"Ojichan and Obachan, tell Shinichi to leave the penthouse!"

Ranran could be heard barking on her smartphone, as the grandfather could be heard saying, "Now now, Ranran, don't be selfish."

"What part of me is selfish!? I worked hard for the penthouse, and then you both just simply swoop in to pay for Shinichi's stay in here!"

"Ranran, dear, we understand that you may feel a bit upset," Obachan spoke up. "But you have to think about the situation you are in. There is a serial killer out there, and we want to make sure that you and Shinichi are safe."

"But I can take care of myself! I'm a detective, for goodness sake!" Ranran protested.

"We know you can, dear, but having someone to watch your back is always helpful," Ojichan added. "Plus, it's not like Shinichi is a stranger to you. You both belonged to the same family."

"Ranran, please calm down," Obachan said soothingly. "We understand your concerns, but we also care about your safety. Having Shinichi with you will ensure that you're not alone in case something happens."

"But I have been living here for a week's plus, and nothing like that has happened!" Ranran exclaimed.

"That doesn't mean it won't happen," Ojichan replied. "We just want to take extra precautions."

"Precautions!?" Ranran blinked while mocking, "I'll tell you the true definition of precaution: We should've never ended up on this camping trip from the get-go because you all know we both hated camping and you all never listen to us! And as a result, Shinichi and I wouldn't be stuck fearing for our lives from a killer, all because we are forced into this camping trip we despise!"

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, and Shinichi wondered if Ranran had gone too far. However, Obachan spoke up in a calm tone, "We understand that you're upset, Ranran. But the past is the past, and we can't change what has already happened. What we can do is focus on what we can control, and that's keeping you and Shinichi safe."

"Then Obachan, let me ask you this," Ranran confronts, "If this is over, and we manage to return home alive, would you tell our parents not to send us camping ever again?"

"Ranran-"

"I love playing video games, even sitting in front of the computer for hours. Shinichi likes to solve riddles, or have his nose in a book all day." Ranran rambled over the phone, "We ain't outdoorsy children, and I know all of you think that we must be abnormal, which is why we were sent on this stupid camping trip in the first place to mingle with other children. But the truth is...we never need it from the start. So could you please promise us no more camping trips anymore!"

Obachan let out a sigh, "We understand your concerns, Ranran, and we will talk to your parents about it when you two get back home."

Ranran was momentarily stunned. She had not expected Obachan to agree so readily. "Thank you, Obachan," she said, her voice softening.

"But for now, we need to focus on keeping you both safe," Ojichan chimed in. "Shinichi has arrived, and we will make sure that he settles in comfortably. You should get some rest, Ranran. It's been a long day."

Ranran agreed, saying goodbye to her grandparents and promising to call them the next day. She hung up and turned to Shinichi, who was watching her from the doorway enter the penthouse while she shut the door. "I'm sorry," she said her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to...go overboard with what I said."

"No, you are not wrong with what you said to them," Shinichi said, stepping closer. "I understand how you feel. With the serial killer situation and everything. You had every right to be angry, hell, I too am mad that we ended up here because our parents forced us here. What was supposed to be a happy camping trip is about to turn into the hunger games."

Ranran nodded, her eyes downcast. "I am just sick and tired, you know? All of this unnecessary meddling..."

Shinichi placed a hand on her shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze. "I know it's tough, but there is no point in blaming and pointing fingers over who is at fault now to get us where we are. Right now all we can do is to make the best of this situation. We're together, and we'll get through this."

Ranran looked up at him, a small smile forming on her lips. "Yeah, you're right. We'll get through this together."

The two of them stood there in silence for a few moments, taking comfort in each other's presence while Ranran took a seat from the sofa, "So any update while returning from the campsite earlier?"

"Well, about that...when I returned to the campsite earlier this morning, another victim died," He took a seat opposite Ranran.

Ranran's eyes widened in shock. "What?! Who? How?"

"It was Mr Iwao. Froze to death while he was in the walk-in fridge, ready to prepare lunch for our classmates. It happened when 1-A, sensei and everyone went out on horseback riding with Miss Rika."

"The boat instructor?!" Ranran's face fell in horror, "Wait, you mean the same fringe we ate Hagan dazz the other night?"

