Conan's Corpse Picker

(Double Chap)

The purple commemorative handkerchief he'd just received was now draped over the muzzle of Pisco's gun, muffling any potential flash from the shot.

Jiangxia Tongzhi gauged the angle. The timing was perfect—no need for the anonymous photographer to reveal himself.

So, just before the reporter pressed the shutter, Jiangxia dispelled his puppet and his consciousness zipped back into his main body, the one conveniently standing right next to Inspector Megure.

At almost the same moment, the camera shutter clicked, and a blinding flash lit up the room.

The host paused, then quickly recovered with a laugh. "Looks like everyone's really excited about Director Sakamaki's treasure—but, folks, you can't take photos of slides with the flash on!"

Laughter rippled through the hall.

Pisco, still aiming, twitched slightly as he picked up on the movement near the front of the banquet hall.

But he was far enough away—and with the host's smooth cover-up, Pisco's suspicions were deflected. He assumed the flash had been aimed at a nearby wall. Shrugging it off, he returned to the task at hand.

He adjusted his aim to the chain suspending the massive chandelier and pulled the trigger.

Bang—

Clang—

The shot and the snap of the chain echoed almost simultaneously.

Pisco completed his mission, his lips curling into a cold, silent smile, before tucking the gun away again.

...

In the darkness, Conan was navigating toward Councillor Nomiguchi based on memory from before the lights went out. But then—two unfamiliar sounds rang out.

A chill ran down his spine. Something felt... off.

Before he could identify the noises, a loud, crashing impact came from up ahead. Shattering glass. Twisting metal. A low, grim thud.

Conan's brain sparked—there had been a massive crystal chandelier suspended over the banquet hall.

It... fell?

No one got crushed, right?

Panic swept through the room like wildfire, especially among the people nearest the chandelier's former resting place.

Disoriented guests stumbled around in the dark, shouting at the staff. "Turn on the lights!"

Before they could respond, something fluttered from above—a purple handkerchief, tinged with the smell of gunpowder. It landed neatly on Conan's head.

He picked it up, puzzled.

Just then, the staff finally got their act together. The banquet hall lights flared on all at once, stabbing at Conan's eyes.

Before he could take a proper look at the handkerchief, a scream tore through the room—and then another.

Conan turned toward the noise.

There, lying in a mess of shattered glass, was the chandelier. The two-to-three-meter-wide behemoth lay in pieces, glittering cruelly under the lights.

Underneath it—barely visible—was a person. Or what was left of one.

Councillor Nomiguchi.

He was pinned beneath the chandelier, only his head sticking out. His eyes were wide open in terror. Blood foamed at his mouth and nose. The diamond-shaped decorations on the chandelier had pierced deep into his back, and a dark red pool was spreading beneath him, slow and steady.

From across the room, Jiangxia caught sight of a shikigami floating out from the mess, gliding bitterly through the crowd and clinging to Pisco's leg.

...Ghost number one, accounted for.

He quietly looked away and turned to the man beside him—Inspector Megure.

The inspector looked just as stunned. Then, snapping back to reality, he yanked out his badge and bellowed, "I'm Inspector Megure of the Metropolitan Police! Everyone stay where you are!"

Several undercover officers mingling among the guests sprang into action, rushing in with the staff to help move the fallen chandelier.

What they revealed underneath wasn't pretty—Councillor Nomiguchi, now with less structural integrity than before.

Officer Sato stepped forward and crouched by the body. She checked his neck, then quietly reported to her colleague, "…He's gone."

Inspector Megure strode forward—but after a couple of steps, he suddenly paused and looked back for his "lucky charm" of a high school detective.

He spotted Jiangxia, standing in place like the rest of the crowd, frozen and staring at the wreckage.

Their eyes met.

Jiangxia blinked, as if momentarily confused. Then, like someone who'd just remembered what his job was, he navigated around a few guests and made his way over to the inspector.

"..." Inspector Megure eyed Jiangxia's wobbly steps. He thought about how earlier the kid had looked tipsy enough to doze off in public and sighed.

