Chapter 7
You're all alone now, aren't you?
Where was Conan just now?
"Conan just helped me get Genta up, and Genta and I were resting on the ground for a while when I turned around and Conan was gone."
After listening to Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya's account, Jonah looked at the overturned chair and the strangely scattered books next to the wall. He had just been patrolling the corridor and had not seen Conan Edogawa come out. So, Conan Edogawa disappeared in this room?
"Haibara, do you know where Conan went?"
Although he found it strange, Jonah couldn't figure out what the chair and scattered books represented, so he looked at Ai Haibara, who was also looking over there in a pensive manner.
Jonah knew that Ai Haibara was also a child prodigy as intelligent as Conan Edogawa, and that if it were her, she might be able to discover something.
"I guess so."
Responding softly, Ai Haibara walked to the chair, lifted it up, stacked the books to increase its height, stepped on it, and reached out to turn the hands of the clock.
"Hey, what are you doing? Don't touch things like that."
The action was interrupted by the host's son who suddenly barged in. Ai Haibara had no intention of continuing in front of others, so she obediently got off the chair.
"Aren't you going to look for Conan anymore?"
"He'll be fine. This castle is a bit strange, so we still need to be careful when we move around."
Ai Haibara's statement that everything was alright did not completely reassure Jonah, especially after everyone had dinner together and conducted a large-scale search of the castle but still could not find Conan Edogawa. Jonah had already given up trusting anyone outside of Professor Agasa and the Detective Boys.
This vigilance reached its peak after Professor Agasa also went missing.
"Jonah, what are you going to do?"
In the room prepared for the children, Jonah, who had been pretending to be asleep, opened his eyes, hid several dinner knives and two kitchen knives that he had secretly found in the kitchen on his person, and quietly got up and walked out of the room, but was startled by a sudden sound behind him and immediately pulled out the kitchen knife.
Ai Haibara's pupils contracted as she watched the cleaver stop in front of her neck. She only came to her senses after Jonah recognized her and put the cleaver away.
For a brief moment, Ai Haibara thought she was really going to die.
Looking at Jonah, who stood calmly before her, with a complex expression, Ai Haibara finally grasped the reality that Jonah had once been a child soldier.
"I'm going to find Conan and Professor Agasa. If they're in danger, I'm going to rescue them."
"Then I'll come along too. I think I know where Edogawa went."
The night rescue team began its operation, and its size increased from 2 to 5 people. This was because Jonah and Ai Haibara had discovered Ayumi Yoshida and the others who were secretly following them shortly after they started their operation. They decided it wouldn't be safe to leave the children alone, so they let them follow behind.
Having returned to the place where Conan Edogawa disappeared during the day, Ai Haibara successfully turned the clock hands this time, opening the hidden door in the wall.
They entered the passage behind the hidden door and soon discovered bloodstains on the stairs.
"Very fresh bloodstains, they were just left there recently."
Jonah's expression shifted, and he crouched down to examine the state of the bloodstains. His tone now carried a hint of killing intent, and he entered a battle-ready state.
"You all need to stay by my side and don't wander off."
Turning to look at everyone, Jonah said in a deep voice, directly drawing the kitchen knife from his waistband and gripping it tightly in his hand, causing the Junior Detective League children to widen their eyes in surprise.
Although they had to protect everyone, the task of scouting ahead was left to Ai Haibara. After continuing their journey through the dark passage for a while, they found the Doctor's broken, bloodstained glasses on the ground.
"It seems the Doctor has also been captured by that person."
As she said this, Ai Haibara subconsciously reached out and touched the wall in front of her, but unexpectedly the wall immediately rotated, taking everyone who was close to it away.
"Are you all alright?"
Supporting herself on the ground, Ai Haibara quickly turned to ask about the children's condition.
"We're alright, but Jonah hasn't come out yet, he's still over there on the other side of the wall!" Pointing anxiously at the wall, Ayumi Yoshida clutched the bread bag, on the verge of tears.
"We're doomed."
"Haibara, is Jonah in danger?" Genta Kojima and Mitsuhiko Tsuburaya looked at Ai Haibara with alarm and became nervous as well.
"No, I'm worried about other things."
......
As Jonah watched the wall suddenly flip open and carry the children out, he reaffirmed his belief that there must be secret passages and mechanisms in the castle. Just as he was about to imitate Ai Haibara's actions and flip the wall out, he suddenly heard deliberately light footsteps behind him.
Jonah shone the watch-shaped flashlight on his wrist and blinked, seeing the old woman he had seen before in the castle, sitting in a wheelchair.
"Little friend, what are you doing here? Are you lost? There are many traps in this castle, it's very dangerous. Shall I take you out?"
Why did you stand up?
Ignoring the old lady's smiling face, Jonah asked a question that immediately changed her expression.
"Ha, you brat, you won't listen to reason, so you'll have to suffer the consequences."
No longer concealing her actions, Mutsumi Nishikawa pulled out an iron rod from behind her back and approached Jonah, intending to knock him unconscious and take him away.
She underwent plastic surgery to look like an old woman and endured so many years of hardship, all for the treasure in the castle. She absolutely cannot let anyone else ruin her dream!
"Did you kidnap Conan and Professor Agasa?"
"Yes, don't worry, I'll arrange for you to meet soon, hehe, don't be afraid, I know... ah!"
A sharp pain shot through her shoulder. Mutsumi Nishikawa instinctively raised her hand to touch the spot, only to be shocked to find a kitchen knife stuck in her shoulder.
Mutsumi Nishikawa looked ahead in horror, only to see Jonah take off his watch and hold it in his left hand, while his right hand gripped a gleaming kitchen knife, and he charged towards her expressionlessly.
Instinctively, she swung the iron bar, which Jonah dodged. Then, after slashing her arm with a knife, Mutsumi Nishikawa grabbed the iron bar and ran away without saying a word.
Something's not right. This kid in front of me is definitely not right!
He actually tried to kill me!
......
Meanwhile, Ai Haibara and the children, after a frantic search, finally found Conan Edogawa's glasses. After searching for Professor Agasa's detective badge through the glasses, they successfully found Professor Agasa and Conan Edogawa tied up in the room.
"Haibara, where's Jonah?"
"That's exactly what I wanted to tell you, Jonah..."
"Aaaaaah! Help! Someone help me!"