Ranran lowered herself upon the old timbers and peered through the hole once Genzo and his men had left. "Ranran! What are you searching for? "enquired Shinichi

"Clues," she mumbled, gaze fixed at the rubbish floating on the tide below.

She swung herself into the hole, gripping an old wooden ladder that extended into the water. The ladder creaked beneath her weight as she clambered down to where a piece of paper floated,

"Ranran, be careful!" gasped Takuma.

Ranran grabbed the paper out of the water. Part of the ladder snapped and fell into the water as she climbed back up. Shinichi instantly grabbed her arm and hauled her up through the hole.

"Don't ever do that again!"Shinichi lectured Ranran before taking the soggy piece of paper and holding it up for the other kids to see.

"What made you pick that paper?" Michio couldn't help but ask.

"It could be anything," Junko shrugged. "Aren't harbours always full of old rubbish?"

"True, but this piece of paper appears to be fresh, else Ranran would not have risked herself acquiring it," Shinichi pointed out. He then gently stretched out the paper in the sun and knelt for a better look.

"What exactly is this supposed to be?" Ran is a bit of a loss.

"I'm not sure." Michio is bewildered.

"It looks....like a map?"Emiko points to the paper, "What kind of map is this?"

It was then Takuma inhaled a brief intake of air. "It's a harbour map."

"Wait, what?" Ranran was perplexed as all eyes were drawn to Takuma.

"It's a harbour map around Ikkaku pier!"Takuma repeated his answer before kneeling next to Ranran and pointing the map, "See the shape of this area? It's where we are right now."

Ran was on her knees beside Shinichi. "You are right," she agreed. "And someone's drawn a line on it. Maybe it's the route the speedboat is taking."

The others crowded around the waterlogged map. A line had been drawn connecting Ikkaku pier to a spot on the far side of the harbour marked by a large X. Junko stroked her chin. "The question is, is that where they came from?" she asked. "Or where they're going?"

"It's both," Ranran concluded. "They ran a straight sprint across the harbour and back. And where that X is, that's where we'll locate Watanabe!"

"I wonder what's over there?" mused Shinichi.

"Maybe that tiger Fuyuko-san spoke about?"Emiko suggests.

"But are there any tigers in this area with cages to picklock?" Michio takes in his surroundings "The only location that sprang to mind was Duke Kramer's Circus Olympia, where we had rescued Junko. But that's all there is to it."

"However, why would they use a map instead of a smartphone?" Shinichi couldn't stop looking down. "It would have been more convenient."

"Perhaps the service here is terrible, which is why he couldn't use the map on the phone," Ranran observed as she checked her smartphone, observing there were no bars in the signal.

"Rather of going through all of this trouble, he could have simply photographed the map." Junko shares a suggestion.

"Yeah, but then you'll be constantly zooming in and out." Michio displayed a photograph of a map taken with his smartphone, zooming in and out to demonstrate his point, noting, "That's why having a real map is a more practical solution, especially in an area where the signal is limited."

"Why don't we just go to the source and see for ourselves where they took him?" Takuma raises his hand to propose a solution. "All we have to do now is get a boat and cross."

"Hah!? Are you sure? You're not being realistic, Hikari-san!" Junko cast him a contemptuous look before pointing to the muddy water. "Take a look at how turbulent the lake is! If you think renting a boat only for the seven of us to paddle across the harbour is a smart idea, we should just take a cab!"

"Are you a (Baka)idiot?! That will take an eternity if I do it the way you envisioned."Takuma sneered and turned away from Junko to converse with his friend. "Do you remember the time you boasted about being able to drive a speedboat, Ranran?"

"Brag?" Ranran had a baffled expression on her face. "I wasn't boasting when I said I knew how to drive one."

"Wait, you know how to drive a motorboat!?"Shinichi's jaw dropped, so did the rest of the kids.

"Of course, I do, as my father taught me. Why?" Ranran blinked at their reaction before returning her gaze to Takuma.

"Earlier I check Google Maps, there's a harbour cruise jetty company not far from here. If I recall correctly, there is a motorboat rental service. With your skills, I am certain you can drop us off so we can look around."Takuma explains to her.

"We're still kids, Tak-san. If we requested, would they legally allow us to hire a boat without adult supervision? Especially a motorboat?" Ranran reminded Takuma with a sigh.

"How were you able to learn if it wasn't legal?" Junko inquires, sceptical of Ranran's claims.

