Michio ran across to the trailer and unlocked the door. It was pitch black inside. "Junko," he called softly. "It's okay, I'm here..."

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, something stirred in the darkness. He heard a sob and a scraping sound, like a shoe on metal. The next minute, a figure was rushing towards him.

"Michio!" Junko cried and leapt into his arms. "You found me!"

"Daijoubu (Are you alright)?" he asked her. "They didn't hurt you?"

She trembled like a leaf. "I was imprisoned all day! They bombarded me with questions about Watanabe Ikeda, birds, and a tiger!" She stared about in a daze. "So, where are we? When they brought me here, I couldn't see anything."

"Well, I believe Mr Rupert, the ringmaster, abducted you," Michio stated. "You are in a circus. That's why you heard an elephant." He took her hand in his and pushed her away from the trailer. "We believed you were in the zoo when we heard your message about the elephant. Then Ranran got the idea that you may be at a circus, and here I am. " he smugly admitted, before adding, "I owe it to Amelia for bringing us here."

In the moonlight, Junko looked up at his face. Just when he believed she was about to compliment him as he had always hoped, she replied, "Wait, who is Amelia!?"

Michio almost fell to his feet. "Wha-?"

"Amelia! That's a girl's name!"

"Oh! I nearly forgot!" Michio recalled before attempting to explain, "She is Ranran's friend who works here-"

"Wait,  Ranran!? You mean that savage demon that sent two hounds after me!?" Uh oh...this isn't looking good for Majima, as Junko became enraged, "So, in other words, is she behind my kidnapping!?"

"Hah!? Did they hit you severely in the head, Junko!?" Michio is taken aback, "Ranran may be an intelligent 6-year-old, but she's not capable of planning an abduction. Amelia is also an old acquaintance from her previous hometown. Plus, do you believe a 6-year-old like her is capable of using adults to abduct you out of nowhere!?"

"Well...I guess you have a point when you put it that way." Junko couldn't help but believe Michio is right.

"Right?"

"Even so! What about Amelia!?"Junko quickly moves on to the next question.

"What about her?" He looks at Junko.

"Is she pretty?"

"Hah!? What does this have to do-"

"You are avoiding the question? I am assuming yes then, "Then Junko fired another question, "Did she kiss you before taking you to see me!?"

"What?!"That made Michio blush thinking about the greeting, "I-"

"So it's a yes!"Junko knew this since Michio wasn't good at lying, and his face says it all, "So while I was fearing for my life, you were busy hanging out with some girl prettier than me!"

"That isn't it!  I was with the other members debating where you were likely to be taken when I came across this advertisement of this circus pamphlet and thought of coming here," Michio claims.

"Michio, it's not good to lie!" Junko gave a speech. "Just because she is pretty and all of that, doesn't mean you had to comply with her stupid demands for my sake!"

