ヾ(*・-・)ﾂθ ●

The high school detectives set themselves up in the kitchen, a quiet place where the soft hum of the refrigerator provided just enough background noise to keep a conversation going while still being quiet enough to forget it was there. After a quick reviewing of their own data, Heiji and Shinichi traded phones. Heiji had recorded the interrogation and made a note that contained a summary of what he'd found out while Shinichi had a massive number of pictures of all the evidence he'd gathered.

Heiji took Shinichi's phone from him. "Lemme see those pictures ya got." He swiped his finger across the screen. "What happened ta this?"

Shinichi glanced up from the notes Heiji had written. "That pipe was smashed so that the water would fall directly onto some footprints and erase them, but a section of the pipe was snapped further up the line, causing water to pour out at the other end of the house. The footprints are the next two pictures." He wrote down his own note. "You clarified with the GPS company about their credibility?"

"Yeah, that Koruha-keiji checked all the servers in the area, an' none of 'em were hacked, so I'm thinkin' his alibi's solid." He took Shinichi's pen and wrote a few kanji on a napkin before handing the pen back.

With a nod, Shinichi put an 'x' next to Ishiwatari's name. "His motive seems weak in the first place. Though he hated Akagi-san, you said he had a soft spot for Kenshin-san?"

"At dinner last night, the two of 'em sat next ta each other an' they were real close. Ishiwatari-han had a decent temper an' a sour attitude, but it was a heck of a lot worse when Kenshin-han wasn't around. You were asleep then, so that's why ya didn't know. He wouldn't've killed Akagi-han when he treated Kenshin-han like a little brother."

"Speaking of asleep, I think we can be sure that Kenshin-san was when his brother was killed. Takagi-keiji found Akagi-san's journal, and about that affair—"

In disbelief, Heiji let his hand fall on the table with a thud. "Ya're not tellin' me Kakei-han was right?!"

"He was so close to the truth, it's almost funny." Shinichi's smile held no mirth. "Akagi-san wrote about Mina-san and Kenshin-san in his journal and later stated that Kakei-san was only telling him what he already knew. About the affair, I mean. As for a motive for instigating the affair, we found this pile of letters. Go to the fourth picture down from the razor."

"By the way, what's that about?"

"Used to cut Akagi-san's Achilles tendon. They didn't want him escaping."

"Ah." A short pause, followed by a low whistle. "This guy got straight to the point. Makes sense that Akagi-han'd want Mina-han gone after readin' these."

"About Mina-san, what's her alibi like? You wrote that it was solid, but she was suspicious."

"Ishiwatari-han got a call from Akagi-han after she came out from the bath, an' she wasn't alone for long enough ta murder Akagi-han after that. She looked smug when he told us about the call, like she'd done it an' no one could prove her wrong."

"So, if she could fake the call..."

"That's where it gets interestin'. Akagi-han's cell was on his body when we found him, only his fingerprints were on it, an' none of 'em were smudged like they woulda been if she'd handled them with gloves an' placed it there in early mornin'."

"I didn't sleep much, so I know no one left the house in the middle of the night yesterday. We could have 'Conan' call to confirm, but I'll probably end up giving a statement once I'm back."

"Where was the razor?"

"Where else? The bathroom."

"People just let a bloody razor sit around the bathroom an' no one decides ta question it?"

"It was folded up in a towel," Shinichi said over a particularly loud stomach growl.

Heiji took his pen again, chewing on the end of it for a moment. "Yo, Kudou, when'd ya last eat?"

"Dinner yesterday, before the flash flood. I've been meaning to eat, but haven't gotten the chance." Shinichi caught him shaking his head and met his eyes with almost a glare. "You can't tell me you've never done that, getting so lost in a case you forget things as trivial as food."

"Yeah, I can, 'cause I really care about food and I got freakin' Kazuha as my best friend." He snorted. "With her around, I gotta eat three meals a day or suffer the consequences. You know, she shoved my lunch in my face one time, after punchin' me, of course."

"Well, ya deserved, it," the girl in question said hotly, marching into the kitchen with an unnerving fire in her eyes. "It'd been two days, an' Shizuka-obachan hadn't seen ya eat a bite of food the whole time."

"Can ya blame me, though? Oyaji had me workin' 'round the clock on that case." Heiji scooted his chair over to make room at the small, round table for his friend. "Otaki-han let me sleep in his patrol car, so I got enough rest."

"To be fair, I've done worse," Shinichi said in an attempt to sway some of her fury from Heiji. As she sat next to Heiji, Shinichi set aside the case materials and gave his attention to her. "What can we do for you?"

"Oh, don't treat me like a client, Kudou-san," Kazuha snapped, catching him off guard. He blinked. "Heiji's my friend an' I wanted ta talk ta the two of ya."

