A/N: Part five of the Pandora Arc!
Warnings: Zodiacs… and secrets..
Acknowledgements: Cai-chan! And DCMonkey4EVR for listening… even though she ends up falling asleep before I can finish reading…
Other (possibly irrelevant): Whew… they solve the murder today, thank goodness… And next chapter will be… fun (let's just say secrets are revealed)
Today's quote is: "'Why are you looking at me? Pay attention to the person hitting you!' That is my life lesson." –Morgan B.
Double-M and KID vs. Conan: Solve the Murder!
Beika, Japan
Agasa Residence
October 1, 7:24 AM
'Tantei-kun,
By now you probably know who this is from so I'll cut to the chase. For the moment, meaning before our next heist note arrives, consider us clients. You probably already have doubts about our involvement in this recent murder and I … no, we ask you to seek out the truth behind this horrendous crime. Also by now, I believe there are two other detectives of the same age, your real age, in the Tokyo/Beika area thoroughly looking into the case. You, I'm sure, have already become acquainted with them and I ask you to assist them and crack this new crime. Those two, both of which are very familiar with the workings of myself and Kaitou KID for the sole reason of chasing us down (well… attempting to chase us down) for God knows how many years, are probably already at the crime scene (if my own 'detective' abilities are having a good day), I'm sure you will be a great help. Somehow, I will repay you. I don't know how, but it will happen.
Arigato, Koko-sei Tantei Kudo Shinichi,
Double-M
P.S. KID asks, from the bottom of his heart, that you retrieve his card gun after this whole ordeal.
'Oi, oi,' Conan thought, folding up the letter and slipping it into his pocket, 'He's acting as if we're friends… instead of the enemies we really are. At least he took precautions,' Conan flipped the envelope over in order to read the name on the front, 'He may have addressed me by my real name in the letter but I'm glad he wrote 'Edogawa Conan' on the envelope. I wonder how much of my situation Mage knows.' Conan grabbed a hold of his solar-powered skateboard and called out to Agasa, "Hakase, I'm heading over to the crime scene! Occhan and Ran are already over there!"
"Ah, Shinichi! Wait, don't forget your bowtie!" the portly inventor called out, holding out the red bowtie to Conan, who took it gratefully.
"Arigato, Hakase. Ja ne!" Conan ran out of Agasa's house and powered up his skateboard. To pass the time as he zoomed towards the Hayashi estate, Conan pondered the case and focused in on the strange items or events that had happened the previous night. 'Hayashi-sama's body was lying between the two sets of doors with a fatal wound caused by a dagger. The dagger in question was found behind the counter, next to the window on the far left. Across the room, in front of the other window was KID's card gun. In the center of the room, the pedestal had been knocked over but the jewel itself hadn't been taken. It seems to point at the thieves, but they both are non-violent and have been known to put others before themselves when it came to safety. Mage always took the bullets for an officer that happened to be in the bullet's path, though he always wears a bullet-proof vest and was never injured too severely. Not to mention KID, who had also saved some lives before. KID even jumped off that building to try and catch me when I had fallen off, even though I planned that.
'There were a few strange points about the crime scene. First, Hayashi-sama's key-holder was right underneath the window by the murder weapon. And second, the police arrived far too quickly. When I asked Takagi-keiji about their speedy arrival, he said they had received a call a few minutes before that Task Force officer called. The curious factors would be why Hayashi-sama's key-holder was clear on the other side of the room and who called the police minutes before we called? As well as KID's card gun being left at the scene. There's no way KID wouldn't notice his card gun dropping, so why was it by the window? It's possible that KID was frantic to get out and therefore didn't notice the gun falling, but KID's good at keeping his composure and he has seen crime scenes before, so why would this one shake him up so badly that he left such incriminating evidence? I know Nakamori doesn't believe that KID… or Mage, for that matter, would ever take a life, but some of the Hayashi family members aren't convinced. They may be thieves but they don't steal lives. If anything, they preserve them… as best as they can.' The Hayashi estate approached and Conan began decelerating, slowing down to a crawl before kicking the skateboard up, only to grab it around the middle and run the rest of the way to the mansion. Conan ran through the open door and ascended the stairs in order to reach the third floor collection room.
