Chapter 5

By Crystal Snowflakes

Author's Notes: Author's Notes: After all the break, I'm back... I don't know how I want to end this, and I just felt the urge to write this again... So here I am. Anyways, enjoy! And I can't believe I have so many reviewers... Greatest thanks to all the support:)

Detective Conan does not belong to me.


She stared up at the sky as the snow fluttered slowly towards the ground and wrapped her coat around her again. She then watched Tetsu pack the suitcases in the back of the taxi.

"Come on Mika. Let's get going." Tetsu said to her. "Stop reminiscing, you'll see your lover boy soon enough."

Mika rolled her eyes as she smacked him on the head, "Come on then."

Tetsu, being the gentleman he was, opened the door for her and got in afterwards. When they were in the taxi, they gave the address of the hotel they were going to stay in.

Mika sighed softly, "It's been so long..."

"So where does lover boy live?"

She shrugged, "Somewhere in Tokyo? Hell if I'm telling you where he lives."

Tetsu chuckled, "And why won't you tell me? Isn't the whole point of coming to Tokyo finding your boyfriend?"

"Nope." She replied. "You dragged me over here. I didn't say I'd come. Be glad I came... I think I'm just going to spend three weeks here, then go back to Canada. It's just a vacation anyways... And if I'm lucky, I might be able to think of how to write my new book."

He shook his head, "Well, speaking of detective cases, I was reading the Japan newspaper on the flight. Pretty interesting if you ask me."

She caught the newspaper that Tetsu tossed in her way. Then read the title out loud, "'Young detective solves yet another mystery'?" She shook her head, for some reason, knowing already who it was going to talk about.

"I swear... That kid's name... Kudo Shinichi, was it? It rings a bell. I think I've heard his name said before."

Mika almost rolled her eyes. That's because I told you his name so you can phone him, you moron. She thought, but she was never going to say that. "I don't know," she replied instead, "Probably someone in Canada mentioned it. Who knows."

"Anyways, let's get a hotel and phone Kuri before she flips out."


"Phew." Tetsu wiped his hand across his forehead. "That's the last of the luggages."

"Thanks." Mika smiled as she opened her own luggage. "I'm going to go take a shower."

He nodded and sat on his bed, then began flipping through the channels. "Wear something nice tonight. We'll go out for dinner at a fancy place, all right Mika?"

She raised her eyebrow, "Nice? Are you hinting that I don't wear something nice usually?"

Tetsu rolled his eyes, "Don't be difficult. You know perfectly well you're the most fashionable out of all of us. I don't even know where you manage to get the money to get such clothes..."

Thanks to Sherry, really... And my monthly income from the books I write... She thought to herself. To him, she asked, "What fancy restaurant? I wasn't aware you knew how to travel around in Tokyo."

"I don't." He grinned again. "But you'll bring me to one. Don't worry. I'll be your date until you find that lover boy of yours. I'll pay."

Mika snorted, then let out a small chuckle. "All right." She walked into the washroom. A few minutes later, the sound of water was running.


"Wow you look stunning."

Mika roller he eyes, her hand clasped into his. She was wearing a plain but somewhat stylish black long coat and underneath, she was wearing a short dress, a thin silver necklace like chain acting like a belt. "It's just a simple black dress and coat."

He shrugged, "Yeah, but you look beautiful. Just take the compliment, will ya? Jeez..."

She smiled as a small blush painted itself onto her cheek.


The restaurant was dark with dangling miniature chandeliers barely illuminating the almost vacant room. The walls were painted in a sophisticated burgundy.

Mika twirled the cup of red wine in her right hand, then took a sip, rolling it around her tongue before swallowing it.

"Good, isn't it?" Tetsu ask as he raised his cup.

She nodded as she clanked their cups together, taking another sip. Putting her cup down, she took her cutlery and began cutting up a piece of her steak.

Tetsu grinned smugly, "I have such good taste in restaurants."

She rolled her eyes again, the umpteenth time that night, "I wouldn't call closing your eyes and pointing your finger randomly 'taste'." She excused herself and went to the washroom. As she came out, she raised her eyebrow at the new knife on her plate.

