Takuma scratched his head, trying to comprehend the twisted possibilities. "Wait a minute... Are you suggesting that Takashi might still have feelings for Peggy after all these years?"

"Come on, no way." Ran shook her head at that thought, "What kind of an idiot man would like that sort of woman who abandon him?"

"Who knows? Love can make people do crazy things, right?" Ranran justifies.

"The problem is....it has been decades, is it even possible?" Shinichi wonders.

"Think about Mana Yoshida, our ex-classmate who literally risked everyone's lives to the serial killer just so as to impress Mamiko, our school's sociopath." Ranran nodded, her smirk widening. "You watch all sorts of men who would be willing to throw away anything for a horrible woman on TV, how would Takashi be any different?"

There was nothing but silence at Ranran's words.

Junko crossed her arms, still sceptical. "I get it, emotions can be messy, but it's hard to believe that Takashi would willingly walk into a potential trap just because of unresolved feelings. That's like something out of a cheesy romance novel."

"Anyway, how do you think the killer was able to convince Takashi to come here? And dress up in the way....the killer wanted him to?" Emiko was in doubt, and so was Michio.

"Simple," Ranran beamed confidently, "There are two ways to handle this. One is blackmail, in which I write a letter and send it to Takashi anonymously, claiming that Peggy is being held hostage and that if he doesn't come, she will die. Or....."

".....or what?" Shinichi prompted her to continue.

With a wry smile formed on her red lips, she revealed, "Write a letter by pretending to be Peggy, tell him that she made a mistake and wants to see him, and rekindle old feelings."

Takuma's eyes widened in disbelief. "Wait, you're saying that the killer impersonated Peggy to lure Takashi into this mess?"

"Exactly," Ranran nodded, her tone dripping with dark humour. "It's like a messed-up reunion of estranged lovers, with a murderous twist."

Shinichi rubbed his temples, trying to wrap his head around the twisted logic. "So, by exploiting Takashi's unresolved feelings for Peggy, the killer not only ensured his cooperation but also made him the perfect scapegoat."

"Even so, I don't think it is convincing," Heads turned to Mouri Ran, who then said, "Let's say if I pretend to be Ranran-san as I write the letter before putting it in Shinichi's shoe locker, I don't think he would buy it."

"She is right," Emiko nodded solemnly, "Ranran way of writing and yours would be too difficult to replicate."

"But if I know Peggy's inside out, it would make things easier, will it not?" Ranran chuckled.

Emiko's eyebrows furrowed as she considered the implications. "But how would the killer have known about Takashi's connection with Peggy? And even if they did, how could they ensure that Takashi would believe the letter came from her?"

"If one says that they represent Peggy, would it not make a difference?" Ranran then listed out ways to do so, "Say that I could be her personal hairstylist, maid, or even-"

"A secretary!" Shinichi jumped up from his seat, his eyes shining with excitement. "Of course! How could we have been blind? Primrose had the resources to do it!  If the killer claimed to be Peggy's secretary, it would add credibility to the letter!"

"And it would explain how the killer knew so much about Peggy's life and her connection with Takashi," Takuma added, catching on to Ranran's line of thinking.

"Exactly," Ranran nodded. "The killer could have gathered information about Peggy and Takashi's past through various means. They could have researched old newspaper articles, interviewed people who knew them, or even hacked into their personal records. With that knowledge, they could convincingly impersonate Peggy's secretary in the letter. And the likeliest person to do so is none other than Primrose."

Michio leaned forward, intrigued by the theory. "But how would the killer ensure that Takashi would believe the letter? I mean, wouldn't he be suspicious if he received a random letter from Peggy's secretary after all these years?"

"No, it probably wouldn't if Primrose had enough insight into Peggy's mannerisms," Ranran smirked, her eyes glinting mischievously. "I remembered Primrose specifically mentioning that she worked for Peggy for several months, that would've been enough time to replicate her way of writing and mannerism as well. Don't forget, secretarial jobs involved responding to the fandom letters as well for certain celebrities, so it wouldn't be surprising to know that she was able to do that."