She folded her hands on the table, looking in that moment very much like she was a doctor about to tell them they had a week to live. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Look, can we talk straight? I want answers, and I don't want' any of yer excuses."

"Kazuha, we ain't—"

A death glare shut him down and shut him up. Her glare firmly on Heiji but her words clearly shot like bullets at Shinichi's head, she continued, "Ran-chan's not an ahou like the two of ya are, ya know. She knows how bad the case is, so she lets ya go an' fight crime or whatever crap ya do an' she takes your phone calls as the best thing 'cause she'll know ya're alive, an' she worries about ya because she cares, Kudou-san. I can respect that."

"Kazuha-sa—"

"I ain't Ran-chan."

Gulp.

She slammed her fist on the stone-plated tabletop, making a frightening thud, and she didn't flinch at the pain, if she felt any. "So what I wanna know is what the h*** ya think ya're doin' ta Ran-chan, runnin' off an' puttin' some case over her, disappearin' without a trace an' makin' her Conan-kun an' his kid friends solve half of your cases for ya! Ya're puttin' those kids in danger, you know? Conan-kun got shot an' nearly died, took on a bomber, started an avalanche ta save people, ran inta a fire, across a burnin' bridge, got shot at by snipers, been on a train that blew up—"

"How'd you know that, Kazuha?" Heiji cut in, on the verge of annoyance. Maybe Shinichi didn't tell Heiji about every case, especially if there was involvement from Them, but the less Heiji knew, the safer he'd be.

"Ran-chan told me!" she burst out. "She calls me an' tells me how scared she gets when Conan-kun goes an' does things that he shouldn't, like solve freakin' murder cases for Mouri-tantei an' actin' way too smart for his age an' puttin' himself in danger for others, but she says it'll be okay 'cause "Shinichi trained him" but do ya know what ya're doin, Kudou-san?" Kazuha paused very dramatically. "Do ya have any idea how bad ya're tearin' her apart?"

Heiji shot up, but grimaced and sat back down, suddenly reminded of his broken leg. "Kazuha, you don't get it—"

She threw up her hands. "Then explain it ta me, 'cause I really don't get why someone like Ran-chan is waitin' for someone like him."

Shinichi couldn't hide the hurt quick enough. A flicker of satisfaction made Kazuha sit back in her chair as Heiji opened his mouth again to protest. Before they could begin arguing, Shinichi held up a hand weakly, his energy suddenly gone. "It's okay, Hattori. Can I talk to her alone?"

"Don't expect me ta move," he said with a gesture towards his crutch.

With a nod, Shinichi stood up. "Kazuha-san, can we talk in a different room?"

She crossed her arms. "Ya wanna say somethin', ya gotta say it ta both me an' Heiji."

He pretended not to notice the red dusting her cheeks as she realized the implications of what she said. "This isn't the sort of information I feel comfortable disclosing more than one time. Because Hattori's aware of my situation, I'd like to let him continue to look over the evidence I've gathered while I talk to you, rather than distract him with information he already knows."

Kazuha looked between the two detectives. "Ya gotta get back ta your case pretty quick, don'tcha." If she scowled like that too much, her face just might end up stuck that way. "Fine then." She stood up and followed Shinichi to the stairway, a decent way away from the kitchen as well as where the kids were, attempting to solve Agasa's latest riddle. Shinichi sat on a stair about halfway up, the optimal height for easily going unnoticed and observing all below him. Kazuha sat next to him, her scowl having an expectant air to it.

Shinichi folded his hands and rested his chin on them. "How do I start... ah, yes. I know what my case is doing to Ran," he began cautiously, trying to act as professional and as disconnected as possible. Her eyebrows furrowed together as her glare intensified. "There's nothing I can do to change our interactions that wouldn't put her in more danger."

"Kudou-san, ya're sixteen," she argued as though he'd forgotten. "The police exist for a reason, ya know. Just get one of them ta handle it an' go home," she said bluntly.

Neither she nor Heiji were known for their tact, but today, Shinichi's patience had vanished with Edogawa Conan. He didn't have time for this. "You think I haven't tried?" he growled, startling her by matching her ferocity. "Anyone who gets involved is putting their life at risk, with a very real possibility of getting killed."

"Ya knew 'bout tha', an' ya still got Heiji involved?!" she hissed, fists clenched. Upon instinct, he braced himself for a punch.

"Hattori blackmailed me into it," he said defensively. He didn't even have the energy to stay mad. "He found out, and then said he was going to tell Ran everything if I didn't spill. You know how hot-headed he is. He got himself involved. I've tried to keep him out of it, but even being in contact with me put him in danger." Burying his face in his hands, Shinichi felt another bout of guilt for getting Heiji involved as much as he had. Hattori has a family, and friends, and a life,

So do you, Shinichi, whispered a voice in the back of his mind.

