AN: It's my birthday today, but you're the ones getting the present, with this, the next chapter of Black Echo! I hope everyone enjoys this chapter, and perhaps considers leaving a review, in honor of this, the most joyous of days. I'm one step closer to being an Official Fandom Grandma.

Until next time!

Black Echo

Chapter Eleven

One Confides, the Other Hides

"What's up with ya, Kudo? Ya don't look the least bit happy ta see me."

"Ah, it's not that, Hattori." Quickly flashing his friend something of an apologetic smile, Conan quickly spared a glance up ahead of him. Taking note of the fact that both Ran and Kazuha were currently deep in the middle of a bit of girl talk, he let a small sigh escape from him, glancing back up towards Heiji. It wasn't hard to make out the somewhat disappointed tone his voice carried- and here he thought he had been hiding the fact that he was trouble over something well.

It wasn't Heiji's fault, really. Thankfully, the same wasn't true for Kazuha, at the very least, but whenever he heard that Osakan accent of his, the first thing that he thought of was the one that he had met at that hotel- the Black Organization member, Paikaru. It was frustrating really- he didn't want his close friend, of all people, to remind him of such a person, and he felt terrible about it, even if he wasn't doing it on purpose. He didn't realize how big of an impact that allowing him to slip through his fingers for a second time would have on his psyche- until now, at least.

Still, he was grateful that the two of them had come over. Ran was still rather down after the events that had taken place at that party. If it was going to be like that, he couldn't help but think that it almost would have been better if they had never gone. If they hadn't, she wouldn't be feeling this way now. Even if she read about it in the paper later, that was an entirely different experience compared to having the person in question die in front of your eyes.

But if they had never gone, he never would have obtained any leads on the Organization. Even if he had let Paikaru and Vermouth alike slip through his fingers, at the very least, they had the name of the man that they had been with. Jodie had promised to look into his background very thoroughly, so perhaps, at the very least, they might be able to find something there.

"Then, what is it? Yer obviously bothered by somethin', so don't try an' act like that's not the case, Kudo." With a slight frown on his features, Heiji tilted his head. When that troubled expression had first crossed Conan's face, the first time that he had opened up his mouth to give him a greeting, he had felt his heart clench in his chest. What if he had realized it? What if he already knew?

Thankfully, it didn't seem as if that was the case. If that were true, there was no way that he would leisurely be hanging around him right now- and there was even less of a chance that he would allow Ran to spend any time with him. He would have to work harder than ever to make sure it stayed that way- he couldn't protect him if he wasn't by his side, and even if he came to understand that he wasn't going to betray them to the Organization, he knew that when- if- he found out, it would be the end of their friendship.

He wasn't sure what he would become to him after that. Perhaps simply nothing more than an informant, someone to provide him with what information that he could. Not an ally, probably, and not a trusted one, as he was now. Just someone that he used, someone that he harbored nothing towards but ill will.

"It's..." Opening up his mouth to deny it, Conan quickly shut it again, turning his gaze away from him. With the glint of his glasses concealing his troubled expression, he furrowed his brow, his brief meeting with Paikaru once more playing in his mind. That haunting, uncertain feeling that it had given him had never gone away, even though a week had passed since then- and he was no close to figuring out the reason for it.

It was frustrating.

"It's what?" Heiji asked again, a tight frown crossing his face. It wasn't as if he didn't already know what was bothering him- he was the source of his current troubles, after all. He hated seeing him like this, letting the fact that he had allowed an Organization member to slip through his fingers yet again eat away at him. All kinds of things were probably going through his mind right now, scenario after scenario playing out inside of it- good ones and bad ones. Really, it was a miracle that he could even manage to keep up the act that nothing was wrong around Ran.

The fact that he let it slip around him was a testament to how much he trusted him. It was touching- enough so that it felt as if it was strangling him.

"It's..." Beginning again, Conan let out a long sigh, finally looking back up towards his friend. Heiji had told him that he could confide in him when he needed to, and even though he knew that his friend would hear him out, he almost didn't want to tell him. Of course, the fact that he didn't want to get him any further involved with the Organization was the number one reason, but beyond that, there was...

There was what, really? Lately it felt like he was full of feelings that he couldn't understand the source nor the reason of. It wasn't a sensation that he liked.

"Did you read about the murder in the newspaper?" Conan finally asked, deciding to approach it from that angle.

