The following weeks turned to be a bore. Eri found herself all alone in her apartment with no one to speak with. The kids rarely came by, having their own things to do. The man that lived next door had disappeared for some business he had to attend to and Ran and her father were getting involved with other cases.
Only then did Eri really feel lonely. On some days she wrote, on others, she went out and watched the beautiful scenery. She walked around and watched how others conversed. It was then that she realized that the seasons and months changed without her notice. She never thought about it until now but one moment it could be like they are in October and the next it would be the beginning of March. Strange but the young woman didn't give it much thought.
...
"It's buffet-style so please help yourselves to whatever food or drinks you'd like." Urai Hoshie, wife of the sponsor told Eri as she saw the buffet and found herself meeting with Ran and her father, as well as the kid.
"Eri-san I didn't think we'd find you here." Mouri looked at the young woman.
The strawberry blond smiled. "My editor apparently knows the sponsor and got me an invitation in her stead. Said it was time for me to go out and have some fun."
Her companions laughed before they began conversing about the president's interesting events he does at his parties.
As the night continued, Eri found herself forgetting that she was in a different world, one where she knew most of what was going to happen. That is until the sponsor of the event dropped dead in front of her and her companions.
"The deceased is Urai Taruto-san, 53 years old. He was the president of Urai confections and the sponsor of this party. I heard from the coroner that it was death by poison." Inspector Meguire declared as he tried to get all the details straightened out.
Eri frowned now knowing why she had a bad feeling when she accepted the invitation. Sighing and standing away for the majority of the time, Eri only bothered to listen in to the conversation.
Ran came to stand by the woman. "So what do you think?"
Eri looked at the young girl in surprise. "Why would you bother to ask me that?"
The teenager shrugged. "You're a really smart person and you write murder mysteries for a living. You should have some sort of idea."
"Hmm..." The woman looked at the girl in thought. "I'd have to say that it was his wife." She saw the look on Ran's face and elaborated. "If the president were to kill himself, I don't think he'd do it in front of many people. Who in their right mind would? He could have easily done this before or after."
Ran nodded thinking about her reasoning. "It seems as though your father is about to begin his deduction." Eri pointed out the detective falling to the ground and finally slumping over.
"A strategy devised in order for the murder trick to work! So that Hoshie-san could poison her husband, president Urai!"
Everyone gathered around, now curious as to what the detective had to say.
"Strategy... are you saying that I used you?" Hoshie-san seemed offended.
"Yeah, though the one you really used was my daughter Ran, who I brought with me. After the crime, if my daughter had testified that both of your hands had been occupied with reading her palm and that after the president collapsed he was unable to move... I would believe her over anyone else, and you would be removed from suspicion. Committing the crime during my speech was another part of your strategy. By having me at a distant location such as on the stage, I wouldn't be able to see through your trick."
A bead of sweat was trickling down the woman's face. "So what is this trick? Just what are you saying that I could have done at that time..."
Eri was impressed as always. Impressed how easily solving these crimes came to the young boy. How easily all the pieces seemed to fit perfectly together.
"Everyone at this party is aware of it... that the president loved being showy and would do things such as magic tricks or skits and that he couldn't stand sour things. You proposed this to the president beforehand, right? Saying 'Everyone would be surprised if you ate the super sour spy Choco White without making a face"
The boy's deduction skills were clearly the best she had ever seen. It made the culprit give a full confession.
"Eri-san do you mind accompanying the kids home?" Mouri-san asked the author as they began to depart.
Nodding, the woman drove the kids home, bidding them all a good night.
"Well goodnight you guys." She said as she watched them exit their car. "Oh and Ran... don't cry. I'm sure you're feelings were well received." Eri said before driving off, leaving the poor girl confused for just a few moments.
Driving home, Eri couldn't help but think about how lucky everyone else was to have that special someone. Again she felt lonely. Arriving at an empty house with only her furry friends to greet her, Eri didn't change out of her white colored dress and instead kicked off her heels and headed towards her alcohol cabinet. Pouring herself a glass of Bourbon, she ventured upstairs and sat out on her balcony. She pulled at her pins and allowed her hair to fall in soft waves, looking up at the night sky. Brought out of her thoughts by the sound of her doorbell, Eri wondered who would be at her door so late.
"Subaru-san?"
"Mind if I come in?" The man had a bag with him.
She smiled, opening her door to allow the man to come in. "Why are you dropping by so late?"
They walked towards the balcony she sat on before, sitting down and enjoying the night's chilly air. "It's White day, a lady such as yourself shouldn't be alone tonight."
Eri took a sip of her wine. "What's in the bag?"
