File 9: Seconds, Anyone?
A wise person is hungry for truth, while the fool feeds on trash.
-Proverbs 15:14
He who asks is a fool for five minutes, but he who does not ask remains a fool forever.
-Chinese proverb
Kogoro Mouri walked up the steps of the Beika police headquarters. Inside, he was directed to Inspector Megure's office.
"Thank you for coming, Mouri-kun," Inspector Megure said, greeting Kogoro.
"Uhh, not a problem. You did mention letting me see the files on Conan-kun's shooting," said Kogoro, "and I would like very much to get to the bottom of it. Especially, for Ran's sake."
Motioning for Kogoro to follow him, they started down the hall, headed towards the filing room.
"I had noticed that she had taken it very hard," replied Megure.
Kogoro looked a little disgruntled at a thought and muttered to himself, "She has been better since she got a phone call from that boy," he said.
Megure looked puzzled for a moment as he tried to figure out who 'that boy' was. Understanding suddenly, Megure blurted, "Kudo-kun called? That's good." Megure asked, "has he mentioned when he is coming back?"
"Ran didn't say. But she was a lot better yesterday when I got home. Apparently, she'd been on the phone with him all afternoon." Kogoro looked even more disgruntled. Whether it was the thought that Shinichi has been tying up the phone line or the fact he had called was unclear.
Megure and Kogoro continued to make small talk as they walked down the hall to filing. Kogoro would wave at an officer from time to time if he recognized or had served on the force with them.
Coming to the filing room, Megure motioned for the clerk to retrieve the file.
"Here's the file," said Megure, "if you don't mind sticking around for a little while, I'd like to give you my impressions of the case."
Kogoro looked at Megure appreciatively, "That would be great."
Walking back to Megure's office, they went in and began to discuss impressions on the case.
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"Hmmm, so the general consensus is that the murder was a message," said Kogoro. "I was afraid of that. That means Ran and Eri are in danger."
Megure cleared his throat, a bit surprised to hear Kogoro mention his estranged wife, "You are also in danger, too. Since, the message is directed at you."
Kogoro raised an eyebrow at the truth in that statement. "But I would rather they come at me," he said, "I don't want those around me to get hurt."
Megure looked at Kogoro in surprise.
I have rarely witnessed such nobility from Mouri-kun. Smiling internally, he thought to himself, and he still loves his wife despite the estrangement.
Kogoro gave the files a quick glance. "Could I borrow these files, Inspector Megure? I'd like to do some investigating on my own."
Snapping out of his musing Megure said, "Ah, certainly, Mouri-kun. I can't actually give these files to you. But I can have copies made for you within two weeks. I can give you a call when they're ready."
Handing the files back, standing up and bowing, Kogoro said, "Thank you, Inspector. I appreciate you getting copies of the files." He grinned knowingly, "I know doing that is not exactly by the book. And thank you for talking with me today. It has given me some ideas." Standing up he turned and walked away to leave the room.
Just before he left the room Megure told Kogoro, "Be careful, Mouri-kun. Whoever did this is still out there."
"Tch," said Kogoro, "but," and he grinned rakishly, "if something happened to me who would take care of Ran and Eri? I'll watch out for myself." He pointed at himself with a thumb during the last statement. Then he bowed on last time and left.
Megure groaned at Kogoro's words and actions. Megure sat for a few moment longer thinking about the meeting after Kogoro had left. Still making his 'I can't believe him face,' Megure thought, I hope he really isn't as much of a fool as he acts half the time. Pausing a moment in his thoughts he remembered something important.
Mouri-kun rarely is foolish and a fool when it involves him personally or someone close to him. And Mouri-kun is taking this case very personally. "He's not the only one," whispered Megure thinking of his own feelings and those voiced by all those that had met Conan.
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A figure dressed in black sat in a secluded corner of dining establishment. This particular establishment catered to clandestine meetings between businessmen and their mistresses and was frequented by the shadier members of society. Another dark figure sat down in the secluded corner. A closer inspection would show that the first figure was Chardonnay.
With a nod of acknowledgement of the newly arrived individual, he launched straight to the point.
"I have punished the operative who dropped the box of samples."
Nodding, the unidentified figure motioned for Chardonnay to continue.
"The target does not appear to have understood the message. He is still searching."
"We've noticed. He cannot be allowed to take anymore cases," he said in business-like fashion like recommending a restaurant. "We have decided to let you execute a more…permanent message."
Smiling in cold, cruel way that had made grown men wet their pants, Chardonnay said "Excellent," and looking at the menu he added, "I recommend the fish. The seasoning they use here is to die for." (1)
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Kogoro walked out of the police headquarters twelve days later with copies of the files.
"Hmpf," said Kogoro, "'be careful' he says again," after pausing a moment to reflect he added, "I hate to say it…but the Inspector is probably right."