"I did it at my late great grandmother's private villa, it comes with a lake back in the UK," Ranran said matter-of-factly.

That explains a lot about, kids with diamond spoons in their mouths these days. Junko sighed and shook her head in disapproval.

"Don't worry," Takuma assures his friend, "I have contacts with people who work there. They will turn a blind eye regarding our age. Everything will go as planned."

"I'm not sure about this," Emiko confesses, trembling. "It might be dangerous. What if the crooks see us coming?"

"A motorboat, unlike a car, has no shield and is often raucous. If they hear us approaching, they can open fire us with guns." Ran brought this up.

"But," Shinichi counters, "they'll believe we're tourists because we're on a tourist boat."

"Yeah, seven elementary school-aged children travelling on a speedboat with no adult supervision." Junko can't help but put it cynically.

"Will this get your contacts in trouble?" Michio is disturbed by how things are unravelling.

"Oh, don't worry, everything will be alright," Takuma reassures again.

Shinichi detects the 4 other kids' uneasiness, before he proclaims, "Look, guys. Aside from rescuing Watanabe, we need to catch him. That Echis—or Snake—has been terrorising our district for the last two years! I'm not sure about you, but I agree with Takuma and Ranran that if you choose to sit out, we won't make you."

"Why don't we call the cops?" Junko shows her dissatisfaction.

"You want to risk incompetency, go ahead. But don't complain if your mom dies because of them."Ranran taunted her.

Reluctantly the kids agreed to go onboard with their plan.

Ranran had an epiphany as they walked from the dock to the boat rental jetty. She rushed ahead of the others, gripping Shinichi's shoulder and shifting away from them.

"Neh Shinichi, I've been thinking," she began, "We should look into the circus as well."

"Hah!?"

"Majima may be right, catching Watanabe to go crack some cage where a tiger is in the middle of nowhere...does it make sense? What if there isn't a tiger there? Also, we don't know what kind of tiger they're looking for or how they're going to get the tiger." Ranran tries to persuade him.

"I mean, can we genuinely investigate how one obtains a tiger?" With scepticism, he asks, "I mean, it's a shady circus. I doubt there will be any papers tracing the tiger's origins."

"You are right; there is no straightforward answer to this. But what I can affirm is that there is no way they can acquire the animals from the wild," Ranran said, crossing her arms.

"And you know this because?"Shinichi urges her to continue.

"Do you know the term captive breeding, Shinichi?"Ranran poses a question.

"Hmmm..." He mused, "having to do with caring for the animal in a tightly controlled setting before releasing it back into the wild?"

"Wild animals take thousands of years to domesticate, which is why circuses prefer having wild animals who have been raised around humans since they were young, it's simpler to control them to do tricks. However..." Ranran lowered her gaze, "More nations are now outlawing the usage of wild animals in circuses. As a result, obtaining animals becomes more difficult for them. Nonetheless, this action will undoubtedly raise the value in the black market. The more difficult anything is to get legally, the more money one is ready to spend to obtain it." Ranran contemplated the thought.

"So you are certain they have to get it somewhere where there are captive breeding?"He then ruffled his hair frustratingly, "Wild animal rehabilitation, zoo, or illegal farm animals....the pool is large."

"We should be able to figure it out if one gets to check the circus for any clues. To begin with, from Mr Rupert's trailer," she grinned as she snapped her fingers.

"Ranran, have you lost your mind!?"Shinichi scowled at her."Didn't you recall what Majima said!? About that ringmaster having killed many animals-"

"Should I get one of our members to do it?"Ranran was completely ignoring Shinichi.

"Say what now!?"Shinichi's face dropped.

"Mr Rupert is a animal handler, so he should be resourceful in looking for animals who heed their commands well. Whatever is in either of their trailers is incriminating." Ranran considers, "I would've advised breaking in, but that would be stupid."

"Right!"He confirms.

"Even so...I am certain there be clues there."Ranran is in a dilemma, but then there is a boat situation-"

"Not all 7 of us have to go, you know?"Shinichi suggests with a smirk.

"Eh!?"Ranran swiftly shifted her gaze to Shinichi.

..........

"So you're suggesting that not all of us will be riding on a boat!? But some of us will have to travel to the circus to locate additional clues!?"

