Finally, noon fell as Felix Fizzleton arrived at the doorstep of his deceased mother of 2 days doorstep.

As Shinichi observed Felix, he couldn't help but be struck by his striking resemblance to the Norse god, Thor. With his tall and strong stature, well-defined features, and flowing blond hair, Felix exuded an air of power and confidence. He had an undeniable charm that captivated those around him, causing even the policewomen present to be drawn to his magnetism.

In a way, any woman or girl who saw him, at first sight, would naturally fall for him. A point was proven when Shinichi noticeably saw the policewomen surrounding Felix swoon over his charm and good looks. It was as if he possessed an irresistible magnetic pull that drew people towards him.

But upon digging around after all of this, Shinichi now thinks that Felix is like a sleek panther silently stalking its prey, Shinichi couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as Genzo greeted him by the door. The worst part was seeing Ran and Junko, listening to whatever stories he had to share in the wilderness through their basic English, with a keen interest in everything Felix had to say. 

Honestly, Shinichi was about to scold the two girls about being distracted by a spectacularly handsome but ruffled around the edges, an adult man. They are still little girls after all.

Visually, Felix appeared as the type of man who preferred the wild outdoors over glamorous red-carpet events. His tanned complexion hinted at a life filled with adventurous exploits, where he travelled the world, righting wrongs and embracing the ruggedness of nature. His warm, inviting eyes mirrored the comforting allure of melted chocolate, drawing people in with their sincerity and warmth.

Yet, Shinichi couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to Felix than meets the eye. Beneath his rugged appearance and alluring charm, a storm seemed to brew, waiting to be unleashed. As the Tantei Association prepared to engage with Felix, they would have to tread carefully, for the enigmatic man held secrets that could unravel the web of mysteries they were entangled in.

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

Meanwhile, as the two police officers stand guard outside the main entrance of Peggy's mansion, Emiko had to come up with something half-legit to get them to leave.

Emiko pondered the situation, trying to come up with a plan to divert the attention of the police officers guarding the main entrance of Peggy's mansion. She knew she had to act quickly and come up with something believable to convince them to leave their post temporarily.

After a moment of contemplation, an idea sparked in Emiko's mind. She approached the two officers, putting on a concerned expression.

"Excuse me, officers," Emiko said in a slightly panicked tone, "I think I just saw someone suspicious lurking around the back of the mansion. It looked like they were trying to break in."

The officers immediately straightened up, their attention fully captured by Emiko's words. "Are you sure? Where did you see them?" one of the officers asked, his hand instinctively reaching for his radio.

"I saw them near the garden area," Emiko replied, pointing towards a spot near the back of the mansion. "They were dressed in dark clothing and seemed to be carrying some tools. I think they're planning to break into the house."

The officers exchanged a quick glance, their concern evident on their faces. "Alright, stay here. We'll investigate the situation immediately," one of them said, already moving towards the direction Emiko had pointed.

Emiko watched as the officers hurried away, their footsteps fading into the distance. With a sense of relief, she turned back towards the mansion and quickly made her way inside.

She knew that her diversion would only buy them a limited amount of time, so she had to act swiftly. With a quick whistle, Takuma, Michio and Ranran arrived. 

"Ok, I am going to accompany the cops who are heading there to buy more time, meanwhile, you three do whatever you all can find in the van. Ok?" Emiko quickly relayed her plan to the three other children who had gathered nearby. They nodded in understanding, their determination evident in their eyes.

"Got it, Emiko," Takuma said, a determined look on his face. "We'll make the most of the time you buy us."

"Just call us if they are coming back." Ranran instructed, "But don't make it obvious."

"Let's move quickly and search for any evidence that can help us locate Takashi." Michio nodded, his expression focused.

With that, they split up, each taking a different route towards the van parked outside. Emiko briskly walked alongside the officers who had responded to her diversion, blending in seamlessly. As they reached the garden area, Emiko discreetly slowed her pace, ensuring that the officers moved ahead of her. She kept a careful eye on their movements, ready to take action if needed.

