Ohta Bunko had seen the worst in the world she was born in.

Losing both of her biological parents to the same disease within a year was a devastating blow for the young girl, who was around 6 at that time. The absence of parental love and support left a void in her life, and with no grandparents or relatives alive left to take her in, she had to rely on the orphanage and its staff for care and guidance.

Life in the orphanage was far from easy. Limited resources, overcrowding, and a lack of individual attention made it difficult for Ohta to find solace or a sense of belonging. To even survive, the only way was to analyse personalities. Stay away from the bad, stick with the good. She witnessed firsthand the struggles and hardships faced by the other children in the orphanage, further deepening her understanding of the harsh realities of the world.

Even more so was when she sees the friends she made in the orphanage and ended up getting adopted left and right, let alone, either end up deceased due to tragic circumstances or face abuse in their new families. Ohta couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness and despair, as she watched her companions suffer and disappear from her life.

The one good thing that came out of this, was meeting her current fiance, as well as his sister.

Even so, that didn't last long when his eldest sister was murdered by his mother, as well as him ending up in prison. But throughout the chaos, the road led her to these children of Tantei Association.

Maybe that is why as she accompanied one child after the other at the allegedly murdered victim's lavish lounge, she had no problem distinguishing what sort of personality they have.

Ohta Bunko couldn't help but observe them closely, drawing on her own life experiences to understand their personalities and the impact their upbringing might have had on them. She paid attention to their reactions, body language, and interactions with the environment. She looked beyond the surface, searching for clues that could make her distinguish whether she should step in to defend them in front of those cops.

For example, when 6-year-old Kudo Shinichi is called over to be interviewed, she interpreted it as a reflection of his preference for order and logical thinking in the way he carried himself. The way he maintained a straight posture, his focused gaze, and his measured responses indicated a disciplined and analytical nature. Ohta could see traces of a young detective in the making, someone who approached situations with a sharp mind and an unwavering dedication to solving mysteries.

On the other hand, when 6-year-old Mouri Ran entered the room, Ohta noticed a different energy. Ran may seem fearless and determined in front of the cops, but noticeably when the cops grind her a bit, she seemed to tense up slightly, her eyes betraying a hint of vulnerability.

As each child went through the interrogation process, Ohta's observations and insights continued to shape her understanding of their personalities and backgrounds. She saw glimpses of their strengths, weaknesses, and unique qualities that made them valuable members of the Tantei Association.

Then, Kudo Ranran when pressed by the cops about why did she think Miss Peggy's death was a murder, she answered quite unexpectedly.

"Her earrings," Ranran pointed out.

"I am sorry?!" The cop who interviewed the child had his face fall.

As Ohta who is sitting next to the child observed, Muniko's secretary was wondering if her voice was going to come out as squeaky the way Junko or Ran did earlier, feeling nervous thanks to the stern looking coming out from the officer.

To her surprise, Ranran rolled her eyes to casually answer, "She didn't take out her earrings, and her hair was discovered to be wet. Wearing such expensive earrings, surely one would take them out to put them away before taking a shower? Unless you had no care for looking after expensive jewellery, officer."

For some odd reason, Ohta could see the twitch in the officer's eyes as if he felt insulted. "Ranran, she could've just simply cleaned her earrings and then put them back on." The officer batted the little girl's words away with an impatient flick of the wrist.

"While leaving her hair wet? During winter? On a February?" Ranran asked pointedly.

"So she forgot, things like that are normal." He was unimpressed. "When you get older you forget what's what. Even my own Okaasan doesn't know what day of the week it is half the time."

Seemingly unfazed by the officer's dismissive response, the detective girl sneered, "Do you know how much is Miss Peggy's IQ, officer?"

Muniko's secretary watched the interaction between Ranran and the officer with a mix of curiosity and concern. She could sense that Ranran was about to make a significant point, one that would challenge the officer's dismissive attitude. The tension in the room grew palpable as everyone awaited Ranran's response.

"Miss Peggy's IQ? 170, it was all over the news." the officer repeated, his eyebrows furrowing. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"If you are smart enough to realize the number 170 itself classifies those who are exceptionally gifted, especially for an 80-something-year-old comedian like Miss Peggy," Ranran's mischievous smile widened as she delivered her next words with confidence. "Then you should have had enough brain cells to know that one doesn't just forget to remove their expensive earrings before taking a shower. Unless the promotion you receive not long ago proves your intelligence otherwise."

