(Note to reader: as Detective Conan was written by a Japanese person and takes place in Japan, it is assumed that all text within the story is Japanese translated to English for the reader's convenience except for italicized text, which whenever used indicates that what's written is the original, exact, untranslated version. Or, italicized text may be used to indicate a flashback sequence. This choice of italics usage can be useful whenever characters within this fanfic use English words or phrases or whenever the author wishes to use Japanese words in the Latin script, as in the Ending. Underlined text may indicate the title of a book, poem, etcetera but it is also used to indicate that certain text is part of the lyrics of the Opening and Ending songs that are generally associated with Detective Conan and anime in general. Boldened text may used to indicate the episode's title, what day it is, what time of day it is, location, etc. All content may not be suitable for children; reader discretion advised. I obviously do not own the rights to the Detective Conan franchise; this work is called a "fanfic" for a reason. I plan on making this a four-parter series; this is part one. I did my best to write it as though it were a novelized version of a canon four-part episode arc from the anime series. In this case, the Birthday Surprise arc is meant to comprise episodes 883-886 of the anime series; at the time of writing there have been less than 810 episodes of the anime series made, not counting OVAs, movies, and other stuff like that. Enjoy!)
THE FIFTH
An old Porsche. A man in a black suit with long golden hair. A cigarette hanging from the man's mouth, its toxic goodness filling the car in the form of a powdery smoke. Silence, tranquility. The dead of night, a single street light glowing a few yards away.
Gin glanced at his watch. It was 10:25 PM. Ale's flight was scheduled to land in Tokyo in 9:30. Why the delay? Had Ale decided not to come? Did Ale simply forget?
No, he thought. Ale wasn't the kind of person who would be so forgetful. Ale was with the U.S. Special Forces; people who made it as far as he did wouldn't be so absent-minded. That meant there was one remaining possibility…
Suddenly a light emerged from Gin's right. Several cars had passed by in the past hour and each time Gin had looked to see if it was Ale. Then again, he knew that Ale would have to rent a car, so Gin wouldn't recognize him even if it was.
This time the passing car pulled into the abandoned parking lot. Not being the kind of man who didn't always keep an eye out for danger, Gin undid his seatbelt and got out of his car from the left side. He ran while crouched to the back of this person's car, feet away from the door on the right side. He raised his gun, wanting to be sure that this wasn't a trap.
The car's engine shut down. The head and tail lights turned off. Suddenly the lights inside the car came on as the door opened. Two legs emerged first and then the man's whole body. It was Ale.
Gin put his gun back into its holster, cast his cigarette to the ground, crushed it underfoot, and stood upright to greet his brother.
"You're late," Gin said.
"I had to find a place that sold that special kind of gum," Ale said.
Gin nodded. "So how've you been?"
"Better than I was," Ale said. "I've got myself a good-looking American blonde. We're expecting our first kid next spring."
"I can't imagine the clean life suiting you well," Gin said.
"That's why I'm back here," Ale said. "So, why was it again that you need my help?"
"It's that woman," Gin said. "There's something she's not telling me or the higher ups. Something about Sherry."
"Who's Sherry?" Ale asked. "She your latest woman?"
"I wish," Gin said. "I suppose being able to see that look in her eyes when I snuff out her life will have to suffice."
"I don't understand," Ale said.
"A few months ago a woman named Shiho Miyano, the scientist put in charge of the development of that drug, defected from the Organization," Gin said. "Recently she supposedly died."
"But now you suspect she's still alive," Ale said. "In that case, do you know where she's hiding?"
"Not yet," Gin said. "That's why I hired Moonshine to look into it."
"So I take it you're working behind the Organization's back then," Ale said.
"That's why I didn't bring my partner Vodka," Gin confirmed. "I'm scheduled to meet with Moonshine tomorrow at this same place and at this same time. After he tells me what I need to know…"
"So what you need from me then is some extra muscle to help you capture her," Ale said.
"No," Gin said. "What I need from you is to help me kill her."
Gin's lips parted to form a Cheshire grin.
OPENING:
Truth is the convergence of many facts into a beam of light that pierces the shadows!
In today's case the men in black finally show themselves! This presents both a great opportunity and a great danger!
With the body of a child but the brain of an adult, his name is DETECTIVE CONAN!
[SILVER BULLET by Egoist]
You wipe the blood off your hands, leave the body to the crows
Then you re-enter the crowd, having become a wolf among the lambs
You have made the devil's bargain, yet still you walk among the saints
You let out a sigh and you dare to believe that "nobody will ever know"
A child's cry, a sobbing promise to a dying loved one, words never forgotten
Years pass, his passion undiminished by time wasted and empty leads
He at last finds the golden key that opens the door to the closed case
In the middle of a night like any other, a thousand lights shine upon you!
As long as people continue to devise ways to hurt each other
We will remain faithful and vigilant soldiers in the war on crime
Remembering that oath I swore to protect and serve I draw my gun
In a moment of clarity and brilliance the SILVER BULLET is fired!
A Birthday Surprise from the Black Organization: Part One!
THE SIXTH
The alarm rang. This loud external stimulus was enough to make his mind alert. But something was different today. He could barely move.
Two seconds passed. The alarm rang again. He heard Kogoro yawning and getting out of bed. But Conan couldn't. His head felt bad. He then realized: he had a cold.
The alarm rang again. Kogoro stood up, clad in his Yoko Okino pajamas.
"Hey, brat, get up," Kogoro said from the other side of the room.
Conan then began to stir. His head and body turned slightly.
"I SAID, GET UP!" Kogoro screamed. "Geez, how long are you going to lie there…?"