Shinichi nodded solemnly. "Miss Rika realise that upon returning after the horse trip Mr Iwao didn't prepare lunch, which was odd, so she headed to the fridge to cook them something by unlocking the fridge, only then his frozen corpse fell with a huge thud on the floor."

Ranran gasped, "Seriously?"

"From what Mr Miki said, he thinks Mr Iwao must have locked himself out when the wind blew and locked the door shut, so he froze to death."

"No, that ain't possible," Ranran frowned, "When we went in there, there is an emergency handle at the door! Also, he is claustrophobic! It was in the report Emiko and the others collected for us."

"Right? I definitely remembered seeing a bar at the door too when I went to get you the ice cream." Shinichi muttered, deep in thought.

Ranran furrowed her brows, "Then, how did he get locked inside?"

"I don't know," Shinichi admitted, "But when Miss Rika went to open the fridge, the door was definitely locked from the outside. This was also backed up by our classmates from 1-A class."

Ranran leaned back on the sofa, deep in thought. "This doesn't add up. There must be something we're missing. We need to investigate this further."

"I agree," Shinichi said, "But how do we start? All we have to work on is the multiple deaths that Miki and Jun know."

"Well, not really," Ranran recalled, "Eiji Ishida, the one who died when his rope was tied to Mr Miki while they were doing a safety demonstration at the cliff...he only got to know them through their mutual friend, Kagetora Kiryu, who died when the shower unit he was using exploded. He was the only one who didn't study at the same university as the others."

Shinichi leaned forward, intrigued. "That's interesting. Do we have any more information on him?"

Ranran shook her head at him. "None, all of his social media accounts were not only wiped out, even the place he allegedly work at claimed no such person worked there."

Shinichi rubbed his chin, lost in thought. "That's strange. It's like he didn't exist before he met the others."

"It makes me wonder if Mr Miki or Miss Jun even did a proper background check on him before enlisting his help to take over Kiryu's classes for the rock climbing event." Ranran tilts her head in confusion, "I felt like there is a blank in this part, the hiring process. Based on your opinion, what do you think of this, Shinichi?"

 "It does seem suspicious. If Mr Ishida's social media accounts were deleted and his alleged workplace denies his existence, it's possible that he was using a fake identity. And if that's the case, then it's possible that Mr Miki and Miss Jun didn't do a thorough background check on him."

Ranran nodded in agreement. "But why would someone go to such lengths to hide their identity? And why would Mr Miki and Miss Jun hire someone without verifying their background?"

Shinichi shrugged. "It's hard to say at this point, but we should definitely look into this further. Maybe we can talk to some of Mr Ishida's acquaintances or try to find any other information that might shed some light on this."

"However, the only existing acquaintance, Kiryu, the only link who ties them to Jun and Miki is dead. And from their conversation, even the reports from Takuma and Ran based on their observation at the campsite, it seems like Miki didn't know him well."

"But you mentioned seeing Jun kept staring at Eiji, right? That you even suspect that Jun could've been secretly having an affair with Eiji behind her back. Along with the witness account that Jun could've been using Miki as a comfort companion after Kichiro died, does this not make you suspect Jun might be having an affair?"

Ranran hesitated for a moment before nodding slowly. "Yeah, I did mention that. But...." Ranran folded her arms, still in doubt, "Would she be the type to simply had an affair with a man whose face is filled with scars?" 

Shinichi leaned back, thinking. "It's possible. People can be attracted to each other for different reasons besides their appearance. Maybe there was a deeper connection between Jun and Eiji that we don't know about."

"It's not the appearance part," Then Ranran shared with him Emiko's discovery on Jun's social media page, no wedding photos of Jun and Miki from both sides to Jun constantly resharing the photos of her with Kichiro during his death anniversary, despite being married to Miki for over 12 years.

Shinichi frowned. "That is strange. It definitely seems like there's something going on there. Maybe Jun is still grieving over Kichiro and using Eiji as a way to cope with her unhappy marriage with Miki. Or maybe there's something else going on that we don't know about yet."

Ranran nodded slowly. "There is also an update from Emiko's side regarding family background from both Jun and Miki." 

Once more, Ranran shared out their findings.

"If Miki is truly the illegitimate son of a rich family, it would make more sense why anything related to their expedition trip went missing, right?" Shinichi figures.

"Yes, it's definitely a possibility," Ranran agreed. "That family has the resources and influence to cover up any information related to the expedition, it could explain why all the records at the university they attended during that period vanished without a trace."

