It looks like people are starting to take notice of my badly hidden secret message... please don't tell anyone where it is okay? It's no fun if you spoil it, but if anyone does I might (I make no promises so don't try me) have to make it more complicated by turning it into a cypher...

From now on the format for the text messages will be different because it's back and forth... Well I hope you enjoy, please review because feedback will help me.

cHapter 3. InconSisTancies OvertuRning realitY

My detective instincts were telling me that the person on the other end of this phone call was either KS or EC. There was little basis for this assumption, but my gut feeling was telling me this was correct.

"Who are you?" I whispered into the phone, making sure that Ran wouldn't hear.

"My name doesn't really matter anymore," The person on the other end replied, sounding laid back.

For some reason this person's personality was starting to really annoy me. I asked again, trying hard to keep from saying anything loud enough for Ran to hear, "There must be something I can call you?"

"I've used many names in the past, but by now you probably have a pretty good idea of who I am. So let's just say I'm 'KS', we'll leave it at that for now. Oh, but on the phone you should call me 'Shinichi-niichan'."

I was glad to find that I had been correct about it being either KS or EC, but somehow it still felt unsettling that there was a stranger on the other side of the phone using my voice.

"Look, I'm sure you have a lot of questions, but I'll explain everything I can... later. For now I just wanted to reassure you that Ran wasn't talking to one of the bad guys," He said, adding the next part in a grim tone, "making this phone call was dangerous enough as it is. Just don't worry okay? I'll handle everything, so just do whatever I ask you to. Trust me."

He hung up.

How rude.

"He hung up," I tell Ran and hand the phone back to her as I continued to think about what he'd said.

Ran looked annoyed but didn't say anything about it, instead she took my hand and began to walk to the door, "Who wants to talk to that detective otaku anyway! Come on Conan-kun I'll show you your new home."

She took me to her house and we barely had time to make it to the living room before a call came giving her father what was apparently his first case in six months... the daughter of a company president had been kidnapped. A few hours of me acting like a child while still managing to be the one who actually solved the case later we arrived back 'home' in time for me to be left to sleep on a guest futon in Oji-san's room.

It was at that time that I finally received another message:

I apologize for leaving you in the dark so long but I've been taking necessary precautions to make sure that these messages can't be intercepted by the 'bad guys'... if that were to happen it would spell the end in more ways than one.
I'll tell you everything you need to know, you ask the questions I'll answer what I can.

- K.S. & E.C.

They want to do this Q&A style, do they? I quickly texted a response, wondering why I hadn't thought to try that before.

Me: Who are you?

KS & EC: I'm K.S. but E.C. is nearby if you'd rather talk to him.

I sighed. Do I really have to specify exactly what it is I want to know if I want a clear answer? How troublesome.

Me: Who are both of you?

KS & EC: You wouldn't believe us if we told you. Next question.

Me: What makes you think I wouldn't believe you?

KS & EC: Past experience. Are you really going to ask something like that? Why not ask about the people that tried to kill you, or why I care?

What a strange response. They'd rather I question their motive than their identity? Perhaps it's a mater of order, maybe they'll tell me who they are after they answer some other things.

Me: Fine. Who were those guys?

KS & EC: Members of an organization that commits crimes, most of their crimes go unnoticed. To be specific those two members go by the code names Gin and Vodka, Gin is one of the most dangerous members of the organization, Vodka is his partner.

That's not much information... really he's only told me that they're part of a criminal organization and that they have stupid code names. Not much to go on.

Me: What did you mean earlier when you said that you knew what would happen before it did?

KS & EC: Precisely that, I was aware that you were going to be given that drug and that you would shrink because of it. This was all necessary for us to be sure that you wouldn't die, because chances are you may have died the next time you coincidentally run into them if you hadn't become Conan.
As it is you didn't die, but the organization thinks you did.

Me: I can see how that might put me in an advantageous position, but why me?

KS & EC: You still haven't figured that out? No... I suppose you wouldn't have...
I can't interfere directly, sending text messages and making phone calls is all I can do to help this situation. However, please understand that I'm not remaining indirect to protect myself but because there's no other way. I understand the way that the organization will be moving, so I'll give you advice on how to move in response... but the ultimate choice is up to you.

I'd already assumed that was the way that this would work out. That doesn't tell me anything.

Me: That doesn't answer the question.

KS & EC: Because it has to be you, and it has to be now.
Make no mistake, I'm not some random stranger that's brought you into something strange against your will. This was done because it was decided that it was necessary to reach a better future.

Me: A better future what do you mean by that? A better future for who? You?

KS & EC: For Kudo Shinichi, and those who consider themselves his allies.

I was stunned.

A better future for... for me? What allies is he talking about? Himself?

Before I got the chance to reply I received another message.

KS & EC: Goodnight, Conan.
We can continue this another time.

I sighed. Wordy as he was he'd given me hardly any information, I was still no closer to understanding who I was helping and what we were up against.

There was only one way that I could put the pieces of information that I'd managed to receive together and get a full story... but it was impossible. I must be missing something.