Her sharp words hung in the air, leaving a moment of silence in the room. The officer's initial dismissive demeanour wavered, and Ohta could sense a shift in the atmosphere. The tension escalated as the weight of Ranran's words sank in.

The officer's face flushed with a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. "Are you implying I am stupid?"

"That depends if you choose to acknowledge the truth or not," Ranran chuckled in a mocking tone. The officer, visibly irritated, clenched his fists and took a deep breath, attempting to regain his composure. "Also, did you even do research over where she obtained those earrings, officer?"

The next bold question caught the officer off guard, and he hesitated for a moment before responding. Ohta, sitting next to Ranran, observed the unfolding interaction with anticipation, curious to see how the officer would react.

"I... I don't see how that's relevant," the officer replied, his voice slightly strained.

"It is relevant," Ranran leaned forward, her eyes shining in glee over how incompetent this cop was as she remembered him back then, "The pair of earrings she wore were lent to her by this luxurious jewellery company called "Diamonds & Pearls". And that company itself has a very strict policy on lending it to anyone, especially celebrities. If there were any discovered damage, they would need to fork out millions in yen for compensation. The one she is wearing on her ears when we discovered her dead, was a rare and valuable pair that was loaned specifically. What is the reason remains unclear. But the bottom line was: If she had not taken them off before showering, she would not only be violating the guidelines set by the company, judging her daughter's spending habits, it only made sense for her to be extra cautious."

"And....may I know how you know all of this?"

"I know someone who is a regular patron there. She has been wanting to get her hands on that specific pair of earrings, the same one Peggy was discovered wearing when she died. The friend shared to me the photo once, and that's how I learned about it."

Said officer's expression shifted from annoyance to a mix of surprise and intrigue as he huffed in disapproval and detest before stating, "You and your rich friends from Edgewood, I see."

Ranran's triumphant grin grew wider, and Ohta couldn't help but wonder where things are about to go with this conversation.

"So, tell me about this guy you saw. Did you at least get a good look at him? I tried to see the footages your friends had recorded on the smartphone earlier, but he seem to have fled away too quickly to be captured."

"Sure," Ranran noted, "His attire......"

As soon as Ranran was able to recount it one detail after another, the officer as Ohta could tell was amused at the little girl's observation, "The little boy who I interviewed earlier, the one named Shinichi, only you and he had a tallied account over how the mysterious man looked like. Especially when you both mentioned that he had a red carnation. Did it look something like this?"

The officer put a plastic evidence bag containing a tattered red carnation into her hands. The stem was broken.

As broken as Peggy's neck. Ranran mused this to herself. "May I ask where you all discovered this?"

"Around the gate area," The officer added.

"That's the one," Ranran observed, "It looked like it was about to fall out. And he was wearing a straw hat. Quite a smart one. That fell off too."

"We've got that. Anything else?"

"A bow tie."

"Colour?"

"Red." Ranran looked at the policeman intently. "And his jacket was red-and-white stripes, exactly the same colours as the sash on Miss Peggy's dress. And the curtains, and the sofas."

Seriously, now that Ranran thinks of this, perhaps the theory that the mansion was decorated based on the victim's love for the show 'Punch and Judy' is starting to make sense.

Unsurprising in Ohta Bunko's eyes, the officer wasn't at all interested in the child's observations. Even Ranran herself ain't surprised, seeing his sceptical look. After all, who would simply buy a murder suspect dressed up like a clown, having allegedly committed the murder of a famous comedian living in a mansion on the top of the hills?

"OK, here's what I think happened," he said. "She was washing her hair, setting it, doing whatever she does to get that style of hers in place. Then this guy, the same one who dressed like a clown comes to the door and rings the bell. Now, the supermodel, or her temporary secretary then collected the whole lot of you from the resting place on the highway, which leaves Peggy's daughter and herself. But her daughter went out shopping, so Peggy had no choice but to answer the door herself. She's at the top of the stairs and trips. He hears her fall, panics and runs away. Until we get the pathologist's report we're going to assume it was just the way it looks. An accident."

As Ohta Bunko was hearing all the nonsense the officer was spewing about his made-up theory, she was about to protest over how irresponsible he sounded. His personality reminded Ohta of that time when she was around 6, witnessing one of the children insisting to the orphanage's dismissive director that the bully is the one who broke the window while playing ball, not themselves who was innocent in all of this.