Mouri and Ran were already inside, Ran standing by the doors as Mouri walked around the room with Megure floating nearby him. Conan tugged lightly on Ran's shirt, "Ran-neechan."
Ran looked down, "Conan-kun! I thought you wanted to go to Agasa-hakase's house."
"I did," Conan affirmed, "But I also wanted to come here…"
Ran smiled fondly, "And investigate the scene? You're just like Shinichi."
Conan laughed quietly, 'That's because I am Shinichi.'
It was then that Mouri bounded over to Conan and pounded the boy's head yelling, "You'd better not get in the way, brat!"
"Ara, Conan-kun! And Ran-san, I didn't expect you see you two here," fluttered in a very familiar voice. Conan turned and saw Kasuma standing outside the room, wide-eyed.
"Kasuma!" Ran exclaimed, turning to face the teen, "What are you doing here?"
"I heard about the murder and came to clear KID and Mage's name… since people here seem to be blaming them for this," Kasuma answered, stuffing her hands in her pockets.
"How did you hear of the murder? The police haven't released any information," Conan asked, peering up at the girl.
"Ah, that would be because of me," Hakuba answered as he appeared and stood next to Kasuma, "Kasuma loves coming to crime scenes so I thought I'd let her know about this one. Although… I'm kinda worried about you on that factor."
"Worry not, Hakuba," Kasuma beamed, swiveling on her heels, "Now I'm going to search the remaining areas we didn't cover yet… are you joining me Hakuba?"
Hakuba nodded and continued down the hall, "Wait! I wanna come too!" Conan called after them. Kasuma stopped and faced Conan as he ran to meet up with the two teenage detectives.
It was quiet until Hakuba opened the door to a neighboring room and the trio walked in. Inside the room, which turned out to be a bedroom, Hakuba addressed his childhood friend, "You mentioned something about a letter earlier? What did it say?"
"Oh right," Kasuma dug through her pocket and pulled out a white sheet of paper. She cleared her throat and read the letter aloud, "'Tantei-chan,
By now you probably know who this is from so I'll cut to the chase. There has been a murder at our most recent heist and, unfortunately, the blame has been pinned onto us. For the meantime, I would like to call a truce… at least until this murder has been solved. This case will have already attracted the attention of other detectives in the area so, I pray, this incident will be cleared up quickly. KID and I ask you to assist the police and/or detectives in order to solve this murder. We greatly appreciate it.
Double-M
P.S. KID's card gun is somewhere in the mansion, I'm sure of it. He would like it back as it is his favorite one.'"
'It's shaped similarly to mine,' Conan thought as Kasuma finished reading the letter.
"Hmm, that's almost exactly how mine was phrased," Hakuba murmured as he mulled over the contents.
"You were addressed as 'Tantei-chan.' Why is that, Kasuma-neechan?" Conan inquired.
"At my first Kaitou KID heist, that was what KID dubbed me when we encountered each other on the rooftop. KID must have passed the nickname onto Mage."
"Well at least Mage now has a name to address you with… Cause you certainly wouldn't have appreciated it if Mage called you Holmes like he does me."
"I wouldn't appreciate it if he called me anything relating to Holmes, period," Kasuma exclaimed, crossing her arms. "Anyway," Kasuma opened a drawer and looked inside, "It doesn't seem like this room has anything significant in it. Shall we move to the next one?"
After Hakuba scanned the room, he exited with Kasuma and Conan behind him, the chibified detective noticing gloves on both their hands, 'Did they always have those on…? I hadn't noticed.' After a while of searching and, frustratingly, finding nothing, the three detectives found themselves on the flat balcony above the crime scene. With the tiled roof being a few feet above, Kasuma leapt up onto said roof and looked around from where she now stood.
Hakuba shook his head and looked up—because that's what he had to do to meet her eyes—in order to say, "I would tell you that you could fall, but considering whom I'm talking to, you probably won't."
Kasuma smirked, "Maybe I should fall just to disprove your statement."
"Please don't," Hakuba answered simply, scanning the balcony for anything unusual.
