In Today's Case: Blind Man Murders Part 2
There, lying on the cold tile floor was Harold's wife. Kai was sitting on the ground scared to death of what had happened. Tess knelt down next to her.
"What happened?" Tess asked her. Kai looked at her. She then turned around and hugged Tess tightly.
"It was scary! The lights went out and … and something came up from the basement door and killed mommy." Kai told Tess as she begun to cry. Tess picked up Kai and rested her on her hip.
"Where's the basement door?" Tess asked. Kai pointed to the left near that sink.
"Over there." She said sobbing a little. She placed Kai on the floor when Conan had entered.
"Jimmy, stay with Kai for me." Tess stated. Conan walked forward as Tess placed her hand on the doorknob of the basement door which was cracked open.
"Be careful Tess." Conan stated. Tess nodded her head as she placed her hand on the handle of her gun and swung open the door. She drew her gun. She pointed it down the stairs into the darkness. Tess placed her foot on the first step. Then the second, third, fourth, she kept going till she was out of sight. Conan stood at the top of the stairs unable to see Tess anymore. Conan waited in fear listening to the steps that moved around down there.
Tess stood at the bottom of the stair case in the middle of the darkness. She looked around holding her gun straight out. She turned to the left hearing another yelp. She walked forward placing her feet carefully on the concrete floor. She went to place her foot down when she felt a fury thing on the floor. She got down onto her knees. She reached out then her hand touched something. It had fur like a dog. Tess quickly stood up backing away from the dead body of the Whiten's dog Chocolate. Then something knocked down a box behind Tess. She quickly turned around keeping her gun pointed out in front of her. Then she was knocked down her gun flying across the concrete floor.
Conan watched as he saw a spark of light the gun made as it hit the floor.
"Tess!" he shouted. Kai stood there at the top of the stairs as Conan also disappeared into the darkness. "Tess?" Conan had his hands out by his sides feeling around for any walls. But nothing. He stood there in the middle of the darkness. "Tess answer me. Are you there?" he asked. He got no answer. He lowered his hands. Then something went charging up the stairs and slammed the door shut.
"AH!" Kai screamed.
"Kai!" Conan shouted as he made his way up the stairs placing his hands on the doorknob trying to turn it but it wouldn't move. "Hey!" he shouted as he begun to slam his hands onto the door. Conan heard something crawling up the stairs. He turned around and pressed himself up against the door as the crawling noise soon turned into boots clapping on the wooden steps.
"Jimmy?" Tess asked as she appeared out of the darkness holding her gun and rubbing the back of her head. "Ow... that hurt."
"Tess your okay." Conan said smiling.
"Yeah I was only knocked down. I was I could say the same thing for the dog." Tess stated as she turned around placing her gun into the holster and looking into the darkness.
"What?" Conan asked. Tess looked at him.
"I found the dog… dead." Tess stated again. She made her way up toward the door.
"Back up Jimmy." Tess placed her hands on the wall of the stair way. She balanced herself onto one foot and begun to kick the door when it opened. There stood Billy.
"Where's my sister?" he asked rudely. Tess picked up Conan and placed him on the tile floor in front of Billy.
"I don't know. The murder was in the basement. I found your dog."
"What?" Billy asked.
"He's dead." Tess stated.
"But that's impossible. Chocolate went with my father to lead him to the…"
"Bathroom. Apparently your dog Chocolate lays at the bottom of the steps dead." Tess told him. Billy shook his head.
"You're a lair." Billy said.
"Tess." Tess and Conan turned around to see Rachel, Richard, Mr. Whiten, and Kotari appeared into the room.
"What…" Rachel stopped and looked down at see the body of Harold Whiten's wife lying on the ground dead. Rachel stepped back. Kotari placed her hand over her mouth and Mr. Whiten stood there shocked.
"Is that…?" Kotari began but couldn't finish. Tess nodded her head.
"Mrs. Whiten." Tess said crossing her arms. Billy fell to his knees as he looked upon his mother's body without anything to say.
"Mom…?" he called going to shake her.
"You can't touch the body." Richard stated as he made his way through. He pushed Tess aside as he placed his hand on Billy's shoulder. "It's a crime scene. You can't touch her." Richard stated. He pulled off his coat and placed it over the face of Mrs. Whiten. Kotari looked around.
"Where's Kai?" she asked. Tess turned to look at her.
"The murderer got her when me and Conan were locked in the basement." Tess answered. Richard crossed his arms and walked toward them all.
"Then we have to split up and search for her." Richard stated. "Conan you go with Rachel. Billy your with me and Kotari your going to be with your father. Tess, do you mind being alone?" he asked. Tess shook her head.
