Detective Karen on the Case/Story

* Chapter 1
* Chapter 2
* Chapter 3
* Chapter 4
* Chapter 5
* Final Chapter

Prologue

 **Claudine:****(As Watson)**
"Whenever I write of Sherlock Holmes' exploits or introduce my friend to another, I face a familiar quandary."

 **Claudine:****(As Watson)**
"Perhaps it's unavoidable when dealing with a genius."

 **Claudine:****(As Watson)**
"Sherlock shows a captivating brilliance and a distressing lack of common sense in turns. A precarious balance, equal parts beautiful and strange."

 **Claudine:****(As Watson)**
"And so as I sit before my typewriter to document this marvelous detective, the words elude me. Put bluntly, Sherlock is pure pain to describe."

 **Claudine:****(As Watson)**
"In those moments of frustation, my mind always returns to the same case. Never have we worked harder or shone brighter."

 **Claudine:****(As Watson)**
"It was, in a word, epic. A complex web entangling Holmes, the greatest thief of the century, a femme fatale, Inspector Lestrade, myself, and the Napoleon of crime."

 **Claudine:****(As Watson)**
"In the past I've avoided writing it out of trepidation for its grand scale, but tonight I aim to muster my efforts and commit it to the page. I feel I must."

 **Claudine:****(As Watson)**
"It begins with a trifling matter. A humble prologue. But let its impressive resolution pave the way to the incident itself."

 **Claudine:****(As Watson)**
"What folows is a record for posterity. -John H. Watson."

***An excerpt from the interscholastic exchange play, "Holmes Vs. Lupin."***

Starlight Hall

 **Mahiru:**Huh... It's really not here. That's so strange.

 **Mahiru:**(Hmmm, where did I leave it?)

 **Karen:**Right!? I know!

 **Karen:**Yukishiro-san would SO rock that costume!

 **Mahiru:**(Karen-chan? ...Oh, she's on the phone.)

 **Karen:**I'm so bummed I won't get to see Yukishiro-san's Holmes and Tendo-san's Lupin in person!

 **Karen:**Ack, look at the time!

 **Karen:**Let's pick this back up tomorrow!

 **Karen:**Okay, great! Night night, Michiru-chan!

 **Karen:**Whew... Oh! Mahiru-chan!

 **Mahiru:**Fun conversation? I could hear you from the room.

 **Karen:**Oof, sorry. I just got so into it!

 **Mahiru:**Was that Michiru-chan from Siegfeld?

 **Karen:**Yup. The exchange program with Siegfeld's coming up soon. Day after tomorrow!

 **Mahiru:**I'm a little nervous.

 **Karen:**What, really? I'm super duper excited!

 **Karen:**I'm a little sad Hikari-chan, Tendo-san, and the others are going off to Siegfeld, though.

 **Mahiru:**Me too, but that just means you, me, and Clau-chan need to step it up while they're gone!

 **Karen:**Right! Clau-chan was saying she'd hold down the fort while Tendo Maya's away. You could see the fire in her eyes.

 **Mahiru:**Haha. But the girls coming here from Siegfeld are all underclassmen. We've got to make sure they feel welcome.

 **Karen:**Yeah, it's Yachiyo Tsuruhime-chan, Liu Mei Fan-chan, and...Shiori Yumeoji-chan, was it?

 **Karen:**It still feels crazy that we're doing an exchange program with Siegfeld. I was blown away when Sakuragi-sensei announced it!

 **Mahiru:**Yes, and for the entire three-day break.

 **Karen:**It feels like a training camp. I can't wait!

 **Karen:**We're doing "Holmes Vs. Lupin" for the exchange, and I'm Sherlock... I've got to polish up my deduction AND my acting if I'm going to do it justice!

 **Mahiru:**Well, you better watch out, 'cause I'll be bringing the brilliance as your nemesis, Professor Moriarty!

 **Karen:**Ooh, want to run our big showdown scene to practice for the big day!?

 **Mahiru:**Sure! I wanted to try a new bit of expression with my fingers. It's in Act 2, page...

 **Mahiru:**Oh. Right.

 **Karen:**?

 **Mahiru:**Sorry, karen-chan. I'll have to take a rain check. I'm in the middle of looking for something...

 **Karen:**What something?

 **Mahiru:**I kind of lost my copy of the "Holmes Vs. Lupin" script... And we're going to need them for the exchange program.

 **Karen:**You lost your script? YOU lost something!?

 **Mahiru:**I knowww! Ahh, I can never lecture Hikari-chan about anything ever again...

 **Karen:**Hrmmm... Hrmmmmmm...

 **Mahiru:**Umm... Karen-chan?

 **Karen:**It's strange. ...Unnatural. You wouldn't simply "lose" a script.

 **Karen:**Something smells fishy here. No... This smell is MYSTERY!

 **Mahiru:**...Mystery?

 **Karen:**Mahiru-chan, leave your missing script to me. Genius detective Sherlock Holmes is on the case!

 **Karen:**I'll find that script, no matter what!

 **Mahiru:**...Okay. Thanks for your help then, Karen Holmes-san.

 **Mahiru:**Though I guess it's a ittle weird for Professor Moriarty to be saying that.

 **Karen:**Don't worry, I got this!

 **Mahiru:**Still, I've already looked in all the likely spots... Where could it have gotten off to?

 **Karen:**The biggest mystery of all to me is still the fact that you lost your script.

 **Karen:**You've never lost anything. Ever!

 **Mahiru:**I'm sure I must have lost SOMETHING at some point...

 **Karen:**So it stands to reason.

 **Karen:**You DIDN'T lose it, Mahiru-chan. That's my theory!

 **Mahiru:**Well if I didn't lose it, what happened to it?

 **Karen:**Heh heh heh... You see...

 **Hikari:**"Never forget, Holmes. The only woman who could ever toy with you is me, Irene Adler."

 **Mahiru:**Ooh, it's Hikari-chan!

 **Hikari:**Huh?

 **Karen:**So it is! Spotted you, Hikari-chaaan!

 **Hikari:**Karen... Mahiru. What is it?

 **Karen:**\*huff\* \*pant\* Hikari-chan... Answer me this!

 **Karen:**That script... Whose is it? Is it really yours?

 **Hikari:**This? Yes.

 **Mahiru:**Hikari-chan, take a look at the last page.

 **Hikari:**The last page?

 **Hikari:**A Suzudaru Cat sticky note...? But why?

 **Hikari:**...This isn't my script.

 **Karen:**Precisely! It's Mahiru-chan's!

 **Mahiru:**Wow, Hikari-chan really had it... Your deduction was right, Karen-chan!

 **Karen:**Heh heh!

 **Mahiru:**But how? How did you know that Hikari-chan had my copy?

 **Karen:**"Elementary, dear Moriarty!"

 **Karen:**Right after you got back to the dorm room, Jun-Jun called you to the living room, right, Mahiru-chan?

 **Mahiru:**Right. To figure out a cleaning schedule during the exchange program.

 **Karen:**And your script was missing when you returned?

 **Mahiru:**That's right.

 **Karen:**So it went missing from our room, or at the very least from inside the dorm.

 **Mahiru:**Er... Yes, I suppose?

 **Karen:**But surely you looked everywhere in our room. Then the most likely answer is that someone came into the room and took it.

