Yesterday around midnight, 6-year-old Shinichi was all up in his tent alone.

After that feud with Sonoko and Ran, he was still fuming about their behaviour towards Ranran. In the tent, Shinichi was tossing and turning, unable to sleep. The argument with Sonoko made him realize that she and Ran are still under Mamiko's lies and influence.

In times like this, he decided he was going to read a mystery novel.

As Shinichi reached for his favourite book, The Sign of Four, he noticed the paper sticking out of the book.

Curious, he pulled out the paper and realized that it was the same note Ranran left behind. The note which told everyone not to look for her, as she will be alright. No matter how hard he observed, there were no traces of it being forcefully written.  As if she knew where to go and seek shelter, food and water elsewhere besides here.

Speaking of which, when he inspected the fridge on Tuesday, he even requested the inventory stock that is updated frequently every morning by the instructors. To his surprise, some food and drinks were missing, but the instructors didn't seem to think anything of it. 

Since Ranran lived in the U.K., one of her favourite food such as shepherd's pie and crumpets were not available there, so Shinichi knew it must have been her who took the food. But it was odd that many fruits and vegetables went missing as well, fruits she dislikes such as pears for example were taken alongside her.

By calculation wise....the portion was enough to last for days out in the wilderness. Maybe even a month by estimation for a child if his maths was right.

Shinichi's mind started racing as he tried to piece together the clues. Why would Ranran leave like that? And why would she take that much food and water with her? He couldn't shake off the feeling that something was off.

Another strange thing was what the other members had reported to him.

On the day Ranran went missing, Rika the horse instructor stormed into the inn that evening, furious that one of her best horses is missing as well. Judging her horse riding skill, Shinichi suspects Ranran stole the horse on the night she went missing. But where?

The last thing that bothers him, was what Takuma and Reina shared with him.

......................................

"Ranran said that our sensei intentionally booked us on this affordable camping trip just to go out on a date?!"

The couple nodded to the blue-eyed boy as Reina revealed while the three gathered in the living room, "When did she know of this?"

"As soon as she found out about the camping trip, Ranran was digging all out to avoid being sent there by her parents." Takuma deeply sighed, "You see, Arima-sensei thinks she might be getting too old to get married, and her work schedule as a form substitute teacher is preventing her from finding true love. In addition to that, taking time off won't do because that would mean she won't get paid in salary."

"But by booking this trip, she won't get stuck in the classroom all day to 'broaden her horizons," Reina rolled her eyes, "Still working as a teacher actively under the guise of seeking men...I swear that when Ranran revealed this to us, we couldn't believe it either."

Shinichi furrowed his brows, "So, you're implying that Arima-sensei booked this camping trip to find a potential husband?"

"That's what Ranran was able to discover after digging around," Takuma confirmed.

Shinichi couldn't help but feel disgusted at the thought of a teacher using her students' camping trip as a guide to finding a husband. It was an abuse of power and completely unethical.

Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind, "Wait a minute...this info would've been enough for Ranran to blackmail her way out. I know Ranran, she blackmails anyone if she sees the opportunity, so why didn't she do it?"

Reina shrugged, "Who knows? Which is why I found it odd why Ranran didn't do it."

Takuma added, "Or maybe she didn't have the chance to use it."

Shinichi nodded slowly, "That is odd....then Ranran didn't need to take so much food and water with her if she knew about it."

Reina's eyes widened, "Wait, she took food and water with her? How much?"

Shinichi recounted what he had observed from the inventory stock and the missing food, "It was enough to last her for days, maybe even a month."

Takuma rubbed his chin, "If she did steal a horse to run away, she must have planned this out very carefully. She wouldn't have taken that much food and water unless she knew she would need it."

Reina gasped, "Do you think she's in danger, which is why she stole it?"

Takuma's heart sank, "I hope not. Seriously, where the hell is she at a time like this!?"

..................................

It wasn't until he recalled something, a lightbulb moment struck him.

Realizing where she has headed, Shinichi went out of his tent and headed to another.

"You want me to lend you my compass!?" Takuma found himself saying to Shinichi as he entered his tent, "Why!?"

"I have an idea of where Ranran might have gone," Shinichi explained, "And I need to follow her tracks. I need your compass to make sure I'm heading in the right direction."

Takuma looked at Shinichi sceptically, "But it's the middle of the night. It's not safe to go out alone."