"Aa re re? It looks like something was here," Conan piped up, causing Hakuba to run towards Conan and Kasuma to jump down from her perch to join him as well.
"You're right," Hakuba murmured, "It looks like something was tied to the railing."
"Maybe fishing line? I think I saw some rods in one of the rooms," Kasuma offered, looking past the railing at the ground below, "Hakuba… open that window down there please."
"What are you on abou—" Hakuba cut himself off as Kasuma leapt over the railing and perched herself on the other side of the railing, "Shit, Kasuma, what the hell are you doing?"
"I told you to open the window, did I not?" Kasuma shot back, bracing herself on the railing as she started at aforementioned window. Cursing in English, Hakuba ran down the stairs and, a few minutes later, threw open the window Kasuma was above. Kasuma, sliding herself down so her feet could contact the window ledge, carefully repositioned her hands so she could swing and propel herself through the window, landing lightly on her feet. After a second or two, Kasuma stood and, not surprisingly, found herself inside the collection room.
"I swear… you're a friggin' monkey!" Hakuba exclaimed, massaging his temples.
"Not a monkey but a… actually I am a monkey. How ironic," Kasuma grinned as Hakuba's hand contacted his forehead.
"Of all the…" Hakuba began muttering before he remembered the situation, "But Kasuma, just because you—with gymnastics experience, I might add—can make that leap, doesn't mean the culprit could."
"I'm not suggesting that," Kasuma shrugged, "Even with my gymnastics background, I didn't really need that to launch myself through the window. The distance was close enough that I could reach the window ledge by hanging off the bottom of the railing. The balcony isn't that far away from the window… three feet or so, I gather."
"Kasuma, we're in Japan. And here we don't use the weird American System," Hakuba deadpanned.
"Fine, fine, but I'm not gonna convert. If you'd like to, then be my guest," Kasuma answered, her arm sweeping across her body with a flourish.
"Three feet, you say?" Sato asked, approaching the teens.
"That's about one meter!" Conan offered helpfully, having just arrived from the balcony.
Sato smiled down at the boy, "I thought you'd be here, Conan-kun. Since Mouri-san and Ran-chan are here."
Conan nodded happily, "I've been with Kasuma-neechan and Hakuba-niisan! Ah!" Conan exclaimed, "That reminds me, we found something strange on the balcony."
"Right," Kasuma replied, looking up at the ceiling where the balcony was, "We found something that seems to have been evidence of a string or thread of some sort above the window behind me."
"Is that true?" Megure asked, bounding over to the teenagers. Megure paused briefly as he took in the speaker's appearance, "Uh… have we met?"
"Very briefly, I believe. I was walking the grounds of that mansion a while back… someone Aruku, I think it was."
"Ah yes… and… what's your name?" Megure inquired sheepishly.
Kasuma nodded, "Kazuki Kasuma."
"Kazuki… as in that small, rich family…?"
"No, no, no, no," Kasuma shook her head, "My relatives, at least on my mom's side, are dead… Anyway, Keibu, you should see the balcony."
Atop the balcony, the forensics team was examining the markings on the railing as well as the balcony itself. Megure, after taking a look around the open space, went back down to the crime scene, most likely to inform Mouri of the new find. Conan hung around the balcony, slowly pacing the perimeter of the area, pondering all the facts. On the roof, nearby the edge of the mansion where the windows to the collection room sat, Kasuma was seated, Hakuba also somehow managing to join her. The two of them talked in hushed tones. "It would be easy for the culprit to get down to that window in front of us," Kasuma was saying, nodding her head towards the window she had launched herself through, "But I can't say the same thing for the window below us." Kasuma peered down the length of the estate, examining the window where KID's card gun had been found. "If we're talking about KID or Mage, they could make it down there, but we're assuming KID and Mage didn't commit the crime."
Hakuba nodded in agreement, "The difference between the estimated time of death and the time we heard the crash doesn't match up. We heard the crash at exactly 11:01:15 and the estimated time of death is 10:50:00."
Kasuma was soon distracted as a hawk came to rest on the roof. "Watson! You brought her!"