Forget it. Better not let him near all that broken glass—if this law-skirting high schooler tripped and fell face-first into a crime scene, Megure would have to take time out from the homicide just to call an ambulance.

Tsk. Once Jiangxia sobered up, he was definitely sending someone strict to drag him to the station for a round of harsh ideological education.

His gaze settled on Officer Sato Miwako.

Then he subtly shook his head. Nah—this subordinate of his had long gone soft on Jiangxia. She'd probably just let him off with another "next time for sure" and even help cover for him...

...

The banquet hall was in chaos—but interestingly, everyone the police questioned said the same thing.

"It was an accident!"

And, also: "Can we leave now?"

The celebrities clearly didn't want to be anywhere near a police investigation. The smell of scandal was more terrifying than the chandelier.

Jiangxia tuned out the noise. None of these people had ghosts on them, so their fussing wasn't his business.

Instead, he casually glanced over at Conan and Haibara Ai.

Haibara was looking right back at him.

Their eyes met—and her small face immediately paled. She lowered her gaze in guilt, tugging her hat down over her eyes.

She wasn't supposed to be here. Jiangxia had told her to stay home.

Not only did she sneak out, she even tried to interfere with an Organization mission.

One that might be linked to Jiangxia, no less.

Before she saw him, she'd just felt a little guilty.

But now—after making eye contact—it hit her like a ton of bricks. She felt like that snake from the old parable: frozen in the snow, picked up by a kind farmer, warmed inside his coat... and then it bit him.

Even if she had reasons, showing up to mess with Jiangxia's mission was pretty ungrateful.

She elbowed Conan, who was still deep in thought, trying to hustle him toward the exit.

Since the assassination was already carried out, there was no point in sticking around. Staying would only cause more trouble for Jiangxia.

Now that the mission was complete, whoever in the Organization had handled it would have the time and energy to start scanning the crowd. And if it was someone who'd seen her before...

Conan didn't notice the silent scolding happening beside him.

He blinked back to attention and followed Haibara toward the banquet hall doors.

Of course, Conan didn't plan on going home.

The clues he'd gathered here had given him a new lead.

He intended to check the guest registration book at the entrance—see who'd been issued a purple handkerchief.

There wasn't hard evidence yet, but his detective's gut said this might be the breakthrough.

Once a member of the Organization was caught, Conan could extract intel, trace the whole network, round up the men in black, get his hands on APTX4869, and then—finally—research an antidote.

The more he thought about it, the more fired up he got.

…

A murder had just occurred, so the police had sealed off the banquet hall and were forbidding anyone from leaving.

Except, of course, for two kids who "needed to use the restroom." They weren't on the suspect list.

So, Conan and Haibara Ai passed through the checkpoint without trouble.

But the moment the door opened, the two kids and the officer posted there froze—

A mob of reporters had gathered outside. Cameras, mics, and yelling surged forward all at once.

The sudden noise drew the attention of everyone still in the hall, who turned to frown toward the entrance.

That included Pisco.

His eyes swept over the horde of reporters and quickly landed on the two children near the door—especially the little girl.

As the flashes went off like fireworks, the girl shrank from the cameras, instinctively turning away, exposing the side of her face to the hall.

A mixed-race face. Familiar.

Pisco's eyes narrowed.

A few strands of hair peeked from under her hat, their unusual color triggering a flash of recognition—

Miyano Shiho.

He remembered her. He'd known her parents when they were alive, heard them talk about that mysterious drug still in development. He'd even seen Shiho herself as a child.

And just earlier, Gin had ordered him to "capture Sherry."

Pisco's breathing grew heavy.

This wasn't just a coincidence.

Capturing Sherry would be a massive achievement. Capturing Sherry and a live test subject? Now that was practically a promotion.

He eagerly pulled out his laptop and opened the Organization's secure database. His fingers flew across the keyboard. "Sherry."

The file loaded. Her profile photo stared back at him.

He glanced from the screen to the girl.

Yes. Definitely her.

Luck of the European Emperor.

He shut the laptop and subtly began moving toward the door.