By this point, Michio was fuming, so much so that one could almost hear a noise resembling a train's horn.

~~~

While the others observe Ranran finally able to contact Genzo through the police department, his call was dispatched through his home."I'll be right over," Inspector Genzo told them when he heard about Watanabe Ikeda's visit.

Half an hour later, the cop walked into their station. For a brief while, no one recognised him in his customary attire. He was dressed in a striped shirt and simple grey pants. He sat down and listened as Shinichi told him what had happened.

"Watanabe Ikeda is working for Echis, who goes by the other name 'The Snake'. He's the one who broke him out of jail weeks ago."Ranran explain.

The sergeant grunted. "We'd love to get our hands on him. We've been after him for about 2 years."

2 years? "Didn't reports say he drew authorities' attention after a year?" Ranran couldn't help but notice.

"He'd been in Japan for two years, actually," Genzo revealed to the little girl. "Back then, he didn't attract our attention since the investigators on his payroll at the time had his crime covered before your father's takedown stunt. Did Watanabe say what The Snake wanted him to do?"

"He's not sure," Ran responded.

"Except for two words: Operation Tiger," Emiko said.

"Watanabe Ikeda is meeting The Snake tomorrow lunchtime at Ikkaku pier," Ranran revealed. "He'd like us to keep an eye on him."

Takuma stated, "He's afraid of The Snake." "Watanabe Ikeda believes he was compelled to flee despite his desire not to. He said that if you returned him to prison, the thugs there would murder him."

"Wakarimashita (I understand)," the sergeant nodded. "If he's being truthful, we won't do anything to harm him or put him at risk. Did he tell any of you who tried to shoot him?"

"A gang called the Crows," Shinichi answered. "I've got a file on them."

"Then you'll know how dangerous they are," Sergeant Genzo reminded her. He looked around the room. "Isn't something missing? Where's Michio and Junko?"

"Ranran....should we...."Shinichi turned to Ranran, wondering whether they should disclose it.

"Let me cut to the chase. Junko was obstructing justice, so Michio had to look for her."She cleared her throat.

"I don't get you, Miss Kudo."Sergeant Genzo looked perplexed.

"What Ranran is trying to imply is that Junko interfered with our investigation, so for the cause of a better world, we sent a pair of Dobermans after her while we were skating, but she was abducted along the way, and Michio is now seeking for her," Shinichi rolled his eyes.

"What?"Sergeant Genzo jumped to his feet angrily, "why the hell did you all decide to do that!? And who was the one who suggested the idea of having Dobermans after Junko!?"

"I did," Ranran said proudly, raising her hand without hesitation."She was in the way of world peace, so someone has to take care of the problem."

"Is that something to be proud of, Miss Ranran!?"Genzo berates her, while her smile remains as it is.

"You should've seen it when she was chased by those two dogs, it was hilarious!"Takuma struggled to contain his laughter thinking about it.

"I agree, that was the most amusing thing I ever watch."Emiko tried to hide her smile thinking about it, but it was hard not to.

"You know, she was screaming all about Michio, then she was like aaaaaah!!!!"Ran repeated the scene from memory before she loses herself to the laughter.

Everyone around Genzo ended up laughing, as Ranran remain grinning from ear to ear. Of course, Shinichi tried not to laugh given the seriousness of the situation, but it was hard. He then felt himself starting to laugh, and then he couldn't stop. Before Genzo know it, he notices the agency was already starting to resemble a madhouse.

"You think all of this is funny!?"Genzo glared at the children, "Michio and Junko are missing, and why did neither of you tell me earlier?"

"After all, why should we?" Ranran remarked.

"Eh?"

"Junko meant nothing to us; she was wreaking havoc in our investigation by exploiting Michio's father's death to get to Michio. So I don't see the sense in informing you, considering that you're all oblivious to her nature, including his own mother."Ranran spoke in a non-chalant tone.

"Kudo Ranran-" Genzo was intending to chastise the 6-year-old; how could this girl be so rude? How did her parents raise her to be this cruel?

"Then Genzo-san, between something unfavourable and the lives of the innocent, who would you pick to live?"

Those words later made Genzo freeze.

Some words are a memory trigger. It brings good memories and bad.

But no matter what, some words always brings back the pain. Especially what the detective girl has just said. All of a sudden, an old memory played out in Genzo's head.

....

When Genzo was around 9 years old, he met an unusual little 7-year-old blue eye boy with hair as black as ebony.

It was at the Nozomi Elementary school courtyard where Sakura trees are in full bloom and the cherry blossom petals are falling all around campus. Spring has finally arrived, and everyone is looking forward to the new school year.

However, this meeting didn't start with innocent beginnings.

A German Shepherd was tied to a flag pole while the little blue eye boy stood on the cement podium, the dog was dangling like a piece of meat at a butcher shop, whining for help as the string around the flag chokes its neck, violently wiggling to get out of this while there were a group of kids cheering on for the blue eye boy to pull it higher, while other kids were screaming in terror over the disturbing sight. Meanwhile, the teacher was on her knees begging the kid to let go of the dog.

