He looked up. Yes, Amuro was looking at his phone, Ran was looking in another direction. He gave a quick look up to James. The Agent caught the hint with a smirk and turned to Ran, asking innocently "Excuse me, Miss Mouri, but would you happen to have a handerchief I could borrow? I need to give my glasses a quick cleaning."
"Huh? Oh, uh, yes, of course!" Ran replied in a somewhat distracted manner, reaching into her uniform jacket, and taking a handerchief out.
Seizing the opportunity, Conan then sneaked off towards the crowd of officers and witnesses. "Excuse me, Ma'am." He asked the ticket woman in the manner of a child "When the man Inspector Megure talked about bought a ticket, was he with anybody?"
"Uh.. No.. He was all by himself." The young lady responded, legitimately collecting her thoughts.
[Hmm.. Okay.. Better try another witness..] Conan thought somewhat annoyed, before turning to the young couple and asking. "Excuse me, sir. How tall was the man who was going to go skiing, who was standing with the man who was sweating?"
"Oh.. He was around my height, I'd suppose. Maybe a little taller. I don't know. He was wearing boots, I think." He responded.
[Nothing I can work with so far.. Not too surprising.] Conan evaluated grimly. Suddenly, an idea came to him, and he inquired "Did the man who was sweating look like he was nervous? Were his eyes moving side to side?"
"Why.. No.. In fact his eyes weren't moving at all. They were glazed as if he were made of stone or something." The man recalled.
"AH!" Conan exclaimed. While thinking [Made of stone? Just like what Medusa, that snake haired woman from Greek mythology was able to do!]
"Something wrong?" The man asked
"Uh.. No... I just.." Conan began to attempt to explain nervously.
"CONAN!" Ran angrily called from behind him. "I thought I told you not to wander away from me!" The perturbed girl chastised, looming over him.
"I..I was just seeing when the next train was coming!" Conan said, thinking quickly.
"You can see those some other time! Come on!" Ran admonished, pulling him roughly away from the crowd.
Just as he was about to object, Conan spotted a somewhat sizeable puddle of water on the platform. "Huh?" He thought aloud as he was dragged back to his previous location. [Water? Could that have been.. Maybe the victim hadn't been sweating at all.. Maybe he had been.. But.. But how could that have been so? Especially if he had been well enough to purchase a ticket fifteen minutes beforehand.. However, if this is the Org. We're talking about, there's always the possibility..]
That's when he came upon the realization [OF COURSE! That's got to be it! Question is, how can I let the police know without getting them in trouble?] He reflected fiercely. He then looked up to see Jodie leaning over him with a concerned expression.
"Please.. Cool Guy.. Tell me that you've figured it out.." She pleaded quietly, her face attempting to conceal her pain.
Conan, his face adamant, gave a nod of his head. "Absolutely.. Just play along.." He covertly replied, before quickly whispering in her ear.
Jodie nodded affirmitively and took him by the hand in a maternal way, before turning saying "Um, Ran, dear, Conan and I have to use the restroom. Please excuse us." In a subdued voice.
"O..Okay.." Ran replied somewhat uncertainly.
Amuro looked off in an alerted fashion. A warm, knowing smile crossed his lips.
"AH! So THAT'S how they did it?" Jodie exclaimed in a solitary hallway.
"SHH!" Conan shushed her in an irked fashion. As Jodie clapsed her hand over her mouth.
"Yes. And I need you to do the explanation for me. That way, the Police won't get so suspicious that they'll get into danger!" Conan explained.
"O..Okay.." Jodie replied somewhat hesitantly, before adopting a steadfast expression. "I'll do it for Bennett and.. And for Shu..." She declared.
As the two made their way back out to the platform, Conan gave a clandestine smile to Jodie as he walked back over to Ran who looked at him with an annoyed expression.
Jodie, mustering the best of her acting abilities, casually trotted over to the scene of the invesitagtion, and looked over at the puddle of water with as much of a "deducing face" as she could muster.
"Uh.. Excuse me, Miss Jodie.. May we help you with something..?" Megure asked with a hint of curiosity and aggrivation.
Jodie briefly chuckled to herself, before looking up with an assertive expression answered with dramatic flair "Actually, Megure, I was wondering if I might be able to help all of you.."
"Huh..?" All of the Detectives asked curiously.
"What are you getting at, Miss Jodie?" Sato questioned with fervor.
"What I'm getting at.. Is I.. HAVE SOLVED THE CASE!" Jodie announced with passionate certainty.
"WHAT?!" The Detectives all shouted in unison.