"I know, but I have to find Ranran," Shinichi replied, determined, "And I'll be careful. Please, Takuma, can I borrow your compass?"

Takuma sighed, "Alright, but let me come with you. It's too dangerous to go out alone."

"No, you stay back with the others," Shinichi insists, "We still have no clue whether if there is a murderer among us, and I need you to report to me if there is anything at stake."

Takuma hesitated for a moment but ultimately relented, knowing that Shinichi was determined to find Ranran and wouldn't give up until he did. "Okay, but be careful and make sure to come back safely," he said as he handed over his compass to Shinichi.

Shinichi thanked Takuma and quickly left the tent, making his way towards the direction he suspected Ranran had gone. 

And that was the last time he saw Shinichi.

.........................

As the morning sun shone down on the campsite, everyone frantically searched for Shinichi. Ran was particularly worried, knowing that he was not one to just disappear without a word.

After hours of searching, they finally found a note left behind in his tent. Ran read it out loud, her voice trembling.

"If anyone is reading this, I am off to look for Ranran. And to Miss Rika, again, I am sorry that I too need to borrow one of your horses. Whatever activities you all have in store, go ahead without me. And don't need to look for me, I will be fine. I brought enough food from the fridge earlier."

Ran looked at the note with a mix of worry and frustration. She couldn't believe that Shinichi would just leave without telling anyone. "We have to find him," She said, her voice stern, "We can't just let him wander off on his own."

"Ran, we can't. Just look at the typhoon now," Reina pointed out.

Ran looked out to see the storm clouds gathering in the distance, and she knew that Reina was right. "But by the time we do, Shinichi can no longer be located!"

"Exactly!" Sonoko who was with Ran agrees.

"Mouri, Suzuki, I get it," Reina folded her arms while firmly replying, "But I think judging on how things have played out, I believed he will return on his own."

Ran wasn't convinced, but she knew that arguing with Reina wouldn't get them anywhere. She sighed and nodded, "Okay, fine. But we need to keep an eye out for him and make sure he's okay."

The group agreed, and they spent the rest of the day huddled up in their tents, waiting for the typhoon to pass. As the winds howled and the rain poured down, Ran couldn't help but worry about Shinichi. She hoped that he was okay and that he would come back soon.

Finally, the storm passed, and the sun came out again. The group stepped outside, relieved to see that their tents had held up against the strong winds. But there was still no sign of Shinichi.

As they waited out the storm, Ran couldn't help but think about Shinichi and how much she cared for him. She had always been drawn to him, even though they bickered constantly. But now, with him missing, she realized just how much he meant to her.

And yet, all his head ever thinks of is none other than Kudo Ranran.

That troublemaking Kudo Ranran...what does he even see in her!?

While all of this was going on, the children again trooped to the kitchen in the inn. Although the place is contaminated with insects, so far the boat instructor was able to prevent the kitchen and dining area from having insects pestering around that area. "Eat up, kids, according to the weather forecast, it seems like the typhoon is about to subside in an hour's time. So we can do one of the activities we missed out on due to the typhoon."

For today's breakfast, it was a combination of rice, miso soup, grilled fish, and various side dishes such as pickles, tamagoyaki (rolled omelette), nori (dried seaweed), natto (fermented soybeans), and tofu. "Just the thing for keeping out the cold," he told them heartily. "You're going to need it today."

"Are we doing canoeing?" asked Takuma, tucking into a slice of fish.

"Yes, supposedly after the typhoon ends, but the weather is still on the rough side," replied Yoshinaga Iwao with disappointment in his voice, squinting out of the window. "There's a loch in the hills where I wanted to take all of you, but it will be too dangerous up there for beginners just now."

"If that is the case, Rika," Miki turned to the horse instructor's face and suggests, "Could you take up Iwao-san's slot and have your horses guide the children to go around the area? You could take the children to go down past the woodshed and along the valley – the wind won't be so bad there."

"That's true," agreed Rika before sighing. "Yeah, it's better that someone ask for permission rather than stealing my two best horses."

Takuma and the rest of the children exchanged their looks in silence, knowing who she is referring to. "Everyone, are you all in on the ride?"

A mostly enthusiastic series of replies rang around the kitchen, almost drowning out Sonoko's conversation with Ran, "Ahh...those horses again?" Ran moaned.