Back then Nozomi Elementary was an animal-friendly workplace where teachers are allowed to bring their pets to work. So it was no surprise for Genzo to come across teachers bringing in a rabbit, cat, dog, turtle or even a harmless python in their class for that matter. And kids his age would go up to them to pet the animal if the teacher allows them, it was a boost for morale for the kids to learn their class lessons after all.

So for Genzo to see this, since he was a dog lover, he wasn't going to tolerate any of this nonsense.

Being a brave little boy, he confronted the 7-year-old boy, yelling at him about how could he be so cruel to animals, and does his parents never once teach him how they should treat animals with respect? Much to his surprise, the blue-eyed boy didn't care and pulled the string, making the dog rise higher as its face contorted."Drop the dog!"

"Why should I?"

Those words made his blood run cold as Genzo opened his mouth indignantly. Seriously!? This boy is genuinely grinding on his nerve. Furious, Genzo confronts, "You!"

"Pull it higher!"One of the kids encourages the 7-year-old to continue.

And he did, the more he did the more the dog whines in agony."Drop it!"

"Neh, I have a question."The 7-year-old boy tilted his head without a care in the world, questioning the shocked elder boy with his cold stares, "If you have to choose between something unfavourable and the lives of the innocent, who would you pick to live!?"

What!? Why is he asking him such a question? If Genzo answers it, will he let go of that poor dog!? Without hesitation, Genzo answers, "Obviously I would pick the innocent-"

"Then if you know this answer, between a dog that has rabies and my classmates' lives, who is more important?"

What!? That resulted in Genzo's jaw-dropping by that revelation as he pointed at the violent dog before he distance himself away, "That dog has rabies!?"

Now Genzo was no fool, as a volunteer for a dog shelter, there have been several reports of rabies spreading through dog populations, most notably around Beikai district at that time. Rabies is a highly contagious virus that can be deadly to both dogs and humans, so it is important to be aware of the risks and to be vaccinated. If a dog had rabies, that meant the owner didn't vaccinate it. It also ain't possible for a vaccinated animal to become infected with rabies, as the vaccine's success rate is rather high.

If the animal had already been showing signs of rabies, Genzo knew the dog is better off dead than alive.

But back then, there were also rumours spread among anti-vaxxers within the animal community, that injecting vaccines into a pet would ultimately bring its demise. And unfortunately, the teachers in this school are mostly anti-vaxxers and very devoted to their pets, so they didn't care if they bring in a pet with potential signs of the virus. This dog was no exception.

Putting all of the knowledge he gain through the animal shelter, it wasn't that difficult to figure out to realize why things spiral to this extent. "That's why we want him to kill it before they keep on attacking us!"The 7-year-old boy's classmates said in anger, and so did the rest of them.

"Our teacher refuses to vaccinate it! Said vaccination is part of the powerful people's conspiracy in wiping out the type of dog she has! She also said biting us won't kill us, now that vaccine exists!"The girl screamed.

"Please let the dog go! I promise I will vaccinate the dog! Just let Miyuna go!"The woman continues to plead with tears in her eyes as she helpless watch the dog being strangled and mangled, dangling through the flag pole.

Miyuna, in Japanese means "gentle or tender heart". A total contrast to the dog's behaviour.

"Huh! Do you not understand what is truly going on, Sensei?"The blue eye boy puffed coldly at the tear streak teacher, "Once the symptoms are up, that spells the end for us all! I kept telling all of you to approve that all animals should be vaccinated, but did you guys listen? No! Of course, you didn't! You all kept listening to that anti-vaxxer nonsense for dogs! All of the kids in my class are suffering because of your dumb beliefs!"The blue eye boy rolled his eyes while mocking the woman.

"But-"

"Kill it! Kill it!" Chanted the kids while the others were screaming no, don't hurt the poor dog.

Without hesitation, the blue eye boy pulled the string as the dog was strung to its highest peak. As soon as he does so, he once again turned to Genzo, "Neh, what's your name? And what grade are you?"

"Eh? Me?"He points to himself before answering, "Genzo, Yokoyama Genzo! I am from class 3-D."

"Genzo right? How much do you know about dogs?"

This made Genzo panicked, for he didn't know how he should answer. He then decided to tell the truth, "Uh...I volunteer at the animal shelter."

"Eh? So you do know a lot about dogs. No wonder you bravely come up to me here."The blue eye boy murmured at that thought, before firing another question, "When it comes to rabies, are they any cure once they exhibit symptoms?"

The sound of barking, the mixed opinions of kids some cheering for the boy to end the life of the dog, while the other protesting, all of this was too overwhelming for the then 9-year-old Genzo. Should he lie to the boy to save it? He could, but then if he does, the dog will attack more kids. And the worst-case scenario, kids can die even with the vaccine, despite the chances of it being very low. Towards the end, he knew he had to deliver the cruel blow."No, there has never been."

"Well, there you go, "The blue eye boy narrowed his eyes mockingly onto the kneeling teacher, "Even a 9-year-old can tell you the difference. So of we go!"

Before anyone could react, he let go of the string, sending the dog to a loud thud, ending its life in an instant. The dog lay unmoving, its body stiff and cold. The smell of blood was strong in the air.

