"Wow, this is amazing! This must be a foreign car, right? Is it yours, big brother?" Conan asked with a look of pure, wide-eyed innocence as he sat in the backseat next to the woman.
Dr. Agasa, hearing that sugary tone, felt a shiver of unease. Something felt inherently "off," though he couldn't quite put his finger on what Conan was up to.
"That's right. Although, I've honestly grown a bit bored of it," the man behind the wheel replied, his voice oozing the confidence of someone with deep pockets. "I've been thinking about trading it in for a new model lately."
"Then you must be super rich, big brother! A car like this has to cost a fortune," Conan said, tilting his head curiously.
Agasa: "..."
This definitely isn't the usual Shinichi...
"Don't let his casual look fool you; he's actually the sole heir to a massive corporation!" the woman in the back added, her voice thick with a boastful pride.
"Oh... uh, I see!" Dr. Agasa stammered, offering the only polite reaction he could muster.
"Look out!"
The man suddenly yanked the steering wheel, narrowly swerving to avoid an oncoming heavy truck. It was a heart-stopping, hair-raising maneuver.
Dr. Agasa's chubby hands white-knuckled the grab handle, his face contorted into a mask of pure terror that belonged in a viral meme.
"Driving in the snow is such a hazard, isn't it?" The man let out a long breath, letting out a nervous, self-deprecating chuckle.
"You... you should probably slow down a bit," Agasa cautioned, his heart still hammering against his ribs.
"Hey, big sister? Did you hear a weird noise just now?" Conan asked, having been tossed side-to-side by the swerve. As soon as he regained his balance, he turned his inquisitive gaze toward the woman beside him.
"A noise? No, I didn't hear anything," the woman replied, shaking her head.
"It was probably just the luggage shifting around in the trunk," the man suggested. He reached out, pulled a cigarette from a pack, and popped it into his mouth.
"Please, don't! Have you forgotten? I absolutely detest the smell of smoke!" the woman snapped, her irritation flaring instantly.
"Sorry, sorry. Slipped my mind for a second," the man said hurriedly, tucking the cigarette away.
"The next intersection is a left turn; that's the way toward Tokyo," Dr. Agasa chimed in, providing directions. He stole a glance at the pair.
What a strange couple, he thought. In some ways they act like they just started dating, but in others, they seem like a bickering old married couple...
"The snow has finally stopped. I reckon we'll make it by three o'clock," the man noted, nodding. Before making the turn, he reached out and flicked a lever beneath the steering wheel.
The windshield wipers swished across the glass.
Conan's eyes narrowed. Stare...
"By the way," the man asked, casually resetting the lever, "what brings you out to Gunma? Taking your grandson out for a ski trip?"
"Ah, yes. Something like that," Agasa nodded. By now, even the Professor had begun to sense that something was fundamentally wrong.
Whoosh!
Another car brushed past them, dangerously close.
"Honestly, can't you be more careful?" the woman grumbled, glancing back at the passing vehicle.
"My bad, my bad. If I'd known, I wouldn't have taken this snowy backroad." The man's tone implied that the snow was the only thing holding back his elite driving skills.
"You're right, big brother! A car like this must be really hard to control before it gets its factory inspection. You have to be extra careful!" Conan piped up from the back, continuing his "chat" with the driver.
"..."
The man looked momentarily dazed, clearly having no idea what the brat was rambling about.
"Grandpa, look! Isn't that the inspection sticker on the front windshield? It looks like it's due for an inspection this February, right?" 'Director' Conan asked, grabbing Agasa's arm and pointing.
"I... I suppose?" Agasa laughed weakly, looking helpless. Why are you asking me...
"Now that you mention it, I remember now. I did receive an inspection notice this month," the man said, glancing back at the old man and the boy while nodding repeatedly.
"Little boy, that sticker has been covered in snow this whole time. How could you possibly have seen it?" the woman asked, her curiosity piqued.
It was late at night and the light was dim. While you could tell there was a sticker there, how could a child possibly know the specific details written on it?
"It's easy! Whenever a car drives toward us from the other side, the headlights shine right on it!" Conan said, tilting his head with an innocent grin.
Just then, a car approached from the opposite direction. As the headlights swept over them, the sticker—clearly displaying the number "2"—flashed before everyone's eyes.
The man's expression shifted instantly when he saw the number.
"Oh, wait!"
"That's the number as seen from the outside! I thought it was a 2 just now, but it's actually supposed to be a 5, right?"
"But... that's weird. Big brother just said he received a notice to have the car inspected this month..." Conan pressed on, his gaze fixed upward on the man, relentless and piercing.
The man's hands trembled slightly on the wheel. Is there something wrong with this kid?
"Sweetie, didn't I tell you? He's the heir to a big company," the woman said with a strained smile. "He leaves all these trivial chores to other people. He gets muddled about the details sometimes."
"Ohhh~!" Conan nodded slowly.
"Um, we should have turned right back there," Agasa noted, looking at the missed intersection. He was starting to seriously regret getting into this car.
"Good grief, this kid distracted me," the man complained.
"I'm so sorry. The boy is just a bit too curious for his own good," Agasa smoothed things over with practiced ease.
The man reversed, took the right turn, and continued toward Tokyo.
"Little boy, what are you listening to? You've had those headphones on for a while," the woman asked, trying to break the sudden silence coming from the child.
"I've been listening to the news. A lot has happened today."
"They talked about the weather warming up, and how the Osaka team changed their coach. But right now, they're talking about a group of jewelry thieves who are on the run," Conan replied with a cheerful smile.
"They haven't caught them yet?" Agasa asked curiously. Hadn't that news been playing since before they went to the villa?
"I heard they're still fleeing through the Gunma area, but they'll be caught soon. Look, there are checkpoints set up everywhere," Conan said, pointing his small hand forward.
A group of police officers stood in the middle of the road, signaling for vehicles to stop.
"Driver's license, please."
Officer Yamamura—the legendary "Misao"—made his appearance. With his usual pouty expression, he began inspecting the man's identification.
"Officer Yamamura!" Conan called out, rolling down the window to wave.
"Conan-kun..." Yamamura sighed. He felt like his frequency of meeting this kid lately was getting a bit out of hand.
"Officer Yamamura, are you here to catch those jewelry thieves?" Conan asked.
"That's right! The three suspects abandoned their car in the Gunma mountains and vanished. However, I managed to shoot one of them in the thigh!"
Yamamura began recounting his "heroics," even extending his fingers to mime "bang-bang" gunshots.
"Ahem."
A nearby officer couldn't bear to watch the display and coughed twice to interrupt Yamamura's grandstanding. The police suspected the suspects might have prepared a secondary getaway vehicle, hence the checkpoints.
"What a coincidence! We just happened to find the jewelry thieves right here!" Conan's head tilted innocently as he suddenly stomped his foot down hard on the woman's thigh.
"Hey! Old man, what do you think you're doing?!"
The man roared in anger as he watched Agasa—who had somehow managed to snatch the keys, throw open the door, and leap out of the car all within 1.5 seconds.
Meanwhile, a cry of agonizing pain erupted from the woman in the back as Conan's foot made contact with her leg beneath the blanket.
Officer Yamamura stared at the grandfather-grandson duo, completely bewildered by the sudden chaotic display...
Wait... is another massive achievement just falling into my lap?
-------------------------------
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