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CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The moment Conan and her came home and laid their backpacks to the Mouri Agency's couch, Marie knew the month's pause in the manga was over. How, you ask?

"Wow! Look, look, it's a letter from Natsue-san!"

That was the first thing she heard from Ran aside from the usual 'Okaeri!' that meant welcome home. She turned to look at Conan for a second. This was one of the places where she had decided to direct the happenings a little bit. She absolutely didn't want Ran to suspect her brother at all. It would make things way harder, for her, and for Conan in the long run.

But for now, she needed to play the cute little girl she was and try to get a chance to warn Conan.

And there it was. Ran abruptly talking about Shinichi.

"H- He's probably having a tough time with his case", came Conan's input.

Marie felt a little sting in her chest. He really was having a hard time with this case. Ran pointed out how long he'd been gone from school and hadn't kept in touch so often. Then she made a comment Marie had completely forgotten about.

"Could it be that Shinichi…", Ran mused and Marie watched Conan fidget a little, "…is getting dumber"

Marie blinked at her owlishly before snickering and Conan shot her little sister a glare. She jumped off the couch to Ran and her brother.

"That can't be! If Shinichi-niichan gets dumber, he can't teach us anymore!"

Conan gave her a horrified look at bringing him up. Oops, it wasn't such a good idea, now that she thought about it. Ran's suspicions will grow. His reaction fit the scene anyway.

"Huh? Shin-?", Ran was cut off by the doorbell, "Coming!"

Marie took the chance to warn his brother.

"Let's stay on guard. Ran will suspect things easier with your name mentioned"

Conan gave her an unimpressed look, "No thanks to you"

She just stuck her tongue out, smiling, but regretted it later when a packed toy hit her head making her bite it, "Ow!"

The metallic taste spread in her mouth and she grimaced. It wasn't a nice taste. Hopefully the wound wasn't that big. She heard a snicker from her brother.

"Serves you right", he smiled from the floor where he fell.

It was her turn to glare.

It was interrupted by the man who came with the toys, "Are you alright?", he offered his hand to Conan, who noticed the scars on his fingertips.

"He's fine. Me too", Marie assured before remembering her tongue.

It would be a pain to eat or drink hot things for a while now. She stood beside Conan and watched the interaction with the man and the Mouris. She felt very nervous, like every time she tried to change something. Everything could go wrong with very little, very fast.

"Hey, let's be very subtle and careful this time, okay? I've got a feeling that Ran will be suspicious if we slip even a little about you", she whispered so only Conan could hear.

Conan nodded, not taking his eyes off the conversation. He was very trusting about Marie's feelings nowadays. They came true too often not to.

"What do you suggest if Occhan can't do it?", which was probably bound to happen.

Marie considered. This little thing could cause a butterfly effect, so it was probably better that someone played Conan's part.

"Ran doesn't know my teenage form. I said we've been learning from you, so if I guide him, then she probably doesn't think you're you. If we both do… it's a bit risky in any way. Let's keep an eye on Ran and investigate, dropping hints together. And maybe display some childish curiosity. No mind baffling knowledge this time, please", the last one was directed at Conan.

The boy scowled and grumbled something under his breath before moving on to tell Marie what he had already gathered from the situation. And she got a chance to tell him what 'surgeon' is in her sign language. Might come in handy with this case.

Also, Conan was a very calming presence. Before she noticed, her nervousness was gone. In fact, Marie was excited to help.

XXXX

I can't believe it's working!

It was all thanks to Conan not pointing out he knew the man was a surgeon and instead asking what his job was while Marie was studying the toys with fake glee.

"Conan! Look, these don't have that stripy thingy! I wonder why…", she picked up a toy after another.

"Eeh? Really? Kogoro-ojiisan, why don't they have that?", her brother asked 'curiously'.

This gave the detective something to think about as he shouted about missing barcodes. It might be a little obvious they did it on purpose, but this time Ran wasn't suspicious, so it should be okay. Marie knew she wasn't suspicious. She had been keeping a close eye on her and thought up good ways to act without looking too intelligent.

She was a little worried, though. They had to get to Ogawa's son before the gift sender (Tanaka? Marie didn't really remember) tried to kill him. Now then, how to make them figure it out sooner? Maybe she should ask more questions that would easily lead Conan to the right conclusion. At least she hoped so.