"That is creepy!" Ran grew pale in horror at that thought, "If she can do that-" Then a dark thought surfaced in her head, "Wait, she knew everything that goes on in this mansion, that meant-"

"Shh!" Ranran hissed at the brunette girl, "Do you want her to hear what we know now?"

Ran fell silent, realizing the gravity of the situation as the others' heads turned to the kitchen, hoping that neither Primrose nor Ohta Bunko had left the kitchen yet and overheard their conversation. Lowering her voice, she leaned closer to Ranran. "Does this mean...Primrose is very likely to be the killer?"

Ranran nodded to her silently, "When we arrived, she didn't even look surprised to see her employer on the floor, let alone, shout to tell anyone to call the ambulance. And she naturally assumed that she tripped down the stairs. Even if she had a huge hatred towards her, I was expecting her at least to be shocked to see a corpse for the first time. But nope, she behaved as if she knew she was dead. I mean at least when Aurelia came in with the shop goods, she was shocked seeing the sight of her mother's corpse, despite hating her mother."

Hearing Ranran's deductions was enough to send a chill down everyone's spine. The realization that Primrose, the temporary secretary/supermodel, who is also Ranran's nemesis in Edgewood Academy, could be the mastermind behind all the murders was both shocking and terrifying.

Honestly, even Ranran was started at that thought. As much as Primrose was a horrible aunt who sided with her niece who bullied the rest of the child actors, Ranran used to think that with her dimwitted personality when it came to love and stuff, let alone putting rats in desks and making extravagant love confessions, she will not be that much of an idiot to commit a murder.

Clearly, Ranran was wrong about her. And that is disturbing enough.

"But why did she go to such elaborate lengths?" Ran questioned, her voice filled with intrigue.

"As I thought, maybe those rumours about her secretly seeing Peggy's eldest son Felix was true." Takuma exclaimed, "Peggy is in the way of their love, so she killed her."

"Like mentioned earlier, it ain't possible!" Junko argued, "There is a thing called eloped! No need to go as drastic as to murder her!"

"Also, she had no reason to kill Aurelia!" Emiko adds.

"I may not be certain whether her motive to murder, but what I do know is this: She definitely is one of the few people with the means to commit the murder both on Peggy and Aurelia," Shinichi leaned back, crossing his legs casually. "When you all discovered Aurelia dead at the pool, Primrose mentioned seeing Takashi around the area where Aurelia died, right? I believed it was to divert attention from themselves and create a narrative that points to Takashi as the killer. By framing him in such a way, complete with the Punch and Judy theme, they created a distraction, a smoke screen, if you will."

"Plus, it added a twisted poetic justice to the whole affair," Ranran chimed in, his voice tinged with morbid fascination. "The killer took something personal between Peggy and Takashi, their shared love for Punch and Judy, and turned it into a macabre symbol of their downfall."

Junko shook her head, still finding it hard to digest. "This whole thing sounds like a sick soap opera plot. Who would go to such extremes just to get back at someone?"

"But wait, now that we know that Primrose is likely the killer, should we do something about it? Like informed Sergeant Genzo about it?" Michio suggests.

"Here is the problem," Shinichi took a deep breath, trying to process the revelation. "If Primrose is the killer, then we need to be careful. We can't confront her directly without solid evidence. Also, we may end up having a lot on our plate to go after Primrose."

"Why? She killed someone." Emiko confronts.

"Did you all forget that she came from a family of Earls?" Ranran reminded her.

"So what if she is? She is in Japan!" Mouri Ran doesn't see the necessary fear of going after the comedian's secretary.

"You are not seeing the bigger picture, Mouri," Shinichi sighed, realizing that he needed to explain further. "The social status part is the least of our worries. Primrose comes from a wealthy and influential family in England. If we accuse her of murder without solid evidence, the first thing her brother-in-law who is an influential casting director would do is hire a lawyer to defend her, to prevent a stain in their reputation."

