AN: Without further delay, here's chapter four! Just like the previous chapter, there were many parts of this that were pretty fun to write! Hopefully within the next chapter we should wrap up the Seishina arc, and then move on to the next arc. I hope everyone looks forward to it!
Be sure to leave a review if you can! To those of you who already have, I wholeheartedly thank you!
The Bells Chime Beyond
Chapter Four
Grandmother Fox Offers a Deal
Geez, Kudo. It's the first time we've seen each other in awhile, an' that's the first thing ya've got ta say ta me? I'm hurt here!
Conan opened and shut his mouth, trying to process what he had just witnessed. Silently, he gave his arm a sharp pinch, yelping a little when it hurt. His most logical explanation, that this was in fact a dream escaping him, he was forced to confront the one truth before him- that this was real.
The apparition that had appeared in front of him- and apparition was a good word for him, considering that he was essentially floating in midair before him- was none other than Hattori Heiji, considered as the great detective of the west by many to match his own title as great detective of the east. All things considered, he seemed to be taking this pretty well, and frankly, Conan wished he had half of his composure at the moment, because he wasn't even certain where to start.
Did I break ya or somethin', Kudo?
There it was again. Heiji's mouth definitely wasn't moving, and yet there was no mistaking his Osakan accented voice inside of his head.
"Just..." Conan spoke again finally, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Just give me a second to try and process this please, Hattori."
Oh, sure thing! Take yer time!
Eye twitching slightly as the Osakan's voice appeared directly in his head again, Conan closed his eyes, trying to process everything that had just happened in about the past minute or so. It was a seemingly impossible set of circumstances, and part of him was still trying to logically explain everything before him. There must have been some kind of trick, there must be some logical explanation other than some kind of magic at work.
But even he knew that there wasn't, and furthermore understood that trying to continue to deny it when it was starting him literally in the face wasn't going to do him any favors. And so, Conan opened his eyes, taking in and letting out a deep breath, before he got to his feet, locking eyes with Heiji.
"Could you at least stop floating, Hattori?" He asked dryly, glancing down at the teenager's bare feet, which clearly weren't touching the ground.
Oh, sorry, sorry. No problem. Heiji flashed a grin as he responded to Conan's request, his feet touching the ground. He couldn't help but notice that the leaves on the forest floor made no sound in response to this, almost as if they didn't register that something had tread on top of them.
"First things first. Are you speaking to me in my head?" Conan asked, a hand pointed to his own head for emphasis.
That's right! Heiji's grin grew at this, before he pointed to his neck, stretching it a little so that Conan could get a better look at the rope marks that still scarred his neck. With my throat like this, I can't really use it fer much of anythin'. Ya've seen that much yerself already, right? That doctor said so.
For some strange reason, the idea that the fox's physical injury had effects that carried over to this form actually seemed to help quiet the logical, skeptical part of Conan's mind somewhat. "I see. So you really were attacked, then? By that Watanabe-san?"
That's right, Kudo! Let me tell ya, gettin' strangled ain't somethin' I ever hope ta go through again any time soon. It's not fun! An' on top of that, I ended up fallin' into the river and drownin'. Really, it was the worst set of circumstances. Heiji's complaints flowed into Conan's head, all while the dark skinned boy folded his arms in front of his chest, and apparently without thinking about it, started floating again. Crossing his legs, he essentially hovered in a sitting position in midair, brown fox tail twitching in annoyance behind him, acting as if for all the world it had always been there.
The matching set of ears on Heiji's head did very much the same, Conan noted, staring blankly up towards them. That was going to take some getting used to, he thought.
"And?" Conan asked, deciding at this point to simply accept whatever else this situation threw at him. "The case is more important at the moment, especially if they're really planning on killing Yamagishi-san, so I'll start with that and then loop back around to your... current situation, Hattori. It's obvious that the mayor and the police chief have something to do with this- but who is this Imamura they were speaking with? Not to mention the fourth person whose name I didn't get..."