"Yeah, I did. Ya sure did a great job of solvin' it, as always!" Heiji told him, a bright smile flashing across his face- one that didn't last as long as his usual ones. "But I get the feelin' that's not what's troublin' ya, Kudo. Ya wanna talk ta me about it? I might not be the best person in the world ta discuss feelings with, but I'm better than nothin', right?"

He was on the verge of telling him something, and something important. He knew Kudo well enough to know that much. And as much as it twisted his gut, his main goal wasn't to become someone that he could confide in, to take some of the troubles off of his chest, though certainly, that was a part of it. Rather than any of that, however, his main goal was nothing so touching, nothing so emotional- it was the need to gather information.

He needed to know how much he already knew about Paikaru. How much that scientist girl had told him, how much he might have gathered from other sources. Anything that he might have gleaned from their brief encounter. If he was going to keep concealing this side of him from him, then he needed to know all of these things and more. Even though this wasn't a war that he could win, at the very least, he wanted to hold out until the final battle. And for that, he needed information.

"Yeah." Narrowing his eyes, Conan felt his fists clench by his side, his frustrations threatening to take hold of him for a moment- before he fought them back, regaining control of his own feelings. "If you read about it, you must have read about the suicide that happened at that same hotel, around the same time, right?"

"Yeah, I did." With a nod of his head, Heiji folded his arms in front of his chest. He didn't know if was because of that old hag's coaching, or because of some kind of innate talent that frankly, he didn't even want, but it felt a lot like he had gotten an awful lot better at acting these days. "If I recall, some scientist from South Korea killed himself in that hotel. I think the newspaper said somethin' about him drinkin' poison, or somethin' like that."

"Wait." Stopping in his tracks, crouching down so that he could face him on eye level, Heiji narrowed his eyes. "Don't tell me that ya think that it wasn't a suicide? If that's the case, why didn't ya tell the police about it while you were there? That's not like ya, Kudo."

"What's the one reason why I wouldn't, Hattori?" Conan asked him frankly, turning on his heel so that he could meet his gaze. Out of the corner of his eye, he took notice of the fact that Ran had realized that they weren't walking behind them any longer- so they probably only had a small time frame in which to discuss this matter.

"Oi, don't tell me-!" Cutting himself short, Heiji let his eyes grow wide, before he almost fretfully glanced around them, dropping his voice even further. "Ya think it was because of them?"

"Yeah, that's it exactly." Conan told him. "And what's more, the Organization member most likely behind it spoke Kansai-ben. It would appear that there's a matter in which I might need your assistance after all, Hattori. Well, although it's probably something we'll have to discuss later, when those two aren't around."

"What are you doing, Conan-kun?" Breaking up any further conversation that the two of them might have had, Ran quickly hurried back to rejoin them, almost as if on cue. Taking note of their serious expressions, she glanced between the two of them, a slight frown crossing her face. "Did something happen?"

"Ah, no!" Quickly standing straight up, Heiji let out an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "This kid was just tryin' ta ask me fer some advice about somethin'! Ya know, even at this age, kids have things that they feel too embarrassed ta tell girls about, right?"

"Well, if it's somethin' about girls, yer better off not takin' advice from Heiji." Kazuha dryly remarked, shooting something of a sour look towards her childhood friend, who sent one right back towards. Heaving a slight sigh, she folded her arms in front of her chest, giving Conan a bright smile. "Ya don't have ta be embarrassed ta tell us things, Conan-kun. Why don't ya tell us all about what's worryin' ya over lunch, an' the two of us will help ya out!"

"Ah, that's okay, Kazuha-neechan!" Quickly shaking his head, shooting Heiji a dirty look of his own, annoyed that was the first thing he could come up with, Conan very quickly replaced said look with a childish smile. "It's not that important! More importantly, can we hurry up and get to the restaurant? I'm starting to get really hungry!"

"Yes, yes." With a nod of her head, Ran reached out her hand, offering it to Conan. Smiling a little at the way his cheeks reddened a bit when he took it, she glanced up towards Heiji. "But is it really alright, Hattori-kun? Since you and Kazuha-chan are the guests here, we really should be the ones paying for the meal, not the other way around."

"Yeah, don't worry about it, Neechan!" With a quick nod of his head, Heiji flashed her a reassuring grin. "It's the least I could do."