Hakuba smiled, petting the hawk's feathers gently, "Yeah, I figured she'd be helpful so I let her come with me… she's been flying around searching for anything useful…" Hakuba paused as Watson made her way over to Kasuma and began butting her head against the teen. "She remembers you."
Kasuma laughed briefly, "Hi pretty girl, I remember you too… it's been a while hasn't it?" Kasuma began stroking the bird's brown feathers.
"Anyway… Before Watson distracted me, I was going to say that that's a difference of eleven minutes," Kasuma said, looking down at Watson briefly. "From what you told me, after dinner ended at around nine thirty, you, the Mouris, Conan, Nakamori-keibu, and some other officers had gone up to the collection room to do one last look-over. That lasted about an hour; therefore you were in the study on the second floor from ten thirty to eleven. If I'm not mistaken, Conan-kun had run up to the collection room with Nakamori-keibu, and everyone else followed him. There the body was discovered and a few minutes later, Ayako-san, Mareo-san, Hamako-san, and some of the staff arrived… Ayako-san screamed when she saw the body."
"That would be correct," Hakuba nodded. "But there's something that happened after that that I can't seem to recall… someone said something strange, but I can't remember what it was."
"If we were to retrace those eleven minutes then the culprit and the victim, most likely, entered the collection room for reasons not yet known, maybe had a quarrel of some sort, then the victim was killed and the culprit left. The weapon was by the window on the right so they may have done something there; maybe they looked through the cabinet drawers or maybe looked for an alternate escape route since the Task Force would have been stationed outside the doors.
"Let's assume, for the sake of my explanation, that KID and Mage followed through on their vow that 'no one gets hurt'." Kasuma continued, "If the time of death is correct, then that means the victim was already dead when KID and Mage were planning to enter. And if they left the way they entered, they broke in through the window by the desk. Because the victim died eleven minutes before the thieves arrived, the shattering of the glass case around the gem occurred after the murder. Even if there was a struggle, it didn't seem to migrate over to the center of the room where the case was placed. Now if, when the thieves entered and advanced towards the stand, they discovered the body, then one of them must have accidently tipped over the case in their haste to flee the room. It seems, when the police were called after the body was found by Nakamori-kebu and the others, there had already been a call to the police a few minutes earlier. The call must have been made by one of the thieves when they discovered the body."
"Yeah, that would explain why the police got here so soon," Hakuba mused. "You've been thinking about this very carefully it seems."
"Right." Kasuma smiled, "Although, that's all a theory, I can't be sure that's what really happened. What I don't get is why KID would drop his card gun as he was fleeing. He's not the careless type."
"That's what I'm stuck on as well," Hakuba agreed. "I don't see any reason for him to just leave it there…"
Kasuma and Hakuba froze simultaneously, giving each other knowing glances before they both jumped down, causing Watson to take to the air, as well as startling Conan who was just passing by them, and ran down the stairs to the collection room. Curious, Conan followed. Inside the room, the two teenagers ran straight to the window on the far left, Kasuma running her finger over the tape that marked the position of KID's card gun, Hakuba examining the window the gun was by. "Why draw attention to the window… KID what were you thinking?" Kasuma mumbled as she straightened and scanned the area.
"'Draw attention to the window'? What do you mean, Kasuma-neechan?" Conan asked, peering up at her.
"Well, I think we can safely say that KID doesn't do things without reason, so the fact that he 'forgot' to reclaim his card gun should have some other meaning. There's no way he'd be so careless as to leave his card gun at a crime scene, let alone a regular heist. So therefore, the question would be why did KID leave his card gun? If he wanted to point out the murder victim, he could have just placed it by the victim, yet he put on the other side of the room by the window."
"So you're saying KID wanted to tell us that something happened that had to do with the window?" Conan concluded.
"I think so," Kasuma murmured, trailing a hand over the window sill, "But what's so important about this window…? Other than the fact that KID and Mage came, and/or left, through this window... he can't be referring to the culprit's escape route… unless our Murderer-san had a grappling hook."