"Okay let me get my cane." Mr. Whiten stated as he and Kotari disappeared into the darkness of the hallway. They all split up Conan worried about leaving Tess by herself. Of course she had a gun with her but, he still worried. What if the murderer knocked the gun out of her hand?
Soon Tess was left alone in the kitchen. She walked around Mrs. Whiten's body looking at it. She removed Richard's coat, she bent down and looked at the body closely not finding any clues.
A figure stood behind Tess watching her closely. Tess felt the warm breath of someone going down her cold neck sending shivers down her spin. She quickly turned but there was nothing there. She then looked forward to see the figure standing in front of her. He raised something into the air as Tess pointed her pistol at him. But the figure knocked the gun out of her hands with the weapon he carried. He then swung again hitting Tess in her temple causing the cut there to bleed. She passed out onto the floor. She laid there looking lifeless but she was breathing. The figure reached down and grabbed her by the back of her shirt. He lifted her up and dragged her over to the sink. He placed the plug there in the drain and he started to fill up the sink with hot water. He then lifted Tess's head up and over the sink. Still holding onto the back of her shirt he took his other free hand pushing Tess into the hot water that filled the sink.
Tess's eyes shot up from the pain of the hot water touching her face. She closed her eyes again for the water was burning her eyes and begun to take mouthfuls of water as her lungs tightened on her for air. She lifted her hands onto the wrists of the murderer who was drowning her. She begun to kick her feet hoping that she might knock him down. She left herself hit him a couple of times but he stood his ground. Tess's grip on the murderer's wrist begun to loosen as she stopped taking in mouthfuls of water. Tess's hands soon slipped off of his wrists and she had stop kicking. The man let go of her head and the back of her shirt as he took a couple steps backward. Tess's head slipped out of the sink as her body hit the floor with the water dripping out of her bangs and onto the floor. Her back lain up against the cabinet underneath the sink. Her left arm over her right as they rested on the floor. Tess's left leg tangled underneath her right.
The figure gave a small smile as he stared at the body of Tess. Smiling at what he has done and he was then off going to do more, leaving the fosset on still running with hot water.
Conan and Rachel called out Kai's name over and over again but couldn't hear anything, no response from Kai.
"Kai? Kai where are you?" Rachel called with her right hand cupping her mouth making half of a horn with her left hand out on the wall making sure it was still there. Conan went to call out Kai's name when he stopped. Rachel looked at him from a couple of feet in front of him. "Conan… what's wrong?" Rachel asked. Conan looked at her.
"Do you hear that Rachel?" he asked as he looked glanced out of the corners of his eyes listening to the sound. Rachel paused opening her ears up from the sound.
"Yeah… sounds like the sound of a fosset." Rachel stated. Conan's eyes widened.
"We left Tess alone in the kitchen!" Conan shouted as he took off running past Conan.
"Conan! Wait!" Rachel chased after him.
"Tess! Tess!" Conan called as he took lefts and rights trying to find his way back into the kitchen. The house might have been small but it had a lot of hallways. Conan had finally reached then kitchen. The hot water steamed as it poured over the sink onto the floor onto the body of Tess lying in front of it. "Tess!" he shouted. He ran forward stepping into the hot water that really laid all over the floor. He got down onto his knees with the hot water burning them. He placed his hands on Tess's cheeks and lifted her head off of the wet floor placing it back down on her ponytail keeping her head up. "Tess! Tess! Wake up!" Conan shouted as he shook her side gently. Nothing came out of Tess besides the movements of her body as he shook her. "Tess! Come on!" he shouted again more towards her ear. He heard the sounds of her groaning as her eyes tightened up. Conan smiled a little as her eyes begun to open.
"Ji…" Tess then broke out into coughing; coughing up all the water she had sucked in. Conan looked up at the sink and stood up he turned the fosset off and stuck his hand into the burning water and pulled out the plug. The water started to disappear into the drain. He got back down onto his knees waiting for Tess to stop coughing. She had gotten onto her right elbow with her left hand gently around her neck trying to ease the pain the burning water gave her. After she looked at Conan and laid back down taking in slow deep breaths.
"What happened Tess?" Conan asked him. Tess closed her eyes as she rolled onto her back laying her left forearm over her forehead.
"I was searching Mrs. Whiten's body for any clues. But, I wasn't alone. The murderer knocked my gun out of my hands and hit me in my temple." She winced as she begun to feel the pain coming to her. She gently placed her fingers onto her temple and removed then seeing a dark color on her fingers that she knew was blood. She followed the liquid trail down her face that Conan didn't notice. Once she felt that the blood had reached to her neck she knew she had to sit up. "I got to sit up…" she said softly as he begun to sit up in the hot water. Conan helped her as he grabbed her arm helping her to sit up.
