[Author's Note]
Sorry for the late update. I had frequent trips to the hospitals and can't seem to find the right time. Anyways, here's the 8th chapter. Enjoy.
Chapter 8 : Dishonest Vanity
There was something I've been meaning to ask him from the first time we met. I dragged the whole thing on, never really finding the right time to ask. Maybe part of me was scared of the answer I imagined him giving. I should have known him better by now, just as he must have known me. My whole life had been a confidential sworn to secrecy deal, it felt easier to just keep everything to myself. I cannot change the past. Still, this bottled up guilt is eating me. I didn't want to feel like this anymore. At the very least, not around him.
Genta accidently pushed me from behind with the extra weight of his front, stopping my negative thoughts from accumulating further. He gave me a reflexed 'sorry' and resumed his running in the area with Mitsuhiko and Ayumi. Kudou passed by, smirking the you-deserved-it look like a little child but then raising his voice to the other three, telling them to slow down.
It was another camping trip organized by Agasa. This time round, we went camping by a private beach owned by one of his wealthy colleagues from university. While the kids ran around playing the soft sands, Agasa and I set out the tents near a rocky uphill that served as protection from the wind. Once everything seemed in place, I asked Kudou to gather woods for the campfire while I rested myself on the beach mat, soaking the damp breeze of the beach.
"It's a little lonely to be the only campers," commented Agasa at the sight of the deserted private beach.
"I think it's nice. There's no one here that would disturb us," I replied after giving my answer some thought.
"Yea, you seem like you're used to being by yourself at a beach. I think that's rare… It's not like you were an heiress," the old man muttered to himself.
He have a point for the sulk though. I'm sure he was hoping some tranquility when he planned this trip but he didn't realize how much he would miss the usual hype and buzz around public beaches. In my case however, not having strangers really do put me at ease. The owner was kind enough to let us roam about freely while chaperoning at a distant, which basically translate 'I'll be at my mansion uphill if you need me, but I wish you don't, so just have fun and don't call me'. At least it sounded that way to me when the couple, mainly the lady-friend, allowed Agasa to camp at their beach. Considering how the owner looked a little like having a fever, and retreated to her private villa just for a cure, she must have been quite the heiress. Or the wife of one. I wasn't an heiress, but aside from having an actual job, I don't think my lifestyle was much different to one.
"Here's everything," came Mitsuhiko's voice, dropping the collected dry branches in our prepared campfire space.
I lied still, watching the others set up the campfire, not having the intention to offer my effort. It wasn't that I didn't want to help, it was that I didn't think of helping. Kudou caught my lazy stare and grunted.
"Don't queen us around! You come help too," he said.
"Ha-ha," I emphasized – but stood anyways, "coming from the King of Slacks".
"Kin-g?!" he exclaimed.
"-of Slacks," laughed Ayumi.
"It fits you, Conan," acknowledged Genta, "you're always slacking off."
"You're the last person I want to hear that from," replied Kudou unmoved.
"Anyway, what about food, Professor?" cut Mitsuhiko.
Agasa smiled wryly. "Here!" he said as he showed us the cool box containing several fresh fishes in ice.
"We didn't go fishing though," commented Ayumi.
"He probably got it from his friend's kitchen," deduced Kudou. I nodded at his statement, a little disappointed at the arrangement.
"This is kind of boring…" said Genta.
Having his plan backfired, Agasa nervously tried to improvise.
"Just for tonight. We're still fishing our own food tomorrow," he added.
We were grilling the fishes when I suddenly crave for the suspicious neighbour's cream stew. He brought it to our house just the other day. He gave some lame excuse about how lonely it will be to eat by himself, so he wanted to share. I still remember how the aroma gave me pleasant dreams. It might be an exaggeration but I do appreciate a home-cooked meal by someone other than myself once a while. It's hard to believe how a bachelor like himself could fix splendid dishes. Thinking of it made this grilled dinner seemed an awful comparison.
"Yo, Agasa!" greeted the owner, showing up out of the blue.
"Ootori, what are you doing here?" he asked, confused by the appearance.
"I'm not really an Ootori anymore… I brought some seasonings and drinks. Can I join you?" the lady asked, trying not to show how feverish she really is.
"Sorry, it's a habit. Weren't you having dinner with your family?" asked the professor, obviously not trying to call her by anything.
"Supposed to but you know how they are… Duty calls," said the sad looking lady, sitting familiarly on the soft sand.
The professor, although welcoming, was clearly feeling awkward by the owner sudden appearance. Kudou and I nonchalantly ignored the weird atmosphere while the kids happily helped themselves with dinner, one that the lady helped to extravagate. It was to be honest, an appealing camp dinner. Although most of us were grateful for the delicious meal, her barging in ruined the camp atmosphere and that, I'm not sure if anyone's grateful for.
"That's the best grilled fish ever!" claimed a happy stuffed Genta.
All except his belly, I supposed.
"I'm glad – " said the lady, but suddenly stopped, gasping for air.
"Oi Ootori," called Agasa.
Kudou moved in as the lady groan in pain, clenching her stomach while she let herself fell, sitting on the sand.
"Food poisoning. Stop eating guys," ordered Kudou, "get water."
Mitsuhiko then grabbed the tea we left to cool, and gave it to Kudou.
Wrong.
The lady was about to drink but my body instinctively moved, jerking the cup away.