Meanwhile, Takuma and Michio watched Ranran, as the two boys were wondering how on earth is the 6-year-old girl going to break into a luxury van while Ranran approaches the parked van. "Neh Takuma," Michio pull him aside to ask the younger boy, "Has Ranran ever broken into a vehicle before?"

"Hmm, not that I can recall," he replied, a slight furrow appearing on his brow. "But one time, when my girlfriend's step-dad accidentally locked himself out of the car with the car keys inside, Ranran managed to unlock the car using a hairpin."

"Eh!?" Michio was shocked, "Who taught her to do that?"

"Said her late mentor back in the U.K. taught her to,"  Takuma answered, as the two boys continued to observe Ranran from a distance as she inspected the van.

"The van itself is computerized, right? If anything goes wrong, won't she end up triggering the alarm and alerting everyone?" Michio grew worried.

"I am pretty sure Ranran has that covered as well," Takuma glanced at Michio, his brows furrowed in concern.

They watched as Ranran carefully examined the van, her small figure moving around with purpose. She seemed to be studying the vehicle's exterior, searching for any vulnerabilities or clues that could help her gain access without setting off any alarms.

"She's really focused," Michio commented, a mixture of admiration and worry in his voice. "Although I know she knows what she's doing...I am worried she may fail."

As they observed Ranran's actions from a distance, the tension in the air grew. Every passing second felt like an eternity, their hearts pounding in anticipation. They knew that time was of the essence, and they couldn't afford any mistakes.

Suddenly, Ranran straightened up, a triumphant smile lighting up her face. She motioned for Takuma and Michio to join her, excitement is evident in her eyes.

"I found a way in," Ranran whispered, her voice barely audible. "The van has a weak spot in the driver's side door. I managed to manipulate the lock mechanism using some tools I brought along. It took a bit of time, but I did it without triggering any alarms."

Takuma and Michio exchanged relieved glances.

The three children carefully entered the van, and Ranran sat in the driver seat to look at the Sat Nav, attempting to switch it on. To the boys' surprise, they could see she couldn't do so. "What is wrong, Ranran?" Michio wondered.

"Why isn't the Sat Nav switching on?" Takuma wonders.

Ranran furrowed her brow, frustration is evident on her face as she tried to activate the Sat Nav in Peggy's van. She pressed buttons and adjusted settings, but nothing seemed to work. The screen remained blank, refusing to power on.

"I don't understand," Ranran muttered, her voice tinged with disappointment. "I had a Sat Nav in my mother's car and have no problem switching it on. This shouldn't be any different."

"Here, let me check," Michio took a good look before realizing why Ranran was having a hard time, "This Sat Nav model itself is outdated."

"EH!?" Both Takuma and Ranran exclaimed.

"Sat Navs in general cannot be switched on while the car is completely turned off. The one in this van here," He flick the screen in front of the two, "Is the outdated version unlike your mother's, which is why you can't turn it on unless the van is on."

Takuma and Ranran exchanged disappointed glances, realizing the setback they faced. The outdated Sat Nav system in the van was proving to be a significant obstacle in their search for clues about Takashi's whereabouts. "Is there really no other way to get it to turn on without starting the van?" Takuma whispered to Michio.

"Nope," Michio sighed.

"I am surprised you would know something like this," Ranran was a bit in awe at the eldest boy.

"Ruth Obaasan, the one I told you all about that left the boutique shop to my mother before she passed away used to have a car. She is a technophobe, so I ended up having to learn those things to help around growing up." Michio explained.

"Just great!" Takuma groaned, "Peggy Punchard, a rich comedian who can afford so many mansions, could not even be bothered to buy a new Sat Nav of all things!"

As disappointment settled in, the three children pondered their next move. They couldn't afford to waste any more time. They needed to find a way to obtain the information stored in the outdated Sat Nav without turning on the van. 

"I am going to hotwire the van." Ranran decided.

"What!?" The boys' faces fell in horror.