"Hold a second, Kudo-kun." Grabbing Conan rather abruptly by the shoulder, Ai all but dragged him over towards her, sharply narrowing her eyes. "I thought you said that you weren't going to get Hattori-kun involved in this."

"That was the plan, but..." Trailing off a little, Conan shrugged her hand off of his shoulder, giving it a light rub. She could have quite the grip when she wanted to- hopefully his shoulder wouldn't bruise. It wasn't that he didn't understand her reasons, but at the end of the day, whether or not to involve Heiji was his decision to make.

Besides, all the was telling him to do was just to keep his eyes and ears open for anyone that he thought might be Paikaru. Sure, there was Heiji's hotblooded personality to worry about, but he was sure that if he impressed the dangers upon him of what might happen if he were caught, even he wouldn't take any rash actions. He could certainly be reckless and impulsive, but he wasn't an idiot.

"If Paikaru really is from the Kansai region, then having the assistance of someone who actually leaves there is probably a good idea." Conan told her, keeping his voice down. For the moment, Heiji seemed to be having a discussion with the Professor- perhaps bringing him to his place wasn't the best of ideas, given that Ai was around, but it wasn't like he could think of many other places where they could speak of matters in regards to the Organization in private. "It's not like I came to this decision lightly, Haibara. I would rather not involve Hattori either, given the choice."

"Still-"

"What's wrong?" Hovering over the two of them, a curious expression on his face, Heiji glanced down towards the two shrunken teens. "Ya sure have a serious look on yer face, little Neechan. Is somethin' goin' on?"

"No, it's nothing." Recovering her composed expression, Ai took a step away from Conan, shooting him something of a warning look. She would rather not see anyone else be put in danger because of them, but she supposed she had no other choice but to trust his instincts. "If you need me, Kudo-kun, I'll be down in the lab. I would recommend not needing me."

Letting out a low whistle as he watched Ai head downstairs, Heiji merely quirked a brow. "She doesn't seem too happy. Ya say somethin' ta her ta piss her off? Ya really shouldn't do things like that, Kudo."

"Shut up. I don't want to hear that from you." Conan retorted, heaving a long sigh. He could understand why she was worried, but the fact of the matter was that they just didn't have anyone they could send out to investigate the Kansai region. If Jodie or Camel headed over there, it would definitely attract the Organization's attention. The only person who could move around there without too much suspicion was someone who already lived there- and Heiji was the only person who fit the bill.

Besides, if his theory was true, then who would be better to look into the matter than the son of Osaka's chief of police? If Paikaru really was connected to law enforcement or some other powerful office in some way, enough so that he could lower the guards of the people that he was hunting, then the person who would raise the least amount of suspicion by poking around in that area would again, be Heiji.

"What's that supposed ta mean?" Placing a hand against his chest, an expression of mild offense crossing his face. "I'll have ya know that I can be a pretty charmin' guy, Kudo!"

"Really? That's news to me." Conan couldn't help but retort, feeling something of an easy grin crossing his face. Really, he couldn't help but be grateful that Heiji had decided to pay them a visit- even if it had been Kazuha's idea, from the sound of it. There were times he could almost forget the current state of his body when he was around Heiji, able to act like himself in ways that he couldn't around other people.

"More importantly, Hattori, did you forget? We've still got that matter to discuss." Taking a seat on the Professor's couch, a rather serious expression crossed his face. "Honestly, I was debating telling you about this at all, so don't do anything that would make me regret it."

"I won't, I won't." Quick to reassure him, Heiji took a seat across from Conan. Well, he undoubtedly would, but not in ways that he would ever expect- but he didn't need to know something like that. "So? What's this about an Organization member speakin' Kansai-ben? I get the feelin' ya don't mean that giant that ya mentioned ta me once before."

"Considering that he's been dead for a number of months, of course not." Conan replied, shaking his head. "I recently was able to obtain some information about a new Organization member. Probably, he's the one who was behind that strange case we ended up looking into with Uncle from a few weeks back. You remember, right? That arson murder case?"

"Ah, yeah. The one that the police closed as suicide. Considerin' that's when ya started actin' kinda weird, it's hard ta forget." Nodding his head, Heiji frowned a little. "Did ya ever figure out who that guy was, anyways?"