"I don't know about you, Ranran, but I have a hunch that there could be more to that cliff accident regarding Jun's fiance who died," Shinichi figures.

Ranran raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"

"Think about it, who has more to gain if Kichiro is out of the picture? Miki has been pinning for Jun for 4 years, just to make that guy's death look like an accident, and then Jun is single and available to get married. Also, supposed Eiji was, in fact, having an affair with Jun, it explains why she behaved that way around Miki, no? And that would be another motive for Miki to put an end to Eiji's life since she is cheating on him with Eiji."

"Although I don't doubt that Miki has a motive...." Ranran has some questions raised, "Then why did he feel the need to end Kiryu's life by tempering with his shower unit, as well as locking Iwao in the walk-in freezer? Those two had no feelings for Jun. They are merely university friends."

Shinichi rubbed his chin, deep in thought. "That is a good point. Maybe there's something we're missing. Maybe Kiryu stumbled onto something he shouldn't have, or maybe he was a loose end that Miki needed to tie up."

While pondering further theories, Shinichi's eyes widened as he noticed their teacher's photo on the table. "Wait, why is our teacher's photo here? Are you...are you suspecting her because of her motive behind our class camping trip?"

"Let's face it, she wants to get paid as a substitute form teacher, as well as wanting to meet Mr Right by dragging our class into this stupid camping trip is the reason why we are dealing with a serial killer in the first place. But then after searching high and low, she barely knows anyone well enough to hate and kill, besides her 84 ex-boyfriends so to speak." Ranran rolled her eyes.

"Well that is true," Shinichi chuckled at her sarcasm, then suddenly remembering, "Ah right, I gave Takuma and the gang the walkie-talkie, so they will inform us if anything happens at that campsite."

"That's a good idea," Ranran nodded, "let's see if they have any updates for us."

Shinichi picked up the walkie-talkie and pressed the talk button, "Takuma, do you copy? This is Shinichi and Ranran, over."

There was a moment of silence before Takuma's voice came through the other end, "Shinichi! Thank goodness is working! You made it safely to the hotel?"

"Yes, we did. Listen, have you noticed anything unusual at the campsite? Anything out of the ordinary?" Shinichi asked, concern lacing his voice.

"So far nothing out of the ordinary, the adults are outside discussing what to do with the situation, and Mr Iwao's corpse is still in the walk-in fridge."

"Wait, you all actually kept his corpse in the same fridge where you all had lunch!?" Ranran's face fell in horror.

Takuma's voice crackled through the walkie-talkie, "We had no choice, we couldn't just leave him lying around in the open."

"Ew!" Ranran stuck her tongue out, "Then I supposed you all would be having your dinner later from that same fridge!?"

Even though Shinichi was close to puking hearing the details and seeing his reaction, Ranran directed him where the toilet is in the penthouse, "Toilet, to your left."

Shinichi quickly made his way to the bathroom, trying his best to hold back the contents of his stomach, leaving Takuma and Ranran alone. "Ranran, you and Shinichi are so lucky to be at the penthouse now. When will you let me and Reina join you?"

"Hah hah, you wish. I am pretty sure you heard from Shinichi that the client won't pay anyone else besides me. Except Shinichi convince the client that our grandparents will fork out his expenses for him to stay with me at the penthouse."

Takuma laughed. "He is becoming another version of you."

"No one can ever be another me, I am the original." Ranran snickered, "Anyway, where are you now, Tak-san? Sounds a little quiet from your side."

"In the living room, all of the rest of the children are still outside hiding in their tents, while Ran, Reina and Sonoko are keeping tabs that there is no suspicious figure outside right now."

"And the adults?"

"Sensei plus the rest of the instructors are still talking among themselves on the other side of the activity centre," Takuma took a quiet peek while walking to the other side of the goth mansion to see them talking all hush-hush, "Mostly it is about whether they should consider letting Mr Iwao's corpse sit in the walk-in fridge since the food are there after all. Also, still no ferries and helicopter would be arriving to the island due to the upcoming typhoon...."

Shinichi emerged from the bathroom, looking a little pale but managed to compose himself. "Okay, Takuma, keep us updated if anything changes. We're going to continue investigating here at the hotel."

"Got it, stay safe," Takuma responded before the connection on the walkie-talkie went silent.