 **Karen:**And who would have cause to enter our room and not be able to tell one script apart from another?

 **Karen:**The answer is obvious... Only Hikari-chan!

 **Hikari:**Rude.

 **Mahiru:**...I remember now. When Junna-chan called me, I set the script down on my bed.

 **Hikari:**I started reading it and got sucked in. The next thing I knew, I was out here doing a read-through, and... Ah!

 **Hikari:**...I'm the culprit.

 **Karen:**Yeah! Case closed, baby!

 **Hikari:**...My apologies, Mahiru.

 **Mahiru:**Oh, it's no problem! I was the one who just left it sitting there.

 **Mahiru:**I'm just glad to have it back. That's a relief...

 **Mahiru:**And I owe it all to Karen-chan's brilliant deduction! Thank you, Karen Holmes!

 **Hikari:**Yes... You're sharper than usual, Karen.

 **Karen:**Heh heh heh! With this role, I'm a whole different woman. If you need any more detecting done, then I'm your detective!

 **Mahiru:**Thanks! I'll be sure to come straight to you.

 **Hikari:**Detective Karen... But she's the great thief Starlight.

 **Karen:**Huh? What's that from?

 **Hikari:**...A dream.

The next day...

 **Mahiru:**(Hmm, what should I do for dinner?)

 **Mahiru:**(I made Hamburg steak last time. Maybe I'll do fish tomorrow...)

 **Karen:**Maaahiiiruuu-chan!

 **Mahiru:**Whoa, Karen-chan!?

 **Karen:**What's up? You got any trouble!? Any sinister incidents!?

 **Mahiru:**Sinister what!? I ws just figuring out a dinner menu...

 **Mahiru:**Banana-chan will be over at Siegfeld for the exchange, so I was deciding what to make while she's gone. I need to make a shopping list.

 **Karen:**Huh. So not EXACTLY sinister. Or an incident.

 **Mahiru:**...Did I really look that distressed?

 **Karen:**Huh? Oh, not at all! I'm just on the hunt for mysteries! Have you got any cases you need solved!?

 **Mahiru:**Mysteries? Cases...?

 **Karen:**You know, like yesterday! Missing items, maybe an unreadable code!? Something you'd need a brilliant detective for!

 **Mahiru:**Oh. Er... Hmm. None that I can think of? I'm sorry, Karen-chan.

 **Karen:**Oh, okay. Well, let me know if you find any!

 **Karen:**Hey, Clau-chan! Got any unsolved mysteries!? I'd take an enigma, too!

 **Claudine:**...What? You're the only enigma around here.

 **Mahiru:**(Ahaha... Karen-chan's really stuck on this detective business.)

 **Mahiru:**(Well, I hope she gets a lead soon. A nice, juicy case she can really sink her teeth into!)

The Cast Is Assembled

Day 1 of the Exchange Program: Morning

 **Karen:**It's almost time! Think their train's gotten in yet!?

 **Mahiru:**Are you sure we chouldn't have met them at the station? What if they've gotten lost?

 **Claudine:**There's little worry of that. These are hand-picked elites, even by Siegfeld's high standards. ...See? Speak of the devil.

 **Yachiyo:**Hey heyyy! Thanks for coming out to meet us. I'm Yachiyo Tsuruhime.

 **Mei Fan:**Liu Mei Fan. I hope to learn much from you these next three days. Let's make them count!

 **Shiori:**And I'm Shiori Yumeoji. Pleasure to meet you.

 **Karen:**Right back at you! I've been itching for you guys to get here!

 **Mahiru:**Are you a little nervous, Yumeoji-san?

 **Shiori:**Huh?

 **Mahiru:**We may be different years and from different schools, but we're all Stage Girls here. You can put yourself at ease.

 **Shiori:**...Right! Thank you very much.

 **Mei Fan:**Shiori. Timidity does not suit the Frau Jade. Follow our example and keep that head held high!

 **Shiori:**O-Of course!

 **Yachiyo:**Somebody's sure fired up. Right then, let's get the friendly competition rolling!

 **Mahiru:**Ah...hahaha... I'm looking forward to it.

 **Claudine:**Heh heh ♪ Suits me just fine. I like a little challenge.

 **Karen:**You guys are eager for action? Good, good! I'm right there with you!

 **Mei Fan:**We came here to study the techniques of the famed Seisho Music Academy.

 **Mei Fan:**Yet the Siegfeld Institute of Music is at the very least its equal. I'm certain these three days will be a fruitful experience for you as well!

 **Claudine:**Yes, I can't wait.

 **Karen:**Okay, let's get your stuff put away and then dive into practice! C'mon, I'll show you the dorm!

 **Shiori:**Um, Yachiyo-senpai?

 **Yachiyo:**Yes?

 **Shiori:**Should I act like Mei Fan-senpai around the Seisho girls? To project my dignity Frau Jade, I mean?

 **Yachiyo:**I don't really care either way, but Akira-senpai would tell you, "Obviously."

 **Shiori:**Understood. I'll be careful from now on!

 **Karen:**Student Number 1 of the Seisho Academy Actor Training Department's 99th class, Karen Aijo is here!

 **Mahiru:**Student Number 17 of the Seisho Music Academy Actor Training Department's 99th class, Mahiru Tsuyuzaki. Ready to begin!

 **Claudine:**Student Number 11 of the Seisho Music Academy Actor Training Department's 99th class, Claudine Saijo. Let's get started!

 **Yachiyo:**Ooh, did I make it just in time? found my towel!

 **Mei Fan:**Yachiyo! We've only been here a few minutes and already you're losing things?

 **Mei Fan:**If Akira-san were here, she'd... No, allow me to say it in her stead!

 **Shiori:**Mei Fan-senpai, we're keeping everyone waiting...

 **Mei Fan:**Ah! You're right!

 **Yachiyo:**My bad, my bad. I'll make it up with my acting, okay?

 **Mei Fan:**Very well. Now, then... Liu Mei Fan, Frau Rubin of the Siegfeld Institute of Music Acting Department, ready to begin!

 **Shiori:**Shiori Yumeoji, third year junior high student and Frau Jade at Siegfeld Institute of Music, ready to begin!

 **Yachiyo:**Yachiyo Tsuruhime, Frau Perle of the Siegfeld Insitute of Music Acting Department. Let's do this!

 **Claudine:**We'll begin with stretches. Since we have you ladies with us, let's each pair up with someone from the other school.