Ranran however who remained chill after hearing his spews said, "Damn, Japan need to allocate their taxpayer's money well, not only are they wasting it on stubborn donkeys, even the police department is wasting their resources by granting a promotion to an officer like you."

This was enough for Bunko to stifle a laugh, impressed by Ranran's audacity. The officer's face turned an alarming shade of red, "Excuse me!?"

Before the officer could retort, a voice interrupted the tense atmosphere in the room. It was Sergeant Genzo. "That is enough, Ranran, the interview is over. You can leave now."

Ranran nodded before she stood up and Bunko shook Sergeant Genzo politely by the hand. As soon as the secretary escorted Ranran away, the officer angrily argued with Sergeant Genzo, "Genzo, I had put up with her cocky behaviour for a long while all thanks to who her Tousan is! And it's about time that she needs to be disciplined!"

"Whether her Tousan is around or not, she's got a point," Sergeant Genzo replied with a wry smile. "You can't simply dismiss her observations, she is The Fox after all. And unlike you and the others, she is able to solve all those cases on her own, which neither of you was able to for months."

The officer grumbled in frustration, clearly irritated by Ranran's boldness. "But this whole clown theory she's talking about... It's preposterous! Who would dress up like that and commit a murder? I mean we are on the hillside! Even if that was nothing but the truth, where do you think the killer has anywhere to hide dressed up that way!?"

Sergeant Genzo leaned back in his chair, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "You'd be surprised at what people are capable of. Besides, sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. We shouldn't disregard any lead, no matter how unconventional it may seem."

"But what about the accident theory? It seems more plausible," the officer insisted.

"Plausible, yes, but Ranran is perceptive on many things. Especially that comedian's daughter and that supermodel/secretary...I have a nagging feeling that Ranran might be spot on about how involved are they in Peggy's murder."

"It's easier said than done," The officer sighed, "It's gonna take hours to leave the hillside, days to obtain the cause of death from the coroner."

While the officer was groaning about his woes, Ohta Bunko who happens to be accompanying Ranran can't help but wonder what sort of life did Ranran had to go through.

So far out of all of the children throughout the interrogation, their response towards the dismissive officer who played down the fact that Miss Peggy could've been murdered at her own home by a 'clown' would react in protests, anger, even as far as to pent up their anger.

But 6-year-old Ranran however behaved very calmly, which was unusual.

And Ranran's words must have still left that rude officer a bad impression, because even as the woman turned to the back, Ohta could almost see the steam rising from his ears.

Ohta had a nagging feeling about the founder of Tantei Association, and she hopes what she predicted about Ranran was in the wrong.

Curiosity getting the best of her, Ohta leaned towards Ranran and spoke in a hushed tone, "Ranran, are you....alright?"

The little girl turned her head slightly, her eyes meeting Ohta's eyes, surprised, "Alright? Why wouldn't I be?"

The secretary of Muniko could sense a certain enigmatic aura surrounding Ranran, a sense that there was more to this young detective than met the eye. She leaned in closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "You seem unusually calm amidst all this chaos. Most children would be upset or angry, but you...it seems as though you were so used to adults being rude towards you, you....how should I put this? You've developed a sort of immunity to it?"

At first, the child's eyes narrowed for a moment, as if processing Ohta's words. Then, she let out a small, ironic chuckle. "Immunity, huh? I guess you could say that."

The woman could sense a certain enigmatic aura surrounding Ranran, a sense that there was more to this young detective than met the eye. She leaned in closer, her voice barely above a whisper. "You know...it's not good to keep bottling it up to yourself, you know? It's ok to be mad if you feel like it."

"Oh, don't you worry about me, Miss Ohta."

"Eh!?"

"It's something I have to do to get unreasonable adults to listen, honest," Ranran turned to Ohta with a mysterious smile on her face, her eyes gleaming with hidden knowledge. She leaned in closer, her voice barely above a whisper, and responded, "Protesting will never get them to listen, but being rude will not only make them hate me, but they will also remember the case even more."

Ohta couldn't help but feel a shiver run down her spine at the cryptic response. There was something unsettling yet intriguing about the way Ranran manipulate things.

At the same time, however, Ohta knew she had to ask, "But....did your parents not teach you not to do things like that?"