With that Conan managed to stand up. His feet were immediately greeted to a cold carpet.
You're the one to talk, uncle, Conan thought with a deadpan look on his face.
Kogoro then shuffled out of the room calling to Ran asking something about breakfast. Conan slowly walked to the window and looked out of it. As had been the case for the past two days it was snowing.
In two days Ran turns eighteen, Conan thought. Come to think of it, his own birthday had passed half a year ago back in May. Had it really been nearly a whole year since those men in black shrunk him? A year…
A lot had happened during this past year. He had solved an unbelievably large amount of cases using Kogoro's identity. Kogoro did indeed become famous across Japan, and to a minor extent across the world. But Kogoro had yet to be put on any cases which would lead Conan to the Black Organization. He hadn't really come across any major leads, despite coming into contact with Gin, Vodka, Vermouth, and former Black Organization member Shiho Miyano, now living under the alias Ai Haibara. He had come into contact with several members of the FBI, including Shuichi Akai, whose death Conan helped fake. He had even come across some files and journal entries written by people affiliated with the Black Organization and figured out the phone number of the Boss of the Black Organization. But yet he wasn't really any closer to restoring himself to his adult body or bringing down the Black Organization.
What have I accomplished? he thought to himself. Nearly a year had gone by where Ran had been waiting patiently for Shinichi Kudo to return. How many years was she willing to wait for him? How long before she decided to move on and he lost her forever?
Conan's hands balled into a fist. He clenched them tight, feeling deeply frustrated and, to a degree, afraid.
"Conan-kun?"
Conan turned around. "Good morning Ran-neechan." Then he sneezed.
Ran bent down in the manner that a tall grown-up bends down when addressing a short kid. "Conan-kun, did you catch a cold? You should put a mask on before you go to school. You don't want to make the other kids sick."
"Okay," Conan said in the characteristic childish voice which he used around everyone except for the Detective Boys and those few individuals who knew his true identity. In order to maintain his cover he had to act in a way that people expected a seven year old kid to act. "Ran-neechan, your birthday's in two days, right?"
Ran looked puzzled. "How did you know that?"
"I, uh, heard the professor mention it the other day," Conan said.
"That's right," Ran confirmed. "It will be my birthday in two days."
"So, uh, what's your birthday wish?" Conan asked, feeling awkward about probing her like this.
A sad look then came upon Ran's face. A sad smile. Conan then knew what her birthday wish was. He knew he shouldn't have asked her that. So, he decided a sudden change in the conversion would be wise.
"Uh, never mind," Conan said. "Hey Ran-neechan, there's a lot of snow outside today."
Ran looked out the window. "Yeah, there is a lot of snow."
"Do you think school will be canceled today?" Conan asked, despite the fact that he knew it probably wouldn't be.
"Canceled?" Ran said. "No, I don't think that's very likely. Now let's eat breakfast before it gets cold."
She's being unusually enthusiastic about breakfast, Conan thought. He knew: she was putting up a front. She clearly didn't want Conan seeing her sorrow, heartbreak, and worry over Shinichi's disappearance so she was acting cheerful. Conan had seen from the beginning of his new life as Conan Edogawa the emotional toll his teenage self's disappearance had on Ran. But yet she consistently tried to stay cheerful while around people. That was the kind of person she was, and he hadn't really noticed this trait until he became Conan.
I will permanently return to my normal body soon, Ran, Conan vowed silently. Soon. Whatever it takes.
Conan, Ran, and Kogoro were sitting down at the table. Kogoro was opening a can of beer.
"Isn't it too early for that?" Ran asked.
"It's never too early for beer," Kogoro retorted. "Speaking of which, Ran, you'll be turning eighteen in two days. I think you're old enough to try beer."
Ran was clearly surprised by this announcement. "But isn't 18 below the legal drinking age?"
"I say if you're old enough to be considered an adult then you're old enough to drink," Kogoro said, taking his first sip of the beer can in his hand. "Yeeeaaahh this is good!"
Normally at this point Conan would don a facial expression which would silently ridicule Kogoro's alcohol-induced behavior. But instead his mind was stuck on what Kogoro just said.
Kogoro Mouri had been a fairly heavy drinker through his college years. He quit drinking altogether whenever he married his childhood friend Eri Kisaki and Ran was born. At this time the Mouris were a united and not at all dysfunctional family. Kogoro was a respectable and hard-working cop who worked for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Shinichi, having been a close friend of Ran's for virtually all of his life and as such having visited her house once or twice when very young, could attest to this fact. One day, however, that all changed whenever Kogoro started drinking again. A combination of this and his relatively poor detective skills caused him to be fired. He then became a private detective but his alcoholism and the resulting poor work ethic, coupled with some bad luck and his financially-harmful habit of betting on horse races, resulted in him experiencing long periods of time without any clients, the most recent such period having begun several months before Conan's appearance and having ended upon Conan's appearance and arrival at the Mouri residence. Eri had left Kogoro around ten or eleven years ago, though due to circumstances Shinichi never understood Kogoro was the parent who ended up taking care of Ran. Kogoro's drinking ruined his life and changed who he was as a person. He became a shell of the man that he once was.
Having become a little too intimately acquainted with Kogoro's nearly constant drunk behavior ever since moving in with the Mouris, Conan had at times wondered what would happen if Ran ended up going down Kogoro's path. What more, he considered the possibility that Kogoro's drinking problem was influenced by a gene which increased his susceptibility to alcoholism. If this were the case, and assuming that Ran inherited this gene, then even a single drink could potentially cause Ran to become a lifelong alcoholic. Conan worried not only that Ran's life would be ruined but also that over the long term it could completely warp her personality, turning her from that kind individual who even Vermouth called "angel" into an entirely different and unrecognizable person. She would no longer be Ran, and he felt that losing her in this manner would be far worse than losing her to another man.
