I'm in Conan, I'm not a gangster

Chapter 385 The more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to lie (1st update)
The seashell wind chimes at the entrance of the Sea House jingled as Shiraishi E leaned against the counter, watching three girls excitedly choosing mermaid costumes.

"Hey handsome, are you alone?" A familiar female voice suddenly rang out from behind.

Shiraishi E's body stiffened, and she slowly turned around, revealing a head of dazzling golden hair and eyes as green as cat's eye stones.

“Vermouth!” he murmured the name, his brow furrowing involuntarily.

Every time the other person appears, something bad always happens.

“In everyday life, please call me Chris!” Vermouth’s red lips curved slightly as she gently toyed with a blue scaly dress on the hanger, and said with a sigh, “I never thought we would actually meet here.”

Shiraishi E didn't believe in this so-called fate; there must be a reason why the other person was here.

He asked, "How did you get here?"

Vermouth chuckled, casually picking up a pearl-adorned hairband and toying with it, saying, "What do you mean I'm here? I've been on the island all this time; you came looking for me." Her tone was somewhat mocking.

Shiraishi E rolled her eyes inwardly; she could never believe a word this woman said.

He knew that Vermouth had been infiltrating the Public Security Bureau and the FBI, gathering information on Gin's imprisonment.

Not long ago, she even got involved with herself who was using a disguise!
Indeed, the more beautiful a woman is, the more likely she is to lie—this saying continues to gain traction!

Shiraishi E didn't expose her lie, but said, "Hattori Heiji was commissioned to investigate Mermaid Island. He was passing through Tokyo and asked us to come and see the mermaids with him."

"Mermaids?" Vermouth asked as if she'd heard a funny joke. "You believe in something so fake?"

“I don’t believe it. It’s probably just a gimmick to attract tourists.” Shiraishi shrugged and pointed to Ran, who was twirling in front of the dressing mirror. “But the problem is, they believe it.”

Vermouth followed his gaze, a barely perceptible tenderness flashing in her eyes, and chuckled, "Indeed, girls this age..." Before she could finish speaking, she was suddenly interrupted by a joyful shout.

"Miss Chris!" Ran noticed Vermouth and ran over excitedly, a bright smile on her face. "I never expected to meet you here!"

Vermouth, her previous cunning and sly demeanor vanishing, instantly softened her expression and said, "Yes, what a coincidence, Ran. I... I didn't expect to run into you here."

She warmly grasped Xiaolan's hand, as if she were a long-lost friend, and said, "I heard there's a dugong festival here, so I came to see it."

"Me too!" Xiaolan said excitedly, "We're planning to rent mermaid costumes to take pictures."

"Oh? So, do you have any plans to take photos anywhere?" Vermouth asked.

"Well... we don't have any ideas yet. We'll just walk around and take pictures as we go, and see which place looks pretty and that's where we'll take pictures," Xiaolan said honestly.

Seeing this, Vermouth kindly reminded him, "Don't go to the back of the mountain."

Her expression suddenly turned serious, and she lowered her voice, saying, "That area is undeveloped, and wild animals often roam there. Last month, several tourists ignored warnings and then disappeared."

"After their families reported the incident to the police, the police launched an investigation and used a lot of manpower and resources. Only then did they find their clothes and bones on the back mountain."

These words made Xiaolan's face turn pale instantly, and her fingers unconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes: "Is...is it that scary?"

“But don’t worry,” Vermouth smiled gently, patting her shoulder as she said, “As long as you avoid the dangerous areas, there won’t be any problems!”

She offered, "Would you like me to help you pick out some clothes?"

"Okay! Then I'll leave it to you." Xiaolan quickly put her worries aside... as long as she got there, that would be fine.

Shiraishi watched as Vermouth led Ran toward the other two girls, then sorted out the information.

There's really nothing to organize. Vermouth can tell Ran and the others not to go near the back mountain, as the organization's stronghold is most likely hidden there.

They hide in caves or underground, or use villas as cover.

As for why they set up a base here, it's obvious even to a child.

They're definitely still conducting human experiments.

Remote islands like Mermaid Island, with a large portion of them still undeveloped, are indeed ideal for establishing secret bases.

Having thought this through, Shiraishi E decided not to waste any more brain cells. He had completely lost interest in the organization's base and had no desire to explore it whatsoever... After all, he had already obtained everything he wanted.

For the next half hour, Vermouth displayed an amazing eye for fashion.

She chose a gradient blue fishtail dress for Xiaolan, which made her look like a sea sprite.

I dressed Yuanzi in a short mermaid outfit that shimmered with pearl luster, making her both lively and elegant.

For Kazuha, a modified kimono with a Kansai flair and mermaid style was chosen.

This made Shiraishi E nod repeatedly. As expected of an actress who had won an award, her aesthetic sense was indeed much better than that of the three high school girls.

"It's perfect!" Sonoko exclaimed excitedly as she twirled in front of the mirror.

Xiao Lan also praised her repeatedly: "Miss Chris's eye for talent is indeed professional!"

Kazuha didn't say anything, she just kept taking pictures with her phone.

After renting the clothes, a makeup service was also provided.

Vermouth declined the free makeup service offered by the sales assistant, choosing instead to do it herself.

Her technique was skillful, and in no time the three girls were made to radiate a captivating glow.

This once again caused the three girls to gasp in surprise.

After showing off her skills twice, Vermouth's standing among the three girls soared.

The three girls couldn't wait to drag Vermouth outside to find a beautiful spot to take pictures.

Meanwhile, Conan and Heiji split up to investigate Saori Kadowaki's interpersonal relationships.

Then, they inquired about the other party's whereabouts from Saori Kadowaki's friends.

However, neither of them knew where the other had gone.

This gave the two of them a bit of a headache.

The island's residents mostly know each other, and the villager in charge of the pier said that Saori Kadowaki has not left the island.

This surprised Conan and Heiji, as they had searched the entire town and shrine but had not found any trace of the other party.

"Could it be in the back mountain?" Conan and Heiji both turned their gazes toward the back mountain at the same time.

However, on their way to the back of the mountain, they found that it had been cordoned off and warning signs had been erected.

This forced Conan and Heiji to abandon their idea of ​​investigating the back mountain.

Just as they were about to leave, Conan suddenly stopped and said, "Wait a minute, Heiji. Something's not right."

"Is something wrong?" Heiji pulled down his hat, looking somewhat puzzled.

Conan crouched down and looked at the ground, saying, "These marks on the ground are still very clear... and there are even tire tracks! Someone frequently goes in and out of the back mountain."

"So what?" Heiji said dismissively, "Maybe they're just going into the mountains to kill wild animals?"

“…That possibility cannot be ruled out.” Conan looked up at the back mountain and muttered, “But I always feel that there is something unusual about this back mountain.”

“Whether it’s simple or not, our target right now is Kadowaki Saori.” Heiji had no intention of going to the back mountain to investigate. He knew his purpose very well. He said, “Tomorrow is the Dugong Festival. Kadowaki Saori is the most enthusiastic about mermaids. She will definitely show up then.”

"We'll be able to find her tomorrow and get things sorted out."

“…That makes sense.” Conan hesitated for a moment, then remembered his father’s advice, suppressed his curiosity, and stopped investigating.

(End of this chapter)