"They did, my Okaasan even said I would grow up as a bad child that no one wants," Though it was only a glimpse, Ohta swore she could've Ranran saw a smile fade slightly, and a hint of sadness flickered in her eyes before cynicism came up, "But she was so wrong, there was someone who loves me, even though I was a bad child. And that's why....'for that person', I will continue on. Cause 'that person' saved me many times that not even she could see. That is to me...the most real form of love that not even billions of pounds can ever buy it back."

Ohta was taken aback by Ranran's response. It seemed that the young detective had experienced a difficult past, which had shaped her unique perspective and approach to dealing with adults. Curious about the person Ranran mentioned, she goes, "Ranran, who is this person you're talking about?" Ohta asked gently, her voice filled with empathy.

"'He' is someone....who no longer exists in this world anymore."

"Eh?"

The little girl's bitterly answered, "But 'he' deserves to rest well. No one...will ever pry about him anymore."

As soon as the little girl left, the secretary couldn't shake off the feeling that Ranran had experienced something in her past that had shaped her approach to dealing with adults. Ohta wondered if there was more to Ranran's story than what met the eye. Perhaps there were hidden scars or painful memories that had made her develop this enigmatic and manipulative side.

Suddenly, Ohta was reminded of a child who behaved the same way in the orphanage she grew up in.

Lika Ranran, this child was also cunning and manipulative. As this girl was raised by a family of con artists, she was a lost cause. Many children distance themselves from that girl, and Ohta too no different. But unlike Ranran, she was unsuccessful in hiding her true intentions and often got caught up in her own web of deceit.

One day, she managed to convince this girl to stupidly hand over this necklace. And so happen that the girl who owned the necklace was the daughter of some rich family, who lost all of their heirs not long ago. When the rich family came over to look for her, the manipulative child upfront lied, knowing that she was a fraud.

If this story were to move into a stereotypical fashion where eventually the fake one was exposed years after she became an adult like those dramas she watched, Ohta was greatly mistaken.

Within 3 months of the incident, a shocking event occurred.

When the manipulative child returned back to the orphanage, she looked pale and frightened. Her usually confident demeanour had vanished, and she seemed like a completely different person. Ohta and the other children couldn't understand what had happened, but they sensed that something terrible had occurred.

Then the real one was taken into that same family, and after 6 months apart, both girls died under mysterious circumstances.

Ohta couldn't believe what she was remembering. The events from her past seemed to overlap with the present situation involving Ranran. The eerie similarities between the two girls sent a chill down Ohta's spine.

But then, as she sees Shinichi from afar calling out to Ranran along with the others, whose expressions were more worried rather than wary unlike the others, Ohta thinks that perhaps.....not all manipulative little girls are evil after all.

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

"Wait, why can't we go home?" Mouri Ran exclaimed to Sergeant Genzo, while the 6 other kids with her widened their eyes. "We are supposed to come here a short while, then head home immediately."

"As you can see, the weather outside ain't looking good," Genzo open the murdered victim's mansion doors, revealing the dark, stormy clouds looming overhead.

"You do know that we could easily drive home, right?" Takuma pointed out," This ain't ancient times in Japan where we had to rely solely on foot or horseback for transportation."

"I side with Takuma on this," Shinichi and the others nodded.

Sergeant Genzo sighed heavily, his frustration evident. "Kids, do you know which hillside are we on right now?"

"Shinraku Heights, a wealthy neighbourhood around the hills," Shinichi answered.

"That's correct," Genzo acknowledged. "And do you know what happens when a storm like this hits Shinraku Heights?"

The children exchanged glances, unsure of the answer.

"Shinraku Heights is prone to landslides during heavy rainstorms," Genzo continued. "The steep slopes and unstable terrain make it dangerous to navigate, especially in bad weather. The authorities have issued a warning, advising residents and visitors to stay put until the storm passes and it's safe to leave."

"So, if we try to go home now, we might be buried alive?" Emiko figures.

Genzo nodded. "Exactly. Your safety is our priority, and it's better to wait it out here than risk getting caught in a landslide."

"Hang on a minute, it ain't any different remaining here anyway," Ranran pointed out, "Peggy's murderer is still nowhere to be found, we either get murdered by the killer or be buried while attempting to leave. No different than the hell we had to deal with back at that island in Kodama Forest camp!"

The detective girl's words struck a nerve, and the other children couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. The reality of their situation sank in. They were trapped in a mansion with a potential murderer on the loose, and the storm outside only added to their feeling of vulnerability.

