Hey, guys! Thanks for giving this a review and thanks for following or making this a fave story. Keep 'em coming! I'm getting more determined to make more good cases and this is the first part of a big case. If you want to suggest a case, give a review. Are the 4 teasers good? Tell me in a review! Enjoy Heiji and Shinichi's teamwork here!
A boy with glasses entered Agasa-hagase's home quite early, precisely 7:08 in the morning. He opened the gate and door quietly because he knew that he'll disturb Hagase's sleep. He would just get the antidote and leave. Upon entering, though, a person who was supposed to meet him wasn't there. He looked through the living room but he couldn't find her. Then, all of a sudden the bathroom door behind him opened.
Standing at the door was Ai Haibara, in a bathrobe. She looked at him in shock while Conan was red as blood upon his sight. Her robe wasn't tied, so her cleavage and crotch were slightly revealed to him. She looked down, her eyes widened and became red as well. She covered herself and threw a pillow at his face. He kept the pillow on him, so he wouldn't be called a pervert.
"Kudo-kun, you pervert!" she yelled. Conan became angry at himself for still being called a pervert. She started to walk to her room. "Wait here! I'll put on some clothes then we'll talk!"
As Haibara did so, Conan was trying to erase every bit of memory he had over the sight earlier. 'Come on, me! Forget about earlier! It's not the right time to be thinking about that! I really hope I get over this, but if I don't, what can I do? After all, that's not her real body. Still, I must take it off my mind!'
As soon as Haibara finished putting on some clothes, the two of them sat on the couch and Conan started to apologize.
"Sorry! I'm so sorry, Haibara! I didn't know it was you!"
"To be honest, it's my fault as well. I didn't tie my robe when I came out because I thought that nobody else was here. Still, you could've knocked!"
"I'm sorry! I just didn't want to wake Hagase up!"
"Oh, well, it can't be helped. After all, soon, we'll both be naked at the bed." Conan blushed about the thought. "Anyway, here's what you came for." She handed him a test tube filled with the antidote. "I don't know how long it will last, but I'm pretty sure it'll be longer than the previous times. Is there something else you want to talk about?"
"One more thing. Do you know about Mitsuhiko's crush on you?" She nodded. "Be careful around him, I'm getting the feeling that sooner or later, he's going to do crazy stuff to win you back."
"Don't worry. I'll stop him when he goes out of the line."
"Then, goodbye and see you later."
"Goodbye." Conan then approached her and poked her forehead. Haibara only watched as he did so and left. 'I'm getting the hang of this,' she thought. 'But why does he do it? Next time, I'll ask him.' She crossed her arms and smiled as he walked out the house.
Conan went to his real house and locked the door. He took the antidote and drank it all down. He put the tube at the table in the living room and waited for a few minutes. Then he clutched his chest as the transformation began. He grinned to prevent himself from screaming and then he was back. The Great Detective of the East has returned yet again. He went to his room to put on new clothes and he started to head for the agency. 'Ran, I'm really sorry. I made you wait for nothing. But it's better to hurt you with the truth rather than make you better with a lie. Shiho Miyano is the woman I love, but I still love you, as a sister. You're still important to me and I won't let you be in danger.'
Shinichi walked up the stairs to their door. He took a deep breath and opened it. He was greeted by the surprised faces of Mouri, Ran, Heiji, and Kazuha.
"Shinichi…" Ran whispered.
"Kudo?" asked Heiji.
"What's up?" said Shinichi as he closed the door behind him.
"We were just talking about where Conan-kun has gone," said Kazuha. "He's gone since breakfast."
"Oh, that four-eyed little kid? I passed him by on the way here. He was going to stay at Hagase's for maybe two days. So, Hattori, what are you really doing here? Another case?"
"You got me. There is a case I wanted to discuss after we finish talking about that boy. Since we now know where he is, I'll say it."
"What kind of case?" asked Mouri. Shinichi took a seat in the couch. He never noticed that Ran kept staring at him since he entered.
