Inside the Orpheus Jewelry Exhibition Hall, the tension had not faded.
Commissioner Gordon stood at the entrance with more than a dozen GCPD officers. Outside, Harvey Bullock and his team maintained a second layer of security. Under such strict surveillance, no one could possibly slip out unnoticed.
The rules were clear.
Exit only. No re-entry.
Anyone attempting to return would immediately be treated as a suspect.
One by one, audience members lined up for inspection. Each person was searched thoroughly—pockets emptied, coats checked, bags opened. Only after being confirmed completely clean were they allowed to leave.
Dick and Dean stood near the back of the line.
Director Ofe was several people behind them.
"So," Dick said quietly, nudging Dean with his elbow, "have you figured out how Kaito Kid stole the diamond and escaped a sealed hall?"
Dean tilted his head slightly.
"I don't believe he can teleport," he said thoughtfully. "The one flying outside was likely a decoy. The real Kaito Kid should still be inside."
Dick nodded.
"Miss Biska swears the diamond she saw outside was real."
Dean shrugged.
"With modern technology, creating a flawless imitation diamond isn't difficult. Especially for someone like Kaito Kid."
Dick's eyes narrowed.
"So you think the outside performance was just a distraction? Lure the police away, then slip out during inspection?"
"Exactly," Dean replied. "Blend into the crowd and walk out."
Dick frowned.
"But how would he pass inspection?"
Dean smiled faintly.
"That's simple. A skilled magician is best at hiding things in plain sight. Even if he carried the Hope Diamond on his person, most officers wouldn't find it."
Dick shot him a look.
"So if you hid something, they wouldn't find it either?"
Dean laughed.
"You can guess."
"I'm starting to think magicians would make excellent pickpockets," Dick muttered.
Then he asked seriously, "What if the diamond was never removed? What if it's still on the display stand? The gravity sensor never triggered."
Dean paused briefly.
"I considered that," he admitted.
"But it's unlikely. The box under the glass cover is still visible. If someone used reflective illusions to make the diamond appear gone, the box would distort too. But it hasn't."
He gestured toward the display stand.
"The only way to achieve what we saw would be to lift the outer glass cover and place it directly over the transparent box. That way, the diamond disappears visually without affecting the box's shape."
Dick frowned.
"But adding weight should trigger the gravity sensor."
"Exactly," Dean said. "Which is why that theory doesn't make sense either."
Dick rubbed his chin.
"So either the sensor was bypassed… or something else happened."
Before they could continue, it was their turn.
Gordon personally supervised the search.
Dean emptied his pockets.
Two handkerchiefs.
A rose.
Four marker pens.
Several rectangular cardboard pieces.
Twenty commemorative coins.
Three paper cups.
Seven decks of playing cards.
The officers stared in disbelief.
"You carry all this daily?" Gordon asked.
"I'm a magician," Dean replied calmly.
He was pulled aside for further inspection. Every item was examined carefully.
Nothing illegal. Nothing suspicious.
Eventually, he was cleared.
Dick passed more quickly—wallet, phone, headphones.
Nothing else.
When Dean rejoined him, Dick shook his head.
"I can't believe you had so much hidden on you."
Dean smirked.
"That's me cooperating. If I didn't want them to find something, they wouldn't."
"That's not something to be proud of," Dick replied dryly.
Soon, they exited the museum.
Outside, flashing police lights reflected against the dark Gotham streets.
"Sorry I couldn't see through Kaito Kid's trick," Dean said with mock regret.
"Don't worry," Dick answered. "No one else did either."
They walked together for a short distance.
Then Dick stopped.
"You don't need me to escort you home, right?"
Dean's mouth twitched.
"I know where I live."
"Alright. See you."
They separated.
As Dick walked alone, he placed his headphones over his ears and pulled out his phone.
To anyone watching, it looked like he was selecting music.
But his eyes were sharp.
Focused.
Waiting.
---
Hours later.
The Orpheus Jewelry Exhibition Hall was empty.
Dark.
Silent.
