In Today's Case: A Familiar Case
Tess laid in bed. She looked over at the clock on her nightstand and it read 5:35 A.M. She sighed rolling onto her left side. She thought about what would've happened to Jimmy if she didn't get to him in time. It was only a day after his kidnapping and he was still in the hospital from being drugged. Tess had gained five bruises on her chest from being shot at. Luckily she was wearing a vest and that's all she gained. If she wasn't, she would've been dead right about now. But she wasn't too worried about that. She was worried Jimmy. Saturday, yesterday, was the day her parents were killed 3 months ago. If she lost Jimmy that day she would've known what to do.
Tess was soon taken by a wave of sleep. About an hour later she woke up again. She got out of bed and walked into the office looking around. She seated herself onto one of the couches and closed her eyes. She wondered how Jimmy was doing, if he was okay.
"Tess?" Tess lifted up her head and turned toward the hallway to see Darien standing there in a pair of shorts. "What are you doing up?" he asked her. Tess shrugged.
"I don't know. I just can't sleep." Tess answered. Darien walked over as Tess turned herself back around. Darien sat on the other couch looking at her. He stared at her for awhile. Tess was a little uncomfortable with his staring as she shifted a little. "Um…" she said. Darien looked down as he sighed.
"Tell me the truth Tess." Darien said. Tess raised an eyebrow looking at Darien funny. Darien lifted up his head. "Is Conan Edogawa Jimmy Kudo?" he asked her. Tess tried to seem like she was laughing but it apparently didn't work.
"Why would you think that?" Tess asked. Darien leaned forward slightly.
"Because that note yesterday… it said 'better Kudo then Darien…' that tells me that Conan is Jimmy." Darien said. Tess looked out the window.
"… right…" Tess said sarcastically. Darien sighed. He knew that he wasn't going to get anything out of her. So he stood up looking down at her.
"Out of all the years I've known you Tess… I picked up on a few things and I will find out if Conan is Jimmy." Darien said. He then walked away heading back to his room. Tess turned her head to look at him but he was gone.
'Great… what am I going to do now? Darien's going to go all the way to find out if Conan is Jimmy. Me and Jimmy will have to figure out a way from stopping Darien… or just plan old telling him the truth.' Tess thought.
8 o'clock rolls around. Tess is fully dressed and out the door. She walked and walked as she came closer and closer to the hospital. She walked in and went to the desk.
"I'm here to see Conan Edogawa." Tess said. the nurse nodded her head as she let her go on. Tess nodded and smiled. "Thank you." Tess said. She walked on down the hallway and then entered Conan's room. He was awake. He looked in her direction as she came in closing the door behind her. "Hey Jimmy. How are you feeling?" Tess asked as she stood at the foot of the bed.
"Alright… still slightly dizzy." Conan answered. Tess smiled.
"Well you were pretty out of it due to the drugs." Tess said. Conan nearly laughed. Tess walked over and he seated herself down in a chair next to him. Conan sensed that something was wrong.
"What's wrong?" Conan asked Tess. Tess sighed.
"Well… it's Darien… he… he knows." Tess answered as she looked up at him. Conan's eyes widened.
"How did he find out?" Conan asked. Tess reached into her jacket pocket pulling out the note that Ai had given back to her yesterday.
"From this." Tess answered again as she handed him the note. Conan took it opening it and reading it. He sighed as he handed it back to her.
"What did you tell him?"
"I told him that you weren't Jimmy this morning, but he's determined to find out who you really are." Tess answered. Conan sighed again. "Don't worry, I'll cover up our tracks… if we make any." Tess said. Conan looked at the closed door to see Darien standing there. Tess turned her head to see him there as well.
"We're just going to have to tell him." Conan said. Tess looked at him and she finally nodded her head agreeing with his decision. Darien came into the room and Tess looked at him. Conan looked at him as well as he came to the edge of the bed. They were silent for a little bit, till Darien came out with a question.
"Conan, can I ask you something?" he asked. Tess looked at Conan as he sighed.