"An murder that hasn't been solved for a year."
"Where?"
"At a mansion on Mt. Iizuna that's owned by a wealthy guy."
"What can you tell us about the murder?" asked Shinichi.
"The man who was killed was the owner himself. He was found dead in his bedroom last year and the reason was poisoning. No further clues were found so the case was suspended. However, the only weird thing was a paper taped to his back and has the word 'Justice' written on it."
Shinichi noticed two backpacks that he doesn't remember seeing at Ran or Mouri's room. "Say, why do you have such big backpacks? You're planning on going there?"
"Actually I was invited. The son of the wealthy guy is planning a family reunion and he wants me there to investigate and find out if the killer will be present. And I'm planning and taking you all along, especially ochan and you, Kudo."
"When do we leave?"
"After when you all get ready."
Mouri started to pack a few clothes and Ran did the same with Kazuha helping her. Shinichi used the spare time to go back home and pack a few clothes and talk with Heiji. "Hattori, are you sure that's the only clue you have about that murder?" asked Shinichi.
"I'm sorry, but that's it. Who knows, when a murder happens at the mansion tonight or tomorrow, a clue will be left behind. I sure hope so."
"Yeah. What time did you get there at the agency, by the way?"
"A few minutes before 8."
"I hope this antidote will last longer than usual, I'm getting really nervous because I could go back as Conan anytime. And I still have to tell Ran about what I really feel for her."
"Kudo, did you hurt her?"
"Who?"
"That little girl you love."
"What?! No! I meant I'm going to tell Ran that she's only like a sister to me."
"Man, I thought you dumped another girl again." Hearing this made Shinichi punch his best friend in the arm while smirking.
"Any news about the Dragon Syndicate?"
"Not yet. They must be scared when they heard the news that the Black Organization has been exposed to the police. I'm sure they're being very careful on not to expose themselves as well."
"We need to take them out first before the Black Organization. They could hold some important information about the Boss, Gin, Vodka, Tequila, and Vermouth."
After five minutes, the duo came out and went back to the agency. They weren't very much surprised when Mouri still hasn't finished packing some clothes.
'I need fancy clothes! Surely beautiful women will be there!' He thought with a smile.
"What's taking oto-san so long?" asked Ran.
"I'm sure that he's having a hard time on choosing clothes to wear since he knows that many beautiful women will be there."
A few moments later, Mouri came out, ready to go. Before they leave, the so-called "Great" Detective received a not-so-hard smack on the head from his daughter. Mouri screamed in agony. "Don't even think about going off with some women, oto-san…"
"H-h-hai…" Mouri gripped his head in pain as they left the agency. Shinichi, Heiji, and Kazuha sneaked a few laughs to themselves.
The whole journey took them half a day to complete, with frequent stops so that Mouri can catch his breath. When they got off their last cab, the mountain where the mansion was located was beautiful as the sun was setting. They looked around for the place. The house was near the base of the mountain and they saw 2 cars parked in front of the door. A strange thing that caught Heiji and Shinichi's eyes was that a cliff can be seen.
"Hey, Kudo, it's kinda strange for a house to be put up near a cliff," whispered Heiji.
"Yeah, I'm having the feeling that something's going to happen tonight. You better keep your eyes open, Hattori."
"You, too." Mouri then knocked on the door and they waited for a few moments until a beautiful black-haired maid opened the door.
"Who are you?" asked the girl.
"Uhhh… ummmm…" the "Great Detective" couldn't bring himself to speak due to the woman herself.
Suddenly, Heiji walked next to Mouri. "I'm Hattori Heiji, the detective hired by the owner of this house."
"Oh, yes, Miyazaki-sama was expecting you. But who's this with you?"
"I've brought along some help. I'm here with Mouri Kogorou and Kudo Shinichi."
"Kogoro?" She turned to Mouri. "You're the famous one?"
"Uh… yeah…" He gave an embarrassed smile.