"No, not a clue." Shaking his head, Conan gave him something of a rueful smile. "Before I tell you anything else, I want you to promise me one thing, Hattori. Don't underestimate your opponent, and don't overestimate yourself. If something happens to you because of what I'm about to tell you..."

Holding up a hand, quickly cutting him off, Heiji flashed him a quick grin. He didn't want to hear him finish that sentence, didn't want to have it driven home once again just how deeply he cared about him. There was only so much of that he could bear. "Ya don't need ta worry about somethin' like that, Kudo. I might not know much about these guys, but I know enough about them ta know just how dangerous they can be. Believe me, I don't want anyone around me ta get caught up in that either, so ya don't have ta worry about me runnin' off an' doin' somethin' reckless."

"Well, although given my personality, I can't exactly blame ya fer bein' worried." Scratching his cheek, Heiji let out a small laugh, all while burying his true feelings deep down inside of them, locking them away in a place that not even Kudo would be even to find them. "Still, I'm glad that ya decided ta trust me with this again, Kudo. I can understand that ya want ta keep me an' Kazuha safe, but I don't like not bein' able ta help ya any with this."

Even though he wouldn't actually be helping him with Paikaru at all. The exact opposite, really.

But at this point, there was no way that he could ever say it. Not after they had met face to face, as detective and Organization member. He couldn't take back what had already happened.

"You do tend to be rather hotblooded, after all." Conan couldn't help but quip, before smiling a little. It was strange- for all that he had been worrying about not involving Heiji, some part of him actually felt a bit lighter now. It was as if he had gotten a weight off of his chest, one that he hadn't fully been aware that he had been carrying until he let it go. "Besides, I can't come rescue you if you're all the way in Osaka."

"Do I look like some kinda distressed damsel to ya?" The joke rolled so naturally off of his lips, that he nearly made himself sick. "I know I might not have any of yer flashy gadgets, but at the very least, I don't come up ta people's knees."

"A fair point." As much as he wanted to argue that point, he couldn't really deny that Heiji had one- although he could have put it differently. Still, now wasn't the time to argue about semantics. "But thanks, Hattori. I have a suspicion that they might have some kind of connection to the police, so I really need someone who has connections with them in the Kansai region to look into things."

"Ta the police?" Heiji blinked, a slight frown crossing his face. Well, he definitely wasn't wrong there. Still, the fact that he had already drawn that conclusion was enough to make his blood run cold- it was hitting far too close to home. At the very least, from the sound of it, it almost seemed as if he was assuming that they were a member of the police force, which at the very least, indicated that he suspected that Paikaru was older.

Well, that made sense. Normally nobody would assume that a high school student was deeply involved with such an Organization. Even for someone as paranoid as Kudo, it probably wouldn't be the first thing that he would think of.

"Well, it's only a suspicion of mine." Conan told him after a moment. "I don't know if it's actually true or not. At the very least, they have some kind of connection to some kind of authority, enough so that they can let people's guards down. According to Haibara, he's well known in the Organization for hunting down traitors. Not that she's ever seen him face to face, though."

"An'? Did she tell ya anythin' else about him?" Heiji asked. Well, that much he already knew- if she had really seen his face in the past, there was no way that he would be leisurely lounging in her home right now. He didn't have many chances to interact with the research and development side of the Organization, unless it involved helping to erase one of their number. No doubt that was on purpose- as much as the Organization used him freely to deal with those that needed to disappear, they always kept him at an arm's length from anything critically important.

He didn't know if it was just because they didn't fully trust him yet, or if it were because of his age. Perhaps it was because of his parents- his biological ones, the ones who had turned against the Organization just because of his existence. He knew the fact that his biological mother was still out there, alive and well, if not incarcerated, likely for life, made them nervous- even they weren't able to get to her that easily.

Seventeen years had passed since then, making most of the information that she held largely out of date and therefore mostly useless. That, and the fact that she had held her tongue till the very end, were the only things that prevented them from extending their reach to deal with her anyways. He'd never met her himself, even though he knew where she was- and although he sometimes entertained the idea of giving Kudo a hint to her existence, he couldn't do that either, for rather obvious reasons.

If they ever met, it would probably be all over. Family resemblance was a scary thing.

"He's loyal to Vermouth." Conan told him frankly. "You remember, she's the one who sent Kudo Shinichi that invitation, and the one who stole the records from the police. The one we went to investigate Jodie-sensei on suspicion of being."