"If you're going to ask me if I'm Jimmy…" Conan said. "You're correct." He added. Darien's eyes widened as he looked at Tess who was now looking at Darien. Tess stood up as she watched over to him.
"But you have to keep it a secret." Tess said. Darien took a step back. "If anyone finds out there are going to be people who want to study him and the people who gave him the drug…"
"The Black Organization." Conan cut in
"Yeah them, they're going to want to kill him!" Tess shouted. Darien nodded his head as he backed away from Tess. Conan's eyes were wide as he watched Tess. Then a nurse came into the room and looked at Tess and Darien.
"Are you his parents?" she asked. Tess and Darien's eyes widened. "Because he can leave today as long as his parents are with him." She added. Tess would never consider having a child with Darien. But Darien would.
"Yeah he's ours." Darien said to her. Tess looked at Darien wide eyed. Conan watched as Tess was getting angry at him. The nurse smiled at the two.
"You two are young." She said. "I'll go get you're child's clothes and then you can check him out alright." She said. Tess and Darien nodded their heads and the nurse left. Suddenly there was a loud thump in the room.
"OUCH!" Darien screamed as he rubbed the back of his head. Conan was trying not to laugh since he just seen Tess smack Darien in the back of his head.
"Never ever! Will I have a child with you!" Tess shouted and then she stormed out of the room. Darien sighed and then Conan bursted out laughing. Darien looked at Conan. He looked away.
"At least you have her." he said. Conan stopped laughing as Darien walked out of the room as well. Conan raised an eyebrow.
'At least… I have her…?' he repeated to himself.
Darien walked on down the hall looking down. He was very much in love with Tess and he was jealous that Jimmy had her. Meaning he had her heart. But how did he know? Tess could maybe like him as well. But most likely not. Was what Darien kept on telling himself.
'I've known her all my life… there's no way she likes me the way I like her.' Darien thought. He came to the waiting room and Tess was sitting there with her right leg crossed of her left with her arms crossed. She looked his way and smiled. Darien smiled back as he sat down next to her.
"Sorry I hit you that hard." She said. Darien shook his head.
"Don't worry about it." He said to her, "even though it did hurt…" Darien added rubbing the back of his head again. Tess gave him a nervous laugh.
"Heh…" Darien looked at her. He could tell that she had something for Jimmy just by looking at her but he couldn't see that same thing for him. Maybe… she didn't love him.
"Do you want something from the vending machines?" Darien asked her. Tess glanced at the vending machine and nodded her head.
"Yeah, a…"
"Pepsi." He cut in. Tess looked at him and smiled. Darien knew her well. He knew what she liked and didn't like. He knew her favorites and everything. But the one thing he didn't know was what happened to her parents.
Darien got up and went to the vending machine and got Tess a Pepsi as he got himself a Coke. He walked back to her giving her the Pepsi. She smiled and said thank you. And then Darien spoke.
"Hey Tess."
"Yeah?" she asked as she opened her bottle.
"Where are your parents?" he asked looking at her. Tess was taking a drink of her Pepsi when he had asked. Tess closed her eyes as she took the bottle away from her mouth and placed the cap on. She looked at him and then placed the bottle on the floor at her feet.
"They're um… dead." She answered as she looked at the floor. Darien's eyes widened.
"I'm sorry Tess…" Darien said to her. Tess shook her head.
"Don't worry about it. It's not your fault… its mine." She added picking up her soda bottle from the floor.
"How is it your fault?" he asked her. Tess didn't answer. She took another sip of her soda and looked at him.
"If you knew what happened you would understand." Tess answered as she stood up and walked over to Conan who was walking down the hallway. Darien watched her. He couldn't believe that her parents were dead. He also couldn't believe that it was her fault why they were killed. Why does she think that?
Darien, Tess, and Conan walked into the parking lot. They were about to leave when Tess continued to walk forward till they saw where she was going, she had Richard's car. She stopped and turned to look at them.
"What?" she asked.
"You took… Richard's car?" Conan asked. Tess nodded her head.