"Shh! Please! This is a very confidential matter that concerns a case we're investigating. I'll need to reveal this to you in the strictist confidence." Jodie cautioned them. Then, upon noticing the curious mumblings amongst the crowd, she added "Somewhere where we can't be heard.."
"Listen, Miss Jodie, I appreciate the need for you to protect your interests, but you must understand that we have an obligation to our city, as this is really our territory!" Megure said in a very authoritive manner.
"I understand Inspector, but YOU must understand that this matter we're investigating concerns BOTH of our territories.. And could mean terrible consequences for both.." Jodie made herself clear in as quiet as a voice as possible.
Megure seemed to chew this over, before reluctantly stating "Okay.. We can all go discuss it over there.." Subtely indicating to an unoccupied area of the station.
"Conan! Look over there! Do you think Miss Jodie has this case figured out?!" Ran asked in an astonished way.
Conan just kept a juvenile expression, replying "I hope so!"
Amuro simply kept staring with an impressed expression in Conan's direction.
Now in their isolated space, Megure pressured. "Okay, Miss Jodie. Just what exactly happened here anyway?"
"Yes, how did Mr. Bennett happen to die and be propped up like that in that short of time?" Sato added.
Jodie only stared back with a sobering expression and revealed bluntly "He hadn't been. He had actually been dead since the previous evening!"
"What?! How is that possible? I mean.. His being at the ticket counter.. The text message.." Megure attempted to reason.
"That message must have been composed by the victim last evening, who was then distracted and murdered by the party responsible. they then must have placed him in a freezer or cooler chest large enough to accomodate a human body and powerful enough to freeze him at such a frigid temperature that he would appear stiff and upright, yet controlled enough that frostbite would not set in!" Jodie explained clear and succiently.
"Ah! I get it now! His "sweating" must have actually been his body defrosting, as the cold temperature in the station was still not cold enough to maintain freezing." Sato said with realization.
"Correct. All that was left to do was to have an accomplice carry him to the platform close to the tracks, and wait for nature's temperature to melt him sufficiently. Some natural blocks of ice may have been added to the fronts of the shoes to insure he would not tip over until the appointed time. The people responsible had most likely monitered Bennett, and were aware of his possible suicidal thoughts. This way.. They figured this would make his death believable enough to buy them some time, so they sent the message as they prepared to extract him from his chamber." Jodie continued, some sorrowful emotion and righteous anger now beginning to seep into her voice.
"But, wait. That still doesn't explain how that guy in the ski gear could get him past the ticket counter without being noticed! And what about Bennett himself being spotted alive at the ticket counter like that!" Takagi interjected.
"Pretty simple to someone like myself who is familiar with them. The man in ski attire most likely carried the stiff body in a large duffel bag, possibly passing them off as his skiing equipment. The ticket man was most likely gullible enough to allow it. Once he had been made aware that the security monitors had been tampered with by an accomplice, he retreated to a location where he'd be blocked from view, extracted the body, and maneuevered along with him so that passersby might believe he was assisting a hungover friend. As for the living Mr. Bennett, it was most likely another accomplice who.." Jodie began to continue, before pausing cautiously, deciding not to in fact reveal what seemed to actually have been the case, for the Police's protection. "Who beared enough of a resemblance to the deceased to where he could successfully conflict with the events at hand. With the monitors still on the fritz, he would have no genuine problem exiting the station on the other side.." Jodie concluded in a very striking, grounded way.
Quite frankly, the detectives were speechless.
"Uh.. Quite impressive, Miss Jodie.." Megure admitted, keeping his gruff demeanor. "Very well, then. We'll wrap up the inestigation here and leave the rest up to you and.. Your team.." He added, making it clear that he did not approve.
Jodie heaved a great heavy sigh before replying "Thank you, Inspector.." in a very daunted way. Her eyes then looked up with caution as she then reminded them "But remember.. Not a WORD about the culprits gets out to the press.. This is a delicate and ACTIVE investigation!" She stressed.
Megure remained obstinant, Chiba and Takagi looked at each other, disquieted. However, Sato stared at Jodie adamantly, giving her a firm, reassuring grip on her shoulder, her eyes beginning to water "Don't worry, Miss Jodie.. We will.. I.. I know how it is to lose those whom you are close to.." She imparted in a sad but controlled voice.
Jodie, beginning to tear up herself, simply nodded affirmatively.
As the team left their spot of seclusion, the detectives gathered together on the platform, Megure began announcing about the case's resolution to the relieved and annoyed crowd. Meanwhile, a very tired and sad looking Jodie made her way back to where the others were standing.
"Wow! Miss Jodie! You solved that case so quickly! You were amazing!" Ran said with exhuberant admiration.