"But-"

"Moreover," Shinichi continued, "even if we manage to gather evidence and present it to the authorities, it won't be an easy case. Primrose has the means to hire top-notch lawyers who would do their best to protect her, thanks to her missing sister's marriage to the said brother-in-law. If we want to make sure she has no way out, we need to block any route or loopholes the lawyers could find to exploit her way out of her sins."

"And let's not forget the media. If Primrose, a popular supermodel, is accused of murder, it will become a high-profile case. The media will be all over it, and there will be intense scrutiny from both the public and the press. We need to tread carefully to avoid any missteps." Ranran nodded in agreement.

Junko sighed, realizing the complexity of the situation. "So, what do we do then? Just sit back and wait for the police to handle it?"

"No, we shouldn't just sit idly by. We can continue gathering information and evidence discreetly." Ranran shook her head at that thought. "And I know just the way to do it."

Urging everyone to surround her, she whispered her plan out of prying ears.

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

As the evening sun began to set, Primrose took charge of the kitchen, where the late comedian once prepared meals. Surprisingly, a sense of ease and comfort seemed to wash over her. Her tightly pulled-back hair now fell in a more casual manner, the once-constricting ponytail replaced with a carefree flow.

Earlier, she had been dressed in a simple collared blouse and pencil skirt, but now, Ranran noticed a transformation. Primrose had reverted to her teenage signature style, wearing a light, summery dress that exuded a feeling of liberation. Her feet were no longer confined in tightly-laced shoes but embraced strappy sandals, allowing for a relaxed and carefree stride. And to complete her new look, her lips were adorned with a bold stroke of lipstick.

With an almost genuine smile, Primrose turned to Ohta Bunko and said, "We're fortunate to have the members of the Tantei Association here. Thanks to them, the police will have an easier time tracking down the killer. It won't be long before they catch the culprit." As she started frying some chopped onions, she added, "What a relief that will be!" Her words were filled with sincerity.

"Let's hope the police catch him before he claims another victim, especially the last surviving member of the Punchard family, Felix," Ohta Bunko remarked somberly. "We can't afford another murder."

Primrose proceeded to add meat to the sizzling pan while boiling water for the spaghetti. "The killer can't evade capture forever. Once they're caught, this nightmare will be over, and we can all move on. It's been a challenging couple of days. As for Felix, I wouldn't worry too much about him. He's probably ventured deep into the jungle somewhere. If the police can't locate him, an old man like Uyehara Takashi certainly won't be able to. They're sure to apprehend him soon enough; his picture is plastered all over TV and the newspapers. Someone is bound to recognize him."

Noticing Primrose's eagerness to shift blame onto Takashi, Ran whispered to the others seated around the table, their collective gaze fixed on Primrose's every move. "She seems quite intent on pinning everything on Takashi. Yet, Sergeant Genzo hasn't found any evidence against him."

"That's the modus operandi of killers, Mouri," Shinichi whispered back, his suspicious gaze fixed upon Primrose. "They easily shift blame onto others."

"And Primrose excels at that," Ranran added, her voice barely above a whisper, as she recalled the countless incidents Primrose had caused during their time at Edgewood. "I can tell you a laundry list of her misdeeds. Most people wouldn't even suspect her of being capable of such a crime."

Unaware of the children's suspicions, Ohta Bunko moved to the counter and picked up a block of parmesan cheese. "Should I grate this?" she asked.

"Sure." Primrose smiled at her, and Shinichi noticed that it was almost genuine but not quite. Soon, they became engrossed in a conversation about global politics, while the children quietly observed Primrose.

Strangely, after the two murders, her previous despair and distress seemed to have vanished, replaced by an unnaturally cheerful demeanour. There was a spring in her step as she tossed salad leaves in the dressing. Energy emanated from her fingertips as she set knives and forks on the table. Electricity seemed to crackle from every pore as she served spaghetti into bowls and poured the meaty sauce on top.

Suddenly, Junko brought up the incident from the previous day, saying, "Neh, Ranran, remember when she was driving the van and slammed on the brakes? She claimed it was to avoid hitting a deer, but you mentioned she deliberately stomped on the brakes to wake you up, right?"