"Yeah I did. He wasn't awake yet so I couldn't ask him so I just took it." Tess answered as she got into the driver's side. Darien and Conan looked at each other as they walked forward. Conan got into the back as Darien got into the front. They were silent for a while as Tess drove calm for some odd reason.
"So C- I mean Jimmy, how long have you been like that?" Darien asked. Conan looked at him.
"About a year." He answered. Tess took a turn to the left and Darien latched onto the dashboard but amazingly the car did spin. Tess looked at him.
"What? Do you think I drive like a made maniac all the time?" Tess asked them. Darien and Conan nodded their heads.
"Yes." The both answered at the same time. Tess looked at them with a slight glare. She didn't blame them. She was a crazy driver at times. But today Tess seemed to be normal... except when she hit Darien over the head.
Tess drove home with silence in the car. Conan looking out the window, Darien staring straight ahead, and Tess watching where she was going. Soon Tess's cell phone started to go off and Darien and Conan turned their heads to look at her. Tess sighed as she reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell. She answered it.
"Hello?" in the back ground you could hear Richard yelling.
"TESS! GIVE ME BACK MY CAR!" was his voice. Darien and Conan's eyes widened as Rachel's voice was heard.
"Tess where are you?" she asked.
"I went to go pick up Conan, the hospital let him out today." Tess answered. Rachel went on rambling about something and Tess nodded her head along the way trying to pay attention on the road. "Alright Rachel, I'll be there soon I'm only down the street." Tess hung up and slipped her cell back into her pocket.
"I take it that Richard was mad?" Conan stated. Tess nodded her head.
"Yeah but there's nothing to worry about. He's not going to do anything." Tess said to him as she came to a red light.
"Not going to do anything!" Darien repeated in shock. Tess looked at him. "Richard nearly threw me out of a house when I was seven when I broke a cup on accident!" Darien added. Tess smiled.
"Well he was angry that day. And I know my uncle he's not going to do anything Darien, trust me." Tess said to him. Darien sighed.
"I trust you with my life… I just don't know if I can trust that you are right about Richard." Darien stated.
"Agreed." Conan agreed. Tess looked up in the rearview mirror looking at Conan's reflection.
"Hey, you be quiet back there." Tess said. Conan rolled his eyes as he looked back out his window. Tess often joked around with her about that kind of thing. And he never had anything to say back to her. Conan happened to glance at the floor to see an empty water bottle. He smirked to himself as he reached down and picked it up. Right when Tess made the car go forward, Conan threw the bottle and the cap hit her right off of her had making a high pitched thud noise as if her head was hollow. "OW!" She shouted as she looked back at him stopping the car in front of the office. "Why you little…" Tess quickly got out of the car as he did. He raced up the stairs with Tess following behind him. "COME BACK HERE!" she shouted running up the stairs.
Darien got out of the car as he listened to the noises of Tess catching Conan on the stairs. He could hear Conan's feet hitting the walls as he tried to get out of her hold. Darien smiled. He and Tess joked like that all the time… but she always won considering that Rachel was teaching her karate. He missed joking around with her like that. He really did. There was this one time when he had made Tess so mad she grabbed the hoes on a cold spring day. She hoed him down like there was no tomorrow. The next day he had a serious cold and she felt bad and took care of him everyday while he was sick.
Darien missed those days with Tess. They were once a couple as well. But Tess then moved to America and it has been 6 years since he seen her. And in the first time in a while he felt those exact feelings for her as he did 6 years ago.
"Ow! Tess! Tess let go! Please! Let go!" Conan screamed as Tess continued to press her fist into his head rubbing it on his hair.
"Nope!" She shouted back at him. He tried to get away but her hold only got tighter around him. Darien tired not to laugh at the sight of Jimmy and Tess, but he couldn't help it. He broke out laughing. Richard and Rachel then came out and then…
"OUCH!" Tess dropped Conan onto his feet as she rubbed her arm. Rachel had pinched her. "That hurt you know." She said to her cousin.
"Well, you shouldn't be hurting him like that." Rachel stated.