"Yeah, you were great!" Conan added as childishly as possible.
"Thank you, Ran and Conan..." Jodie replied, still somewhat reserved.
"Jodie..
Are you going to be all right?" Andre asked with concern.
"I'll.. I'll be fine, Camel.." Jodie responded rather unconvingly.
"Well, Miss Jodie, that was some amazing detective work. I'm very impressed with your skills!" Amuro complimented, before stating "I hope to see you again sometime, and I'm just sorry we couldn't have met under more pleasant circumstances.."
"Thank you, Mr. Amuro.." Jodie replied in a very standoffish way.
"Come, now, Jodie, I'll take you back to your apartment.." James warmly assured her.
"Thank you, James.." Jodie replied softly.
The older agent then leaned in closer and whispered "Are you certain that you still wish to leave?"
"I.. I don't know any more.. I.. I may need a few days to think about it.." She answered in a hushed voice. "I.. I just can't stand to see any more of my friends cut down like this.."
"We must be going now, Miss Mori. Miss Jodie needs her rest.." James informed the young lady.
Ran adopted a concerned expression, before responding "Oh.. Alright. Goodbye, Miss Jodie, Mr. Black, and Mr. Camel. It was wonderful seeing you all."
Conan then waved enthusiastically, saying very energetically "Goodbye, everybody!" Before becoming very encouraging while staring at the weary looking female FBI agent, saying "Goodbye, Miss Jodie! Please don't give up!"
Jodie, understanding, looked back with a somewhat relieved smile and a nod of her head.
Amuro then made it a point to begin to walk away, turning to the two, saying cheerfully "Well, I'd better be getting along as well.. It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Mori.." Before looking down at Conan with a sly smile and another wink of his eye "And you as well, Cool Guy.."
Conan's eyes and mouth widened with surprise as the young man waltzed off.
"My, Conan, that Cool Guy nickname is getting pretty popular, isn't it?" She asked cheerfully. Conan didn't bother to answer.
Sato then walked up to the two and said almost apologetically "Listen, if the both of you don't have a ride, I could drive the both of you home, as soon as we're finished here. Don't worry, it shouldn't be long!"
"Thank you, Detective Sato!" Ran replied warmly. Then, as she walked back to the other detectives, Ran then turned to Conan and asked "Say, Conan, didn't Mr. Amuro remind you of anyone?"
Conan then began to adopt a narrow eyed, jealous expression "Oh, you mean Shinichi, right?" He asked somewhat resentfully.
"No..." Ran replied somewhat distantly. "His craftyness.. This mysterious sense about him.. It's like that FBI man with the knit cap who died at the Reiha Pass recently.. Shuichi Akai.." She explained, with an uncertain frown.
[HUH?!] Conan wondered in his thoughts even more confused and worried than before.
Agent Bennett, walked at somewhat an even pace down the Beika sidewalk, strangely enough very much alive, seemed to increase his speed as he attached the curious sight of a foreign car, a black German Porsche 356A, to be exact, sat idling by the curb. He quickly entered the backseat, and the car abruptly took off and entered the flow of traffic.
Gin, the frightening looking, long haired member of the Org. broodingly looked towards the backseat passenger as he casually puffed on a cigarette. "Very risky.. Pretty stupid too, if you don't mind my adding.." He growled disdainfully.
Bennett just chuckled to himself, before replying in a very familiar, seductive female voice.. "Hey, we worked with what we had.." Before he took hold of the bottom of his neck and pulled his face aside, to reveal the sight of the gorgeous female agent, Vermouth under the mask! "After all, we didn't leave any trace, and besides, our associate was heavily disguised, to where no one could even tell what pigment their skin was."
"Yeah, but that damn Bourbon is too much like you.. Too willing to take risks.. You both are lucky we were able to jam the security frequency long enough." Gin glared at her with a death stare from his seemingly lifeless, hate filled eyes.
"Now.. Now.. Careful, Gin.. The Boss said that Bourbon is most apt to be our key to getting at the FBI.." Vemouth maternally reprimanded.
"And didn't Bourbon doubt that Akai FBI guy was dead? Something about Bourbon being the only one who could kill him.." Vodka, the short and stumpy sunglasses agent wondered aloud as he steered.
"Psh.. Bourbon's full of it.. We both saw him die, remember..? There is no more of the so called, "Silver Bullet"!" Gin concluded coldly with a psychotic grin.
"I suppose you're right.." Vermouth said resignedly.. Before inwardly taunting with an arrogant smirk, the image of Conan in her thoughts.. [Assuming Akai WAS the Silver Bullet..]
TO BE CONTINUED...