Conan: I'm really not the mastermind behind the scenes

The New York Distilling Company is located in the outskirts of Brooklyn. It is a private enterprise with a small scale. The company looks like a huge container, with round barrels neatly lined up against the wall.

The two FBI agents showed their IDs. Among them, Aoyagi Binguang, who had a more friendly temperament, handed the photo to the winery owner who came out to greet him.

“Is this kind of wine sold here?”

The owner of the factory is a man in his fifties. Information shows that he also owns a larger company and has many friends in the upper class. This distillery was built by him out of personal preference and only produces rye whiskey.

The winery owner had been looking at Aoyagi Binguang's face just now. He didn't come back to his senses until the other person spoke, and quickly reached out to take the photo.

"This is a new product we launched a month ago. I specially hired someone to design the packaging, so it's impossible to mistake it. There is no promotion at the moment and it is only sold in our bar."

The winery owner held the photo with an ugly expression on his face: "Why do you ask this? Is there something wrong with our wine?"

"There is no problem with the quality of the wine. This bottle of wine is an important physical evidence at a certain scene. We are tracing the source." Aoyagi Binguang reassured, "Do you remember who came to buy it?"

The winery owner relaxed, handed back the photo, and shouted into the distance: "Tom! Come here!"

Not far from the entrance of the winery, a rectangular space is isolated, housing a bar counter and several small round tables, which will transform into a small bar at night.

As he yelled, the employee who was leaning behind the bar and yawning lazily froze and stuck his head out in confusion. Seeing the boss waving, he trotted over quickly.

"He is a waiter. He usually lives in the factory and is in the bar almost every day. Maybe he will have an impression." The winery owner said to the two detectives.

Aoyagi Binguang showed the photo to the waiter named Tom and asked him if he remembered the buyer.

Tom recalled looking at the photo: "This kind of wine tastes too spicy and not many people like it... The only people who specially bought it home were people from the nearby magic troupe and a drunkard who often came here."

"When exactly?" Qingliu Binguang asked.

"One of the boxes was from a week ago when the magic troupe came back from a performance out of town. They came to buy drinks to celebrate." Tom said, "I can be sure of this because that day happened to be the first day of the release of Sirloin's new movie. I had just Back from the theater."

"A week ago..."

Aoyagi Binguang frowned and glanced at Akai Hideichi next to him.

Shuichi Akai, who also noticed this sensitive time, felt his gaze and spoke for the first time: "Where are they going to tour?"

"Hmm... It seems to be Atlanta." Tom said, "Because they mentioned it casually when we came here for a drink before. I don't remember it clearly. You can take a look at their recent flyers."

Qingliu Binguang nodded without loosening his brows: "We will go. What about the other one?"

Tom was stuck. He thought hard and shook his head: "He is an ordinary-looking man. Although he comes here often, I haven't paid special attention to his specific appearance."

"Do you have surveillance here?" Akai Shuichi asked.

The owner of the winery said helplessly: "There is one in the seating area and one at the door, but the pixels are not high. I can only take pictures of people making trouble, but not their faces."

The two FBI agents looked at each other.

Aoyagi Binguang first looked away and said to the winery owner: "Please give us a copy of the video of the past month."

Akai Shuichi did not stop or make other requests. He and Aoyagi Binguang went to the office and sent the copied surveillance images back to the branch for technicians to help repair and review them.

The consultation is almost done here. This winery is only one source of physical evidence and currently has no deep connection with the murderer. They still have to meet up with their colleagues who went to the magic troupe to inquire.

"Thank you for your cooperation. If you think of other related matters, you can call me at any time."

The waiter responded quickly: "I will. Good luck to you, agent."

Aoyagi Binguang smiled and left with Akai Shuichi. Just as he was about to step out of the office, the winery owner behind him suddenly spoke: "Have I seen you somewhere? You...Belloberg? Aren't you the bodyguard of the Sindora Group?"

Akai Shuichi stopped when he saw Aoyagi Binguang.

He turned around, his expression unchanged, still the gentle and friendly smile.

"I think you have the wrong person."

——But his breath tightened quietly.

……

The two returned to the car.

As soon as Qingliu Binguang opened the car door, an eagle fluttered its wings in the back seat, got out from the gap in the front seat, flew out of the car, and landed in his arms. He was stunned for a moment and gently stroked its back.

The eagle's talons were very close to his unprotected hand, and it cleverly retracted its talons so that its sharp hooks touched the clothes as much as possible.

Akai Shuichi watched this scene with interest, and he found that his colleagues' expressions gradually relaxed.

Aoyagi Binguang held the eagle in one hand and took out his mobile phone to check it with the other hand. He said to Akai Shuichi who was already in the car: "There is no news from the technical department. Next we have to go to the magic troupe to find Steline and the others. There will be Investigation focus.”

Akai Shuichi was noncommittal.

Qingliu Binguang got into the car and closed the door. Akai Shuichi didn't speak until the door was tightly closed.

"Belloberg...is this the name you used when you were an undercover agent in the past?"

……

10 a.m., Brooklyn.

Aaron, who was cleaning up, heard the doorbell.

His body trembled imperceptibly, and his eyes towards the door were full of vigilance. He bent down to hold up the chair at his feet, put the gun in his coat pocket, and went to open the door.

Two strangers, a man and a woman, stood outside the door. Before he could speak, the woman among them took out her ID.

"FBI." She introduced herself, "We're here to ask about something."

"What's going on?" Aaron asked.

"One hour later, the New York police received a report that a mother and son traveling on a road trip collided with a car. After stopping, they found a female body inside. Because the police suspected that it was a new victim of a series of female murders, the case was immediately transferred to the FBI. , the FBI has confirmed the identity of the victim..."

The female detective responsible for investigating serial cases explained the cause.

Aaron didn't show it on the surface, but he was full of doubts in his heart.

——He obviously parked his car in such a remote place, why was he hit by someone so quickly? Where did the mother and son traveling by car come from? ! ?
"We retrieved her call records from the communications company and found that the last phone call Ms. Crystal Crow made before her death was to her friend Ms. Philo Lucas."

The female detective said this and looked into the house behind Aaron.

"Mr. Lucas, are you home alone now?"

Aaron was silent for a moment.

Then he replied: "Yes." (End of Chapter)