"What are you doing?!" shouted Kudou, desperate to provide first aid.
Wrong.
"Haibara…" called out Ayumi, though I couldn't be sure if she called out of confusion or worry.
Wrong.
"You cannot be sure where the contamination…is," managed the lady, still clenching her pained stomach.
"Let's give her something unopened then," suggested Mitsuhiko, grabbing a bottled juice.
Wrong.
I stopped Mitsuhiko before the bottle was handed to Kudou. I shook, not thinking of why I did. Confused, Kudou sigh but then asked Agasa to carry the lady to her house while he dialed for ambulance. We left the campsite in a hurry and upon arriving at the mansion, Kudou immediately asked one of her maid to get her water. The lady was then attended by her maids.
"Why did you stop us from getting her water?" asked Mitsuhiko while we waited for ambulance in the living room.
I stared at the bright boy, not knowing what made me did what I did. All I knew was that my head kept telling me that it was wrong.
"Yeah, Haibara… why would you do that?" asked Genta.
"That's probably to save me from doing something stupid," replied Kudou in my stead.
"But really, that was quick thinking. I didn't think of it at all," he said, in that subtle thank you way without actually saying his thanks.
"Ah! Because Conan was about to give her drinks from our camp! The lady did say we don't know the source of contamination," said Ayumi.
"But what about the juice?" inquired Mitsuhiko.
Before anyone managed to deduce any more, the ambulance came, and the maids hurriedly escorted them to the lady's room. The ever curious Kudou sneaked past the doctors into the lady's room.
After some few minutes, the ambulance left with the doctors without taking the lady with them.
"So it wasn't very serious after all," said Agasa with relief.
"So, what did they say, Conan?" asked Mitsuhiko towards Kudou who entered the living room as soon as the doctors went out.
"It was subtle food poisoning but her condition was bad because she's running high on fever," he replied.
"I guess we need to get rid of the food. Also, you boys should drink a lot of water, to get it out of your system," said Agasa.
"Okay~" they replied in unison.
The maid then came, informing us that the lady called. We therefore went to the lady's room, to hear her thanking us and apologize at the same time.
"Have you called your husband and son?" asked Agasa.
"I didn't, but I suppose our butler might have. It's not that important," she said, though I could slightly note the sulk in her tone.
Agasa then excused himself and us, intending to return to our campsite. When we got to the entrance, we saw that the husband had return, calmly greeted us before we exited their house.
We followed the car tracks on the road to find ourselves at the intersection to the beach. At the corner, we can hear the screeching of another car, as if racing in on the owned property.
It felt like a long night by the time we finished cleaning up. After enduring Agasa's multi-pun quizzes, the children unwillingly tire their eyes out thus was carried into the tent by the old professor. He then warmed himself by the fire but dozed off just as soon. Encouraged by the silence of the night, I decided to have a little walk before waking him up to sleep in the tent.
"Oi, what's up with you today?" asked Kudou from behind, who apparently trailed me in my allegedly lone walks.
Wrong.
"Question," I said. Kudou replied with a confused expression.
"Was there… at any point… did, no… do you blame me?" I dared myself the question.
Kudou then sigh.
"I wonder what it was about…" he said, "we all prepared the food together. If anything, it's our fault."
Idiot.
"I almost forgot your old profession," muttered Kudou, "but I guess you can't, eh?"
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"When in high fever, the sugar content in drinks might worsen the condition of those suffering from food poisoning, although I'm not sure why… but you would know, right?" he deduced confidently.
"Maybe," I said leaving him for the professor.
"Dishonest woman," I could hear Kudou muttered softly.
The next morning, Agasa suggested that we greet the owner before starting our activity. The lady was about to have breakfast with her family when we came, but for some happy excuse, she invited us along. She claimed to have been fine in the morn and fit for anything. Her son, who arrived the night before, shortly after we left, softly hinted that it was all an act to get him and his father home. The lady ignored the remark, cheerily making us try the shortcakes her husband brought back instead.
"Don't glutton yourself up," warned her stoic husband.
As soon as we were done, we left them for the beach hoping that our morning greeting was not in any way intrusive.
"Poor lady, it must have been hard for her to have such a mean husband," said Ayumi sympathetically.
"It was an arranged marriage… but it's not really for us to pry. I'm sure she got well fast thanks to her husband too," said Agasa.
"Why thanks to her husband?" asked Genta.
"Yesterday, it was her husband's shift at the hospital, I'm pretty sure that was why the ambulance arrived so fast," replied the professor.
"Why can't they get along though? They're all tensed," Ayumi stated her observation in her childish frustration.
"I guess rich people doesn't know how to be honest. The lady won't call her husband, the son won't admit that he's glad his mom was alright and the husband won't show his anxiousness when his wife got ill," said Kudou.
"And how would you know that, Mister Detective?" I teased.
"He did all that uncaring act but there was tire tracks yesterday indicating that the car was driven in hurry. Also, the screeching sound we heard yesterday was probably from her son," explained Kudou.
"Those are all substantial though," commented Mitsuhiko.
"I bet he's sure because the lady seemed happier this morning," I said.
"Also, if she doesn't like her marriage, she would have just allowed Professor to call her maiden name," added Kudou.
"Incredible, Conan!" praised Ayumi.
I stared at the arrogant detective, wondering why in his brilliance, did he not able to deduce the right direction to my question.