Before Genzo knew it, the perilous screams echoed throughout the school.
.....

That day, 9-year-old Genzo was traumatized by the sight and couldn't bring himself to walk by the body. Because of that incident, Yokoyama Genzo was haunted by it for a month. He felt responsible for the dog's death and felt like he needed to talk to someone about it.

The incident's aftermath eventually sealed the blue-eyed boy's fate, having him expelled as all of his classmates cried, calling him the unsung hero who didn't deserve this for saving their lives, while the kids who barely knew him could breathe a sigh of relief, knowing that the 'dog killer psychopath' was gone. That boy's class even organised him a farewell party before sending him out with tears in their eyes. Nonetheless, this tragedy irrevocably altered Genzo's life.

It was because of that boy that Genzo decided to become a police officer, and he vowed that such incidents of taking justice into their own hands would never happen again. Although it occurred years ago, when he was nine years old, the trigger memory of Ranran's words still makes him nervous. The way she describes that moment still sends a shiver down his spine.

Genzo was reminded by those words that she was still the blue-eyed boy's daughter.

He could still hear that boy's voice, speaking in monotone as he let go of that rope and ended the dog's life. It was hard to deal with that memory he try to forget.

Genzo had never expected to run across him again when he was 19 years old. That's when his late childhood friend Majima Goro (Michio's father) introduced him to the then-17-year-old blue-eyed young man. Genzo was first anxious about continuously seeing him after sharing his opinions on what he did to the dog, let alone fearing for Goro's safety, but Goro reassures him that the blue-eyed boy is decent on the inside, despite the dubious techniques that came with him.

Goro must be right because Genzo was startled to learn he got married, had a daughter named Ranran, and even worked in law enforcement like Genzo (but he's not sure what his job is). Goro used to advise Genzo not to tell Ranran's father off for doing things he does since he won't listen to anyone but his wife and daughter. There were also rumours about the Kudo family had yandere blood running in them, and that it is inheritable. At first, Genzo didn't think much of those rumours, after all, only in fictional world things like that.

However, after observing Ranran's lack of remorse for what she did to Junko, especially when he recalled the days his coworkers told him of her chilling tales as The Fox, Genzo began to believe otherwise. What if the rumours were true? That it might be.....some genetic issue that runs in the family? Then he got a good look at Shinichi, Kudo Shinichi, who is the polar opposite of Ranran. According to what he hears from his coworkers. Shinichi's father occasionally stops by their department to offer his consultation services for certain unsolved cases in exchange for novel material, even though he is only a mystery writer.

If it was genetic, Shinichi would've gotten it. He is after all under the same family as Ranran. Yet he didn't. Is Shinichi adopted? Or is Ranran the one who is adopted into this family as their grandchild?

Genzo then decided not to think much about it, this was after all a private family matter and he had no right to ask. Right now, he had a case to solve, mainly with this emotionless fox who couldn't be bothered when it comes to endangering the life of a 10-year-old girl!

"Junko sent Michio a message saying she'd been kidnapped. She sent us a clue, something about hearing an elephant. So we sent Michio to locate her."Shinichi explain.

Genzo sat down, but he was still simmering, "Mr and Miss Kudo, I've already told all of you that you can't do police work by yourself."

"Let's put it this way, between your useless colleagues who would rather leave work early to be some drunkard instead of going after a missing jailbird for the past several weeks, we did a good job locating Watanabe while they achieve nothing."Ranran disputed.

Genzo offered him a crooked smile, opting not to punish the girl because he is afraid of what more she is capable of. If her father is capable of such cruelty, he is confident Ranran is as well. "I think there's no denying that. So, what are your thoughts on what we should do next?"

Shinichi smiled contentedly. "So the goal is to construct a trap for The Snake and do whatever Watanabe instructs us to do - we'll head down to Ikkaku pier and keep an eye on him. You and your crew, on the other hand, will be present. They'll have the area surrounded, but they'll be hidden. As soon as The Snake emerges, we'll have him."

"Given that The Snake has been running his empire for roughly a year, I doubt it's that straightforward." Ranran scoffs as she considers this.

"I mean it's better to try than don't," Shinichi said.

Sergeant Genzo nodded and headed for the door. "Okay, that makes good sense. I'll make the necessary arrangements now. But don't take any risks or we'll close in immediately."

Then, he turned at the doorway and looked back coldly.

"And if you haven't heard from your two friends within the next hour, call me!" he added gruffly, pointing a finger at Ranran. "That's a direct order, alright?"

As soon as Genzo left, he had an uneasy feeling that this won't be the last time Ranran kept causing more problems the way her father did. Meanwhile, on the roof of a nearby building, a man clad in black switched off a powerful radio microphone and packed up his equipment. He had to report back immediately on every word he had just heard.

Had the man in black waited, he would've heard Ran question, "Why didn't you tell Genzo about our theory, Ranran?"

