The phone's screen glared at the three not-yet-detectives as their brows furrowed in thought. A question displayed on its screen, a pun hidden in there somewhere, and not a hint in sight left them puzzled as to the answer.
"We could ask Shinichi-san," Mitsuhiko offered at last.
"No," said Ayumi almost immediately. When the others gave her strange looks, she continued, "Aren't he and Heiji-oniisan busy? They're trying to solve a case, so we should find Ran-oneesan and Kazuha-oneesan instead."
Genta frowned. "Ran-oneechan's sleeping, and Kazuha-oneechan left to talk to someone, remember? Besides Shinichi-oniichan's never around, and he's probably got to go right after he finishes this case, just like every other time! C'mon, guys, let's go ask them!"
Mitsuhiko followed Genta, and Ayumi trailed somewhat reluctantly behind, phone in her hand. As they drew closer to the kitchen, they heard— well, it wasn't quite an argument, but it didn't sound as if the two high-school detectives were getting along.
"—I've been saying the whole time. Without any hard evidence, either of them could have done it."
"An' I'm not disagreein' with ya, but I don't see why ya can't just go an' ask 'em yourself."
"Oh, for the—they're smart, Hattori. Conan's had an impact on them, more than you might realize. Each one of them has gotten us out of multiple situations, based off their wit and instinct alone. Heck, even after less than a year, Mitsuhiko solved a case with only a small hint from me. Genta and Ayumi need a tad bit more guidance before they reach the answer, but as soon as Conan goes back to America for good, I'm—"
"Kudou." Not harsh tone, but enough for Heiji to catch Shinichi's attention.
"Sidetracked again?" A resigned sigh.
"Yup. Get ta the point."
"My point is they're smart. They're perceptive, and they're bound to notice something. Besides, don't they know you better? You're the one who they've seen around more. The most they've heard of me is from Conan."
"I get ya, I get ya," said Heiji in an attempt to calm Shinichi. "If ya're that nervous, I'll take care of 'em. Can ya look over those notes, an' look busy. I'll handle everythin'."
Shinichi suddenly sounded guilty. "Do you want me to find them? You've still got a broken leg."
"An' ya have less than four hours left. Ya're fine where ya are. I'll be right back."
They heard the distinct click and thump of Heiji's walking come closer, and the kids scrambled over each other to get away from the door. A short moment later, he came limping out the kitchen walkway to find them sitting in a circle on the floor, crowded around the phone.
"Ya brat's 've been here the whole time?"
Simultaneous nods. "Kazuha-oneesan said to stay here until she came back," Ayumi said.
Heiji swallowed, drew a long, silent breath. "Ya heard anythin' we were talkin' 'bout?"
Simultaneous shaking of heads. "We were trying to figure out hakase's quiz," Mitsuhiko said, making a small gesture to the phone in the center of them.
Heiji deflated in relief. They wouldn't have any reason to lie.
"I got a favor ta ask of you. Will ya follow me?"
"Coming, Heiji-san." Mitsuhiko was the one to pick up the phone.
Heiji led them to the table where all the information was laid out. The more gruesome pictures had been brushed under notepads and other papers, and evidence bags with anything bloody were stashed under the table. It wasn't like the Detective Boys couldn't see the hastily hidden items, and it didn't bother them a whole lot to see blood, not after all the murder cases they'd been on with Conan. What did bother them was the fact that the older detectives hid things from them; the Shonen Tantei-da, who regarded themselves as able-bodied, full-fledged detectives, did not take kindly to being treated like wannabes. Begrudgingly, they took seats at the counter and waited for Heiji to talk.
As Mitsuhiko caught a glimpse of a distinctive cowlick, he nearly jumped out of his seat. "C-Co—" Shinichi turned his head at the exclamation, and Mitsuhiko's spirits fell.
"Can I help you with something?" Shinichi's voice, when undistorted by a wooden door and an echoey kitchen, was raspier than the kids expected, making them jump a little.
"Uh, sorry, no. You just looked like Conan-kun from behind, and I thought…" Mitsuhiko trailed off, unsure how to finish that sentence.