'Grappling hook…?' Conan's eyes flickered over to the other window before he revisited a recent memory, realization striking him. Suddenly, Conan grabbed Kasuma's wrist, "Kasuma-neechan, over here!" The teen-turned-boy led the girl over to the other window. That task done, Conan ran over to Takagi and whispered in his ear, the officer nodding every once in a while. "Arigato Takagi-keiji!" Conan called out as Takagi walked over to another officer and whispered in his ear. The officer, Tome, nodded and grabbed a plastic bag, walking over the Conan.
"You wanted to see this Conan-kun?" Tome asked, extending the bag towards Conan.
Conan nodded, grabbing his handkerchief and opening the bag to extract the item inside. "I'll bring it back right away, arigato Tome-san!" Before Tome even had a chance to respond, Conan bounded back over to Kasuma and held out the item to her, "Here. Can you test to see if this can reach the balcony?"
Kasuma raised an eyebrow but accepted the item—handkerchief and all—swiftly just as Hakuba approached them. Kasuma unfolded the white fabric and took in a sharp breath, "Kore wa…"
"Test it out please," Conan asked again.
Kasuma nodded once, then asked Hakuba to hold onto one end of the item. After doing so, Kasuma climbed out the window and carefully grabbed hold of the bottom of the balcony railing, extending the key chain above her head, the metal cord jerking to a stop a few centimeters below the balcony. Satisfied, Kasuma crawled back through the window, landing safely inside the room, accepting the end of the key chain Hakuba was holding. "A few centimeters short but with some fishing line, it can be connected to the railing…" In a lower voice, Kasuma whispered, "I think we just found our murder trick."
Conan nodded, smirking. 'That's right… we have the trick but anyone could have done it. We need to narrow it down… Come to think of it… that person said something weird earlier… does that mean that person…?'
"Ah kusou, why didn't I notice it before?" Kasuma suddenly exclaimed, slapping her forehead, "I have photographic memory, yet I let that slip?"
"K-kasuma-neechan…?" Conan questioned, raising an eyebrow at Kasuma, "What are you talking about?"
"I even asked around about it, but I still forgot!"
"What the hell are you talking about?" This question, said by Hakuba, finally drew Kasuma's attention. She edged closer and whispered in his ear, Conan desperately trying to figure out what the hell was going on.
Hakuba seemingly came to a realization and he smirked, "I hope that becomes our conclusive evidence."
"I think it will," Kasuma nodded, "We just need to gather everyone."
"Neee," Conan whined, "What's this 'conclusive evidence' you're talking about?" Kasuma blinked before she smiled and knelt, whispering exactly what she said to Hakuba to Conan. Conan's eyes widened and he too smirked.
"Make sure you tell Mouri-san this too, ne?" Kasuma murmured before she stood. Conan ran off, with the intention of 'telling Mouri-san' right away. After Conan exited the room, Kasuma walked over to Takagi, "Can I ask you to help set up the trick?"
Takagi's eyes widened, "You mean… you've figured it out?"
Kasuma smirked and nodded. She whispered the setup plans to the officer, Takagi calling the rest of the officers in the room to help him out. Kasuma then returned to Hakuba, who was by the window, and talked quietly with him just as Conan returned, dragging a loudly protesting Mouri with him. "Oji-san, I think I found something! Come here, come here!"
"You brat, dragging me around for stupid reasons… what the hell is so important?"
Conan's voice lowered drastically, "Ano ne…" Suddenly, Mouri began wobbling around the room uttering nonsensical phrases and gibberish. Conan grabbed a chair and rolled it over to the detective just in time to neatly catch him, his head sloping downwards with hands folded across his knees. Conan placed a tiny speaker on the inside of Mouri's collar then asked an officer who had entered to gather everyone into the room.
When the Hayashi family, as well as some staff members, entered the room, they were met with the sight of Mouri sitting in a chair, Kasuma and Hakuba leaning against the counter. Conan, unseen, was sitting behind one of the display cases in the room, this particular case showing off several pieces of jewelry. "Why are you calling us all here?" Mareo exclaimed, "KID and Mage did this right?"