Shinichi's news has everyone's eyes wide open and mouth gaping as he says, "Majima is correct. If we get there and find no tiger, it will be all for nought if we contact the cops. That's why we've decided that some of us must go to the circus. So we just need three kids who are willing to go." Shinichi extends three fingers.

"Why can't Ranran go?" Ran's eyes penetrated Shinichi's while she was pointing at the red-lip girl.

"Well then, do you know how to drive a motorboat, Ranran?"Shinichi challenges Ran.

"Uh....no." Ran came to a halt.

"Well, then why can't you go?"Emiko challenges Shinichi, "You can't drive a motorboat either."

"Are you insane?! I'd be callous to leave a defenceless girl on a motorboat as she pursues dangerous criminals!" Shinichi looked at Emiko as if she were insane.

Defenceless!? Ranran is the one who had a gun towards your head! Takuma couldn't help but shoot a doubtful expression towards Shinichi.

"But, Shinichi, I know how to take care of myself—" Ranran broached the subject, but he was having none of it.

"You are still the smallest out of everyone, they could easily overpower you, Ranran."Shinichi glared at her.

"I can't do that either because I need to persuade the motorboat rental company." Takuma heaves a breath. "They won't just hand me the keys to the boat if we haven't met in person."

"I'm not afraid of going to the circus. I've always wanted to see what a circus is like," Emiko remarked, her eyes gleaming.

"Alright, anyone else?" Ranran nodded before facing Michio, Junko, and Ran. "I'll go-" Michio eventually raised his hands.

"You can't, Michio! Instead, I'll go!" A voice cut them off, causing both of them to startle and turn around to find it was Junko.

"Eh?! Are you certain?" Ranran questions with scepticism.

"Ranran, what do you mean am I certain?" What is with her distrustful look? Junko can't help but wonder.

"You were trash-talking Amelia for kissing Majima the other day."Ranran's lips thinned at her as she reminded her.

"I'm not going to allow some investigation get in the way of it." Junko attempts to persuade her.

"I doubt it; didn't you bite a girl's arm the other day because she drank Majima's water tumbler by accident?" Emiko's distrust of Junko was obvious.

"What I did on that particular day was-" Junko intended to defend her actions, but felt it was a waste of time at the last minute, "Listen, Ranran, I'm doing this for Majima's good."

"I'm guessing you're doing this because you're afraid she'll kiss him again?" Takuma couldn't stop himself from teasing.

"No, you moron! Majima can't swim! He also gets easily sea-sick!"

Junko announced this to the members, resulting in the younger kids' faces falling in response. Nobody said anything for a while. Finally, Ranran says, "I understand if one gets seasick, but why didn't he learn to swim to overcome his fear?"

"Well, Majima is from the Astrology club," Junko said as everyone looked at her, blinking in disbelief. "You see, his family is quite into that type of thing, astrology," she sighs. Still not understanding how this had anything to do with his inability to swim, she went on to say, "His birthdate allegedly indicates he will very likely drown to death according to astrology readings, so..."

He looked away, refusing to face them.

Something suddenly occurred to them. Each of them covered their mouths, unsure whether to gasp in surprise or laugh at the knowledge. Finally, Ranran became the first to laugh, setting off a chain reaction. The 4 kids had begun to laugh at that thought, he growled. "This isn't funny, you know!" he said, clearly not amused.

"Sorry, it's just...the fact that you can't swim because of a freaking astrological reading is just...wow," Emiko spat out another poorly suppressed chuckle.

Shinichi, on the other hand, was practically wheezing, "This is the worst explanation I have ever heard someone give for not learning to swim!"

"Seriously,mou," Takuma remarked, pulling a face of annoyance at them."I heard all sorts of excuses from other kids when they want to avoid football practice. But Astrology is ridiculous!"

"I agree!" Ran nodded, her face contorted with amusement.

Junko is irritated by the kids' laughter at Majima and lashes back "I don't believe in nonsense like astrology, but given that he is still her only son and she no longer has a spouse, you can understand why. He will perish if he slips off the boat."

Their laughing was cut short by the threat. "All okay, my apologies." Ranran regains her serious expression as she adopts a solemn gaze toward Junko. "But what if you run across Mr Rupert again and fail to fight back?"

"If you're so concerned, Ranran, why don't I go with Junko and Emiko, since we're both black belts?" Ran waved nonchalantly.