"Ah, yes," Ranran tugged her hair in frustration. "Honestly, I still can't figure out why she did that."

"Are you certain it wasn't just petty revenge, Ranran?" Emiko frowned. "I mean, you two had a tumultuous history at Edgewood Academy because you inadvertently ended her niece's acting career."

"And she blindly defends her niece Millie, who is also a bully," Takuma expressed his worry. "I'm concerned she might pose a danger to you."

"I share those concerns," Shinichi added, growing increasingly worried about his mentor's well-being.

"Are you sure you don't want to call Sergeant Genzo? I can contact him through the smartphone right now, and you won't have to face any potential harm she might try to inflict on you," Michio insisted.

"No, I will be fine," Ranran reassured them before Primrose suddenly announced, "Dinner is served," she announced.

As expected, Primrose cooked well. As the 7 children were busily eating, each of them side-glance at Primrose, especially Ranran who was studying the secretary closely.

The shadows deepened as the eerie silence hung in the air, amplifying the unsettling atmosphere that surrounded them. Primrose's inexplicable scrutiny had sent chills down their spines, raising questions that gnawed at their minds like ravenous beasts. Why had she been watching them with such intensity? And more disturbingly, why had she abruptly abandoned her vigilance? It was as if she had been eagerly awaiting their actions, but now that they had met her mysterious expectations, she dismissed them like inconsequential pawns in a macabre game.

Ranran's eyes darted from one member to another, a silent signal passing between them like whispers in the dark. Their collective resolve stiffened as they prepared to unleash their plan, driven by an unspoken urgency fueled by paranoia and mounting dread.

In the midst of the palpable tension, Takuma surreptitiously activated the recording function on his smartphone, clandestinely capturing the impending confrontation. His fingers trembled with a mix of apprehension and determination as he carefully positioned the device against a glass cup, camouflaging his true intentions behind the façade of an innocent viewer engrossed in a mindless internet video.

With the stage set, Ranran gave an approachable face towards Primrose with calculated silence, her voice barely more than a whisper tainted with suspicion as she spoke in British English. "Primrose, regarding the letter you mentioned Peggy received with the Japanese address on it, do you happen to know its current whereabouts? Sergeant Genzo and the others seem to have problems searching for the letter you mentioned."

As Ranran's inquiry hung in the air, an icy stillness enveloped the room, freezing Primrose in her tracks.

Now this wasn't a complete lie, Ranran did inquire from the other cops and revealed that there were no traces of those letters. But what Ranran didn't bother to mention was they didn't have the time to search for the said letter, since almost everyone had to go on a manhunt.

But Primrose didn't need to know that.

The colour drained from her face, leaving behind a pallid mask of shock and apprehension. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, the weight of suspicion pressing down on her like an insurmountable burden. At that moment, the darkness that lurked within Primrose's eyes betrayed a flicker of vulnerability, as if the shadows themselves had claimed her as their own.

The room held its breath, the tension suffocating, as the members of the Tantei Association fixated their gaze upon Primrose. Their collective scrutiny intensified, fueled by a mixture of fear and determination. The air crackled with sinister energy as if the very atmosphere had become charged with an otherworldly force, ready to expose the secrets that hid in the recesses of Primrose's mind.

For an agonizing moment, Primrose stood motionless, seemingly caught in the grip of an internal struggle. Her eyes darted from face to face, her once-confident demeanour crumbling under the weight of their suspicions. The silence was deafening, broken only by the distant hum of a passing car outside, mocking the stillness that had fallen upon the room.

Finally, Primrose's voice trembled, barely audible, as she spoke words laced with a mixture of fear and defiance. "I... I don't know... I haven't seen that letter since Peggy received it. I can't... I can't explain its disappearance." Her voice quivered, betraying the uncertainty that had taken hold of her.

A heavy fog of doubt settled upon the room, shrouding Primrose in an aura of suspicion. The members of the Tantei Association exchanged wary glances, their resolve strengthened by the cracks in Primrose's façade. "I am sorry?" Ranran played the role of an innocent child, "What do you mean by that? I mean....you mentioned that the letters were threatening emails, right? Surely she wasn't that stupid enough to throw it away?"