So cold, Kudo. Heiji's pouted somewhat at his words, before his expression took a turn for the more serious. It was comforting to learn that whatever had happened to him to turn him into this, it hadn't done anything to his detective skills. But I haven't just been lyin' around an' sleepin' all this time. That Imamura fellow is Imamura Yoshio, a business owner in the area. That man whose name ya don't know is Hidehara Kyousuke, the mayor's personal assistant an' a real creepy fellow! If I'm not wrong, he's also the one behind Yamagishi-han's grandfather's murder as well.
"How involved is the rest of the police force?" Conan asked. Depending on Heiji's answer, they might need to call for outside help. "Ueda's definitely up to his neck in all of this."
They don't know. Heiji told him, his gaze briefly flickering in the direction the men had went. If ya confronted them with enough evidence, they'd definitely act an' arrest their superior officer. Well, it still might be a good idea to put in a call for some higher powers ta come swingin' by just ta be on the safe side.
"Any chance you know anything about Hidehara-san's plan?" Conan asked, glancing up at Heiji. When the floating teenager simply shook his head, he frowned, his brows furrowing together in thought. "From the sound of it he doesn't plan on acting until the festival, so we still have time, but if we make one wrong move, he might decide and accelerate his plans."
Yeah, that's the trouble. Heiji agreed, nodding his head. Now that we know he's up to somethin' though, I can spy on him some more and find out fer sure what he's got planned.
"Good. Let's go with that strategy for now." Conan agreed. "So they're really after the treasure on Fox's Mountain, then. Thanks for showing it to me, Hattori. I thought it was a bit strange that they would go through all of this trouble just for a ski resort. Something about that didn't sit right with me."
No problem at all! Heiji flashed a grin. I'm just glad ya started followin' me around on yer own! If Kazuha wasn't there, I don't know what I would have done back at the shrine. I didn't want ta drag her over to a corpse by herself first thing.
"It couldn't be helped!" Conan grumbled. But at least his words confirmed the fact that Kazuha likely knew about Heiji's current condition since they had met at the shrine. It didn't surprise him, really. She was Heiji's childhood friend, after all, and she always believed in that sort of thing. "There's no way I would have ever thought that you'd..." His words caught in his throat, refusing to come out for a brief moment. "That you'd turn into some kind of fox, Hattori. Normally that sort of thing doesn't happen."
Normally people don't shrink either. Heiji pointed out, arching a brow. But I was startin' ta wonder what I would do if ya didn't realize it yerself, Kudo. Do ya know how frustratin' it was fer me to watch ya keep denyin' the truth over an' over again? Ya really were determined not ta get it this time! Ya wouldn't even be able ta see me in this form in the first place if ya hadn't accepted it. Ya look like a child, but ya don't got the eyes of one, after all.
"Can you blame me?" Conan asked, his tone somewhat sour. "You're a fox, Hattori. I'm surprised you're handling this so well yourself."
Meh, it's not that bad. Heiji shrugged his shoulders, looking rather placid about everything. There's probably a way fer me to become human again out there anyways. It's just a matter of findin' it in the first place. An' there's nothin' a detective does better than searchin' out the truth, after all! This Great Detective of the West will have this problem solved in no time at all!
"Well, that's reassuring." Conan admitted after a moment. "But what are you going to do from now on, Hattori? No, wait." He stopped himself, holding up a hand. "Actually, I should back up. Can you explain to me what happened to you, Hattori? I gather that you were strangled, fell into the river with your attacker, and nearly drowned, but..."
Not nearly drowned. I definitely drowned. Heiji corrected him, grimacing a little as he recalled it again. I died there fer a second, Kudo.
Conan had to avert his gaze from Heiji then, not really wanting his rival to see his expression in response to those words. The question 'are you still dead' briefly danced over his tongue, but he decided not to ask it. The answer would probably become clear in short order anyways, from the sound of it.