Every visitor had been inspected and released.
No suspect found.
With no immediate leads, Gordon had led his remaining forces toward Knight Stadium, where a unit reported they were close to intercepting Kaito Kid.
Whether that was the real one or another decoy remained to be seen.
---
Inside the East Exhibition Hall—
A shadow slipped in quietly.
It moved with precision and confidence.
The figure wore night-vision glasses, allowing clear movement in total darkness.
He approached the central display stand.
Dean.
He stopped before the glass dome.
Reaching forward, he prepared to lift it.
Click.
A switch echoed sharply in the silence.
Lights flooded the entire hall in an instant.
Dean froze.
From the shadows stepped a familiar figure.
Robin.
Robin stood across from him, cape falling behind him, eyes cold and focused.
"It was you after all," Robin said calmly.
His voice carried no hesitation.
"Kaito Kid."
Dean straightened slowly.
Robin took a step closer.
"Still wearing a disguise?" he continued. "It's time to take off the mask."
For a moment, silence filled the hall.
Then—
Dean reached up slowly.
Not to remove his glasses.
But to his collar.
He loosened it slightly.
Then he smiled.
"You're right."
His voice changed.
Subtle.
Sharper.
More confident.
"I disguised myself."
Robin's eyes narrowed.
In one smooth motion, Dean removed the outer layer of his jacket.
Underneath—
A white suit shimmered under the lights.
Cape folded behind him.
A top hat dropped from above into his waiting hand, as if it had always been there.
"Kaito Kid," he said with a bow.
The magician revealed himself.
Robin clenched his fists.
"So you planned to return for something."
Kaito Kid's eyes sparkled.
"You're sharp."
He tapped the glass dome lightly.
"Tonight's performance was only half complete."
Robin moved instantly.
But smoke erupted between them.
White feathers burst into the air again, swirling under the artificial lights.
"Don't think you can escape again!" Robin shouted.
Through the smoke, Kaito Kid's laughter echoed.
"Who said I was escaping?"
The smoke cleared quickly.
Robin rushed forward—
And stopped.
The display stand remained intact.
The glass dome untouched.
But inside—
Resting calmly within the transparent box—
The Hope Blue Diamond sparkled brilliantly.
Robin's eyes widened.
Impossible.
It was back.
Kaito Kid's voice drifted from above.
"I merely borrowed it."
Robin looked upward.
Kaito Kid stood near the ceiling beams, cape flowing dramatically.
"You see, tonight wasn't about stealing."
He tipped his hat.
"It was about revealing."
In his gloved hand—
Another diamond glimmered.
Identical.
Robin's breath caught.
"You mean—"
"Yes," Kaito Kid replied softly.
"The one displayed tonight was already a fake."
Silence fell.
Director Ofe's earlier relief.
The untouched gravity sensor.
The intact container.
Everything aligned.
"I disguised myself," Kaito Kid continued calmly.
"As a cleaner."
"As a helpful magician."
"As suspicion."
He smiled down at Robin.
"And I also disguised the truth."
He tossed something gently.
Robin caught it instinctively.
A small recording device.
"Inside that," Kaito Kid said, "is proof. Director Ofe switched the real diamond days ago. He planned to fake a theft and claim recovery for fame."
Robin's jaw tightened.
"And you decided to expose him."
"Of course," Kaito Kid said lightly. "I only steal from those who deserve it."
Sirens sounded faintly in the distance.
Kaito Kid stepped backward.
"Tell Commissioner Gordon to check the safe in Ofe's office."
Robin moved forward again—
But a flash of white light blinded him.
When his vision cleared—
Kaito Kid was gone.
Only a single white feather drifted slowly down.
Robin stood alone in the bright exhibition hall.
In his hand—
The recording device.
And inside the glass dome—
The Hope Blue Diamond gleamed quietly.
The real one.
The illusion had never been about the diamond.
It had been about suspicion.
And tonight—
Suspicion had been the greatest disguise of all.
------------------------------
🕷️ End of Chapter
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