LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 275: Chapter 275: Exposed
"Um."
Sera Masumi led Conan to a corner where no one else was around. She then took a ruby out of her pocket and placed it in his hand.
"Thank you."
Initially, Conan wanted to have a small chat with Sera Masumi.
But he noticed that Sera's usual cheerful demeanor had suddenly turned cold.
Sera Masumi not only removed the smile that usually graced her lips but also spoke in an unusually icy tone.
Conan could easily imagine the effort Sera Masumi must have exerted to get this gem from Nakamori Ginzo.
After all, everyone had witnessed the scene where Nakamori Ginzo carefully took the Moonlight and Gem Necklace, wrapped them up, and tucked them securely under his arm.
Clearly, for Nakamori Ginzo, who had faced countless frustrations at the hands of Kaitou Kid, the value of these two items went beyond words.
Faced with a visibly displeased Sera Masumi, Conan gave a simple "thank you" and nodded toward Toru Amuro from a distance.
Toru Amuro felt entirely relieved when he saw Conan's gesture.
The hardest part of the plan had been figuring out how to obtain the gems from Nakamori Ginzo.
Now that the most difficult step was accomplished, they could proceed with handing the fake Scarlet Shadow Heart to Gin to complete the transaction.
Conan came up with a random excuse and quickly distanced himself from Sera Masumi.
He then handed the gem over to Toru Amuro.
---
Toru Amuro examined the gem in his hand. It was almost identical to the one he had seen in the brochure during the talk show rehearsal.
He couldn't help but admire the craftsmanship of this counterfeit gem.
Having never seen the real one with his own eyes, he had initially been deceived.
Even now, knowing it was fake, Toru Amuro inspected it again but still couldn't find any clues to its inauthenticity.
The last lingering worry in Toru Amuro's heart completely dissipated.
Now, he no longer feared Vodka or others discovering the gem's counterfeit nature.
Perhaps even Gin and Rum had never closely examined the real Scarlet Heart before.
---
"Speaking of which, Kaitou Kid is probably still alive, isn't he?"
Toru Amuro suddenly recalled the Kaitou Kid whom Korn had shot, feeling a tinge of curiosity about his condition.
"Well, he should be alive," Conan replied.
"Although I don't fully understand his escape methods, similar situations have occurred multiple times before. This guy isn't someone who can be killed so easily."
"I just don't know if Kaitou Kid is still around here."
---
Hearing this, Toru Amuro also thought of the two blood-stained handkerchiefs he held, stained with Kaitou Kid's blood.
With these, they could obtain Kaitou Kid's DNA.
Then, as long as Nakamori Ginzo compared the DNA with that of the suspects, they could quickly uncover Kaitou Kid's true identity.
---
However, Vodka and Korn had been watching from the other side.
Toru Amuro knew that the longer the plan was delayed, the more likely Korn would shoot at the police present.
To prevent this, Toru Amuro immediately said goodbye to Conan after receiving the gem, stepped outside, and called Vodka.
---
"Bourbon, what's the situation?"
The phone rang only once before Vodka answered.
His deep, raspy voice echoed through Toru Amuro's phone.
"I understand," Toru Amuro replied softly.
"I'll return to the organization and personally deliver the gem to Gin or Rum."
---
"No, you send the gem directly to me. Korn and I will handle returning it to the organization," Vodka said on the other end.
"Why are you trying to take credit for the gem?"
Toru Amuro deliberately made his voice sound irritated as he replied to Vodka.
"No, this is the boss's order," Vodka explained.
"Korn and I need to confirm here that the gem has indeed been secured before we can return to the organization."
---
"I see."
Toru Amuro's tone was intentionally impatient as he responded to Vodka.
At that moment, he wanted to give Vodka an impression of frustration.
This frustration, he hoped, would create a subconscious belief in Vodka and Korn that they had truly acquired the real gem.
---
"Apart from the organization and Kaitou Kid, the only one left is Tsukino Takashi."
---
"Although Detective Conan's reasoning was flawed, the general direction should be correct."
"As long as we figure out the situation on Tsukino Takashi's side, the incident at the Tokyo International Exhibition Center will be resolved."
---
However, just as Toru Amuro thought things were finally heading in a favorable direction, a broadcast sent his heart racing.
"We have received reports that the Scarlet Heart stolen by Kaitou Kid is, in fact, a fake."
"The Scarlet Shadow Heart, recovered this afternoon by the Metropolitan Police and placed in the display case, is not the real Scarlet Shadow Heart but a replica!"
---
Toru Amuro: "!!!"
Toru Amuro's eyes widened upon hearing this announcement.
A sinking feeling immediately welled up in his chest.
---
Sure enough, on the other end of the line, Vodka, who had been about to tell Toru Amuro the meeting location, went silent after hearing the broadcast.
"Bourbon, did you hear? The Scarlet Heart was fake all along?"
"The kid stole a fake gem from the start, so what you have is also fake, right?"
"Then contact me again after you get the real one."
Vodka hung up right after saying that.
---
After hearing even Vodka—who was usually only good for driving—conclude that the gem in his hand was fake, Toru Amuro suddenly felt all his efforts had been for nothing.
He had been just one step away from passing off the fake gem as the real one.
Why had the broadcast exposed the gem's fake nature at the last moment?
And how did the other party know the gem was fake?
Wasn't Tsukino Takashi supposed to be the only other person who knew about this?
---
All kinds of questions flooded Toru Amuro's mind.
At the same time, Conan, Sera Masumi, Nakamori Ginzo, and the police standing in front of the Moonflower Collection Room in Area C-2 displayed shocked expressions after hearing the broadcast.
---
Conan and Sera Masumi were confused about how the broadcast team knew such a secret and why it was announced so publicly.
Nakamori Ginzo and his officers were simply stunned to learn the gem was fake.
After the initial shock, an overwhelming rage surged within Nakamori Ginzo.
---
"Fake gems?!"
"So, what have we been doing all this time?!"
(End of Chapter)