Wholly unedited and written pretty quickly, here's chapter 2! Unless I can't help it, I think I will be keeping the chapters in this story relatively small (if only for my own selfish want, to make this story last as long as possible, haha!). I hope you will still stick around; I will try to update faster! ;w;
The town of Arura was, in a word, quaint.
Swap and change a few letters in the name around, and it would spell out "rural", which the town almost fit to a T. It wasn't entirely old fashioned, but it was still a culture shock, considering the age of technology most of the world existed in. "Rural" and "old fashioned", so much so, the townsfolk used older rotary phones and preferred horse-drawn carts for travel.
Arura was a good ways away from the city, but the initial request for assistance had come from an apparently anonymous source. The unfortunate lack of information had Detective Kogoro in an uproar, but business had been somewhat slow anyhow, so away they went.
That had been well over a day ago, a full week after the murder they were now investigating had occurred.
"Sounds like a real pain in the ass."
"You're telling me. I'm still curious as to how they even got Kogoro's number," Conan replied dryly, twirling the phone cord around his index finger. Given their current location, it was a no-brainer that his cellphone didn't pick up any wifi connections or otherwise.
"Mind tellin' me about that case again?"
"Hattori-" Conan started, but sighed as he stopped himself from breaking out into a rant. Sure, he could've simply not been paying attention, but all the same, this case was a little strange. It was worth repeating if it could get some questions answered. Unlikely, but still worth it.
"Approximately seven days ago, around 4am, a 66-year old woman named Mayu Nia was murdered by a single stab wound to the chest. The prime suspect: her granddaughter, a 26-year old woman named Mayu Hana. Motive: Unknown."
"That is shockingly little info."
"I know!" he snapped. "It's been a WEEK, and the police investigation team assigned to this case has found next to nothing! I don't know how this is even possible…!" He pinched the bridge of his nose. Lack of access to technology he was normally used to was one thing, but this inadequacy had just about floored him.
"And the call was anonymous? Not even from someone within the police force?"
"I don't know that. Interestingly enough, it was from a wireless device, so it could've come from them. Why it would be need to be kept anonymous, though, is suspicious." Conan pushed the phone receiver up onto his shoulder, holding it in place with his head and ear as he picked his notepad and pen up off of the floor to scribble out some more notes.
If they ever needed to be used, the pages of the pad were usually littered with bullet points and margin notes, full of sweet, sweet information to behold. His current page, however, was a far cry from his other cases, boasting the bare bones of this case and no more. Before he'd called Heiji to discuss the case (see also: complain), Conan had thrown down the notepad and pen in a fit of frustration.
"On top of that, the call would've had to have been made well outside of the town's range. As close to the city as someone could get to even pick up a damn signal."
"Exactly."
The townsfolk didn't seem to be the type to be bothered to leave Arura unless it was to sell crops or whatever to other nearby towns. Considering he'd barely been in this town a day and a half, it was unwise to make assumptions about the people living here. But Conan had a strong feeling about this one. It was like he was stuck in some farming life simulator. He was afraid to drink the water here, but by this point, he had no choice.
How he wished Heiji was here with him. Progress on this case might've come a lot quicker if his "partner in crime" wasn't stuck in the city with some business or another. He even wished Haibara had considered coming with him, but she was still upset with him. Apparently, pointing out that her choice of shirt color clashed with the color of her hair justified giving him the silent treatment for the next few days. Honestly….
So, Conan was now stuck in Arura with Kogoro, Ran, and Team 3, a sub-group consisting of 11 people from the investigative force they usually worked with. A supposed "simple" murder case wouldn't call for a whole fleet to come rushing in, but this case had turned out to be anything but open-and-shut.
"So, the initial request came from someone who is more than likely part of the police investigative team assigned to this town. Can you look into the personnel on the team?"
"Sure, sure. You're talkin' about relations to the townsfolk, huh? Think there's a connection?"
"Maybe so. It's too soon to tell, but something feels wrong. Unless they're extremely incompetent, there's no way the team spent a week investigating the case only to have found so little." At that moment, Kogoro's shouting could be heard outside, and Conan groaned. His moment of respite from this mess of a case was over, it seemed. "I've gotta go. But call me back the moment you find out anything, got it?"
"'Course! And same goes to you. I'll be waiting."
Conan placed the receiver back on its hook, taking a second to relax before heading outside to see what the commotion was about.