As Ranran's words pierced the air, a sinister tension gripped the room, constricting like a noose around Primrose's fragile composure. The truth, distorted and concealed, danced on the edges of their conversation, threatening to unravel the intricate web of deceit that Primrose had woven.

A flicker of panic flashed across Primrose's face, her features contorting into a mixture of fear and desperation. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, glistening like tiny droplets of guilt. Her voice trembled, a fragile thread barely holding back the weight of her deception. "No, that's not what I meant. I... I didn't mean she threw it away. It's just... it's misplaced. Misplaced, I tell you!"

Ranran's eyes narrowed, her gaze sharpened with suspicion. The members of the Tantei Association, like vultures sensing vulnerability, closed in, their collective presence casting a dark pall over Primrose's flimsy alibi. "Misplaced?" Ranran's voice dripped with scepticism. "Are you suggesting that Peggy, in the face of danger, simply misplaced the evidence that could potentially save her life? That seems rather convenient, doesn't it?"

Primrose's words hung in the air, pregnant with uncertainty. A veil of doubt descended upon the room, clouding the truth in a murky haze. The silence was suffocating, each heartbeat pounding like a judge's gavel, passing an unspoken verdict on Primrose's deceit.

A surge of defiance coursed through Primrose's veins, mingling with her fear, as she desperately clung to the fragments of her crumbling facade. "I swear, I don't know what happened to the letter. It must have... vanished or something. You can't possibly think I had anything to do with it!" Her voice wavered, her gaze darting from one accusing face to another.

The room remained eerily quiet, a graveyard of unanswered questions and unspoken accusations. Finally, Ranran nonchalantly said, "It's alright."

"Excuse me?" Primrose blinked confusingly.

"Then do you have the letters that Peggy personally wrote then? Some of the cops had gone into Peggy's private office earlier, and found out that the letters she wrote went missing as well."

Not a lie, except the cops didn't do the search, Ranran and Shinichi did in order to verify what does Peggy's handwriting look like earlier before dinner. But Primrose didn't need to know that as well.

Primrose's eyes widened with a mixture of shock and disbelief, the veil of composure slipping further from her grasp. The room seemed to close in on her, suffocating her with its oppressive darkness. The silence stretched on, a haunting reminder of the impending judgment that hung in the air.

A tremor coursed through Primrose's voice as she stammered, her words laced with desperation. "I... I don't have those letters either. They must have gone missing too. I... I don't understand how or why."

Ranran's gaze hardened, her suspicions deepening with each passing moment. The members of the Tantei Association shared a silent understanding, their collective resolve strengthening. Shadows danced menacingly on the walls, mirroring the tangled web of deception that Primrose had spun.

"Vanished, misplaced, missing..." Ranran's voice dripped with contempt, her words cutting through the heavy atmosphere like a knife. "You are the secretary for Peggy, whom you work for several months. How can it simply go missing, Primrose? It appears that evidence conveniently disappears whenever it implicates you. Is it not peculiar?"

Primrose's face contorted with a mix of frustration and desperation, her façade crumbling under the weight of their accusations. "I swear, I had nothing to do with it! I don't know how those letters went missing, or why Peggy's own words seem to vanish into thin air."

A chill wind whispered through the room, carrying with it the whispers of doubt and suspicion. Primrose's vulnerability was laid bare, her trembling voice betraying the mounting fear that gripped her heart.  "Sergeant Genzo....hasn't even announced whether Uyehara Takashi is the killer. He only just sent out a manhunt. And earlier...Ran and the others mentioned that you look very paranoid when you discover Aurelia dead in the crocodile inflatable.....a normal response would've been for you to simply jump into the pool to get Aurelia to safety. And yet, you stood at the side of the pool with the drink, which you claimed Aurelia requested you to refill it. Why didn't you jump into the pool, Primrose? Unless...you didn't see Takashi, but someone you knew there."

