Sunflowers 7
Disclaimer: See first chapter.
Translation Notes:
This chapter is very late. Excuses. Reasons. More excuses. More reasons. Apologies. Forgiveness requested.
OMG missing scene! (or deleted scene?) So thrilled! The events in the very last few pages were not shown in the movie. Maybe it was a deleted scene!? This makes me hope that the scenes that were included in the trailer, yet I don't remember seeing in the movie all four times I watched it, may be in the book! KYAA!
Also lots of weird punctuation I'm keeping from the book. It's strange to read but I'm keeping them cuz they're interesting lol.
[100-101]
After KID had made a clean get away with the Sunflowers, everyone gathered back in the reception room of the art museum for the time being.
"This is the card that KID put into my breast pocket."
The director handed the card to Nakamori, who was sitting on the sofa across from him.
"I will hand over the Sunflowers I have just taken for a humble price of 10 billion yen. In two hours, let's meet at the Touto Plaza Hotel in room 1412. Have the money prepared in cash and put the bills in open suitcases upon the bed. If you are unable to do so, then we have no deal 〰Phantom Thief KID 💛"
Nakamori's shoulders shook as he finished reading the card aloud.
"10 billion yen in two hours he says~~~~~~~!"
"It seems that KID's aim since the beginning was money…."
Kogoro seemed unconvinced as he said this after taking a peek at the card for himself from where he sat on the back sofa.
Jirokichi was seated next to him. A wrinkle formed on his forehead. "Hmmm….."
For KID, who supposedly only targets big jewels, to go after a painting and then demand money in return – Conan was doubtful at this un-Kid like behavior.
Why has KID suddenly changed this much? …..There has to be some kind of reason….maybe he's a fake….
"That Sunflowers is the highlight of our museum. Please we have to get it back!"
At the director's plea, Nakamori spoke up in a fake cheery voice.
"I'm pretty sure there's only one person who can fulfill his demands so quickly in all of Japan~"
Everyone turned their heads to Jirokichi….and the corners of the old man's mouth lifted.
"Very well. I will prepare the money."
"Really!?"
"But I have some conditions."
Jirokichi stared fixedly at the director in front of him.
"In the wake of retrieving the Sunflowers safely, I'd like for you to allow me to borrow it to put on display at my exhibition."
"But of course! If you can really get it back, I'm sure my superiors would have no qualms with allowing that."
"In that case, do you think this museum could help with persuading the other five owners?"
"I understand, I will do my best."
[102-103]
"Very well!"
Jirokichi offered his right hand to the director and the two shook firmly on it. "Alright then" said Nakamori as he stood up.
"Negotiations are a successfully finished! My men and I will head out to the hotel immediately. Director, as soon as you're finished with your preparations, please come over as soon as possible as well."
"O-Okay."
As Nakamori and his men made to leave the room, Charlie stepped forward.
"Are you going on ahead, too, Charlie?"
"No. I need to go retrieve something essential."
"Essential?"
Nakamori asked. Charlie stopped in front of the door and gave a small nod, "Yes."
"Yes, something indispensable to the capture of KID."
Conan looked at him from the side. He remembered the empty holster that Charlie had reached for on the roof.
Does he mean his gun….?
"Understood. In that case, please return by the time of the transaction."
"Don't worry. I will most definitely be back in time."
Once the door was closed, the director looked at Jirokichi with an obliging face, "Umm…."
"If possible, I have one more request I'd like to make….."
"What is it? Try me."
At this the director leaned forward.
"There's someone I'd very much like to introduce the phantom sunflower exhibit to."
"Yes? And that would be….?"
To Jirokichi's inquiry, the director pushed up his glasses.
"Ever since having put the Sunflowers on display at this museum, there's been this elderly lady who has made the trip almost every day to come view it…"
Conan suddenly remembered the elderly lady who had been sitting on the bench in front of the Sunflowers.
"That lady, she came today too didn't she?"
The director looked at Conan and nodded, "Yes, that's right." He turned his head back to Jirokichi.
"I don't know if it's because she has some significant memory associated with it or something, but she always comes to stare at only the Sunflowers. She always looks so sad, and doesn't even spare any other painting a single glance."