"Miyazaki-sama would be so delighted to see that you all. Come on in." They went in and the place was really big. The exterior sure described the interior. They walked up the stairs to the second floor. She led them to a big room and opened the lights. "This is where you'll sleep for the night. The reunion is tomorrow." Everyone's jaw almost dropped at the sight of just one room. Three king-sized beds, with two large drawers and four closets, along with an air conditioner and two electric fans. They couldn't believe that this was the place where they would be sleeping for the night. The maid noticed they were staring for too long and was getting worried. "Is there something wrong about this room? If you want –"
"No, no!" interrupted Mouri. He didn't want to lose the chance to sleep in such a comfortable room. "Please, miss. This room is fine."
The maid giggled. "Please call me Aiko. Drop your bags here and then we'll go to Miyazaki-sama."
Before setting down his clothes, Mouri jumped into the bed first, feeling the soft mattress. Afterwards, he set his bag near the closet and joined the others. They walked a little further down the hallway of the second floor and Aiko-san pointed at a door. "Miyazaki-sama is in this library. He loves to read when he's bored. I'll be going now." With that, Aiko-san left.
Heiji slowly opened the door and they saw dozens of shelves filled with books. They saw a person, who looked like he/she was reading, sitting at a chair in front of the fireplace. "Are you the owner, Miyazaki?" asked Heiji.
The person stood up from his seat and faced the all. He had his hair combed to the side of his face, bore cobalt eyes and a small goatee. "Miyazaki Kentaro," the man replied. "I see you've brought some friends, Hattori-kun."
"I figured to bring along two more detectives to help out. You might know them. Mouri Kogoro and Kudo Shinichi."
"Mouri? Oh, that famous one. And Kudo Shinichi, I've heard of you before, they say you disappeared and I thought you died."
"I was just busy with a major case in another country," said Shinichi.
"Fine, then. Three detectives could do better than one. As you all know, I'm hosting a family reunion tomorrow. I need you to keep an eye on the guests. If they do anything suspicious, inform me immediately. I need to find who killed my father and bring him to justice."
"How do you know the culprit's a part of your family?" asked Mouri.
"Because last year, my father was celebrating his my birthday. All guests that attended were family. If we catch the culprit, we can find out why they have a grudge against my father. And I'll pay you all afterwards. Let's go to the dining area. I'm guessing that you're all hungry from the trip you took." He then led them to the dining room where they had a truly amazing dinner.
Soon after, they went back to their bedroom.
Mouri had a bed to himself, Ran and Kazuha shared the second, and Heiji and Shinichi in the third. "Kudo, are you asleep?" asked Heiji.
"Not yet," replied Shinichi.
"Want a friendly battle tomorrow?"
"What do you mean?"
"Obviously, a murder is going to happen tomorrow, I just want to race you."
"Hattori, I told you that –"
"Yes, I know. There's no competition in being a detective. But, it's been a while. I just want a friendly battle on who's faster at finding the culprit. After that, we're back to normal."
"Alright, just this once."
Heiji was fast asleep. Shinichi took advantage by getting up slowly and walked to Ran and Kazuha's bed. He woke Ran up and he gestured for her to come with him. They went out to the hallway and Shinichi was the first to speak. "Ran, I need to talk to you."
"About what?" she asked.
"Do you like me?"
She blushed. "Y-yes…"
"Do you love me?"
"Y-yes."
"I'm sorry about this but, I can't reciprocate your feelings. I only love you as a sister and nothing more." Tears started to flow from her eyes. "I'm… sorry for making you wait for nothing… I already love someone else. I understand if you won't forgive me." He looked away.
"It's okay, Shinichi…"
He turned his gaze to her again with eyes that tell disbelief. Tears continued to flow from her face. "At least you were honest, I would've used my karate on you if you made me wait for a long time again. It's nice to see you finally happy… I guess… I'm all… alone… I'll do anything to win you back!" She covered her face with her hands and let out her sadness. But she was shocked by his next move.