~~~

Junko video phoned the association on her phone, contacting Ranran's smartphone as Michio and Junko arrived safely in a cab. Junko sat as far away from him as she could, still furious, looking out the window at the stars above while they spoke on the phone face to face. The first thing she did was lecture everyone on the phone for the dog incident, then her kidnapping, even going so far as to ask how Ranran ended up befriending someone as vile as Amelia for kissing Michio like that.

As the ranting continued, Ranran did little than listen to her by muting Junko's phone call as time passed; the other kids quickly followed suit. Finally, after noticing Junko panting from all of the nonsense she had to deal with all day, Ranran unmuted it before saying, "You are done?" Junko wanted to continue, she did, but she was too physically and emotionally weary to do so after dealing with dogs, kidnapping, and Michio perhaps having a new girlfriend who wasn't her.

After waiting for Junko to settle down, everyone unmutes the phone before Shinichi begins, "Also, Majima stated that Amelia kissed him the cheek on both sides, right?"

"Exactly! That was what happened!" Michio yelled bashfully while Junko was still pouting over this.

"In Sweden, it's known as a greeting kiss, Fuyuko-san. It's as normal as greeting someone. "Shinichi argues, rolling his eyes and wonders how someone as stupid as her can exist.

"I don't believe you! You are bluffing because you blindly sided that demon!!"Junko blasted at him.

"Then google it if you don't buy it, dimwit. Google never lies, right?"Ranran suggested in an annoyed tone.

As Junko reads it on her smartphone, she exclaims, "Wait, people do that?!?" Junko's eyes widened in astonishment and dread.