Ranran gave Shinichi a concerned look. "You okay? You look like you're about to pass out."

"I'm fine, just need to shake off the fact that the others would be eating food from the same walk-in fridge where Mr Iwao's corpse is," Shinichi replied with a shudder.

"But I remembered that you mentioned you were used to seeing dead corpses since you were four." Ranran brought up, frowning, "You should've been used to it by now."

"Oh no, I am alright with seeing corpses. But to know that our classmates are eating food from the same fridge where the corpse is being kept, that's a whole different level of disturbing," Shinichi clarified.

"Imagine now that there is a serial killer on this island, and then he murdered another person, won't the fridge be packed with corpses?" Ranran glumly says.

Shinichi shuddered at the thought. "Let's hope it doesn't come to that. The sooner we find out the identity of the killer, the quicker we can put an end to this nonsense."

With Ranran staring out the sky darkening, signalling a typhoon, Ranran can't help but wondered out loud, "I hope Ran won't see that ghost that keeps making her scream every 12 am."

"Whether she did or not, it won't be a huge problem for me anymore, now that I move away from that damn campsite," Shinichi relaxed on the sofa with a grin.

"You must have several days of sleepless nights thanks to her screaming," Ranran can't help but think as she sees Shinichi cosying up by lying 180 degrees on the velvety sofa.

With a yawn, Shinichi stretched his arms and legs, enjoying the comfort of the sofa. "Yeah, it was quite annoying to hear her scream every night, but I'm glad I'm not there anymore."

About to doze off, he tried to force himself to keep awake, since he know they have a serial killer on the loose. Apparently, days of sleepless nights have taken a tow on his body.

But to his surprise, the 6-year-old girl ordered him, "Go to sleep."

"Ranran..."

"There is a storm right now, with the rest of the children being forced to coop up at the tent. And it looks as though the storm is about to be so violent, that a killer probably won't survive due to the strong winds outside. So sleep, Shinichi."

Shinichi couldn't help but chuckle at Ranran's maturity beyond her years. "You're right, Ranran. It's best to get some rest while we can."

With that, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, the sound of the storm lulling him into a peaceful slumber. As Ranran watched him from afar, she left to bring back a blanket and drape over him.

Silently, Ranran sat next to the sleeping little boy while switching the TV on, the newscaster announced that the typhoon will be ongoing for 3 days nonstop. Luckily the hotel manage to build makeshift stables for the horses they stole to get here to this hotel away from the campsite, the horses are warm and happy, spared from the weather's wrath.

Ranran couldn't help but feel relieved that they were all safe and secure in the penthouse. She knew that they were still in danger with the killer on the loose, but at least they were protected from the storm.

As the storm raged on outside, Ranran stayed up, keeping watch over Shinichi and listening for any signs of trouble. She knew that they had a long road ahead of them, but she was determined to see it through to the end.

...................................

Back at the campsite, after hearing the serial killer announcement, children had begun to learn sharing tents among themselves out of fear.

Initially, each have their own individual tents, but after the potential killer news Shinichi made, the children at the campsite huddled together in fear as they heard the announcement about the serial killer on the loose. They were all supposed to be participating in a wilderness survival program, but now it seemed like survival meant something completely different.

They had all heard the stories about the killer who had evaded capture for so long, and now that they were stuck on this island with no way out, the fear was palpable.

The instructors and teacher who had no idea about this announcement tried to reassure them that they were taking every precaution necessary, assuming they were fearing the typhoon, but the children could tell that even they were scared.

As the storm began to pick up, the children had no choice but to share tents among themselves. They tried to find comfort in each other's company, but the fear was still there.

"Ran, what on earth are you doing!?"

Sonoko is startled as Ran was eager to set her smartphone settings right, the two are at the tent, and the heiress is seeing the brunette having determination written all over her face, "By 12 am, I am going to record the idiot who has been pretending to be a ghost outside my tent, making me scream and have sleepless nights!"

Sonoko shook her head, "Ran, are you sure that's a good idea? Did you forget that what Shinichi said might be true? That the ghost might be the serial killer? You could be putting yourself in danger. And don't forget, this is the same idiot who stole Ranran's medicine! And this island has no cops here to protect us!"

Ran nodded, "I know, Sonoko. But we can't just let that person continue to harass us and make us suffer. As my father once said 'Never let bad guys win!""