"Is there a hotel nearby this area? Or at least, do you know of any hotel that your friends in Edgewood happen to own a hotel around this hillside, Ranran? It's better you let me know, cause the last time you didn't back at that island, I had to track you down with someone's horse!" Shinichi turned to Ranran, hoping she had something at her disposal.

"Unfortunately no," Ranran sighs, "I was expecting a consultation from us before leaving, not an overnight stay, but then this murder had to happen. Not to mention, bad weather."

"Maybe I will try to look for us a hotel," Ohta sighed before fishing out her smartphone to search for the closest hotel.

But then Primrose's voice interrupted her in Japanese. "I tell you what, you can stay here with us, including your men, Sergeant Genzo," she said firmly as she crossed the room towards them. "I'll take you to the guest wing now, it's all ready for you. Take as long as you need to get over your journey."

"Wait, live under the same roof where Miss Peggy died?!" Ran suddenly felt eerie goosebumps at that thought, "Why does this sound like a de ja vu?"

"Of course it does, Mouri," Takuma suddenly said, "When we were stuck on that island at Kodama Forest campsite for the first 2 miserable weeks of our lives, did you not recall that time the two murdered victims were stored in that walk-in fridge? And we were forced to eat the food from the same fridge?"

Suddenly, the colour drained out of Ran. Then another thought struck her hard in the head, "Wait, since the police officers can't leave, neither can we, that meant Miss Peggy's corpse will remain here, no!? Are you...are you guys going to put her corpse in some fridge!?"

"Don't worry about that," Heads turned to 9-year-old Emiko, "I saw the people in charge having moved Miss Peggy's corpse earlier outside before it rained, so it's all good for us."

The children let out a collective sigh of relief upon hearing Emiko's reassurance. The thought of staying in a mansion where a murder had occurred was unsettling enough, and of course, the idea of being in close proximity to the victim's corpse was worst, but the thought of eating food from the same walk-in kitchen where corpses are decomposing there....now that itself is even more disturbing.

"Thank Kami-sama," Junko exhales, "No way I am going to eat meals from where the corpses are!"

"Same, even hearing the details from you guys when you were out camping was enough to send me puking!" Michio turned pale, recalling the time he puked after hearing those details.

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

Ohta and the children followed Primrose through the kitchen and out of the back door, stepping into a vast paved courtyard adorned with potted orange trees. Nestled behind a low wall were several gleaming metal dustbins.

"Just over here is the guest wing," Primrose explained, leading them diagonally across the courtyard to a door. "As you can see, you'll have your own entrance. I'll provide you with a key so you can come and go as you, please. I hope you'll find everything you need inside. If there's anything you require, please don't hesitate to give me a call. The telephones by your beds connect directly to my office."

Initially, Junko's mind raced with concerns about the number of people—police officers, Tantei Association members, and Ohta Bunko—all sharing the same space, potentially leading to overcrowding. She wondered if there would be enough rooms to accommodate everyone comfortably.

Sure, this is after all a mansion that she is certain had multiple bedrooms, but she feared it may not be enough.

But when the spectacle girl saw the guest rooms, any worries about sleeping arrangements vanished from her thoughts. The downstairs lounge was expansive, akin to the size of a tennis court, complete with a television screen resembling that of a cinema. A grand spiral staircase beckoned, leading up to three enormous bedrooms, each boasting its own luxurious bathroom.

With much discussion, they concluded the arrangements.

Ranran will bag the one overlooking the courtyard, and Ohta Bunko took the one next to hers. Then Takuma opted for the one across the landing, which had a view over the grounds. The others soon choose their respective bedroom, and after ensuring everyone had everything they could possibly want, Primrose then ended the day by marching away.

In Mouri Ran's bedroom, she was on her smartphone to let Sonoko know one thing on her mind, "Sonoko, you may need to find a better temple, cause clearly our prayers didn't work, and someone has died in the mansion."

After sharing everything, Sonoko was in disbelief, "How is this even possible!? This time you were all merely there to consult them about some anime project, and yet someone else still dies! It's like the grim reaper is following all of you members alone!"

"Right?" Ran ranted, "It's like Tantei Association happen to have the Midas touch of death. Everything we come across without touching anything simply turns into a murder mystery! Seriously, Sonoko, it's like we're cursed or something!"

"Ran, I think we seriously need to reconsider your membership in that association," Sonoko's voice grew more sombre as she contemplated the unfortunate turn of events. "I know you want to get Shinichi out since he is still being manipulated by that girl, but with things beyond our control, not to mention, the recent increase in....deaths, is it worth it to continue pursuing Shinichi to return to us?"