"Amelia's dad is a Swedes, so it's no surprise Amelia did what she did. She lived there for 7 years before the family migrated to my previous neighbourhood. When I first found out about it, she was greeting a boy. So I thought she had a boyfriend till she explain it to me."Ranran clicked her teeth in disapproval over Junko's mind.

"I keep explaining it to her, but she insists I'm lying!" Michio shakes his head in disappointment.

At this point, Junko wanna crawl into a hole and never come out. This whole time, it was a greeting!? Now Junko may know whether this Amelia girl has intentions to possibly steal Michio from her, but the kiss greeting part mess her head, and she did a bloody good job at screwing her nicely.

"Why do they greet people like that?"Takuma can't help but wonder.

"I think different countries have different ways of greeting people," Ran suggests.

"That's correct; Japan, like other countries, is distinctive in its manner," Emiko adds her thoughts.

Junko's cheeks reddened with embarrassment at her actions. She slowly turned around to face an irritated Michio, whose left eye remained fixed on her in disappointment.

"Michio, gomennasai (I am sorry)!" As Michio scowls, she clasped her hands together and bowed her head sincerely before returning her attention to the remaining members on her smartphone, "What is wrong with all of you!? I wouldn't be in this situation if all of you hadn't decided to take justice with your hands! Why make justice so complicated? Justice is simple, just leave it to the cops. It didn't need to be this messy!"

"Technically we already did get the cops to involve, so I am sure it won't get messy," Emiko noted.

"Excuse me!?"

"You heard her. So guys, share your findings at the circus now that officers are involved. What did you guys find?"Shinichi prompted them to share everything.

So Michio and Junko told them everything that transpires at the circus, while in return the members shared Watanabe's visit, the Crows gang, The Snake, and the mysterious Operation Tiger."You said you saw a black jaguar? What model?"Ranran asks.

"I ain't sure as it happen fast while I was on my way to rescue Junko, but you can tell based on the design," said Michio as he was crawling over to Junko's side of the seat. "What I do is Mr Ruppert the ringmaster is definitely behind Junko's kidnapping. Oh yeah," Michio remembered, "I almost forgot, it kept making a weird wrrrrrrr noise."

"A wrrr noise you said?"Ranran raises both her brows.

"That's correct."Michio confirmed as he felt peeved thinking about it, "It kept making that wrrrr noise whenever the car moves, like some UFO. So irritating."

"Technically all cars make such sounds, like a Lamborghini," Takuma remarked.

"True, but if you had been present, you would have heard the sound the car was making. That was the most bothersome low-volume sound I've ever heard." Michio shivered at the notion.

Low volume wrr sounds?!

Ranran's eyes widened as she drifted into her mind. There was a Jaguar model she knows of back in the U.K, one that would often make such sounds due to the added feature. She knew this because 'that person' owns one.

Wait a minute...speaking of that person, the police failed to locate him after 'that incident'. If anything, he was declared to have committed suicide. But Ranran never once believe he was capable of doing so, given how vicious he is when it comes to his own life. What if....he was never dead the entire time?

It all came crashing down on her as she realized that the timing of that man's disappearance, coincide when Echis caught the attention of authorities."No way..."Ranran muttered to herself.

The more Ranran thinks of this, the more she finds it harder and harder to focus on anything else. The harsh reality of the situation set in, if the person behind 'The Snake' or 'Echis' is definitely one she has been looking for all along...this changes everything.

However, Ranran knew better than to jump to the conclusion. Anyone can afford that specific Jaguar of such feature, let alone, import it to Japan illegally considering Echis has been here for about 2 years. Also, Echis was seen driving a Toyota, not a Jaguar. However, 'that man' who allegedly ended his own life...had a similar method of doing things the way Echis does. Also, it wouldn't be surprising for a criminal to own more than one car.

Unconsciously, Shinichi noticed Ranran curled her palm into a fist as it trembles.

I got to catch him no matter what. If it is him...Ranran swore in determination in the back of her mind, I am going to destroy his life the way he did to me and 'him'.

