From the Author: Thank you for the reviews, everyone! I very much appreciate them! In reply to Lucky Hammer – you'll see! ;) Please don't forget to check out my new fic, 'Street Murder', Heiji's stand-alone case and sequel to Kazuha's 1st Appearance! Thank you ever so much!
File 3 – Newcomers
Shinichi bent over the now-dead body, checking for pulse. "He's gone," he declared, and more gasps filled the air. Then the whole room turned silent---everybody had noticed what had happened.
He looked up at the slice of cake that the man had dropped and took a whiff of it. "Poison...he was murdered! Someone call the police---"
"There's no point in calling the police." Shinichi turned to see Ang walking up to him once more, her smile gone. She stood just a couple of feet from the body, her arms folded. "It's a Thursday."
"What do you mean?" Shinichi asked slowly.
"It's him---the murderer is him," Ang replied simply.
"What?" Shinichi was confused. Then Ang nodded upwards. He looked up---and his eyes widened.
A person in complete white stood perfectly balanced on the highest window sill. It looked like a ghost, his cloak fluttering by him. His top hat was over his eyes as he watched. Kaito was especially stunned. That person...looks like...looks like...
"KID!" Nakamori-keibu roared, spotting the person above him. His obsession to catch Kaitou Kid made him jump to conclusion. He was now furious because he had not a single of his force around. Before anyone could make a move, the person jumped out of the window and disappeared, a card fluttering down.
"That was not Kid," Ang objected as she walked up to Nakamori-keibu.
"How do you know? Just because you're master of ciphers, you don't know who Kid is!" Nakamori-keibu snapped.
"I know who Kid is, and that's not him," she insisted firmly. "Look at him carefully---he's all white! Kid does not look like that!"
Nakamori-keibu's face was red in anger and annoyance. "Then who is he?!" he demanded.
Ang took a deep breath. "He's the White Murderer---and he is the one who killed that man." She pointed at the corpse. "You don't have to say anything---he does not have any reason to target anyone, he just chooses and kills. I know you will be scared," she said to everyone, "but don't worry, he's only here for a crystalline, so he won't kill too many people."
As whispers erupted in the room, Suzuki-san hurried to her, laughing awkwardly. "What Chirudo-san meant to say, is that the---White Murderer---won't be killing anybody again. We'll contact the police about this, please go on as if nothing has happened..."
After everyone had settled down, Suzuki-san turned to Ang. "Please, Chirudo-san, I like to keep a happy audience," he said nervously, wringing his fingers. "So, um, it would be appreciated if we don't mention this at all..."
Ang let out a laugh, a hand behind her head. "Sorry, Suzuki-san, I just get carried away sometimes! Don't worry, I won't say another word. Just enjoy the party!" She patted the old man hard on the back and then walked off, humming to herself.
Is she really that great? Come to think of it, she doesn't just look like Hattori---she sounds like one. Oh great, Shinichi thought with a sweat drop. Another person with a weird sense of humor.
---
"Last night was great, isn't it?" Ran asked cheerfully as she walked down the pavement with Shinichi the next morning, both on their way to school. "Even though there was a murder...but it's still amazing, especially the flamboyant appearance of the Master of Ciphers!..." Ran looked at Shinichi in irritation. He seemed to be looking at the ground as he walked---something he would do when he was pondering. "Shinichi, did you hear me?!"
"What?" Shinichi looked up, slightly irritated.
Ran leaned very close to him, examining his look. Shinichi backed a little, although he could not resist staring at her.
"Are those bags under your eyes?" Ran asked, straightening up.
"W-w-what?" Shinichi yawned, rubbing his eyes. "Oh, yeah. Sorry, I had been thinking about last night."
"About the murder case?" Ran guessed, as if it was typical for Shinichi to be thinking about it.
"No." Ran raised her eyebrows when Shinichi answered. "It's the cipher that girl gave me last night when I asked for her age. I spent most of the night trying to figure out what it means, but I still don't get it. What the heck is 'two dry trees in a desert' anyway?"