Ah, close yer eyes for a second, Kudo. Heiji's voice instructed him as it floated through his head. Biting back a question as to why, Conan nevertheless did what Heiji told him, and shut his eyes. Behind closed lids, he could still make out something like a light appearing before him. It'll probably be faster if I just show ya.
"Show me...?" Conan's voice trailed off, as his question was quickly answered for him.
Cold, rapid waters mercilessly pulled his body under. Barely having gotten out a few gasps of breath when the man's hands had released their grip on the rope, the urge to gasp for breath even while being pulled underwater was overpowering. In the end, he couldn't fight it, feeling water filling up his lungs, a burning sensation in his already damaged throat as he choked on it.
Just as blackness began to creep into his vision, and what surely was the cold grip of death enveloped him, he heard it. From the distance, the faint sound of bells.
And a voice, calling out to him.
"Do you wish to live, child of man?"
Of course he did! There was no way that Hattori Heiji was going to die here like this! There were too many things he hadn't done yet, too many people he was going to leave behind. He hadn't even confessed to Kazuha yet, and hadn't even really begun to help Kudo deal with the Black Organization yet. There was no way he was going to die like this!
"What would you be willing to trade for your life, child of man? Would you be willing to throw away your existence as a human?"
The question didn't even give him pause. Whatever it was, he'd gladly take it if it meant surviving.
As he thought that, the chime of bells, once distant, loudly rung out in his ears. Gasping for breath and realizing that he could do it now without feeling the burning sensation of water flowing down his throat, Heiji forced his eyes open, realizing that he was no longer in the river, but inside a cave.
Before him, a small shrine stood, candles illuminating the otherwise dark cave. Strangely, he thought, the darkness didn't seem to bother him as much as he felt it should have. In fact there was almost something off-kilter about the world, as if everything had somehow tilted and grown, in a way that he couldn't quite explain. It was as if he were suddenly viewing everything from a completely different perspective than he was used to. Something about his body felt unnatural, though it seemed as if he were rapidly adapting to it, the unnatural feeling already slowly starting to subside.
"You've come to, little one." The young woman's voice echoed throughout the cave, and Heiji blinked, wondering how he had missed her before. She stood in front of the shrine, a pure white kimono adorning her body. Her hair was the same pure white color, flowing like a river down her back. Strange, silver eyes were fixed on him, and there was a deep wisdom in them, as if she had lived far longer than her rather young appearance let on.
But what was most notable, he thought, were the nine fox tails she possessed, all the same pure white color as her hair and clothes. Pure white fox ears flicked slightly at the top of her head, and as she took a step forward, the sound of bells rang out. They were tied around her ankles, Heiji took note, as well as her wrists.
"Very good." The woman spoke again, a gentle smile spreading over her features. "It has been quite some time since I have cast such magic. Those with fox blood in them who can hear my voice grow fewer and fewer still. But that simply is the advancement of time, I suppose."
Magic? Fox blood? Heiji blinked, wondering what she was talking about. He didn't doubt for one second that the woman before him wasn't human- any disbelief he had in the supernatural had been swept away at the moment. Opening his mouth, he tried to speak, only for a strangled sound to come out, one that left him gagging as his throat burned.
"Don't try and speak." The woman warned him. "I'm afraid that I cannot do anything for your throat, it is damaged beyond my means. I do not have such abilities, though there are others in the world who might be able to help you fix it, little one."
That was right. Heiji thought, recalling how he had gotten into this situation in the first place. Even if he hadn't just drowned, he had still just been strangled with quite the amount of force. There was no way that wouldn't have damaged his throat somehow- it was no surprise he couldn't speak.
Wanting to get closer to the mysterious woman in front of him, Heiji tried to take a step forward- only for the world to spiral in front of him, a sense of wrongness overcoming his body all at once. It took him a second for him to pinpoint what was wrong, but when he did, he couldn't help but wonder how it had taken him this long to notice.
