(￣ー￣)ゞ
There was no true schedule for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Headquarters. The end of office hours was only acknowledged as a deadline for paperwork (all paperwork due at 2100 the day after the case). A lunch break could be used for a coffee break, a dinner break, or a much-needed nap. No two days were quite the same, and a peaceful Sunday at home was often sacrificed for a last minute call to arms.
That morning at TMPHQ had the newest officers brewing coffee for seasoned veterans returning from late-night stakeouts. Detectives who'd never gone home poured over crime scene photos and forensics reports, consulting with one another and making notes of their own. A few officers from just-past-dawn cases reported in, and, at the center of it all, Inspector Megure puzzled over the document in front of him.
Kuroha spoke eloquently and elegantly. He embellished in conversations with an intelligence and vocabulary that put most politicians to shame. Each person he talked to, he gave the same respect he'd give to the Superintendent, speaking with the maturity of someone much older. He crafted sentences as a master baker would a wedding cake.
Despite his obvious intelligence, he slapped together reports like a five year old would a cup of ramen.
Five sentences on the page, none of them longer than ten words, described how Kuroha, with the help of young Ran, had found Edogawa Conan. Conan was missing, so Kuroha and Ran called everyone they knew. Once Yusaku told them that Conan was with his parents, they told everyone that Conan was safe. It was the most bare-bones report Megure had received. He stared with incredulity at the not-even three lines of text, wondering what exactly had gotten Kuroha into Division One.
Megure had put a note on Kuroko's desk to see him as soon as possible, but the officer who sat across from Kuroha— Toshima Kotaro, if Megure remembered correctly— told him that Kuroha had been involved in a bombing the night before and was on leave for a few days. Toshima and Kuroha were close, so Megure took Toshima's word as the truth.
The phone on Megure's desk rang. He picked it up, tucked away the shameful excuse for a report. "Hello?"
"Where's Ran?" growled the caller. "She was with that officer with the trench coat last night. She left with him and never came back. Where are they?"
"Mouri-kun?" An affirmative grunt on the other end calmed Megure's nerves a little. "I don't know where she is." Trench coat? Only one officer was insane enough to wear a long coat at this time of year. "Kuroha-kun is on sick leave as of now. He was involved in a bombing." A strangled cry from the other side. "I don't know all the details, but— Chiba-kun! Come here a moment."
Chiba looked up from his desk. "What is it?" He stood up and came to Megure's desk.
"That bombing case last night. Did you see Ran-kun there? Mouri-kun doesn't know where she is."
Chiba nodded. "Ran-san's house was too far, so Kuroha-kun took her back to his apartment. He said he would drive her over in the morning. I'll call him to check."
"Thank you. That's all." Megure returned his attention to Mouri, and Chiba went back to his desk. "Ran-kun is fine. Kuroha-kun is driving her home soon."
Mouri let out long sigh, riddled with exhaustion and one too many beers. "Thank you. I'll give a full report on finding the brat once he comes home."
"He's with his parents, right? In America." Megure shifted in his chair, settled into a more comfortable position.
"That's what Yusaku said, but, honestly, I'm not sure that's safe. Conan never talks about his parents, only about 'Shinichi-niichan' and Yuki-chan and Yusaku. I'm not sure I trust his parents to treat the kid right. I've only met his mom once, and he freaked out. I thought he was being stubborn, but looking back…" Mouri trailed off, lost in memory. "I'll bet you a round of drinks that the kid was close to a panic attack. Compare that to how he is with dead bodies." Unfazed, no matter how much blood and gore there is. Eyes that stare down criminals despite the height difference. A mind that understands in an instant how a trick is done.
"That is concerning," Megure said seriously after a moment of thought. "I can get CPS to look into it, if—"
Mouri's protest was instantaneous. "No, I don't want that. You pry into his life and he shuts down. The kid doesn't need that in his life. Besides, I'll get in trouble if—" Mouri broke off. "Sorry, I didn't call to gossip. Thanks for your help, Inspector."
"Any time, Mouri-kun." There was something else nagging at the back of his mind, one more thing he wanted to ask Mouri, but he couldn't place it. "Goodbye," he said at last, only to realize that Mouri had already hung up.
A knock on the door sliced though the low hum of conversation. Megure looked up, and Superintendent Mastumoto walked into the room. Papers were hastily stacked and backs were straightened a little as the Superintendent strode by. No one in their right mind made an effort to look at the man until he was past. Matsumoto stopped in front of Megure's desk and met his eyes.