"Oh yeah, when they kidnapped me, he even asked me if Watanabe had said anything about a tiger."Junko brought up all of a sudden.

"A tiger?"Shinichi froze before he concluded, "So they were targeting a tiger! That's their plan!"

"Hah!? I don't get what is going on here."Junko became puzzled by his reaction, as she turned to Majima for an explanation.

"You'll get it soon, "Michio reassures her.

"Now that all of us have gathered, we have to do Watanabe's stakeout plan."Ranran crosses her hands in a thinking pose, putting her suspicions aside.

"He is right. Which is why, Junko."Michio turned to her, "I am afraid we going to have to send you home first."

"What!? Why would I do that?! I want to catch the person responsible for my kidnapping!"Snapped Junko.

"Why wouldn't? You ain't a member of our association, you know?"Shinichi reminded him before adding, "Also, you cause enough problems with our investigation. The only thing you can do is at least stay at home till the commotion died down."

"That bloody demon who you sided with was the one who set those dogs at me that landed me in this mess in the first place!"Junko barked at the phone, "I have the right to-"

"Yeah, "Ranran shrugs nonchalantly as she interrupts Junko, "But who expected an ill-mannered lovesick girl to be in the way of achieving a better world? Let alone, risk the lives of others because of ignorance towards irresponsible police officers?"Now it was Junko's turn to be stunned at Ranran's words and the venom in her tone, for no other kid has ever said such vicious things the way Ranran said it.

"Ranran, don't be rude."Ran tried to stop Ranran, but it was no use.

"You too are at fault, you know?"The words bubbled up, poisonous in Ranran's mouth, offered to Michio like a guillotine axe."You are too spineless when it comes to her temper, that's why she is what she is because of you."

Michio blanched at her remarks, while Ranran returned Junko's call with a vindictive look "I won't stop you because, even after that dog incident, I'm sure you'll still come. But I'll remind you that, like everyone else in the association, your tantrum won't be tolerated, especially if you ended up jeopardising one of the members as a result of your dilemma with Majima. Oh, yeah," Ranran clasped both her hands together with a Cheshire grin," just like the kidnapping, it won't be our fault if your mother discovers you died while on duty, you understand?"

Junko took a deep breath and attempted to relax as she recalled the incident. She could feel beads of perspiration developing on her brow, and her hands were trembling so severely that she was terrified she might drop her smartphone in response to the threat. To suppress her anxiety and avoid giving the red lip demon satisfaction, she reacted aggressively "That's OK! I'm not going overboard! Are you pleased now?"

Satisfied with her response, "Alright, if you say so, Fuyuko Junko."Ranran rolled her eyes at Junko with scepticism, deciding that since there will be tons of problems stemming from this girl, Ranran might as well exploit her to the max.

Then Shinichi begins to explain the plans for the stakeout at Ikkaku pier. "So here is what is going to happen tomorrow..."

......

Despite the strong afternoon sun, Ikkaku pier was a lonely, desolate spot the following day. It was located in the heart of the historic dockside district, which had long since been replaced by a modern container port. In the shadows of abandoned warehouses, derelict wooden wharves rotted.

As Ranran led the group through the narrow streets, there was no sign of police officers. The crumbling warehouses were massive structures, their doors yawning open, giving glimpses into gloomy interiors where rats scurried undisturbed. An old archway led onto Ikkaku pier, and the timbers creaked beneath their feet. They took cover behind an ancient, rustling crane and gazed out across the harbour. Countless cargo ships rode at anchor while a huge container vessel sliced through the water.

Takuma raised an eyebrow. "Ranran," he whispered, "Why is it did you let Shinichi do the planning yesterday? I mean ain't he inexperience?"

She stared around the decaying docks suspiciously. "I have my reasons."

"Uggh, even in broad daylight, this pier feels eerie." Junko's tongue was stuck out in contempt.

"I mean, there haven't been any operations here in decades." Michio made his point.

