Chapter 253: Sit and Wait
To prevent overcrowding and blockages outside the venue, measures were taken to control the flow of visitors.
As soon as Nakamori Ginzo heard the announcement, he left the collection hall and headed toward Area D, where the Dreamweaver costume was located.
Each section of Tokyo Big Sight is relatively spacious, but with Nakamori Ginzo and a group of officers from Search Section 2 rushing, they reached the entrance to Hall D within minutes.
After identifying themselves as Metropolitan Police Department officers to the staff at the door, Nakamori Ginzo and his team were allowed entry without issue.
"This time went relatively smoothly. Luckily, we didn't have to wait long like we did for Area C," one of Nakamori's subordinates said cheerfully.
The surrounding officers nodded in agreement, apparently sharing the same thought.
However, Nakamori Ginzo remained silent.
Unlike the excitement he had displayed earlier in Yuehua's collection hall, his expression had grown increasingly serious.
---
"Inspector Nakamori, is something wrong?"
A female officer standing beside him asked softly.
"Something's off," Nakamori replied.
"The atmosphere among the tourists in Area D is completely different from what it was in Area C."
"When news broke that the Yuehua was stolen, tourists flocked to Area C. This shows that as soon as people suspect where Kaitou Kid might be, they rush there immediately."
"But the announcement just now strongly implied that Kaitou Kid might be in Area D, yet the tourists here don't seem eager to rush into the collection hall where the costumes are stored."
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As Nakamori Ginzo spoke, he turned to glance back in the direction he had come from.
"I was worried that Kaitou Kid's fans might block me again, so I ran quickly.
But now, it seems not many people are heading to Area D. What's going on?"
Nakamori Ginzo quickened his pace toward Section D-2, his growing confusion gradually transforming into a sense of foreboding.
---
When he finally arrived at the collection hall where the performance costumes were stored, that foreboding feeling reached its peak.
At the entrance to the hall, tourists were lining up in an orderly fashion.
The staff guiding visitors into the collection hall smiled and greeted everyone at the entrance.
There were no signs that the Dreamweaver costumes had been stolen.
---
"Dammit, I've been tricked!" Nakamori Ginzo shouted before turning to dash back in the direction he had come.
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Section B-2, outside the Scarlet Heart collection hall.
A staff member responsible for guiding visitors into the collection hall watched two visitors exit and promptly let in two more.
To ensure a good viewing experience, the exhibition's three main collections were open on a rotational basis, depending on the number of visitors.
---
Although the theft of the Yuehua necklace had sent a surge of tourists rushing to Area C, not everyone was a fan of Kaitou Kid.
Plenty of people still wanted to see the legendary Scarlet Heart Ruby they had missed earlier in the day, so they lined up outside.
When the Scarlet Heart reopened that afternoon, it drew a fair crowd of visitors.
Two more visitors exited the collection hall, and the staff member let the next pair at the front of the line enter.
---
At that moment, the staff member noticed someone approaching—it was Tsukino Takashi, the new department head of the Tsukino Consortium.
Tsukino Takashi's sour expression made it clear he wasn't in a good mood.
The staff member assumed it must have been the theft of Yuehua that upset him.
Their assumption was quickly confirmed.
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"Yuehua was stolen. Did you notice anyone suspicious here?"
"No, sir. Don't worry, Mr. Tsukino!" the staff member replied confidently.
Tsukino Takashi nodded and stepped over the retractable barrier, entering the collection hall directly.
---
All the tourists in line recognized the heir to the Tsukino Foundation, who had been appearing frequently on television recently.
Assuming him to be a staff member, they didn't mind him skipping the line.
Inside the collection hall, several tourists were surprised to see Tsukino Takashi enter.
However, they quickly rationalized his presence, assuming it was related to the talk show happening nearby.
---
Once "Tsukino Takashi" entered the collection hall, he crossed his arms and silently stood off to the side, gazing at the ruby display.
It seemed as though he was admiring the gem, but in reality, he was studying the case and its security mechanisms.
'As Tsukino Takashi said, this display case's security is indeed high, but it's not flawless.'
'The fact that this gem was stolen before proves that once you understand the proper method, it's easy to remove.'
---
Just as Kuroba Kaito, disguised as Tsukino Takashi, was closely inspecting the case, he felt a hand suddenly grip his shoulder.
He turned sharply to see who it was.
When he saw the face of the person holding his shoulder, ripples spread through his otherwise calm mind.
It was a strikingly delicate and beautiful face that left a lasting impression on him.
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The first time Kuroba Kaito had met this person, he had mistaken them for a man.
Apart from Kyogoku Makoto, this was the only person who had impressed Kuroba Kaito with their skill in hand-to-hand combat.
It was none other than Masumi Sera, the famous high school detective.
---
Kuroba Kaito found Sera Masumi's sudden appearance behind him rather puzzling.
However, after thinking for a moment, he recalled noticing someone standing in the shadows when he entered the collection hall.
Now that he thought about it, that person had been Sera Masumi.
She must have spotted his trick and decided to wait for an opportunity to confront him.
---
The grip on Kuroba Kaito's shoulder grew steadily stronger.
Despite her slender frame, Sera Masumi's strength was comparable to that of Kudo Shinichi's fiancée.
"Finally, I've caught you again, Kaitou Kid."
Sera Masumi smiled, lifting the corners of her mouth as she spoke.
Kuroba Kaito looked at her and cursed himself
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(End of the chapter)