He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into his embrace. He pushed her head against his chest, allowing her to cry on him. "Don't ever say that, Ran. I still care for you. Even though I'm not the one for you, I'll still be there to protect you from harm. You are one of the most important people in my life."
She stopped crying and he touched both sides of her face and stared into her eyes. "Now that you're free from me, when we get home, go on and have fun. Find another man for you. For once, stop thinking about me. You'll just hurt yourself. And I don't like you getting hurt."
She departed from his chest and wiped her face from tears as she smiled. "I forgive you, Shinichi. But you'll have to introduce me to your girl; as your 'sister', I'll need to check if she's the right girl for you." They share a quick laugh and she kisses his forehead.
They went back to their beds and Shinichi was in a good mood. 'Finally… I thought Ran would create an affair with me. She is truly kind, caring, and understanding. I'm so glad to have met her.'
The Next Day...
"Kudo, how many suspicious people are outside?" asked Heiji through a small phone connected to his ear.
"6 cars are now here, so far no suspicious people are present," replied Shinichi using the same device. "How about there at the hall?"
"Everyone's having fun here, and I can't see everyone, but surely nothing suspicious here. What 'bout you, ochan?"
"Osaka brat, the second floor is not that crowded, I think I can see everyone's actions. Let's keep this up, and we'll soon find out who's behind the murder of Kentaro-san's father."
In the kitchen, Ran and Kazuha were helping out the two chefs and Aiko-san. "Man, I hope Aiko-san hurries up with the extra groceries," complained Kazuha.
"Why did this house have to be so far from the nearest town?" said Ran.
"Oji-san, 8 cars are now occupying the space out here. More and more people are attending this reunion."
"Tell me about it. That Osaka Brat is sure having a hard time inspecting the people here. Don't take your eyes off the guests. The culprit might know about this and trick us."
Their patrolling continued until the sun went down. Shinichi noted that four cars were left, surely the last remaining guests would stay for the night. He made sure for the last time that there were eight cars outside and headed inside. Mouri saw Aiko-san preparing a bedroom for guests. And Heiji saw that 8 guests are left in the living room, and there is a good chance that the culprit from last year is one of them.
Mouri, Shinichi, Ran, and Kazuha joined Heiji at the living room, where Miyazaki-san is enjoying the company of the eight remaining guests. "Who are those?" asked a woman.
"These three are detectives that I hired to investigate my father's murder. And the two girls with them are the high-schoolers' girlfriends. The four mentioned had a sweat drop.
'Oi, oi, she's not my girlfriend', Shinichi thought.
'I haven't even confessed to Kazuha!' whined Heiji in his thoughts.
Mouri cleared his throat. "Mouri Kogoro, at your service. Have you all heard of me?"
"No," said a man who was smoking a cigarette. "Never heard of you." Mouri's sweat dropped.
"Who are these other two detectives?" asked a woman who was about in her 30s.
"Oh, I'm Kudo Shinichi."
"Hattori Heiji, from Osaka."
"You're the two high-school detectives! I've heard about you two. My brother didn't make a mistake about choosing you two. Me and my husband here always hear about your cases." She pointed to the man who was smoking.
Mouri became jealous of their fame. 'Hmph… How could they be more popular than me?!'
"Anyway, I'm Tokugawa Mayumi and this is my husband, Kenzo. He has a habit for smoking." Kenzo-san simply gave a bow to them.
Another couple who were holding hands were the next to introduce themselves. "Miyazaki Jugo and my girlfriend, Matsui Yuriko. I'm Kentaro's brother." Shinichi observed the young man up and down, and he had a feeling that he could be the culprit to the murder. But, it was just a feeling.
"Miyazaki Oscar," said a man who was sitting on the couch and was drinking red wine. Shinichi and Heiji noticed that the man didn't have a Japanese name, but rather, an American name. 'Could he have gone out of the country and changed his name when he killed Kentaro-san's dad?' Heiji and Shinichi thought at the same time.