"I wouldn't have worn my new sneakers if I had known." Ran frowns, her gaze fixed on the new shoes her mother had recently purchased for her.

"Were you not wearing ballet flats yesterday?"Shinichi pointed at her shoes, recalling her to be wearing blue ballet flats while walking.

"I mean since things are going to be dangerous, I decided why not wear something suitable as Emiko said. Right, Emiko?"She smiled at Emiko as she nodded to them, "That's right, sometimes the right footwear matters."

"Girls and footwear, ugh."Takuma rolled his eyes, before his eyes cast on Ranran's red mary jane shoes, "Why are you the only one not wearing the usual rose sneakers you wear to school?" he ask Ranran.

"Rose sneakers?"Shinichi repeated in wonder.

"Ranran's sneaker has a large 3D rose design for both sides," Takuma explained.

"I feared that the rose will fall out of the shoes, also, it is rather expensive so I wore this."Ranran checked her shoes while walking, "Also the shoes I am wearing is very popular in the U.K, way back in history it used to be popular among boys before the popularity dwindled and girls began wearing it instead. It was a symbol of rebellion for girls as it was deemed a men's shoe at that time."

"Is that so?"Takuma finds this surprising before his attention fell on her shoes again."I am surprised some guy would want to wear something girly."

"There is no such thing that girl shoes can't be worn by boys, Hikari."Junko tells him off, "Even high heels were worn by men before girls began wearing it."

Shinichi could not be bothered to talk about shoes as his mind is preoccupied with the current situation, "Guys, look," Shinichi called out to them, pointing.

A shadow had painted itself onto the timber pier. As they watched, it grew larger and longer. Someone was coming.

Watanabe Ikeda emerged through the archway. He moved cautiously past them, looking around warily. He paused for a while, as if feeling danger, before proceeding along the pier. He was alone.

The jailbird had almost reached the end of the pier when he suddenly vanished from sight.

"We've lost him!" yelled Emiko.

Ranran leapt up and raced down the pier, followed by the others. All at once, they heard a powerful engine beneath their feet. The next minute, a speedboat swung out from under the pier and streaked across the water. They watched as it picked up speed and vanished among the cargo ships.

Footsteps echoed off the weathered timbers behind them. That's when Genzo and his men have surrounded the area. "I could have predicted something like this would happen," Genzo grumbled.

He led the way forward to where Watanabe had disappeared. A trapdoor hung open in the pier, and they stared down into the murky water slopping at their feet.

Ranran knelt down and inspect it. "This trapdoor appears to have been erected lately, perhaps only a few days ago. It was deceptively camouflaged. The hinges are brand new and not rusted. It is designed to be opened from the bottom - there's a bolt beneath it. Now we know why The Snake urged him to come here."

After she straightened up, Genzo placed a hand on her shoulder. "Well, Ranran, it looks like you were right. Watanabe has been nabbed against his will. I don't know whether we'll ever see him again. It was a very well-organized operation, the kind of thing The Snake is very good at."

Genzo's eyes shifted from the oily water to the ships in the harbour. "We've been in radio contact with the water police and customs, but that speedboat might be anywhere at this point. Watanabe, I believe, has been transferred to one of those ships. We'd need a sizable army to sift through each one."

"But why would they take him to a ship?" Shinichi asked.

Genzo shrugged wearily. "Who knows? My guess is The Snake might want him for a job in another country."

'It is possible,' Shinichi thought. But Ranran secretly knew it wasn't possible.

If the robbery was going to take place in another country, the Crows wouldn't even have bothered to trail Watanabe after he escaped prison for over 3 weeks. Also, ringmaster Mr Rupert wouldn't have kidnapped Junko in the first place. The fact they did tells Ranran the Crows are aware that Watanabe is never going to leave the country.

'A tiger, they are going after a tiger. The problem is....where and how do they know where to get the tiger?'

Ranran didn't share her theory yet, the more clues she get the better.