Twenty minutes later, under the cover of night, a patrol car pulled up in front of Marutan Department Store. Kurosawa Hoshino and the others stepped out.
"Huh? Is it over already?" Mōri Kogorō looked at the four men being escorted out by Inspector Megure in surprise.
"Hoshino, Mōri, Ran, you're here." Inspector Megure waved them over cheerfully as they approached.
The group entered the lobby, where officers were taking statements from Conan and his three friends, the four rescued security guards, and an elevator operator.
The timeline had diverged from the original events. Conan and the others hadn't been chased as severely and were rescued much earlier, so they hadn't noticed anything unusual.
However, Kurosawa Hoshino sensed something amiss. He glanced at one of the rescued guards, walked over, and asked with a strange expression,
"I remember you—Mr. Amuro Tooru, an employee at Beika Supermarket, right? What are you doing working as a security guard at Marutan Department Store now?"
"Ahaha," Amuro Tooru laughed awkwardly. "Detective Kurosawa Hoshino, I didn't expect to see you again. I've been seeing you on TV a lot lately."
"Just Kurosawa-kun is fine. So, what are you doing here?"
"Working, of course. They rotate night shifts, so I use this as a place to rest and earn some extra money on the side."
"I see." Kurosawa Hoshino nodded, not suspecting anything unusual—after all, it was just a department store.
Why had Amuro been tied up by these guys? Probably because he chose not to resist.
For Amuro Tooru, unless someone was killed right in front of him, he wouldn't fight back. As an undercover agent in the Black Organization, avoiding exposure was paramount; otherwise, he'd be betraying his fallen comrades.
"Um…" Amuro leaned closer, his expression turning serious, and said in a low voice, "Kurosawa-kun, things might not be as simple as they seem…"
What he really wanted to say was that while he was allowing himself to be tied up, the four robbers had discovered Conan and the others' whereabouts and left the monitoring room. But then he overheard someone in the monitoring room operating the cameras and calling out locations over the walkie-talkie—meaning there was an accomplice.
He wanted to warn Kurosawa Hoshino not to let them escape.
"Mr. Amuro, I know." Kurosawa Hoshino cut him off. Under Amuro's astonished gaze, he walked over to Inspector Megure and whispered something.
Then, they saw Inspector Megure's expression turn cautious. He motioned for officers to surround the group of rescued individuals and said calmly,
"Excuse me, but we suspect there may be an accomplice among you. Please cooperate with a search."
"What about me?" the elevator operator spoke up nervously. After all, everyone present was a male officer, and she was a woman.
"Miss, don't worry. We have female officers; they'll be here shortly."
That dashed her last hope.
She shook her head, raised her hands, and said bitterly, "No need. I'm the accomplice. There's a handgun in my bag; you can take it."
It was precisely because she had a weapon in her bag that she didn't attempt to resist. This wasn't a movie; surrounded by so many officers, she had no room to fight or flee.
"Stay alert. Chiba, check her bag."
"Yes, sir."
Amuro Tooru's gaze remained fixed on Kurosawa Hoshino, his eyes growing more profound.
"Based on the scene, Kurosawa Hoshino just arrived, yet he already deduced there were accomplices. Tsk tsk, that deductive ability is truly extraordinary."
Not long after, Ayumi and the others' parents arrived, along with reporters and the owner of Marutan Department Store.
Mizunashi Rena, scanning the scene for interviewees, immediately noticed Kurosawa Hoshino. She smiled and prepared to approach him.
But suddenly… her expression shifted slightly. She glanced into the crowd beside her and met the gaze of Amuro Tooru, who was wearing a security guard uniform. Their eyes locked, and both narrowed slightly.
"Hoo…" She let out a soft breath, withdrew her gaze, and smiled again as she walked over to Kurosawa Hoshino.
"Kurosawa-kun, long time no see. Would you be available for an interview?"
Kurosawa Hoshino glanced at her, then at the photographer beside her, and nodded. "Mizunashi-san, go ahead."
"Did you handle this case?"
"It was a coincidence. I was just worried about the children's safety, and then…"
The matter was relatively straightforward, and Kurosawa Hoshino quickly explained the situation before politely declining further interviews.
The reason reporters arrived so quickly was that the four men and one woman arrested were repeat offenders. Their previous successes had already been publicized in the newspapers, which is why the press showed up so fast.
"Ran, where's Uncle Mōri? It's time to head back."
Kurosawa Hoshino approached Ran and Conan but didn't see Kogorō Mōri.
"Dad was just over there with you," Ran said helplessly.
"Huh?" Kurosawa Hoshino turned and saw that, somehow, the spot where he had been interviewed was now occupied by Kogorō Mōri. He was talking animatedly to Rena Mizunashi, looking as proud as if he'd accomplished something great.
"…" Shaking his head, Kurosawa Hoshino looked at Ayumi and the others being lectured.
Although the three kids were bowing their heads and obediently admitting their mistakes, they still had smiles on their faces, clearly satisfied with the night's adventure.
"Heh." Kurosawa Hoshino chuckled and stepped forward.
"Mrs. Yoshida, Mr. Kojima, Mrs. Tsuburaya, please don't hit them when you get home. They already know they were wrong. Also, don't buy them extra workbooks—they won't have time to play. And don't always make them clean the house or do their own laundry. They're too young; they won't get enough exercise that way."
Hearing this, the three parents fell silent, but their eyes gleamed with thoughtful expressions, as if they'd just figured something out.
"Hiss~" Ayumi and the others gasped, staring up at the smiling Kurosawa Hoshino. This handsome older brother was still the same devil they remembered from last time.
Conan, hearing these sarcastic remarks, broke out in a cold sweat, thinking Kurosawa Hoshino was truly wicked.
"Hoshino, isn't that a bit too harsh on them?" Ran leaned closer, trying hard not to laugh.
"It's for the best, to keep them from running around. Let's go wait in the patrol car."
The case was closed, and they'd earned the Origin Points. There was no need to stay any longer.