"Conan-kun, what's wrong?" Ran asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Nothing," Conan answered coldly. He then handed his plate to Kogoro, stood up, grabbed his backpack, and walked out the door without saying a word.
Conan waited outside the front door of their apartment. Two minutes later Ran came out.
"Conan-kun, did father say something that upset you?" Ran asked.
"Uh, no," Conan said, forcing a smile. "Listen, uh, I'd like to walk to school alone today."
"But…" Ran began.
"Bye!" Conan said with forced enthusiasm as he ran down the stairs.
Scene Transition
Walking quickly Conan reached Teitan Primary School. Mitsuhiko, Genta, and Ayumi were waiting. "Hi Conan-kun!" Ayumi said, waving at him.
"Hey Conan, do you have a cold?" Genta asked.
"Where's Haibara?" Conan asked, ignoring Genta's question.
"I'm here." Haibara was standing behind Conan.
"There's something I need to talk to you about," Conan said. "Something involving Ran."
Mitsuhiko, Genta, and Ayumi looked at Conan funnily.
"…neechan," Conan finished hastily.
"I see," Haibara said. "We'll discuss it at recess."
Scene Transition
A few hours later, the playground was packed with happy screaming kids who were playing tag, swinging, and going down the slide. All five detective "boys" were sitting at a wooden table.
"What do you mean you lost our science project?!" Mitsuhiko asked Genta.
"I thought the caterpillar looked bored just sitting in that box all day so I decided to let him out on the kitchen counter for a little while," Genta said sheepishly. "But then I remembered Kamen Yaiba was starting so I kind of sort of forgot all about him for 40 minutes. When I came back he was gone! Somebody must've stolen him! Conan! This looks like a…"
"Your caterpillar hasn't been stolen," Conan said, trying hard to stay patient with 7 year old Genta. "He's probably hiding in your mother's potted plant which she keeps on the kitchen windowsill."
Genta gasped. "My mom's going to kill me!"
Genta suddenly ran away from the playground and towards his home.
"Genta, what are you doing?!" Mitsuhiko called, running after Genta.
"Ayumi-chan, could you go somewhere else for about 5 minutes so I can talk to Haibara about something private?" Conan asked.
"Uh, sure," Ayumi said, getting up and walking towards the monkey bars.
I wonder what those two talk about when they're alone, Ayumi thought to herself. It was as though they shared some secret which they couldn't discuss with her, Mitsuhiko, or Genta. Was it that Conan-kun liked Ai-chan? She shook her head. Their relationship didn't seem to be anything like that. The way that they talked in private was similar to something, but she just couldn't seem to wrap her head around it.
Then she knew: the way they talked to each other was like how two grown-ups would tell her to go play somewhere else while they discussed grown-up things.
"You want me to provide you with an antidote prototype for Ran's birthday," Haibara guessed. "You also want me to fill in for you while you're Shinichi."
Conan sighed. "You know me too well. But…it isn't just that. Haibara, Ran has waited almost a full year since the disappearance of Shinichi. I don't know how much longer she's willing to wait."
She suddenly knew what he was thinking by the look he was giving her.
"No," Haibara said.
Conan had brought it up several times in the past, mostly when he was more frustrated than normal over his lack of progress in locating the men in black and restoring himself to his normal aged self. The Black Organization currently believed Sherry to be dead, but they only came to believe this recently and this mistaken belief of theirs could be undone by a single sighting of Shiho Miyano. Conan had asked Haibara several times before to use the APTX antidote on herself and make the Black Organization aware of her continued existence and whereabouts so that Conan could trap them and perhaps find out where a permanent APTX antidote was being held at or the information needed to produce such an antidote. Of course, she always said no. She felt it was selfish of her to say no, but she also felt that it was even more selfish of Conan to ask that of her. When she refused, he would then ask if she'd at least allow him to use the drug and use himself as bait. She'd quickly talk him out of it by reminding him that doing so would put Ran's life in serious danger. She noticed that lately he was raising the question more and more often.
He's headed down a dangerous road, Haibara concluded. As more time went by with few to no leads his fear of Ran giving up on Shinichi was increasing. One method that he used to make this less likely was the periodic use of the antidote on himself to let Ran see him face to face, something which he hoped was buying him more time. However, as was the case with Baijiu, the first antidote that he came across and used, his body was building an immunity to the APTX antidotes every time he used them. Also, during an antidote trial run which lasted only three hours and twenty minutes, Conan had a dream in which continued use of the antidotes resulted in full immunity to APTX antidotes, rendering him completely and permanently unable to revert back to Shinichi for any length of time. Though it was just a dream, a few days later he asked her whether that was a possibility and she confirmed that it was. Conan knew that as more time went by various circumstances would emerge that would require him to use the antidote and as such the more time went by the more likely he was to become ultimately unable to return to his normal aged body. This made Conan even more anxious to return to his normal aged body as soon as possible, which could eventually lead him to take foolish and irresponsible risks which could get them both killed.
"I wasn't going to ask that," Conan said.
"Really? Then what were you going to say?" Haibara asked.
Conan was silent for a good thirty seconds.
"I'm sorry," Conan finally said. "It's been selfish of me to ask you to take that kind of risk. I realize how even a whiff of their scent makes you feel and to ask you to do that is completely out of the question. I won't ask again."