"No! I'm not having it!" Shinichi yelled at Ran, his face clearly horrified and even enraged by the idea."Speaking for carelessly like that! This isn't a joke!"Shinichi kept going, not noticing the other kids' discomfort over this ongoing drama. Meanwhile, Ranran just observes their squabbles as if it were a tennis match.

"Then what about you? Suddenly becoming someone's apprentice! Going with someone as defenceless as Ranran?! The same girl who did those things to Sonoko!"She argued back.

The others remain as they are while Junko's jaw dropped over those revelations.

"What are those things? You're referring to the time she broke into our house!? Did you forget about that?! Let's not forget who was responsible for all of this to the point that one ended up in a wheelchair!" Shinichi screamed back at her.

"How is that fair-" Ran stomped.

"Silence!" Ranran's powerful, loud voice caught them both off guard and put a stop to their quarrel. Ranran approached Ran and said, "I will not prevent you from joining Emiko. It's okay to be concerned about her condition, Shinichi," she returned to him. "We do not, however, have the right to advise someone not to do it because of personal emotions. After all, she knew exactly what she was getting herself into the moment she stepped foot here."

"Ranran-"But Ranran dismisses him.

"As for you, Mouri," Ranran said to the brown-haired girl, "are you sure you can handle it?" She spoke with piercing blue eyes "There are two men who have a history of killing wild animals. Can you handle them if they see you? Because the moment they catch you, you'll be dead for good. I'm sure they had the same goal for Junko the moment they kidnapped her."

There is a long pause surrounding them. Despite the arrival of spring, there was a peculiar, suffocating silence. As though everyone in the world was waiting for Ran's response.

Death was something she feared as the daughter of a former police officer. Ran understands this better than anybody else. Her father's days as an officer made her fear for his life before he became a private investigator. At the time, news of cops dying in the line of duty was common. Although she had toughened up a lot as a result of what she had to go through, she was still afraid of death. It was always there, lurking in the shadows, ready to seize her. Joining the Tantei organisation was the last thing Mouri Ran would have done to preserve her life.

But she knew she had to confront it since that was the only way to get Sonoko out of this predicament. In addition, there is a vicious criminal on the loose in their difficult. Ran maybe a coward in tough circumstances, but she will not tolerate evil guys endangering the streets!

"...yeah. I can manage them," she answers after what seems like an eternity, as Ranran's eyes widen at her response, "Although this is my first time dealing with this kind of situation, I fear dying." Nonetheless," Ran's words were certainly unexpected as she took a deep, steadying breath. "If I don't do it, I'm failing justice right in front of my eyes."

"Ran..." Shinichi's words evaporated.