"Everyone, return to your work," said the Superintendent without turning around. "I promise, no one is in trouble." The room gave a collective sigh, barely audible but present nonetheless. As soon as the thrum of activity resumed, Matsumoto leaned over Megure's desk, spoke in a low voice. "Megure. I have a job for you."
"A job?"
"Yes. The Hayashi case. She was last seen in Osaka. They're requesting every piece of evidence we have on Hayashi to be sent over at once. How many men of your are free?"
"As many as you need," he replied swiftly.
Matsumoto shook his head. "Get two officers you trust with your life—better, with Midori's life. I have intel that we've been infiltrated." Megure's eyes widened. "Hayashi got out somehow, didn't she? Some think we've got a rat.
"You are not to pass this information on to anyone. This case must be solved as soon as possible. Get two of your best men and send them with the entire case file in paper form directly to the house of Hattori Heizo-san of the Osaka Prefecture Police. He will take it from there. I want it completed by six o'clock tonight. You have twelve hours." Matsumoto tapped on Megure's desk twice. "We don't know who she's targeting or why. Finish the job, Megure. I'm counting on you."
٩( ᐛ )و
As soon as he knew Ran was safe, Kogoro could breathe again. In the past week, he'd lost both of his kids. One to his true parents, the other to a dinner date disaster. Kogoro knew he was lucky to at least know where both of them were. He was pretty sure he was cursed to have lost them both in the first place.
Speaking of the brat's parents, something still bothered Kogoro about them. It wasn't uncommon to let kids do things on their own or live alone once they were old enough. Yusaku and Yuki-chan left Shinichi alone when he was barely thirteen. That Sera girl Ran hung out with lived on her own, too. But trusting a complete stranger to take care of your child? It raised a few questions as to the parenting techniques of the Edogawa family.
Hence the unpleasant call he was about to make.
He dialed that woman's number, waited for her voicemail. To his surprise, she picked up. "Eri, it's me."
(`へ´*)ノ٩( ᐛ )و
It took a small miracle to get the two of them together. Often, that little miracle was Ran. Bless her heart, but her parents just hated each other too much. Her various schemes were worthy of the daughter of two intellectuals (though Eri argued it was just from her and Kogoro was an incompetent fool), but, somehow, Ran had no hand in getting the two together. For the first time in years, Eri and Kogoro sat across from each other at a table without Ran's manipulation.
Eri laid her briefcase on the table. "You look awful," she remarked, adjusting her glasses. "What happened? Ran said you drank yourself into unconscious twice. You started smoking again, too. I thought you stopped."
"Didn't know you cared," Kogoro grumbled, stopped reaching for his pocket. A cigarette packet, half empty, was stashed there. He knew he needed to stop if the kid was coming home.
Eri shrugged, easily looking as if she didn't have a care in the world. "I don't. I'm asking for my daughter's sake. I worry you're setting a terrible example for her."
"If you cared about her, maybe you shouldn't have left her with a dysfunctional man for an only parent," he snapped.
She stood, snapped her briefcase shut. "I don't need to hear this from you. I'm leaving. "
He grabbed her arm. "No, Eri, wait. Please. I need your help."
She snorted. "That's a first." Despite her scoffing, she sat back down. "Why did you call me? There are thousands of attorneys in this city alone. Yet you called me."
"I can trust you to answer my questions. You and I have looked into this kind of thing before." His hand crept to his pocket again. "Eri, do you remember what entails child abuse?"
She didn't need to look through her briefcase. "Physical and/or emotional ill-treatment, abuse, neglect, or negligent treatment or commercial or other exploitation resulting in actual or potential harm to the child's health, survival, development, or dignity in the context of a relationship of responsibility, trust, or power," She recited. At Kogoro's blank expression, she rolled her eyes. "In simpler terms, it's anything someone does to a child that will affect their health, ability to function, and/or their development, including neglect."
He nodded slowly. "And do you know what it takes to get a special adoption?"
She listed off a few requirements, raising an eyebrow once she finished. "This is about the boy you've taken in, isn't it. Remind me his name?"
"Edogawa Conan." She didn't miss the subtle crack in his voice. "And yeah. I'm worried about the kid. Ran told you where he is right now, right?"
"According to Yusaku-kun, in America with his parents," she said hesitantly. She easily shed the look of concern, quickly adopting a smirk. "Is that a problem? You complain about him more often than you do about me—and we're married."
"It is a problem. I think his parents are abusive, and I don't think he should be around them any more than he needs to. In fact, I don't think he should be around them at all." Kogoro inhaled deeply. He crossed his arms, fidgeted in his seat.