No wonder it felt like his perspective had changed. Previously he had approached life on two legs- and now he was on four, he realized, wondering what to make of the apparent fact that he had in fact, ceased to be human. Remembering the woman's words from the river, he closed his eyes, laughing a little in his head, wondering if perhaps he shouldn't have been so hasty to jump on her offer.
Who would have thought it would have caused him to turn into a fox.
For a moment, he wondered if it were a dream- but the burning pain that trying to speak had caused him had already long since vetoed this prospect. At the very least, with the realization that his body had fundamentally changed, the sense of wrongness within him slipped away, and with it came a sense of acceptance of this bizarre situation. At once he felt connected fully with his body again, allowing him to approach the woman as he had originally planned, before sitting down in front of her, glancing up at her with an expectant look.
"My, you came to terms with it rather quickly." The woman observed, a hint of amusement dancing over her features. "Usually people are more surprised than this."
Heiji merely imitated the act of quirking an eyebrow- he of course, had no such thing at the moment, but that apparently wasn't enough to stop his muscle memory- tilting his head a little at the woman.
"Ah, I'm sure you're wondering how to communicate." The woman said, lightly taping her head, giving him a small wink. "Use this. You should be able to send your voice into my head without any problems."
That's convenient. Heiji thought, gauging from the woman's reaction that she had properly heard him. So? Do you plan on explainin' things ta me? I'm waitin'. He sent to her, his newfound tail twitching behind him somewhat angrily.
"There's no need to get so angry at me, Hattori Heiji." The woman said simply, an amused smile gracing her face once more as he reacted to his name. "Of course I know your name. I've been watching you ever since you entered this village, after all. Your blood called out to me. Who would have thought that you were the one that my cute Ritsuko called out to for help!"
My cute Ritsuko...? Heiji blinked. In spite of the absurd situation, those detective gears in his head starting clicking away. Yer the one she talked about, ain't ya? That Grandmother Fox or whoever. An' Ritsuko-han- she's related ta ya in some way, ain't she? That's why she mysteriously appeared from within the forest 'round here.
"Right on the mark." The woman, now correctly identified as Grandmother Fox, smiled softly down at Heiji. "I am her grandmother, after all, as I am to all on this mountain. When I learned that the shrine had no heir, I regretfully parted with one of my many grandchildren, and sent her to the world of humans, where I knew she would be lovingly cared for by Yamagishi-san. It was necessary to continue the survival of the Yamagishi family, however tragic our parting was."
Then why haven't ya done anythin' fer her? She's scared out of her wits, this precious granddaughter of yers. Heiji's tail twitched again. An' now that I'm like this, I'm not sure how much help I can provide her with.
Well, once news of him going missing broke, that guy was sure to come to this place, Heiji thought to himself. He wondered how Kudo would react if he learned about what had happened to him- providing his ever skeptical friend would accept the truth in the first place. Heiji, admittedly, had some doubts.
"I cannot." Grandmother Fox said simply. "I am not all powerful, young one, otherwise I would strike out with all my vengeance, and drag those who dare harm my children down into hell. But do not speak like I have done nothing- I saved your life, did I not, child?"
Well, I guess that's technically true. Heiji had to admit. Living his life as fox might still be a better alternative to being dead. But if ya could do somethin' like this, why didn't ya do anythin' fer her grandfather? It sounds like ya liked the guy, after all.
"Yamagishi-san was a splendid human, who I cared for very much." She said. "But I could do nothing for him other than ensure his body was found quickly, and in one piece. He had none of my blood flowing through him after all. My power has dwindled over the years, child, though with the festival growing again they are slowly returning to me. Tainted with corruption as it is though, not fast nearly fast enough. Without fox blood already flowing in your veins, you already would be dead."
Wait a second there. Heiji held up a paw, giving the guardian deity before him a rather blank look. What are ya talkin' about? Fox blood? Me?