Shinichi cast a look at Heiji as if to say, 'I told you so,' before returning to the papers splayed out on the table in front of him. "No worries. We do look a lot alike, even if we are only cousins." His tone made it clear he didn't want them to pursue the topic.
Before an awkward silence could settle in, Heiji cleared his throat. "Ya're gonna hafta excuse Kudou. He's not been feelin' too great today, since he forgot his meds at home. He's a bit grouchy 'bout it, so go 'head an' ignore him."
Mitsuhiko tilted his head, then brightened when a thought came to mind. "Just like my sister! She's got this medicine she takes about once a month, and if she forgets, she gets all mad and angry at me, even though she's really nice and polite the rest of the time."
The sound of skull hitting wood made the kids jump as Shinichi's head dropped onto the table. He snickered, trying to cover his mouth to mask his laughter as Heiji tried to do the same. The Detective Boys looked between the two, frowning and confused.
"It's not nice to laugh at Mitsuhiko-kun," Ayumi said, frowning.
Genta crossed his arms. "Yeah, he had a good idea."
Finally, after a solid minute of neither being able to speak, Heiji coughed and said, "Well, I sure hope Kudou's got a different problem from your nee-chan."
Shinichi snorted again, his back still turned to the conversation. He'd managed to sit up, and shuffled through papers again and again, as if looking for something.
"Look." Heiji sat down at the opposite side of the counter, blocking Shinichi from the kids' line of sight. "Kudou an' I, we need your help. There 're a couple of things that we don't know, an' once we're sure of the facts, we can get the murderer. With Kudou sick an' my leg broken, he an' I aren't gonna cover enough ground even if we do split up. On top of that, our suspects pro'lly aren't gonna talk ta us, since they know the two of us as detectives.
"What we need ya ta do is go ta each of these people," he handed Mitsuhiko a slip of paper, "an' ask 'em those questions. Remember what they say, write down their answers if ya need ta, but be discreet 'bout it."
Genta raised his hand, a surprising gesture of courtesy. "Uh, what's 'dis-creet' mean?"
Heiji rubbed his chin for a moment. "Well, it's like bein' quiet, when ya hide in hide an' seek. What ya gotta be doin' is make sure that ya're doin' what ya need ta be doin' an' doin' what ya're doin' without lettin' the other person know ya're doin' what ya're doin'. Get it?" Genta shook his head.
"That was really confusing, Heiji-niichan," Ayumi said, pulling a face. Mitsuhiko and Genta nodded in agreement, and Heiji was at a loss for words.
"Be sneaky like Kamen Yaiba is when he tries to surprise a bad guy," Shinichi said, his body still and his eyes glued to the evidence before him. "When you're taking notes, I want you to be extra careful around Kakei-san and Mina-san. They might lie to you if they figure out you're getting answers for us."
Casting a glance over his shoulder at his rival, Heiji let out a sigh. "Yeah, Kudou explains this kinda stuff better." He shrugged and looked back at the Detective Boys. "But can ya do this for us? It'll be a big help, an' ya can hold it over Conan-kun that ya solved a case without 'im." Heiji's eyes glittered mischievously.
"Haiiii!" The Detective Boys shouted excitedly, sliding down from their seats.
"Make sure Ran or Kazuha-chan's with you, too. They'll be able to keep you safe."
Shinichi's quiet suggestion went almost unnoticed by them, Ayumi barely catching his words as she walked out the door. She gave them a nod, an affirming humming noise, and a small, strange glance at Shinichi before she left the room altogether.
Heiji and Shinichi sat in a tense silence for far too many moments. Finally, Heiji broke it with a teasing, casual, "See, that wasn't so ha—"
"Hattori, if you finish that sentence, I will kick you."
"… Maybe ya are like the freckled brat's sister."
"Shut up."
ヽ(*´∀`)ﾉ┌┛
Ran's phone buzzed in her hand, waking her from her rest. She turned the screen on to see two things, both equally startling. A text from Kazuha, reading 'come to the kitchen door, I need your help asap' combined with the clock already displaying 3:28 made her heart miss a beat.