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

"You must be Kudo Shinichi, one of the children of the Tantei Association," Felix addressed Shinichi with a knowing smile. The interrogation was underway in the opulent living room of Peggy's mansion, the air heavy with tension. Felix's words carried a hint of familiarity as if he had prior knowledge of the young detective and his companions.

Shinichi maintained his composure, his gaze fixed on Felix. "Yes, that's correct," he replied evenly, his mind working quickly to assess the situation. "And you are Felix Fizzleton, Peggy's eldest son from her fifth marriage."

"Indeed, I am. Primrose spoke highly of your investigative skills before she met her unfortunate end, and even mentioned something about planning to invest in some anime show involving your adventures in the association. She mentioned that you were all intelligent beyond your years." Felix nodded, his expression calm and collected.

"I appreciate the compliment," Shinichi responded cautiously in English, with a fake smile on his face, "But let's get back to the matter at hand. I am the interpreter for Sergeant Genzo, so if you need to explain anything to Sergeant Genzo, I will relay it back to him in Japanese."

Felix's eyes flickered with a hint of curiosity as he listened to Shinichi's words. He seemed to be assessing the young detective, gauging his abilities and intentions. After a brief moment of silence, Felix nodded in agreement.

"Very well, Kudo Shinichi," Felix replied, switching to English as well. "I appreciate your assistance as the interpreter. It seems we have much to discuss."

With his mind racing to formulate a strategy, Genzo said they could begin, "First and foremost, Genzo-san would like to know where did you arrive from? Cause according to the officers," Shinichi quietly listened to Genzo's words while the little boy relay to Felix, "His men had a hard time attempting to pinpoint your location, aside from Miss Primrose having mentioned that you were out surveying the jungles of South America."

"Well, I flew into Los Angeles late last night and stayed in the airport hotel. Figured it was best not to disturb you all up here. Of course, I didn't know then that the cops were still up all night searching for my mother's killer. I guess you and the other children didn't get much sleep, huh?"

"Oh no, we barely did," Shinichi shook his head.

"I'm sorry you guys have had such a tough time," he told the little boy. "It's an ugly thing to have got involved in. I bet you can't wait to get back home."

"And I am sorry for your mother's passing," Shinichi cleared his throat, "As well as the death of your half-sister, Aurelia."

Shinichi observed Felix's face darken slightly at the mention of his mother and sister's deaths. Whether he was truly sad or not remains unclear, his bangs covered his eyes, which made it difficult for Shinichi to tell. Then a flicker of sadness passed through his eyes before he composed himself and responded.

"Thank you for your condolences. It has been a devastating loss for our family," Felix replied, his voice tinged with a mix of grief and restraint. "Losing Peggy and Aurelia so suddenly... it's hard to comprehend."

"And Primrose too? Your.....on and off girlfriend?" Shinichi suggests.

Shinichi's words hung in the air, his voice filled with a hint of suspicion, while Genzo grew confused next to him, wondering where did Shinichi get this information from. Like the other children, Genzo only merely knew basic English to understand the conversation. Shinichi watched Felix closely, looking for any subtle reaction to his mention of Primrose. The room grew quiet as Felix took a moment to collect himself.

"Yes, Primrose was someone I cared for deeply," Felix responded, his voice tinged with a mix of sadness and reminiscence. "We had our ups and downs, but she was a significant part of my life."

He didn't bother to hide his relationship with Primrose. Shinichi figures.

Since the 3 murders took place and were orchestrated in a cunning manner, if Felix is the killer they were seeking, he would simply admit to it. But Shinichi isn't going to simply offer the triumph card yet, at least for now. "So significant....were you both planning to get married?" Shinichi pressed.

Felix paused for a moment, his expression contemplative. Shinichi could sense a shift in his demeanour as if Felix was carefully choosing his words. The room grew even quieter, with all eyes fixed on Felix, waiting for his response.

"We had talked about it," Felix finally replied, his voice carrying a hint of sadness. "Primrose and I had a complicated relationship, but there were moments when we believed we could make it work. Marriage was a possibility we had entertained."

Shinichi noticed a subtle change in Felix's tone, a slight tightening of his jaw. It was as if he was holding back something, an underlying emotion that he didn't want to reveal. Shinichi's instincts told him that there was more to the story than Felix was letting on.