"But Ran, those work only in dramas and movies! Not real life!"

Ran gave Sonoko a determined look. "I know, but we have to try. We can't just sit here and let this person terrorize us, let alone, let Ranran and Shinichi be the ones doing all of the protecting. We have to protect ourselves and the other kids here."

Sonoko sighed, "Alright, but promise me that you'll be careful, Ran. We don't want anything to happen to you."

Ran nodded and smiled, "Of course, Sonoko. I'll be careful." With that, she began to set up her smartphone to record the area outside her tent.

She then looked at her phone and made sure everything was set up correctly. "I have a plan. I'm going to set my phone up outside the tent and turn on the camera. Then, I'll hide in the tent with you and we can watch the footage together. If we see anything suspicious, we'll alert everyone."

Sonoko hesitated, but seeing the determination in Ran's eyes, she finally agreed. "Wait, it's gonna be a heavy typhoon outside. Would your smartphone even survive!? Also, the battery life probably wouldn't last long."

Ran paused for a moment, realizing that Sonoko had a point. "You're right, Sonoko. I'll have to come up with another plan."

After a while, a lightbulb moment lit up in Ran's head.

..........................

"Shinichi is a very smart boy," Reina can't help but think, telling her boyfriend Takuma under her tent, as her supposed companion/tent-mate is out seeing her other friends.

"I mean he was able to track down one of the clients who is sponsoring Ranran's stay at the penthouse, even though Ranran did not reveal to him who it was. It's impressive," Takuma can't help but groan with a tinge of envy, "I want to live in that penthouse as well rather than be in this stupid tent."

"Our family don't have the means to afford it, even if your family offers to pay half of the expenses there, it would take 6 lifetimes to afford it." Reina rambled, then said, "I thought you were looking forward to this camping trip and wouldn't be bothered about anyone living in a penthouse?"

Takuma sighed, "I was looking forward to it, with the fishing rod with me and everything, but this whole serial killer thing has got me on edge. And now with this storm, the corpse being in the fridge and stuff, I just want to be safe and dry in a comfortable place."

Reina nodded in understanding. "I know, it's scary. But we have to try to make the best of it."

While they hear the sound of the grumbling thunder, Takuma says, "What do you think Ranran and Shinichi would be doing at the penthouse right now?"

Reina shrugged, "Probably investigating or trying to find a way to catch the killer. You know how they are."

"No, I know they will do that, I am also a member of Tantei Association. I mean what do you think the two would be doing, in the penthouse while they are waiting for the other members back in Beikai District to report on the case?" Takuma commented.

Reina pondered for a moment before answering, "Well, knowing Shinichi, he's probably reading some detective novels. Maybe even some new ones if there is a bookshop at the hotel, he cannot go by a day without reading it. And Ranran, she's probably playing video games. Or else ordering more parfait. They are still children like us after all."

"Uh hello? Is Takuma and Reina-san in here?"

Suddenly, someone calls out their names outside the tent.

Takuma and Reina exchanged a puzzled look. "Who could that be? It's about to rain at 3 pm," Takuma wondered out loud.

"Maybe it's one of our friends checking up on us?" Reina suggested.

"It's me, Ran and Sonoko, we need your help in setting up the camera equipment." Ran's voice could be heard.

Takuma and Reina quickly got out of the tent to see Ran and Sonoko holding a camera and some other equipment. "Sure, what do you need us to do?" Takuma asked.

"We need your help to set up our class video camera outside the tent," Ran explained.

"Eh?!" The couple became puzzled, before Reina asked, "Why?"

"You both are in charge of taking photographs for our camping trip, right?" Sonoko said, as she elaborates on the purpose of this, "Ran was thinking of setting her smartphone outside the tent, but then she realize her battery life wouldn't last even with the power bank on, plus the smartphone would be drench thanks to the typhoon that is coming out."

"Why would you want to set it out, knowing there is a typhoon coming?" Takuma had his hands on his hips, "Are you trying to record Bigfoot?"

"No, we ain't!" Ran exclaimed, then she revealed, "We want to catch the person who has been pretending to be a ghost and scaring me."

"Wait, the guy whom Ranran and Shinichi suspected might be the serial killer?" Reina realized.

"Yes, that's the one," Sonoko confirmed.

Takuma and Reina exchanged a worried look. "Are you sure it's safe to do this?" Takuma asked.

