Detective Conan
Peering Through the Cracks
Chapter Two
by
Sgamer82

"Aren't there better things you could be doing with your time, Inspector?" Kogoro Mouri asked irritably.

"Probably," Sango admitted to the private investigator. "I can't seem to bring myself to let this go, however. On the other hand, there's definitely more to this case than anyone seems to have realized."

Kogoro Mouri sat his desk in his office. He had seemed reluctant to accept Sango's request for an interview, but he'd accepted nonetheless. So, on his next day off, Sango had arrived in Beika, gone to Mouri's office, and laid out what he had learned to the private investigator, hoping the he might know something. Unfortunately, he didn't appear to have paid Ai Haibara much attention.

"Just because the creepy brat can't be this Miyano woman's sister doesn't mean they aren't related," said Mouri.

"Ai-chan rarely talks about her family," said the third person in the room, a high school girl with long brown hair.

"Has she mentioned anything at all, Ran-san?" Sango asked Mouri's daughter.

"Wouldn't it be easier to ask the brat herself about it?" Mouri asked.

"I'm trying to avoid that, right now," Sango replied. "There's no reason to bring it up with her now. Not without a good reason for bringing up something painful for the kid."

Mouri grunted his agreement with the sentiment and took a drink from his beer. Ran, who had been thinking about Sango's question, spoke up.

"I don't know a lot," Ran began. "Most of what I do know is from talking to Ai-chan's friends. She's more open around them than me. I think they've mentioned an older sister and Ai-chan being half-British. When she was telling me about a case at the department store, Ayumi-chan said she heard Ai-chan say her parents died when she was a baby."

"Really?" Sango asked, sitting up straighter. "Curious."

"Why's that?" Ran asked.

"As I told you, my initial thought that Ai-chan and Akemi-san were siblings was proven wrong. The reason it was proven wrong was because of what my brother was able to find about the Miyano family."

Mouri quirked an eyebrow. Ran tilted her head.

"Akemi Miyano's parents both died when she was around eight years old. The obituary Jugo found did mention a second child, Shiho. She was only an infant at the time. She would be about Ran-san's age now. Neither he nor I could find any information on any relatives other than immediate family."

"Then, if there's no other family and Akemi-san's parents died that long ago, it means Ai-chan is too young to be blood-related to Akemi-san?" Ran asked.

"That, or it means the kid's too young to be Akemi Miyano's sister," Mouri answered, stressing the word "sister".

"That was my thought, as well." Sango nodded. Jugo's, too.

"I don't get it," Ran said.

"Good," Mouri said, which only confused his daughter further. With a sigh, he relented and continued. "At the time the kid was born, Miyano, the older one that is, would have been about your age."

Ran nodded.

"Then picture it," Mouri began, "a young girl still in or barely out of high school. She meets some dashing young man. Things happen, and she gets herself knocked u-uh, pregnant."

Ran blushed and her eyes went wide as she understood.

"You think Akemi-san was Ai-chan's mother?" she asked. "But then why would Ai-chan say she's her sister? Or say her parents died?"

"There are a few possibilities, but the simplest reason would be she doesn't know," Sango told her. At Ran's uncertain look, he continued. "It's more common than you might think. The simple fact is that a young girl caring for her two younger sisters is far more acceptable than a young girl with a baby out of wedlock and no father in sight. Assuming the younger sister backed her up, all she would really have to do is lie about when their parents died."

"Plus, if the kid herself only knows the fake story, it means she can't expose it as a lie and ensures she grows up without the stigma of being a bastard," Mouri continued.

Ran sat down and went silent for a few moments while she took that in. Then she suddenly gasped.

"Dad! The video!" she exclaimed.

"Huh?" Mouri blinked.

"That video Mitsuhiko-kun sent us, remember? From when they went camping."

Ran seemed excited at some realization. Mouri seemed to realize what she was referring to as well.

"What is so special about this video?" Sango asked.

"You'll see," Ran said as she took the keyboard and mouse for Mouri's computer. A few clicks later, Sango couldn't believe his eyes.