 **Karen:**Nice idea, Clau-chan! Want to join me, Mei Fan-chan?

 **Mei Fan:**Yes, thank you.

 **Shiori:**Tsuyuzaki-san, do you mind?

 **Mahiru:**It'd be my pleasure.

 **Yachiyo:**Then I'm with Clau-san.

 **Claudine:**...Being called that is a bit distracting.

 **Yachiyo:**I figured a nickname's a great way to break the ice and get to know somebody quicker.

 **Mei Fan:**Yachiyo! We aren't here on a social visit!

 **Yachiyo:**Whoa! Yes, ma'am!

 **Claudine:**(She hides it well, but this one's watching us closer than any of them... Interesting.)

 **Karen:**Ooh, question! You've mentioned that "Jade" and "Perle" stuff a couple times now. What's that about?

 **Yachiyo:**Yeah, I guess most people'd be curious.

 **Claudine:**It's fairly well-known, though, isn't it? The five titles bestowed upon Siegfeld's top five students.

 **Mahiru:**And that gets you a special role in the performance of "Elysion," right?

 **Shiori:**Um, that's right! It's a great honor.

 **Mei Fan:**Aijo-san. Perle, Jade, and Rubin are German for pearl, jade, and ruby, respectively.

 **Karen:**Oh, it's German! And them all being jewels is a perfect fit for a place as sparkly as Siegfeld!

 **Mei Fan:**Indeed! It is our duty to become stars who shine as brilliantly as our namesakes.

 **Mahiru:**There's also a Fraul Platin and a Frau Saphir, for platinum and sapphire.

 **Mahiru:**All together, they're the Five Edels, the most talented students Siegfeld has, and that's saying a lot.

 **Karen:**Okay, neat! And wow, you two are experts!

 **Claudine:**Heh heh. Now that Karen is an expert on the Siegfeld Institute of Music as well, let's move on to vocal training.

 **Shiori:**(Oof, I didn't get a word in... It's hard to be assertive.)

After vocal training...

 **Claudine:**The Play we're performing is "Holmes Vs. Lupin."

 **Claudine:**As you're well aware, Sherlock Holmes is a world-famous master detective, while Arsene Lupin is a gentlemanly thief character taken from French literature.

 **Claudine:**This piece is a brand-new creation that showases a clash of these titans, as well as a sinister plot of Holmes' nemesis, the evil Professor James Moriarty.

 **Yachiyo:**Yeah, it's a totally different story from the "Arsene Lupin versus Sherlock Holmes" written by Lupin's original author.

 **Karen:**The script's author, Amemiya-san, was super insistent that it's just a new arrangement of the Sherlock Holmes series!

 **Mahiru:**Right. It takes some ideas from the Lupin series, but it's a fresh story where Moriarty's plot leads to the great detective meeting the master thief.

 **Claudine:**I borrowed both the Holmes and Lupin series from the library. Feel free to use them for reference as needed.

 **Karen:**Nice going, Clau-chan!

 **Claudine:**A standard provision. Now, let's have a round of introductions as we review the role assignments.

 **Karen:**Sure! With a mile-wide smile and energy levels at 300%, I'm Karen Aijo in the role of detective Sherlock Holmes!

 **Yachiyo:**Mei Fan. Let's hear an even more energetic intro from you.

 **Mei Fan:**Of course! Playing the deft Inspector Lestrade of the Metropolitan Police, I'm Liu Mei Fan! My smile could bridge the sea, and my energy is 400%!

 **Mahiru:**I'm Mahiru Tsuyuzaki, playing James Moriarty. I'm excited for the performance we'll be able to put with this cast.

 **Shiori:**(I can't really imagine Tsuyuzaki-san's Moriarty. I wonder what it'll be like...)

 **Claudine:**Claudine Saijo, playing Watson. I welcome the rivalry with our fellow Performance Festival members here.

 **Yachiyo:**Playing Arsene Lupin, I'm Yachiyo Tsuruhime. Shiori, you're up last, so bring it home in crips, clear Akira-senpai style.

 **Shiori:**(Whaaat!? Er, okay...)

 **Shiori:**"Never forget, Holmes. The only woman who could ever toy with you is me, Irene Adler."

**Claudine & Mahiru:**Ah...

 **Shiori:**At times, I'm a girl in love, pure as the snow. At times, I'm a devilishly cold-hearted schemer...

 **Shiori:**Playing Irene Adler, the only woman to have bested the great Sherlock Holmes, I am Shiori Yumeoji!

 **Karen:**Whoaaa! COOL, Shiori-chan!

 **Karen:**It's amazing you got the role that outplayed Sherlock, Shiori-chan! That's wild!

 **Shiori:**It's...wild?

 **Mei Fan:**Aijo-san. Are you suggesting that Shiori doesn't seem capable of playing Irene Adler?

 **Karen:**WHAT!? N-No way! I didn't mean it like that!

 **Mahiru:**I can picture Yumeoji-san's Irene perfectly.

 **Mahiru:**She's a genius swindler, but unlike Moriarty, she's a pure-hearted prankster type. Like a pixie, almost.

 **Yachiyo:**When we were assigning the roles, they said it'd probably be me or Clau-san, but when you put it that way, Shiori's probably the best fit.

 **Shiori:**I'll... I'll do my best!

 **Karen:**And I'll try my hardest to get taken in by you, Shiori-chan!

 **Claudine:**(This exchange is shaping up nicely. The chemistry's not too stiff, but not too loose...)

 **Claudine:**(Shiori Yumeoji, Liu Mei Fan, and Yachiyo Tsuruhime. Siegfeld certainly has the talent pool of a top school.)

 **Claudine:**(This perfromance will be a memorable one, Maya Tendo!)

Lupin's Challenge

 **Yachiyo:****(As Lupin)**
"Ladies and gentlemen... ♪"

 **Yachiyo:****(As Lupin)**
"What follows is a contest of wits between my humble self, Arsene Lupin, and Sherlock Holmes, detective of the century."

 **Yachiyo:****(As Lupin)**
"But know this sad fact before we begin. This script ends in my defeat."

 **Yachiyo:****(As Lupin)**
"Tragic, yet who am I to second-guess a genius director, and, I might add, my employer?"

 **Yachiyo:****(As Lupin)**
"Why was I given the losing role? Indeed, a savvier question was never posed."

 **Yachiyo:****(As Lupin)**
"The people call me a gentleman thief, but I style myself moer of an adventurer. That single word--"

 **Yachiyo:****(As Lupin)**
"Adventure. Therein lies the life of Arsene Lupin. As long as I draw breaht, I will live in adventure, as its center and its destination both."

 **Yachiyo:****(As Lupin)**
"Surely now you understand. All that I do is for that heart-pounding thrill. That exhilaration! And at present, I stand in the middle of a most curious tale!"