"Alright, then I won't stop you." Ranran sighs and adds, "But before I depart with the boys, girls, a word?"The girls surrounded her as the rest stood from afar looking puzzled at them. Ranran spoke in a low volume, "As soon as you three get there, I need you, girls, to find certain things..."

~~~

"I'll bet with you if our school remove the school uniform ruling, judging Ranran's character, you can bet she will dress differently than the rest of us."

The three girls boarded a bus heading to the circus. The bus was packed, and there was a lot of scenery passing by as Junko brought this up. Ran is sitting next to her listening to all of this, while Emiko sat behind them, "What makes you think that, Fuyuko?" Emiko believes Junko has conjured up yet another delusionary imagination.

"Do you remember what she said, girls? What about her granny having a lakeside villa?"Junko brings it up.

"Hah?" Ran was confused by Junko's comment, "What about it?"

"She is rich, Mouri! Rich! It's clear that a girl like her is from high society!"Junko tries to explain.

"Not really, Shinichi's parents are wealthy enough to purchase a villa similar to Ranran's, but they aren't from high society." Ran's remarks.

"Yeah, but do you know of any other kid like her who would condemn someone so harshly as Ranran did!" Junko rolled her eyes, disgusted. " She just looks at me with such contempt...as if I'm dirt!"

"Don't be silly, Fuyuko."Ran thinks Junko is crazy.

"That's true! Everyone in high society understands the significance of looking down on those below them. It's what distinguishes them from other kids and keeps them in charge! I'm sure Ranran looks down on us girls since she feels superior to us all!"

"Fuyuko, you have officially lost your mind," Ran exclaimed, wide-eyed at Junko before scooting her seat away from her, "I am going to sit with Emiko for a while."

"Fine! But one day you know I am right!"

Ran stood up before joining Emiko at the back. Emiko initially just stared out the window, lost in thought. Then, without warning, she turned to Ran and gave her a curious look. "Er..." She inserted herself nervously, causing Ran to turn her head gently towards her with a blank expression on her face. "There's something I've been meaning to ask you..."

"Nani?" Ran replied.

"Well..." Ran's demeanour wasn't helping the situation. Emiko pressed her index fingers against each other repeatedly, looking down while she contemplated a response. "As for what you mentioned about Ranran, what made you believe she isn't looking down on our social standing?"

"Eh?"

"It's just...Ranran did all of that to Sonoko and you. But you don't believe she's showing her status to look down on you like that. What makes you so sure?"

Almost immediately, a smile appeared. Ran closed her eyes and turned her face to the front, as if deep in concentration "I was expecting her to make some cruel remarks about my parents that would make me weep so hard that I would leave the association. But she never did while I was there."

"What...?" she inquired.

"I constantly had kids pointing fingers and laughing at my parents' separation; it was the one thing that got me riled up and made me cry because I felt helpless. This separation was something that everyone in my class was aware of, and it is the worst situation a kid like me can be in. If she wanted to smear me, she could have exploited the fact that I had dysfunctional parents while she didn't." Ran shook her head, "Even when I barged my way into the group, appearing unreasonable, she never once commented, 'As expected of a child of separated parents to act that way.' The only negative things she said about me were concerning my character, not about my parents. If she was going to kick me out, the easiest way was to use this against me and it would be easier for her."

"Ran-san..."

"She could've also used your divorce parents against you during the dog scenario when you were against it, but she never did. Ranran is a devious girl who never hesitates to use anything, especially the shortcomings of one person against her enemies. The fact that she didn't call out my status as my shortcoming tells me one thing: I could be wrong, but she judges one by character." Emiko is stunned by Ran's remarks, which she concludes with, "Then again, I ain't sure if she might strike me using this later on."

Ran sighs as Emiko ponders the situation.

No. She is doing this to ensure you make a mistake.

Knowing Ranran's reputation, she is far too sly to overlook such an obvious opportunity to kick the both of them out. Emiko could be wrong, but the real reason why Ranran didn't use this against them is probably that it would be deemed useless in her head.

There has been a drastic increase in the number of furious kids belonging to those kinds of families seeking her services after Emiko opened her intel business in their school, and reported altercations between the victims and bullies alike are increasing as days and months go by. Nowadays, a rise in uproar from the victims has had it with their tormentors, and it's taking a turn for the worst.

If Ranran were to use the excuse 'belonging to divorced parents' as the reason for kicking both of them out, Tantei Association will not survive to live another day as that would mean 'discrimination', and kids like Ran and Emiko will stage mass protests and had them shut down for good. And Ranran is cautious about it, which is why she didn't bring this up.

The reason Emiko knows this was because one of Ranran's victims once accused her of 'preferential treatment' since he was aware that coincidentally, the victims she had punished were mostly from divorced parents after exposing their crimes after the other, it was intentionally done so to put a hit on her, after she exposed him as a thief in front of the other kids at school.

But then Ranran later turn the tide against the victim when she quoted 'What do your parents splitting up have anything to do with you pickpocketing money from the kid you bullied? Did they ask you to bully the kid? Other kids I know of back in my hometown were raised not to be thieves even after the divorce. What is your point are you trying to prove here? That all kids from similar backgrounds like you will become thieves like you? If that is the case, you are far worst trash than the others.'