"Traces of it in you, rather, though admittedly somewhat strong ones." Grandmother Fox specified. "Passed down from one or both of your parents. Probably one of your distant ancestors was a fox that took human form, and had children."
Haah. For some reason, given the current situation, Heiji found that rather easy to accept. He'd definitely referred to his father as a 'fox-eyed bastard' from time to time when he was angry at him, but it appeared he was a little more spot on in his speculation than he had at first thought. I see.
"You seem somewhat distressed over your situation, child." Grandmother Fox observed with a smile. "Fear not, child of man. There are those out there who may able to restore you to human form, should you seek them out. I cannot reverse a transformation I have done myself, I'm afraid. I know not where they are myself, least I would assist you, but I do suppose you're rather predisposed to finding such things out yourself, are you not?"
Is that true? Heiji's ears perked up, his entire posture overall shifting to be more positive. That's great news!
"And fear not, child." Grandmother Fox spoke again, a sly expression on her face. "Should you listen well to my teachings, there are many things I can do for you as you are now. After all, that girl I saw when shifting through your memories- you would very much like to be with her, would you not?"
Were he able to blush in this form, he surely would have done so. As it was, his tail stuck straight up, his eyes going wide. I-I don't know what ya mean!
"Fufufu~. You cannot hide it from me, child." Grandmother Fox laughed, amusement dancing in her eyes. "Because you have come all this way to the village on behalf of my granddaughter who knows not of her own blood, I will help you further still. Listen to me well, for I have many things to teach you, and not very much time in order to do so before your friends come searching for you, and before an ill omen falls over Fox Mountain."
The scene abruptly ended there, causing Conan to snap his eyes open and gasp for breath. Stumbling a little, for a moment, not understanding that he was able to balance perfectly well on two legs, Conan placed his hand against a tree to steady himself. His heart raced in his chest, wondering at what he'd just seen- and felt, as if he had been living the memory himself. Finally, he looked up towards Heiji, who was looking at him with a mixture of concern and vague amusement.
"What." He began, narrowing his eyes. "Was that."
I just shared one of my memories with ya, that's all. It's easier than tellin' ya the whole thing, ain't it? Heiji merely shrugged his shoulders, acting for all the world as if there was nothing outlandish or fantastical about this statement. It's a trick I learned!
"Right. Of course it was." Conan said simply, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to get rid of the lingering effects of what he'd just experienced. The ease at which Heiji had slipped into his new role was nothing short of amazing, Conan thought- but then again, he supposed he'd slipped into his role as Edogawa Conan with just as much ease. Being adaptable was a good trait for a detective to posses.
"And is that form of yours," Conan said, waving a hand at Heiji's everything, "...a trick you learned as well?"
That's right! Flashing his pint sized friend a wide grin, Heiji's tail eagerly wagged away, looking pleased as punch that he was getting it so easily now. His enthusiasm couldn't fight back a yawn, however, which slipped out without a sound. But that took more outta me than I thought it would. I'm goin' ta return back now, Kudo.
"Return back?" Conan blinked, wondering what he might mean- before Heiji showed him. His current form dissolved once more into smoke, leaving behind the brown fox in his place. Ears twitching as he shook his head, the fox Heiji blinked a little, readjusting to the changed form, before he looked back up at Conan, that all too familiar grin appearing on it's face, complete with a wagging tail.
"I can't believe this." Conan grumbled, sinking down against the tree, running a hand through his hair. "You're really Hattori, aren't you?"
The one an' only! Heiji's voice drifted back into Conan's thoughts, and he jumped a little at it. Having it come from something that at least appeared quite human was one thing, having it come from an animal was another thing entirely. Ya just gotta accept it, Kudo. It'll be easier that way.
"You're basically asking me to throw away my entire stance on the supernatural, Hattori." Conan pointed out, before heaving a sigh. He did have a point, in the end. "Well, I have to say though." He looked back over at the fox, reaching out to lightly scratch underneath the animal's chin. The fact that Heiji already had fox blood flowing through his veins was perhaps the least surprising revelation of the evening. "A fox suits you."