 **Yachiyo:****(As Lupin)**
"Now, bear witness one and all, to a story you cannot pry your eyes away from, even knowing its end. The dream begins now, upon this very stage!"

***An excerpt from the interscholastic exchange play, "Holmes Vs. Lupin."***

Day 1 of the Exchange Program: Noon

 **Karen:**Nice work on the morning practice, everybody! Let's dig in!

***Bon appetit!***

 **Claudine:**...Ooh, this sweet and sour pork is delicious, Yachiyo.

 **Yachiyo:**Glad to hear it. Mei Fan's ben teaching me to cook Chinese lately.

 **Mei Fan:**Cooking is but one of many skills i an Edel's repertoire! And even stir-frying connects back to performance.

 **Shiori:**It... Does it?

 **Karen:**...Huh? There's no pineapple. Did somebody snag it all?

 **Yachiyo:**Ah, that's on me. Pineapple in sweet and sour's the one thing I can't forgive.

 **Claudine:**I didn't realize Edels could afford to be picky eaters.

 **Mei Fan:**Yachiyo is a sad exception. The tartness it adds is wonderful.

 **Yachiyo:**Says the girl who won't eat raw egg over rice.

 **Mei Fan:**That's... I just can't get used to the texture.

 **Karen:**But it's so good! And nutritious, too! I mean, I eat it all the time and look how energized I am!

 **Mei Fan:**Nrgh... I certainly can't question your energy levels, Aijo-san. Still, I don't--

 **Karen:**How 'bout we do it for breakfast tomorrow? I'll teach you my secret technique. You add a single drop of a secret spice!

 **Mei Fan:**N-No, thank you!

 **Karen:**Aww, shut down...

 **Mei Fan:**But speaking of food, Tsuyuzaki-san's "Mahiru spuds" are perfect. They may look plain, but the flavor is surprisingly rich!

 **Mahiru:**I only did the prep work. Tsuruhime-san did the rest. I barely did anything, really.

 **Karen:**Whoa, really?

 **Yachiyo:**I told her this was an underclassman's job. Didn't seem right making her do menial labor.

 **Shiori:**Oh... Then I should've been the one to do it! I'm sorry, Yachiyo-senpai.

 **Yachiyo:**Aw, I didn't mean it like that. This is just a me thing. Don't sweat it.

 **Mei Fan:**Then let me be the one to prepare tomorrow's meal. I'll give you a taste of the mainland!

 **Claudine:**That sounds lovely. I hear it's completely different from the Chinese food we eat here.

 **Karen:**Woohoo! Back-to-back Chinese food!

 **Mei Fan:**I see you're a fan, Aijo-san.

 **Karen:**Heck yeah! I like it almost as much as umeboshi... OOH! Who wants umeboshi right now?

 **Shiori:**Umeboshi?

 **Karen:**My mom just sent me some of my favorite brand. We should share them! You're gonna love it.

 **Karen:**They taste totally different from normal ones!

 **Mei Fan:**That's an intriguing claim!

 **Karen:**Heh heh heh. I'll go grab 'em. Wait right here!

 **Karen:**...Huh? Mahiru-chan, did you use the umeboshi?

 **Mahiru:**Huh? No... Why, did something happen to them?

 **Karen:**...They turned into an envelope.

 **Mahiru:**An envelope?

 **Karen:**Yeah. My umeboshi turned into this weird envelope!

***Whaaaaat?***

 **Karen:**Huh!? It says "To my dearest Holmes" on it!

 **Claudine:**Hm...? Is there a letter inside?

 **Karen:**Lemme see...

 **Karen:**"My dearest Holmes. I, Arsene Lupin, have taken your precious pickled plums." Say WHAT!?

 **Karen:**"If you wish to see them again, deduce the true culprit's identity and place them in handcuffs before the third day of the exchange program."

 **Yachiyo:**Handcuffs?

 **Karen:**There's a pair in here! Look, toy handcuffs! Here, lemme read the rest.

 **Karen:**"But know this: I am merely the perpetrator. Behind me lies the true mastermind."

 **Karen:**"You have but one chance to make an arrest. Miss your mark, and your umeboshi are forfeit forever."

 **Karen:**Awesome! It's a challenge from Lupin! Okay, which one of you thought this up!?

 **Claudine:**It wouldn't be much of a game if they told you.

 **Shiori:**But it says you could lose your umeboshi for good. Is...that okay?

 **Yachiyo:**I think it's all in good fun. I don't think it's a problem.

 **Shiori:**But still, how did this hpapen?

 **Yachiyo:**Hmm? Didn't Michiru-senpai tell you? Karen-san's on a huge detective kick. Solving mysteries is her latest obsession.

 **Mei Fan:**I was aware, but we aren't here to fool around...

 **Yachiyo:**Oh, just roll with it. The Seisho girls went to the effort of staging this.

 **Yachiyo:**Besides, we're not about to turn down a challenge. Siegfeld and failure don't mix.

 **Claudine:**You say that as if the mastermind couldn't be a Siegfeld student. A culprit's classic trick to divert suspicion away from themselves.

 **Mei Fan:**How dare you! We could never stoop to such a crime!

 **Yachiyo:**Ooh, Mei Fan's getting into it! And looks like Clau-san's got her deduction cap on.

 **Karen:**Okay! I'm going to do my best and capture Lupin!

 **Mei Fan:**...Huh? Aijo-san, the letter says you're supposed to capture the mastermind, not Lupin.

 **Karen:**Oh yeah, it does! Lupin's the perpetrator, but there's somebody else pulling the strings!

 **Karen:**Wait... Ahh!

 **Karen:**"Lupin is only the hand that stole it, Watson. The brain here is Moriarty!" ...Right!?

 **Shiori:**Is that a line from "Holmes Vs. Lupin"?

 **Karen:**Yeah! So maybe we've got to capture Professor Moriarty!

 **Karen:**Which means the real villain's Mahiru-chan! Get those wrists of yours ready, Moriarty!

 **Mahiru:**H-hey, wait a second, Karen-chan!

 **Mahiru:**You only get one chance to cuff the right person. If you're wrong, it's game over.

 **Karen:**Whoa, you're right!

 **Claudine:**The deadline is day three of the exchange program. There's no need to rush to a conclusion now.

 **Karen:**Hmmmmm... Suddenly ALL of you are looking suspect.

 **Mei Fan:**W-Well, it's not me! I won't be accused of orchestrating this, this silly diversion!

 **Yachiyo:**Only making yourself seem guiltier, bud.

 **Shiori:**Um... I've been wondering this for a while now, but...is there a second page to that challenge?

 **Karen:**Huh? Whoa, there is! Let's see...

 **Karen:**"A first hint to lead you to your tasty treasure." Whoa, there's a hint here! Okay, here we go.

 **Karen:**"Travel to my old stomping grounds, Holmes."

 **Karen:**"There, you'll find all you need to know about me. So come and pay me a visit...at No. 953."

 **Karen:**"I will await you there with a lovely present and your second hint."

Enigma After Enigma

 **Mahiru:****(As Moriarty)**
"If you wish to commit the perfect crime and bury the truth in shadow forever, I recommend you practice lying."