"I'm glad to hear that," Haibara said. "And yes, I will have a twenty four hour antidote ready for you by tonight. You have a cold so all requirements needed for the antidote to work are present. I'll also be ready to fill in for you at Ran's house when you change. I'll call you when it's ready. By the way, it isn't just my fear of them that keeps me from agreeing to do that thing."
Conan looked confused. "It isn't?"
"I see no reason to do it," Haibara said. "After all, I would be putting my life in serious jeopardy by doing that thing and I would experience no return for the risks that I took."
"Idiot," Conan said. "Isn't returning to your normal body something you want?"
"No," Haibara answered, to Conan's shock. She stood and walked to the Jungle Gym without saying another word.
She had contemplated it time and time again and the conclusion she had reached was that there was no reason for her to return to her normal body. She was being hunted by the Black Organization; those men would not stop until Shiho Miyano was dead. Just like they did with her sister. If she permanently returned to her normal-aged body, she probably wouldn't be able to survive for a whole 365 days. Gin would hunt her down and then he'd kill her in one of the most horrible ways possible.
On the other hand, as Ai Haibara she was fairly safe from those men. Safe from Gin. She could envision herself possibly living for decades as Haibara without those men finding her. Being a Japanese female, at birth she had a life expectancy of 75-80 years. APTX 4869, while generally successful in making an individual revert back 10 years biologically, failed to also revert back certain vital internal organs. This meant that while her physiology was that of an 8 year old, those certain organs were still those of an 18 year old, meaning that her lifespan had probably not been increased by APTX 4969 beyond it helping her escape the clutches of those men in black. The math was fairly simple: 75-80 minus 18 was 57-62. That was approximately how many years she probably had left. Adding this number of years to 8, the most probable scenario was that, provided she died of natural causes, Ai Haibara would live to be 65-70 years old. Conan Edogawa, being a Japanese male, would probably live to be 60-65 years old, provided that he died from natural causes. Considering the ugly drawbacks of living into one's 70s and 80s and also that this would give her over 55 more years to live, this outcome was an acceptable one to Haibara.
Therefore she considered it best that she remain Haibara instead of reverting back to Shiho. And, of course, there was that one last thing, that thing which would almost assuredly make her choice worth it. That thing was…
Scene Transition
"I'm invited, right?" Masumi Sera called out from a distance.
"Yes!" Ran confirmed.
It was time for Ran to go home. Alongside her walked Sonoko Suzuki, her best friend and the daughter of the head of the Suzuki Corporation, an immensely wealthy individual.
"…so what do you think?" Sonoko asked.
"Huh?" Ran asked, coming out of a daze. "What were you talking about?"
"Dustin Beaver!" Sonoko said. "The American teen idol! Geez, did you not hear a word I said?"
"I'm sorry," Ran said sheepishly. "Something else has been on my mind all day."
"You're wondering if Shinichi is going to show for your 18th birthday party," Sonoko said.
"Well, there is that," Ran said. "But that's not all…Sonoko, have you ever been drunk before?"
"Huuuuh?!" Sonoko said, blushing.
Realizing that the answer either would be no or "I refuse to answer that", Ran decided to rephrase the question.
"Uh, have you ever drank alcohol before?" Ran asked.
"Did I ever drink?" Sonoko repeated, now thinking back. "Well, there was this one time when I was 13 that my uncle Jirokichi came back from a trip to Italy. He brought back some wine and he let me try a little bit."
"So how did it taste?" Ran asked, strangely anxious to know. "Was it good?"
"Are you kidding me?!" Sonoko said. "It was the most disgusting stuff that I ever put in my mouth! I cannot understand how there are people who enjoy drinking it!"
"They say you come to like it after trying it a few times," Ran said.
Sonoko donned that "what mischief are you up to?" look. "Anyway, about Dustin Beaver, I think my parents can rent him out him for that day if you want."
"No!" Ran said in the manner of a person denying allegations of gross indecency. "Sonoko, I refuse to take advantage of your family's wealth! Not to that extent anyway!"
"It's no big deal," Sonoko said, downplaying the matter of how much money that would cost the Suzukis.
"It just wouldn't feel right," Ran said. "Besides, Shinichi might get jealous."
They both laughed at the idea of that.
"Well, if you change your mind there's still some time left," Sonoko said.
Scene Transition
Ran stepped inside the apartment. There was a man, presumably a client, sitting on the couch talking to Kogoro. Conan was standing nearby listening to them.
"Ah, Ran, come in," Kogoro said with a serious voice. "This is my client, Nobuyuki Miyazaki. He runs the Miyazaki Hotel in Kanagawa. Miyazaki-san, meet my daughter, Ran."
"Uh, hi," Mr. Miyazaki said to Ran, clearly distressed.
Nobuyuki Miyazaki was 45 years old and the oldest son of Daisuke Miyazaki, the founder of the Miyazaki Hotel. He was a chubby clean-shaven man who had a mole on his left cheek and a receding hairline. He had a deep voice.
Conan sneezed.
"Bless you, son," Mr. Miyazaki said.
"So what's the case?" Ran asked.
"Miyazaki-san's daughter was murdered last night," Kogoro said.
"Yes," Mr. Miyazaki said. "The two of them were waiting the Ballroom on the 33rd Floor because later we were going to celebrate Atsuko's birthday in there. After a few seconds the man shot Atsuko in the head and then ran from the room, trapping Megumi with my daughter's fresh corpse in the room with a crowbar.
"Did your wife get a good look at the man's face?" Conan asked in a childlike voice, knowing from experience that Kogoro would respond with a dirty look.
"No," Mr. Miyazaki said. "She said the assailant was wearing a mask."
"Can she give an estimate of the man's height?" Conan asked.