"And how confident are you to go after the guy?" Reina wondered.

Ran nodded, determined. "We have to try. We can't just let this person terrorize us and make us suffer. Also, Shinichi said that according to Ranran, this island has no presence of cops here!  We have to protect ourselves and the other kids here. And we won't go after him, we just want to capture evidence if he or she comes around our tent again."

"At least when Shinichi or Ranran returned to ask about the case, we can give it to them and look into who is the idiot who is ruining our camping trip!" Sonoko clamoured.

Takuma and Reina looked at each other, unsure of what to do. "Come on, do you not want to put an end to this idiot out there who thinks they can terrorize all of us, 6-year-old kids here!?" Ran tried to convince them.

On one hand, they didn't want to put themselves in danger, but on the other hand, they wanted to find out who was causing all the trouble.

After a moment of consideration, Reina spoke up, "Okay, let's do it. But we need to make sure we're all safe and have a plan in case something goes wrong."

Takuma nodded in agreement, "Right, let's set up the camera quickly and make sure we're not too exposed. We'll also need to stay up and keep watch."

The group quickly set up the camera in a discreet location, hidden from view but still able to capture any activity around their tent. Together, they set up the class video camera outside the tent, making sure it was securely mounted and protected from the rain with a plastic bag. 

"Are you guys going to be waiting outside the tent while it is raining?" Reina asked.

"Don't worry, we're going to be hiding inside the tent and watching the footage," Ran assured them, "If we see anything suspicious, even if we fail to capture the bugger, we'll alert everyone and call for help."

"Neh Takuma, why don't you just secretly set up a trap if the idiot comes by?" It suddenly dawned on Reina before turning to him, "Didn't you mention how your maternal grandfather back in Korea was able to set it up in such a way, that it caught this Asian Black bear upside down?"

"Reina, looked up to the sky," He pointed up to the gloomy weather while he goes, "We are running out of time setting up this camera for Ran and Sonoko, even if I want to, I don't have much time!"

"I can help," Ran volunteered.

"So can I," Sonoko joined.

 "I don't know," Takuma was in doubt, "I've never done something like that before."

"It's okay, we can figure it out together," Reina reassured him.

Reluctantly, Takuma and the rest of the girls set up a hidden trap.

The group huddled together and brainstormed ideas on how to set up a trap. They didn't want to harm anyone, but they wanted to catch the culprit in the act. After some discussion, they came up with a plan to rig up some noise-making devices using pots and pans and fishing lines.

Takuma quickly got to work, using his knowledge of knots and traps that he learned from his grandfather to set up the trap. Ran helped him tie the fishing line and set up the pots and pans in a way that would make noise if someone tried to move them.

In addition to that, Takuma even set up an additional trap, one that if the person stood on it, he or she would be immediately dragged up to a tree upside down.

"Wow, that's pretty elaborate," Reina and the rest of the girls commented as they looked at the trap.

"It might not be foolproof, but I hope it works," Takuma said nervously.

Once all of this was settled, a plan was also to step up to take shifts to stay up and keep watch throughout the night with the camera they set up. As they finished setting up, the wind started to pick up and the rain started to pour. They quickly retreated back into their tent, feeling nervous but also determined to catch the culprit.

With the discussion over, the group retreated back into their tent, keeping a close eye on the camera feed. They waited patiently for any sign of the culprit.

..........................

2 hours before 12 am, after having their dinner and with the rain reduced a bit, Ran wonders why did Sonoko bring in a frying pan she stole from the kitchen at the activity centre.

Ran looked at Sonoko quizzically and asked, "Sonoko? Why did you bring that frying pan?"

Sonoko replied in determination, "To knock out the killer by striking it in the head! You know I can't fight like you, Ran. And it is either us or the killer who dies tonight."

Ran's eyes widened in shock at Sonoko's words. "What?! Sonoko, you don't need to do that. I will be fine!"

"But Ran, this killer if what Ranran said is true, had killed a total of 4 people!" Sonoko argued back. "We can't just let this person keep terrorizing us. We have to protect ourselves and the others here."

"That is true..." Ran frowned deeply, "But we also have to be careful. We don't know who the killer is, and we don't want to harm an innocent person."

Back at Takuma's tent, even he too came prepared with an unexpected weapon.