 **Mahiru:****(As Moriarty)**
"The masterful liar lies by telling the truth. Perhaps you were aware that no contradiction exists between speaking the truth and telling a lie?"

 **Mahiru:****(As Moriarty)**
"You've been watching 'Holmes Vs. Lupin" all this while..."

 **Mahiru:****(As Moriarty)**
"But have you noticed the various lies hidden within it?"

 **Mahiru:****(As Moriarty)**
"If not, then I will have succeeded in telling those lies while speaking only the truth."

 **Mahiru:****(As Moriarty)**
"And words, once spoken, are neither truth nor lie. They are but words. Memories of things gone by."

 **Mahiru:****(As Moriarty)**
"Unless, of course, you have a superpower that allows you to remember each word, each phrase, and collect them into a book to review..."

 **Mahiru:****(As Moriarty)**
"Or unless you're Sherlock Holmes, the greatest deductive mind of the age, the case would surely go cold forever."

***An excerpt from the interscholastic exchange play, "Holmes Vs. Lupin."***

 **Karen:**"Travel to my old stomping grounds, Holmes."

 **Karen:**"There, you'll find all you need to know about me. So come and pay me a visit...at No. 953."

 **Karen:**"I will await you there with a lovely present and your second hint."

 **Shiori:**Lupin's old stomping grounds... Does he mean Caux? The French commune?

 **Karen:**Caux? Commune?

 **Shiori:**Lupin's birthplace, according to one theory. It's mentioned in "La Barre-y-va."

 **Karen:**Wait, we have to go to FRANCE now!? We're in the middle of the exchange program!

 **Mei Fan:**Please calm down, Aijo-san. This is a riddle. I doubt there's any need to board a plane to France.

 **Claudine:**France... No. 953... I see.

 **Mahiru:**Did you figure something out, Clau-chan?

 **Karen:**You solved it!? What's the answer!?

 **Claudine:**I thought you were Sherlock Holmes? Use your genius powers of observation and deduction to work it out for yourself.

 **Karen:**Oh, right! Um...hmmmm. Hmmm?

 **Karen:**...Can I get just a hint, Clau-chan? You're my only hope, Watson!

 **Claudine:**What if I'm the mastermind? I could pretend to help and throw you off my trail.

 **Karen:**Gah!? I...didn't think of that.

 **Karen:**Hmmm... But I'm pretty sure it's not you. I think! Probably!

 **Claudine:**What an utterly baseless reply... How very like you.

 **Claudine:**But Watson was never able to turn down a request from Holmes. And I doubt you'll get far with just this number...

 **Claudine:**Fine. I'll throw you a bone.

 **Karen:**"Ahh, good, Watson! I've nothing to fear with you at my side!"

 **Claudine:**"Glib as ever, I see... Let's be on to the crime scene, then."

 **Karen:**Yesss! It's the start of "Karen & Claudine, Consulting Detectives"!

 **Claudine:**You really are glib about all this. All right, I'll take you to No. 953.

 **Karen:**Great! Back in a bit, everybody!

 **Mei Fan:**Safe travels!

 **Shiori:**This is kind of spiraling out of hand. Is it really okay to be doing this?

 **Mei Fan:**I has nothing to do with coming here to study acting technique, but as long as Aijo-san is enjoying herself, I suppose it's fine.

 **Mahiru:**She's been dying for a mystery to solve. I owe the evil mastermind one for this ♪

 **Mei Fan:**Tsuyuzaki-san...are those maps you're holding? I hope you know I'm not participating in a silly game.

 **Yachiyo:**Stoic as ever, Mei Fan.

 **Mei Fan:**I simply think this is how Akira-san would respond.

 **Mahiru:**Ahaha, it's fine. This is just a map of the campus, and one showing the way to the dorm.

 **Mahiru:**Here's the rehearsal room, and prop storage. And then I circled the nurse's office, just in case. Have a look later.

 **Mei Fan:**Thank you! I appreciate it.

 **Yachiyo:**I'd like to have a look around later. That okay with you?

 **Shiori:**Ooh, I'd like to come, too.

 **Mei Fan:**And may I make use of your rehearsal room? I'd like to fit in some extra practice.

 **Mahiru:**Of course! You can help yourselves to any of our facilities while you're here.

 **Mei Fan:**I see. In that case, I'll be off...

 **Mahiru:**Then shall we take a break together, Tsuruhime-san? Yumeoji-san? Maybe enjoy a chat over tea after lunch?

 **Shiori:**Ooh, yes, please! I'd hoped for a chance to tak with you, Tsuyuzaki-san... I have a bunch of questions about your portrayal of Moriarty.

 **Mei Fan:**Ah...

 **Mei Fan:**Th-Then I'd like to join you! I've wanted to ask you about your baton work for a while now...

 **Yachiyo:**What's this? What happened to the stoic Mei Fan going off for solo practice like Akira-senpai?

 **Mei Fan:**Grk! That's not... I just...

 **Mahiru:**I would love the chance to talk technique with you, Mei Fan-san. Your Lestrade is very impressive.

 **Mei Fan:**Tsuyuzaki-san!

 **Mei Fan:**Solo practice is important, but it would be rude to turn down Tsuyuzaki-san's offe! That's very generous of you!

 **Mahiru:**Oh, the pleasure's mine ♪ Then if you'll just give me a minute, I'll make some tea.

 **Mei Fan:**And I will clear the table in the meantime. And wash the dishes.

 **Mahiru:**Oh, don't worry about that. I can wash them while the water's boiling.

 **Yachiyo:**Please, Mahiru-san. You're our host. Why don't you sit back and let us underclassmen handle things?

 **Shiori:**(Wow, Yachiyo-senpai's really on the ball today. She usually doesn't care at all about stuff like seniority...)

 **Mei Fan:**We'll have those dishes cleaner than you ever thought possible. Our dishwashing technique is flawless!

 **Shiori:**Oh... Then I'll get that tea ready. I brought a tea service with me, so you can leave everything to me.

 **Mahiru:**Wow... You guys are really something.

 **Yachiyo:**They're a little too wound up, if you ask me.

 **Mahiru:**Will you be joining our chat, Tsuruhime-san?

 **Yachiyo:**Ah, there's something I need, actually. Figured I'd hit a local shop and pick it up.

 **Mahiru:**Do you need directions?

 **Yachiyo:**I'm fine, thanks. I'll call if I run into any trouble.

 **Mahiru:**All right, well, be careful. See you later.

 **Claudine:**This is No. 953.

 **Karen:**The library...?

 **Claudine:**The 950's are French Lit. The "3" means fiction. Novels, mostly. It's the catalogue code. Every library in Japan follows it.

