Hearing that Takeyori Oikawa and Haruhito Kanbara had vanished without a trace, Ginzō Nakamori's face darkened like a storm cloud.
"Inspector Nakamori, none of your Second Investigation Division people found where Takeyori Oikawa went either?"
"No. The house is surrounded by police now, and reporters have packed the entrance tight. The windows and other exits have all been sealed. The only way in or out is the front door." Ginzō Nakamori added stiffly.
In other words, the two people at the center of this mysterious disappearance had vanished from the building right in front of a huge crowd of police officers and reporters.
"What about the studio?"
"Nothing there either. Someone has been watching the surveillance footage the whole time."
"Hmm..." Mori Kogoro stroked his chin and pondered. "That makes things difficult. Don't tell me Kaito Kid took those two away while he was at it?"
"How would he conveniently take away two living people? And why would he take them?" Ginzō Nakamori's train of thought was derailed again. He shot Mori Kogoro a sidelong look. "Besides, that would be extremely difficult."
"It's not entirely impossible," Mori Kogoro said rigorously. "There could be ventilation ducts, gaps in the ceiling, places like that where people could hide. And we can't rule out other tricks of misdirection. Based on my recent experience, a building out in the mountains might have secret passages or hidden rooms. Takeyori Oikawa is at least a somewhat famous painter. Kidnaping him would have some meaning."
"What about the old man? Haruhito Kanbara hasn't touched a brush in ten years because of his injured hand." Ginzō Nakamori rolled his eyes. "And if he wanted to grab the wealthiest painter present, he should have taken that uninvited Yusuke Kitagawa. His paintings have sold for more than Takeyori Oikawa's more