Around 2:45 Kazuha had planted her in the living room, ordering her to stay put. She'd taken the opportunity to try and catch up on the sleep she'd missed the night before, thinking (naively) that the kids would stay occupied with Agasa's quiz for a few much-needed moments of rest. To Ran's dismay, she'd woken to find the room empty and the time much later than she expected.
She could only blame herself, though, for being so inattentive. The night before, she'd barely slept at all, watching over Conan. She'd moved her futon next to his when Ayumi shook her awake, saying Conan was having a nightmare and wouldn't wake up. For moments that lasted far too long, he writhed and convulsed in agony, whimpering in pain. She tried to soothe her not-little-brother every time these... attacks came upon him with poor results. His temperature never dropped, and he broke out into thick, wet coughing fits more than twice as he slept. As the sun came up, he finally seemed to relax. By the time Mina declared they were going to make a search party, to see if they could find her husband, Ran thought Conan would be fine for just a few moments as she stepped outside.
Sleep deprived and so done with dead bodies ruining her every outing with the people she cared about, she couldn't find it in herself to protest too profusely when Heiji wanted Conan's help. She knew that the two together could solve practically any case faster than the entire police force combined, and she wanted all this over as fast as possible.
With 20-20 hindsight, Ran felt guilty. Conan had been extremely sick and should've been driven to the hospital the moment the roads were clear, should have never been left alone. They- she should have found him sooner after the flood, should have found some way to keep him out of danger.
Ran snorted as soon as the thought came to mind. Sending a reply to Kazuha, she stood and started towards the kitchen.
Keeping Conan out of danger was like putting a sponge in water and expecting it not to get wet. He was as much of a case magnet as Shinichi was, and to make matters worse, he tried to help with all these cases. He was six years old. He was supposed to be obsessing over Kamen Yaiba, not sneaking his way into crime scenes. While she admired his courage, it wasn't natural for a boy his age to face down murderers, robbers, and everyone in between with a confidence that rivaled Megure-keibu's. He just never seemed to relax, either, speaking in a high-pitched, squeaky tone whenever she asked him anything about his older cousin.
Ran worried about him. He was so young- too young- to be doing what he did. But she knew from experience that nothing could stop a detective who had Kudou blood running through their veins, however little that amount might be/.
A sigh from the end of the hallway made Ran realize how close she was getting to Kazuha. Quickly, she expelled her thoughts from her head, composing her expression to a relaxed, casual smile. When she stopped in front of Kazuha, the other had no way of knowing the guilt and worry that flowed through her.
"What did you need from me?" Ran asked.
"Well, Heiji an' Shinichi-kun" (not Kudou-san, Ran noted with a touch of satisfaction) "asked me ta guard this door so they could get a bit of a break. The kids decide ta come out jus' five minutes later, askin' me ta go an' walk 'round with 'em. Heiji asked 'em ta do it for him, 'parrently." She shrugged. "I didn't want ta go an' run off with the kids if ya wanted ta do that, so I told 'em ta stay put in the other room for a few minutes while ya came over. Do ya care whether ya go with the kids or not?"
Ran shook her head. "I don't mind either way."
Suddenly, Kazuha narrowed her eyes. "Actually, ya're looking real tired. Did you ever get ta sleep last night?"
"Of course I di-" Ran yawned widely, cutting herself off. Kazuha's eyebrows shot up, and Ran shrugged sheepishly. "Conan-kun was really sick, and I got too worried about him to sleep."
Kazuha nodded empathetically. "Heiji's done that ta me too many times ta count." After a beat of silence, Kazuha stood up straighter and put her hand on the door handle. "I'll go an' take care of the kids, Ran-chan. You stay here, relax, an' don't let in anyone without a badge."
"Will do. Arigato, Kazuha-chan." Another yawn escaped her, earning a gentle smile from Kazuha before she disappeared into the kitchen.
She could hear talking on the other side of the door, but didn't have the energy to try and comprehend the conversation. Drowsy, she leaned against the hallway wall and closed her eyes. Just a moment's rest, she thought to herself, making sure she planted herself firmly in front of the kitchen door. No officer or civilian in their right mind would try to get past her. Shinichi had made sure every officer knew she was not to be bothered when she was at a crime scene.