Kogoro laughed a fake laugh and then spoke with fake sweetness, not wanting to lash out at the kid in front of his client. "Okay Conan, that's quite enough. Ran, please take Conan-kun someplace else."
"Were there any other witnesses at the scene who can verify the time?" Conan asked Mr. Miyazaki, continuing to press for information.
"I said ENOUGH, you nosy four-eyed brat!" Kogoro snapped. He lifted Conan up by the back of his shirt and threw him in his room. Then he shut the door.
There's the uncle we all know and love, Conan thought with a deadpan look on his face. He put his ear to the closed door, hoping to hear the rest of the conversation.
"I'm sorry for the interruption," Kogoro said. "Anyways, you want me to go to the Miyazaki Hotel and investigate, right?"
"Yes," Mr. Miyazaki said. "If you solve the case I'll give you and your family coupons for a free two-day stay at the Miyazaki Hotel. The business isn't doing very well right now so that's about all I can offer you."
"Then it's settled," Kogoro said. "I'll leave right away."
Conan opened the door. "Uncle, can I come too?"
Kogoro bent over to stare Conan down menacingly. "No way! This is adult business!"
"But uncle, haven't you said that I'm good luck when you bring me along on cases?" Conan said.
Kogoro put his fingers to his chin as though to think deeply about what Conan just said. "I guess that's true. Ran, I need you to come along to keep an eye on the brat. I don't need him meddling with a crime scene investigation."
"Yes," Ran said.
Scene Transition
The four of them stepped outside. Standing there was Haibara.
"Wherever you're going I'd like to come with you if that's okay," Haibara said.
"Eh?" Kogoro grunted. "Wait, I know I've seen you before. Aren't you…?"
"Father, this is Ai Haibara," Ran said. "She's one of Conan's friends."
"Where are you going?" Haibara asked.
"To Kanagawa," Conan said.
"I've got enough yen for train fare if you're concerned about that," Haibara said to Kogoro.
Conan knew that Haibara wouldn't be asking this unless she had a fairly good reason. "Please, uncle Kogoro? If I have a friend with me I won't be so bored while you're investigating."
Kogoro sighed miserably. He knew that at least for the duration of this trip he'd have another freeloader on his hands.
Scene Transition
Kogoro, Ran, Mr. Miyazaki, Conan, and Haibara took their seat on the train.
Kogoro scowled and looked at Ran. "Make that two brats for you to keep an eye on."
"I don't think I'll have to worry about her much," Ran said. "She's really mature for her age. It's kind of eerie, actually."
"I'm going to the bathroom," Conan said. He eyed Haibara as to indicate "let's go".
The two of them got out of their seats and walked away.
"Why did you come?" Conan asked after the two of them were a good distance away and out of earshot.
"It's those men in black," Haibara said. "Gin, more specifically."
"What about Gin?" Conan asked, suddenly dead serious.
"I was walking home from school," Haibara said. "Then I got a text from the professor asking me to pick up some roses which he had ordered."
"Roses?" Conan probed.
"They're probably intended for Fusae Campbell," Haibara said. "I suspect that recently the professor's been dating her behind my back."
"Really?" Conan said. "I never really saw the professor as being the kind of person who'd have a love life. He's been living in that house by himself as long as I remember…"
There was a pause.
"What were we talking about?" Conan asked.
"The roses," Haibara said. "Anyway, I was on my way to pick them up whenever I saw him emerge from a grocery store."
"Gin?" Conan asked.
"Yes," Haibara said.
"Did he see you?" Conan asked.
"Yes," Haibara said. "He looked straight at me. Then he stopped walking, stared at me for a few more seconds, and then got into his black Porsche and drove off."
"You didn't do anything stupid, did you?" Conan asked.
"No," Haibara said. "I knew that if I tried to run that'd confirm whatever suspicions he had. So I stood there and stared back at him."
"Idiot, you could've just casually walked away," Conan said.
"I didn't want to turn my back to him," Haibara said. "And you know that I don't think straight when those men in black are nearby."
"Fair enough," Conan said. "So, you decided to tag along with me, Ran, and uncle for this case because you felt the need to get away from Tokyo for a little while. I wonder why Gin's here though. He must have a reason. When Gin got into his car did you see Vodka?"
"No," Haibara said. "In fact, he appeared to be looking around nervously before getting into the car. There was something else strange as well."
"Something else?" Conan asked.
"I didn't detect that scent on him," Haibara said. "That scent that all the men in black have."
"I see," Conan said. "Perhaps whatever he's doing he doesn't want the Black Organization knowing about it?"
Haibara nodded. "Probably."
They sat back down in their seats.
"So, could you tell me a bit more about the case?" Kogoro asked Mr. Miyazaki.
"Yes," Mr. Miyazaki said. "My daughter's name was Atsuko. She was 18 years old, she was a college student, and she was dating a young man named Takeru Nishimura, age 20. The murder occurred in the Ballroom on the 33rd Floor at 6:40 PM. Inspector Jugo Yokomizo is at the hotel waiting for your arrival."
"Waiting for my…OH CRAP!" Kogoro exclaimed. "I forgot to tell Amuro-kun!"
Rei Furuya, AKA Tooru Amuro, laid in bed with a half-used box of tissues sitting on the bed next to him. His phone suddenly rang. Groggily he reached for the smartphone and tapped "Answer".
"Hello?" he answered.
"Amuro-kun, it is I, the great detective Mouri-san," Kogoro said. "I'm on my way to the Miyazaki Hotel in Kanagawa to solve a murder case."
"I'm sorry, but I can't come today, Mouri-sensei," Rei said. "I've got the flu. Even my boss told me to take the day off. Poor Azusa-san has to fill in for me at Café Poirot."
