Chapter 156 Chapter 156 Someone Else
Curaçao felt as if she had returned to that miserable and bewildered night.
Her breath was filled with the smell of gunpowder and heat. Even the slightly salty seawater couldn't wash away the bloodstains that had somehow gotten on her body. The chaotic and noisy bridge in the background kept chasing after her staggering steps as she tried to escape.
And now, she has been caught up.
Welcome!
The warm and friendly greeting was like a familiar ray of sunshine, but the hypocritical mask of kindness before her chilled her to the bone. Perhaps it was because of the cold, murderous intent emanating from those eyes.
Her unusual behavior was quickly noticed by Conan Edogawa, who was following behind. He looked at the unfamiliar shop assistant with suspicion, tugged at her sleeve, and asked in a soft, childlike voice, "Big sister... what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Curaçao was pinned to the spot by this harmless little hand, swaying unsteadily. Before Conan could catch her, she regained her balance.
"No..." Her voice was initially cold, then, as if she were trying to find a way to savor the fleeting, gentle, and harmless nature of life, she whispered, "I just lost my footing..."
"Ah, Mr. Amuro, you've arrived just in time!" Enomoto Azusa's enthusiastic voice rang out as she introduced everyone, "This is our new employee, his skills are excellent~ You'll definitely be satisfied!"
Regardless of age, everyone looked at Amuro Tooru with anticipation.
"Ms. Enomoto, you're exaggerating." Amuro Tooru put on a humble expression, completely belying the demeanor of this sunny young man. "I'm still a newbie on probation. But I'll definitely work hard to make dishes that everyone enjoys, and strive to stay at the restaurant as soon as possible!"
“Mr. Amuro can definitely do it!” Another familiar voice burst in.
The group turned around and saw Sonoko Suzuki pulling Ran Mouri to the store entrance at almost teleportation speed, saying, "We've come to contribute to Mr. Amuro's ideals!"
Ran Mouri smiled helplessly at everyone, while also having to deal with her best friend's sweet complaint: "Ran, you really are something, such a handsome guy came downstairs and you didn't even tell me."
Conan Edogawa turned his head away, looking at Tooru Amuro with a hint of displeasure.
“Well… since we’re already here, let’s buy some snacks for Mr. Midorikawa,” Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya suggested.
"With sweet treats, Mr. Midorikawa's illness will get better faster, right?" Ayumi Yoshida also thought it was a good idea. When she was sick, her parents would also coax her with strawberry cake.
The children's conversation immediately caught the attention of Sonoko Suzuki, who was actively interacting with Tooru Amuro. She opened her eyes wide and asked with concern, "Eh? Is Mr. Midorikawa sick?"
Enomoto Azusa also looked over.
Genta Kojima nodded, and Professor Agasa explained the situation to everyone.
Amuro Tooru gripped the menu tighter and suggested with a smile, "Since it's for a patient, I'll make some light-flavored dishes. Hmm... how about trying my specialty sandwiches?"
"Okay, okay~"
"Then I'll have a few more glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice."
"Add another vegetable salad! I'm on a diet anyway!"
"Ai isn't feeling well today, so let's bring her a cheesecake too..."
Everyone happily ordered their meal.
"Well then, please, Mr. Amuro!" Enomoto Azusa wrote down all the requirements and handed them to Amuro Tooru with great seriousness.
"Okay! I guarantee I'll complete the mission!" Amuro Tooru confidently started working with the menu in hand, glancing almost imperceptibly at Curaçao, who was still standing in the same spot.
Perhaps it was the familiar "task" that once again touched upon the memories huddled in the shadows, and she loosened her unconsciously clenched fists and made up her mind to walk into the store.
She had been avoiding those memories that came to her after seeing the photo of the Ferris wheel at night this morning. But now, surrounded by gentle kindness, she suddenly understood why Scotland had left her those two vials of medicine.
She smiled and patted Conan Edogawa's head, then looked up at Tooru Amuro again, revealing the murderous intent that belonged to Curaçao.
We need to find a way to get rid of him/her without letting the organization find out.
Rei Furuya gently made a cut on the toast with a knife, neatly removing the hard, dry edges and leaving only the soft, white bread core.
His culinary skills have been honed over the years and can be described as superb. Even if the boss doesn't give him special treatment, he is perfectly capable of working as a chef.
Because of this seemingly insignificant act of convenience, he was able to confirm once again that the person behind the coffee shop was not Hiro.
Concealing this insignificant gloom, he began to consider how to deal with Curaçao's situation.
Even though Hiro had mentioned to him that Curaçao might be turned, he remained wary of this member who had been deeply brainwashed by the organization.
Perhaps her friendliness after temporarily escaping brainwashing could be a plus, but no one can guarantee she'll stay that way. After all, decades of dark memories can't be dispelled by a sliver of sunlight. He can't risk exposing himself by gambling on humanity.
However, the organization has remained silent so far. He suspects that the intelligence that Curaçao had already seen has not been leaked, which is why they haven't killed her but instead chose to gather intelligence in secret.