As soon as she said those savage words, the other kids who were watching this jeered at the thief, including the others who shared a similar background with the thief called him a 'coward of his kind',  and his face was filled with anger and shame.

That's right, Ran isn't wrong about the founder of T.A. She doesn't judge one's lacking base on their background, and for once, Emiko thinks maybe Ranran wasn't that bad of a person at all.

After that, they travelled in silence until the bus came to a halt outside the circus. The vast field of tents and trailers appeared to be uninhabited. The only people they saw were two men in overalls feeding horses. Emiko approached them. "We're looking for a Mr Rupert?" she inquires.

One of the men indicated with his head. "Over there, kid, past the big top."

So the three girls set out through the maze of trailers and cages. They noticed several cleaners inside the large tent as they passed by. "When this is all done, I'd like to watch a genuine circus. But tickets are expensive for a kid like me to go by himself," Ran observed.

"I'd want to see one, too," Emiko agreed, "but I didn't have someone to go with."

"I have people to go with," Junko sighs, "But we don't have enough money to get by."

"How about your father?" Ran questioned. "Didn't Majima mention he was a ship's captain? Surely the money should have been enough?"

"He does, but only enough to keep the house afloat and me in school." Junko responded quietly, "My maternal grandma remarked that we don't have a lot of money because my paternal grandmother is the only one who has authority over the amount of money he sends to us."

"What!? Why would she do that? Are they poor or anything?"Ran couldn't help but be curious.

"My maternal grandma, on the other hand, says they aren't." Junko was dubious. "She claimed my mother did something unforgivable, therefore that's why we're living this way."

"Something unforgivable?" Emiko remarked at her strange choice of words."What do you mean by that?"

"Well-"

"Hi girls, the show doesn't start till tonight," a girl's voice cut Junko off before she could respond to the other two girls. "You'll have to return a little later."

They turned around to see a Caucasian girl with short-cropped hair. The girls' jaws fell. Michio was right when he said she was the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen. "We're simply taking a look around," Ran blurted out.

"That's right." The caucasian's eyes shone brightly. "Snooping is more like it, I spotted you girls from afar looking for something," she accused. "You should go home. I'm allowed to stay since I'm a member of the circus."

Emiko studied her warily and remembered Ranran's words to them about a friend she know now as they walked to the pier earlier on. "Amelia right? Kudo Ranran's friend?"

"I'm sorry, do I know you?" Amelia asks, incredulous.

"You don't, but you know Ranran, and met one of our members yesterday night."Emiko tries to stir her memory.

"One of your-right! That Majima boy."Amelia suddenly snap her finger, before adding, "Then you 3 girls must be one of the members of that agency he spoke about."

"That's correct. This is Mouri Ran, and the other is Fuyuko Junko," Emiko revealed before presenting the two girls as they bow in greeting.

"So they are the members, huh?"Amelia pondered for a time before shifting her gaze to the two."Where is Ranran, by the way?"

"Well, she and the others-"

"Are back at the HQ," Emiko jumps in before Junko reveals something, "they are checking over some files before coming here."

"Ah, is that so?"

Emiko elbowed Ran, before she too quickly confirmed, "Yes, she is still back at the HQ."

Truth to the matter, the girls wanted to tell the truth, but then after listening to Ranran informing them not to tell Amelia, it was clear she did it to prevent her from worrying about Ranran.

"That's good," Amelia exhaled, "because if she gets into something dangerous, I'll make sure she doesn't hear the end of it after what happened last time."

"The last time?" That piqued the 3 girls' attention, so Ran followed up with, "Like what?"

Sensing their curiosity, Amelia decided, "I don't have to share this with the 3 of you, considering you ain't her friends."

"EH!?" Amelia's statement disappointed all three of them, but not before Junko notices something. "How do you know we're not friends with her? Michio, did he tell you?"

"No, he didn't." Amelia frowned, "But, if Ranran didn't tell any of you, that meant she doesn't trust you. She has always been that way. Which reminds me," Amelia took a deeper look at the three "How did you three wind up working for her? Don't get me wrong, but if the three of you are tools, you guys will be the last three I'd want to use for gardening."

"Hey! We may not be the sharpest tools in the shed, but that didn't mean we were stupider than that red lip demon!" Junko shrieked at the obnoxious contortionist.

"Demon?" Amelia grew much more bewildered, "Why do you call her that!?"

"All right, I'll explain." Ran sighs before telling Amelia, "Do you want the long version or the short version?"

So, after listening to their account of events, Amelia concluded in sympathy, "Ranran, that poor girl. Her life is quite hard."

"Hey! I was kidnapped thanks to her!"Junko grew mad that Amelia was feeling unsympathetic towards their plight.

"You earned it!" Amelia shook her head viciously at Junko."Your attitude could've endangered the lives of many! It wasn't a difficult decision for her to make, cause I too would do so without hesitation in the name of justice!" She grimaced, then glared at Ran. "As for you, always crying to get things their way like a crybaby, no wonder Ranran considered you a silly bumpkin, and if I were that Shinichi boy, I won't ever want to see you at all! Cause I too would leave, dealing with a crybaby that favors emotions over logic! To think you would side someone who had hit her till she was wheelchair bound! What is wrong with you?!"

"Hey, Ran may not be smart, but she's not a crybaby!" Emiko stood up for their pal. "Not everyone is as smart as Ranran, or you for that matter!"

"If we had to deal with such foolishness at our old school, where Ranran and I used to go, you both would've suffered the most! You should be thankful that Ranran's punishment for both of you was merely a slap on the wrist! Otherwise, you would have endured worst!" Amelia chastised the two.