 **Claudine:**So the letter told us to pay Lupin a visit here...in this book. "Arsene Lupin."

 **Karen:**Wow, it says "953" right on the label! So this is the place.

 **Claudine:**I checked out a number of Lupin books for the exchange program, so I recognized it right away.

 **Claudine:**Besides, French addresses are broken up in small areas by street, so it would never go as high as 953.

 **Karen:**Wow, you'd make an awesome detective, Clau-chan!

 **Claudine:**More importantly, have a look. There's an envelope here just like the one you found before.

 **Karen:**Ooh! Wonder what this one says!

 **Karen:**There's a letter...and two jewels! A red one and a green one!

 **Claudine:**The letter may offer some explanation.

 **Karen:**Let's give it a look! "My dearest Holmes!"

 **Karen:**"If you are reading this, you've solved the first hint. I congratulate you. As promised, I make a gift of this ruby and jade."

 **Karen:**Whoa, this is a ruby!? And this green one...?

 **Claudine:**Is jade. Or it's meant to be. They're both glass.

 **Karen:**"The jewels that slipped into this school hold the key to unraveling my identity."

 **Karen:**"As you well know, these two gems are fakes... Surely I need tell the great Sherlock no more for you to understand?"

 **Karen:**Huh, I see...? Okay, next! Here goes! "A second hint to lead you to your tasty treasure."

 **Karen:**"You know well the limits of the human brain, Holmes. You retain only what you need, while you may forget even your own greatest accomplishments."

 **Karen:**"But I entreat you now to remember. Where did you first meet your partner, Watson?"

 **Karen:**"Your third clue awaits across from that memory."

The Empty Envelope

Day 2 of the Exchange Problem

 **Karen:**Nnh... Hikari-chaaan...

 **Karen:**...Mm? Hikari-chaaan?

 **Karen:**Oh, right, she's out for the exchange program...

 **Karen:**I'm sure she's busting her buns over at Siegfeld.

 **Karen:**I've got to do the same here!

 **Karen:**Okay! Uniform...check! Script...double check!

 **Karen:**Hair clip... Huh? These stones are...

 **Karen:**"If you are reading this, you've solved the first hint. I congratulate you. As promised, I make a gift of this ruby and jade."

 **Karen:**Whoa, this is a ruby!? And this green one...?

 **Claudine:**Is jade. Or it's meant to be. They're both glass.

 **Karen:**"The jewels that slipped into this school hold the key to unraveling my identity."

 **Karen:**"As you well know, these two gems are fakes... Surely I need tell the great Sherlock no more for you to understand?"

 **Karen:**Jade and a ruby... Glass jewels... Two fakes...

 **Karen:**Ah... AAAAH!

 **Mahiru:**Wah!? Karen-chan? What happened!?

 **Karen:**I've got it, Mahiru-chan! The "jewels that slipped into this school" are the Edels! The stones mean Frau Rubin and Frau Jade!

 **Karen:**The ruby and the jade are both fakes, so the last one is the real Lupin. That's Frau Perle, Yachiyo-chan!

 **Mahiru:**That's amazing, Karen-chan! You might have just cracked the case!

 **Karen:**Right!? Now I just need to solve the riddle of the empty envelope!

 **Mahiru:**Empty...envelope?

 **Yachiyo:**I see. So I'm Lupin? Gosh, I didn't think you'd get it so easily. You're something else, Karen-san!

 **Claudine:**I was wracking my brain to figure out how to steer her in the right direction if she didn't catch on. I'm relieved she figured it out on her own.

 **Mahiru:**So if you're Lupin, Tsuruhime-san, you must also know who the mastermind is.

 **Yachiyo:**Well, sure. But I'm not about to just cough it up.

 **Karen:**Whaaat!? Come on!

 **Yachiyo:**Lupin's challenge was very clear. The game's not over until you slap those cuffs on somebody.

 **Yachiyo:**Me blurting out the answer now would ruin all the fun, no?

 **Karen:**Nrgh... What do we do now, Watson!?

 **Claudine:**Holmes would never abandon a challenge half-met. Especially not after receiving such a lovely present.

 **Karen:**What, this ruby and jade?

 **Claudine:**No, silly...

 **Claudine:**Your deduction that Yachiyo was the real Lupin because the ruby and jade were fakes was right.

 **Claudine:**The real present here is the hint that Yachiyo can't be the mastermind.

 **Karen:**...Huh? ...Buh???

 **Mahiru:**She's saying the list of suspects has been narrowed down by one, Karen-chan.

 **Karen:**Ooh, right! So I guess I won't be able to figure out who it is until I figure out the mystery of the empty envelope, huh?

 **Yachiyo:**...What empty envelope?

 **Claudine:**We solved the second riddle immediately yesterday. Holmes and Watson first met in a hospital room, yes?

 **Claudine:**This whole challenge is about finding the clues hidden around campus and solving their riddles.

 **Claudine:**We figured a hospital room must mean the nurse's office, so we went to the empty classroom across the hall from it.

 **Karen:**It was the right answer, but the envelope we found there had nothing inside it.

**Shiori & Mei Fan:**Good morning!

 **Mahiru:**Morning, you two.

 **Mei Fan:**What did Yachiyo do this time? It looked like you were all interrogating her.

 **Yachiyo:**You're just assuming I did something? Isn't that a bit harsh?

 **Claudine:**Well she's not wrong, Lupin.

 **Mei Fan:**whaaat!? Yachiyo, you hid her umeboshi!? What were you thinking?

 **Yachiyo:**Yeah, yeah. I'll explain everything after the game's done.

 **Karen:**I was just saying we found the place for the second hint, but the envelope was empty when we got there.

 **Karen:**So we were thinking maybe the envelope being empty IS the clue!

 **Shiori:**The fact that it was empty is a clue?

 **Karen:**Yeah! Ooh, why don't we move this conversation to the breakfast table? I think we're onto something!

During a break in practice...