"Come on, Ran, maybe the horses would eventually warm up to us." Sonoko nudged her friend. 

"I know, but still..." Ran trailed off, lost in thought.

Sonoko noticed her friend's worried expression and asked, "What's wrong, Ran?"

"I just can't help but worry about Shinichi," Ran replied, her voice low. "What if something happened to him out there?"

"I know how you feel," Sonoko said, placing a comforting hand on Ran's shoulder. "But we have to trust that he can take care of himself. And if he needs our help, he knows that we're here for him."

"I hope you're right," Ran said, a hint of doubt still in her voice.

When they'd finished breakfast, it was on with the hard hats and sensible shoes, and off to the stables. 

Surprisingly, Miki and his wife Jun decided to join them, since under Miki's own words, "We decided we could both do with some air after that infestation episode and days being in the tent. We both could use some fresh air."

Or at least, through Takuma's perspective, it was mostly Miki's idea but not his wife's.

Because he could see that Jun's face was as if she was wearing an impenetrable, expressionless mask, not in a position to decide anything for anyone, let alone herself.

"Then Iwao-san, I hope lunch would be ready by then." Miki greeted his other colleague.

Rika smiled at Miki, though she seemed less pleased at the sight of his wife.

The children were planning to go when Rika suddenly patted her pockets. "Oh! I've forgotten my gloves!" she said. "Won't be a minute." She disappeared into the house for a few moments but was soon back, fully equipped for the great outdoors. She sprang into the saddle with practised ease, and Ran couldn't help feeling a little bit envious as she clambered awkwardly onto the back of the horse she was riding. 

Taking up the reins the way they learnt days ago and, nose to tail, they all set off across the yard. Iwao was silhouetted in the kitchen window, his hand raised in a farewell salute, as they all rode away.

They followed the winding road down to the bottom of the hill, where a stone building stood in a clump of trees. Opposite it was a gate that led to the open moor. Rika then opened it from the back of her horse in a skilled manoeuvre and then led us along the valley floor.

It seemed that horses didn't like foul weather any more than Takuma did. They plodded along in a dreary, weary walk, and when a sudden squall doused us with icy rain, the creatures all swung round, bums into the wind, heads down, refusing to budge. All they could do was sit there until it had blown over.

But even though the horses were stubborn and the wind was cold and the rain was wet, it felt good to be out of doors. The scenery was amazing and out here in the daylight, the moor looked completely different from the night before. The sky was grey and cloudy, but the lush green grass and the heather in bloom added a splash of colour to the landscape. Ran could hear the sound of a nearby stream as they rode along, and the fresh smell of the rain and the earth filled her nostrils.

It was so beautiful, that kids started taking pictures of their horses, or even took videos.

As they rode along, the rain began to ease up, and the horses picked up their pace. Rika led them up a steep hill, and Ran could feel her heart beating faster as they climbed. But the view from the top was worth it - they could see for miles in every direction, and the sun was starting to break through the clouds.

"Wow, this is amazing!" Ayumi exclaimed, taking in the view. "I wish we could stay up here forever!"

The others laughed, but Ran knew what she meant. It was a magical moment, and she felt a sense of freedom and exhilaration that she didn't often experience in her everyday life. She vowed to make the most of it and to cherish the memory for years to come.

A sight to behold, except...it would've been better for Ran if Shinichi was with them.

Instead, he was out somewhere in the woods since last night, searching for that troublesome Kudo Ranran.

Ran couldn't help but feel a little worried about Shinichi. She knew he was a skilled detective, but the woods could be dangerous, especially if he was alone. She pushed those thoughts aside and focused on enjoying the ride with her friends.

"Such a shame Ranran and Shinichi are missing out on this," Reina worriedly told her boyfriend, Takuma, who is on another horse.

Takuma nodded in agreement. "Yeah, they would have loved this. But don't worry, we'll tell them all about it when we get back."

Rika, who was riding ahead of them, turned around and shouted, "Hey, are you two coming or what? We don't have all day!"

They spurred their horses on, catching up with the rest of the group. 

...............................

Meanwhile, on a Sunday back in Beikai District where everyone should've been taking a nice break before the weekday could begin, Emiko, Michio and Junko were not privileged to be granted a break.

Rushing over to the main HQ of Tantei Association, which is based right next to Majima Mio's boutique shop, a.k.a Michio's mom, they rushed into the shop to greet his mother before pushing open the pink vending machine door, which leads them to a dark hallway as all of them course to the door on their right side.