"But... circumstances changed, didn't they?" Shinichi pressed further, his voice steady but probing. "Primrose's death must have had a significant impact on your plans."

A flicker of something unreadable crossed Felix's eyes, his features momentarily clouded with a mix of emotions. "Yes," he responded, his voice slightly strained. "Primrose's death was a tragedy that no one saw coming. It has certainly altered the course of things."

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

"That is not a wise decision, Ranran," Takuma sighed, seeing Ranran tediously attempting to hot-wire the van. "Nowadays, these kinds of vans can't simply be hot-wired and hijacked like in the movies."

"Well then, do you have a better idea?" Ranran snapped, frustration evident in her voice. "We are running out of time here!"

"There is actually," Michio spoke up, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Do you know the USB cable I always carry around to charge my phone?"

Ranran and Takuma exchanged curious glances. "Yeah, what about it?" Ranran asked, her interest piqued.

"Well, what if we connect the USB cable to the Sat Nav and then connect it to one of our smartphones?" Michio suggested. "If the Sat Nav has any stored data, we might be able to access it through the phone."

Ranran's eyes lit up with excitement. "That just might work! Let's give it a try."

The three children quickly got to work. Ranran carefully connected the USB cable to the Sat Nav, while Michio retrieved his smartphone and prepared to establish the connection. With bated breath, they watched as Michio's phone recognized the external device and displayed a prompt to access its contents.

"Alright, here goes nothing," Ranran muttered, her fingers tapping on the phone's screen. Within moments, the screen displayed a list of folders and files from the Sat Nav.

"Wow, it actually worked!" Ranran exclaimed, a mix of surprise and satisfaction in her voice.

"Now we just need to find any relevant information about Takashi's possible whereabouts," Takuma said, his gaze focused on the screen.

The three children meticulously scanned through the files, looking for any clues or addresses that could lead them to Takashi. Time seemed to blur as they delved into the data, their determination unwavering.

Finally, Michio's eyes widened as he came across a file labelled "Recent Destinations." He opened it, and a list of addresses appeared on the screen.

"Guys, look at this," Michio said, his voice filled with excitement. "These are the recent destinations stored in the Sat Nav's memory. One of them might be where Takashi is being held captive."

Ranran and Takuma leaned in, their eyes scanning the addresses on the screen. One particular entry caught their attention—Suchi-no-Yūrei Lane 4254.

"That's the street!" Ranran pointed out, her voice filled with certainty. "The one Primrose kept attempting to shut down, but it kept playing over and over!"

"Good!" Takuma exclaimed, his voice filled with urgency. "Then let's go!"

"But there's a problem," Takuma continued after checking his GPS on his smartphone. "We definitely need a vehicle to get us there."

Ranran's frustration grew, her brows furrowing. "So, we managed to locate the address, but without a vehicle, we won't be able to reach it in time. The clock is ticking."

Takuma let out a sigh, running his fingers through his hair. "I should have anticipated this. Suchi-no-Yūrei Lane is quite a distance from here, and walking would take us hours."

Michio's mind raced, desperately trying to come up with a solution. "Is cycling an option?"

"A huge problem, our legs won't be able to power us that far," Takuma said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Not to mention, we are all children."

Ranran paused for a moment, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I have an idea," she said slyly.

The horrified expressions on both boys' faces were enough to paralyze them as Ranran continued humming a tune and casually started hot-wiring the van.

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

"She was one great lady. I'm going to miss her." Felix spoke the words with quiet dignity, his sorrow evident. To anyone observing, it would seem that there was no reason to doubt the depth of his grief. The police officers surrounding Felix wore expressions of sympathy, their eyes reflecting a genuine sense of compassion.

But Shinichi saw things differently.

In reality, Felix's demeanour reminded Shinichi a lot of Mamiko. Their behaviour shared similarities, the way they manipulate others to cry for them, laugh for them, and even influence them to do their bidding... it's eerie.

