Chapter 3507, page 3519: [Witness Protection Plan for Sherry] Requesting monthly votes (づど)
"Witness Protection Program?" Ai Haibara vaguely understood what this somewhat familiar term meant.
Sure enough, on the other end of the phone, Judy bluntly said, "I'll be blunt—you've been targeted by Vermouth, haven't you?"
Ai Haibara remained silent, her heart pounding with anxiety: the good news was that Jodie hadn't realized that the person who went to the basement yesterday was her, but the bad news... it seemed that they had seen through her identity.
Judy was clearly not a first-time contact with victims of the organization; she softened her voice:
"Don't worry, we're not your enemies. You've probably heard of 'witness protection programs' from movies or novels—simply put, we help you forge a name, experiences, and address, giving you a completely new identity, allowing you to escape your original environment and start a new life."
"In the future, you will be protected by this system and have a stable income, enjoying the happiness of being an ordinary person."
"Of course, once you accept the witness protection program, it means you must completely cut off your past life and no longer have any contact with any relatives or friends... But you should be very clear about the organization's style and practices, so for your friends, this is actually a good thing."
As she spoke, Judy thought of her past self. She sighed and said sympathetically, "I've already told you the pros and cons, and I hope you'll make a decision soon. Also, if you don't mind... could you tell me what exactly happened at the docks last night?"
Ai Haibara regained her composure and said calmly, "I'm not quite sure either, but you can ask the person wearing the knitted hat—I remember he was one of your companions, and I didn't actually see much more than he did."
Without waiting for the other person to ask any further questions, she politely hung up the phone.
"Witness Protection Program..."
Ai Haibara looked down at the blacked-out screen, recalling Jodie's words earlier about "enjoying the happy life of an ordinary person," and felt a slight stirring in her heart.
But after going through so much... even if she really changes her name and goes to a secluded place, can she really return to a so-called "normal" life?
And the people she met here...
Just then, the siren blared.
Ai Haibara looked up and saw several policemen park their car at the intersection and then run into the alley.
...
In a nearby clinic.
"You don't remember what that person looked like?"
Officer Sato sighed in disappointment upon hearing Ayumi Yoshida's answer, but he wasn't entirely surprised.
—After all, she's just a first-grade elementary school student. It's unrealistic to expect her to remember too much information in such a terrible situation.
Moreover, those random stabbing killers usually cover themselves up tightly; why would they expose their faces for others to see?
Sure enough, the young woman who had been stabbed hesitated before giving a similar answer when asked the question:
"That guy was wearing a raincoat, with the buttons fastened all the way up and the brim of his hood pulled down low. And in the blink of an eye, he suddenly pulled out a knife and stabbed at me. I... I was terrified and didn't even notice what he looked like."
"I understand." Officer Sato looked at her bandaged wound. "You're badly injured. Go and rest. If you think of anything, feel free to contact us."
The young woman nodded, still shaken, and said, "You absolutely must catch them!"
Officer Sato wasn't entirely sure either, but all he could do was nod and say, "Don't worry!"
After the young woman left, she glanced at the few familiar children who remained, and the question, "Wasn't Brother Jiang Xia with you?" reached her lips... but she silently swallowed it back.
Jiang Xia has his own things to do, and he's not some police advisor. It's not a good habit for him to call for help every time he encounters a troublesome case.
While thinking this, Officer Sato looked around unwillingly, hoping that the detective would suddenly appear out of nowhere like before and say, "What a coincidence."
Unfortunately, it seems that this has not happened yet, so she had to think about it herself: "Similar cases have actually happened three times already—although the clothes are not the same, judging from the methods, they should all be the same person."
"Three times? Including this time, he's stabbed four people already!" Yoshida Ayumi suddenly realized this was a formidable thief. She frowned, trying to provide clues:
"When that person ran away, he threatened the old man on the roadside, making a sound like 'Oh!'—I remember his voice!"
Officer Sato smiled helplessly. A person's voice will naturally become distorted when they are nervous, not to mention that a child's memory is also prone to deviation. To put it another way, even if Ayumi Yoshida really remembered that person's voice, such a thing cannot be used as evidence.
“However…” Officer Sato thought to himself, “The kids around Jiang Xia may have learned some of his abilities, perhaps? Even if they can’t be used as evidence, if we can identify the murderer, the investigation will be much easier.”
Thinking this, she stood up: "In that case, let's go back to the scene together—maybe you'll remember more details once we get there."
...
"Right here!" Ayumi Yoshida pointed to the ground. "That person suddenly rushed out from around the corner and knocked me down!"
Conan: "After that, we heard Ayumi scream and rushed over. From a distance, we saw the assailant rushing towards her, but instead of grabbing her, he bent down, then turned around, picked up the knife, and ran away."
"He bent down?" Officer Sato sensed something was wrong. "Did he pick up something else besides the knife?"
“Yes!” Ayumi Yoshida remembered too. “I think I heard a ‘clink’ sound. What he picked up must have been a small metal object!”
"Metal?" Genta Kojima felt he understood. "His coin must have fallen!"
“Who would pick up a coin at such a crucial moment?” Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya shook his head. “I think it would be something like glasses or house keys.”
Ai Haibara put down her phone, which she had just used to send an email, and casually added, "It could also be something like a necklace or bracelet that can indicate one's identity."
There were just too many possibilities. Officer Sato stroked his chin, remembering that Ayumi Yoshida was closest at the time, and asked her, "Which one do you think it's more like?"
Ayumi Yoshida actually had a clue: "That thing should be related to the number '5', because... look!"
She extended her right hand.
Officer Sato quickly looked over, but after staring intently for a long time, he found that the fair little hand had nothing but a little bit of mud and sand.
————
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