 **Shiori:**I'm back!

 **Claudine:**Welcome back. Did you find the faculty office okay?

 **Shiori:**Yes! I walked around campus yesterday with the map Tsuyuzaki-san gave me, so it was no problem.

 **Mahiru:**Heh, I'm glad it was helpful.

 **Shiori:**I'm glad I was able to get those papers in to the teacher. Aijo-san, let's continue after the break's over!

 **Karen:**You got it!

 **Karen:**Ooh, now that I think of it, are you feeling okay, Shiori-chan? Sleeping all right in a different bed?

 **Shiori:**Huh...?Yes, I'm fine, tahnk you. Why do you ask?

 **Karen:**Oh, your movement just seems a bit stiffer than yesterday. It doesn't have quite the same...flow?

 **Mei Fan:**Aijo-san. If you see any failings, please voice them directly. You don't need to couch it in worry.

 **Mei Fan:**Clear criticism is more useful to us than politeness.

 **Karen:**Um, your flow seems a little stiff?

 **Mahiru:**Karen-chan, you just said the exact same thing but with the words in a different order.

 **Claudine:**I didn't see any noticeable difference from yesterday, either.

 **Claudine:**If anything, she's addressed all of the mistakes she made before.

 **Mei Fan:**Shiori has outstanding natural acting ability. Even Akira-san has acknowledged that.

 **Yachiyo:**Hmm, I can't think of anything either, but I'm curious to hear more. Karen-san's weirdly observant about stuff like this.

 **Karen:**I am!?

 **Yachiyo:**For sure. So put that observation to use and pick out the true culprit.

 **Karen:**I'm on the case! I'll put the mastermind in cuffs today and we can all enjoy some celebratory umeboshi!

 **Mei Fan:**I'll tell you again, I'm not the villain here! I swear it on Siegfeld and Akira-san's honor!

 **Shiori:**............

 **Yachiyo:**Heh heh.

 **Mahiru:**...Yeah.

 **Claudine:**...?

 **Karen:**What did you want to talk to me about, Clau-chan?

 **Claudine:**Just a hunch here, but I think the mastermind is Mahiru.

 **Karen:**You think so, too!?

 **Claudine:**"Too"? You figured it out?

 **Karen:**There were some things buggin me. It could just be my imagination, though!

 **Claudine:**But there's no PROOF that it's her. I like your deduction on the empty envelope, but...

 **Karen:**Yeah? I thinkthat envelope was another "lovely present."

 **Claudine:**I just hope it's not simply a case of her forgetting to fill it. Or another student coming across it...

 **Karen:**Another student... AHH!

 **Claudine:**Wh-What?

 **Karen:**I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think I may have solved it!

 **Claudine:**Keep talking...

 **Karen:**Can I get your help with something, Clau-chan?

 **Claudine:**You've got a plan, then? I'm intrigued. Just tell me what you need, Ms. Detective ♪

Stage Girl Detective Karen Aijo

Day 3 of the Exchange Program

After the final rehearsal...

 **Claudine:**That looked good. Now, rest up and let's have ourselves a great performance!

***Yeah!***

 **Yachiyo:**Woof, I'm parched. I'm taking a hydration break.

 **Karen:**Ooh, can you hold on just a sec?

 **Mei Fan:**Aijo-san? Did you need something?

 **Karen:**Yeah. I know who the mastermind is!

 **Mahiru:**Really, Karen-chan!?

 **Claudine:**...All right, Holmes. Let's have the villain's name.

 **Karen:**Right! The one who holds the key to the mystery of the empty envelope, the evil mastermind is...

 **Karen:**Shiori-chan! Right? Now, et's get you in these cuffs!

 **Shiori:**...Ah!

**Mahiru & Yachiyo:**Huh...?

 **Mei Fan:**Whaaaaat!?

 **Mei Fan:**Aijo-san! I would appreciate it if you wouldn't pull pranks like this right before the show! Shiori would never--

 **Shiori:**I... I'm sorry!

 **Mei Fan:**WhaaaAAAAAT!?

 **Shiori:**But...you're mistaken.

 **Claudine:**Then let's hear exactly how she's wrong.

 **Shiori:**You're right that I was the one who took what was in the envelope, but I'm not the mastermind.

 **Claudine:**...You hear that, Holmes?

 **Karen:**Thank you for telling us the truth, Shiori-chan. I knew you weren't the real culprit.

 **Shiori:**Wh-What?

 **Claudine:**Okay, Karen. Care to explain why you thought she was the key to the empty envelope?

 **Karen:**Sure! I'm excited to lay out my logic like Holmes. This is so good!

 **Karen:**"Then let me reveal the truth!"

 **Karen:**While we were in the library, Yachiyo-chan didn't go out shopping. She went to the empty room across from the nurse's office to leave the third hint. Right?

 **Yachiyo:**Hmm, I wonder... I'm afraid I can't answer that.

 **Claudine:**Keeping mum, eh? Honestly...

 **Karen:**Yachiyo-chan is the super thorough type, though.

 **Karen:**So I think she'd leave the next clue right around the time when we figure out the one before, to leave less time for someone else to come by and find the clue.

 **Yachiyo:**...I see. Seems logical enough.

 **Karen:**But after you dropped off the third hint, someone else came along and hid it!

 **Mei Fan:**Y-You're just guessing at this point!

 **Claudine:**True, but it's a plausible guess.

 **Claudine:**Because Yachiyo's response to the envelope being empty was unnatural...and Shiori's been acting strange since yesterday.

 **Shiori:**I'm really sorry! I didn't even mean to hide it...

 **Claudine:**That's true. It was entirely unintentional.

 **Mei Fan:**Meaning...what, exactly?

 **Karen:**Shiori-chan. You were having tea with Mahiru-chan while Clau-chan and I were at the library, right?

 **Shiori:**That's right.

 **Karen:**And after that, you took the map of campus and walked around? You'd planned on taking a tour with Yachiyo-chan, but she was out shopping.

 **Yachiyo:**I'd like to have a look around later. That okay with you?

 **Shiori:**Ooh, I'd like to come, too.

 **Shiori:**That's correct. Tsuyuzaki-san told me that Yachiyo-senpai had gone out, and Mei Fan-senpai was still talking with Tsuyuzaki-san...

 **Karen:**And in your wanderings, you came across something curious. An envelope containint the third hint.

 **Shiori:**..That's right.

 **Shiori:**I was worried you might not get your umeboshi back if you couldn't identify the culprit...

 **Shiori:**But I also didn't want to meddle with your challenge and ruin the fun.

 **Shiori:**So I thought I'd take a look at the hint and try to solve it first. That way I could offer you a hint if you got stuck...

 **Shiori:**But as I was puzzling it out in the room across from the nurse's office, you and Saijo-san came, and...

 **Shiori:**I panicked and hid while I was still holding the clue!

 **Claudine:**I see. And once we started thinking that the empty envelope WAS the hint, it meant you never got a chance to put it back.

 **Karen:**So you seemed a little stiff during practice because that was weighing on your mind?

 **Shiori:**...Yes. You seemed to excited theorizing about the empty envelope, I couldn't decide whether I should tell you the truth or keep quiet...

