Conan acknowledged the voice on the other end of the phone, but an indescribably strange feeling welled up inside him.
If Vermouth was coming to capture him, that meant his plan had succeeded.
But... what was with calling ahead of time?
"Going by that organization's usual style, shouldn't they just come over, knock me out with a club, and be done with it?"
"They even give advance notice?"
Conan truly couldn't figure it out, so he simply stopped thinking about it.
Given the current situation, all he needed to do was wait quietly for her to take the bait. Then, she could have a showdown with Vermouth!
Thinking this, Conan touched his light little skirt and placed his hand on the soccer belt fastened around its waist.
Meanwhile, on the streets of Tokyo.
Jodie sat quietly inside a Citroën, holding a small box and listening through her earphones to Tomoaki Araide's voice on the other end.
She had just finished hearing Vermouth's invitation to "Ai Haibara" when a phone call suddenly intruded into her world before she could act.
She answered it, and Shuichi Akai's deep, familiar voice came from the other end. "Rotten apple is on the move... The location is 5-chome, Beika Town. Proceed according to the original plan."
"Understood. I'm heading over now!"
Jodie slammed down on the accelerator. The Citroën's engine let out a roar, and the black car shot forward like an arrow, leaving a streak of neon taillights in the night.
As for Vermouth, who had made the call beforehand, she had been blocked on the road by FBI peripheral agents disguised as traffic department road repair workers, using scattered cargo from a truck ahead and the blocked road as an excuse.
Vermouth appeared anxious on the surface, but in truth, the corners