Chapter 4: Assistance
Tess knew something was missing from her desktop, but she just couldn't figure out which file had been deleted. Why her mother had to mess with her things she did not know.
"Morning Tess." Jade greeted from the couch where she was reading. Her tone wasn't as cheery as it normally was but Tess dismissed it and nodded a 'morning' to her. Conan sat at the kitchen table with a plate of toast, which he was currently munching on. Tess walked towards him, snatching a piece of his toast and taking a bite.
"Hey!" Conan pouted, causing Tess to laugh at his childish expression.
"So, what're we doing today?" She asked him and he shrugged, finishing off his toast.
"Well we have to do something! I mean, it's the weekend and we can't just let it waste away..." Tess declared, making a list of things that they could do. Conan wasn't listening, rather, he was thinking.
I wonder what this Organization from Japan wants here in America...and why have their calling card be an empty pill case? It just doesn't make any sense...unless...hmm, I wonder. I'll call Haibara later and ask her... He thought, returning back to reality to see Tess staring at him intently.
"What were you thinking about?" She asked him, he didn't want to tell her yet though because he needed to talk with Ai first.
"About the question you were going to ask me the other day." She looked down a moment, unsure of whether or not she should ask him, she sighed.
"Not yet, Conan." He shrugged, hopefully she'd tell him because his curiousity was causing him to go insane!
"Hey Jade, what're you reading? You look really into it." Tess questioned, changing the subject and glancing over at the extrememly and abnormally quiet girl.
"Huh?" She looked up at seeing Tess' stare, waiting for her to answer.
"I asked you what you were reading..." Tess frowned.
"Oh! Sorry, whenever I read my brain sorta tunes everything around me out...I'm reading this book full of short stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe." She answered with a sheepish smile.
"Edgar Allan Poe? Seems a little too dark for you, doesn't it?" Conan mused.
"No, not really...well yeah I guess. He was an awesome writer though, in my opinion, the best there ever was." She shrugged.
"Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was the best author there ever was." Conan justhad to defend the writer of the books with the greatest detective there ever was.
"I said 'In my opinion', jeez." She sighed.
"Do you guys wanna go to the movies or something?" Tess asked, both Jade and Conan exchanged glances and shrugged. Jade put down her book, marking the page she was on first, while Conan put his plate in the sink.
"Okay, what movie?" Jade asked.
"Well, the Ring Two just came out, wanna see it?" Tess answered with a question of her own.
"How will I get in? I'm too young..." Conan looked down sadly.
"Che. We're with you, they'll let you in." And so they grabbed their jackets and headed for Tess' car. Conan was still apprehensive about getting into a vehicle where Tess was behind the wheel. Tess driving, a very scary thought indeed.
When they got there they discovered that the entire theatre was practically empty, save the workers and them. Jade went to find them some seats while Conan and Tess got the popcorn and drinks.
"Do you still love her...?" Tess asked silently, not even looking down at him.
He looked up at her, who did she mean? Rachel? Of course he still loved Rachel, but he also had feelings for Tess. At the moment he was very unsure of his emotions, he was attracted to both girls but knew that he he'd have to choose between them eventually, and that'd be the hardest decision he'd ever have to make.
Tess saw his hesitation and took that as her answer, the answer that he still loved Rachel very much. She could feel her muscles begin to weak and her eyes begin to water with unshed tears, tears that she wouldn't let be revealed, ever though how much they threatened to fall.
During the movie Conan tried to sort out his emotions, while Tess on the otherhand kept silently telling herself not to cry, it wasn't worth it. Jade seemed to be the only one really paying attention to the movie, though she had to clasp her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing. The movie wasn't very funny, but for Jade it was, especially when the people died.
"That was a pretty good movie, ne?" Jade mused one the movie was over, they were now filing out of the theatre and towards the car.
"Huh? Wha? Yeah it was cool." Tess seemed way out of it, as did Conan, for he didn't even hear them.
"Guys, what is up with you? You've been acting wierd ever since we got here, you dind't even watch the movie..." The black and crimson haired girl looked at them worriedly.
"Nothing, just thinking." Tess smiled convincingly, though it was only an act.
"Yeah, same here." Added Conan as they got into the car.
"I was thinking, about the case, and I have a friend back in Japan who used to be in a...well she calls it the Syndicate. She's a chemist and worked with pills, specifically poison pills. I'm sure she could test the pill cases that were left behind, maybe it's the organization she came from..." Conan said, breaking the awkward silence that was between them. Tess looked at him from her rearview mirror, Jade bit her lip.
"Ok, give her a call when we get home, we could use all the help we can get." And those were the last words spoeken for the duration of the ride home.