As the group settled in for the night, Takuma was ransacking his own backpack, till Reina sees a medicine box fall out of it. "What's that for, Takuma?" Reina asked, "I thought you said you had no seasick meds with you."

"Ah right, that is Ranran's in case of emergency meds, not meant for any of us to be consumed," Takuma replied, showing off the box.

Reina raised an eyebrow in confusion, "What sort of medication is it that isn't safe for us to consume?"

Takuma gave a small smile, "It is something that will guarantee to get the killer out, but it is beyond dangerous."

Reina's eyes widened in surprise and concern. "Takuma, what do you mean? What kind of medication is that?"

Takuma hesitated for a moment before speaking. "Reina, do you remember us watching the pirated copy of the movie ' Cocaine Bear'?"

Reina nodded, "Yes, I remember. What about it?"

Takuma took a deep breath before continuing. "Well, do you remember the part where they talked about how the bear...ended up killing people after eating it?"

Reina's eyes widened in shock, "Wait, are you saying that Ranran's emergency meds are... cocaine?"

Takuma nodded solemnly, "Yes, it's a highly toxic substance that can be lethal in small doses. But it's also highly addictive and can cause severe hallucinations, making it easy to catch the killer off guard. She had someone do it for her."

"Wait, why is this box of meds with you instead of Ranran?"

"After she escaped into the hotel penthouse when Shinichi came to the campsite after paying her a visit, he handed me this box before going back into the hotel. She said 'It is in case of emergency use only'." 

Reina's expression was one of both fear and disbelief. "Takuma, I don't know about this. This sounds incredibly dangerous. We can't risk anyone else getting hurt."

"I know, Reina, but this is our only shot at catching the killer," Takuma replied firmly. "We have to be prepared to do whatever it takes to protect ourselves and everyone else here."

Reina nodded, her expression showing her understanding of the gravity of the situation. "Okay, I trust you, Takuma. Just be careful with that stuff."

Takuma gave a small smile, "Don't worry, Reina. I know what I'm doing."

..........................

Meanwhile, Ranran and Shinichi were sitting at a table in the elegant restaurant of the Mayfair at Brampton Hotel. 

The atmosphere was luxurious, with chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, and soft music playing in the background.

"Oh yeah, home sweet home," Shinichi gleefully helped himself to some medium rare steak, "I haven't eaten this in ages thanks to the stupid camping trip."

Ranran chuckled, "You sound as if you haven't eaten a good meal in days after leaving the damn campsite."

"You have no idea," Shinichi rolled his eyes, "The food at the campsite was not exactly top-notch, and I've been craving a good steak for ages."

"I can understand that," Ranran replied, cutting a piece of her own steak. "Which is why I left as soon as possible."

"Speaking of which, just out of curiosity...what have you been eating here for the past several days?"

Ranran smiled, "I've been trying out different dishes on the menu. They have some great seafood options here. I particularly enjoyed the lobster bisque."

Shinichi raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Lobster bisque? That sounds fancy. You really have been treating yourself."

Ranran shrugged, "Well, I figured I might as well enjoy myself while I'm here. And besides, I needed a break from that campsite."

"Speaking of which, did you hear what Takuma shared about back at the campsite," He took another bite, the steak really taste delicious.

"Ah yes," She took a bite from her own, "Ran and Sonoko set out a video camera around the tent, hopefully, to capture the face of the damn serial killer who keeps scaring Ran every 12 am. Takuma even set up a trap for him or her should they try to evade capture."

Shinichi's eyebrows furrowed in concern. "That sounds dangerous. What kind of trap did Takuma set up?"

"I'm not exactly sure," Ranran replied, taking a sip of her juice,  "He didn't go into too much detail, but I did say he should use that medicine box that could guarantee to get the killer out if this fails."

"Now that I recalled," Shinichi turned to Ranran, "What was in the box you told me to hand it over to Takuma?"

Ranran looked at Shinichi with a serious expression. "Shinichi, did you watch the show Cocaine Bear?"

Shinichi's eyebrows furrowed. "Cocaine Bear? Did it not have anything to do with a bear who took so much cocaine, it ended up murdering people!?"

Ranran nodded gravely, "Yes, that's the one. And the medicine in the box I gave him is a highly potent and dangerous substance that was used in the show.  I told Takuma to use it as a last resort to incapacitate the killer if all else fails."

Shinichi's eyes widened in shock.