Masking Shinichi's true thoughts about Felix, the young apprentice proceeded to relay Genzo's set of questions. "Mr Felix, did your mother mention anything that might have led to her murder?"

"Truthfully... I do," he murmured. "She told me on the phone not long ago that an old flame was bothering her – sending her letters, calling her at night."

"Did she mention his name?" Shinichi pressed.

"She did. She said she married him when she was young, a mistake that must have proven costly... I thought he was just some harmless guy, you know? If I had taken it more seriously, she and Aurelia would still be alive."

While Genzo was busy jotting down everything, Shinichi felt a vibration in his pocket. Sensing it was his smartphone, he discreetly glanced at the screen, revealing a shocking text from Ranran that read:

"Shinichi, we found the location, Suchi-no-Yūrei Lane 4254. Delay Felix as long as you can."

His heart raced as he read the message. Time was of the essence, and he needed to buy Ranran and the others as much time as possible. Shinichi took a deep breath, composing himself before addressing Felix.

"You can't blame yourself," Shinichi found himself brazenly lying before the man, "No one could have predicted this might happen."

"I guess not," Felix conceded. "But I feel guilty as hell. If I'd been here, I could have protected her, protected them both. And even Primrose...I should've stopped her when she decided to take up the job to impress my mother – only for her to get killed just for working here! It's terrible." 

Felix rubbed his forehead as if he was developing a headache, and there was silence while everyone looked at each other, wondering what to say.

In the end, it was Felix who spoke first. "Sorry guys, I didn't mean to dump that on of you like that."

"We will do everything in our power to find the person responsible for this tragedy. However, there are a few more questions I need to ask you. Please bear with me."

Felix nodded a hint of gratitude in his eyes. "Of course. Ask away."

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

After having convinced Ranran that it wouldn't be reasonable to drive off in the van to search for Takashi since the officers are likely to return, Michio and Takuma were relieved to have abandoned that idea.

Don't get them wrong, they knew she knew how to drive. But she was also a reckless driver.

One time, she hijacked a police officer's car with Michio and Takuma as passengers.

Normally, Shinichi would accompany her, but since he was pursuing his apprenticeship as a detective, Ranran's safety was his number one priority. But the result of accompanying her on most of these trips, mainly pursuing criminals with the cars she constantly hijacked, led to a surge in popularity among the girls their age crushing hard onto Shinichi, as they saw him as a real-life cool child detective. This made Michio and Takuma a little envious.

So one day, Michio and Takuma requested to join in, wanting to be in on the action.

The two boys found themselves on a nerve-wracking chase through the city streets.

And 6-year-old Ranran, fueled by her ruthless nature in going after the culprit, zigzagged through traffic, narrowly avoiding collisions at every turn. Michio and Takuma clung to their seats for dear life, their hearts pounding in their chests. After that wild escapade and multiple trips to the closest garbage bin for the boys to throw up, they made a pact never to let Ranran drive them anywhere again. It was a decision they stood by firmly.

Having left the van earlier while waiting for Emiko, Ranran questioned Ran and Junko about their findings in Shinichi's bedroom at Peggy's guest house.

"How is Felix?" Ranran asked, her tone serious.

"Well, he is dashing! Like Thor! But a modern-day prince!" Junko's eyes sparkled dreamily, which led Ranran to facepalm in response.

Deciding that it would be an utter waste of time to pry answers out of the secretary of the Tantei Association, Ranran turned to Mouri Ran, her tone serious. "Mouri, I hope you don't come up with the same answer as Fuyuko-san demonstrated earlier. Otherwise, the first thing I'm going to do is kick you out of the association right this instant."

Horrified, Ran hastily pondered for a moment, her brow furrowed. "Well, he seemed upset to learn that his mother, half-sister, and Primrose died."

"Really?" Michio and the others raised their eyebrows, and Takuma commented, "Did he admit to seeing Primrose?"

"Yes, Shinichi asked that question. He didn't hide it. Also, his sorrow seemed genuine, but..." Ran paused.

"But what?" Ranran urged her to continue.

