Heiji and Miwako Sato got out of the car and walked toward the Metropolitan Police Department.
"Officer Sato, aren't you supposed to be sick?"
On their way, they happened to run into Yumi Miyamoto.
Miwako Sato gave a small smile. "I am better now. Yumi, I can't talk right now. I need to find Inspector Megure."
As she watched Miwako Sato's back as the woman hurried to catch up with Heiji, Yumi Miyamoto's lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Oh my, it looks like Miwako has some big gossip going on with Mr. Heiji."
"Inspector Megure, please, you have to find Ayumi."
"Calm down, Mrs. Yoshida. We at the Metropolitan Police Department will use all our strength to find your daughter, Ayumi Yoshida."
"A whole night has passed already. Could something have happened to Ayumi?"
"Mr. Yoshida, since the kidnapper gave us a code, they won't harm your daughter. She should be safe for now."
"Inspector Megure, we are counting on you. You must save Ayumi."
"We will. we will definitely do our best."
Before even walking through the door of the Search Division 3 office, Heiji heard the sound of crying and Inspector Megure's helpless voice.
"Inspector Megure."
Heiji walked in, with Miwako Sato following behind him.
When he saw Heiji, Inspector Megure suddenly shouted with surprise and joy.
"I heard Ayumi was kidnapped, so I came to check it out."
Heiji glanced at Ayumi's parents. His voice rose slightly. "Mr. Yoshida, what time did the kidnapper call you?"
Ayumi's father looked at Heiji and narrowed his eyes in a deep frown. "Which officer are you?"
Heiji shook his head. "I am not a police officer."
"Mr. Yoshida, this is Heiji Hattori. He is a very talented detective. Tell him all the clues you have. He might be able to help us a lot."
If they could get Heiji's help, this case would definitely move much faster. As for whether it would hurt the reputation of the police, that was not something Inspector Megure needed to worry about right now. He only cared about the safety of the kidnapped person; he would let the higher-ups deal with any other headaches.
"Heiji Hattori?" Mrs. Yoshida's eyes lit up. "Are you the 'Bane of Master Thieves'?"
She had heard of Heiji's deeds. Kaito Kid and the Night Baron were master thieves that the entire country of Japan was helpless against, yet this high schooler had ruined their plans several times. There was also his famous ability to solve cases that everyone had been talking about.
"Ayumi is saved." Mrs. Yoshida's tears poured out like a flood. She grabbed Mr. Yoshida's hand. "Husband, tell him everything."
Ayumi's father also knew a bit about Heiji's reputation. He immediately described everything that had happened.
Heiji's frown grew tighter and tighter. He looked at the couple calmly. "It was already 8:00 PM when you finally noticed Ayumi hadn't come home? And you didn't call anyone to look for her until after 9:00 PM?"
The two of them immediately hung their heads in shame.
Miwako Sato narrowed her eyes. "How can you even call yourselves parents?"
"Miwako, watch your tone," Inspector Megure said, glaring at her.
"It's because Ayumi usually goes out in the evenings. We thought it was just like any other time at first. But when she wasn't back by 9:00 PM, we started asking other people. That's when we found out she was missing." Mrs. Yoshida's tears began to flow heavily again.
Heiji's mind raced. "What about the kidnapper's phone call? When did they call you?"
"This morning."
"After you got the call, what was the first thing you did?"
"We called the police and then looked for a detective."
"The Mouri Detective Agency?"
"Yes." Ayumi's father nodded quickly.
"So, Mouri is also involved in this?" Inspector Megure frowned. He quickly walked to the side and started dialing a number. "Hello, Mouri? Are you also investigating Ayumi Yoshida's case? ... Don't worry, I'm not trying to blame you. I just want to ask if you have any clues."
Inspector Megure was nearly driven crazy by Kogoro Mouri. That guy actually thought the Inspector was calling to scold him.
Heiji lowered his head and thought deeply. Ayumi was likely kidnapped during the time after school yesterday. If this were a normal kidnapper, they would notify the parents immediately after the kidnapping to demand a ransom. To wait an entire day before calling the parents... that leaves plenty of time for people to react.
He looked up at the anxious and desperate Yoshida couple. A sharp light flashed in his eyes. This entire night was used to let the emotions of these people ferment. It made them more anxious and less rational.
Internal Thought: But what is the goal?
"What? Conan took two other kids to go find Ayumi themselves?" Inspector Megure suddenly roared. "Mouri! What is wrong with you? Why do Conan and the others even know about this?"
Miwako Sato and the others were shocked. If those three children ran into the kidnapper, wouldn't they be in danger too?
Heiji's heart skipped a beat. If the kidnapper is Vermouth, then all of this makes sense.
Thinking about Conan's current actions, Heiji was now completely certain. The kidnapper was Vermouth, and her goal was to observe how Conan behaved. No matter what, Conan had completely caught Vermouth's attention.
"This is ridiculous." Inspector Megure hung up the phone. He walked over with a serious expression and looked at Miwako Sato. "Miwako, is your cold better or not?"
Miwako Sato suddenly stood up straight and looked seriously at the Inspector. "It's better."
"Conan took two other kids to go look for Ayumi Yoshida on their own. Your mission is to bring them back. This is dangerous; they are being completely reckless."
Hearing the Inspector's words, Miwako Sato nodded firmly. "I'll go right now."
She was about to leave, but her footsteps suddenly stopped.
"Is there something else?" Inspector Megure thought she had a question.
Miwako Sato walked right past Inspector Megure and went straight to Heiji.
"Take my car." Heiji handed the keys to Miwako Sato.
Miwako Sato took the keys, stood lightly on her tiptoes, and kissed Heiji on the lips. "Come to my house for dinner tonight."
The room became deathly silent.
Inspector Megure and the others stood frozen on the spot, staring with their mouths wide open. Even after Miwako Sato left, they still hadn't recovered.
Heiji ignored the petrified Inspector Megure. He walked over to Miwako Sato's desk, picked up a piece of paper and a pen, and handed them to Ayumi's father. "Mr. Yoshida, I want you to write down exactly what the kidnapper said, word for word."
Inspector Megure and the others snapped out of it. They tried to suppress the shock in their hearts for the moment.
However, the internal earthquake was not over. The "Flower of the Metropolitan Police Department," Miwako Sato, had actually been won over by someone. If this news spread, it would be a massive disaster for the police department.
But right now, the case was more important...
Ayumi's father blinked in surprise, then pulled out his phone. "I recorded the call. I don't know if that helps."
Heiji was surprised for a moment, then he gave a faint smile. "That's even better."
The group immediately focused their attention on the phone. Some officers even started plugging equipment into the phone to prepare for an analysis.
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The novel has 690 chapters and is available on my Patreon: LIZBETH1242