Chapter 8: Investigations
Warnings: Slight swear words and semi graphic description of a dead body. That's all for this chapter.
Rounding the corners and skidding to a halt in front of the alleyway about one or two blocks away from the restaurant where they had heard the scream, Conan and Heiji looked wide eyed at the scene displayed before them.
At the end of the dead end alley, sat a woman hunched down, her arms splayed about her, unmoving.
Fearing the worst, Conan and Heiji gave each other a slight nod of silent communication, and slowly approached the still woman.
Her dark brown dyed hair was smeared with blood and shadowed her face as her head was bent over Conan noted once he was close enough to see the figure clearly.
Hoping on all things that the woman was just unconscious, Conan approach her carefully and checked her wrist for a pulse. While her body was still warm, Conan couldn't feel and sign of life in her and he bit his lip worriedly as Heiji parted her hair slightly to take a look and Conan knew that it was already too late for the victim when the teenage Osakan muttered a silent "shit!"
"Kudou, take a look at this," Heiji muttered pointing at the woman's throat which had a deep slit across it, the blood mostly drying and stopping, but some still oozed out a little.
"Oi! Brats, get away from the crime scene and let the professionals handle it!" Kogoro came running recklessly over and shooed the two away. Heiji gave Conan a look over Kogoro's shoulder and the diminutive detective nodded his silent understanding, and followed Heiji out of the alleyway and back onto the streets.
"Heiji what happened?" Kazuha asked, worry evidently clear in her voice.
"Someone got ta the lady over there," the dark skinned Osakan jabbed a thumb back towards the alleyway, "you guys better call da cops and ambulance while me and this little guy here go investigate."
Heiji proceeded to ruffle Conan's hair and beamed at the two girls in what he assumed was a non suspicious manner.
"Heiji-kun, Conan is just a child don't drag him into this mess," Ran said protectively, glaring at the detective of the west with warning slate blue gray eyes, and Heiji gave her a sheepish reassuring smile.
"The kid wants ta be a detective Ran-san, and what better way than ta let him help the best of da best. Besides I'm investigating around the area so the kid won't even be near the victim, isn't that better than having him around here," Heiji reasoned with Ran, who looked shocked as she hadn't thought of that and allowed Heiji to lead Conan away from the crime scene as Kazuha had just gotten off the phone with the police.
"Thanks Hattori," Conan said to the detective, when the two of them had walked far away enough from the girls to converse more comfortably and safely.
"No problem Kudou but what's up with Ran-san, she seems...more protective of ya now." Heiji said looking down at his minuscule friend.
At that, Conan heaved a heavy sigh, "to be honest Hattori, I don't know. I think it had something to do with 'me' gone so long you know. It's like she thinks that 'Conan' will disappear forever someday too."
"I see…" Heiji muttered for lack of anything better to say. He felt bad for both of them, but it's not like he could change Conan back to Shinichi and in a sad somewhat twisted way, he knew that once Shinichi came back for good, 'Conan' will have to disappear forever.
Changing the subject to the matter at hand, Heiji asked his friend, "so what do you make of the murder. How do you think she died and where do we find the bastard that killed her?"
Conan moved to his usual thinking pose of chin between thumb and index finger, and hummed thoughtfully. The woman had had her head slammed roughly against the wall behind her and her throat has been slit carelessly, causing it to be jagged and it was deeply cut to top it off.
"The murderer couldn't have gone far, she was still warm when I checked her pulse and her blood had yet to dry, what doesn't make sense to me is why the murderer slammed her head and slit her throat when he could have gone with just one method." Conan said thoughtfully, mind reeling over with numerous thoughts, as he and Heiji kept their eyes peeled for the currently misplaced suspect.
"Kudou," Heiji suddenly halted to stop and nodded over to a man on the other side of the street loitering about, "he was around da crime scene when we first got there."
Giving Heiji a nod that he understood, the two made their way over to the man discreetly, trying not to tip off their would be suspect so soon in the investigation.
When the loitering man notice Heiji walking towards him, recognizing the teen detective from newspapers and TV, he bolted and ran in the opposite direction causing Heiji and Conan to give chase.
"Hey Ahou! Stop right where ya are!" Heiji shouted, swiftly catching up to the fleeing man and tackled him down.
"Why'd ya run? That only makes you more suspicious ya know." Heiji grumbled as he pinned the man's arms behind his back and lead him to the alleyway.
"I had nothing to do with it I swear! I'm her boyfriend, and I ran because I was scared." The man said and compliedly let Heiji lead him back, but not without some minimal struggles along the way.
Conan followed along listening to the man ramble on and soaked in the new found information. Did he know she was dead before we found her? Conan thought to himself and Heiji must have thought of something similar, because the Osakan teen asked the man the same exact question he just thought of.
"Of course I didn't, we were supposed to meet up at the street across from the alley, but when I saw you and Sleeping Kogoro run to the scene I panicked and left!" The man answered them.
Well this guy is definitely not a keeper, Heiji and Conan thought simultaneously, giving each other an amused look.
When they two detectives and suspect had arrived back at the scene, they noted that two new characters and several police officers were there.