"He through a bottle at my head!" Tess shouted. Conan gave an innocent smile that Tess caught. "Ooh! You won't be smiling like that for long!" Tess shouted as she chased him down the stairs and around the car a few times. Darien, Richard, and Rachel watched as they all lifted up their eyebrows. Suddenly Tess crawled up onto the car without Conan noticing. She then ran down the window shield and attack Conan, kind of. Tess had Conan on the ground tickling him violently and the only thing he could do was laugh. He couldn't speak.
Richard came downstairs and stood by the two. "Alright! Let's go! Everyone into the car!" Richard shouted. Tess stopped as Conan wiped a tear away. Conan sat in the middle of Tess and Darien and like always Rachel sat in the front with her dad. As Richard placed his feet on the floor onto the petals. He crushed something. He looked down and reached. He pulled out the every bottle that Tess was hit with. He shrugged and tossed it behind him. Tess reached her hand out catching the bottle before it hit Conan in the face. She then took it, leaned forward and slammed it against his head. The bottle bounced off of his hallow head and out the open window.
"HEY!" he shouted. Tess leaned back buckling her seat belt with a smile on her face. Conan smiled as well as he buckled himself up as did Darien. Darien watched and listened at Tess and Conan talked. Darien then glanced out his window as the conversation went on.
'She's completely in love with Jimmy… why should I even try?' he asked himself.
"Right Darien?" Darien jerked up. He turned and looked at Tess who had called his name.
"What?"
"About my dog…" Tess said tilting her head slightly.
"Oh yeah… sure…" Darien stated as he looked back out the window placing his shin into his hand. Tess shook her head as she leaned back against her seat and the talking stopped. Darien continued to stare out his window.
It was about noon or later when the car came to a stop. Tess got out as her eyes widened. She stood there looking at a store. A little mini corner store. She looked on the windows and saw small spots of blood splattered onto it. The door was open as Inspector Maguire came out. Tess walked to the window leaving the door opened for Conan. She looked into the store and her eyes widened even more. On the floor of the white tile floor was a man. His chest was hacked open and blood poured out. His eyes completely opened with his head turning looking at the window where Tess stood. The man's eyes were a light blue color.
"Thank god you could come here Richard." Inspector Maguire said as he shook Richard's hand. Conan walked up to Tess.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Huh?" Tess asked as she doubled glanced at him.
"What's wrong?" he asked again. Tess shook her head.
"Nothing… it's nothing." She answered as she walked away into the store. Conan watched from the window, watching her walk toward the body. She stuck her hands into her jacket pockets and stared down at the body.
"It's unusual for Tess to act like this." Conan looked up to see Darien standing next to him.
"What do you mean?" he asked. Darien looked down at him.
"You apparently don't know her well enough." Darien said, "Tess doesn't have a reaction like this to murders. She's seen worse, I know that. When she was five she was a witness to a murder that left the media shocked." Conan looked back at Tess as she lowered herself looking more closely at the body. "She hardly said anything about the murder."
"Well… what did she say about the murder?" Conan asked.
"Not much, other then she doesn't want to see a sight like that again. That's why she took up the job in America. She knew that New York City always had gangs at each others throats. Considering that she's their age she knows what's going through their heads." Darien said to him. "Tess always amazed me with the stories she would tell me over the phone. I always asked her why she took the job…"
"Why did she?" Conan asked.
"Because she wanted to do something about the murders. She said no one should lose a life. She was always there to stop them or to solve them. Tess never stops to amaze me." Darien answered as he followed everyone else into the store. Conan followed as well, thinking about what Darien had just told him. Tess was only five when she was a witness to a murder. But… why didn't she say anything about it? She could've stopped the murderer by sending him to jail. Maybe she was scared for her life. Maybe that was the reason.
"His name is Ken Arturo." Inspector Maguire stated. Richard looked at the body as Tess turned her head to listen. "He maybe looks in his mid 20's."
"Was there another murder like this?" Tess asked. Inspector Maguire blinked.
"Why would there be?" he asked.
"Just… answer the question Inspector." Tess said hostilely. Inspector Maguire shook his head.
"No… this is the only one like it." Inspector Maguire stated.