"Well... Shinichi's expression, on the other hand..." Ran hesitated to share her observation, but she felt it was necessary, "He doesn't believe that it is genuine."

"Why? Is it because he informed you?" Takuma pressed.

"No," Ran shook her head at him, "But I can tell when he doesn't, and my hunch is usually accurate. I've known him since kindergarten, after all," Ran replied cautiously. "Shinichi's face when he was observing Felix being upset about these murders was... sceptical."

"You mean Shinichi is able to sense that there is something off about Mr Felix's demeanour? Like how?" Michio pressed for answers.

"It's hard to put into words, but yeah, it is that kind of feeling. Somehow, one way or another, when Felix was expressing his sadness about these murders, Shinichi looked... uncomfortable. As if he was seeing a monster before him." Ran explained.

Soon, Emiko managed to return, and they discussed the next phase of the plan as they had previously discussed. "So, good news, we found the street where we are likely to find Takashi," Ranran announced.

".....and the bad news?" Emiko, who had just entered the bedroom, questioned the group.

"It is a long distance. Even if we were to rent bikes, it would still be quite a journey," Ranran sighed.

"Why not we get Miss Ohta to drive us then?" Emiko suggests.

"The keys to the only vehicle within the entire mansion are taken away by Sergeant Genzo's men to check for fingerprints whether Takashi is the killer, which is why I suggest hot wiring the van in the first place." Ranran reasoned.

"Well, now what are we going to do!?" Junko was in despair.

Before anyone could respond, they overheard a conversation outside Shinichi's bedroom. The door was shut, and Ranran recalled that there were two armed policewomen guarding the entrance, but they must have somehow forgotten that the kids had remained in the room, causing them to overhear the conversation.

"That poor Felix!" One policewoman said. Clearly, she sounded as smitten with Felix as Ran and Junko did earlier. "I feel sorry for the guy. It's tough, coming back to all this."

Her companion – a stocky, grumpy-looking cop – replied sarcastically, "Yeah, it's really hard coming back to a mansion that size. I wish I had luck that bad."

"I don't think he cares about the house," the policewoman said. "He told me he was going to sell it right after the funeral. It will continue to haunt him for life if he chooses to keep it."

That's when Ran and Junko's eyebrows shot up. "That's not what he said to Shinichi just now," Ran muttered to the group.

"About what?" Ranran turned back to the two girls.

"Selling the house," Junko replied, "We were monitoring the interrogation earlier from afar when Shinichi asked what Felix was going to do with the house, and he informed Shinichi that he couldn't bear to part ways with his beloved mother's house."

"I mean don't get me wrong, my understanding of English when the interrogation took place isn't as good as yours, Ranran, but he clearly said he didn't want to sell off the mansion." Ran sided with Junko.

"To be fair, he lost the 3 people he care for in his entire life, so his mind must be so addled with grief, that he might not be thinking straight," Emiko suggests.

"I doubt it, "Ranran rolled her eyes crossly.

"Eh?"

"I met these kinds of people before back in my school," Ranran revealed, reminiscing her earlier days, "They....bring utter destruction."

Ranran's words hung in the air, and the room fell into an uneasy silence. "Ranran, what do you mean by 'utter destruction'?" Takuma asked, breaking the silence.

"When I was in Edgewood, there was this prince who seemed decent at first," Ranran began, her voice filled with a mix of sadness and caution. "He appeared to be righteous and wished for everyone to be treated equally, regardless of their background. If things had gone according to his initial ideals, he would have made the royal family proud. But unfortunately, that's not how things turned out." She took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "There was a girl he was engaged to, and she had a way of telling him what he wanted to hear."

The members of the Tantei Association leaned in, captivated by Ranran's story. They wanted to understand the full extent of the prince's actions and how they are related to the current situation.

"One day, the engagement that had been arranged by their parents was abruptly ended," Ranran continued. "The girl suffered from a severe illness at that time, and her ability to have children was compromised. This became the justification for breaking off the engagement."

"I don't understand, why would that matter?" Junko interjected, her confusion evident.