The banquet hall was tense, but he could tell the police wouldn't be able to hold the VIPs much longer. He'd find a chance to leave with the crowd.

And if push came to shove, he could fake a fall. The cops wouldn't dare rough up a seventy-year-old.

As he plotted how to nab Sherry,

From a quiet corner of the hall, a pair of eyes tracked his every move—

Watching him go with anticipation and burning intent.

...

Luckily, reporters didn't care much about kids.

Little kids couldn't give juicy quotes, and trying to force an interview might get them roasted on social media.

So, Conan and Haibara Ai slipped through the crowd of journalists with relative ease.

Once past the mob, they both let out a relieved breath.

Haibara started walking off—then realized she was alone.

She turned to find Conan at the banquet hall's registration desk, quietly talking to a staff member.

She didn't hear what he said, but by the time she walked over, the staff member had brought out a guest register, opened it to a page, and smiled kindly.

"A few guests already left early. Right now, only seven people are registered with purple handkerchiefs. Actually, if the owner realizes theirs is missing, they'll just come back and ask us for a new one."

Conan nodded and leaned in to look.

He scanned the list. Then his eyes paused—

Haibara followed his gaze and saw it too.

Jiangxia Tongzhi.

Her fingers tensed in her pocket.

She tried to keep her voice even. "Why are you checking this?"

Conan was surprised to see Jiangxia's name, but didn't think too deeply about it yet. Just a coincidence... probably.

He memorized the seven names. He was just about to explain his deduction to Haibara—

But suddenly, the crowd noise at the banquet hall entrance spiked.

Excited voices overlapped: "They're letting us out!" "Here they come!"

Even the staff member at the desk turned to look.

Haibara and Conan's eyes followed.

The police had finally lifted the blockade.

A wave of finely-dressed VIPs surged through the exit, desperate to escape the scene of the murder.

They couldn't be held for long. The plan now was to follow up with leads from the guestbook and contact people later.

Reporters rushed in to intercept, hoping to grab soundbites.

The moment the two sides collided, the hallway descended into chaos.

Haibara narrowly dodged someone's foot, and before she knew it, she was separated from Conan.

She looked around—no familiar faces.

She started trying to edge away from the crowd—

But just then, an old man suddenly swooped down behind her, scooped her up in one smooth motion, and ran.

At the same time, he pulled out a handkerchief soaked in anesthetic and pressed it over her nose and mouth.

Haibara gasped in panic—

Then went limp.

Pisco had bagged his prize with ease.

He ducked into a nearby restroom, changed into a cleaner's uniform, stuffed Haibara Ai into a cardboard box, and casually wheeled a janitor's cart through the corridor toward the old wine cellar.

Originally, this setup had been for a plan B—if Councillor Nmiguchi didn't stand beneath the chandelier as expected, they'd kidnap him and kill him elsewhere.

But now, it was just the right tool for transporting Sherry.

…

Someone had just died at the Beika City Hotel. Police were stationed at both exits. Smuggling out an unconscious kid would be too risky.

So Pisco decided to stash her in the wine cellar for now and wait for the heat to die down.

Once inside, he dumped Haibara Ai onto the cold stone floor and stripped off the cleaner's uniform.

He opened his laptop to send Gin a message, telling him to come quickly—

But then he paused.

He remembered something.

That detective—Jiangxia Tongzhi—was still lingering in the corner of the banquet hall.

Spacing out. Drunk. Vulnerable.

Pisco's eyes gleamed.

It was chaos out there.

And this was a rare opportunity.

Why not trick him over here and take care of him too?

He looked like a good kid. Probably wouldn't refuse help to a frail old man.

And he was drunk.

Pisco didn't know why Gin was so wary of him.

But—

Didn't hurt to eliminate one more problem.

*Goal #1: Top 200 fanfics published within the last 31 - 90 days by POWER STONES.

Progress: 35/60(approx) for 10 BONUS CHAPTERS

Goal #2: One BONUS CHAPTER per review for the first 10 REVIEWS.

Progress:3/10*