"Indeed," began Conan in Mouri's voice, "It does seem that way. But that's not the case. KID and Mage hadn't even stepped into the room when the culprit committed their crime. But it seems, however, that one of them called the police. Now why would someone call attention to a crime they've committed? Well, that's a moot point as KID and Mage do that anyway, but that's beside the point. Someone else came in beforehand and stabbed Hayashi-sama, then performed this up-coming trick. Conan-kun told me that one of the detective wannabe's next to me had someone set up the trick in question."
"'Detective wannabe' my ass… how rude," Kasuma huffed pushing herself off of the counter. "Insults disregarded, yes… I had Takagi-keiji and some other officers set up the trick to make this a locked room… though technically it's not." Kasuma moved behind Mouri and knocked on the wall in several places before pausing to say, "If I recall from previous conversations with the Hayashi family and staff, several rooms have hidden passageways to ensure quick escape in case something arose. The murderer utilized this factor and…" Kasuma put pressure against a certain area of the wall. The area around her hand gave way and opened up to a secret passageway, "Gave themself an escape route. First of course…"
"They removed the key to this room and attached the actual key chain to the top of the window," Hakuba continued, motioning to the window he was now standing by. He removed the key chain and held it out for the room occupants to see. "This particular key chain is retractable, made this way so it would be easier to open doors and such without having to remove the key chain itself." Hakuba replaced the key chain to the hook it had been attached to previously. Kasuma walked over to the window as Hakuba continued, "Outside the window is some fishing line slightly longer than one meter that we tied to the balcony railing. On the other end of the line is a metal s-hook that the culprit used to attach the key ring." Kasuma carefully did just that, slipping back inside when she was finished.
"When finished with that," Hakuba continued, "Keep the window opened and raise this Catch Flex Elbow Window Latch and make sure it stays raised. Then simply leave the room via hidden passage and go to the balcony. Once through the passageway, lock the second to last door—the only one that has a lock—and you'll find yourself in one of the third floor hallways." Kasuma left and did as Hakuba mentioned.
Conan, via bowtie, picked it up, "From the hallway, unnoticed by the officers guarding the collection room, the culprit took the stairs up to the balcony and, using the fishing line that it was attached to, guided the key chain up towards them."
"It doesn't quite reach," floated Kasuma's voice from the balcony, "But if you lay on your stomach, you can easily grab the keys in order to add on the key to the collection room. Then simply detach the key chain from the s-hook and let the wire reel the keys back in." Kasuma let go of the keys and, just like she said, the wire drew the keys inside the collection room, the resulting momentum causing the key chain to jump off the hook and land on the floor between the window and counter.
"Next comes the window." The room's occupants looked over at Mouri, who had spoken next, "By climbing over the railing and extending a foot down towards the open window you can, with enough force, shut the window so that you force the window latch to clamp down and do its job: locking the window." Up on the balcony, already in position on the other side of the railing, Kasuma lowered her right foot and kicked the window. The window swung inward, the sudden contact causing the latch to lower and fasten, locking the window. Hakuba applied pressure to the window to prove that, indeed, the window was locked. A minute or two later Kasuma reappeared, walking into the collection room by way of door.
"So," Megure started, "We know the trick, but who is the culprit?"
"This trick…" Conan said, "Could have been utilized by anyone."
"Oi, oi," Megure drawled, "Don't tell me you haven't figured it out yet?"
"Don't worry," Kasuma answered, "We've figured it out."
"And the culprit is none other than Hayashi Mareo!" Hakuba exclaimed.
"W-what?" stammered the accused, "I didn't kill my father!"
"I'm sorry, but you did," Kasuma shook her head, "Whether you knew it or not."
"You gave yourself away last night in fact," Mouri's voice pointed out, "Let me ask you, how did you know Hayashi-sama had been stabbed?"
"I-I saw the wound on my father," Mareo answered, trying to defend himself.
"Really?" Kasuma asked, skeptical, "I wasn't even there and I recall seeing Hayashi-sama lying on his stomach… thanks to the pictures the police took. And you know what they say: 'Pictures are worth a thousand words.'"
"N-n-no, it was the weapon I saw… I saw the knife lying on the ground," Mareo tried again.