Since Tuesday after school ended, as soon as Michio received a text from his phone, he along with the two other members had no choice but to drop everything at their disposal, were forced to cancel every single plan they could've had, and head straight to the HQ.

With the laptop which they borrowed from the school on Tuesday set up with the projector and stuff, the three of them dragged their chairs closely while they wait for that online call to arrive, exactly at around 11 am sharp in the morning.

As they waited anxiously, Michio tapped his fingers nervously on the table, while Emiko and Junko fidgeted in their seats. The laptop screen was blank, and the room was silent except for the sound of their breathing and the occasional click of Junko's pen.

Suddenly, the screen flickered to life, and a video call from the Tantei Association headquarters appeared. The three children straightened up in their chairs, ready for whatever task lay ahead.

"Good morning, Emiko, Junko and Michio," the familiar voice of the Tantei Association's founder greeted them. "How is all of your day?"

"How is my day!?" Junko was the first to burst into annoyance and anger, "How is any of our day, especially when you are in a five-star hotel enjoying for over several days, while the rest of us have been running like headless chickens after you sent that text to Michio, Kudo Ranran! Something about a murderer at the campsite, where you are supposed to be there learning about the wilderness, here you are enjoying life of luxury!"

6-year-old Kudo Ranran rolled her eyes while staring around her surroundings of the fancy restaurant in the said 5* hotel. The restaurant itself is exquisite, with high ceilings, crystal chandeliers, and plush velvet chairs. She was sitting at a large table all alone, while there are other adults who were busy discussing something with a group of adults at the other end of the table.

Ranran let out a sigh as she heard Junko's outburst through the laptop. "In the first place, I hate camping, and I have no regret leaving that hell hole," she said. "And second of all, again, I ain't even sure whether that instructor who died was murder or suicide yet, let alone...his corpse is yet to be discovered. Anyway, did you all look into what I asked?"

"We are still looking into it," Michio replied.

"Oh yeah, one more thing," Ranran pinched her nose bridge, "Before this meeting could begin, I need to make one unexpected announcement."

"What is it?" Emiko asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Well, there is someone with me right now, joining this investigation."

"Who?" Junko asked, leaning forward.

Seeing the red lip child detective on camera, she could be heard saying, "You can come over now."

Suddenly, a boy around the same age as Ranran, whose familiar face strongly resembled the founder appeared on the other side, leaving everyone's jaw drop. "Shinichi!? What...what are you doing here?!" Michio was the first to speak.

"Were you not at the campsite with Ran, Sonoko, Takuma and the others for several days?" Emiko grew puzzled at this fact, "And how did you know to come to this hotel where Ranran is? She left you a clue or something?"

"Oh no, she barely did, knowing how selfish she is," Shinichi chuckled while dismissing their surprised reactions, including Ranran huffing at him as he continued. "I deduced that she found her way here yesterday, because of what she said at the bus."

The three members of the Tantei Association listened intently as Shinichi explained his deduction process.

...................................

Yesterday at around 12:15 am, as Shinichi was pondering inside the tent alone, he thought back to his conversations with Ranran over the past few days, trying to piece together any information that might be useful.

"There is a reservation made for one, right?"

Now that Shinichi thinks back, those are the words one would use if one books a hotel.

Why didn't he think of this? Shinichi should've realised that his mentor Ranran is always ahead of her game, used to a life of luxury and does not enjoy roughing it in the wilderness. If there was any opportunity brewing about to get her out of a hellhole, she would be more than happy to exploit it to the max.

Yes, even if this means checking into a hotel!

Shinichi mentally slapped himself for not considering this earlier. He should've known that Ranran would find a way to escape the campsite and end up in a luxurious hotel. It's just like her to take advantage of any opportunity that presents itself.

But even if that is the case...how was he going to locate the hotel?

He can't do it without a smartphone, since all the data signal around this area was dead, which is why Ranran booked the hotel in advance secretly on the bus earlier, just in case. With no signal, he can't check if any hotel around this island exists. Even when he asked the instructors from the campsite earlier, they claimed no hotel is built around the area besides their campsite alone.

Shinichi took a deep breath and tried to calm his racing thoughts. He knew he needed to come up with a plan, and fast.