Ran sighed, her voice tinged with frustration. "I know, Sonoko. It's just... I can't give up on him."

"But Ran, I felt like ever since you joined the association, there is a never-ending rollercoaster of danger and death that kept occurring on and on. How many more lives will be lost before we reach the end? Also, we are still no closer to finding out any evidence that Ranran is none other than The Fox."

As much as she wanted to argue over the phone, Sonoko wasn't in the wrong.

During the events of 'Extinction Heist,' Ran could still recall vividly how one of the criminals had a gun pointed at her head. Or that other time she was kidnapped, plus that time she almost died on that camping trip with Sonoko.

"Truthfully, Sonoko, I am scared. And every single day without fail, even I feel like my days are numbered, that I want to set foot out of that door and never return," Ran's grip tightened on her phone. "But even if it means confronting the grim reaper himself, I will do anything to get Shinichi back."

Silence hung in the air for a moment before Sonoko spoke again, her voice filled with concern. "Just promise me, Ran, that you'll put yourself first before anyone, let alone, Tantei Geek. And if you really can't...I will call Rokuro over to look into it."

"No, don't call him over."

"Ran!"

"Shinichi detests him, he is the reason why things are where we are now." Ran explained with a pained expression through the phone, "I know Rokuro would save us in a heartbeat, but he is no match for Ranran's intelligence. Also, if Ranran ever sees us together, she will use this underground of kicking me out of the association for good! And Shinichi would simply allow it, because of the things he had to go through!"

The heiress then let out a frustrated sigh on the other end of the line. "I hope all of this is worth it, Ran. Cause if you really can't get Shinichi back....it will be all for nought."

After greeting each other good night before ending the call, and having a nice shower, she was thinking about heading to sleep, but she couldn't help but feel a sense of unease as if the walls were whispering secrets and the shadows held unseen dangers.

Lost in her thoughts, Ranran absentmindedly clicked on her phone's social media app while laying on the bed. She scrolled through a stream of viral videos and nonsensical posts, trying to distract herself from the grim reality outside her door. But no matter how many cat videos she watched, she couldn't shake off the feeling of being trapped in a twisted game.

She glanced at the clock on the bedside table and realized it was getting late. The storm outside raged on, adding an eerie soundtrack to the night. Ranran sighed and decided it was time to try and get some sleep. She crawled under the covers, pulling them tightly around her, seeking solace in their warmth.

Her gaze shifted to the window, where she could see the dark silhouette of the courtyard and the distant glow of the city lights. It was a stark contrast to the opulence of the mansion, reminding her that darkness could lurk in the most unexpected places.

As she closed her eyes, images of the murder scene flashed in her mind. The lifeless body and the unanswered questions haunted her thoughts. Sleep seemed elusive, and she found herself tossing and turning, caught in a twisted dance between reality and nightmares.

Minutes turned into hours, and Ran's restless mind wandered into the realm of strange possibilities. What if the murder was just the beginning? What if there was a hidden motive, a secret society, or even supernatural forces at play? The lines between fiction and reality blurred, leaving her questioning everything she knew.

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

Among the 7 members of Tantei Association, 3 of the members are physically fit, or 4, that is if you could Shinichi who is into soccer rather than filling his brain with riddles to solve.

And considering Ran, Junko and Takume were rather bored, they had to do something. Watching several viral videos didn't help much, as they watched most of it in their respective bedrooms, so they decided to kill time by doing something rather unexpected.

"Are you sure this is a good idea!?" Ran hissed quietly, while she silently shut the door to the bedroom alongside Takuma and Junko, the other members were deeply asleep in their bedroom as it is 7 am at the moment.

"Ran, let's be real: We are bored to death, and there is nothing to conclude whether Miss Peggy is actually murdered," Junko said, adjusting her spectacles, "So I see no problem as to why we shouldn't head to the swimming pool at the guest house to go for a nice swim."

"Right!" Takuma agreed with a nod, "I normally do a workout every morning whenever I ain't fishing, so it will do us no harm to go for a nice swim."

"Even so, I don't think it is a good idea, considering if Peggy was murdered, the killer is still out there. It ain't safe. Plus, it's Winter on a February, we will likely freeze to death!" Ran pointed out.