"I understand."
Jirokichi replied immediately. The director's face lit up.
"Thank you so much!"
###
Charlie had taken the elevator down to the first floor. He entered a pay phone box nearby the building.
[104-105]
He took the receiver and pressed the buttons. It rang several times before a voice familiar to him picked up on the other end.
"It's me. As I thought, I'll be needing that. Please prepare it for me immediately."
"Are you sure about that? In this country, possession alone is a crime you know."
"I don't care. There's no way I can just let a terrorist who blew up a plane do as he likes."
The man he spoke to on the other end let out a chuckle at the conviction in Charlie's voice.
"Very well. It'll be ready shortly."
"Thank you, Mark. Have it in an hour at the parking lot behind Touto Plaza Hotel."
"Got it."
Charlie hung up the phone, left the booth, and walked out into the crowd.
###
There were two large trucks parked outside the front of the Touto Plaza Hotel. Moreover black-painted high-class cars came and stopped themselves around the trucks one after another. The customers standing near the entrance of the hotel watched and wondered what was going on as they saw men dressed in black take out duralumin cases and carry them through the lobby. The men held the cases in both hands as they filed onto the elevator. Just as they went up, the elevator next to theirs would open and more men in black would come rushing out and run pass even more men coming in with even more duralumin cases.
In the shadow of a pillar in the lobby there was a man reading a newspaper. He folded it and stuck it under his arm. Putting a hand to his collar, he spoke.
"Entrance lobby reporting. Nothing out of the ordinary."
###
To the security room of the hotel came the multiple reports of policemen disguised in civilian clothing and deployed throughout the building.
"Emergency exit stairs. There are no suspicious persons."
"Employee entrance, please send personnel."
"Roof group, arriving shortly."
In front of the monitor stood Nakamori, Kogoro, and Jirokichi, staring at the surveillance cameras with bitter expressions.
"Arrrgh, curse it! We won't make it in time at this pace."
The door opened and Charlie came in.
"I apologize for the delay. Inspector Nakamori, how is the security?"
"We've deployed men at all entrances and exits."
"If he's already within the building, then there's no point."
"Even still we won't repeat the same mistake as last time. We most definitely won't allow that guy to escape from this hotel…!"
Putting his hands up in the air, Nakamori turned his back on Charlie and continued to glare at the monitor.
###
The men in black continued to carry the duralumin cases into the guest room in the hotel. Other men in casual clothes opened the cases and took out the wads of bills and placed them on the bed.
[106-107]
"Hurry up! There's no time!"
"Keep carrying them in!"
The director sat on a sofa by the bed and stared at the cops' activities nervously. Letting out a breath he reached over to take his plastic bottle of mineral water in hand. Then turning his attention to the earphone in his left ear he called out to Nakamori.
"Umm….Are we really able to carry out negotiations in this situation?"
"It's KID's demands. We have no choice but to follow them. More importantly from here on out please don't talk to us carelessly. If KID finds out about our presence, all our efforts will go down the drain."
"O-Okay."
The director scanned his eyes around the room unthinkingly while taking a few gulps of his mineral water.
##
In the security room the monitors displayed footage from the multiple mini-cameras set up in the hotel room. Watching the wads of bills being put on the bed one after another, Kogoro tilted his head.
"Seriously, why is it necessary for us to take out all that money and put it in a place like that?"
"It can't be helped. It's KID's demands after all."
From behind Nakamori and Kogoro, Conan scuttled about trying to see the monitors.
"Uwaa!"
Charlie had reached down to pick Conan up suddenly. Kogoro glared at the boy.
"Brat! Be quiet!"
"Okaaaay…."
"Do you want to see the monitors?"
"Y-yeah."
At Conan's answer, Charlie put the boy down on a chair in front of a computer. "Wait a moment." He clicked the mouse before bringing up the footage from the surveillance cameras onto the computer screen.
"Thank you. You're really nice."
"I just want to borrow your skills. You have shown me your talent in observation and cleverness. It's no wonder you are called the 'Kid Killer'."
"I-It's just luck."
At being looked at with such a piercing gaze, Conan panicked a bit and turned his eyes away to look in front of him.