First, he decided to retrace her steps and see if he could find any clues that might lead him to the hotel. He then thought about the horse Ranran stole, along with the food from the inn.  Ranran didn't like pears, but perhaps those pears were meant to be fed to the horse she stole, before heading to wherever this hotel is.

Getting out of the campsite, he looked around, and he noticed an abandoned small information centre nearby. He hurried over to it and searched through the brochures and maps. After a few minutes, he found a map of the island with no hotel in sight.

Shinichi's heart sank as he scanned the map. Without any other leads, he was beginning to feel like finding Ranran's hotel was an impossible task. But then he noticed a small note at the bottom of the map that caught his attention.

"Note: Due to recent developments, not all hotels and accommodations may be listed on this map. Please check with local authorities for more information."

Shinichi's hope was renewed. He thought of going back to the campsite to ask the instructors again, but something told him they wouldn't be much help. He needed to find another source of information. Shinichi then remembered seeing a small village on the map a few kilometres away from the campsite. 

It was then he wondered...wait, were they lied to be the only ones on the island?

In a way, it wouldn't be surprising. In a lot of tourist locations, the person in charge tends to lie to attract more people to the area, and this island could be no different.

It was unclear if the village is still there since the map looked old, and it seems far. Perhaps the locals there might know something about any recent hotel developments on the island.

Then, he thought of Ranran using a horse.

"That's right, I can borrow one!"

With the horse he 'borrowed' by asking no one in particular, plus the compass he took from Takuma, and food he packed for himself upon raiding the fridge, he then rode his way to the village.

Within 5 minutes later, he was able to see a middle-aged man behind the counter of a traditional open-window convenience store, who is surprised to see the 6-year-old boy on a horse approaching him to ask if he knew of any hotels on the island besides the campsite. The man looked up at Shinichi and scratched his head.

"Well, there's not many hotels on this island, that's for sure. But I do know of a luxury hotel that just opened up a few days ago. I heard it's quite fancy too."

Shinichi's heart raced as he asked for directions to the hotel. The man gave him detailed directions, and Shinichi thanked him before leaving the store with the horse.

The weather wasn't kind as it rained once more, as Shinichi felt like he and the horse were hit by a wall of wind and rain. The typhoon was still going strong, and it was going to make his search even more difficult. Shinichi pulled his coat tighter around him and set off into the storm.

Despite the harsh weather, Shinichi urged the horse to move forward, determined to find the hotel and seek out Ranran.  He followed the directions given by the man at the convenience store, carefully navigating through the winding roads and dodging fallen branches and debris from the storm.

As he rode closer to the hotel, he saw a grand building towering over the trees. The hotel looked modern and luxurious, with its glass facade reflecting the stormy sky.

That is when he knew, he made it to The Mayfair at Brampton Hotel.

Now Shinichi has envisioned finding Ranran in a tiny makeshift home made of sticks, or a tent, or even an umbrella leaf tent when she went missing after sneaking out of the goth mansion to solve the case. So for him to find Ranran in a 5* hotel, away from an isolated campsite was unexpected.

At first, Shinichi couldn't help but wonder how Ranran had managed to afford such a place. Don't get him wrong, they are both born into rich families, but to fork out tons of money to check in some hotel without tipping their families...is she able to do that?

Even with using Tantei Association's emergency savings, she accumulated, he doesn't think she would've earned enough to pay for a high-end hotel. She is six after all.

When he arrived at the hotel front entrance outside with his own horse, he immediately could tell there was a half-eaten pear in the corner of the car park, which was later made shift as a temporary horse stable with the missing horse Ranran stolen, clearly been well-fed.

Shinichi tied up his horse next to it before he made his way inside the hotel, his curiosity piqued. He wanted to know how Ranran had managed to pull this off.

The lobby was spacious and opulent, with marble floors and chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. There was a concierge desk in the centre of the room, with a well-dressed man standing behind it.

He noticed the receptionist at the front desk and walked up to her. "Hi, I am looking for a little girl my age, her name is Kudo Ranran she just rode that horse that she parked outside the hotel."

The receptionist gave him a polite smile. "I'm sorry, sir, but we don't give out personal information about our guests," the man replied politely.

Having been used to dealing with such hassle, he used a trick that he had witnessed Ranran use all too familiarly, "I understand, but you see, Ranran has a medical condition, so I have to hand her these meds I have with me. It's really important that I find her as soon as possible."