"Doubtful," Kasuma retorted. She turned to Hakuba and tossed something to him. "Please put that on the marked spot of the weapon, if you would, Hakuba." Hakuba nodded and set KID's card gun on top of the area specified. Kasuma walked calmly towards the door. "From what I gather, everyone entered from this door, the door on the right side of the room. Hakuba just put the card gun in the exact position the weapon was in. KID's gun is about the right length of the true weapon so it's a pretty accurate size. From my view by the door, there's no way I can see the murder weapon. However, Mareo-san, if you're clairvoyant and just haven't told anyone then I can understand. But given the fact that people don't usually gain the ability to see through things or abilities of similar stature, I'll take a stab at it and say that you most definitely do not have clairvoyance."
"T-that's all conjecture! You can't say for certain just from that that I'm the culprit!"
"You're right," Hakuba replied, "But we do have something else against you… a little something that went missing."
"Let's just say that during dinner, Hayashi-sama had his expensive looking necktie pin on, but after dinner, rather after the crash in this room, he no longer had it," Mouri took over, "Now where could that have gone? Because it certainly didn't grow legs and walk away, that I'm sure of."
"The answer," Hakuba began again, "Would be that the culprit must have it on him. When Kasuma and I searched the house afterwards, we found no such necktie pin in the entirety of the house… and believe me when I say that Kasuma over here," Hakuba jabbed a finger in Kasuma's direction, "Is an avid hide-and-seek fan. If she can't find it, then it must not have been there… leading to one conclusion…"
"The culprit has it on him," Kasuma finished, smirking. "But even before Hakuba and I went searching the mansion, the police hadn't found anything resembling the necktie pin in question. I believe it was an image of a forest or grove, however you think of it, which is what 'Hayashi' literally means. It was inlaid with numerous tiny diamonds and had a thin, gold bordering… very pretty."
Mareo sank to the ground, reached into his pocket, and tossed something towards Kasuma, who was the closest. Kasuma caught it and found that it was the necktie pin. "So why did you do it?" Hakuba asked.
"I didn't mean to… honestly, I didn't," Mareo mumbled, "It just happened. I was trying to convince my father to change his mind about Hamako… he never did approve of us. We got into an argument and, while smiling, he said 'I'll change my mind but make sure you take all her family's money so I can add more items to my collection.' I-I just lost it when he said that, the only reason he didn't ruin our engagement early on was so he could steal her family's money to buy more junk for his stupid collection! I couldn't forgive him!"
Megure soon had Mareo in cuffs and in a patrol car. The staff dispersed to continue their tasks and the Hayashi family had been taken to the station to get their statements recorded. Conan sighed and relaxed against the door he was still hiding behind. Many of the other people that had been in the room were gone… that is except… "So who else knows?"
Conan jumped as the door he was behind swung closed, its companion door closing shortly after. Kasuma stared at the boy, searching for an unsaid answer, not that she was expecting one. "W-what?"
Kasuma sighed, "Who else knows that you're not who you say you are?"
"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Conan stammered, anxious to leave the room quickly, not that that was going to happen any time soon it seemed.
"Mouri-san's out of the picture as I saw you dart him before his little deduction show. And if he doesn't know, then I think I can safely assume that Ran-san doesn't know," Kasuma mumbled almost to herself.
"I didn't dart Oji-san… I couldn't have," Conan replied, raising his hands in front of his face.
"Don't try to get out of it, I know what I saw… it may have been the use of peripheral vision, but I saw you dart him with something… The police seem to think you're some child prodigy so that's out. I'll say it again: who else knows that you're not who you say you are?"
'Damn it,' Conan thought, 'I forgot about her sharp observational skills. How could I let this happen?' Conan desperately raked his brain for some sort of excuse… he could find none.
Kasuma took a seat next to Conan, her back facing the doors. As if in slow-motion, Conan saw her reach for his wrist, knowing full well what she was aiming for. Before he could do something about it, Kasuma had grabbed onto his left wrist, more specifically, his wrist watch. She skillfully unclasped it and examined it, "You were holding this up."
'I really need to see if Hakase can give that thing more room for darts… 'cause I could really use one about now.'
