ALL NOVEL Chapter 252: Chapter 252: Opportunity
When Nakamori Ginzo heard what the staff member said, he placed a hand on his forehead and suppressed the anger rising in his heart.
The three key exhibits—Yuehua Mingming, Scarlet Shadow Heart, and Dreamweaver—were the focal points of this exhibition.
Yet, the Tsukino Consortium had only provided the highest level of security for the Scarlet Shadow Heart.
With such lax security, Nakamori couldn't understand how Tsukino Takashi could confidently declare that there wouldn't be any issues this time.
However, Kaitou Kid had set his sights on Yuehua instead of the Scarlet Shadow Heart.
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"Since the necklace was discovered missing in the afternoon, that means it was still in the collection room in the morning, correct?" Nakamori Ginzo asked.
"That's correct," the staff member replied.
"The collection rooms for Yuehua, Scarlet Heart, and Dreamweaver limit visitor numbers and are temporarily closed for one hour at noon.
When the collection room reopened in the afternoon, visitors discovered that the necklace was missing."
The staff explained the situation sincerely to Nakamori Ginzo.
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"As staff responsible for the site, you didn't immediately notice that the necklace was missing? You only realized it after the tourists pointed it out?"
Nakamori Ginzo felt like he had just heard the most absurd thing, but at that moment, he no longer had the energy to get angry.
It felt as though a heavy emotion was building up in his chest, an indescribable sense of frustration.
He desperately wanted to shout, Why did the Tsukino Consortium even hire you? To sit here and eat?
But he held himself back.
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"The area inside the collection room isn't large. If Kaitou Kid had tried to steal the necklace while visitors were present, someone would have noticed instantly.
So, Kaitou Kid must have stolen Yuehua when the collection room was closed at noon."
The more Nakamori Ginzo thought about it, the more despair consumed him.
"This wasn't even a confrontation. Kaitou Kid just sent a vague notice and fooled everyone!"
Nakamori Ginzo was so furious that he felt slightly dizzy.
But despite this, he decided to follow standard procedure.
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He turned to one of the subordinate officers standing beside him.
"Go and check the surveillance footage from when the collection room was closed at noon. See if you can pinpoint the exact time the necklace was stolen.
If it wasn't stolen long ago, we might still have a chance."
Even as he said this, Nakamori Ginzo held little hope in his heart.
If Kid had already escaped, catching him would be nearly impossible.
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The time between when the necklace was stolen and when the room reopened in the afternoon was more than enough for Kaitou Kid to get tens of kilometers away.
Once Kaitou Kid was outside, capturing him would be next to impossible.
Trying to locate Kaitou Kid, who was a master of disguise, among so many tourists was like finding a needle in a haystack.
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The officers left to carry out Nakamori's orders, while he led another group to investigate the scene, hoping to find any clues Kaitou Kid might have left when stealing the necklace.
Up to now, they didn't even know Kid's identity, age, gender, or any other critical information.
Nakamori Ginzo didn't expect this time to be any different. He didn't believe he'd get lucky enough to uncover anything that would reveal Kaitou Kid's true identity.
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Soon, Nakamori Ginzo received a report from the officer reviewing the surveillance footage.
"Inspector Nakamori, I saw someone enter the collection room at 12:32 PM."
"That person entered without hesitation.
It took them less than two minutes to unlock the display case and take the necklace."
The officer's voice was steady.
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"So, what were they wearing at the time?" Nakamori asked.
"Just ordinary casual clothes—a white shirt and black pants."
"Did they show their face?"
"Yes, it was exposed. They looked to be in their thirties."
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Hearing that the suspect wasn't masked, Nakamori Ginzo's hopes sank.
Some thieves with excellent lock-picking skills might sneak in while a collection room was closed.
But among all the criminals Nakamori knew, only Kaitou Kid had such exceptional disguising abilities.
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If it had been any other thief, they would have gone out of their way to cover their face and body while stealing something so valuable.
Since the officer said the individual was dressed casually and didn't conceal their face, it was almost certain that this person was Kaitou Kid in disguise.
"Check the surveillance footage thoroughly and see if you can find any other clues about the thief who took the Yuehua necklace."
"Understood!"
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Nakamori Ginzo gave the order, and the officers immediately began working.
Although it was almost certain that Kaitou Kid had stolen Yuehua, the chance of recovering the necklace was slim.
Nonetheless, Nakamori Ginzo continued to fulfill his duties as the inspector of the Second Investigative Section.
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Meanwhile, the officers investigating the scene managed to uncover some results.
"Inspector Nakamori, we found hundreds of fingerprints on the outer glass of the display case.
The interior case is sealed off by the outer glass, so no one can touch it unless they're staff.
After carefully examining the inner case, we found no fingerprints inside."
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"Is that really the case?" Nakamori Ginzo sighed again.
Since the Yuehua necklace was extremely valuable, the staff who placed it inside the case wore gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints.
Nakamori Ginzo had hoped that perhaps Kaitou Kid had left his fingerprints behind.
But, as a seasoned thief who had successfully stolen countless gems, Kaitou Kid wouldn't make such a careless mistake.
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In the end, the officers investigating the scene couldn't find any useful clues.
As time passed, the chances of catching Kaitou Kid grew slimmer and slimmer.
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However, just as Nakamori Ginzo was feeling lost, a sudden announcement came over the radio in the collection room:
"Security! Please proceed to area D-2 immediately! A thief attempting to steal Dreamweaver has been caught!"
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The broadcast instantly alerted Nakamori Ginzo and the other officers present.
Hearing the transmission, the extinguished flame in Nakamori's heart reignited.
"Kaitou Kid might still be on-site!"
"You two, stay here. The rest of you, follow me to D-2!"
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Realizing the possibility that Kaitou Kid was still at the scene, Nakamori Ginzo pointed to two officers, instructing them to remain in area C-2.
Then, with the rest of the officers from the Second Investigative Section, he rushed out of the collection room and ran toward area D-2.
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(End of the Chapter)