KudoEdogawa presents...

""The Summer Without You""

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Chapter 3::

The cell phone rang again in the dark and dusty basement, its ringing muffled by the girl sitting on it. Kazuha woke up slowly and looked around at this new environment. She heard the ringing and reached for her cell phone...but she couldn't; her hands were tied up behind her back and her mouth has been duct taped. Events of that afternoon flashed back into her mind.

The ringing had stopped. And came back again, mustering all her energy, Kazuha pulled herself up from the ground and supported herself against the wall. She wiggled her body, attempting to shake the cell phone out of her back pocket. No use. The ringing stopped again, and Kazuha's face saddened.

~*~

"Dammit!" Heiji swore loudly, coming out of the showers. "Where the hell is she?" Heiji dried himself up and tried again, his finger moving across the little pad, dialing the number that he knew too well.

There was still no reply.

Could she have gone to Tokyo? Heiji thought, remembering the last time Kazuha ran away. He had called her a menacing Harpy that time. And she got herself to Tokyo and stayed there for a week until Ran decided to call.

Heiji dialed another number on his cell phone and he was answered the by the voice of a seven-year old.

"Moshi, moshi, Mouri De-"

"Oy, Kudo!" Heiji said energetically.

"H-Hattori!?" Conan exclaimed on the other end. "What do you want?"

"Hey, hey! Is that how you greet a bro?"

There was a pause during which Conan did some serious thinking..., "Yes, it is."

Heiji stared menacingly at the phone. Conan talked again, "So, what do you want?"

"Okay, this is the deal. Kazuha's not answering my calls," Heiji said, sounding as if this was a world disaster.

"So?" Conan said simply. "You probably called her an ugly, old hag or something."

I'd like to know how that twerp know everything! Heiji thought. "Ha ha ha, o-of course I didn't."

"You don't sound entirely convincing, Hattori." Conan said.

"Okay, fine. I did." Heiji then explained the day's incident to Conan. "...so I thought that she might've came to you guys like last time, so I called."

"Well, if she's taking the train, and she left this afternoon, I don't think she'd be here yet."

"Oh..." Heiji replied sadly.

"I'll call you back if she comes," Conan said, noting the disappointment in his best friend's voice.

"Okay..." said Heiji, and with that, they hung up.

~*~

The next two days past without anything eventful. Conan had not called him back, but Heiji assumed that he was threatened by Kazuha to not do so..., that is... until the afternoon of the second day of Kazuha's disappearance. Heiji was in the living room, reading The ABC Murders by Agatha Christie. His mother, Shizuka, was also in the living room, humming to herself, preparing to make dinner. The phone in the nearby hall way started to ring. Shizuka, who was nearer to the phone, went and answered the phone call. The voice that came out of the phone was loud enough for Heiji to hear.

"Ah, konbanwa, Shizuka!" It was the voice of Kazuha's father.

"How are you doing, Toyama-kun?"

"Fine, fine." There was a pause during which he sighed. "They've grown up, haven't they?"

"Who?" Shizuka asked.

"Why..., Heiji and Kazuha of course! Or did they not tell you that they went camping together?" Heiji dropped his book as Kazuha's father chuckled.

"But...," Shizuka began slowly, "Heiji's been home these past few days..."

"Eh?" Came the voice on the other end.

Sounds of motorcycle engine starting up bellowed outside the house; Heiji had left in a hurry, leaving a trail of dust clouds behind him. Heiji arrived at Kazuha's house, and banged on the door. However, it wasn't the Toyamas who opened the door..., it was Heizo.

"D-Dad!?" Heiji exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"Your mother called me to let me know what happened right after you left, and since I was in the neighborhood, I came as soon as I could." Heizo stepped aside to let Heiji in. "Apparently, Mr. Toyama found a note in Kazuha's room some three days ago."

Heiji entered the Toyamas' living room and sat down. Mr. Toyama handed him the note. And Heiji groaned.

"Argh!! It's obvious that Kazuha didn't write this note!!" Heiji roared, spraying the adults with spit. Heizo looked at Heiji questioningly. "Look at this!! Just look at it!!"

"We already did, son." Heizo said.

"Oh yeah?" Heiji said, panting with rage, frustration, and worry. "Just look!! First of all, she never refers me to as 'Hattori-kun!'"

Mr. Toyama closed his eyes, trying to remember times when Kazuha had talked about Heiji, and realized what Heiji said was true. He looked at Heizo and nodded.

"Second, when has she ever referred to herself as 'Kazu!?'" Heiji nearly screamed. "Kazu is my na-.... Argh, she just doesn't use 'Kazu' alright? And these people are supposed to be high-ranking officers of Osaka!" Heiji cursed under his breath.

Heizo was about to reprimand his son about his attitude when Heiji's cell phone rang. Heiji's hands frantically raced with each other to answer the phone. "Moshi?"

"Hello..., Lil' Hei-kun..." It was a cold, deadly voice of a woman. The woman chuckled. "It would seem to me that you've found out about your precious angel's disappearance just now. Kinda slow for a detective, aren't you?"

Just now? Heiji thought. That means I'm being watched...

"Who are you?" Heiji asked sternly, ignoring the adults' wishes to know who's the caller.

"There is no need for you to know that," the woman said coolly. "All you need to know is this: we have your girlfriend."

We..., so that means there's more than one kidnapper. Kazuha's a pretty good martial artist..., so it's gonna take a lot of people to take her down. There's at least five or more kidnappers in this case.

"What do you want?" Heiji asked.

"Oh," said the woman, "pretty straight to the point, are we? Very well. We want the little girl, or the little boy. We know who they are. Bring them to the abandoned Beika Factory in a month at midnight..., by yourself." The woman hung up.

"Oy!? OY!!!" Heiji shouted into the cell phone. "Dammit!!"

"Who was it? What happened?" Toyama and Hattori asked eagerly.

"She's been kidnapped..., I have to get to Tokyo." With that, Heiji dashed out the house, started his motorcycle, and headed for the airport, wanting to get to Kudo as soon as possible.

Please, Kazu' thought Heiji. Please...be all right....

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