Seeing her confused glance, he shrugged casually. "The waiter knocked it off, he just went to get you a new one."

She nodded in reply, then continued her steak and wine.

Halfway through dinner, a scream of horror and fear echoed throughout the restaurant.

Mika was, to some extent, tempted to smack herself on the forehead. Sighing, she stood up immediately and walked towards the scream that had sounded only mere seconds ago. Her eyes widened slightly at the scene although she had seen it coming. Just my luck. First day back and... A bitter smile formed.

In the girls washroom, a corpse lay, dressed almost immaculately with that black tux of his... An ugly spot of crimson liquid formed on his stomach by the knife that had pieced the layer of skin. He was very much dead.

"You all right?" Tetsu pulled her away from the scene.

She shrugged nonchalantly, shrugging his hand off her arm. "I'm fine. It's not like I haven't seen corpses before..." ...Some of which I caused myself... She added to herself. Then a frown crossed her face. I've just been back for a day... And all my pessimism is returning. She snorted to herself. Shaking herself out of her reverie, she looked at the people in charge of the restaurant. "Lock the doors. Anyone in here is a suspect. No one is to leave until the police gets here."

"Why should we listen to you?" A young woman's voice screeched.

Mika raised her eyebrow, somewhat disgusted at her voice. "You don't have to stay, but I'm sure you'll look a lot more suspicious than you are right now if you leave." She turned back around. "Has anyone called the police?"

The waiter that served her table nodded, "They'll be here in a few minutes."

"Good." Shizuma Mika, formerly known as Miyano Shiho or Haibara Ai prayed that this would be the very first and last case in the following three weeks.


Megure-san... She watched from her chair as he talked with the other suspects. A few knocks on the front door made her look up towards the reception area, her eyes widening yet again. Of course... I should have known...

The inspector approached the door and opened it. "Kudo-kun." He greeted.

Shinichi gave a sheepish grin, "Sorry Megure-san. Traffic jam..." He explained briefly.

Tetsu elbowed Mika, "Kudo? Kudo Shinichi, the Great Detective?" He asked, slightly in awe.

She didn't reply. Instead, her eyes met his, holding on, both studying on another.

He opened his mouth, "Haibara..."

The happiness she had practiced the last two years vanished without a trace, a small sarcastic smirk forming on her face, her eyes once again indifferent with a hint of emotions, her eyebrows raised in an amused fashion. "Kudo."

He approached her, a small childish grin on his face, "When...?"

"Shouldn't you take care of this case first? Then I'll answer your questions."

He nodded as he caught sight of Megure's confused glance. The inspector approached. "The murder happened a little over half an hour ago, caused by continuous stabbings to the stomach. This," he motioned Mika, "is Shizuma Mika and her friend Takagami Tetsu." He paused, "Shizuma Mika is a suspect because she was seen walking away from her table during the time of the crime. We're still checking for fingerprints at the moment. It should be out in just a few short moments."

Shinichi nodded, his eyes sweeping over the restaurant, picking up clues.

A few minutes later, a man approached Megure, "Megure-san..." He held the weapon, that was a knife, up in his hand. "Fingerprints of Shizuma Mika are on it. Only hers."

Megure's eyebrow shot up. "You're the murderer, aren't you Shizuma-san?" He frowned, "You—"

"Hey!" Tetsu scowled, "Don't jump to conclusions!"

"But—"

Shinichi's eyes flicked over to Tetsu for a mere second, Tetsu... Her friend? He then held up his hand, "Megure-san..." He interrupted. "Shizuma-san isn't the murderer."

Tetsu muttered under his breath, "Stupid inspector... I was friggin' sitting there at the table when she left for the washroom. The knife was sitting right there when she left." He shot a glare at Megure, "How do you suppose she'd get a knife anyways? Steal it from the kitchen?" He snorted.

Mika raised her eyebrow, surprised that his friend was so overprotective of her.

Shinichi chuckled softly, "Takagami-san is right, Megure-san..." He turned towards the still mad friend, "When did the knife leave the table?"

"When the waiter took it away because he knocked it over." Tetsu replied smoothly, his eyes indicating no lies.

No one saw the jaw tightening of a certain person... Save one.