Ran began to doze off again. The house was warm, and the muffled voices through the door weren't loud enough to bother her. It was almost relaxing; she could almost imagine she wasn't in a dead man's house. Shifting her position so she was only slightly more comfortable, Ran let out a long sigh. Only a little bit longer, she told herself, and this case will be over. I can give him my answer. We can finally get somewhere before he disappears again.
Another voice, outside a different door. Her eyes shot open, she lifted her head. The front door creaked open, and a man in a police cap walked in.
A teal sweater over a maroon polo, with a black trench coat that ended just below the knee. Gold-rimmed sunglasses rested on his nose, disappearing into his jacket pocket half a moment later, revealing- were his eyes blue? No, they were slightly purple...could they be called indigo? He subsequently removed his hat, holding it to his chest as he stopped in front of a now wide-awake Mouri Ran.
"Konnichiwa, ojo-sama." He bowed, taking her hand with his free one and kissing her knuckles. "It is a pleasure to see such a lovely flower as you at such a melancholy and somber scene."
She blushed. "Thank you. I'm Mouri Ran, hajimemashite."
He let go of her hand, straightening to meet her eyes with a kind smile. "Your name suits you perfectly, ojo-sama. I am Kuroha Hikaru, at your service. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. " He stooped into a low gentleman's bow. She found herself at a loss for words.
He stood again. "If I may, how are you involved in this case? Surely a flower such as yourself cannot be a suspect in this murder. Or was Akagi-san a relative? Perhaps both are true?" There was a glint in his eyes that Ran would've missed had she not seen the same look on Shinichi. His eyes had an air of innocence, but a confidence could be heard gracing the undertones of his voice. It was the look reserved for getting information, for recording every word said. It was the look he had when he talked to the soon-to-be-revealed murderer.
Feigning oblivion to his intentions, she shook her head, reflecting his smile. "I'm here with some friends. We were camping nearby, and a few of our friends were caught in the flash flood."
Kuroha's smile fell. "Are they alright?"
Pursing her lips, she nodded slowly. "Hattori-kun broke his ankle, and my little brother" - he was, by all means, her brother- "and his friend both caught terrible colds. Ayumi-chan recovered by morning, but Conan-kun has always had trouble with colds. Our chaperone drove him to the hospital this morning, not too long after we found Akagi-san's body."
"That's awful." His playful tone disappeared. "I apologize for jumping to conclusions." His eyes- they really were indigo, weren't they? - were downcast for a moment. "Your brother wouldn't happen to be Edogawa Conan, would he?"
"He's lived with us for so long, I can't think of him as anything but blood," she felt the need to explain.
Kuroha laughed. "He's an intriguing boy, that's for sure. Each heist he attends is more exhilarating than the last." Ran have him a skeptical look, and he continued. "I used to be on the KID taskforce, you see. I watched tantei-kun go head to head with KID more times than I can count. They're almost friendly with each other, a sentiment I understand quite well. I'm sort of a fan of KID, actually. One of the senior officers found out about my support for KID, and I'm not saying it's the reason they transferred me to Division one, but..."
"Wouldn't they transfer you to a lower ranked job if they wanted to-?"
Kuroha shook his head. "I'm one of the best hackers in the country. The world, if I may be so bold. I think they less wanted to punish me and more wished for my skills to be utilized to the fullest. For example, I was called to this scene so I might analyze the data on Akagi-san's laptop. I found many intriguing emails which I thought appropriate to bring to Sato-san's attention. She, in turn, requested that I bring the files to a Kudou-kun who, I was informed, could be found in the kitchen. Which brings me to meet a fair lady such as yourself at such an unpleasant location. I do wish our first meeting could have taken place elsewhere, but anywhere that is graced by your presence is delightful as Paris in the moonlight."
She tried to glare, but the smile couldn't be wiped from her face. "You're quite the charmer, aren't you?" She sighed. "If you need to give something to-"
"Kuroha? Kuroha, answer your walkie already," called a voice irritably. "Shiratori-san's been trying to get a hold of your phone for the past half hour. Give him a call already, will you?"