The Detective Boy Tsubaraya had taken a video of him and two of his friends being rescued from a burning cabin by a woman.

A woman who looked almost exactly like Ai Haibara. The resemblance was uncanny. Sango quickly realized what he was seeing. A girl with a strong resemblance to Ai, approximately Ran Mouri s age. It could mean only one thing.

"Shiho Miyano," Sango muttered. "Akemi Miyano's real younger sister."

"If it weren't for the math, I'd say she was the brat's mother," Mouri said, speaking Sango's own thoughts.

"What's that ring?" Sango asked, noticing the overlarge toy ring on Miyano's finger

"It was a pass for the Bell Tree Mystery Express," Ran told him. "A train with a murder mystery event. Though it ended up being a real murder mystery in the end. The kids all had rings like it, too."

"Including Ai-chan?"

Ran nodded.

"She must've really wanted to come, since I think she was feeling ill. If it was a chance to see her big sister, though..."

Sango nodded. If losing one 'sister' could affect Ai so deeply, she certainly wouldn't let a simple cold prevent her from seeing the other.

But why be so roundabout with it? Sango asked himself.

"Any other odd behavior?"

"Yes," Ran said, nodding again. "Ai-chan was unusually clingy when we boarded the train."

"Clingy?"

"She held on to me nearly the entire time and kept very close. Later, she disappeared entirely. We found her asleep in one of the other cabins."

"Did you see the woman?" Sango nodded his head toward the computer monitor.

"No." Ran shook her head. "I know the kids didn't either. They wanted to find her and thank her for saving them."

"Did anything happen besides the murder?"

"Kaito Kid was supposed to appear, but there was no sighting of him."

"The caboose exploded," Mouri said. "No one knows why."

"Hmm," Sango considered what he'd been told.

"Thank you," Sango said finally. "Thank you both for your help today."

He stood up and have his hosts a bow.

"If I may impose on you for one more favor?" Mouri and Ran nodded. "Please don't let Conan-kun know we spoke."

Mouri replied with an indifferent "sure", but Ran wanted to know why.

"I was able to track down two instances where just he, Ai-chan, and Professor Agasa were involved in a case, and both times involved Akemi Miyano. I think they're investigating Ai's family and past. If Conan-kun knows I'm looking into it as well, he will likely go to the Professor and Ai-chan, and bring up the painful memories I'm trying to avoid."

"That or give you some kind of runaround so he could nose around it himself," Mouri suggested.

"Dad!" Ran exclaimed on the boy's behalf.

"You know as well as I do the kid likes to play detective," Mouri said. "He'll do whatever it takes to keep someone butting in on 'his' case."

"Either way," Sango said. "Helping Ai-chan discover her family is hardly dangerous, since the Professor is obviously supervising them. I'm fine letting him have 'his case' for the time being."

"I suppose," Ran agreed with clear reluctance.

That wasn't quite true, Sango thought as he left the detective agency. He didn't want to worry Ran, but Sango had begun to have a distinct feeling there was something more to all this.


Jugo was waiting for Sango at the hotel room they were sharing. Jugo had also taken some personal time to assist his older twin in his new project. He was going over some paperwork when Sango came in.

"I'm back," Sango announced.

"Anything new?" Jugo asked.

"Yeah." Sango nodded. "I saw Shiho Miyano."

"You what?" Jugo looked up from his paperwork.

"Just a video of her," Sango clarified. "She was filmed saving Ai-chan's friends from a fire. The resemblance was uncanny, Jugo. If she hadn't been about ten when Ai-chan was born I'd swear she was the girl's mother."

"Probably made it easier to say they were sisters," Jugo offered.

"You're right." Sango nodded. "They would only have to say the younger ones took after their British mother. Mouri's daughter also confirmed our theory. Ai-chan's told people her parents died when she was little and she's half-British, rather than quarter."

Jugo nodded.

"Anything else?"

"On the video, Miyano was wearing a ring. It was a pass to some kind of mystery event on a train. Ai-chan had one, too, and went despite being sick. I did some quick research on the matter and some interesting things happened on that train."

"What do you think?" Jugo asked as Sango used his phone to email him some of what he found.