The receptionist looked at Shinichi with concern. "Oh, I see. Well, let me check our records and see if we have a guest by that name. Can you wait here for a moment?"

Shinichi nodded, and the receptionist went to the back room to check the records.

After a few minutes, she returned with a small smile on her face. "I'm sorry for the delay, but we do have a guest by the name of Kudo Ranran. She's staying in our penthouse suite on the top floor."

Shinichi's jaw dropped in surprise. "Penthouse suite? That's incredible! How did she manage to afford that?"

The receptionist shrugged. "I'm not sure, sir. But someone did pay for it in cash for 2 weeks, so we didn't ask too many questions."

By this point, Shinichi swore he almost passed out. 2 weeks!?

And the hell!? While Shinichi and the rest of them were suffering out in the campsite outdoors in small tents, here is 6-year-old Ranran relishing life of luxury up here, presumably eating wagyu rare steak with sparking juice!

Shinichi frowned, trying to make sense of it all. "Well, can you at least tell me which room she's in?"

The receptionist hesitated for a moment before finally relenting. "Fine, I suppose it wouldn't hurt. She's in room 1201 on the top floor. But please be discreet, sir."

Shinichi nodded, grateful for the information. "Thank you so much. I'll be sure to be discreet."

With that, he made his way to the elevator and rode it up to the top floor. As he stepped out, he couldn't help but feel a little intimidated by the grandeur of the penthouse suite. He had never been in a place so luxurious before.

Taking a deep breath, he made his way to room 1201 and knocked on the door, waiting anxiously for Ranran to answer.

.................................

"This is by far....the most abnormal meeting in Tantei Association history." 

Junko can't help but spat, as 6-year-old Ranran was busy having a Tantei Association meeting over the laptop with Michio, Junko and Emiko, who are all in their respective bedrooms at home. "In what way is this abnormal? We are just having our usual standard meeting." Ranran said.

"Oh, I don't know..." With her hands on the desks, she face before the PC monitor and pointed to where Ranran is sitting, "That bed you are on, I am certain even if both of my parents worked to the day they both retire, it will cost them 3 lifetimes to afford it!"

Ranran was sitting on the plush expensive looking bed in her hotel room, her laptop open in front of her. She had managed to connect with Michio, Junko, and Emiko, who were all on video chat with her.

"I am going to remind you none of this is abnormal," Interrupted Michio, "We are just adapting to the situation. Besides, it's not like Ranran chose to stay in a fancy hotel on purpose."

"Er, Michio, you must be blind to not see that is the case," With the spectacle girl glaring hard at Ranran, who could not be bothered to listen, she rants, "You, who are supposed to be on a camping trip alongside Shinichi, Ran and Takuma, stole a horse, rode your way to the very hotel you are now residing is, left a note there to tell everyone not to look for you, you even blackmailed your teacher into getting it your way to get here!"

Ranran looked up from her laptop, a slight smirk on her face. "I prefer to think of it as resourceful," she said with a shrug. "And I didn't ask for this trip, remember? They forced me to go. and it is free anyway. So it's fair that I reap the reward I worked for to end up here."

Junko shook her head in disbelief. "You know what, I give up. I can't deal with you, Ranran."

"Enough of that, did you find any clues about the case we are working on?" Ranran was fed up with Junko pointing out the luxury bedroom she is in.

"Well...it wasn't possible to locate a man named 'Kichiro' in South America due to limited information." Emiko sighed, reading out her report, "Although it is a Japanese name and you think it would narrow the pond since he supposedly died, there are still many possibilities of people with that name in that region. I mean Ranran, let's not forget that South America is huge."

Ranran nodded thoughtfully. "We need more information. Maybe we can try to find out more about his background or any potential connections he might have had in Japan."

"I'll have Genzo look into it," Michio chimed in. "I am sure he would have some contacts in the police department who might be able to help us."

Junko rolled her eyes. "Oh great, just what we need, more illegal activities."

Michio shot her a stern look. "We are not breaking any laws. We are just trying to solve a case."

Ranran interjected, "Let's focus on the case at hand. We can worry about the legality later. Emiko," She eyed the artist's section, "Did any of you manage to find out anything about a man named Kagetora Kiryu who used to work in Kodama forest camp?"