"Miyazaki Kenzashi." The man who spoke was wearing glasses.
"Fumiko Midori. Unfortunately, my husband is at the hospital." She is a young girl that looked like she is innocent and couldn't commit such a crime because of her appearance and attitude. But Shinichi and his rival kept their eyes open.
"Miyazaki Tsutomu," said the man who bore reading glasses and his hair was slightly puffy. (Do you know who this real-life person is? Don't be scared!)
"Sakamoto Eriko, I'm one of the cousins of Kentaro-kun," said the woman that had bangs, and a scar on her forehead.
"Now that you have met my family, let's go have a big dinner. I'll inform my chefs to prepare food."
Kentaro-san led the way and everyone followed. When they reached the dining area, the rich owner spoke with a chef. He yurned around and looked at everyone. "Everyone, could you wait for five minutes? The chefs are just starting to cook."
Everyone gave a nod. "I'm going to the bathroom," said Tsutomu-san.
"I'm going to check on my car," said Kenzashi-san.
"I'm going to unpack my stuff," announced Midori-san.
"Then I'm unpacking mine as well," said Oscar-san.
In less than five minutes, Midori-san went back to the dining table with Oscar-san. Aiko-san noticed that drinks weren't on the table yet. "Miyazaki-sama, what drinks would you like me to bring?" she asked.
"Just water and some juice." She gave a nod and went out the room.
Tsutomu-san returned after ten minutes and their food was already on the table. "What took you so long?"
"I took a bath, it's quite refreshing," replied Tsutomu-san. He sat down and started to eat alongside everybody else. "Say, where's Kenzashi-san? Didn't he come back?"
"Yeah, you're right," said Oscar-san. "I'll go find him."
"Don't interrupt your dinner!" said Aiko-san. "I should be the one who'll look for him. Just join me in searching after –"
Everybody suddenly looked at the window. A car was driving in a straight line. "That car's headed for the cliff!" said Mouri.
"WHAT?!" screamed Heiji and Shinichi in unison. They immediately sprung into action and went outside through the back door. They chased the car and saw the driver. It was Kenzashi-san.
"Kenzashi-san! Kenzashi-san!" called Shinichi. He knocked on the closed window to try and wake him up, to no avail. The car is getting closer and closer to falling.
Seeing that there's no way to stop the car, the two rivals noted every detail about the scene. They noticed that a piece of paper was taped to Kenzashi-san's back. It had the word "Justice" written on it. Heiji noticed that Kenzashi-san's head was on top of the steering wheel and his hands were on each side of his body. Shinichi noticed that his feet are perfectly aligned at the bottom of the seat and his glasses were placed at the other seat. Then they moved away from the car as it plunged down the cliff into the sea, and it exploded. The pair looked down as the other people went outside. "Kudo, I found something in the tracks," said Heiji. He handed his rival a handkerchief and Shinichi looked at what's inside it.
"A wedding ring?" Heiji nodded.
"It could belong to either Kenzashi-san or the culprit. Right now, this is our only lead."
"Hey, you two!" screamed Mouri. "What happened out here?"
"We're sorry to say this, but Kenzashi-san is dead," said Shinichi. Everyone was shocked.
"Was it suicide?"
"No, Kogoro-ojisan. No matter how much we call to him earlier, he wouldn't wake up. What's more, his head was on top of the steering wheel. His hands and feet are perfectly relaxing. It's a joke to consider this case a suicide."
"Which means this is murder," said Heiji. "And the murderer is one of you eight! Eriko-san! Kentaro-san! Tsutomu-san! Mayumi-san! Oscar-san! Kenzo-san! Jugo-san! Yuriko-san!"
"Everyone back inside!" said Mouri. "We're going to do some questioning!"
Heiji and Shinichi stayed outside for a while. "Kudo, what do you think?"
"Kentaro-san has the motive, maybe he knew that Kenzashi-san is the one who killed his father, so he did it. The others, I don't know about their motive. But what's troubling me right now, is how the culprit did it."