"How could I forget that?" Heiji asked, shrugging his shoulders. He never would, but perhaps not for the reasons that Kudo would have thought- if she hadn't covered for him then, things might have turned out quite a bit different. Still, even so, he would still make that choice again, given the chance. "That was quite the experience, gettin' all dressed up by yer mother. I'm pretty sure her skills could put that flashy thief ya chase around sometimes ta shame!"

"Can we focus on the topic at hand, Hattori?" Conan couldn't help but ask, quirking a brow. As his friend flashed him an apologetic smile, he continued. "I've already had two close encounters with the guy, but I don't know if Vermouth has told him anything about me or not. We met face to face at the party, but I'm doubtful that the face he was wearing that night was really his own."

"Though at the very least, I know his voice and body type." Conan added. "He looks to be around a young man, although for someone of Vermouth's skills, it's possible that she might be able to camouflage that. As for his height, he's probably around..."

There was a pause there, words left lingering unspoken in his throat. Now that he thought about it, he couldn't help but wonder how he had missed it for this long. After all, that person's height and body type were...

"What's wrong?" The sound of Heiji's voice, concern laced in it's tone, broke him out of his thoughts. "I can't exactly look fer the guy if I don't have anythin' ta go off of, Kudo. I don't know if ya've noticed this, but a lot of people in the Kansai region speak usin' Kansai-ben. Can't really narrow it down with that little information."

At the sarcastic tinge his words took on towards the end, Conan found himself letting out the breath that he had sucked in. Of course there was no way- if something like that were true, he would have realized it a lot sooner. He must have really been getting paranoid lately, if he had even considered that as a serious possibility, for even just a second. If anything, he felt disgusted with himself for even considering it, however briefly.

"Sorry, sorry. He's around your height, actually, Hattori." Conan finally told him. "Give or take a few inches. It's difficult to truly gauge people's heights when I'm this size."

"Heh, pretty short fer an adult, isn't he?" Heiji couldn't help but observe, wondering how it was that he wasn't displaying the deep relief he felt on his face right now. "Well, that should probably make him stand out a little bit more. Or rather," a sly grin crossing his features, he couldn't help but let a joking twinkle enter his eyes- one that was almost very nearly genuine. "...I guess he wouldn't, given, ya know."

Unable to help himself, a faint snort escaped from Conan. "Fair enough. I got some of the pictures taken from the security footage from Jodie-sensei. I'll pass them along to you when I get the chance."

"Oh thanks! That'll be a big help!" Flashing him another wide grin, Heiji frowned, pausing to reach down to check his phone. "Ah, although I should probably be meetin' up with Kazuha again sometime soon. If we don't start headin' ta the station soon, we might miss our train home."

"Is it already that time?" Checking his own phone, Conan almost grimaced- Kazuha had been very clear when they had parted ways at what time they would have to meet up again. The last thing he wanted to do was to upset her again. "The two of you could always stay over at the agency tonight, you know."

"We can't always be doin' that." Shaking his head, Heiji rose to his feet. "I'll keep what ya told me today in mind, Kudo, an' keep my eyes an' ears peeled fer anyone that might seem suspicious. But still... thanks fer trustin' me with this, I guess."

"Don't make me regret it, Hattori." Conan warned him, getting to his own feet. "Be careful. This guy is someone who is willing to kill a person just because they've seen his face. He's not someone you should deal with lightly."

"Yeah, I know. Since yer not there ta watch my back fer me, I'll be extra careful, Kudo." Nodding his head, Heiji reached over, ruffling his hair. Oh, he'd regret it alright- but not for that reason. There were any number of things that he had to worry about, but Paikaru killing him was not one of them. He didn't have any plans to commit suicide anytime soon, no matter how bad things got. He wasn't that type.

"Ya gotta promise me the same though." Pulling his hand away from him, Heiji rose back up, tucking his hands into his pockets. His own words once again making himself sick, he nevertheless hid such things behind the mask of a concerned friend, a trusted ally who was worried that he couldn't do half as much as he wanted to help him. "If he's really as dangerous as yer makin' him sound, be careful around him yerself. If somethin' were ta happen ta ya, I don't know how I would explain it ta Neechan."

Those last words, at the very least, were completely sincere.