Primrose's eyes darted around the room, a flicker of panic crossing her face as the accusations rained down upon her like a torrential storm. The truth, twisted and distorted, threatened to unravel the carefully constructed web of lies she had woven. Her voice quivered, the words barely escaping her trembling lips. "I... I can explain. It wasn't what you think. I... I couldn't see clearly. The panic, the chaos, clouded my judgment. I thought... I thought I saw Takashi. I thought he was the threat."

"Oh yeah, one more thing," Ranran's eyes narrowed, her gaze piercing through Primrose's feeble defences. The room seemed to close in, suffocating them all in its claustrophobic grip. "When you slammed the brakes earlier to avoid hitting the deer yesterday while driving the van up to the hills, I didn't see it. Also, about that anime project that you said Peggy claimed she had an interest in investing in, the anime that is based on our daily adventures in Tantei Association....did Peggy really say that when she was alive? Or did you simply make that up as well?"

And that question itself was enough to set Shinichi's jaw to drop, since he understood advanced English, while the others were confused. Primrose meanwhile was visibly shaken, her mask of composure slipping further as the noose of suspicion tightened around her. Beads of perspiration formed on her brow, glistening in the dim light, mirroring the sweat-soaked tendrils of her unravelling deception.

Primrose's voice trembled, strained with desperation, as she struggled to find an answer. "I... I swear, Peggy did mention her interest in the anime project. She was excited about it. As for the deer, it... it must have been a trick of the light, a momentary lapse in my vision. I... I didn't see it, but I swear it was there!"

The room fell into a heavy silence, the accusation hanging in the air like a guillotine blade poised for its final descent. The Tantei Association members exchanged glances, their eyes filled with a mixture of doubt and disbelief. The walls seemed to close in, confining Primrose within the suffocating confines of her own lies.

Then Primrose ended up saying, "Come on, enough chit for that. Your spaghetti is about to turn cold."

Primrose's feeble attempt to divert their attention to trivial matters only deepened the sense of foreboding that permeated the room. Her words hung in the air, a desperate plea to shift the focus away from the mounting evidence against her. But her feeble deflection only added fuel to the fire of suspicion that engulfed her.

"Alright then, suit yourself," Ranran shrugs before giving her a warning look, "But Primrose, if I do find anything that links you to Peggy and Aurelia's deaths.....I would not hesitate to do the same the way I did to your niece, Millie."

The room fell into stunned silence, punctuated by the gravity of Ranran's chilling words. Primrose's face contorted with a mix of fear and rage, her composure shattered in an instant. The mask she had worn so diligently cracked, revealing the darkness that lurked beneath. The air turned thick with an unspoken threat, a tangible reminder of the perilous path Primrose had chosen.

Primrose's voice trembled with a mixture of defiance and desperation. "You wouldn't dare! You have no proof, no evidence!"

"I hate people who try to manipulate me," Ranran's gaze hardened, her eyes burning with a simmering resolve. "But I hate it more that one remains upfront lying towards me like a shameless con woman."

The room seemed to shrink, its walls closing in as the weight of accusation hung heavily in the air. Primrose's fragile facade crumbled completely, leaving behind a haunting revelation of the darkness that resided within her. The shadows danced maliciously around her, whispering secrets and promises of retribution.

"Who are you to simply accuse me!? Did you forget who is the one who trick some child into setting the school on fire!? All because she killed that precious boy of yours!" Primrose's voice wavered her final plea a desperate cry in the encroaching darkness. "You are no different than me!"

The room fell into an eerie silence, shattered only by Primrose's desperate outburst. The accusation of the detective girl hung in the air like poison, tainting the very atmosphere with its venomous truth in front of a shocked Kudo Shinichi, who is hearing this accusation for the very first time. Fortunately, the other children and Ohta Bunko can't hear complex English, otherwise, it would've earned Ranran odd looks.

Wondering how she was going to react, he turned to stare at his mentor. Her expression didn't give him a hint over whether she denied it to be the case.