When they got back they each went to do their separate things. Tess went to look over the evidence gathered, though it wasn't much. Jade went back to her reading on the couch and Conan went to call Ai, in hopes that he could convince her to help.
Ai had been watching the News due to the fact that nothing else was on. But the broadcast suddenly got interesting when they recieved word that Kaitou KID had stolen yet another priceless artifact.
Right when the News was getting mildly interesting the phone rang. It always did during times like these, and it annoyed her. The Professor wasn't there again either, he seemed to be out of the house more and more lately, mainly going to Conventions in other parts of the country. She growled, standing to go and get the phone from the other room. The caller I.D said it was from America.
"Perhaps Keina's calling again, she never did ask me what she had wanted to about the APTX-4869." Ai thought out loud.
But when she answered it she heard the familiar voice of...
"Kudo."
"Can I ask you something, Haibara?"
"You just did."
"Fine then, can I ask you multiple things?"
"Go ahead."
"Do you think you could fly down here and help us out with this case?"
"I'm not the detective here, Kudo."
"No, what I mean is, we need you to do some testing on something for us. See I suspect that this Organization that's been killing people here is somehow linked with the Syndicate. Everytime someone is murdered they leave behind an empty pill case and I wanted you to test it to see if there were any traces of Apotoxin in it." He sounded slightly desperate for her help.
"And how am I supposed to get to America? I don't have the money for a plane ticket Kudo, did you ever think of that?"
"We can pay for it, sorry to cut this call short but it's long distance and I don't want Tess' bill to be sky-high. We'll be sending the ticket out to you tomorrow, get here as soon as you can." And with that he hung up.
She sighed, going to her lab to pack some of her things, making sure not to forget anything that she may need.
The three of them waited patiently in the airport lobby, waiting for Ai's plane to touch down. It had been four days since the call Conan had made to her and she had finally recieved the ticket sent to her the night before.
Finally the plane they had been waiting for arrived and the people began to exit and come out of the terminal and into the lobby.
"Conan, what does she look like?" Asked Tess, watching Conan glance around the room, searching for the pint-sized chemist. Though he didn't answer her, for he had found Ai, standing by the terminal exit, looking for him.
"Haibara-chan!" He called out to her, both Tess and Jade snapped their heads in the direction the girl was coming from.
She was about Conan's height and was wearing one of her short-sleeved black shirts, blue pants and her blue jean jacket. Her glacier eyes were alight with amusement as she made her way towards them, her bag in hand, until she was standing a few feet away from Conan with her arms crossed.
"Ai, meet Tess and Jade, guys, this is Ai Haibara." He introduced, grinning.
Ai's eyes widened slightly when they landed on Jade, cocking her head slightly she smirked.
"It's nice to meet you Ai." Jade smiled.
"Likewise." Was her reply.
"Okay, you guys ready to get back home?" Tess was ready to get out of the crowded room, the other three nodded.
On the way back Jade and Tess sat in the front while Conan and Ai sat in the back, with him filling her in on the case and the information they had collected so far. She nodded, she knew exactly what she was going to do, granted it might take her hours, but she'd do it.
It was well past midnight and everyone had gone to bed long ago, with the exception of Ai. She wasn't tired at all, like she ever was, she was used to staying up this late, research always came before the simple pleasure, like sleep.
She was nearly completed with the testing now, in just a few moments she'd have her results which would tell her whether or not this was the Syndicate's doing. Though she was pretty suspicious that they were behind this, otherwise why would Keina have called her before from America? The fluid's in the test tubes turned a purplish color, confirming her suspicions to be correct.
"I knew it." She muttered, but soon found herself to sleepy to do anything else and fell asleep within minutes.
Ai woke up the next morning, still laying on the desk which held her chemicals atop it, and the purple colored solution. She sighed, leaving the room after getting dressed and going out into the living room where everyone was. Jade again was reading, as was Conan while Tess sat at the table writing something.
"Good morning Haibara, did you test the pill case? Does it really have anything to do with the Black Organization?" He asked, putting his book down and jumping off the couch, waiting for an answer.
"I tested it. It has nothing to do with the Apotoxin-4869, you called me out here for nothing Conan." She answered. She couldn't tell him that it did indeed have traces of the said poison, knowing he'd go after them and get himself killed. She couldn't let him do that, she had to protect him as he had promised to do for her.
"Oh. Well, consider this the vacation that you've needed to take for a long time." He smiled, though she merely rolled her eyes to what he said, deciding she'd not comment on it. And as long as the Syndicate was in America, she was going to stay and conquer her fears of them all together.