Can't Think of a Title 4
Just then, a reply from Shinichi arrived on Ran's phone as well — and he had reached the same conclusion they had: SOS.
"This..."
As they read the message, everyone's expressions darkened, and the full weight of the situation settled over the room at once.
The person who had launched that paper plane might well be in danger!
What was more, Sonoko had picked it up two days ago. Two whole days had passed since then — who knew what state the sender was in now? Whether they were even still alive?
At that thought, worry crept over all of them.
The first priority was obvious: find out whether any other paper planes with unusual markings had turned up.
"Oh, right — wasn't there something at dinner earlier? Noelle mentioned a strange paper plane nearly flew in through the window and landed in Xiangling's pot. That one must be the same kind," Xiayu said suddenly.
Sonoko remembered it too. Xiangling had grumbled at the time about the thing nearly ruining a whole dish.
"Then call Noelle right away, Xiayu! Have her snap a photo of it — fingers crossed she hasn't thrown it out," Sonoko said, looking distinctly uneasy.
Xiayu nodded, pulled out her phone, and dialed. She explained the situation to Noelle and asked her to take a picture.
When she hung up, she said, "Noelle's gone to get it. If she hasn't tossed it, we'll have it in no time."
"Noelle? Sounds like you're all quite friendly with the people at that Chinese restaurant," Amuro remarked with curiosity.
Going by what Conan had told him beforehand, this "Noelle" the others kept mentioning was a member of the Teyvat Syndicate — and not just her. Xiangling, the chef at that same restaurant, was one as well.
As for Natsume Xiayu, whose ties to them clearly ran deep, Conan still couldn't say for certain whether she belonged to Teyvat too.
Once he'd learned what he knew, he had done a little digging of his own — but unfortunately, in both bearing and background, Noelle and Xiangling were nothing like Kaeya or Tartaglia. Not a single thing about them suggested any connection to an underground organization.
"Ah... yes, that's right!" Caught off guard by the sudden question, Ran fumbled for a moment, answering with visible fluster.
"The restaurant's right on the ground floor of Xiayu's building, so we eat there all the time," Sonoko added helpfully. "And the food is fantastic — we should bring you along sometime, Amuro-san."
"I see." Amuro nodded. "Then thank you for the invitation, Suzuki-san."
Sonoko waved a hand, her smile radiant. "Oh, don't mention it — and you don't have to keep calling me Suzuki-san. Just Sonoko is fine!"
With that, the conversation drifted on in easy murmurs as they waited for the photo to come through.
At last, only a few minutes later, the picture arrived from Noelle. Everyone crowded around to study it closely.
"It's got line patterns too — just like the one we found earlier!" Sonoko cried excitedly. "But what do the markings on this one mean?"
...
After a stretch of discussion and deduction, the truth gradually came to light: the mysterious sender of the paper planes was a company president who had been kidnapped — and he was being held right now on one of the upper floors of the Beika Building!
Just then, Ran's phone rang out with a bright, crisp chime, and she snatched it up.
"Hello?" she asked softly.
"Ran — I've cracked the code on the paper plane!" Kudou Shinichi's voice came through the line, urgent and breathless.
And the conclusion Shinichi had reached matched the ones Xiayu and Amuro had arrived at.
With a rough location for the trapped man now in hand, anxiety clawed at Ran's chest. She knew perfectly well how little time there was — if they didn't act immediately, the president could be in far graver danger.
Without a moment's hesitation, Ran sprang into action, following the instructions Shinichi gave her over the phone. She told Sonoko to stay put and call the police with a detailed account of the situation, then bolted for the destination without a backward glance.
Naturally, for the sake of Ran's safety, Shinichi had also made a point of asking Xiayu to stay close at her side.
"She really does trust your friends, doesn't she?" Amuro murmured, watching the way Sonoko remained perfectly composed — not a flicker of panic — even with kidnappers potentially involved.
"Of course she does." Sonoko nodded without a moment's doubt. "No ordinary thug is any match for Ran. And with Xiayu right there beside her, nothing's going to happen. Guaranteed."
"Is that so." Amuro's reply was thoughtful, a thread of curiosity and interest winding through his gaze.
He had no doubts about Miss Natsume's abilities. What intrigued him far more was something else entirely: how could Mr. Kudou Shinichi — a man who had barely met Xiayu more than a handful of times — know all of this so surely? After all, the two of them had hardly crossed paths at all.
And then there was the fact that Shinichi had specifically asked Xiayu to shadow Ran. That kind of trust wasn't built on a few casual encounters. Unless...