What am I supposed to take from that statement? Heiji asked, grumbling a little as the not-child treated him casually as if he were some kind of pet- in spite of the telltale wagging of his tail which exposed the fact that he did, somewhat, enjoy the attention.
"Just that you've always had a mischievous streak a mile wide." Conan said simply, getting back to his feet, brushing dirt off the backside of his pants. "But I'll bring up my question from earlier again. What do you plan on doing now, Hattori? If Hattori Heiji doesn't turn up again somewhere after this, the search for you will only increase, you know. Well, I guess your situation's not quite like mine where you need to hide, but..."
Ah, if it's about that, don't worry 'bout it. Kazuha an' I will work somethin' out. Heiji mentally reassured him. This isn't the end ta my bag of tricks, either! Well, that said, there's still a bunch of stuff I gotta learn first off... but well, things'll work out. If all goes well, ya should be seein' me afore the festival begins, or at least, right after it starts.
"Sometimes I envy that carefree attitude of yours." Conan said simply, before letting out a small yawn. "So, what do you want to do? Shall we try and find the mayor and his men again?"
It's probably not a good idea. If they're plannin' somethin' fer the festival, my best bet is that whatever they've got in mind might be on the last day of it. They wouldn't want to waste their precious tourism money by creatin' a fake accident on the first day of it, would that? That gives us time.
"That's certainly true." Conan said, musing over his words. "Then, we had better get back to the shrine. It would be a problem if someone woke up and realized I wasn't there." Moving to switch on his wristwatch flashlight, Conan shined it in front of him once again- before it sputtered and gave out. "Ah, crap. The battery's dead."
Don't worry 'bout it, Kudo! Leave lightin' the way ta me! With a flick of his tail, the fox Heiji took a step forward, what appeared to be small flames dancing around his paws. They floated upwards, forming small orbs which hung in the air, illuminating the area in front of them. Neat, right?
"Yeah." Conan said, his expression and tone equally blank as he stared at what was in front of him- what would most likely be called spirit fires. "Neat."
If what Heiji had said about possibly being able to return to normal had been true, then Conan really wished he'd hurry up and find someone who could do it. He didn't know how much more of this he could take.
If there was one thing in all of this that he hadn't counted on, it was probably Kazuha's smug grin. Namely the one that she was directing at him right now.
After all of his talk about the supernatural being fake, here it was, smacking him in the face in a way he really didn't care for. Granted, considering the alternative was Heiji being dead, he wasn't about ready to complain too much about it- but he hadn't predicted exactly how Kazuha would react when it turned out she was the one who was right about monsters and the like all along.
No doubt she'd gotten an excited report from Heiji, that probably involved his fellow high school detective calling him 'Kudo' again, which he had probably tried to hastily explain away. Briefly, he wondered if Kazuha had said anything to Ran, but given the way that she still seemed to be looking for Heiji in earnest, completely unaware that he was sitting right next to her eating a plate of scrambled eggs Kazuha had set down in front of him, she probably hadn't.
They had both slipped back in during the night without anyone ever noticing that they had gone missing and had spent a short while discussing their plan of action for the next day. Heiji had agreed to stick to Hidehara's side for the day, and observe his actions, while Conan had decided to in turn, stick with Ritsuko, and learn what he could from her about the festival.
Which turned out to be something that involved quite a bit of walking. It shouldn't have surprised him. With all of the festival setup going on in full swing, the priestess of the shrine had her hands full with plenty of things to do. It appeared that she was one of the main people in charge of the festival- although the mayor profited off it the most, he had very little to do with the actual work of setting it up.
"Hey, Ritsuko-neechan," Conan looked up at her. "What kind of events does the festival have?"
"Events?" Ritsuko asked, before smiling a little. "Well, there's the fireworks on the first and last days of the festival, and there's the booths that are set up at the shrine during the two middle days. There's all kinds of games to play then, Conan-kun, so if you're still here during that time, I hope you have fun!"