Kuroha held up a finger. "If you'll excuse me a moment, ojo-sama." He pulled a walkie from his belt. His flirtatious air vanished, gone with a single beat. The change was near jarring; rather, it would've been if Ran didn't suspect who Kruoha really was."Thanks for letting me know, Toshima. I changed the channels while I was analyzing Akagi-san's computer and forgot to switch them back. I'll be sure to contact Shiratori-san."
"Just don't do it again. Shiratori's not one to cross, you know."
Kuroha nodded. "I'm aware. Talk to you later, Toshima." He fiddled with his walkie for a moment before holding it to his mouth again. Suddenly, a rush of voices, came through the walkie, filling the hallway with police chatter.
"-for her. If any officers are currently untasked, I ask that you look for her," came Shiratori's voice through the walkie. He sounded stressed, in the middle of giving an order. "I repeat, any officers currently untasked, please look for Mouri Ran-san. While not urgent, I want her found as soon as possible."
Ran and Kuroha exchanged glances. While Kuroha's mind flew to the possibility of her unknowingly possessing evidence, Ran thought immediately of Conan. If the police were involved and wanted to reach her, either her dad was in trouble or Conan was. As her father should have been with Megure, that left Conan. Was he in danger? Did they make it to the hospital? Did Agasa get crash on the way home? Get caught in a flooded river?
"Shiratori-san, if I may, I'm not aware of the circumstances, but I have Mouri Ran-san with me at this moment in time. Would you like me to put her on?" Kuroha answered, raising his eyebrows at her. Are you willing to speak with him?
She nodded. Of course. If something was wrong, she had to know.
"This is Mouri Ran. How can I help you?" She marveled at how steady her voice was.
"Ran-san, do you know which hospital Conan-kun was taken to?"
"I believe it was..." Ran stopped, realizing she couldn't quite remember which hospital Agasa had mentioned. Was it Beika? or Haido? It was a familiar one, a hospital she'd been to recently. She distinctly remembered thinking of how nice the staff had been the last time she had visited. "Beika hospital," she finally answered with confidence.
A beat of silence passed. And another. by the time a third beat passed, Ran's nerves got the better of her. "Why do you ask? Is Conan-kun okay? Is he in danger?" A note of worry crept into her voice.
"No, nothing like that." Shiratori's reply was far too quick. "We simply wanted to, um, give Conan-kun a get-well basket. Megure-keibu did, I mean. So we needed to know where Conan-kun is. So we can give it to him. A basket. At the hospital."
Kuroha pinched the bridge of his nose, making absolute sure that the microphone was off before letting out a groan. "Cringe-worthy, keibu. Extremely so."
Ran managed to keep the how-dumb-do-you-think-I-am-to-think-that-I'll-believe-a-story-like-that out of her tone as she addressed Shiratori again. "If you like, I'd be happy to contact Megure-keibu and tell him where Conan-kun is."
"That won't be necessary. Thank you for your assistance, Ran-san." Shiratori's voice cut out, and the police chatter rose to fill the emptiness.
Silently, Kuroha turned the walkie's volume to its lowest setting. He replaced it on his hip and met Ran's eyes with an intensity that matched only her own.
"He's lying."
"Yes, he is," replied Kuroha.
"Something is going on."
"And you want to know."
She nodded firmly.
"I'll talk to people, find out all that I can about tantei-kun. As soon as I know what's going on, I'll let you know." He took her hand once more, pressing a flash drive into her palm. "Give this to your detective friend. I'm positive it will help further his investigation."
She suppressed a shiver. His hands were freezing. "They always keep me out of the loop. It's dangerous, so no one ever tells me what's going on. Not even my friends."
"Surely, that doesn't apply to every one of your friends. We've become more than simple acquaintances in these few moments, have we not?"
She narrowed her eyes, grinning at him. "Have we only known each other for 'these few moments?' I feel as though we've met before."
"I never said we haven't." He smiled mischievously, pulling his phone from his pocket. She wordlessly handed him hers, and they quickly exchanged contact information. They traded back phones, and Kuroha stooped into another gentleman's bow.
"We will speak again soon, ojo-sama."
She nodded. "Soon, then." She watched his retreating figure as he walked out the door, turning to glance at her only to send her a wink with those oh-so-familiar eyes. The door closed behind him, and she grinned.
"KID."