It was the two girls' fault, they both knew it. But that didn't stop Junko or Ran from trying to justify their actions. "It's not like Sonoko meant to hurt her," Ran pleaded.

"Exactly! She set out two dogs on me! It doesn't make a wrong a right! That girl is a psychopath!"Junko argued.

"A psychopath?" Amelia repeated incredulously. "Then how would you feel while you are busy doing a private investigation for an innocent client, only for a pathetic girl who only has some cute boy on their mind to interfere 24/7!? If that client dies because of both of your interference, are you going to apologize and get the dead victim's life back!?"

The two girls then hung their heads in shame after hearing that, "No," Ran muttered, followed by Junko, "I don't either."

Emiko decided to cut to the chase, "Amelia, we came here to find out more about Mr Rupert."

"Mr Rupert not here," Amelia sneered. "And even if he were, he wouldn't talk to you. He hates strangers prying into his business and he's very dangerous."

"Alright, then we might as well talk to you." Emiko persisted, "Ranran said this circus was formerly called Bengal Tiger circus with 4 Bengals, do you guys still use those tigers in your circus?"

That's when Amelia shot her a strange look, "What an odd question... of course he still has tigers!"

"Oh really?"The shock was evident to the other two girls.

"I am surprised Ranran still remembered, I mean she was around 3 or 4 years old whenever she drop by. The circus still has those four Bengal tigers. That's why it's formerly called the Bengal Circus before management switch and we ended up having elephants and other animals over."

"But where are they?" Ran asked her. "I can only see his lions."

Amelia rolled her eyes. "Don't you girls not learn anything?" she groaned. "You can't keep the big cats together. They get jealous. Honestly, how is it all of you are not as smart as Ranran?"

'Just like putting you and Junko together, Ranran would have love to film this all on video camera and upload it on Nico Nico, then make millions of views and gain money out of it.' Emiko smiled to herself.

"I can try to show you those tigers, but that depends if we are lucky."Amelia gave an uneasy frown.

"Eh? Why? Couldn't you just see them?"Emiko detected the uneasiness of the contortionist.

"When Mr Rupert took over the circus, he had concerns that the animals may break free and we end up losing more money, so he tends to lock up the tent. But since he is also an airhead, there are times he did forget to lock the tent."Amelia led the way past trailers and tents toward the tiger cages. Fortunately, it ain't locked.

"Ranran is right, those kinds of tigers are very valuable," she explained as they walked. "You can't just simply buy tigers for a circus nowadays. You have to train them from a young, get used to being around us humans. Cause there were far too many laws against smuggling wild animals in certain countries ."

Junko's eyes lit up. "Animal smuggling... I wonder if that's what The Snake is doing?" she spoke with a lowered voice.

Amelia frowned. "Who's The Snake?"

"A suspect Ranran thinks might be responsible for some small crime she is working on," Mouri told her. "Amelia, if an adult wanted to steal a tiger from this circus, do you think it is possible?"

"Are you kidding? No chance."Amelia insists, "After that security fiasco, my ex-boss was furious to hear what had happened to the missing animals." she deeply frown, "So the unthinkable happened, our previous ringmaster ended up buying their cages instead."

"Eh!? Why?"Junko was astonished.

"Well, my ex-boss believes Mr Rupert isn't capable of looking after those animals. So he bought all of these cages himself. If Mr Rupert ever wanted access to it, he would need to call one of my co-workers to open it."Amelia explained, before adding, "All of my co-workers are very protective of the animals when it comes to Mr Rupert given his character, so there is no way Mr Rupert be able to open it without someone witnessing."

"Aside from cages alone, what if the person is an experience pick locker for over 60 plus years?"Emiko suggests.

"That person must be insane. He or she would have to begin from the inside because it is just too heavily guarded to-" They'd reached a corner before Amelia could complete her sentence. Their way was blocked by a wire fence with a padlocked gate. Beyond it was tiger cages, where three big, tawny-coloured tigers with black stripes stood motionless watching them. "That's strange! What happened to FIFI? Also, why is his cage still missing?!"

"Fifi? What is special about that tiger?"Emiko asked while she, Junko and Ran looked around for the missing tiger.

"Fifi ain't your typical ordinary tiger out of the 4 of them! Fifi is the star of our circus show. With Fifi missing...."She pointed at the spot where the cage should be."There is no way the show can start without it! FIFI! FIFI! WHERE ARE YOU!!!??"Amelia decided to call out her name, but there was no response. By this point, Amelia began to feel a sense of panic rising in her chest.

"Wait, a freaking tiger is out on the loose now!?"This makes Junko panicked stricken, "What if it eats us!? Or eat any of the visitors here!"

"No, what if we lost Fifi from India?! Oh no!!"Amelia became frantic, "What are we going to do for tomorrow's show then!"

"India?"Emiko's eyebrows shot up tilting her head.

"Before coming here, we did a show back in India. Due to legal issues, not all of the animals arrived at the circus yet. But that's is odd, Mr Rupert claim that Fifi arrived here already. Fifi!" Amelia cried out to the tiger, but there was no response.

"Maybe Mr Rupert lied?"Junko suggested.

"He'll be stupid to do so if you ask me!"Amelia whipped her head at the three, "Fifi is like his no.1 prize possession, without it, he won't have the money to feed the entire circus and himself for months!"

"Anyway, how would Mr Rupert know when Fifi would arrive?"Ran couldn't help but ask.

"He is in charge of the import of animals, as Ringmaster, that is his job."Amelia answered, before adding, "That bloody airhead! He must have forgotten the schedule again! I am going to confront him later on!"

While Amelia stormed out of the circus to rally her co-workers.

"We better contact Ranran, let her know about this."Emiko eagerly fish out her smartphone to try to call her, only to recall that the area Ranran and the boys were travelling had no signal.