"So after he took you to the sink and…"
"Yeah, yeah… filled it up with hot water and everything… ow…" Tess stated as she placed her hand over her wound that was reopened.
"Conan!" Rachel entered the room seeing Tess and Conan in the hot water that made its way to the doorway. Rachel ran forward kneeling down next to Tess. She noticed her cut and the blood running down her neck. "Oh my… Tess are you all right?" Rachel asked. Tess nodded her head.
"Yeah I'm fine but…" Tess wiped off some blood as more comes down, "my face burns." Tess finished. Rachel nodded her head. She stood up.
"I'll go find my father." Rachel stated. Tess looked up at her.
"You're not going alone." Tess stated.
"Wh…"
"AAAAAHHHHH!!!!" Kotari screamed. Rachel turned to look behind her. Tess stood up quickly giving herself a head rush.
"Come on!" Tess shouted as she took off running.
"Tess! Your head! You need to slow down before you pass…!"
"I'll be fine Rachel! Don't worry about me!" Tess shouted out waving her hand as she peered around the corner. Conan and Rachel looked at each other and took after her.
Tess ran down the hallway not knowing where she was going till she heard the sounds of someone beating another. Tess stopped as she glared down into the darkness of the hallway and listened to the beatings. Tess lifted up her shirt to grab her gun but she had forgotten it in the kitchen.
"Dang! I forgot it!" Tess said to herself.
"PLEASE!!! HELP!!" Kotari screamed again. Tess took a deep breath in knowing that she was going to come face to face with her attacker who had left her for dead. She ran forward jumping up.
"GOT YOU!" Tess shouted as she landed on the man's shoulders. Tess placed her hands around his head cutting off his vision. He swung his body around as Tess held on tightly. She then felt a hard grip come onto her arm. She tried to hold her grip but the man ripped her right off of him and flung her onto the ground. Tess rolled bouncing her head off of the floor, this shot a major pain through her temple. "Ah…" she screamed softly closing her eyes tightly. When she opened them her vision was blurry not able to see anything. Before she knew she was hit again with the hard object.
"Tess!" she heard her name being called as she laid there on the floor. She could feel a bruise forming itself onto her right cheek as she rested on her left side.
The murderer turned around. Looking at Rachel and Conan who appeared running down the hallway through the dark.
"HIYA!" Rachel threw her fist forward hitting the man square in his nose. The man fell backwards with a loud thud. Conan noticed something on the ground that was curved at the top that was flung out of the murderer's hands. Conan not knowing what it was pressed the button on his shoe and kicked it. It spun around as it went through the air hitting the man in his head knocking him onto the ground. The man scrambled to his feet running down the hallway disappearing, leaving Tess and Kotari on the floor. Conan walked over to Tess. Her eyes closed. He looked at Rachel as she was on her knees by Kotari.
"I think Tess had passed out." Conan stated as he looked back at her.
"And I think Kotari is dead." Rachel stated as she stood up backing away from Kotari. "She was beaten probably." Rachel stated. Conan stood up as he walked forward looking down at Kotari. Her eyes and mouth wide open. Bruises and cuts all over her face and any other body part that was exposed. Blood ran down her mouth as it did down her forehead over her left eye.
Conan nodded his head agreeing with Rachel. "I agree."
"What happened here?" someone asked as they appeared into view. There stood Richard and Billy.
"The murderer killed Kotari." Rachel stated.
"And tried to kill Tess." Conan pointed onto the floor there she was lying on the ground still. Richard looked down at her as he got onto his knee placing his hand on her right shoulder.
"Just now?" Billy asked as he stared at Kotari's body.
"No, when we left her in the kitchen by herself right Conan?" Rachel asked as she looked down at him. Conan looked up and nodded his head.
"Yeah." Conan answered. Richard scooped Tess up into his arms and stood upright. Her head hung over Richard's forearm as her arms hung underneath her in the air.
"Let's get back into the dinning room." Richard stated as he walked forward nearly tripping on something. He looked down and kicked it away as Rachel and Billy followed.
Conan stood there in the hallway. He glanced back into the dark. He walked over to the object that Richard had almost tripped over noticing that it was the same object that he had kicked. He reached down lifting it up. He took a good look at it and saw that it was a cane.
"Harold Whiten's cane?" he asked himself. Conan took a closer look as he stood up right. "No… his cane is white… and this one is… brown!" Conan remembered something when they were all splitting up to find Kai.
