Author's Notes: If you read this please review!

Chapter 25: On insults

Hattori Heiji stood leaning against a light pole in a decidedly empty part of town. He kept a consistent watch regardless, waiting with mounting impatience.

"Tantei-han!"

Heiji didn't bother looking up at the thief that he somehow found himself partnered with. "You're late," he said.

A gentle swoosh of fabric told him that Kid had moved from his perch on the light pole to the ground proper. "I was visiting tantei-kun. Honestly, I'm surprised you haven't gone to see him yourself."

"Nah," Heiji said, thinking with amusement of the sort of look his visiting would garner. "Kudo's probably pretty overwhelmed by the attention as it is. Not that he'd ever admit it. 'Sides I doubt he even knows I'm in town. I'll give him a call later."

"Really, I thought you'd want to confirm that he was okay with your own eyes," the confusion in Kid's voice caused Heiji to look at him properly. Kaitou Kid was hidden in the shadow just outside the light cast by the lamp post, but it was easy enough for someone as observant as Heiji to catch his expression. The thief had his head cocked at an angle and was looking at him genuine surprise.

Heiji stifled a laugh. "Ya look like a puppy doin' that."

"Oi!" Kid protested.

"I don' need to see him. He's got enough people looking out for him that it's okay."

Kid contemplated that for a moment. "I couldn't do that."

Heiji released a short guffaw. "'Course you couldn't. You're in love. If it were Kazuha –"

"Speaking of Toyama-san," Kid interpreted quickly, and is that a blush he's hiding? Heiji grinned. "Where is she to this fine evening?"

"Sent her home," Heiji replied, twitching at the memory. She'd put up such a ridiculous fuss! "We've both missed way too much school. Her parents were starting to get worried. Only reason I'm still here now that Kudo is okay is this heist."

"So," Heiji said, "what do we know?"

The thief threw a small piece of cardstock at him. Heiji caught it without much thinking, raising an eyebrow at it. "A fashion show?"

"Crystal Lombardi's 'Night of Italian Crystal' to be precise."

"Where'd you get tickets?" Heiji asked suspiciously.

"From Mouri-san's desk. She won them two weeks ago. I doubt she remembers."

Heiji nodded. Nee-chan definitely had too much on her mind to be thinking about this.

When a small cloud of smoke caused a photo to appear in front of him Heiji just blinked and caught it before it drifted to the ground.

"The heists' supposed target," Kid informed him. "The Heart of Eternity."

"A blue diamond," Heiji noted, holding the photo up to the light. He whistled. "Nice. Bit of a girly shape, but nice. I can see why the police would think you'd want to steal it. Where'd you find out about all of this anyway?"

"From the white horse's mouth," Kid replied drily. "That one has the oddest ideas about who I am."

"I take it he's right then?" Heiji asked.

"Of course not. But it does to keep an eye, or an ear, on the person he accuses despite ample evidence against that person being Kid."

Heiji let the likely lie slip. He wasn't interested in Kid outside of his heists or his obvious interest in Kudo.

"If I were Nakamori-keibu," Heiji mused, "in an environment as hectic and crazy as a fashion show, I think my best bet'd be to put a tracking devise on the jewel."

"He's tried that before," Kid said. "It didn't work. Besides, the diamond is not the point. If whoever this is doesn't see Shinichi there they might not even bother."

"Except Kudo is a kid right now, and from what I've been told is going to stay that way until he grows out of it the hard way. And even if he was normal Kudo's in no condition to go."

"Don't be insulting, tantei-han," Kid said. "Of course Kudo Shinichi is going to show up."

"That's dangerous," Heiji murmured shaking his head. "Kudo'd throw a gasket if he knew you were planning on that."

Kid actually scowled at him. "No one is going to be telling tantei-kun a thing about this."

Heiji glared back. "What, you think I'm stupid? If Kudo finds out about this heist he'd have to be knocked unconscious to be kept away."

"We're agreed then."

"I'm coming with you," Heiji informed him.

Kid frowned, "There is no need to-"

"Idiot, of course there is. You really think the police are going to believe that Kudo's parents let him run around like that when they know he's been sick? It'll be more believable if I'm with ya." Heiji gave him a sharp smirk, "'Sides, didn't you know that Kudo and I are a team? If Kudo is going to 'insist' on going to something that's obviously a trap being set by Kaitou Kid, then I'm definitely going with him."

He waved the ticket in the air. "And if Nakamori-keibu tries to kick us out... Well, we're there legitimately, aren't we?"

Kid laughed. "You'd make a good thief, tantei-han."

Heiji scowled. "Now who's being insulting?"

Dimitri was getting sick of having his apartment invaded by dangerous women.

Unlike Daiquiri he didn't know who this one was. But she was sitting cool as you please in his favourite chair, legs crossed and sipping a glass of wine. Beside her a pistol was laid on top of last Friday's paper.

Dimitri didn't doubt for a second that she knew how to use it. It was all there in the ridiculously confident jut of her shoulders and the smile she was favouring him with.

If she were inclined he'd be dead before he took two steps.

Some detached part of his mind noted that she was stunningly beautiful. Her biker leathers revealed a fit figure while blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders. There was something vaguely familiar about her, but Dimitri was sure he'd never met her before.

"Who are you?" he asked in a voice that was falsely relaxed and calm.

She favoured him with a slight widening of her smile. "Oh? No demands to know how I got in here or what I want?"

Dimitri just stared at her steadily.

She laughed. "I can almost see it. Why she likes you." She took a sip of her wine. "Probably the first time I've ever agreed with her."

"Who are you?" he repeated.

The woman waved a dismissive hand. "Not important. Ask something else."

He thought about it and came up with something else. A vague connection. "Why tonight?"

"You are good!" she cooed. "Tonight... well, it had to be tonight. You'll be too busy tomorrow."

She knew then. He tensed imperceptibly. She wasn't a cop. She was too dangerous for that. Something else...

"Do you know why Jeanne Vasser was killed?" The blonde asked him, throwing him for a loop.

"How the hell do you know about that?" Dimitri snarled.

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh, do stop being dense."

It clicked then. "You're with her. You are one of hers..."

"Now you are just being insulting. I am not 'one of hers.' It would be more accurate to say that we worked for the same people."

"Now," she said, uncrossing her legs and picking herself up out of his chair. "I asked you a question. Do you know why your lady love was killed?"

"I-" he faltered. Back then, he'd first assumed the Jeanne had either overheard something, or seen something she shouldn't have. But then it had occurred to him. She'd been left for him, hadn't she? A message. Or a warning. Or maybe just someone's silent revenge. He had never been certain.

She sidled up to him until he was practically staring her in the eye.

"Would you like to?"