Instead, she goes, "That girl murdered him coldly is one thing, but it was her own wrongdoing for bragging about his murder in front of me in a mocking tone, if the curtains hadn't raised while she told me all of this behind the stage, she could've continued to commit more killings and bragged about it. She only began to set the school on fire after everyone witness her true nature. Let alone, lost her place in Edgewood for life" Ranran's voice was cold, cutting through the heavy tension like a blade. "A murderer like her...does not deserve to remain there, just like you and Millie."

"You're twisting the truth! Millie didn't kill anyone! She's just a troubled kid who needs help! She was raised with no mother but a father after all!" Primrose's voice quivered with a mixture of defiance and desperation. "You have no proof! You're just making baseless accusations!"

"Baseless? I beg to differ," Ranran sneered, before the 6-year-old girl then orders her coldly, "Tomorrow, if you can't deliver Peggy's missing letters to Sergeant Genzo, expect to be charged under suspicion of committing homicide."

Primrose's eyes widened with shock and fear upon hearing the harsh ultimatum from the child detective, "You!"

"Everyone," Ranran cast her gaze onto her fellow members, "Finish up dinner and leave with me. And Takuma, did you get the video?" She eyed the smartphone Takuma had secretly placed behind the cup on the table.

Takuma nodded silently and retrieved the smartphone from its hiding place. He handed it to Ranran, who quickly reviewed the video footage. The video showed Primrose's denying the accusations wildly as the child detective confronted her.

Ranran watched the video footage with a cold expression, her eyes narrowing as she absorbed the scene. Primrose's desperate denial and defiance only seemed to strengthen her resolve. She turned to face Primrose again, her voice firm and unwavering. "If you don't want this video to reach your brother-in-law, by 12 am, meet up in the living room of this guest house. Otherwise, I am going to send this video straight to him, and he will divorce your missing sister, which also means you would lose all those privileges as a family of an Earl, got it?"

"You can't do this! It's blackmail!" she exclaimed, seething with rage at the child.

"You should have thought of that before you tried to manipulate me!" The child with red lips maintained a stoic expression, unaffected by Primrose's outburst. As the other children left the room, a confused Ohta Bunko approached Primrose, attempting to offer comfort. But Primrose jerked away, her emotions swirling within her.

"Primrose, I... I don't understand what's happening, but are you alright?" Ohta Bunko said softly, his voice filled with concern.

Primrose took a deep breath, trying to compose herself. She wiped away her tears and looked at Ohta Bunko, her voice trembling as she lied to him, "Nothing has happened. She was being rude, that's all."

Yet, something about Primrose's response made Ohta Bunko feel like she was hiding something.

For a brief moment, Ohta Bunko noticed Primrose gazing intently out of the window. Curiosity piqued, she tried to see what had caught Primrose's attention, but all she could see were reflections from the kitchen.

Suddenly, a genuine smile creased Primrose's face, reaching all the way up to her eyes. She quickly concealed it, turning to Ohta Bunko and speaking blandly, "But don't be mad at her. I wasn't being nice to her anyway."

Ohta Bunko, who was not usually observant, was taken aback by the sudden shift in Primrose's mood. She wondered what had brought such joy to Primrose in that fleeting moment when she seemed to glow from within.

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

As they left, Junko couldn't help but question, "Ranran, why don't we just send this video to Sergeant Genzo? If he sees her lying, he'll surely take notice!"

"Junko, that video would only be seen as 'circumstantial evidence,' and it might not be enough to convince Sergeant Genzo to interrogate her," Shinichi explained, trying to reason with him. "However, we can use her privileged background as an Earl's family to put pressure on her and make her confess the truth."

"But what if she refuses to give in? She could easily contact her brother-in-law and portray herself as the victim, claiming that we are harassing her," Emiko expressed her concern.

"You're right. Let's not forget that she still has her family's support," Ran responded, her expression turning serious. "No matter what, she is still a part of his family. And as you mentioned earlier, he has a responsibility to take care of her."