"I will. We've already had this conversation before, don't you remember?" Even as he said that, Conan couldn't help but frown. For a moment, there was almost something strange about his friend- but whatever it was, it vanished almost as quickly as it had come, so ephemeral that he quickly found himself doubting that it had ever been there. "I'm the one who is going to take them down. I won't let it be the other way around."

"I guess not." Closing his eyes, Heiji felt a smile form on his lips- this one the real deal. He believed in those words, perhaps more than anyone. If there was anyone who could actually bring an end to the nightmare that had loomed over far too many, for far too long, it was Kudo. "Those guys'll never know what hit 'em."

Unfortunately, they wouldn't be the only ones.

"What do ya want?"

Perhaps he had some small form of luck after all- Kazuha had already fallen asleep next to him when his cellphone rang. Out like a light as she was, she didn't notice the soft vibrating sound coming from his jacket pocket, nor did she notice him get up to leave, pulling out a cellphone that was different from the one that he normally used.

"Come to the very back of the train, without drawing attention to yourself."

"Are ya stalkin' me now, Vermouth?" Narrowing his eyes, Heiji glanced back towards Kazuha, who was still fast asleep in her seat, where he had left her. The idea of them being in the same place as each other made him uncomfortable, and judging by her short tone, this wasn't a simple courtesy call. Heaving a long sigh, Heiji tore his gaze away from his childhood friend, turning it in direction he needed to go. "Alright. I'll be right there."

"Do hurry. He tends to get a bit impatient."

With that, the other end of the line went dead, leaving the dial tone to echo in Heiji's ears, before he too, hung up, tucking his work cellphone away. Sparing one last long look towards Kazuha, hoping that she wouldn't question his absence too much, or come looking for him should she wake up, he reached up, turning the brim of his cap forward, and tugging it down low over his eyes.

He didn't need anyone to tell him to whom Vermouth was referring to. He already knew.

If there was one person within the Organization that he hated dealing with, more than anyone else, it was him. And that had been before he'd learned that he was the one behind Kudo's poisoning. If anything, that had just given him even more of a reason to hate the one with the codename of Gin.

Drawing in and letting out a deep breath, he put aside the high school detective for the moment, a hard expression crossing his face, the kind that those who knew him would never be able to recognize was one of his own. Exchanging a brief glance with the tall, bulky man who lingered outside of the door to the last car, Paikaru headed inside, casting a cursory look at his surroundings. Aside from the two Organization members, it was completely empty- just as he thought, he really didn't have much freedom.

Even if the mistake hadn't been anything that had been in his power to prevent, even if it had been ruled as a suicide, just as they wanted, it was more than enough for them to tighten the leash they had around him again. It wasn't as if they were watching his every move, but they were very much keeping tabs on where he was, and who he was with. If it weren't for the fact that his relationship with the one that had become known as the Sleeping Kogoro was beneficial to them, they probably would have regarded his trip to see him as something suspicious.

And it was exactly because of that fact, that he had been asked to go check up on things with the so-called great detective.

Of the many things that he didn't know how to tell Kudo, it was that while he had never been given an official order to keep tabs on Edogawa Conan, not even from Vermouth, it was the fact that he had been tasked with keeping tags on Mouri Kogoro. He had caught the Organization's interest more than once, and although he had escaped with his life the first time, ever since then, they had been keeping him under close observation.

His own.

"Does he know?" It was that man who spoke first, not bothering with any kind of preamble. Not much in the way of social skills or basic tact, Paikaru thought to himself, taking the seat across from him, casting a slight glance over towards Vermouth. In the privacy of the bought out car, she had no need for the sunglasses or the hat that she had placed on the table, letting her hair down from the tight bun it had been fixed in, judging from the hair bands wrapped around one wrist.

"He doesn't." Paikaru told him simply, leaning back in his seat. "But I don't think that's the only reason ya would have called me out here like this, Gin. Ya like stalkin' high school students or somethin'?"

One of these days, he was going to get that old man to retort back- but today, obviously, was not that day. "That man had an assistant." Gin said simply, reaching into his long coat, pulling out a single photograph. Sliding it across the table, Paikaru carefully took it, studying the young woman in the picture. "It would appear that he had some misgivings about our invitation from the start, and voiced them to her. She's taken all of his research and has hidden herself. We have an approximate location of where she'll be, however..."

"She won't let her guard down fer any of ya?" Paikaru asked, quirking a brow, before he pocketed the photograph, tucking it away with his work cellphone. "Not ta mention, ya don't speak the local language either."

