Chapter 40: Target, Tequila
Tokyo Green Terrace Residential Building.
The elevator on the eighteenth floor dinged, illuminating the dark corridor with its interior lights.
A long shadow was cast against the corridor wall.
The figure moved through the silent corridor, a pair of shiny black leather shoes stepping out, followed by a tall young man in black clothes and trousers.
"Is this the place?"
Natsukawa adjusted his baseball cap, his gaze sweeping around.
Once out of the corridor, the neon lights of Tokyo Tower were visible to his right, flashing like a carousel.
A pistol was placed in the left inner pocket of his black suit, the magazine in the right inner pocket.
He had acquired this pistol from an Italian gang of thieves, initially intending it as a temporary measure, but WISE's supply of weapons and ammunition hadn't arrived yet, forcing him to face this challenge head-on with just an M9.
"Are you sure that drug will work?" Natsukawa asked into his headset.
Soon, Franky's smug voice came through. "Of course! I bought this from the underworld for a fortune. It's colorless, odorless, and invisible. I dispersed it in his living room."
Then Franky chuckled sinisterly. "At this point, he probably doesn't even have the strength to get up and go to the bathroom."
Natsukawa asked, "Did we get caught?"
"Of course not! I used the most advanced remote-controlled drone delivery technology. Actually, it's all Tequila's fault—he left the balcony window open when he went out."
The chuckle echoed in Natsukawa's ears.
Franky was clearly very proud of his masterpiece.
Turning the volume down a few decibels, Natsukawa went straight to the door of room 1808 on the eighteenth floor.
They'd known about Tequila's place from the beginning, but because they didn't want to alert him, they hadn't approached before.
Natsukawa had also scouted out the layout of the room beforehand.
Room 1808 was a two-bedroom, one-living room apartment, totaling only fifty-eight square meters.
It wasn't very big, but Tequila lived alone and often had to travel for work, so this size was sufficient.
Moreover, according to Natsukawa's intel, Tequila had more than one residence in Tokyo.
He also had temporary residences in Ekoda and Beika.
Franky had poisoned all three residences, but in different ways. Here, because the window was open, it was perfect for using a remote-controlled drone.
"Confirm the target's exact location!"
Natsukawa's voice grew cold, and his gaze sharpened.
Clearly, he was now in focus—the person standing here was the spy Twilight.
He had disguised himself beforehand, so even if Tequila escaped, his identity wouldn't be exposed.
The biggest concern for a spy is the exposure of their identity. Once their face is seen, they will face endless trouble.
Downstairs in the equipment vehicle, Franky was observing the thermal imaging of the entire building.
Directly opposite on the 18th floor, a remote-controlled drone hovered steadily, its red light flashing faintly.
On the computer screen, the thermal image appeared, showing a heat source in the bedroom of room 1808—undoubtedly Tequila.
The heat source was completely still, showing no signs of movement.
Only Tequila lived in this house, and no one else had been with him when he returned today, so there was no possibility of anyone else being there.
"Thermal imaging normal. Target confirmed to be in the bedroom, no movement, currently asleep."
Natsukawa nodded, glancing at the time: 12:25 AM.
"Confirmed it's Friday, right?"
"Of course."
Franky replied helplessly. Natsukawa had been repeatedly asking this question before midnight. Yesterday was Thursday, so after midnight it was Friday, wasn't it?
Click.
After a barely audible sound, the door to room 1808 opened.
Natsukawa opened it brazenly.
Franky was very professional—he even had a duplicate key.
The door was only opened three centimeters. Natsukawa reached in, fiddling around the doorknob for a while before pulling out a transparent fishing line.
This was a precaution from Tequila. If someone broke in, opening the door would snap the line, giving him enough reaction time.
Luckily, he had Franky's information. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, the angle of the fishing line would be completely invisible when Natsukawa opened the door.
Although Tequila was likely already under the influence of drugs and could only move his eyes, even if discovered, it would be useless.
However, as a spy, caution was a crucial reason for Natsukawa's survival until now. Even now, he couldn't afford to be careless and lose a crucial opportunity.
This was a good habit.
Sideways, Natsukawa slipped through the crack in the door.
Looking up along the fishing line in his hand, he saw a light fixture above, with the line hanging down from it. About 1.5 meters above the ground, a wind chime and a wine glass were tied to it.
If it were an amateur, opening the door would likely cause the line to snap, and the wind chime and wine glass would fall—a sound that would definitely attract Tequila's attention.
"I'm in."
"I see you. The target hasn't reacted—he's still in the bedroom."
Good.
Natsukawa removed the wind chime and wine glass and placed them in the corner, then took out a pair of glasses from his pocket and put them on.
Instantly, the entire room became much clearer.
These glasses had the function of improving vision at night. Natsukawa didn't know the principle behind them—the scientists of this world always managed to develop some strange and useful things.
Natsukawa suspected that Kaito Kid's monocle was also a type of advanced device.
It wasn't night vision goggles. Its appearance was more like stylish eyewear. The workings were unclear, but it undeniably enhanced night vision.
While the effect wasn't very strong, in a battle between experts, every advantage could be fatal.
The room's furnishings were fairly standard, almost devoid of any distinctive features.
Upon entering, there was a fairly large entryway. To the right was the bathroom, and further ahead was the living room.
The furniture in the living room was ordinary, nothing connected to the Organization—if anything, it was probably the bottle of cooking sake in the kitchen that had long since turned to ash.
"The guest room is on the right, no one's there. The master bedroom is on the left—the target's heat signature is inside."
Natsukawa remained silent, a miniature camera embedded in his glasses transmitting his view to Franky.
After a moment's thought, Natsukawa tiptoed toward the guest room.
Although Franky said no one was there, he still needed to check just to be safe.
The distance from the living room to the guest room was only about three or four meters, but Natsukawa took almost a minute to walk it.
By the time he reached the guest room door, he was already holding a considerable amount of transparent fishing line.
Judging from this setup, Tequila in the original timeline should be considered to have died young—a truly unjust death.
This is the kind of vigilance the Organization should have. The entire living room is like a minefield, where a slight misstep could trigger some kind of alarm. If Vodka had Tequila's cautiousness and shrewdness, Gin would probably be overjoyed.
Thinking of Vodka, Natsukawa suppressed a laugh.
To this day, I still don't understand why a driver could become a codename member. After all my knowledge of Detective Conan, I haven't discovered Vodka's special skills.
Could it be that the Organization also runs on connections?
If the Organization has connections, Vodka is probably one of them.
He gently turned the lock, and the door slowly opened.
Natsukawa had already disengaged the safety on his M9, and the pistol was immediately pointed at the bed.
No one was there.
Good!
"Natsukawa, there's movement in the master bedroom—the target seems to have moved."
Downstairs, Franky's face was filled with deep doubt.
Did that drug not work?
It shouldn't be. This stuff is extremely sought after in the underworld. I don't believe Tequila wouldn't be affected.
Suddenly, the slightly trembling heat source on the screen dropped several centimeters.
Franky: ...
"What happened?"
Natsukawa asked.
"It seems... maybe, probably... he fell off the bed." Franky relaxed. "I knew the drug couldn't have failed. He probably wanted to go to the bathroom but couldn't muster the strength, so he fell off the bed."
"Looks like I need to hurry."
Natsukawa scanned the room again, making sure there was no possibility of anyone hiding before leaving.
(End of Chapter 40)
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