Subaru, or now Akai, seeing as how he turned off his voice changer, reached into the bag only to pull out a pint size of vanilla ice cream. "I thought you'd enjoy it." He admitted.
Eri began to giggle at the sight of the man with ice cream in his hand. "Thank you."
...
"Hey! Why is that dog glowing!?"
"It's a demon dog!"
At the current moment, Eri sat with Ran and her father, watching a movie with them that was spoiled by the chibi detective.
"In that case, how about going to exterminate a real demon dog?"
It was then that Eri finally met the teenage detective and Kudo's best friend. "Hattori Heji." Eri called out to the boy after their introductions were done with. "I've heard about you. It's nice to finally meet you."
The dark skinned boy looked at the woman and whistled. "Kudo was right, you are a beauty." He laughed slightly but soon cleared his throat at the stares coming his way. "Well anyway Eri-san, nice to meet you."
And so...
Eri found herself accompanying the detectives to their case. One she couldn't quite remember. It had been so long since she read this part.
"A cursed demon dog, huh..."
"Well looks like Ran and Kazuha aren't coming."
"But wouldn't it have been okay if the old detective came along anyway?"
Conan didn't even bother to look at his friend and instead turned to the female beside him. "He said he can't miss Okino Yoko's daytime drama. But I guess that doesn't matter since Eri-san came along."
Eri smiled as she stirred some more sugar into her coffee. "Don't mind me, I'm only here to watch over you seeing as how you both are still young."
Conan turned away. "Did you hear anything else about the case?"
Explaining the details of the case Hattori-kun and Conan decided to pay the old man a visit only to find the room sealed with tape and the man dead due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Just as quickly as they rushed in, they found out who murdered the man.
Though quickly the case turned out to be more complicated.
"Eri-san!" Detective Takagi immediately recognized the author. "What are you doing here?"
Eri gestured to the two boys who were conversing with the other detectives and inspector who nodded to her as a greeting. "I came to watch over them but somehow like any other times, I'm just standing here witnessing another case. Although it does come in handy sometimes." She admitted. "The tricks helped me come up with stories for my books."
Takagi smiled. "Are you in the middle of writing the final book for your trilogy?"
"Yes and I've included some new characters, I'm sure you'd love them." Eri and Takagi were interrupted by the inspector clearing his throat. "You should probably go, we can talk later." She smiled before pushing the detective forward so they could continue with their case.
...
Eri bid the others goodbye. Heading home instead of going with the detectives and the girls to see the mystery behind the demon dog. As much as she would love to see the boys at work, Eri had her own work to get to. Some of which she could no longer neglect and had been sitting in the corner of her office for a while now.
Fan mail...
For the past few days, Eri went through her fan mail, only leaving her house to give Asuma a walk around their neighborhood.
"Eri-san? I was wondering if you'd like to go to another country for a book signing?" Her publicist called her later one evening.
"What country?"
...
"So why did she have to come along with us?" The teenager asked, frowning.
Eri simply smiled at the young detective, now in his regular form.
Agasa-san frowned. "She had to come to London anyway, besides Ai-kun doesn't want you to mess up."
Shinichi only sneezed, changing the subject rather easily.
"Hey! Don't act too conspicuous! If Ran-kun and her dad find out we're on the same flight that they are..."
"It's fine! They're in first class! They're not going to come back here..."
Eri only shook her head, turning away to read the bundle of papers her publicist gave to her before her departure.
A while later before arriving at the airport in London, Shinichi turned to the writer sitting beside him. "You didn't seem surprised when you saw me transform into my teenage body."
Eri smiled slightly. "I've known for a while that you are really Kudo Shinichi. It wasn't that hard to figure out. But you don't need to worry about me ratting you out to the Black Syndicate."
"I'm not worried." His words surprised the author.
"Why not?" She couldn't help but look at the boy in curiosity.
"Because you seem to hate them as much as we do. As much as our dear neighbor seems to."
Eri nodded, smiling. "Yes, that's right. All because of her."
...
"You're an idiot," Eri told the kid bluntly once she had seen Shinichi in his regular form. "That girl is going to kill us both."
Shinichi ignored her comment, more focused on the case ahead of him.
The author sighed, knowing that there was nothing to do but contact the young scientist back home.
The phone rang multiple times before she heard the bored voice of Haibara. "So did he use them as I thought?"
"Not even a hello," Eri paused imaging the look of irritation on the young scientists face. "Yes, he used it. Will you be sending another pill with someone else seeing as how you didn't trust me with it."
"Yes. You'll find out who it is later," she said before hanging up.
'That brat...'