For Ran's sake, I need to figure out. I can't let her pine anymore or the loss of the brat…no, Conan-kun. I know I haven't been a very good father but it is not too late to show her I do care.
He hopped into his rental car. He had gotten a new case to investigate that morning and on the assurance that Ran would be spending the day with Eri, he felt like he could take a case that was out of town for a couple of days.
Kogoro thought about how urgent the caller had made everything sound. Then, he thought about how the rental place had taken longer than usual to get him a car (for he would rent cars from this particular rental company whenever he needed a car). (2)
Shrugging he muttered to himself, "It's nothing. I'm just being paranoid."
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"Tch. I hate driving to the mountains," he grumbled to himself a couple of hours later as he went around another switchback.
He could smell the rubber from the brakes due to all the times he had pushed on the brakes to slow down.
Better shift down, he thought. He looked over the edge. But I am almost at the bottom. I am only a hundred or so feet up. Taking a deep breath, he scrunched his nose up at the smell of the hot brakes. "Phew! That stinks. I really need to shift down. Can't take much more of that stink!"
Besides, he considered, I don't want to carry this stink down to my client. It would give the impression that I don't know how to drive in the mountains.
Coming to the next switchback, he should not have needed as much pressure to slow down because he was not going slower. Pressing hard on the brakes helped slow the car some but the car still came uncomfortably close to the guardrail.
"Damn brakes!" he snarled as he pressed down hard to slow down, "What's wrong with you?!"
That's it! he thought. "I'm never getting a damn rental car again! There're all pieces of crap!"
He shifted up into second gear and began to turn as he approached the next curve.
But as he came to the next curve, despite shifting back up and despite how hard he pressed on the brakes, he only slowed down a little.
The car did not slam, as so much, sideswipe the barrier along the switchback. With the passenger's side door screeching as the metal door and guardrail rubbed, Kogoro continued to try turning and braking.
Kogoro's eyes widened as he realized that he was about to come to the end of the guardrail and the beginning of the cliff.
Kogoro kept trying to slow the car down as he came to the end of the railing. Thinking quickly, he tried to engage the parking brake in a hope that he would stop or slow down. However, it was too late for the parking brake to work in time.
To his credit, he did not panic even as he went over the edge.
I've failed you, Ran, he thought. I'm sorry I wasn't able to makeup with you, Eri.
Blackness swallowed Kogoro as the car slammed into the ground at the bottom of the cliff.
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The phone at the Mouri Detective Agency rang. Ran ran to the phone to answer it before they hung up.
"Hello. Mouri Detective Agency," said Ran. I hope its dad, she thought. I'm worried because I haven't heard from him in more than a day and he said he'd call when got there.
"Ran-kun?" she heard a familiar voice say.
"Yes, Inspector Megure," Ran said with growing dread.
"I'm afraid I have some bad news. Can I come pick you up and take you to the hospital? I'm afraid your father has been injured."
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That evening a newscaster presented the most dramatic news of the day.
This morning private detective Kogoro Mouri, also known as the 'Sleeping Kogoro', was found wrecked in a car at the bottom of the local mountain range. Tokyo Central Hospital has reported his condition as critical. Police are not releasing details of the accident at this moment. Details of his injuries are, also, unavailable at this time. In other news…
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Ran and her mother, Eri, sat in the waiting room for relatives of patients, waiting for news about Kogoro's condition. Ran was silently crying into a tissue while Eri, who wore a concerned expression, held her hand.
"It's a miracle he is still alive," the doctor told Ran. "But we believe he will make a recovery because the first twenty-four hours are usually the greatest danger and your father pulled through that time."
Ran let out a little sob. First, Conan, now Dad. Does somebody hate me? she thought.
Eri asked, "What are his injuries?"
Looking at his clipboard the doctor said, "The major injuries are a severe concussion and a broken back. Lesser injuries included various broken bones and some internal bleeding. The bleeding has stopped so it is not a major concern." Pausing, the doctor made eye contact with Eri and Ran, "What we are most concerned about is the concussion. The swelling has gone down but we do not know what the effect of it will be for some time. His spinal cord was not damaged, so, the broken back will heal and physical therapy will, in time, have Mouri-san walking again."
Eri looked at Ran and gathered her in for a hug. "We will deal with this, Ran-chan. I will be there to help."
Ran thought, I've wanted my parents to get back together, but not like this.
(1) I probably should duck and cover for that pun.
(2) All I've ever read or scene has Kogoro renting cars. I don't think he owns one.
I can't believe how cool, or intelligent for that matter, I've made Kogoro sound at times! I did think of killing him but I couldn't. He may be an idiot but he is a lovable idiot. That and I didn't want to put Ran through any more grief of losing someone.
When driving down switchbacks, shift to first gear. Doing so stops you from going over 35 mph, so, you don't need the brakes as much or smell burned rubber. I learned that traveling down switchbacks on Mt. St. Helens.
Posted: 7-14-03