"It sounds like it was some kind of meeting between Ai-chan and Miyano, but " Sango shook his head. "They're being very secretive about it. Ai-chan's friends apparently don't know they're related, as sisters or otherwise. Why all the hiding for a family reunion? There's something fishy here."

"Agreed," Jugo said. "With Akemi Miyano dead and no other family to support them, Shiho and Ai would have been likely to stay together. Instead, the little one is sent off to some acquaintance of her grandfather's while the aunt disappears for parts unknown."

"Perhaps Shiho wasn't prepared to care for a child?" Sango offered.

"Even so, you're right. Why the secrecy? There shouldn't be any reason they couldn't meet openly, since anyone who asked would just be told they're siblings."

"The robbery was a big heist," Sango said. "Big enough that maybe it wasn't just the three robbers behind it."

"Which, at bare minimum, makes Miyano a suspect."

Sango nodded.

"The case was officially closed, so if she was involved Shiho would've been scot-free. The fact that she's still apparently in hiding-"

"-Suggests other movers are involved." Jugo finished. "It may be time to consult the local precinct, Nii-san."

Sango was inclined to agree. They had avoided doing so, thus far. Jurisdiction issues aside, no officer liked having a closed case reopened because he'd apparently missed something the first time around. This was getting big, though. Perhaps too big for just the two of them.

Just as the Yokomizo brothers began making plans to contact the local head inspector, Megure, the phone in their room began to ring. The brothers looked at each other. Neither had made any big announcement of their plans, and they had left their mobile phone numbers as contact information.

"It could just be the front desk," Sango offered.

"Somehow, I don't think so," Jugo replied.

After a few more rings, Sango picked up the receiver.

"Do you enjoy endangering the lives of children, Inspector Yokomizo," the woman said without preamble.

"E-excuse me?" Sango stammered.

"No, I shall not," the voice answered. "You're poking your nose into things you do not understand, Inspector. Continue investigating Akemi Miyano and you won't be the only one who suffers the consequences."

Sango was stunned. It took a lot of nerve to knowingly call a police officer and say something like that. The voice was familiar, like one he had heard before.

"You're Akemi Miyano's sister," Sango said, realizing it sounded similar to Ai's voice. Jugo immediately grabbed a small microphone and passed it to Sango. They had come prepared for the possibility of having to record a phone call. Sango held the mic up near the receiver as Jugo connected the cord to a recorder.

"I am," the woman said. "Let me be perfectly clear on this matter, Inspector, were it just you I wouldn't care, but your blundering is risking the lives of innocents who have nothing to do with any of this."

"And just what is 'this matter'?"

"Something more dangerous than a man who needs a seven year old to solve murders for him can handle."

Sango couldn't help but note the contempt in her tone. Jugo's own eyes narrowed at his brother's expression.

"Now wait a minute-"

"You have no right to indignation, Inspector," said Miyano, cutting him off, "As far as we can tell, you haven't attracted any attention. Yet. That will change if you carry on as you are. A mutual associate would rather this be settled amicably. That in mind, I'm prepared to offer you a deal."

"What kind of deal?"

"I will meet with you, face to face. During that meeting I will answer any questions you have as best I can. In exchange, you and your brother let my older sister rest and quit poking your nose into Ai's and Professor Agasa's affairs."

"If you're in some kind of trouble-" Sango began, only to be interrupted when Miyano laughed.

"No 'if', Inspector, but save your breath. I don't trust the police to help me," she said. "They're too easily compromised. I'll answer your questions and, in return, you stop sniffing around, stay out of our way and out of Ai's life as much as you can help."

Sango hesitated. While he had started this hunt in idle curiosity, he and Jugo had picked up on the possibility of some kind of organization behind the robbery. That seemed the only logical reason why everyone involved was so circumspect in how they moved. Now he had the chance to confirm that group's existence, at the price of promising not to investigate.

"Why would you make this offer?"

"Hanlon's Razor, Inspector. Whatever I may think, our associate knows you aren't being malicious by investigating this. The choice is yours."

"When and where?" he asked.