"Eri, I think I want to adopt Conan."
Eri coughed. "Adopt him?" she squawked. "You do realize that you have enough problems supporting Ran. Taking on another kid—"
Kogoro shook his head. "No, it won't be a problem. See, I can tell the Edogawas that I won't press charges for child abuse if they keep supporting the kid after I adopt him."
"That won't work," Eri protested. "It's a special adoption you want, correct?" Kogoro nodded. "First of all, you and I have to be living together. We both know that won't happen any time soon. A special adoption means renouncing your birth family, too. The Edogawas will have no ties to Conan-kun. They will have no obligation to support a child that is legally no longer theirs."
A steady drumming on wood as someone tapped their fingers on one of the tables restlessly. Kogoro glared at the other tables before realizing he was the one doing the tapping. Forcing his hand to relax, he leaned forward. "I know, but they did something to mess up Conan and they need to pay for it. They just picked him up from off the street and carted him off to America. Ran was a mess, Eri." She sat a little straighter at that, pushing her glasses up her nose again. "That serial killer I helped put away was— still is— after Conan. She thought the kid was really gone. She didn't know if she'd ever see the brat alive again."
"But that doesn't mean abusive. Yusaku-kun and Yukiko come and go just as the Edogawas seem to. I've heard of their eccentric plots from Ran. It doesn't make them abusive or neglectful to Shinichi-kun." She wasn't accusing or malicious. Her voice held the same thoughtful prompting that she gave to her clients, encouraging them to find vital answers to flesh out their defense.
Kogoro, recognizing the tone, crossed his arms and fell into the stance he took when presenting a deduction. "Conan looks at dead bodies and doesn't blink an eye. He freaks out when people say he's smart and gets nervous every time his family is mentioned. When his mom showed up, the kid freaked out. Worse than Ran when you moved out," he said emphatically, pointing to Eri. Her eyes grew wide, her arms falling slack at her sides.
Ran pulling at her sleeve, strength from those karate classes already developing. Eri gets her arm away only to find that Ran's taken her suitcase. Eri struggles with Ran just to pull her bag from Ran's grasp and storms from the house with more force than she thinks is necessary. She slams the door shut behind her and slides into the waiting taxi. She can hear Ran's wailing even as she tells the driver her address, begs him to drive quickly.
The slowly developing horror on Eri's face confirmed Kogoro had driven his point home. "The Edogawas did something to Conan to make him panic like that. I know neither of us are the epitome of parenting—" Eri regained herself enough to snort in amusement. It earned a small smile from Kogoro. "—but I know that I can do better than whatever the Edogawas are doing to their kid."
Eri frowned, crossed her arms. Her hand rested on her chin. "I know, but special adoptions…" she was silent for a moment. "Conan-kun is smart, as you say. The question becomes if he will consent to it. Besides, you're not officially fostering the boy." Kogoro winced. "It won't be easy. We need to find his legal papers and contact his parents to get their permission, too."
"I want to try. Can you at least get the papers for me? I want to have them ready when he gets back."
Eri examined Kogoro for a moment. This was the boy she grew up with, the bachelor she fell in love with, the man she loved too much to actually root him from her life. He's rash, impulsive, and gets easily distracted by the more enticing things of the world. She's seen him become serious only when Ran is in danger or when she herself is involved in the case. It's common sense to assume he'd develop some sort of affection for Conan soon enough.
Losing a child, even if only for a few hours, set Kogoro on edge every time. Ran went missing for an afternoon, and Kogoro wore himself ragged searching for her. Shinichi disappeared from a sleepover with Ran when they were still in preschool, and Kogoro called on every friend he had on the force to look for him. The kid sleep-walked home, but Yusaku and Yukiko didn't find out until many hours later. Nonetheless, Eri saw every time how Kogoro retraced steps and questioned anyone he saw and exploited every resource he had to find a child he cared for.
What convinced Eri was the conviction in his eyes, how he sat with agitation on the edge of his seat, his shoulders set to tackle anything that came after his family. After a moment, she shrugged her shoulders. "I'll see what I can do, but I make no promises. An adoption of any kind is complicated."
He visibly relaxed. "Thank you, Eri. That really means a lot."
"Anything for one of your kids," she said flippantly. She picked up her briefcase and left the restaurant, leaving alone at a table the only man she trusted to care for her—no, his daughter.
Kogoro collapsed, burying his head in his hands. Conan, you'd better get back soon, he thought with weak irritation. The sooner I get you away from whatever they're doing to you, the sooner you'll be safe.