~~~

As usual, Shinichi was the one who dipped into his pocket for money. However, after hearing Takuma's plans, his connection grew worried and suggested that one of his colleagues take them to the far side of the harbour instead. After all, he fears the worst for a 6-year-old girl driving a motorboat on her own. But when he named his price, Takuma turned pale. But it was no problem for Shinichi, though Michio was equally shocked. His weekly allowance was enough to cover the cost.

The motorboat chugged between cargo ships of every shape and size. Sailors waved from the decks, and a tugboat gave them a friendly blast as it slid past. But there was no sign of the speedboat anywhere on the harbour.

As they neared the shore, the boatman checked the map that Ranran had fished from the water. He steered the motorboat toward a cluster of warehouses and factories.

"Maybe The Snake has his headquarters over there," suggested Michio.

Ranran shaded her eyes against the sun and studied the buildings that crowded the shoreline. "But it'll be looking for a needle in a haystack," she said. "He could be anywhere."

"No, he wouldn't!" cried Shinichi excitedly. "Look! Isn't that the speedboat?"

He pointed to where a speedboat rocked on the tide beside a small jetty.

"We've found The Snake's boat!" Ranran grinned, and Shinichi told the boatman to let them off.

The motorboat nosed into the jetty and everyone climbed out. Ranran and Shinichi ran along and peered down into the speedboat.

It was empty.

Ranran looked around. For a brief moment, she had the strangest feeling that someone was watching her. Her skin tingled with a spasm of fear." The Snake can't be far away," she warned. "Watch out for anything suspicious."

She led the way along the jetty to the road. Traffic surged past. Vans and trucks rumbled by, and some pulled in to make deliveries. People hurried in and out of buildings.

"I think we got here too late," said Michio.

No sooner had they reached the first side street than they saw a familiar long, black car parked outside a doorway on one of the buildings.

"The crows are here!" shouted Takuma. "They must have followed their speedboat all the way here!"

"Well, well, well," said the man in black, parting the curtain with a gloved hand and staring down into the street. "Guess who's just arrived?"

Across the room, a brutal man with the shoulders of an ape shook his head.

"Looks like those kids aren't to be underestimated, for them to come this far." advised the man in black with a tight smile. "Very interesting."

"How did they find us?" the other man wondered.

"I've no idea, Finlay, but I don't want them causing any more trouble."

The man in black stepped away from the window."They've seen the car and they're heading this way. You know what to do, don't you?"

Finlay's grin exposed a row of broken teeth. "Leave it to me, boss."

"Put them in the basement. Before we dispose of them, I want to find out exactly what they know."

As soon as Finlay had left the room, the man in black pulled a hood over his head and slipped a gun into his pocket.