"You make a valid point, but I received a tip from my friends in the U.K. Apparently, the relationship between Primrose and her brother-in-law has soured over the years since Millie was kicked out. Primrose played a significant role in coddling Millie, and her father was furious that Millie showed no remorse for her actions. Their relationship is strained, and he even mentioned to me that he's considering cutting off financial support for Primrose. She's earning well enough, but her spending habits haven't changed. Losing her privileged lifestyle and potentially ending up in prison is Primrose's worst fear," Ranran chuckled.

Takuma chimed in with admiration, patting Ranran on the back. "As expected from my friend!"

"Although you did mention that obtaining those letters will prove whether or not Primrose forged it as if she was Peggy, then lured Takashi over to the residence to frame him, would she be stupid enough to keep them?" Michio was doubtful, "I would toss them away if I were her to prevent the cops from knowing it was me."

"And those letters might not be enough to put her in prison, Ranran," Emiko worriedly pointed out, "Even if those letters proved her guilty, as long as it doesn't tie to any link to suggest that she used Takashi to kill both Peggy and Aurelia, it would be all for nought."

"Don't worry about it," Ranran reassured, her voice calm and confident. "Obtaining those letters isn't my primary objective."

"Eh!?" Everyone was shocked by her statement.

"My main focus is how she will react to my threat," Ranran explained. "I am using this threat to flush out the killer."

The team gathered around Ranran, their curiosity piqued by her unexpected strategy. She maintained her composed demeanour, exuding an air of confidence that reassured her companions. "Ranran, what are you talking about?! Ain't Primrose the killer?!" Ran confronts.

"Yes, Primrose had the means and opportunity to carry out the murders. However, let's not forget that I have known her since our days at Edgewood. She may have been a terrible person and occasionally manipulative, but even after all these years, seeing her again made me realize that she lacks the intellect and cunning required to conceive such a complex murder scheme. Based on the schemes she orchestrated back in Edgewood, whether it was dealing with love rivals or removing an incompetent classmate, I highly doubt she acted alone. Someone else is using her to commit these crimes, and she is the willing participant."

"Are you suggesting that someone else was involved? But who?" Ran's eyes widened as she tried to make sense of Ranran's words.

"Someone way more cunning than Primrose," Ranran answers, her brows knitted as she goes, "Someone who knew about Peggy's secret 26th ex-husband, then exploited it by luring Takashi over to this residence in order to frame him, since the killer knew both she and Takashi love Punch and Judy, hence, it was an easy setup to frame Takashi for the two murders."

"But why? What could be the motive behind such an elaborate scheme?" Emiko's voice trembled as she spoke.

"We won't know, so the only way to get that answer, is that we made sure to monitor Primrose's movements." Shinichi's hand tightened into a fist, his voice laced with determination. "So here is what is going to happen, at around 11: 59 pm, we will stand before Primrose's bedroom, ensuring she comes out. If she doesn't....we will take matters into our own hands."

The six other kids exchanged nervous glances, wondering if things will go smoothly.

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

Finally, the clock struck 11:59 pm, marking the crucial moment the team had been waiting for.

Ranran was about to leave her bedroom and head to the living room of the guest house when she overheard a loud clatter from the courtyard. For a confused moment, she didn't know where the sound was coming from, let alone, what was happening.

Then, another banging sound occurred that sounded suspiciously like a metal dustbin being pushed over. Her senses heightened as she processed the unusual sounds emanating from the courtyard. Instinctively, she knew that something was amiss.

"Guys, did you all hear that?"

Soon, one child after the other emerged from their room and joined her on the landing. "I heard it too," Shinichi whispered.

"Did a robber break into this place?!" Ran is becoming paranoid by the minute, and so were the others.

"I think it is coming from downstairs, should we check?" Michio suggests.

Ranran and the team exchanged concerned glances as the sounds continued to echo from downstairs. Their instincts urged them to investigate the source of the commotion.

"Yes, we should check. But be cautious," Ranran whispered, her voice firm and determined. "Stick together and stay alert."

Silently, they made their way down the staircase, careful not to make any noise that could alert whoever—or whatever—was causing the disturbance. Each step seemed to amplify the tension in the air, heightening their senses as they approached the ground floor.