"Since it appears unlikely that she'll cooperate with us, she needs to be eliminated before she can contact any authorities." Gin continued on, acting almost as if he hadn't even heard him speak- that was exactly the reason he could never stand this guy! "And of course, we'll need the research that she's taken with her. However, if we discover that someone has looked at it before we had the chance to... I think you know what will happen, Paikaru."

"Yes, yes. Ya don't have ta threaten me." He didn't doubt that they would have ways to tell, and he wasn't about to chance anything. There might be a chance that he could pump some information out from this so-called assistant, but what he would do with it afterwards was up for question. "I'll do it."

"Good." Once more reaching into his coat pocket, Gin produced an envelope, one which Paikaru quickly opened, giving the contents a cursory look. "The documents that you'll need. Your flight leaves tomorrow, at nine in the morning. It's a private plane, so you don't have to worry about what you bring with you. Don't miss it. Once it's done, report back to us right away."

"Short timeline." Paikaru couldn't help but observe, tucking the envelope back away. It was a good thing that he had picked a jacket with deep inner pockets this morning. "Expectin' guests?"

"Jodie Starling was seen going in and out of the hotel." Vermouth was the one to speak up, casting a glance over towards him. "It's likely that the FBI are probably looking into his identity as we speak. It's prudent that you get there before them. We can't have them catching on to what we've been looking into, after all."

"If you hadn't failed to eliminate her during your first encounter with her, we wouldn't be having this issue right now." Gin's tone was short, his eyes narrowed, and the implications of his words crystal clear. "I hope that your time observing him hasn't put any strange ideas in your head in regards to Mouri Kogoro."

"Of course not." It was the simple truth- after all, Mouri Kogoro wasn't the real brains behind the Sleeping Kogoro. As for who was- that was a secret that he intended to take with him to the grave, if necessary. "The only interest I have in him outside of work is simply because he's the father of a friend of someone I know. Nothin' more than that."

"Then, if we were to give you an order to silence him?" There must have been ice in his veins, from the way that his gaze chilled Paikaru to the bone. His question was chilling enough, but to his credit, he didn't even flinch when asked it. It was something that he had been long expecting to come, at one point or another.

The other reason that he hated dealing with Gin, was that ever since that Halloween party, he had always held him under a measure of suspicion. The fact that he didn't trust Vermouth's hidden agendas had more to do with it than anything else- he probably thought he was caught up in them, and would likely go along with anything that she had to say. He had a reputation for being her loyal dog for a reason, as much as it grated at him.

"I would carry it out." Paikaru could only hope that his words were a lie, that even he wouldn't go that far in order to protect himself. He had to draw a line in the sand somewhere, and he could only hope that was something that would go beyond his limits. "Are ya askin' me ta, Gin?"

"No." Gin said simply. "Not yet."

"Well, that's fine then." Getting to his feet, Paikaru tucked his hands in his pockets, carefully studying the long haired man before him. If only he could get something like a name from him, he would be able to really help Kudo- but getting any information on either him or his partner was next to impossible. "Is there anythin' else that ya need me fer?"

"No, that's all at the moment." Vermouth told him. "You can return to your darling childhood friend now, if you like."

"She's not my darlin' anythin'." Shooting her something of a dirty look, for even daring to bring her up in front of someone like Gin, Paikaru nevertheless turned on his heel, making for the door. "If that's all then, I'll head back ta my seat. It would be a pain if she came lookin' fer me."

"If you fail, I'm sure you understand what will happen to that girl." Gin's voice was icy enough to cause him to freeze in his tracks, grateful that his back was turned to him, so that he couldn't see his expression. "There's no room here for those who can't properly fulfill their missions."

"You don't have ta worry about somethin' like that." Closing his eyes, Paikaru grabbed the handle of the door to the train car, letting it hover there for a moment longer. He couldn't even enjoy the irony of it being Gin who was making that statement, unaware that he might have very well made the worst mistake of them all- one that would come back to bite him in the ass later, if he had any say in the matter.

"I don't fail."

The first thing that she became aware of as she slowly came to was the fact that she was being carried. There was something about being on this person's back that almost wanted to lull her right to sleep again- there was something about it that made her feel secure, and comfortable, as if this was a place where she belonged. His scent was familiar and reassuring to her, and although the scenery around her was not the same as the scenery had been when she had fallen asleep, she didn't feel the least bit worried, knowing that she was in the care of someone that she trusted deeply.

