"I'll take out a white handkerchief, a red string, and a ring first... Here, miss, tie a knot in the middle. Then place that knot in your palm, and put the ring beside it..."
Conan, seated on Ran Mouri's other side, watched the two of them from the corner of his eye and sighed inwardly.
Such an elementary magic trick was hardly any different from that coin-flipping mind-reading routine.
He was starting to believe Tangze's claim that Sonoko Suzuki simply appreciated good looks. At this level, the trick's flaws would show up with a quick search engine query...
As always, Ran Mouri, who was happy to play along, paid no attention to the killjoy beside her. She watched intently as her best friend demonstrated how to make a knot pass through a ring without anyone noticing, then gave her an enthusiastic round of applause without hesitation.
"That was amazing. You did really well. How did you do it? Did you learn it from the friends you're meeting at the gathering?"
"Secret! Since it's a gathering for magic fans, I have to perform a little magic, don't I?" Sonoko Suzuki lifted her chin proudly.
"This kind of thing should be left to Brother Tang Ze." Conan curled his lip. "He's definitely better than you at those little tricks you picked up casually from TV."
"Huh? Tangze can do magic?" Ignoring the brat who had just undermined her, Sonoko Suzuki grabbed the back of the front passenger seat. "I've never seen it before. Do one, do one!"
"I have seen Tangze play with cards before." Resting her chin on her hand, Ran Mouri thought it over. "Didn't my dad get involved in that case where the famous master magician, Tsukumo Motoyasu, died? Back then, Mr. Tsukumo's disciples all praised Tangze's clean technique.