukino Takashi from the very beginning?"

"That would be too high of a price to pay. What could his motive be?"

---

If Masaru Tsukino had been vying for both the gem and the position of heir, Sera could understand plotting to steal the gem.

But Tsukino Takashi had already been designated as the next heir.

Moreover, Masaru Tsukino had drugged him twice, leaving him unconscious for an entire day.

For Takashi to go to such lengths didn't make sense to Sera Masumi. She couldn't see how he stood to gain anything.

---

"I'm only saying it's a possibility. After all, this situation feels a little strange," Conan replied.

"Of course, it's also possible that Takashi Tsukino came up with a delay tactic because he lost the gem."

"He might just have been buying time and then spent a few hours searching the First Division to recover the gem."

---

Conan explained to Sera Masumi as they arrived at the Scarlet Shadow Heart's Collection Room.

Inside were not only Tsukino Takashi, who had just finished his interview, but also officers from both the First and Second Investigative Divisions.

---

When Conan and Sera opened the door and entered, they saw a detective holding a ruby.

Upon hearing the door open, the man immediately put on a wary expression.

However, after recognizing Sera Masumi, his vigilance quickly dissipated.

---

Most of the detectives in the First Investigative Division were familiar with Sera Masumi, and this man was no exception.

"If there's no problem with the gem, return it to the display case in the collection room," Tsukino Takashi instructed.

The detective nodded, preparing to place the gem back into the display case.

---

"Wait a moment!"

A sudden voice interrupted the detective's actions.

The voice belonged to Nakamori Ginzo.

Nakamori stepped forward, reaching out to tightly pinch the man's cheek.

After confirming it wasn't a mask, he turned to address everyone in the room.

---

"Now that the gem has been recovered, Kaitou Kid could sneak in disguised as any of us at any moment."

"Just in case, we need to confirm whether anyone here is a disguised Kaitou Kid."

---

After Nakamori Ginzo finished speaking, he looked toward Sera Masumi and Conan.

The policewoman beside him understood and approached the two to verify their identities.

Nakamori Ginzo himself walked up to Tsukino Takashi.

---

"My apologies, Mr. Tsukino."

"It's alright. Officer Nakamori just wants to be sure. It's understandable," Tsukino Takashi replied, showing no dissatisfaction with Nakamori's suspicions.

After Nakamori Ginzo pinched Tsukino Takashi's cheek, he nodded.

"No problem."

---

"Officer Nakamori, shouldn't you also confirm yourself?" the detective holding the Scarlet Heart Gem said with a smile.

"Of course," Nakamori Ginzo replied, smiling as he leaned forward to offer his face.

---

Soon, Nakamori Ginzo and the policewoman from the Second Investigative Division were also confirmed.

After ensuring there were no disguised Kaitou Kids in the collection room, the detective from the First Division carefully placed the gem onto its special holder in the center of the display case.

The case was then securely locked.

(End of the Chapter)