Really, this would be so much simpler if Conan knew she knew future happenings. She could just tell him. But… not the right time, maybe.

Agh! No hiding it! She was just scared Conan wouldn't see her the same way anymore.

And the more she evaded talking about it the more she feared.

Marie banished the thoughts stubbornly. Now wasn't the time to think about that. She should focus on not letting Ran get suspicious and saving the five year old in danger. She lifted her eyes to Kogoro, who was looking at a letter.

"Ne, ne! What does the letter say?", Marie went and asked.

"'The 25 million yen has been paid. I'm coming to collect my side of the transaction'", Ran read over her dad's shoulder with furrowed brows.

"Huh? What's a tran-zac-tion?", Marie was so proud of Conan's stutter with the word.

It was making him even less suspicious. Even better that Ran answered the question!

"Does he want to switch his own child's toys to better ones and wants Ogawa-san to get them?", Marie asked trying to sound reasonable for a child.

This question was also voiced to give people the idea of the culprit having a child of his own. Because that was the true motive no one knew yet. His dead son. She just hoped they could get there in time.

XXXX

In the end they got Kogoro to go to the hospital to check out a painting that the sender might want to buy. There were flowers for their client like every year and Ran wasn't acting suspicious at all. Then again, she couldn't be sure. Ran was a pretty good actor herself. They should make someone do a phonecall for Ran with Shinichi's voice and Conan in the same room. She'd ask Conan how after this.

The two got left behind in a 'staff only' -room after Ran went out. She could've guessed event without future knowledge that her brother wanted to check out Ogawa-san's patient records. He was just about to, when Marie tapped her once on the shoulder and started signing.

'Wait. I'll check if Ran really went'

The boy's eyes flickered to the door before nodding and picking up a toy that was still in a package for her. Marie blinked and tilted her head.

'Excuse', he signed before turning towards the toys.

Marie started smiling slowly. Good thinking. Very good thinking. She turned and walked to the door and opened it while holding the toy and frowning at it. And just like that she saw Ran walking towards the lobby before halting, like remembering something, and turning back. Marie ran towards her holding the toy out.

"Ran-neechan, I can't open this!", she looked impatient, "Conan tried too"

The older girl smiled and took it, before halting again, "I'm not sure we should open this, Marie-chan. It could be important"

The girl pouted before gurdgingly taking it back and turning around.

"Wait, can you get Conan-kun to the lobby too? I just remembered it was a 'staff only' -room", Ran asked.

Marie smirked.

Perfect!

"Hai! See you at the lobby!", she said before skipping back to the door, whatched Ran disappear behind the corner, and burst in to see Conan flicking through patient files in an inhuman speed.

Then, when he got through the last one, he sighed and put a hand to his chin. Marie waited patiently for the genius' brain to work. She didn't have to wait for long. Conan whipped his head to the toys and then back at the files and turned to her at lightning speed.

"Marie, he's going for Ogawa-san's son!"

She blinked in surprise before growing serious, "Let's ask Ogawa-san if we could play with the boy"

Marie let the other deduce her thinking pattern before running off, the toy still in hand. They had a kid to save!

XXXX

Too close.Way too close.

Marie had dropped on her knees the moment it was clear the culprit didn't want to kill the little boy anymore. They had gotten there just in time to see the man drop a sharp knife on the child's head. Luckily Conan got there first. Or, well, a soccer ball got there first. The soccer ball Marie had stolen from the air, when a kid had kicked it, and tossed it to a perfect position for Conan. Well, not perfect exactly, but easier.

Right now the five year old, surprisingly a little shorter than her, was thanking Tanaka-san for giving him awesome toys. Then everything went like in 'canon'. Ogawa-san forgave the man, Kogoro got his payment, everyone went home.

At home Ran got a phone call from Shinichi with Conan in the same room. It was a good way to keep future suspicions in check. In the end the two had discussed it, and while Conan hated lying to her, it was labeled necessary. Marie had been the one to do the phone call with information on what to say to different things and how. Luckily acting was becoming like a second nature with it happening all the time.

The day ended and Marie had accomplished her goal. Ran wasn't suspicious in the slightest. She just hoped it wouldn't ruin the future cases.

XXXX

Okay, this became a little long. Hope you liked it. I didn't have too much time to proofread so please excuse my mistakes. School starts tomorrow again, so I'm not sure when the next update will come out. Anyways, see you sometime!