After fiddling around with it, Kasuma found a way to release the crosshairs from the watch, "Ah, naruhodo… this is what you used." Kasuma glanced over at Conan, returning the watch, "So, why would you need such a tool? Can't you give the deduction yourself? Unless, you can't… Do you need to conceal the mastermind behind 'Nemure no Kogoro?'"
'She'll never let this go… I give up,' Conan sighed, "I do… otherwise I and all the one's I love will be killed." In a lower tone, Conan added, "I have to."
Suddenly, Kasuma started laughing. Conan quirked an eyebrow, inwardly thinking she had gone mad. "It really is a small world. I was wondering when They'd strike again… I hadn't heard much about them in Europe or in the States. Guess they really are much more active in Japan."
"Who are you talking about?" Conan asked.
"You implied it, you should know," Kasuma answered cryptically.
"You mean… the Men in Black?"
Kasuma's laughing ceased, "That's what you call Them? Huh… never heard that before."
"Wait, what are you saying? What do you know of Them?" Conan hissed.
"Far more than you… that much is clear," Kasuma answered, earning a glare from Conan, "And I also know that my family was downright stupid to associate themselves with the Organization."
"'Associate?' What are you talking about?" Conan asked, stupefied.
Kasuma was cut off by Ran's voice calling out, "Conan-kun! Where are you?"
Kasuma set a finger against her lips, "We'll have to continue this somewhere else." Ran entered the collection room and spotted Conan and Kasuma, telling them that everyone was leaving and that they should be leaving as well. Outside the estate, Kasuma immediately left, saying that her car was parked around the corner and that she needed to check up on Ai-chan. All the police cars except one were gone, Hakuba and two other officers occupying the remaining vehicle. Grasping his skateboard tightly, Conan entered the rental car behind Mouri and Ran and the car took off behind the patrol car.
"Stop the car!" Conan suddenly yelled as they were crossing a bridge. Surprised by the outburst, Mouri hit the brakes long enough for Conan to leap out of the car.
"Conan-kun!" Ran yelled after him. Outside the car, Conan noticed that the police had also stopped, seeing the same thing he had. Hakuba bolted out of the car and ran towards Conan, where he had a better view of what was going on. As Mouri, Ran, and the officers were exiting their respective cars, Mage landed atop the bridge they were on, staring down silently. Hakuba suddenly remember something and started digging through his pockets, looking up just in time to see KID flying in low. Wordlessly, Hakuba pulled out KID's card gun and chucked it up towards the thief. KID swiftly caught it and flew away while Mage saluted detective and officer alike and dropped a weight down before he himself flew away.
The weight turned out to be the riddle for the next heist… 'On the eighth's full moon, the green Dragon will be snatched whilst screaming 'Help!' Can it be saved? –Kaitou KID'
Final Notes: I told myself that if Kasuma really was born in the year of the monkey, I'd laugh… and whadda you know… she is! Of course that would only work if she was born in the year 1992. That being the case, for Kasuma to be seventeen, it would have to be 2009 currently (since she's still using an IDP and hasn't gotten her Japanese license yet. 2009 also corresponds with the moon phase patterns I've been referring to). That also makes Shinichi, with a May 4th birthday, seventeen as well. Kaito, with his birthday on June 21st, recently turned seventeen. Likewise, Hakuba, only his birthday being on August 29th, recently turned seventeen. Apparently Ran's birthday is October 2nd (not sure if that's right but I'll go for it) so her's is coming up and I don't know anyone else's but they're all in the same class so seventeen-ish, give or take.
I'm still not satisfied with the murder trick… it took me forever just to think up the trick in the first place but it still doesn't really work I don't think… Geez, murder tricks are so hard to come up with. How does Aoyama-sensei do it?
I realize Watson really isn't a female but I'm far too lazy to go back in my story and change it so Watson stays female.
And I know Conan probably wouldn't give up that easily like he did in front of Kasuma but that needed to happen for events in Chapter 12 to make sense… You'll see when I post the next chapter…
. Coming up next in Double-M and KID vs. Conan: "I just have one question." He looked at Mage, "Do you know a…"