"What' dya mean, 'tell Ran-chan everything?'"

Shinichi lifted his head to look at Kazuha, pondering for a real moment. Should I tell her. Should I put her at risk as well? Should I tell her what even Ran, even my best friend doesn't know. Why should I tell her? Because a confidant is nice, because she's trustworthy, because she's better than Hattori at keeping secrets. If I told her, she'd know and I could be myself, she could help steer Ran away from the truth—

Kazuha shook his shoulder. "Snap out of it, Kudou-san! What're ya talkin' about?" Every bit of anger had vanished, replaced with a startling concern.

His eyes focused as he realized he'd been thinking aloud. A pain not from a spasm shot through his chest, and his heart raced as she looked at him intently. "You heard all that." It wasn't a question. It scared him how shaky his voice sounded.

She nodded. "Ran-chan's in bad shape, ya know, but are ya sure ya're okay?"

Shinichi let out a little laugh, running his fingers through his hair. Get it together, Kudou. "I'm nervous. If I tell you, Hattori'll get mad at me for putting you in danger."

Silence sat between us for a moment.

She pursed her lips. "Heiji an' I play this game," she said gently, "where we go back an' forth, askin' a question that the other has ta answer. If ya don't wanna do it, that's fine, an' you can just tell me ta go back an' help Ran-chan keep the kids outta trouble."

Shinichi hesitated. He could let it drop, but there was a larger danger in letting her speculate. He'd already given her too much, and only by clarifying a few things could he fix this. At last, Shinichi shook his head. "I'll start.

"Why do you use the 'san' honorific with me?"

She hesitated slightly before she answered. "'Cause ya're not around a whole lot, an' I don't really know ya. Everyone talks about you, but we ain't friends yet, really."

He held out his hand, attempting a friendly smile. "Kudou Shinichi. You can call me Shinichi-kun, if you want."

She shook it. "Toyoma Kazuha. Nice ta meet ya, Shinichi-kun." She paused. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head incredulously. "You were furious with me a second ago. Now you're worried?"

"Ran-chan cares about ya, so I'm thinkin' yer not terrible. I wasn't really mad at you, but she's upset and I can't tell if ya're doin' anythin'."

"I'm trying. This case, it's painfully slow, and it's hard to gather information without tipping off the wrong people to my investigation. And to answer your question, I'm sick right now—"

"You know I meant mentally," she said flatly.

Another sigh. "Ask me once this case is over. I think I'm fine now, but I'm also taking a break by solving a murder case." Another question, the first one that came to mind. "Do you trust me?" Shinichi cringed mentally as soon as he said it. Honestly, Kudou, what kind of a question is that?

"Yes." The certainty in her response caught him off guard. "Ya're like Heiji, an' ya've got his respect, so I know ya're okay. I'd trust ya ta keep Heiji outta danger, an' if it came down ta it, I'd trust ya not ta get me killed 'cause that's what' Heiji's done a lotta times."

He blinked, surprised yet again by Heiji's not-yet girlfriend. "Thank you."

"It's my turn now. What can't ya tell Ran-chan?"

"So many things." His head rested in his hands again. "I can't tell her the details of my case, and I can't tell her where I really am, what I've been doing, how bad this case actually is, how many other people know—"

"Who else knows 'bout your case?"

Shinichi couldn't tell whether it was comforting or terrifying that he almost couldn't count them all off on his fingers. Hondou Eisuke, Hattori, Agasa-hakase, Haibara, Kaa-san, Tou-san, and probably Akai and Sera. "Eight people? Ran's suspected me from time to time, but she's either she doesn't want to believe it or I've managed to steer her away from the truth."

"Which is?"

Tell her or don't. A mixture of anxiety, fear, and apprehension filled him with an energy he'd felt half a second before telling Eisuke his secret. It was so much easier to tell people who he was when he was Conan, to have to prove that he was actually sixteen. he could tell her everything right now, but why?

"Why do you want to know?" His voice shook again, and he cursed himself silently for it.

She paused, thinking. "If I put myself in your shoes," she said thoughtfully after a moment, "thinkin' that I was on a case that made me hurt Hei— er, someone I like—"

"Kazuha-chan, I'm aware you like Hattori and you most likely know I like Ran. We don't have to dance around that matter." He offered a small smile.

She nodded, light red coloring her cheeks. "If I had ta hide somethin' from Heiji an' it made him feel the way Ran-chan does, I'd want someone ta talk ta. Heiji's nice an' all, but he's not very good at keepin' secrets unless his life depended on it. I'm not sure about who else ya've told, but I'm thinkin' they're not the sort of people ya can vent at when ya need ta. I like ta help people, an' ya need ta talk ta someone."