"For royals, the ability to have heirs and maintain bloodlines is of utmost importance," Ranran explained. "They believed that only those with proper blood ties were eligible to rule the kingdom. So when the prince was directed to marry his ex-fiancee's healthier sister instead, who was considered a more reasonable match, he began to spiral into a state of psychosis."

"By psychosis, you mean.....?" Michio could sense that this conversation is about to go dark.

"I mean he bullied that poor fiance of his, terribly, and continue to secretly see her sister. And she did little to stop him and kept feeding him things he wanted to hear. Fed him lies that his sister was a prick and that the fiance bullied her when it was the opposite. Gradually, the corruption in school got so bad thanks to the both of them, that eventually, he lost his right to become king, and was expelled on the spot, and so was the poor fiance's sister."

The room grew heavy with the weight of Ranran's words. "Bottom line is, I believe this is how Felix got Primrose to do his bidding in the killings before he ended up killing her."

Ranran's revelation left the members of the Tantei Association speechless, their minds processing the gravity of the situation. The parallel between Felix and the prince Ranran had described was clear, and it shed light on the manipulative nature of their actions.

"So you believe that is how he was able to manipulate Primrose!?" Emiko asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Ranran nodded solemnly. "Based on what we know about Felix's charm and ability to influence others, it's not far-fetched to think that he could have manipulated Primrose into becoming his accomplice. He probably convinced her that it will benefit him and her in one way or another. But once she had served her purpose, he saw her as a loose end that needed to be eliminated."

Takuma clenched his fists, anger flashing in his eyes. "That's despicable! To use someone's loyalty and trust against them for his own sinister agenda."

Unbeknownst to the children, it seems the policewomen were not done talking among themselves outside the bedroom. The stocky officer asked the other, "By the way, why would Felix want to sell his mom's mansion?"

"To buy a chunk of rainforest. He wants to protect it from the loggers and use the money for something useful," the policewoman replied.

"Really? Oh, what a saint," scoffed the grumpy-looking cop sarcastically.

"Give him a break, will you? He's a good guy, one of the few left."

"A good guy? Good people are hard to find in the world we live in!"

The conversation outside the bedroom continued, unaware that their words were being overheard by the members of the Tantei Association. Ranran's eyes narrowed as she exchanged a knowing glance with the others. "Anyway, thanks to all of your findings, it's clearcut that Felix is whom I suspected to be the killer is in fact the one we have been seeking for. The guy who murdered his own mother, half-sister, as well as his own lover.

The gravity of the situation settled upon the children, and their determination to bring Felix to justice grew stronger. "We can't let him get away with this," Takuma stated firmly.

Michio nodded in agreement. "We have to stop him before he causes any more harm. Time is of the essence."

"Which is why as Ranran said, we need to locate Takashi," Ran spoke up, her voice filled with resolve. "Otherwise, he won the game he staged for us to play in."

Recalling Miss Ohta Bunko's last sighting on Primrose, who was dressed up differently while smiling after that feud with Ranran, it suddenly dawned on Emiko, "Would it be possible that Felix was lying about his whereabouts?" Heads shift back to the artist as she voiced her theory, "Yesterday night when we left, Miss Ohta saw a glimpse of Primrose smiling as if she saw something at the kitchen window, right? If she was seeing her fiance outside, who happens to be Felix, it would make sense why not long after, when we discovered her dead with the British cop's hat next to her, no!?"

Michio's voice trembled with anger. "If that was true, that meant Shinichi had every right to suspect him as the kill we were searching for all along."

"We need to inform Sergeant Genzo-" Junko eagerly almost reaches towards the door.

Feeling a grab around her wrist, Junko wondered who it was to turn back to see Ranran, shaking her head at her, "No."

"Ranran! Sergeant Genzo had him in for questioning here! He can't do anything if we let him know-"

"I don't think he came alone when he decided to show himself before Genzo." Ranran quietly spoke with caution before letting her wrist go, much to everyone's shock.

"Wait, what do you mean Felix didn't come here alone?!" Ran is the first to press for answers regarding Ranran's statement.