"The murderer..." The famous detective started. It made Mika slightly nostalgic seeing him like this... "It was you." He pointed to the waiter.

"Yamamoto-san!" Megure's eyes widened with disbelief. "There were no fingerprints on the knife!"

Yamamoto's forehead was suddenly moist and shiny. "Megure-san is right... My fingerprints weren't on the knife."

"Exactly." Shinichi smiled smugly. "That's the one thing that betrayed you. First things first, Mika never had the chance to kill Shino-san. The knife was at the table when she left as Takagami-san said, and when she came back, it was already gone. So what you tried to do failed to work already... Secondly, if a waiter were to pick a knife up, why would his fingerprints not be on the knife, unless of course, you knew it was going to a weapon and you knew that it was going to be used against you if they found your fingerprints on it... Am I right, Yamamoto-san?" His eyes narrowed, "You knew it was going to cause someone's death..."

"I..."

Tetsu stood up and grabbed Yamamoto by the collar, "You tried to get Mika in trouble! You no good son of a—"

A hand laid on his shoulder, "Tetsu. He didn't end up doing anything. Even the detective knew I was innocent, so let's just forget it..."

"Do you admit to murdering Fujita Shino, Kisho Yamamoto?" Megure asked in a demanding voice.

Yamamoto shook his head as his eyes narrowed in anger. "He deserved it... That bastard. I have a family to take care of, you know. Why did he want to fire me? Why?" An angry cry escaped from his throat as he looked in the direction of his boss, who was currently dead and in a puddle of blood.


"I'll drive you home then, Shizuma-san?" Shinichi asked as the three of them exited the restaurant.

She turned around with a raised eyebrow, "Cut the crap Kudo."

Tetsu's eyes widened at his friend's behavior. What was up with her? What's with this attitude? To his immense surprise, the detective wasn't even close to being offended whatsoever.

He grinned, "You haven't changed Shiho."

"Stick to one name, Kudo-kun." She muttered under her breath.

"What's wrong with you Mika?" Tetsu asked, somewhat confused, "I've never seen you like this. Are you tired?"

She shook her head, "Just annoyed. The first day I return to Japan, I'm part of a murder case and accused of being a murderer." She shot a glare at the detective, "It's no mystery as to whose luck I've gotten."

Shinichi laughed, "Come on Haibara! It's Kudo Shinichi! Of course you're going to get stuck in a case. Remember when we were kids?" He grinned, "I always managed to get myself in trouble."

Like the time you managed to get the Black Organization to shrink you? Mika rolled her eyes, "Remember the time when you got shot when we went on an innocent camping trip?"

"Hey! That wasn't my fault!"

She snorted, "You got Ran all worried to. Almost blew our cover to pieces."

He chuckled, "Well sorry!" He didn't seem sorry at all, "I honestly didn't plan on getting shot..."

"Do you ever?" She asked smirking.

He grinned, "No, but you got your revenge by scaring the shit out of me... When you pointed a gun at me when I was weak and defenseless?"

"Excuse me?" Tetsu looked alert, "She aimed a gun at you?"

"Yep."

"It was a fake gun!" Mika protested.

"Either way, Haibara, how about staying over at Hakase's house tonight? You can have your room back. It's clean and Takagami-san here can take my old room."

Tetsu glanced at his friend, then at the detective, "You can call me Tetsu."

Mika shook her head, "I'll drop by at some time, but right now, my stuff's at the hotel..."

"We'll go pick them up then." He said, set on the idea of her staying at the Professor's house. "I have a car."

"Driving now, are we?"

A smile lit up his face that made her think of Conan. "I wanted a more... normal life."

She snorted, "Kudo Shinichi? You? Normal?"

Shinichi scratched his head as he chuckled, "Yeah, yeah. I know."


Author's Notes: It's not as best as I could've done... I can't believe how many people are still waiting for me to update this fic... It's unbelievable. Either way, it's one crappy chapter. I don't know when the next one will be up, but I've started on Chapter 6 already... Shouldn't be more than a month :P 'Lonely Without You' should be updated on a more weekly basis. Either way, hope you enjoyed that! See you whenever!

-Crystal Snowflakes

Sunday, February 20, 2005