"What happened?" Rachel asked. Tess looked at the body and she begun to point it out.
"Something heavy like an axe or something entered this man's chest about here." She pointed to a gap that was a fairly large size. "And it looks like it was dragged all the way to here to his hip and then shattered his hip bone to pieces." She added.
"How did you know that?" Inspector Maguire asked. Tess stood upright as she pulled her hands ou t of her pockets.
"Just a guess." Tess answered. She begun to walk around the store as Conan watched her. She looked a little freaked out. She was never this freaked about a murder. What is going on?
"So… where there any suspects?" Richard asked. Inspector Maguire shook his head.
"Nope, not all. He has no family and he's usually a nice guy." Inspector Maguire said. Tess wasn't that far away to hear what was said. She turned her head and walked back.
"What about the store clerk?" she asked. Inspector Maguire shook his head.
"There wasn't one." Inspector Maguire answered. Tess nodded her head as she glanced downward.
"Then he must've fled when the murder took place." Richard said.
"Or he was murdered himself." Tess spoke out. Everyone watched as Tess walked around the counter and into the back with everyone following her.
"Where are you going Tess?" Darien asked her. Tess placed her hand onto the wall and flicked on the lights in the storage area. There on the floor was the store clerk. He also had blue eyes. He had the same gap and gashes on his chest.
"Well… there he is do you're questioning." Tess said as she turned and looked at Inspector Maguire. "Can I borrow you're gloves?" she asked. Inspector Maguire nodded his head as he handed her the gloves. She put them on and walked forward. Tess walked forward to the body as she begun to unbutton the white shirt. Her eyes widened as she backed away.
"What is it Tess?" Richard asked as he walked forward. He looked down. On the chest of the man said "I'm baaaaack" written in blood. Tess shook her head as she took headed toward the other body, the body of Ken Arturo. She got onto her knees and opened his shirt as well and it said the same thing. Conan watched her as Tess shook in fear. He's never seen Tess so afraid before. It was like she was reliving something.
"Tess?" Conan called to her as he walked forward. he placed his hand onto her shoulder and she jumped slightly.
"Y-yeah?" she asked with her voice shaking.
"Are you alright?" he asked. Tess nodded her head as she stood up.
"Yeah um… I just need some air." Tess said as she walked forward exiting the store. Conan watched as Tess leaned up against the glass window. She took off Inspector Maguire's gloves and she ran her fingers through her jet black hair. Darien was standing behind Conan.
"I'm going to go talk to her." Darien said as he exited the store. The bell above the door rung and Tess jumped again turning toward Darien. She sighed in relief. "What's wrong?" he asked. Conan ran to the door catching it so it wouldn't hit the bell, and he listened to the two talk.
"Nothing… nothing's wrong Darien." Tess said as she looked away.
"You're a liar Tess." Darien said to her. Tess kept her head away. "Is it…" Tess looked at Darien. She stared at him.
"Look I'm fine Darien." Tess said.
"Tess, all I want to know is if this is the murder that…"
"No!" Tess cut in. Conan shut the door slowly as Tess walked over. She pulled the door open and entered the store again. Conan watched as Tess disappeared into an aisle of the store. He looked back of to the door to see Darien entering. Darien looked down at him. He gave him a slight smile and he walked forward.
Tess roamed around in the aisles. She then came to a stop as she kicked something. She looked down to see a soda can. She bent down and picked it up. On the can read: "R-E-D-R-U-M"
"Red rum?" she repeated She stood up right as she walked forward. Her eyes widened as she knew what it meant. "Inspector Maguire! Richard!" Tess shouted. They turned to her. "Red rum." Tess said.
"Red what?" Richard asked.
"Red rum!" Tess shouted again.
"Tess, this isn't time…"
"No!" Tess said cutting Inspector Maguire off. "What does red rum spell backwards?"
"Murder." Conan said. Tess nodded her head as she showed them the can.
"Remember the mass murderer who always wrote red rum on empty soda cans?" Tess asked the two adults.