"I'm still just an elementary school student and all."
"I don't have those kinds of prejudices. If you see something off, tell me. Okay?"
"Okaaay…."
Conan watched Charlie return to the main monitors before looking back again at the computer screen.
[108-109]
The screen was divided in to six sections showing the bathroom, closet, hallways, etc., from the various places where the cameras were set up.
For 10 billion yen, it would be more normal to require that amount of money to be wired to an overseas bank account. There has to be some kind of purpose behind demanding it to be set out in cash….
"Wh-Wha~t! The mass media has gathered~~~~!"
Nakamori suddenly shouted from in front of the monitors, pressing against his earphone.
"What's the meaning of this!? We're the only ones who're supposed to be aware of this transaction!"
"I know sir, but reporters from all papers and channels are pressing in on us. Already the parking lot has gotten out of control!"
"Front-Left Entrance, reporting. The mass media have started broadcasting!"
Nakamori stared at a computer set in front of the big monitors. On the screen it showed a news channel reporting with its background as the Touto Plaza Hotel.
"Dammit! That stupid KID. Is he trying to use the mass media to cause confusion!?"
"Inspector Nakamori."
Charlie called out to him. The inspector took his hand off the computer and turned around.
"If KID notified them himself then there's no way he'll call off the negotiation even if they cause a ruckus."
"Yes" Jirokichi nodded at Charlie's words. To their side Kogoro looked at his watch.
"More importantly we've got no more time! Let's stop with taking out the money already."
Also looking at his watch Nakamori clenched his teeth.
"Two minutes 'til…fine then. Just leave the case lids open. Everyone leave that area!"
###
Hearing Nakamori's orders, the policemen immediately ceased their activities.
"Director! We're going on standby in the room across the hall!"
"U-umm!" The director called, rising slightly from his seat as the policemen headed for the door.
"Stay right there please."
The cops weaved their way through the open duralumin cases and ran out into the hallway. The very last man tripped over the rubber lining the bottom frame of the doorway.
"Hurry!"
Quickly standing up straight again, the cop closed the door and headed to the opposing room.
###
Just as the police had left, a red light started to blink on a machine set in the back of the ventilation opening. It let out a low rumbling sound as the mechanism started operating itself.
Left alone in the room, the director let out another breath. He wiped away some sweat pouring down his face.
"In any case it's really hot in here…Can't I at least open the window?"
[110-111]
He looked around the room as Nakamori's voice came through his ear phone.
"Please put up with it just a bit longer. There's no guarantee that KID will enter through the door after all."
"O-Okay."
Sweat continued to roll down his face as the director turned to look at the money piled onto the bed.
###
"Everyone has cleared the area."
"Great, the going's good." Nakamori said upon receiving the report. He looked at the monitor.
"Each group stay where you are until you receive an order from me."
Conan glanced at Nakamori before turning back to stare at the computer monitor.
This is KID we're talking about. He definitely has some sort of trick set up somewhere. I've got to figure it out before the transaction begins.
He paid close attention to each camera's footage. On the top-center of the six screens depicted the sweating director sitting on the sofa.
What is this….something feels off. Something has changed, it's different than before...
The director sighed and put his hand on the table, slightly shaking the water inside the plastic bottle. The second Conan registered the plastic bottle – the hairs stood up on his body.
Crap! So that's what's going on!
Conan jumped from his seat and ran for the door. Charlie, who had been focusing on the monitors, heard the sound of the opening door and turned around.
"Darn it!"
He saw the empty seat and the door left open. He ran out, but quickly returned to look at the key box to the side of the door. There was only one key missing from its place.
"That kid! He took the master key…!"
###
Conan dashed from the security room and headed for the elevators. He had to jump up in order to press the elevator button. He then took out the watch he had stored in his pockets.
"Damn it there's no time! Hurry up and come!"
He stared at the elevator numbers in irritation.
"KID Killer!"
Charlie ran over to him.
"What happened?"
"Just come on"
Conan leapt into the elevator. Charlie stared at Conan intently as the doors closed and the elevator began to rise.
"Explain to me."