 **Shiori:**I'm so, so sorry!

 **Karen:**Non, non, Shiori-chan! You just gave us one more mystery to solve! It was super fun!

 **Karen:**Besides, it was such an Irene Adler move! You're a top-tier performer. No need to apologize!

 **Shiori:**I... I suppose it IS in character. Thank you!

 **Mei Fan:**So why say that Shiori's the mastermind? Why not just ask her about the envelope?

 **Claudine:**If our deduction was right and she DID have the envelope's contents but hadn't said anything, she must have had some reason not to tell us the truth.

 **Claudine:**So we took a more forceful approach and put her in a situation where she'd HAVE to talk.

 **Claudine:**I'll admit I never thought the reason was because she didn't want to spoil Karen's fun.

 **Claudine:**Besides, if we'd just asked her directly, Lupin over there probably would have run interference.

 **Yachiyo:**Oh, you have no idea. I'd have made sure you didn't get anything out of Shiori. Well played.

 **Claudine:**Perhaps it wasn't the most elegant solution, but that clears up the mystery of the empty envelope. Shiori, can we get a look at that third hint now?

 **Shiori:**Of course ...Here's the letter I took.

 **Karen:**Okay! Let's see...

 **Karen:**"My dear Holmes, if you have arrived here then you've no doubt solved the second riddle. Congratulations!"

 **Karen:**"Now you face my final puzzle. Its solution should guide you to the true culprit's identity."

 **Karen:**Ooh, it's the final showdown!

 **Karen:**"You might ask why I would lead you to my own employer. ...Perhaps I'm simply captivated by your skill."

 **Karen:**"I look forward to the moment you lay your grasp upon the truth."

 **Mahiru:**I guess Lupin issued this challenge out of admiration for Holmes in the first place.

 **Claudine:**And I guess this is the hint and testimony.

 **Claudine:**"A third and final hint to lead you to your tasty treasure..."

 **Claudine:**"A case isn't closed without hard evidence, and that may be gained from gathering testimony from the crowd."

 **Claudine:**"I've taken the liberty of collecting some choice bits here, to lead you to your mark."

 **Claudine:**"Yet it seems a single liar hides among them... Do not be misled. Seek out the truth."

 **Claudine:**"The culprit was wearing a Seisho uniform. -Eyewitness A"
"The ringleader wears hair ties. -Eyewitness B"

 **Claudine:**"Witness A is telling the truth. -Eyewitness C"
"I saw the villain in a Siegfeld Uniform. -Eyewitness D"

 **Claudine:**"I don't know who the culprit is...but they're at Seisho Music Academy right now. -Eyewitness E"

 **Claudine:**"Neither witness B or E are lying. -Eyewitness F"

 **Claudine:**There's a lie mixed in among these claims. Karen, your job is to see through that lie and find that mastermind. ...Can you do it?"

 **Karen:**Hrmm... Hrmrmrmmm...

 **Shiori:**Aijo-san. Please let me help, too!

 **Karen:**Shiori-chan!

 **Shiori:**I believe the key to solving this is the fact that only one witness is lying.

 **Karen:**Only one... Ahh! I get it!

 **Karen:**There's only one liar. So there can't be two or three people who are lying!

 **Mei Fan:**I see! So if we go through them assuming each one was the liar, we should be able to check if any contradictions emerge!

 **Karen:**Which means the liar here has to be... Witness D!

 **Yachiyo:**Ooh! Nice work, Karen-san.

 **Karen:**Heh heh. Well, I AM a master detective, after all!

 **Karen:**So if all the other claims are true, the villain is: here on campus, in a Seisho uniform, and wearing hair ties!

 **Karen:**Which means... Mahiru-chan! It's gotta be you!

 **Mahiru:**Ah!

 **Mahiru:**Heh, you got me.

 **Karen:**I KNEW it was you!

 **Mahiru:**You did?

 **Mei Fan:**Can you explain what you mean by that?

 **Karen:**The way she spoke to Yachiyo-chan was just a little different from how she talks to you and Shiori-chan.

 **Karen:**Just a liiittle more familiar, somehow.

 **Mahiru:**That's amazing...

 **Yachiyo:**So it turns out, I'd met Mahiru-san before the exchange program.

 **Mahiru:**I bumped into her on my way home from buying groceries for dinner.

 **Mahiru:**Banana-chan will be over at Siegfeld for the exchange, so I was deciding what to make while she's gone. I need to make a shopping list.

 **Yachiyo:**And we'd be staying here for three days, so I'd come to scout it out. See what sort of place it was.

 **Mahiru:**We got to talking, and I mentioned your recent detective obsession, Karen-chan. So I asked if she knew of any good mysteries.

 **Yachiyo:**Michiru-senpai had already told me about the detective thing, so I suggested coming up with something fun as Lupin and Moriarty.

 **Karen:**"That isn't the only detail out of place here, Watson!"

 **Karen:**Mahiru-chan, on the first day when the two of you were making lunch, you turned the cooking over to Yachiyo-chan halfway through, right?

 **Yachiyo:**That's right. Mahiru-san did the prep work, then I took care of the rest myself.

 **Yachiyo:**I told Professor Moriarty there was no need to get her hands dirty. She should just sit back and watch the pieces fall.

 **Karen:**That was strange for Mahiru-chan, though. She's always the first one to volunteer for stuff like that.

 **Mahiru:**I did feel bad not helping out more, but Yachiyo-chan was totally in character. I couldn't say no.

 **Claudine:**And if Yachiyo is the perpetrator, the umeboshi theft must have happened when you "forgot your towel."

 **Yachiyo:**Ooh, did I make it just in time? found my towel!

 **Yachiyo:**Right again. The schedule was tight, so that was the only way to slip away.

 **Mahiru:**Heh heh, you really cracked the case. It makes me happy seeing that you know me so well.

 **Mahiru:**So, ready with those handcuffs?

 **Karen:**Ooh, right! The game's not over till the culprit's cuffed! Okay...ready? Here goes.

 **Karen:**"The criminal mastermind who sent a master thief to steal my tasty treasure...was YOU, Mahiru-chan!"

***\*ka-CHACK\****

 **Mahiru:**"Heh heh heh... Well played. You win this round."

 **Karen:**Yesss! We did it, Clau-chan!

 **Claudine:**Yes, you did rather well this time, considering. I'm a little impressed.

 **Yachiyo:**Wow, Karen-san. Your deduction's pretty impressive...or maybe it's your intuition?

 **Claudine:**Definitely intuition. She's the polar opposite of Holmes, but a fine detective just the same.

 **Mahiru:**I felt the same way when you found my missing script.

 **Mahiru:**You notice all sorts of things that would slip by the rest of us, Karen-chan.

 **Mei Fan:**Your display of intuition and observation was most educational, Aijo-san!

 **Yachiyo:**Yeah, this exchange program has provided valuable insight into what makes you special, Karen-san.

 **Shiori:**The program still isn't over, Yachiyo-senpai!

 **Karen:**Solving that mystery was awesome! Now I can't wait to tackle the one on stage!