Now, Curaçao, who seems to have regained her memory, is going to the hospital to "visit" Midorikawa Osamu, who has a lot of marks on his body... Such an action is undoubtedly causing a lot of emotional turmoil for Furuya Rei.
He set the heating time and served four glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice, using the delivery as an opportunity to openly observe Curaçao.
After setting out four glasses of orange juice, a note was quietly handed to her.
As a mystic, Bourbon could delay reporting to his superiors for a while; but Curaçao, who had lost contact without reason and had not sent back any important information, had few options.
He can offer her another path; it remains to be seen whether she can seize the opportunity.
It's best not to disappoint Hiro...
He took the tray back to the counter and continued making his sandwiches.
The visiting group arrived and left in a lively atmosphere, taking away several of Poirot's signature dishes. Enomoto Azusa was preparing the tableware, while Furuya Rei was cleaning, quietly collecting a hair from Curaçao to compare with the hospital later.
Just as I was finishing cleaning, the wind chimes at the entrance of the coffee shop started ringing again.
"Ah, it's Officer Date." Enomoto Azusa greeted him familiarly. Seeing that he was the only one there today, she recommended a new product to him, "Why don't you try our new sandwich set meal? Everyone's been giving it a very good response."
Date Wataru glanced at Furuya Rei, who was setting up tables and chairs, nodded, and said, "Then let's have two servings, one for dine-in and one to go."
"OK!"
He didn't go anywhere else, but sat down at the bar nearby.
When someone placed an order, Furuya Rei naturally walked to the worktable and began preparing the food.
As he was finishing, he whispered to Enomoto Azusa, "Ah, Ms. Enomoto, I just realized we're running low on mayonnaise. Is there any left in the storeroom?"
Enomoto Azusa thought for a moment and said, "There's still some left, enough for this afternoon and evening." After saying that, she picked up the glass container of mayonnaise and walked towards the kitchen. "I'll go and replenish it. I'll go shopping again tomorrow."
"Thank you for your help." Furuya Rei arranged the sliced sandwiches neatly on a plate and packed them away quickly.
After Enomoto Azusa disappeared completely into the kitchen, Furuya Rei pushed the prepared food toward Date Wataru, looked around, slowly wiped a cup in his hand, and then nodded to him.
“Midori Osamu’s test results will be available tonight, but he hasn’t woken up yet,” Date Wataru said in a low voice. “The doctor said it might be his body’s self-protective mechanism at work, and we need to observe him for a while longer.”
Rei Furuya frowned, hesitating whether he should sneak out and investigate tonight, but said aloud, "Curaçao just left; she's going to the hospital too."
Ida Wataru naturally understood what his friend meant and said, "Matsuda is in the hospital, he's keeping an eye on things."
With Matsuda around, Furuya Rei felt a bit more at ease, but the fact that he couldn't confirm Midorikawa Osamu's identity still haunted him with that extremely slim hope.
Not wanting Furuya Rei to remain in this state, Ida Wataru casually mentioned something else to change the subject: "By the way, I also saw that Goto Shunsuke you mentioned at the hospital."
Rei Furuya paused in his wiping of the cup, then asked with some confusion, "You said you saw Shunsuke Goto? In which hospital?"
“It’s at Beika Central Hospital,” Date Wataru said.
"When?" Furuya Rei immediately pressed.
“It was the night the police were chasing Curaçao.” Ida Ko realized something was amiss and tried to be as detailed as possible. “He was transferred to the bridge for a multi-vehicle collision. I met him at the hospital.”
“Impossible.” Furuya Rei’s voice was even more serious. “I had already confirmed his death before this.”
Date Wataru looked surprised.
“My mission was to silence him as soon as possible.” Furuya Rei didn’t hide this fact, because Hiro had mentioned this person before, and he had privately asked Date Wataru to investigate. “Three days ago, I happened to run into him at Poirot Cafe. I originally planned to make my move that night. But I sensed that someone was trying to poison people with the drinks at the cafe. It just so happened that the guy ordered the same drink, so I tampered with it a little.”
Date Wataru touched the spot where he usually kept the handcuffs; it was empty. Ah, he was wearing casual clothes today.
"I just didn't expect that he would only be poisoned after returning to his residence. I was planning to finish him off that night, but I unexpectedly witnessed his maid disposing of the body." Furuya Rei recounted this dramatic story with a blank expression. "After the maid left, just in case, I slit his throat and stabbed him in the heart before leaving."
How could he still be alive?
"Could the Goto Shunsuke I saw be a fake? Or was the maid's act of disposing of the body a pre-arranged illusion?" Date Wataru voiced his speculation.
Rei Furuya put down his cup and said firmly, "Since he was bandaged up at the hospital, let's get his DNA tested as soon as possible. I need to confirm the identity of this 'Shunsuke Goto' as soon as possible."
He just submitted his task completion report this morning; he can't afford to make a mistake.
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