[ HIATUS ] Crossroad 『Detective Conan』

Chapter 10 - The old castle『4/4』

   -...Oe! Wake up ! Yoko-chan!
   This voice. It was Conan's. The young boy was shaking his friend, who slowly regained consciousness. The latter straightened up, leaning on her hands. Immediately, she looked at her hands and then her whole body while shaking. Nothing had changed. After all, she hadn't been knocked out by that long-haired man, otherwise he would have killed her already.

   -How are you ? The boy asked, no longer wearing his glasses.
   She didn't answer immediately, hand on her head because of the pain she felt. She took a deep breath to calm herself down, then nodded.
   The tremors of the young girl did not go unnoticed in the eyes of Conan who enlightened her thanks to his watch.
   -How are you ? he asked again.
   -...
   The former high school girl looked at him for a few moments before lowering her gaze.
   -J... Just a bad memory... She answered, hesitantly.
   The kid with the glasses was going to open his mouth to ask her if she wanted to talk about it, but he refrained when he saw her eyes filled with both fear and sadness. It was better not to say anything.

   -She is doing better ? Agasa asked.
   -She's just injured, she was hit in the head. Reassured Conan. Could you tell me what happened before you got knocked out? he asked the girl.
   -Eh... ? Uh... Haibara Ai, if I'm not mistaken...? Uh... She came out of the room looking for you and... We went back to the afternoon room where you had disappeared... We found a secret passage and when we got out... I ...i got stuck...
  -It's bad... We should get out of here as soon as possible... Finally said the boy after a moment of silence.
   - But how Shi... Conan-kun?
   There was a moment of silence while "Yoko" tried to keep calm and recover from her emotions.

  A few tens of minutes later, the door opened slowly.
   -Conan-kun...?
   Mitsuhiko cautiously showed up. He was wearing Conan's glasses.
   -...Mitsuhiko! You found us with my radar goggles, didn't you?
   -Radar glasses...? Softly repeated the former schoolgirl.
   Agasa approached, proudly explaining that it was one of his inventions. "Yoko" kept silent wondering how he could have created this.
   Then, Conan called everyone to come out.

   Everyone was running silently down the hall. The boy with the glasses walked towards the main hall.
   -Conan-kun... Do you know who the culprit is? Finally asked the young boy with freckles.
   -Yes. Do you see the old woman seen on arrival? It's her. I discovered in the passage a skeleton, that of an old woman. The one currently had to kill her for...
   He stopped in front of the large painting facing the entrance.
   -This.
   The three children and the adult caught their breath, before the first missing one pushed the painting a little, revealing a door behind it.
   - Wait for me here.
   "Yoko" looked at him to take this door. Then she let herself fall against the wall, hands on the wound.

   A few minutes later, the boy came downstairs holding a bucket.
   -We better find Ayumi-chan, Haibara and Genta now. he said.
   At this moment, a noise was heard, and the voices of the two girls echoed in the room.
   -The motive for the crimes is the treasure of this castle... Said Ai.
   A scream sounded right after. It was Genta's voice. Everyone rushed to the balcony fence, and saw that the boy was being held by someone.
   - Yes, that's it... The old woman learned that I had come to the castle for that and as she wanted me to leave, I took her place. Originally, our voices already sounded like...
   The old woman, who was in a wheelchair in the afternoon, came back up, holding the bulk of the group in one hand, a metal bar in the other.
   -Don't worry... I won't leave you like her locked up in this dark cellar for long. I am going to sequester you and in two or three days, I will deposit you in the forest with your friends... When your cheeks are sunken and you have become very thin!

   Conan grabbed the bucket he'd taken and kicked into it with unusual force. That bucket had hit the woman's gun, which had propelled him further.
   "Yoko" was going to ask how he had done, given the strength and the distance, but she didn't have time.
   -Stop. It's bad to force children to diet, right? He threw, a look and a confident smile, installed on the barrier.
   -Genta-kun could use a diet, but the girls are just fine the way they are! Mitsuhiko replied.
   Conan started explaining that it was thanks to the freckled boy that he was able to get out of there. Then it was Agasa's turn to speak, then back to the boy.
   The former high school student felt lost. She had never really heard a deduction like that of a detective. She now understood better why, in the passage, Ayumi told Ai that she looks like the kid with glasses.

   Lost in her thoughts, "Yoko" hadn't listened much to Conan's deduction. She hadn't even seen the woman heading for the painting.
   When she turned her head, she decided to go see Genta, Ai and Ayumi.
   -Are you doing well ? she asked.
   -Yes ! Answered the girl with the headband.
   The redhead nodded too.
   -If I could eat, it would be better... Complained the bulk of the group.
   The girl with the glasses sighed in relief. This dangerous business had ended well...

   The children were happily discussing what had happened during the night, wondering how they were doing since it had ended with injuries.
   "Yoko" was against the car, sitting on the ground. She was extremely hungry and wanted to leave this place as soon as possible.
   - Say! called the gardener. Takahito-san offers to serve you breakfast! Eat here! The little bespectacled hasn't eaten since last night, right? And apparently the little girl with the glasses left the table without eating anything!
   -Thank you, but... Started Conan.
   Ayumi grabbed the former high school girl's hand and pulled her towards the man working in the castle. Then she grabbed the hand of her bespectacled friend.
   -Eh... ? Both said at the same time.
   -We're coming ! She says.
   Apparently she preferred her two comrades to eat in the mansion, where they could have a full breakfast.
  
   "Yoko" looked at her classmate for a long time. She didn't know why she was always sticking to them. Maybe she was worried? Her friend did not eat much, skipped meals, was not often hungry, and this, since her arrival. Since even Akihiko's disappearance.
   She decided to agree to eat in the castle. After all, her fear of facing these two men had dissipated, now that this case was over.