"I see," Kogoro said. "I'm sorry to hear that. Well, bye."
Kogoro hung up the phone. "Amuro-kun isn't coming."
Haibara sighed in relief. That man had tried to kill her once, so shwas glad that she wouldn't have to deal with him today.
Scene Transition
They at last arrived in the Miyazaki Hotel parking lot.
"Ran, did you remember to bring our secret weapon?" Kogoro asked.
Secret weapon? Conan thought. What could this be?
Ran nodded. "It's in the trunk. I've got enough for Ai-kun as well."
That's how Conan ended up in a game of dominoes with Ran and Haibara in the hotel lobby.
"Cheer up, Conan-kun," Ran said. "You know, Shinichi used to hate this game as well but eventually he came to love it."
Conan gave his deadpan look, indicative that he was laughing inside. The truth was that when they were both 12 Yukiko had begun arranging "domino dates" between Shinichi and Ran every Friday afternoon. Shinichi hated the game from the start and he voiced his displeasure quite boisterously until one day Yukiko threatened to get rid of all the detective novels in the Kudo library if Shinichi didn't begin acting like he enjoyed the game. Fortunately for him the domino dates stopped when they were both 14.
With a bored look Conan put down his last domino. "I win."
"You're really good at this, Conan-kun," Ran said. "Have you played this game before?"
"Uh, no way!" Conan lied nervously. "It's just beginner's luck I guess!"
"But you've won both rounds," Ran said.
Kogoro was waiting on the adjacent couch impatiently. Then Mr. and Mrs. Miyazaki, Inspector Yokomizo, and 4 other men emerged from the elevator and walked over to Kogoro.
"We're here, Mouri," Jugo Yokomizo said. "And I've brought all the suspects with me along with the sole witness to the crime."
It was apparent that Mrs. Miyazaki had been crying.
"How did you narrow down the list of suspects?" Kogoro asked.
"Based on the witness's description of the perpetrator," Inspector Yokomizo said. "She says it was clear that the culprit was a man by looking at his figure. He had a skinny build and was left-handed so we narrowed it down to guests and employees of the hotel on that day who were male, skinny, at around the height that the witness described, and left-handed. That leaves these four gentlemen."
The four suspects were as following:
One Takeru Nishimura, the victim's boyfriend, age 20, and an employee of the Miyazaki Hotel
Two Yamato Matsubara, age 44, logger and a convicted felon
Three Taichi Sakuramoto, age 33, an employee of the Miyazaki Hotel
Four Izumi Maeda, age 27, doctor
"You said Matsubara-san is a convicted felon?" Kogoro asked.
"Yes," Inspector Yokomizo said. "He spent 25 years in prison for a bank robbery that ended with him shooting his partner over a dispute on how the money was to be divided. He was just released 6 months ago, in fact."
"I swear it wasn't me!" Mr. Matsubara protested. "I've been trying hard to keep away from the criminal life since my release! Besides, what motive would I have for shooting that girl? You must believe me officer!"
"Do they have alibis?" Kogoro asked.
"I was in the Workout Room on the 25th floor," Mr. Matsubara said. "I went there around 6:20. Two workers were talking outside and they were still there talking when I left around 6:50. They would've seen me had I left before then."
"Are there any security cameras which can verify any of this?" Kogoro asked.
"There aren't any active security cameras," Takeru explained. "To save costs we hang them up all over the hotel to deter any would-be troublemakers but we don't leave them on. Those security cameras are really old and many of them don't even work anymore but Miyazaki-san didn't want to pay for new cameras."
"Save costs?" Kogoro asked. "Oh yeah, if I recall correctly Miyazaki-san had said something earlier about the hotel being upon hard times."
"There was in fact one employee, a 22 year old Ryutaro Kimura, who verified Matsubara-san's alibi," Inspector Yokomizo said, looking at his notes.
"I was in my room on the 27th floor watching TV the whole time," Mr. Maeda said. "I don't really have any way of proving this now that I know that the security cameras don't work, but…oh yeah, I ordered room service."
"It's true," Inspector Yokomizo said, looking at his notes again. "One employee, a 53 year old Fumiko Hayashi, testifies that at 8:42 she came to his room with the food he ordered and he opened the door to take it."
"Still, that'd give him two minutes," Kogoro said.
"I was in the lobby preparing the meal," Mr. Sakuramoto said. "Three workers were there with me. They can confirm my alibi."
"This is also true," Inspector Yokomizo said.
"I was on the Master Floor waiting for Miyazaki-san to emerge from the shower," Takeru said sadly while looking down at the floor, him having learned of the death of the love of his life the night prior. "I was alone up there for several minutes, so unfortunately I have no alibi."
"The Master Floor?" Kogoro asked.
"Yes," Takeru said. "The Miyazaki Hotel has 36 floors. The lobby is the 1st Floor. As far as guests are concerned it goes up 32 floors to the 33rd Floor. However, there is a 34th Floor, the Master Floor, where the Miyazaki family lives. There are also two basement floors, B1 and B2."
"I see," Kogoro said. "Did you and Miyazaki-san communicate during any point while he was taking a shower?"
"No," Takeru said. "I just spent that time watching TV."
"How long was he in the shower?" Kogoro asked.
"He entered the bathroom at 6:35 and he came out at 6:48," Takeru said. "We were supposed to meet up with Atusko-chan and her mother at 6:50 PM."
"And the crime occurred at 6:40," Kogoro said. "Miyazaki-san, can you confirm what he just said?"