"Otaki-han, this kid and I found another suspect." Heiji said reaching the police inspector and nudging the unwilling man towards the inspector.
"What? I told you I had nothing to do with it!" The man exclaimed and a woman, one of the new people Heiji had noticed looked away sharply when she saw who Heiji had just escorted over.
Pulling Heiji aside, the minuscule detective whispered, "I wonder what her relation is to the guy we just brought in."
"Yeah, she obviously recognizes him, but Kudou, what do ya make of the man cryin his heart out over there." Heiji pointed to the man beside the woman who was currently sobbing devastatingly into his hands on his knees.
"Should I used some kiddie charm to get them to spill?" Conan smirked at the detective of the west and the teen nodded with a smirk on his face in return.
Innocently walking over, Conan slowly approached the weeping man and asked in his most childish concerned tone, "hey Mr...are you okay? Do you want some candy? My sister always gives me some when I'm sad."
Peering over his hands, the man, Kawada Utamara as Conan had learned his name was, stared at Conan teary eyed for a moment before letting out a slight laugh. Conan played along and acted confused when the man laughed a little louder.
"Oh little boy, I just lost my little sister to some cruel being, nothing can cheer me up." Kawada old Conan. The lady beside them took that moment to interrupt them.
"Really? Because I'm sure after a beer you'll just fine Uta." The lady spoke up and Conan trained curious sapphire azure blue eyes at her.
"You know him and the sleeping lady in the alleyway?" Conan asked in high pitched childlike confusion.
"If only she was actually sleeping," Yasue Seka, the lady mumbled and aloud she told Conan, "they're my cousins little one and you shouldn't be around here."
"That's right Conan-kun, let's leave the police, dad and Heiji-kun to their work now shall we?" Ran said coming up from behind and picked up the small boy in her arms, apologizing to the lady and the man if Conan had bothered them and went back to where Kazuha stood. Heiji's mother had gone home when the police arrived, knowing that if her son was there than everything will be just fine.
Conan struggled out of Ran's grasp, tired of her always interrupting him when he was trying to solve a case. He had to find an excuse to get away from the girls so he could continue investigating but he came up with nothing.
Heiji noticing his friend struggling, smirked and chuckled in amusement but decided to help him and made his way over to Conan and the two girls.
"Heiji, what's going on?" Kazuha asked Heiji when she saw him approach them.
"Oh, ya know...just the typical murder, crime scene, suspects, and mysteries." Heiji replied with a shrug. Kazuha gave him a glare for acting so dismissive towards her, but Heiji didn't take notice.
"Who's the main suspect?" Ran asked, hoping that they would solve the mystery soon so she could go elsewhere.
Heiji gave another shrug, "Otogi-han is questionin them now, but the only one acting suspicious is the victim's boyfriend, Maeno Naganori." He gave them more information than necessary hoping that Conan would catch on and thankfully the smaller detective did.
Deciding it was time to go into further investigation, Conan nudged Heiji silently telling him that they should make a break for it and left the girls alone when they were distracted with talking to each other.
"Got anything yet Kudou?" Heiji asked his friend and the shrunken teen nodded an affirmative.
"All the suspects have a relation with one another. The crying man was her brother and that lady next to him was the cousin. And the man you caught was the boyfriend correct? All of them had a motive to kill her, but I still couldn't get close enough to figure out how she died but I'm leaning towards she died by getting her throat slit." Conan concluded to his currently taller friend and Heiji chimed in his agreement.
"Yeah well I learned that the boyfriend was having an affair with the cousin, that takes care of motives for both of them but what about the brother? What's his motive?" Heiji mused and Conan nodded.
"Who knows but there's just something about the older brother that's making me suspect him the most." Conan said.
"Ya too huh," Heiji agreed and the two kept on walking and conversing with each other and working together.
They went about investigating, and Heiji managed to find some clues and Conan found the evidence.
"Shall we shed some light to this dreary case?" Conan asked, smirking at his friend who nodded saying loudly, "you bet! Let's bring down this ahou and expose his sickenin crime!"
Getting things ready, Conan managed to ambush Kogoro unknowingly and knock him out with his antiseptic watch, and Heiji gathered the police and suspects to where Conan awaited.
Let the deduction show begin! Heiji and Conan thought simultaneously with equally similar cocky smirks.
A/N: First if all I want to apologize for the long wait for this chapter, and for my deteriorating writing. Looking back, I noticed that my writing for the first few/two chapters was decent but then it got worse and I don't know why this is happening.
I actually write a lot, so I find it strange how my writing style has change and definitely not for the better. That said, I'll still be writing and I hope to improve my writing even more in the future or get it back to where it used to be.
I sincerely hope that next chapter will come out sooner than later and thank you so much for reading my story so far.
I would also like to thank all who have reviewed my story and hope you keep doing it. I honestly am glad for the feedback you've given me and I'm glad that you like this story. I know that it seems pretty long and is a little slow moving, but I can assure you that the story will be faster paced later on.
Again thanks so much for reading and reviewing to everyone who had and will and I hoped you liked this chapter.
I know it's really short and I'm sorry but I hope you liked it anyways.