[112-113]
"The water level in the director's plastic bottle had risen. Most likely the air pressure in the room has risen greatly."
"What is that guy planning to do!?"
Conan shook his head. "I don't know."
"But if we don't return the air pressure back to normal straightaway then things will go just the way KID wants it."
###
Standing in front of the monitor, Nakamori looked at his watch. There was only a minute before the promised time. Suddenly the footage of the fourteenth floor hallway showed Conan and Charlie running through. "Oi oi oi oi oi!" Nakamori grabbed his head.
"What are those guys doing!? Are they planning on ruining everything!? We've only got twenty seconds until the transaction begins~!"
###
Charlie arrived in front of room 1412, inserted the card key, and turned the doorknob.
"Shit it won't open!"
"The difference in air pressure is pushing against the door from the inside!"
"Was this that guy's plan!?"
Conan watched on intently as Charlie slammed his whole body against the door.
No…To just lock the door he wouldn't have had to set up such a big trick. What in the world is that guy trying to do….?
###
Nakamori pounded his fist onto the desk while watching the two on the monitor screen.
"Those guys, just doing whatever they please~~~~~!"
"There's nothing we can do. We have a full ten seconds left, we have to continue like this!
With Jirokichi's words, Nakamori clenched his teeth and stared at his watch.
"Five seconds left. Four…Three…Two…One…Zero!"
###
Small explosives had been placed outside the window to the room where the transaction was to take place. The second the counter hit zero –Boom! Small explosions burst forth, shattering the glass.
All at once the air in the room was sucked outside, creating a strong gust of wind within the room.
"Ahhh!"
To not be blown off his feet, the director braced himself firmly to the ground. All of the paper bills on the bed beside him whirled up into the air and flew outside the window-!
###
"Money! It's money-!"
The press broadcasting in front of the hotel witnessed the bills being blown out from the window. It caused a ruckus to start all at once.
[114-115]
"It this KID's doing!?"
The enthusiastic news reporters pressed against the policemen who were trying their best to hold them back.
"It's bad, sir! Large amounts of money are being scattered outside!"
From the policemen's wireless Nakamori's shout could be heard, "What did you say~~~~~!"
###
Charlie continued to push against the door with all his might. The door began to make a sputtering gugugu sound.
"Alright, It's gonna open!"
"Okay!"
Conan prepared his stun watch, flipping up the sighter. As Charlie managed to force-push the door open, loads of paper bills came flying at once in their direction.
Conan gasped.
The papers swirled around Conan who had dashed into the room, blocking his vision. Charlie pulled the gun from his breast and aimed it towards the window.
"Ahhh!"
The director let out a scream after suddenly having a gun pointed at him and he fell onto his bottom. Then, from the other side of the flying papers – suspended by his wire-gun, was KID who had landed on the railing of the veranda.
"KID-!"
At the same moment Conan shouted out, Charlie pointed his gun at him. KID merely grinned dauntlessly.
Bang! Bang! The sound of gunshots rang out. The bullets that Charlie let loose managed to hit nothing but air through the swirling paper bills. In front of them KID's form had vanished.
"Damn that KID….!"
Charlie growled irritably as he lowered his gun. Conan regarded Charlie, who had so unwaveringly pointed and shot his gun at KID, with an arcane expression.
###
"Ah! It's KID!"
The press that were gathered in front of the hotel looked up to see a white hang glider flying away.
"It seems that our intelligence was true and KID really did make a transaction with the Suzuki plutocracy."
"Did he have the Sunflowers!?"
"He's getting away!"
KID flew back around to where the TV cameras were pointing. He stuck up his pointer and middle finger and saluted them.
###
Charlie returned his gun to its holster. He approached the director, who was crouched down on the floor littered with bills.
"Are you hurt at all?"
"Ah, no…."
"KID brought the painting with him didn't he?"
"Uh, I don't know…"
Conan walked around the roughed up room. The curtains had been torn and money and duralumin cases were scattered about the floor and bed. The picture used as decoration above the bed's head board – one of Leonardo Da Vinci's The Last Supper, was partially ripped away.
Conan spotted a piece of a canvas sticking out from under where the painting had peeled away from the wall.