"Yes," Mr. Miyazaki said. "Takeru-kun was in the room when I entered the shower and he was there when I came out. I did not hear the sound of a door opening or closing during that time, though to be fair that shower is pretty loud."
"I see," Kogoro said. Then he looked at Megumi Miyazaki. "Ma'am, can you tell me exactly what happened?"
"Yes," Mrs. Miyazaki said. "Atsuko and I were up in the Ballroom talking while waiting for Nobuyuki to come downstairs and join us. Also, Sakuramoto-san and several other employees were preparing the food for the occasion. Anyways, like you've heard it was at exactly 6:40 when a skinny man in a mask wielding a gun entered the Ballroom. He pointed his gun at Atsuko, and then he…and then he…"
Mrs. Miyazaki broke down into sobs. Mr. Miyazaki put his arms around her.
"I see," Kogoro said. "At any rate, I'm going to need to check out the 33rd and 34th Floors for myself."
"Of course," Mr. Miyazaki said. "Right this way, Mouri-san."
Fortunately, the whole conversation had been within Conan's earshot.
"I need to use the bathroom," Conan said in a very childlike voice to Ran.
He then put his mouth up to Haibara's ear and whispered "Keep her busy."
Conan then ran for the Stair Room. "Don't get lost!" Ran called out after him.
Scene Transition
The elevator arrived on the 33rd Floor. They walked down the hallway towards the Ballroom.
"Listen, uh, inspector," Izumi Maeda said. "I understand that this is an ongoing murder investigation. But is there any way that we could go soon? I've already had to call in sick for work today because of all this."
"Soon," Inspector Yokomizo said. "But for now we can't afford for you to leave yet."
They arrived in the Ballroom.
"So this is where the murder took place," Kogoro said.
"Yes," Mrs. Miyazaki said. "After that man…shot her in the head he closed the doors and used a crowbar to seal them. All that I thought to do during that time was to call 110 and then pound on the door and scream to get the attention of anyone nearby. It wasn't until 6:49 when Sakuramoto-san arrived, noticed the sealed door and the sound of my pounding and screaming, and opened it. I then told him to hurry and tell Nobuyuki what happened." The police arrived at 11:53."
Conan, who was standing outside the door panting, knew that he'd need to get inside and check the room without Kogoro noticing. He couldn't use his tranquilizer wristwatch because it could only carry one dart at a time, so…
Conan hid behind the open door and turned the settings of his voice-changing bowtie to that of an adult male.
"Inspector, I've found something!" Conan interjected.
As he predicted, everyone in the room suddenly rushed out into the hallway to find where that voice was coming from. Conan took advantage of this opening to slip into the room. He knew that at best he'd have about half a minute to search the room before Kogoro noticed him.
On the floor was that tape used by the police to provide a model for where the victim was found and what position the victim was in even after the body had been transported from the scene. The police apparently had already spotted and confiscated for evidence the now empty cartridge used by the culprit.
After twenty seconds of looking around he failed to find anything important. Just when he was starting to search the floors for any trace that the culprit may've left behind…
Conan's head suddenly became once again intimately acquainted with Kogoro's fist.
"What are you doing in here you brat?!" Kogoro exclaimed. "Wasn't Ran supposed to be playing dominoes with you and that other brat?!"
"Sorry!" Conan called out, running out of the room as fast as he could.
Scene Transition
Ran and Haibara casually played dominoes on the first floor.
"Conan-kun's been gone for a while," Ran said.
"And you believe that he's snooping around the crime scene right now," Haibara said.
Ran nodded. "I should probably go upstairs and look for him."
"Why?" Haibara asked.
"Because he's a kid," Ran said.
"Is it that you fear he'll interfere with the investigation or that something might happen to him?" Haibara asked.
"Some of both," Ran said.
"But yet it's unequivocally true that his observations have aided in the solving of many cases," Haibara said.
"I know," Ran said. "But father finds Conan-kun's presence at crime scenes very irritating."
"You care about your father's temper more than the fact that Conan-kun's presence at crime scenes is helpful to investigations?" Haibara asked. "Isn't it true that your father emerged from a long period without any cases and a poor record as a detective on the day that Conan-kun first entered his and your life?"
Ran was silent.
"There's something about Conan-kun," Haibara said. "Something that reminds you of your missing boyfriend. You cannot help but to notice it and the feeling it gives you cannot be explained away. And this feeling terrifies you. You perhaps fear that what happened to your missing boyfriend will one day happen to him?"
Ran's facial expression changed. Haibara could tell that she had struck a nerve.
Who is this girl? Ran thought. How does she know exactly how I feel? This eight year old kid…
"Why?" Haibara probed.
"That's enough questions," Ran snapped, uncomfortable by how this girl was peering right into her soul. "I'm going upstairs to get him. Wait here."
Scene Transition
Because the door was unlocked Conan was able to slip onto the Master Floor. He calculated that he'd have at least a minute or two before Kogoro came up. Still, he'd have to work fast.
So, this room was where Takeru Nishimura, boyfriend of the victim and thus the person who'd be only one of the four suspects to have the connection to the victim needed to possess a possible motive for murdering her, claimed to be at the time of the crime. It was possible that one of the other three suspects was hired as a hitman, but in this case wouldn't Takeru stay completely away from the Miyazaki Hotel on the day of the crime and give himself an unshakable alibi? If Takeru did do it, then he most likely did not hire a hitman. The crime wasn't a robbery gone wrong because of the fact that the culprit immediately shot Atsuko and then fled. The murderer thus had entered the room with the sole purpose of killing the victim, meaning that he must've had some kind of connection to her in order to have a reason for doing so. Conan concluded that the killer was none other than a person who either knew intimately or was related to the victim. The two possible suspects were, thus, Takeru and Mrs. Miyazaki. Mrs. Miyazaki could've just shot Atsuko, hid the weapon on her person and disposed of it later, and made the culprit up. Then again, that door was sealed with a crowbar from the outside, something which Mrs. Miyazaki could not pull off without some amazingly clever trick.
