"All right," Kaito said at lunch. "Today's your big day."
"What do you mean?" Michael asked, completely unsuspecting.
"Today, we introduce Kid Jr.," Kaito said, grinning.
Michael put down his food. "Junior?" he protested.
"Unless you have a better idea," Kaito said, taking another bite.
Michael hmmphed and began eating again. After a moment, he said, "So then you found a monocle in my size?"
Kaito snickered. "You mean that one?" he asked, pointing to the one which appeared on Michael's face even as he spoke.
Michael jumped involuntarily at having something thrust so abruptly so close to his eye. "I take it that was a yes," he said, swallowing quickly.
"Yes," said Kaito. "Jii said he'd have a cape this afternoon, so I figured I'd take you out on a spin to get the hang of using the hang glider."
"Cool," Michael said, his eyes shining. "You know, I think I like this Kaitou Kid stuff."
"Kaitou Kid Junior," Kaito corrected him with a wink.
Michael scowled. "'Little Kid' I can tolerate, but 'Kid Junior' is out of the question."
"We'll see what the media says," Kaito said with a grin.
Once again, a dove fluttered into the air.
"It's the same trick as last time," Nakamori said to the officers. "While our attention is focused on the bird, he sneaks in from the crowd." They scanned the crowd, watching for any suspicious characters. Meanwhile, the dove landed, unhindered, on the glass case.
Nakamori turned to look at the jewel. He was just in time to see the dove engulfed in a puff of smoke.
When it cleared, there was a miniature version of Kid perched on the case.
Nakamori's jaw dropped and everyone gasped. For a moment, no one moved.
Michael looked over himself with mock consternation. "Oops," he said. He snapped his fingers and was engulfed in another cloud of smoke. This time the real Kid stood on the pedestal.
"Ah, much better," Kid said, stretching.
Nakamori's jaw was almost on the floor. He snapped it closed. "Get him!" he hollered.
In one swift motion, Kid smashed the top of the case and seized the crystal from its cushion. When the police were almost upon him, he snapped his fingers. There was another puff of smoke, and the dove fluttered towards an open skylight and disappeared.
Dumbfounded, Nakamori stared at the skylight. Then he let loose with a string of expletives that could only come from Inspector Nakamori when he was bested yet again by the elusive Kid the Phantom Thief.
"Did you see that?" Michael heard a child's voice excitedly talking.
"Oh, hi, guys," he said, coming upon the Detective Boys.
"Michael-kun!" Mitsuhiko exclaimed. "Did you see that?"
"Yeah, that was cool," Michael agreed.
"It was a simple substitution," Conan said calmly. "When the officers weren't looking, that boy popped up and switched with the bird. While he attracted their attention, the real Kid slipped in and then switched places with the boy in the second puff of smoke. Then he just let the dove go in the last one."
"It was still cool," Michael argued. "It'd make a great trick."
"The question is," Haibara said softly, "Who is Kid's assistant?"
"That's true," Michael nodded. "He had to have been pretty good, to be able to slip into the crowd after switching like that."
Conan and Haibara glared at him.
"What?" he said, looking between them. "Oh, come on!"
"He's about the right size," Haibara said quietly to Conan.
"And he's been learning magic," Conan nodded.
"What, now you think I'm Kid?" he protested.
"Oh, there you are, Michael-kun," said a familiar voice. "Come on, we need to pick up some things on the way home."
"Oh, Kaito-niichan," Michael said, glancing up. "These are the other guys in the Detective Boys," he said, gesturing. "Ayumi, Genta, Mitsuhiko, Conan, and Haibara-san. Guys, this is Kuroba Kaito, the son of the world-famous magician Kuroba Toichi."
"Oh, you're the one who taught Michael how to do all those magic tricks?" Genta exclaimed.
"Ah, yes," Kaito said, glancing at Michael. "He's pretty smart, but he has quite a ways to go yet."
"What can you do?" Mitsuhiko asked him.
"Yes, show us!" Ayumi begged excitedly.
"Well... all right," Kaito said. He spent a few minutes showing off while Conan spent his time seeing through most, though nowhere near all, of Kaito's tricks. He was gracious enough not to reveal the secret during the performance, at least, Michael reflected.
Kaito finally glanced at his watch. "Uh-oh, we're supposed to be home soon, and we still need to run by the market," he said anxiously. "I'll see you guys later, all right?"
"OK!" they chorused. Michael waved goodbye and the pair set off towards the nearest bus stop.
When they were almost to the bus stop, Kaito reached down and pulled something out of Michael's shoe. Gesturing for him to be silent, he held it out to him.
Michael recognized it from his talk with Agasa. It was a miniature transmitter, similar in principle to the detective badges, so it could be picked up on Conan's glasses.
Glancing around, he saw his chance and slipped it into the pocket of a passing businessman.
Michael searched his other shoe and his pockets to make sure that was the only transmitter. It was.
"Sorry, Kaito-niichan," he said. "I must have gotten careless."
"Yes," Kaito said briefly. "You can't afford to lower your guard around a detective, even for a second."
They made the rest of the trip in silence.