"Charlie-san! Over there! Look at the picture above the bed!"
Just as Charlie lifted his head and noticed the canvas, Nakamori burst into the room.
"You guys~! You dare to ruin –"
In that second a pale Jirokichi pushed his way in past Nakamori.
"Charlie! That guy is- Where is KID!?"
"I apologize. He made his escape."
Charlie indicated towards the balcony strewn with broken window glass pieces.
"So then the Sunflowers is…"
"It's okay. The Sunflowers is here safe."
Conan said looking at the head board of The Last Supper. Charlie got on the bed and forcefully tore off the rest of the painting. Under it appeared – the Sunflowers turned onto its side.
"Oh! Well if it isn't the Sunflowers!"
"You were able to get it back!?"
Nakamori inquired, to which Charlie responded with a nod. "Yes" He looked at the bills on the bed.
"But the money…"
"Don't worry, don't worry. It's fine!"
Jirokichi shook his head fiercely to the left and right. He raised his fist passionately into the air."
"It's time for a press conference!"
###
A large number of reporters were gathered in front of the entrance to the Touto Plaza hotel. Their cameras were all focused on the Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Museum's Sunflowers that had just been retrieved from KID. Jirokichi, Nakamori, and Kogoro were standing next to the Sunflowers. "Consult Suzuki!" One of the female reporters pointed her mic at the man.
"How do you feel after becoming once again victorious from a confrontation with the Kaitou KID?"
"There's nothing to fear from someone like KID. The owners of the Sunflowers should also be at ease."
[118-119]
Jirokichi threw his head back and let out a great laugh, bathing in the constant flashes of the news cameras. From the shadows of the pillar in the lobby, Conan looked on at the press conference, unconvinced.
What is this, this overly-elaborate development….
With Jirokichi having been able to safely retrieve the Sunflowers, not only the Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Museum, but all the other owners would now have no qualms about lending out their Sunflowers
Then again, why did KID, who only targets big jewels, go after a Sunflowers a second time in the first place? The more he thought about everything, the more things didn't make any sense to him.
###
The next day found Jirokichi, Charlie, Kogoro, the museum director and Conan gathered at a meeting at the Metropolitan Police Department. The police had just informed them of the pressurization mechanism they discovered that had been set up in the hotel room.
"Pressurization machine!?"
"Yes. It's a device to control the air pressure in places like airplane cabins. In this case it was set up in the ventilator."
On the white board was taped up a picture of said machine. Looking at it, Kogoro raised an eyebrow.
"You mean that kind of thing had been there the whole time and no one noticed…?"
Nakamori glared at Kogoro from beside him, "Of course not."
"We had our hands full setting up cameras and carrying in money."
In this conference room, the desks were arranged in a katakana ă‚ł shape. Sitting opposite to Nakamori, Kogoro, Conan, and the museum director was Jirokichi and Charlie.
"Not being given enough time to sweep the area…surely that was calculated in KID's plan as well."
Jirokichi nodded in agreement with Charlie.
"In any case, can such a phenomenon as last night really occur with just a mere difference in air pressure?"
"Well, we had our doubts about that as well so we did some research to see if such a phenomenon could truly be artificially made."
As the policeman standing in front of the whiteboard said this, another cop brought out and opened his notebook.
"To give you an easy to understand example, the fresh air that is created in a domed baseball stadium and its difference in air pressure is at most 0.3%. And yet the wind that passes through the entrances and exits is very strong. With a small room like the one in the hotel, it would have been a simple task to create a 0.3% difference in air pressure within a very short time."
"What's more is that to increase this effect in a closed room, KID lined the window frame with tape and put rubber in the open space between the door and the floor in order to prevent any air leaks."
The police officer's pointer finger stopped on some pictures taken of the hotel room's window frame's tape and the rubber in the crack under the door. "I see" Nakamori said while looking at the pictures and nodding.
"He basically created a completely air-tight space in that closed room…"
[120-121]
"So that's why it was so hot!?"
At the director's words, Kogoro remembered seeing the director and the policemen on the monitor.
"Now that you mention it, everyone sure was sweating a lot….."
Jirokichi, sitting with his arms folded, turned to look at Charlie.