"I don't think we should worry about that," Junko smirked at Ran's concerns. "Miss Primrose mentioned that the guest house has a heated indoor pool, remember? We won't freeze our butts off, I promise."

"Plus, Peggy was murdered at the main residence, not the guest's house, Mouri. And it is likely that the intruder who was dressed like a clown is a killer, why would he be stupid enough to come back and murder more people now that we had the police involved?" Takuma rolled his eyes at the brunette.

"And anyway, we have Primrose's full permission to use the pool at the far side of the house." Junko beamed at that.

"I can't believe this is the same girl who almost drowned to death during 'The Illegitimate Extra' case by a man who tried to kill you," Ran pouted. "And it was around morning when that happened."

"I had to attend counselling to tell myself no idiot killer is going to be waiting out there to kill me, "Junko shrugged nonchalantly. "In a way, I love swimming too much to part ways with it." She chuckled, clearly not bothered by the memory of her near-death experience. "But seriously, Ran, we are bored. Do you want to join us or not?"

Ran crossed her arms and pondered for a moment, weighing the pros and cons. The idea of a morning swim did sound enticing, and she couldn't deny that she needed a distraction from the unsettling atmosphere in the mansion. She glanced at Junko and Takuma, both eagerly awaiting her response.

"Fine, fine," Ran relented with a sigh. "I guess a little swim won't hurt. But we better be careful, alright? No funny business, no clown sightings, and definitely no more near-death experiences."

"Deal! No clown sightings are guaranteed unless the killer decided to upgrade their fashion choices overnight. And don't worry, Ran, we'll stick together like a pack of penguins in the Arctic." Takuma grinned mischievously.

Unbeknownst to them, as the trio headed their way out of the guest's out to swim in the pool, there were two other members discussing in secret about Peggy's death.

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

"You want to survey the area as to how that 'clown' was able to sneak into Peggy's residence!?"

Shinichi was taken aback at his mentor's theories, while Ranran sat on his bed in his bedroom while discussing with a nod. The two didn't have a good sleep, as they were up all night thinking about the death of Peggy. Messaging back and forth in the LINE app, the two agree to meet up in Shinichi's bedroom to discuss further the case. "I mean clearly that guy wasn't invited into Peggy's residence. The sooner we track him down, the quicker we can wrap this all up and head home"

"I don't really think there is much to look into, right? I mean he might have sneaked through the gates when Primrose set off to pick us up."

"There is, because of the way he dresses," said Ranran, while she thought hard about this, "Shinichi if you were about to murder someone, would you dress up like a clown?"

"No way, that would make you a straight bullseye," He chuckled dismissively as to how stupid that idea sounded, "His clothes itself is too attention-grabbing and memorable, I would be arrested within seconds by the time I flee away from this mansion, and run down the hills with a vehicle I park somewhere or something."

"Right?" Ranran crossed her leg while rubbing her chin thoughtfully, "I mean how does someone who is dressed up as a clown could easily enter the residence?"

"Maybe he climbed over the wall?" suggested Shinichi, but then even he has his reservations about this, "But when I spotted him at that time, his trousers were spotless. If he'd done that there would have been marks on them. Anyway, he looked too old to be capable of that sort of thing." Shinichi paced back and forth, his mind working through the possibilities. "So, if he didn't enter through the gates or climb the wall, how did he manage to get inside undetected? There must be another way."

He then stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening. "Wait...what if someone let him in from the inside?"

Ranran's eyes widened as she processed Shinichi's theory. "Eh?"

"I was listening to the officer interrogating you earlier at the lounge when he dismissed your theory about the fact that Peggy was murdered, something about someone possibly heading towards the front door to knock, then Peggy tripped and fell to her death....maybe there is some truth to it. Except he was invited to the residence."

Still unconvinced, Shinichi explained further.

"When we were outside the mansion, the gates and walls surrounding the mansion were rather high. And there were thick bushes near those walls from the inside. When I saw the intruder earlier, there were no traces of leaves and cuts he could've gotten from after climbing over the wall to fall into those bushes to cushion the blow, Ranran. And even if he climbed those iron gates and landed on the ground, it would warrant broken ankles and legs considering the height of the gates. The only way to avoid getting hurt is if someone let him in."

".....but if that is the case-"

"Exactly," Shinichi confirmed her suspicions by finishing it with, "I think whoever this someone is, it could be someone that Peggy trusted blindly, or the killer that we were searching for intentionally let him in to finish the job. "