"Yeah I remember him. Wasn't he known as the Soda Can Murderer?" Rachel asked. Tess nodded her head.
"Yeah he was. He's here! And I think he's…" Tess stopped in her tracks as she looked down.
"He's… what Tess?" Darien and Conan asked. Tess turned to them as she faced Inspector Maguire and Richard again.
"I think he's back to come after me…" Tess said.
"What? Why?" Richard asked her.
"Well, I was the only witness of his to survive." Tess said sticking her hands into her pockets.
"I remember!" Tess nodded her head.
"TESS!" Came Conan's voice. Tess turned around to see a man dressed in back behind her. Tess's eyes widened as he held an axe over his head. Tess pulled out her gun and went to shoot but she stopped. Tess's body suddenly froze on her.
"TESS!" Everyone shouted out. Officers went to shoot when the man grabbed onto Tess's arm slapping her gun out of her hands and pulling her to his chest. He wrapped his arms around her throat and Tess begun to gag. Everyone froze. The man lifted up the axe to her chest holding it in an angle.
"You move or shoot… I'll kill her." the man said in a insane voice. Tess continued to gag she tried to remove the man's arm from around her neck. Everyone watched in horror as the man begun to back up around the counter and towards the storage room. He kept an insane look on his face as everyone followed him with their heads. Tess's gagging slowly begun to stop as the man gripped tightly around her throat.
"LET HER GO!" Came Darien's voice and suddenly the man took of running still holding onto Tess. "TESS!" he shouted as he charged forward. Before he followed he grabbed onto Tess's gun and chased after the man with Conan following close behind.
"CALL BACK UP!" Inspector Maguire yelled. Richard and Rachel followed Conan and Darien who were well in front of them.
The man came to a beat up old truck tossing Tess into the front seat. Tess begun to cough as air was let into her body again. The man got into the other side. He pulled out something from the back that looked like a box. He tossed Tess back there as he held her down. Tess begun to struggle when she saw a needle in his hand.
"We're going to have fun tonight!" he shouted crazy like. Tess's eyes widened and then something clicked inside of her telling her to fight back. A punch went to the man's face after she managed to get out of his hold. But that didn't work the man came right back sticking the needle into her arm. Tess's screaming died down as her head rolled to the left. The man smiled as he begun to start the truck. "You're the only witness who got away." He said softly. Then gun shots were heard. The man looked out his window to see Darien and Conan running over. He smirked as he backed the truck right up towards them. Conan and Darien both jumped out of the way as the truck slammed into the back of the store.
Tess looked at the man from the back. She smirked as she looked at the floor finding a beer bottle. She picked it up forcing herself up. She then smashed the bottle over his head making her fall into the horn. Tess the broke the back window shield with her foot and begun to crawl out into the back of the truck. She moved around in all of the junk.
"TESS!" came someone's voice. Tess continued to crawl till she fell into the rubble of the brick store. She laid there as someone got down next to her. It was Conan. He placed his hands onto her shoulders and begun to shake her slightly. "Tess! Tess!" he shouted at her. Tess didn't wake up.
"You wont escape now!" He shouted. Conan looked over to see the man had gotten out of his truck with his axe in his hand. Conan's eyes widened and then suddenly a gun shot was heard as the axe was dropped. The man turned to see Darien running over. Conan then flipped up his stun gun watch and shot the man right in his neck making him pass out. Conan sighed.
"Conan! Darien! Tess!" came Rachel's voice. They looked over to see Rachel and Richard running. "Is Tess alright?" she asked.
"Yeah I think so." Conan answered.
They got Tess to hospital to find out she was given a sleeping drug and she was made to stay at the hospital. The next day Tess told the story about the murder she had witness and they made her promise if something like that was going to happen again she would let them know and Tess promised.
Next Time on Case Closed: "Okay." Fall comes to an end as winter begin to rise. Tess and Conan went out to a diner to have something to eat. And a murder happens in the kitchen with the only chief. Tess and Conan are determined to find out who did it and why. Find out what happens.
Next Time: Winter Murder
Next Conan's Hint: Frying Pan Burn