"And on the fourth day, there's Grandmother Fox's procession." Ritsuko told him, her enthusiasm clear in her voice as she spoke. "Of course, I'll be one the one playing Grandmother Fox this year. It's carrying her through the town that the outside helpers are here for in the first place."
"Can you tell me about it?" Conan asked, the gears in his head already starting to work. Out of the listed events, this one seemed to be the one most likely to be rigged by the mayor's man.
"Of course!" Ritsuko said, nodding her head. "The procession starts first at the village town hall, over there," she motioned outwards towards the village, pointing towards where the town hall lay quite some distance away. "And ends here at the shrine. I start by performing a ceremony at the town hall in the form of the old Grandmother Fox, before I enter into a palanquin, which is paraded to great fanfare here to the shrine."
"Of course, when I step out of the palanquin at the steps of the shrine, I step out as the young Grandmother Fox! It's not easy changing your costume and makeup in that tiny box." Ritsuko noted with a slight laugh. "So it always amazes people when I step out in a completely different costume. After that, I ascend the steps to the shrine, and perform another ceremony there... once that's over, the fireworks begin."
"What kind of ceremony is it?" Conan asked.
"A fire lighting ceremony." Ritsuko told him, glancing behind her, towards the front of the shrine where there was already a makeshift altar in the process of being set up. "You see? There's one just like it being constructed at the town hall right now. I light it on fire and recite a blessing for the year to come. Over at town hall, I thank the previous year for the gifts that it brought us."
"Heeh, I see! I can't wait to see it, Ritsuko-neechan!" Conan beamed widely at the woman, his childlike expression masking his decidedly unchildlike thoughts. If that Hidehara was planning something to take Ritsuko out that looked like an accident, tampering with the altar she was supposed to light on fire was probably the best bet. Of course, it was also possible that he could arrange for an accident with the palanquin as well, so he wasn't entirely willing to rule that out just yet. But given what he'd said before- that it would be a big finishing act fit for a fox priestess, Conan's money was on him tampering with the altar at the shrine.
Tampering with the altar probably would be very possible. It wasn't like security around it was very tight. If he had a worker slip in to tamper with it, then nobody would notice. It was also possible that he might sneak in under the cover of darkness and tamper with it himself. Whatever the case, it would be a good idea to carefully observe the altar.
What would be the best move then? Confront him with the evidence after he tampered with it? No, if they did that, the mayor and his men might be able to weasel their way out of their involvement. It had to be in a way that decisively proved beyond a shadow of a doubt, that the mayor and the police chief were involved in this plot.
An idea formed in his head then, one he decided to discuss with Heiji the next time he saw him. With the most likely instrument of murder found, and the culprits lined up, all that remained was the gathering of evidence. Between the two detectives (and Kogoro was here too he guessed) they wouldn't be able to escape them.
Time marched on as the two detectives poured their everything into this investigation. Digging up evidence in a case this deeply rooted in corruption was never easy, especially when it involved the police force themselves. Kazuha was more than happy to assist where she could, having apparently lectured Heiji on the merits of involving a seven year old boy in an investigation of this caliber. That, at least, Conan thought, meant that she still had no idea that was in fact, not actually seven, and that Heiji hadn't managed to slip up to her in any way to arouse her suspicions.
And as they continued to look into things, Ran got more and more antsy. In spite of Kazuha and Conan's attempts to reassure her that Heiji was probably fine, and was probably still alive and well somewhere, as the days ticked by, and the first day of the festival began, her worries came to the forefront.
Heiji had to admit he was touched. He didn't know that she cared about him so much, especially considering that the two of them didn't have many chances to talk to each other alone before this.
Still, it was proving to be a problem, and Conan had brought it up to Heiji.