Ran put her finger to her chin. "Well, you asked for her age, didn't you? It should mean a certain number," she suggested.
"I know, but it still doesn't make sense. 'Two dry trees' could mean eleven or just two, but why a desert?" Shinichi scratched his head in frustration as they walked through the gate into Teitan High School. He would not give up---there was never a cipher that could stump him.
In the classroom, he continued to wonder. Maybe she's twenty-two, that's the most possible answer, he decided. Now all I need to do is find her and get the answer out---but where?
"Everyone, we have a new student who will be joining our class temporarily, please welcome her," the sensei announced.
Shinichi was not paying attention. Ran tugged his sleeve, staring at the front of the classroom. "Shinichi! Shinichi, look!"
Shinichi was annoyed. "What?" He looked up---and his eyes widened.
"My name is Chirudo Ang. Hajimemashite!"
Shinichi could not help staring in shock at Ang, who was standing in front of the classroom in school uniform. She was grinning away.
"Chirudo Ang?" "Isn't she the master of ciphers?" "She's only seventeen?!"
"Ang-chan, here!" Sonoko called excitedly, waving one hand and pointing down at the empty seat behind her, which was just next to Shinichi.
Ang smiled, and walked over. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Sonoko-chan," she said, bowing before sitting down.
"No problem, just remember to teach me some neat ciphers," Sonoko replied, winking.
Ang glanced at Shinichi gleefully. "Well, did you solve it?"
"You're seventeen?!" Shinichi demanded in disbelief.
"Yes. Two dry trees mean two vertical lines, and the horizon that separates the desert and the sky is a horizontal line, which helps form seven. Didn't you figure that out?"
Shinichi turned red and kept quiet. He did not want to admit that he didn't figure it out.
---
"Ugh, the murder last night made me lost my appetite," Aoko said queasily as she and Kaito headed down the corridor to their classroom. "It was definitely not a pretty side. Luckily, my dad only concentrates on catching Kid and not murders."
"You're too weak," Kaito drawled. Aoko glared at him.
Just then, they noticed a commotion ahead. It seemed that a group of girls were surrounding a tall foreign boy with jet black hair, giggling and flirting. Kaito raised his eyebrows. "Who's that? I've never seen him around before."
"I think it's the one from the U.S. who's studying here temporarily," Aoko said, staring at the boy. "He's in his third year, I heard."
Just then, the boy took out a pack of cards. Kaito narrowed his eyes immediately. No, it can't be---
Some of the cards flew upwards and transformed into birds. The girls squealed. Aoko and Kaito's jaws dropped.
The foreigner was a magician---just like Kaito. And good too, Kaito thought as he watched the boy grabbing a bird in his hands and made it shrunk back to a card in his hand. He was aware that he was envying him.
"Wow, isn't he great?" Aoko remarked in amazement. "I have to meet him!"
"Huh? H-hey, wait, Aoko!" Kaito exclaimed as Aoko walked up to the group of girls. He quickly rushed after her.
"H-hello!" Aoko chirped, waving among the girls' heads. The boy noticed her and smiled. Aoko blushed, her mind suddenly empty of what to say.
"Ohayoo gozaimasu," he said, bowing a little. His Japanese was not bad at all. "I'm Alex, Kayton Alex. You are---?"
"Er, Nakamori Aoko," Aoko mumbled, staring at him. Kaito felt uncomfortable. He quickly stepped in front of Aoko. "Hey!" she exclaimed.
"I'm Kuroba Kaito, and you're not the only one who can do that!" Kaito said firmly, and with a snap of his fingers, birds flew out from behind him with ribbons in their mouths. The girls shrieked in awe.
Alex smiled. "I see. Well then, ja ne, Kuroba-kun." He turned around and walked off, leaving the girls looking heartbroken.
"Hey!" Kaito felt heated. It was as if the guy did not even bother to look at him. If that's what he wants, that's what he'll get! he thought grudgingly. "Come on, Aoko." He grabbed a confused Aoko by the arm and dragged her to class.