Part VIII: The Secret Code of the Dancing Men
It felt strange walking the streets of Ran's neighborhood wearing my old suit. Hearing the pound of my own stride on the sidewalk, instead of the patter of little kid sneakers. Knowing…
If she called my phone… If she looked out her window…
The curb seemed so much lower now, the ground so much further away, I overstepped and almost tripped as I crossed between a couple of parked cars. Quickly regaining my balance, I jogged to her door and looked up.
Her bedroom window was dark, but that didn't mean much. This early in the morning, Ran would be in the kitchen, preparing breakfast for herself, for her father…and Conan…
I know her routine so well, I could practically picture it. Any moment, she'd head upstairs to knock on Conan's door; tell him to wake up, get dressed, and come down for breakfast. When he didn't show up—
I shook my head and dug into my pocket for a piece of white chalk I'd borrowed from the professor's house. I paused for a moment, my hand hovering just to the right of the doorknob as my mind filled with memories… I remembered the childhood Ran and I had shared together…the triumphs and the mistakes, the laughter… The first time I'd seen her on horseback, her dark hair shining in the sun. The determination that had filled her eyes at her first karate tournament; the grace and skill of her movements…
The warm smile she would show only to me. The one that made her whole face glow…
I sighed and lowered my hand, leaning my back against the edge of the door frame. All this time… There hadn't been a single day since my 'transformation' that I hadn't lied to her, deceived her into serving as Conan's 'big sister', and it wasn't fair to her. To either of us.
But, the danger posed by the Black Organization was too real to ignore – especially now that I was so close to blowing the lid off their murderous sandbox scheme. Gin and Vodka didn't yet know their attempt on my life had failed or what their poison had done to me. I couldn't waste that advantage. But, I couldn't let Ran and her father worry that Conan had gone missing either. There had to be a way to let Ran know that Conan was safe without risking her life too.
An idea sparked in my mind and I looked up, a smile stretching across my face as I pressed the chalk to the door and began to write. Or, rather, draw...
Ran set her family's breakfast dishes on the table and headed for the stairs to call her father and Conan to their meal. She'd barely taken three steps when her phone rang, the ringtone indicating the caller was her best friend Sonoko Suzuki.
"Just a reminder, I've got that doctor's appointment," Sonoko said. "So, in case I don't see you in school, I wanted to confirm our plans are still on for this afternoon!"
"I wouldn't miss it," Ran told her. "Horseback riding, then pastries at the mall. I'll meet you at the park stables right after karate club gets out."
"See you there!" Sonoko said, and hung up. Ran smiled to herself and pocketed her phone, only to hear a knock at the door.
"I sure am popular this morning," she muttered, turning away from the stairs to peer out the window. Strangely, no one seemed to be outside. Frowning, she opened the door and looked around, taking a few steps out onto the sidewalk.
"Hello?" she called. "Did someone knock?"
There was no answer. No sign of movement anywhere.
"Maybe a bird flew into the glass?" she mused, and turned to head back inside.
That's when she noticed the chalk on the door. Three rows of strange symbols, like little stick figures in various poses. Some stood on their heads, some had one or both arms raised, some carried little flags...
"What in all the... Who would...?" she started, and blinked in surprise. "I know these symbols," she realized, and dashed into the living room to dig out the book she'd been reading the day before. "Yes! This is the code of the Dancing Men, from Sherlock Holmes! I wonder... Could Conan have...?"
She grabbed a note pad and pen and carefully copied down the symbols, just as they appeared on the door. Then, she sponged off the chalk and headed inside to decode the message.
Ran
AmHereShinichi
ConanIsOK
I watched through the window, taking care to keep out of sight. Only when I was satisfied she'd correctly solved the puzzle, in English, did I start to slip away, ready to continue my own mission...
The door opened and I jumped back behind a bush, forcing myself to swallow a gasp. I wasn't ready for her to see me - not here, not yet!
Ran stepped out and wrote something in blue chalk on the door, then slipped back inside.
Moving slowly, I rose high enough to cautiously peer through the window, making sure she was busy with breakfast before venturing back into the open to take a look. Her Dancing Men looked much more lively and artistic than mine, but the fact that she'd responded in kind made my chest feel light and my face grow warm.
ComeShinichi! AtMall AfterSchool
Quickly, I wrote my coded reply - WillCome! BigCase WaitForMe - then dashed back between the cars and down the street. My heart was pounding as if I'd run a mile, my face stretched by a big, goofy grin.
Ran wanted to meet with me. After all this time, I was finally going to see her, talk to her -
Not as Conan Edogawa. But, as myself.
To Be Continued…
Hi again! Sorry for taking so long to get back to this story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review and let me know what you think! Until next time, thanks so much for reading! :D