The fox had given him a considering look, his tail twitching behind him in thought. Conan was frankly amazed that he'd been able to begin to determine what all of his expressions in this form were, and at how quickly he'd managed to get used to the idea of discussing case work with an animal. Heiji had been right thought- the faster he accepted everything, the better it was for him.
The two of them had been formulating a plan together during this time period, concocting a scheme with which to not only protect Ritsuko, but also to expose the crimes of the mayor and his men. There was an element of it that he felt that Heiji had thought of, but wasn't telling him just yet, as if he weren't certain of if it would work out or not yet. And it was that same element, he sensed, that was coming in to play as Heiji considered what the shrunken detective told him about Ran's mounting worries.
And he had a slightly sneaking suspicion that he knew what it was. The biggest question he guessed, was if it were possible.
So when Kazuha told Ran to come with her with no small amount of excitement in her voice, Conan had a sneaking suspicion of what they would find. It turned out that the place that Kazuha wanted them to go to was the doctor's clinic, which was something that took Conan slightly by surprise. He recalled that the village doctor was the second son of the mayor- but also just as easily recalled that he was estranged from the family and didn't care for his father's actions. If Heiji had decided to trust him, then he supposed he would do the same.
Sensing that Kazuha might want to share with her something about Heiji, it appeared that Ran had also called Kogoro along, something which Kazuha didn't appear to have a problem with. Waiting outside to meet them was the doctor himself, Wakahisa Taisuke, who glanced over at the approaching group with apparent disinterest. Conan doubted that he knew the whole story here.
Taisuke lead them almost wordlessly inside of the small clinic, leading them back to the furthest room. Excusing himself, he went back towards the front of the clinic, leaving the group of four to themselves.
"And? What did you bring me all the way out here to see?" Kogoro asked, and Conan silently bite back a comment that he was basically just an add-on, Kazuha really wanted to show this to Ran, not him. "I'm still in the middle of my investigation, you know."
"Don't worry, it's very important!" Kazuha said, unable to keep her cheer out of her voice. "In fact, one might actually be able to say it's rather crucial to your investigation!"
"Don't tell me!" Ran's eyes lit up as the realization hit her, and she reached out to grab Kazuha's hands. "You found Hattori-kun!?"
"On the mark!" Kazuha said, her grin nearly bright enough to rival one of her childhood friend's. Slipping her hands from Ran's grasp, she stepped inside of the clinic's backroom, and with one swift, theatrical motion, she swept back the curtain that concealed the bed behind it from view. "Tada!"
Behind the curtain, of course, was none other than Heiji himself, perfectly visible for all to see, appearing for all the world to be the same human being he'd always been. He flashed the surprised pair of Ran and Kogoro a wide grin, waving a hand at them as he rose to his feet.
Briefly Conan considered the possibility that he'd been able to find a way to return to being human already- but upon closer examination of his friend, he dismissed that idea. It was subtle and hard to notice if you weren't looking for it, but there were telltale signs that what currently flowed through Heiji wasn't a human's blood. It was written in the strangeness of his eyes, pupils too thin to be a human's, and in the sharpness of his nails, just enough so that it was easy to miss.
"Hattori-kun!" Ran's voice contained a mixture of delight and relief. "It really is you! We were getting so worried about you, you know! Where have you been all this time?" She paused mid-step, catching sight of the bandages wrapped around his neck, concealing the marks the rope that had strangled him left behind. "Are you hurt?"
"Ah well about that..." Kazuha began, glancing back towards Heiji. He lifted up his hands, making motions that Conan quickly recognized as sign language- though he didn't understand what they meant himself. He couldn't help but wonder when Heiji had learned it- and Kazuha for that matter, since she seemed to understand him right away. "Heiji can't speak right now. His throat and his vocal chords were badly damaged."
"That's horrible!" Ran's eyes narrowed, a flash of anger surging through her. "Who was it that did such a thing?" There was an undercurrent of 'I'll make them pay' to her words.
"About that..." Kazuha said, clapping her hands together with a grin. "We actually have a plan."