"Yeah, you're right. Well, our race starts now. Good luck finding clues." Shinichi nodded and they went their separate ways.
Fifteen minutes have passed yet the two were having a hard time. The both of them didn't find anything. They first searched separately at the tracks Kenzashi-san's car left behind. Then they went inside with Shinichi searching the living room and Heiji investigating the dining room. They crossed each other's paths at the second floor. "Kudo, do you have any leads?" Heiji asked in a tired voice.
"No, man this culprit is good," Shinichi answered in the same voice.
"Well, I've talked to ochan. He said that the police won't make it until daylight."
"Jeez, what time is it now?"
"12:36 in the morning."
"Anything about the suspects?"
"Tsutomu-san took a bath, Midori-san and Oscar-san unpacked their clothes. They were the only ones who weren't present at the dining room when the murder was committed. That makes them the leading suspects."
"With no further leads, this case would take hours to solve."
Heiji adjusted his cap to the front. "If that's how the culprit wants it, he'll get it." Shinichi looked over Heiji's left shoulder and saw something small in front of a room. He approached it and Heiji got curious. "Kudo, did you find something?"
Shinichi pulled out another handkerchief and picked up the object. It was a small piece of a rope and Shinichi smiled. "What did you find?"
"Hey, Hattori, do you know what it's like to kill someone?" He showed him the piece of rope and they both smiled and looked at the room where Shinichi found it.
"Looks like this person's trying to escape, well not with us around!" Heiji kicked open the door and turned on the lights. The man inside was shocked as he was trying to make a rope knot for a noose.
"I knew it," said Shinichi. "You were the last one to come to the dining table, which means you can commit the crime. Am I right? Tsutomu-san?"
"W-what are you talking about?" he asked. "I was gone because I took a bath, n-nothing more."
"Ten minutes would be a good time to prepare the crime," said Heiji. "You likely knocked out or killed Kenzashi-san first then put him inside the car. Then you put something heavy on the gas, but you were being careful not to put too much of the weight on it, because it would go so fast and we would notice it before you got there." Tsutomu-san raised an eyebrow.
Shinichi continued. "You certainly placed the car far from the cliff first then you let the heavy object do its thing. The car would go slow, giving you time to get back, change your clothes and join us in the dining room. As proof of this, we have a ring." Shinichi showed the ring to him. "You likely dropped this after leaving Kenzashi-san. You're trying to commit suicide now to prevent being arrested."
Tsutomu-san observed the ring. "That's not mine."
Shinichi and Heiji's jaw dropped. "What?" they asked in unison.
"That's not mine, I'm not even married yet! I mean I do have a girlfriend but we're not engaged."
"Then why are you trying to kill yourself now?" asked Heiji.
"I just don't want to be killed! I hate seeing dead bodies! They give me nightmares!"
"Are you telling the –" a sound of an explosion stopped their conversation.
"What the hell was that?" demanded Tsutomu-san.
"Looks like it came from outside, come on!" said Shinichi. Shinichi led the way and the other two followed. Mouri and the others were already there and the trio were shocked by the fire. "Kogoro-ojisan, what happened?"
"Kenzo-san went outside the house after being questioned," replied Mouri. "I'm sure he went inside this car and then the car exploded!" Mayumi-san knelt on the ground and cried over her husband. "Someone! Get a fire extinguisher and put out this flame before it gets bigger!"
"Hai!" said Aiko-san. She ran back to the house.
Shinichi turned around and walked away. Heiji followed him. "What's wrong? Is this case bothering you?"
"No, no, it's not about that. It's just that this antidote… it's longer than I expected."
Next on I'll Always Be Here...
"Kudo, I guess we were fooled."
"You won't get away this time!"
"You're... m-my... s-sister?"
"Ran has let me go... it's fine now."
CHAPTER 8: EAST AND WEST COMBINE, PART 2