"Ya awake, Kazuha?" It was his voice that finally snapped her out of her half dreaming state, her pinks turning a bright shade of pink as she finally fully realized who it was that had been carrying her.

"H-Heiji!" Stammering out his name, Kazuha jerked backwards, causing him to let out a shout of protest, stumbling backwards himself. After a moment of near panic, he managed to steady himself, letting out a long breath, before shooting the girl he was carrying piggyback a sharp glower.

"Ya want me ta drop ya or somethin'?" Heiji snapped, grumbling a little as he turned forward again, his eyes once more disappearing underneath the brim of his cap. "Honestly, first ya wouldn't wake up when we got ta the station, an' then ya freak out when ya do. I could have just left ya there, ya know. Ya should be grateful that I didn't, especially when yer not exactly that light."

"S-shut up, idiot! Nobody asked ya ta carry me!" Grateful that he couldn't see just how flustered her face was, Kazuha nevertheless couldn't force herself to try and get down. Hearing the sound of her heart pounding in her own chest, she couldn't help but wonder how it was that Heiji hadn't noticed it at all- and they were so close right now. "A-anyways, ya can put me down now. I can walk on my own!"

"Then go right ahead!" For as sharp as his tone was, Heiji nevertheless took great care in setting her down, making sure she was steady on her feet before he fully let go of her. "Why are ya so tired anyways? Don't tell me that ya've been workin' yerself too hard again at practice."

"That's not it!" Kazuha protested. "I just stayed up late last night makin' a plan ta cheer Ran-chan up, that's all!"

"Even so, ya need ta take proper care of yerself." Heaving a long sigh, Heiji reached up, tugging the brim of his cap down a bit more. Right now, he didn't quite trust his own expressions, especially not around her. It wasn't something that he was able to shake off so easily, hearing her brought up in such a context. "Aren't ya always the one lecturin' me about the same thing? Practice what ya preach, Kazuha!"

"I don't want ta hear that from ya." Kazuha noted, the sharp tone to her voice slightly offset by the strange atmosphere her friend was giving off. With his cap faced forward, she couldn't help but wonder if there were some kind of case that was troubling him again- it seemed like there were an awful lot of those these days. "Is somethin' wrong, Heiji?"

"Nothin' major." Lying through his teeth, Heiji shook his head. He knew better than to try and tell her that nothing was wrong- she knew him well enough to know that much. "I got a call while you were sleepin'. About a new case. I know I promised ya the other day, but it doesn't look like I can bring ya with me on this one after all."

"I see." There was something to his tone that made her not want to argue with him- so instead she simply took a step forward, flashing him a small smile. "When do ya leave this time?"

"Tomorrow morning." Heiji told her, grateful that she wasn't fighting the point. He wasn't sure that he had the energy to bicker with her as he usually did right now. "I don't know when I'll be back. It seems like it's goin' ta be somethin' of a tough case. Sorry, Kazuha."

"It's fine. I know how it is." Kazuha said simply. "The life of a popular high school detective sure is busy! Especially with Kudo-kun more or less out of the picture right now." Shrugging her shoulders, she heaved a long sigh. "I guess in lieu of him, people just have ta make do with ya instead."

"What's that supposed ta mean?" Unable to help himself, Heiji grumbled a little at her comment. "I'll have ya know that I'm a lot of people's first choice!"

"Now, now, don't get yer fur all raised up, Heiji." With a small laugh, Kazuha cast a glance back towards her, her smile dampening somewhat. Just as she thought, he really was troubled about something- and she got the feeling that this was one of those things that she wouldn't be able to get him to talk to her about. He had always been that way, ever since he was a child- but ever since late middle school, it had gotten worse.

Taking a step back, Kazuha carefully took his hand in her own, her fingers twining with his before he had a chance to protest. One finger lightly running over the scar that she had given him, she instead cast him a bright smile. She wasn't sure what was troubling him so, and she wasn't sure what she could do for him if he wouldn't open up to her about it- but at the very least, she could do this much.

"I'll be right here when ya get back, Heiji."

She didn't know why it seemed to comfort him to hear that, but if it eased some of his worries, then she would say it until he was sick of hearing it.