Shinichi nodded gratefully before laughing at a memory. "You want to know something I haven't told anyone else?"

She tilted her head slightly. "Not Heiji?"

He shook his head. "If I told him, he'd probably go after my parents."

"What happened?"

"My parents were out of the country when I got involved with the case, so they came back a while ago to an empty house since I was gone investigating. Agasa-hakase told them about my situation, so they decided to track me down and impersonate the people I was chasing. They kidnapped me to see if I'd retained my intellect and reflexes, and I thought I was in real danger. When they revealed their plan to me, they were going to take me back to America, but To-san let me stay because he knew how I felt about Ran." A dry, humorless laugh. "I'm used to their theatrics, but if Hattori found out... Well, we both know what he's like when he gets protective."

"They kidnapped ya ta see if ya could handle yerself?" She asked, her shock evident on her face. "An' then they just left?"

"Yup. They're not exactly the pillar of parenting." He was doing that not-smile again whether he noticed it or not. "They left me home alone when I was fourteen, right as I started getting into my detective- ing career. Sometimes I think if they hadn't left, I wouldn't be in this situation, but at the same time, I was an obnoxious, arrogant jerk," he all but spat, "before this case sent me into hiding. This all happened because I was convinced I was invincible. I knew there was a chance of me getting hurt at one point or another, but it always seemed like I'd be smart enough to find a way out of it." With the admission came the same old regret and anger at himself for ever being so arrogant. And look where it got you.

Kazuha nodded sympathetically. "Ya've changed since this case?"

He gave half a nod, half a shrug. "I hope. If I haven't, then I'm even more at risk than I thought. Old Shinichi would introduce himself as 'Meitantei Kudou Shinichi, Savior of the Japanese Police,' but if I did that now, Ran, Hattori, and anyone else who'd been seen interacting with me could be killed."

"Have they tried ta kill you?" Her voice was hushed.

A small groan, an even smaller nod. He couldn't meet her eyes. "Don't tell Ran," was his defeated answer. "Onegai? She worries enough as it is."

They sat in silence for a moment. There was still the thought to tell Kazuha the Truth. Tell her that he was Conan. If she really wanted to know, she would pry and ask more vehemently, he reasoned. He'd tell her the truth if she needed to know or if she was close enough to it on her own.

"I'll give ya my cell," she said finally, breaking the silence. "Ya can call me whenever an' just talk about whatever ya want, an' I listen ta ya. If ya don't want' me ta tell Ran-chan, I'll stay quiet."

It took him a moment to register what she was offering. "A-arigato, Kazuha-chan." He pulled out his notepad and handed it to her, and she wrote down her cell in big numbers, all the way across the page. In small kanji beneath it, she wrote, 'Call even if no emergency' and Shinichi smiled.

"Give that ta Conan-kun, too. the two of ya are more alike than ya think."

If only you knew... "I will. Thank you very much, Kazuha-chan."

She surprised him with a hug, but, after recovering from his initial confusion, he hugged her back. "Good luck with yer case, and with Ran-chan," she said.

"Good luck with that Hattori," he replied earnestly. Heiji was a piece of work, and it didn't take a detective to figure that one out.

She let go, and he stood up, offering her a hand to help her up. She took it and nodded towards the kitchen. "Heiji's probably waitin' for you ta get back, havin' figured out most of the case already."

They started down the stairs and back to the kitchen. "There were only a couple things we're unsure of at this point, so you're probably right."

"I know Heiji hasn't eaten, so the two of ya take a break an' eat some of the leftovers from last night. Mina-chan helped us turn some fish we caught into the best tuna fish salad ya've ever tasted."

His stomach growled again, and Kazuha laughed at Shinichi's embarrassment. "I'll be sure to do that. And, um, Kazuha-chan?"

"What?"

It took him a moment to find the proper wording without revealing too much. "If my cold suddenly gets worse, I'm going to need to go back for my medicine. Can you call your father for a ride back to Hattori's house? It's an odd request, I know—"

She shook her head, shrugging. "I grew up with Heiji, if ya remember. It's not the strangest thing I've heard."

"Arigato."

Heiji's voice echoed through the kitchen doorway. "Oi, Kudou, that you? I got somethin' ta show ya!"

Shinichi smiled. "That's my cue. Later, then, Kazuha-chan."

"See ya, Shinichi-kun."

With swift bows, they turned opposite directions and returned to their responsibilities. They both knew there was too much to be done for them to be sitting around for too long, but it was nice, though, to get a break. From lying, from worrying, from thinking far too hard about far too many things, and it was nice to know he had another friend on his side.