"Charlie, when you ran out of the security room, was it because you noticed this trap?"
Charlie looked directly in front at Conan. When Conan avoided his gaze he replied, "Yes."
"I saw that the water level in the director's plastic bottle had risen."
"As expected of New York Police's number one cop! Little guy you did good to notice as well!"
"I just followed Charlie-san is all"
Conan said with a fake smile. From beside him, Kogoro looked at him, unamused and with the corners of his mouth turned down. Nakamori spoke up, "But still,"
"Why did KID do such a thing?"
"Is it because his plan to collect the money from outside failed….?"
Conan knitted his eyebrows at Kogoro and Nakamori's words.
Is that really the case? To actually be able to make away with such an enormous amount of cash, he'd need an even bigger trick….Also there has to be some kind of reason why KID himself had called the mass media over. Didn't he merely just make a spectacle out of his own loss? And to only appear once the paper bills that had been so neatly set out had been scattered about….
Conan thought through carefully each on every one of KID's incomprehensible actions before his eyes suddenly shot wide open.
It can't be! Was it all on purpose….!? But why would he….!?
"The painting that the Sunflowers was hid behind, had that painting initially been put up there?"
"No. It seems that originally there was nothing there."
The police officer answered. Kogoro looked at Charlie dubiously.
"Why are you so concerned about it?"
"Ah, no, it's just I felt it seemed way too large for concealing the Sunflowers…..was there a reason for him to prepare a painting that was so difference in size…?"
Leonardo Da Vinci's painting, The Last Supper, that was used to hide the Sunflowers had been quite a long painting. Even with turning the Sunflowers on its side there was plenty of extra room.
"You're thinking too much. It was clearly chosen at random."
"Isn't it because that was the only painting he had at hand?"
Both Kogoro and Nakamori spoke up to dismiss Charlie's concern.
"If that's really the case then it's fine. From picture you all have painted to me of KID, it was just my impression that he's been taking too many pointless actions."
[122-123]
The officer standing in front of the whiteboard took out his notebook once again. "Speaking of pointless actions…"
"When the fifth Sunflowers was stolen, it seems there were traces of the underground safe being hacked."
"More than pointless, isn't that just a change in plans?"
Kogoro said simply. Nakamori put a hand to his chin, "That's right, at that time…"
"Because there was a possibility of the painting being switched with a fake, we rushed to have it quickly appraised. Since Azuma-san and Miyadai-san are very careful with their work, their operations took quite a bit of time. Therefore, in order to keep to the time he said he'd steal the painting in his notice, KID had no choice but to move his plans up. His initial plan was to steal the painting from the safe, so there's no question about the system hacking.
"That's what I'm saying! You guys keep looking too much into the little stuff."
"Uh, right," the police officer shrugged at Kogoro and Nakamori's words.
Though it's true we should consider there was a sudden change in plans, there are still some major flaws in that theory.
Conan remembered the notice that KID had sent Kogoro.
KID had initially set the time he'd steal the painting for tonight. So there would have been no reason for him to forcibly move up his plans. So then why…
As Conan thought things over, Jirokichi stood up.
"Well, in any case we were victorious in this confrontation against KID. We were able to safely retrieve the Sunflowers! Everyone you did a great job! I'll be counting on you from here on out!"
Jirokichi's great laugh echoed throughout the conference room.
Jirokichi likes to laugh a lot. He's like a villain.
I can see why they took this scene out. It's just them taking time to notice the stuff the audience has already noticed lol. But that makes it more mystery-like I guess. I was always wondering about the media though, they never really got in to that. But I get it now!
It's my personal opinion that Inspector Nakamori is actually smarter than Kogoro. When he's not fuming about KID, he's usually a rather reasonable and tolerable guy, plus responsible when it comes to his work. Though he's not right, he makes more sense than Kogoro anyways.
Still they're both idiots. KID never makes any "pointless actions." Really Charlie knows KID the least of them, but he's definitely more keen on KID's actions than they are. It's only his morals that are questionable…
So I've been procrastinating like, a lot. The next chap ain't done yet… but I'll hurry! Really! I will!
Really!