"Kagetora Kiryu...yes, though his case this cause a stir back then," Emiko then send the files to Ranran, while she opens to read as Emiko explained, "Multiple media reports vary, but the bottom line was while he was taking a shower, the shower unit he was using malfunctioned and ended up exploding, which later burn him to death. However, some rumours suggested he bought a second-hand shower unit, which is why it was that faulty."

"I just don't understand how can something like that happen...."Junko was in disbelief, "How does a shower unit explode!? I had one in my house," She recalled, "Before I was born, my grandmother told me it is 20 years old and it didn't cause any problem even up till now!"

"What was the brand he was using?" Ranran questioned her.

"A popular brand, but I did some digging and it was revealed to be a Toshiba. The model, in particular, he was using before he died...it was odd, there have been no reports of explosions from other consumers. Only after Kiryu's passing, did they address total recall. The people there were very confused over how could something like this happen since all of the recalls showed nothing wrong with it." Emiko frowned, "How does it just explode? It doesn't make any sense! I used this model at my house, and it is still fine!"

"Alright then, Junko," Ranran called out to her, "Was there anything you are able to find about Eiji Ishida? The guy who died?"

"About that..."Junko shook her head. "I couldn't find anything on him. It's like he disappeared off the face of the earth after you told me where he work and everything through your investigation....even his social media accounts were deactivated."

"....did it mention when?"

Junko checked her notes. "No, there was no mention of when his social media accounts were deactivated. It's possible he did it himself or someone else did it for him."

Ranran frowned. "That's strange. It's like he didn't want anyone to find him."

"Maybe he was involved in something he shouldn't have been," Michio suggested.

"Or maybe he was running away from something," Emiko added.

"Either way, it's not a good sign," Ranran said. "We need to keep digging and see if we can find any leads." Just then, the penthouse door made a knocking noise, indicating someone is outside. "Finally, my parfait arrived!"

Junko rolled her eyes. "It is 1 am on a bloody morning, and you are seriously thinking about food at a time like this, Ranran?"

Ranran shrugged. "I have to eat, don't I? Besides, it's not like my eating is going to hinder our investigation."

Junko sighed. "Fine, go get your parfait. We'll continue our discussion tomorrow, it's getting late already."

"And brush your teeth, alright?" Michio reminded Ranran, presumably not forgetting his babysitting habits.

Ranran smiled gratefully and greeted their goodbyes before she got up to answer the door. As she left the chat, Michio spoke up. "You know, Junko, you should cut Ranran some slack. She's just a kid just like you and I."

Junko glared at Michio. "A kid?! Michio, do you know of any 6-year-old who would just simply leave a note, ditch those kids behind despite knowing there is a possibility of a murderer among them, hijacked a horse and navigated her way to a luxurious hotel and is currently in a freaking penthouse all alone, enjoying luxuries while Shinichi and the others are probably panicking over what has happened to her!"

Michio held up his hands defensively. "Okay, okay, I get it. But as you said, she is an unusual child genius. She wouldn't be the leader of the Tantei Association without all of these eccentricities, right?"

Junko sighed. "Reminding you that if her parents get word of this and become all worried sick about her, their 1st-grade daughter is just... living it up in a penthouse."

Emiko chimed in. "Anyway, a reminder that it ain't all fun and games. Ranran is also remaining there since there is Wi-fi and a good phone signal to interact with us about the murderer at the island she is at. It ain't as if she didn't get one of us to contact help at this point. The problem is it ain't just the island facing bad weather, even any route that the officials could do to get to the island is likely affected. So, in a way, Ranran had to remain there to try and seek the killer out."

Yawning, Michio states, "Well, it's getting late now. 1 am. Gotta hit the sack."

Junko nodded in agreement. "Yeah, let's call it a night. We can continue our investigation tomorrow with fresh eyes and a clear mind."

Emiko also yawned. "Sounds good to me. Goodnight, everyone."

"Goodnight," Michio and Junko echoed before they all signed off the chat.

As Junko lay in her bed, she couldn't shake off the feeling of unease about Eiji Ishida's disappearance. She made a mental note to continue her research and see if there was anything else she could uncover.

But for now, she needed to get some rest. She closed her eyes and drifted off into a deep sleep, hoping that tomorrow would bring them closer to solving the mystery of the murder on the island.

The moment Ranran opened the door while preparing to welcome her parfait in open arms, she wasn't expecting a familiar face who is ready to confront her.