KudoEdogawa presents...

""The Summer Without You""

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Chapter 5::

"Are you positive of this, Vermouth?"

"Yes. I got several of his hair during a certain meeting with him as Jodie Saintemillion. I did the DNA test and everything, the result matches perfectly. Edogawa Conan is indeed Kudo Shinichi, and that blond girl that I've met must be the traitor Sherry."

"Very well. What of the Osaka girl?"

"We caught her trying to punch in numbers on her cell phone using her mouth. We have confiscated her phone as well as any other belonging that she had with her at that time."

"And Hattori?"

"Hattori Heiji has arrived in Tokyo under the escort of Kudo Yusaku, Kudo Yukiko, and Kisaki Eri."

"Kisaki Eri?"

"Yes sir, apparently Hattori Heizo have informed them what happened, and since the three of them were all in Osaka at the time, they volunteered to help keep an eye on the Heiji kid."

"Who else knows the truth behind Edogawa?"

"I'm not sure, sir. But I believe Agasa Hakase, Sherry, and his parents know about this."

"Mouri?"

"Mouri Ran, Mouri Kogoro, and Kudo Shinichi himself are left unaware of the situation."

"Hmmm..."

"Your orders, sir?"

"A second hostage wouldn't hurt..., take whoever you want and disable that professor."

"Yes, sir."

~*~

"ESCORT!?" Heiji screamed. "Argh, for God's sake I'm 18!! And Dad still refuses to trust me..."

"Well, Hattori-kun, have you any idea who could've kidnapped Kazuha-chan?" Yukiko asked.

"Yes..., it must be the Organization."

"Organization?" Eri repeated. "What organization?"

"The biggest underground crime ring of the modern world. Its members are always dressed completely black, and they're all some pretty talented wrongdoers, barely leaves any trace of their existence behind. The FBI suspects the existence of such an organization, but no evidence have been found to proof it. There are few who lives that know about them, except their own members." Yusaku explained.

Rain was falling heavily onto the glamorous car. The car stopped in front of a shabby looking apartment in Beika, the words "Mouri Detective Agency" were labeled across the window of the second floor. The windows on the third floor were lighted, for the third floor was inhabited by the Mouri family and Edogawa Conan. Heiji stepped out of the car, followed by Yusaku, Yukiko, and lastly, Eri.

"Try to keep Shinichi's identity a secret," Yusaku whispered.

"Well, off you go," Eri said, and the three adults watched as Heiji ascended the staircase.

Kogoro and Conan are watching Yoko's concert on TV, Ran was in her room, chattering away happily with Sonoko. The doorbell rang and Conan turned the volume down as Kogoro opened the door..., and exclaimed. "What the...what are you doing here?"

"Konbanwa!!" Heiji's accent traveled to Ran's room and Ran stepped out to greet Heiji.

"Hattori-kun!! What brings you to Tokyo so late at night??"

"Oh, I was in the neighborhood and decided to drop by." Heiji lied, then pointed at Conan. "Can I borrow this kid for a while?"

"Uh...sure." Ran said, "But why..." But before Ran could continue, Heiji had already grabbed Conan and rushed out the door. He put the struggling Conan down in front of the cafe downstairs.

"What?!" Conan demanded.

"Kazuha..." Heiji said slowly.

"Huh?"

"Kazuha..." Heiji's expression turned to sorrow, "she's been kidnapped.

"!?" Conan exclaimed. "By who?"

"The Organization..."

There was a brief silence. Although brief, to Shinichi and Heiji, it felt as long as months and even years as Conan realized what must have happened.

"They want me in exchange of her, don't they?" Conan spoke slowly.

"Either you or the girl."

More silence, broken only by the soft breathing of the three people present. Yes, three, a third person is overhearing their conversation, unknown to the detectives.

"What should we do? ...Kudo?" Heiji asked. The third person gasped quietly at the name.

"Let's head for Hakase's." And the duo left.

Slowly, the figure stepped out of darkness. Is it true? Is what they said true? Kazuha is kidnapped..., and Conan is Shinichi? Is it true?

~*~

Shinichi and Heiji came to the street where Shinichi used to live, Conan's seven-year old eyes looked at the doorplate of his house longingly then swept his sight to the house next to it.

It's chaotic.

The front gate is violently broken down and several trees in the yard have been damaged. Some of the windows on the second floor and the first floor have been broken, and crystal shards lie on the trampled grass. The door is on the floor, it looks as if someone kicked it down. Shinichi gave a silent gasp and ran inside the house. The light that hung overhead has been knocked to the ground, flashing now and then. However, the desk lamps are still lighted, giving the detectives enough ray just to make out the environment. The television set is broken, as well as the sofa, there's trickles of blood on the floor, and the place, overall, is a mess.

However, Shinichi noticed one place left undamaged. The door leading down to the basement, somehow it is locked. Shinichi and Heiji carefully made their way down to the door, and just when Conan was about to twist the doorknob, the door swung open. A blonde girl looking no older than seven walked out, teardrops hanging from her eyelashes.

"Kudo..." the girl sobbed. "They took him..."

To be continued...