'Okay, let me get my cane.' Those were the very words that Mr. Whiten used. Conan thought for a minute. 'Mr. Whiten doesn't need a cane. He ran all the way to the kitchen without it perfectly fit. Unless… he was trying to frame Harold!' Conan smirked as he took and cane with him holding it behind his back so no one saw it when he finally reached the dinning room.
"You can place her on the table." Billy stated as he pointed to it. Richard nodded his head as he placed her onto the table. Rachel picked up a cloth that was going to be used as a napkin. She sat down next to Tess where her temple was bleeding. Rachel placed the cloth onto her temple and placed her other hand on her cheek keeping her head straight as she applied pressure onto the bleeding temple. Conan entered the room as Rachel looked over at him.
"What happened Conan?" Rachel asked. Conan shook his head.
"Nothing… I just got lost." He stated as he placed the cane on the other side of the wall in the doorway. Richard stood there with his hand on his chin in deep thought. Conan flipped up his stun gun in his watch and shot a stun needle at his neck. Richard quickly placed his hand on his neck and stumbled backward.
"This always happenssss…" he said as he leaned up against the wall near a fancy chair. Conan placed himself into the space in between the chair and wall as Rachel looked over at Richard.
"What always happens dad?" Rachel asked.
"I always get dizzy when I'm about to solve a case." Richard stated. Mr. Whiten came into the room as he placed his hand on the wall near the doorway.
"I found you." he stated, "where's Kotari?" he asked.
"Why don't you tell us?" Richard asked. Mr. Whiten looked over at Richard.
"What?"
"You tell us… murderer." Richard stated. Billy's mouth dropped open.
"My… my grandfather isn't the murderer!" Billy shouted. Richard started to chuckle.
"He is Billy. Conan! Come out of hiding."
"Yes." Conan stepped out from the space keeping his mouth and his tie out of everyone's sight.
"Go get me that cane I tripped over." Richard stated. Conan nodded his head.
"Okay." Conan turned around and ran off with Mr. Whiten's eyes wide. Conan grabbed onto the cane that leaned up against the wall and came back into the room. "Here." Conan set the cane in Richard's hand.
"Thanks." Conan went back into hiding. "Now Mr. Whiten. This is your cane yes?" Richard asked. Mr. Whiten shook his head.
"N-no. That's Harold's cane." He stated.
"How can that be when Harold's cane is white?" Richard asked and Mr. Whiten didn't answer. "You used one of your son's cane to frame him as the murderer and tried to kill Tess to make it look like that Harold was going after random people since he was blind." Richard stated.
"I would never…"
"What? Do a thing like that killing your son's wife, kidnapping Kai, killing your daughter, and attempt to kill Tess. When you left her by the sink you left her for dead when she wasn't." Mr. Whiten fell to his knees as tears started to form in Billy's eyes.
"Did you… grandfather?" he asked. Mr. Whiten nodded his head.
"Yes. I killed them! I wanted you and Kai for myself. I didn't want Kotari getting them since your parents were going to get divorced… I wanted to keep you two to myself. I was blind…"
"Yes you were Mr. Whiten. You were more blind then a bat. Who ever these kids go to isn't your decision but their parents' decision." Richard stated.
Soon the power kicked on. Kai was found and so wasn't Harold. They called the police and they arrived in the matter of minutes. Tess sat on the edge of the ambulance with a blanket wrapped around her legs as a metical assistant cleaned her temple and taped a piece of gaze to her bleeding wound. Conan walked over.
"So, who was the murderer?" Tess asked Conan turned and watched as Inspector Maguire shook Richard's hand and another police officer place Mr. Whiten into the squad car. "Mr. Whiten?" Tess said shockingly. Conan nodded his head.
"He wanted Billy and Kai to himself so he wanted to get ride of Kotari and their mother who was most likely going to get them and he framed Harold for it." Conan stated as he looked at Tess. She was rubbing her bruised right cheek.
"Man… this thing won't go away for weeks…" Tess complained. Conan smiled.
"Te last thing you need is another bruise." He stated.
"Shut up Jimmy." Tess's fist came down onto the top of his head. Rachel watching from next of Richard as the tow begun to laugh.
"What did she call him?' she thought to herself.
Next Time on Case Closed: "He's not Jimmy…" Rachel starts to catch on to Conan's secret but the worries soon turn over to Tess. She has begun to disappear in the middle of the night and come back in the morning. To make matters a little worse another case breaks out among them. A murder case of six dead and missing children… well that were ONCE missing. What's going to happen in this case?
Next Time: Missing Kids Case
Next Conan's Hint: Wedding Rings