"Then a few of you wait here with me for the next elevator. Everyone else, follow Mr. Kazama down the Emergency Exit to the 60th Floor, then cross the Connecting Bridge to Building B!"
The group followed the instructions and soon thundered away.
Inspector Megure had just breathed a sigh of relief when he looked up and saw Kisaragi Hosui—the white-haired master of traditional painting—actually following Kazama Hidehiko's group, intending to join the stair-climbing team.
"Um..." Inspector Megure wanted to remind him to take the elevator; there was exactly enough room now.
But as soon as he spoke, Kisaragi Hosui seemed to see through his thoughts and snapped, "I'm not some frail old man!"
"..." Inspector Megure looked awkwardly at the white-haired old man, who gripped his cane tightly in one hand. "...All right, then take the stairs."
At the same time, he gave Takagi Wataru a meaningful look, telling him to keep a closer eye on the old man along the way. This was an emergency, not the time to compete with a stubborn old man in stubbornness.
The first elevator departed and descended quickly.
But it failed to reach the First Floor, suddenly stopping midway.
—Someone had pressed the call button from outside.
Conan and the children froze, then abruptly looked up.
As the elevator doors opened, a woman holding a baby stepped inside. But the instant she set foot in the elevator, it suddenly sounded an overload alarm.
Startled, the woman pulled her foot back out.
Conan glanced at the child in her arms and sighed inwardly. Although he had no idea why someone had suddenly appeared here, he quickly stepped out of the elevator anyway.
"Go on in. I know the way. I'll take the Connecting Bridge to Building B in a bit."
—Every floor