Conan looked around the floor. In the Living Room there were several photographs hanging on the wall. Conan looked at them. Then something about those pictures caught his eye.
Mr. Miyazaki is wearing a short-sleeve shirt and shorts in every one of these pictures, Conan noted. Even in pictures taken in the winter he was wearing a short sleeve shirt. In fact, Mr. Miyazaki didn't wear dress clothes even whenever he met with several foreign investors, including prominent American businessman Ronald Rump. One picture, which was taken 4 months ago, showed him wearing a short sleeve shirt and shorts.
But downstairs Mr. Miyazaki was with Kogoro and the others, clad in a long-sleeve shirt and pants. Why the change?
Conan then felt compelled to investigate the bathroom which Mr. Miyazaki was inside of while the murder was occurring. It was a very large bathroom with light blue tiles covering the floor. There was a clothes hamper which the Miyazaki family presumably placed dirty towels and rags inside of after taking showers. Suddenly something caught Conan's eye: there was a string sticking out from underneath the clothes hamper. Curious, Conan moved the clothes hamper to the side. Then he saw what was underneath. He opened it…
So that's how it was, Conan thought. He had solved this case. All that he needed to do was confirm a few more things.
Scene Transition
Conan dashed out of the 34th Floor and went down the stairs, running past an angry Kogoro. He took the elevator to the Lobby.
"Excuse me," Conan said to the employee manning the front desk. "Uncle Mouri told me to ask you some questions about Miyazaki-san."
"Questions?" the employee repeated.
"Have there been any strange rumors about Miyazaki-san circulating for the past 4 months or so?" Conan asked.
"Strange rumors?" the employee repeated. "As a matter of fact, there is one. It would appear that Miyazaki-san is throwing a lot of food away. It's as though a lot of the time he only pretends to have eaten food delivered to him, such as the lunches that his wife sends to him."
"Has he been constantly wearing long sleeve shirts and pants for the past few months?" Conan asked.
"Yes," the employee says. "Come to think of it it's been several months since I've seen him in shorts or anything of that manner. Ah, there's even a rumor going around that lately Miyazaki-san has been going to bed in his work clothes."
"Also, are there any rooms on the 33rd Floor which Miyazaki-san has recently forbid any employee from entering and any guest from staying in?" Conan asked.
"Yes," the employee said. "There actually is one such room. It's down the hallway from the Ballroom."
Then everything is confirmed, Conan thought to himself. This mystery was solved.
He then saw Haibara sitting by herself on the couch.
"Where's Ran?" he asked.
"Looking for you," she answered.
Ran suddenly emerged from the elevator. "Conan-kun! Where were you?"
"The bathroom," Conan said with a nervous chuckle.
"You wouldn't happen to have been disturbing father during his investigation, would you?" Ran asked.
"Of course not!" Conan lied.
"YOU!"
Kogoro emerged from the elevator. He advanced slowly towards Conan, his face bright red.
"I TOLD you a thousand times to STAY AWAY from crime scenes!" Kogoro exploded. "How many times do I need to…"
He suddenly felt a light prick on his neck. What started out as a light stinging sensation immediately turned into a feeling of uncontrollable drowsiness. Kogoro stumbled like a drunk man and fell down onto the sofa. Then he lost consciousness.
It's showtime, uncle, Conan thought. He turned the knob on his voice-changing bowtie to meet the specifications of Kogoro's voice. Then he hid behind the couch. "Ran, please go upstairs and tell Inspector Yokomizo and the others to come down here. I've solved the case."
"Right," Ran said. She headed for the elevator.
"It should take them about 5 minutes to come down here," Conan said, emerging from behind the couch.
"So I finally get to see the great Sleeping Kogoro in action," Haibara said, more amused than anything.
"Excuse me while I make a quick phone call," Conan said.
He ran to the opposite corner of the room and began to dial a number on his cell phone…
About five minutes later Ran, Inspector Yokomizo, Mr. and Mrs. Miyazaki, and the four suspects came out of the elevator.
"Ah, Inspector," Conan/Kogoro said. "I'm glad that you're finally here."
"I take it you've solved the case then?" Inspector Yokomizo asked.
"Indeed I did," Conan/Kogoro confirmed. "The culprit is…THAT PERSON!"
To Be Continued
(Kimi to Yakusoku Shita Yasashii Ano Basho Made by La PomPon)
Kimi ga tetsuzen inakunaru yume wo saikin yoku miru no yo to
Utsumuku watashi ni nanimo iwazu ni
POKETTO no naka de tsuyoku te wo nigirishimeta kimi
Iro wo kisoiaisaku hana you ni
Monougena ame ni sae mo yori seno sugata ga kagayaku you ni
Kimi to yakusoku shita yasashii ano basho made
Ima wa mada futari otagaihashiritsudzuke you ne
Kimi to azayakana iro ni naru seno toki made
Aenai hibi ga iteshisa wo mashiteyuku yo seshite itsu no hi ni ka
Kimi to yakusoku shita yasashii ano basho made
Nigemichi wo fuyaseba yokei meiro ni hamaru yo ne
Tatoe hyoushiki no nai michi ga tsudzuita toshitemo
Shinjiau kimehi wo michishirube ni yuku yo yasashii ano basho made
NEXT CONAN'S HINT: "Fat man, skinny man"