Ranran took a deep breath before explaining her suspicions. "Mouri, if you were the killer, you framed Takashi for the murders and then kidnapped him so that he can't reveal the truth, but then out of the blue, the cops contacted you to say that your mother, half-sister and lover were murdered by the killer and that they would need you to come for an interrogation, would you simply let Takashi remain in the location where Felix had allegedly hid him!?"

The members of the Tantei Association stared at Ranran, trying to process the implications of her suspicions. Emiko was the first to find her voice. "Wait, are you suggesting that Felix didn't come to the police station alone? That he might have someone with him, guarding Takashi?"

"Exactly. We can't assume that Takashi is safe just because Felix is in custody. If he has an accomplice or someone guarding Takashi, we need to act quickly to save him." Ranran's voice carried a sense of urgency.

"How certain are you? Maybe he did it all by himself?" Takuma doubted this, and so did Michio and the others.

"This is a man who duped Primrose into aiding his killings,  who are we to say that he didn't rope in his alliances to make sure Takashi can't escape?!" Ranran pointed out, before revealing, "And did you forget what Shinichi and I discovered in Primrose's computer earlier? When we told you about it, you were all pale as death!"

The Tantei Association members exchanged worried glances, their memories of the disturbing content on Primrose's computer resurfacing. 

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

"Drug trafficking!? You mean Felix wasn't saving the rainforest as an environmentalist!?"

Ran and the others gasped in horror in Shinichi's bedroom earlier that morning, as the other kids listened to Shinichi's words.

"It seems that way. We found evidence on Primrose's computer suggesting her involvement in Felix's illegal activities." Shinichi nodded grimly before Ranran quietly sent the screenshot of messages to everyone in their group chat.

The members of the Tantei Association received the screenshot of the messages on Primrose's computer and quickly examined the evidence, though their faces were still doubtful. "It didn't straightforwardly say that 'we are delivering drugs'." Emiko pointed the photo to the group, "How are you certain that Felix and Primrose were doing drug trafficking?"

"Also, the person whom Primrose messaged with, 'Mr Forest', it may not be Felix," Junko closely analyzes the message contents, "I don't see any of the message stating 'I got the cocaine here, where should I deliver it'?"

"You're right, the messages don't explicitly mention drugs," Shinichi admitted. "But there are hints and coded language that suggest something illicit is going on."

Shinichi began pointing out specific phrases in the messages that could be interpreted as drug-related. "Take note of this phrase here, 'delivering packages' and 'protecting valuable assets'. While it may not explicitly mention drugs, the language used and the context strongly implies that they are involved in some form of illegal activity.  And don't forget the mention of 'donations' and 'charitable work'. These are normally euphemisms for the money generated through drug trafficking."

"And may I ask, how does a 6-year-old boy like you know these kinds of stuff again?" His partner-in-crime turned to him.

"My Tousan needed to do research about writing fictional stories about drug trafficking, so aside from him taking me to see corpses in crime scenes for inspiration purposes, he would go to Inspector Megure to ask about it, which is how I learn the details," Shinichi explained.

Emiko looked troubled as she read through the messages again, trying to decipher the hidden meanings. "There is no mention, let alone, vague mention that Felix might be involved in this. I think you must be mistaken."

"But if you think about it, I did some research about Felix's career as an environmentalist, alright?" Shinichi searched about it before sending it to everyone on his phone, "So far, the routes he had taken...jungles such as the Amazon rainforest, Southeast Asian rainforests, and African rainforests. These are the same areas where drug trafficking routes are known to exist."

"What!?" Takuma and the other children's jaws dropped.

"And that is not all," Ranran backed Shinichi up with her own facts, "Remember that there was a mention he used to be a huge party boy in his 20s back in the U.K? I had my network asked around where he used to hang out, those luxury taverns and clubs he frequented, and guess what? Some of them were known to have ties to organized crime and drug trafficking. It's all starting to add up."

The members of the Tantei Association exchanged worried glances, the realization sinking in. The pieces of the puzzle were coming together, painting a disturbing picture of Felix's involvement in illegal activities.