And yet another chapter. I decided to start it before the HP book actually comes out so I won't lose my train of thought completely.

THANKS 2 REVIEWERS! I LUV U ALL!

Disclaimer: Standard

Onto the chapter!

"Rachel! Call the police!" Jimmy said, trying to act like he didn't know what he was doing.

Rachel nodded, playing along. She immediately got up and entered her room. A few seconds later, her voice was heared talking to some unknown entity over the telephone line.

Jimmy scooped down to block Lizzy from the sight, while trying to comfort her. She could only sob uncontrollably in his arms.

Chapter 5

It was not seconds later when the next mob of people arrived at the scene. All three other teams of dancers, including Zoey and Chris, showed up along with a mobile camera. Jimmy could only assume they were still live.

"Jimmy! I called the police! They're on their way!"

Suddenly, Lizzy found her voice. "He's dead! He's dead! Somebody killed him!" She sobbed into Jimmy's shirt.

"Shhh," Jimmy said, trying to calm her.

After a few minutes of silence, with the exception of Lizzy's sobs, a few more men joined the crowd. They were the policemen.

"Alright! Everyone back away!" One of them shouted. "I am Inspector Takero. I will be heading this investigation. I will most likely need statements from all of you, so will you please sign this sheet. Right now, I need to see all of the dancers. And get a team from forensics in here!"

Everyone, with the exception of the dancers, left. All were in sullen moods.

The inspector turned to one of his men. "We'll need some assistance. If you could call the high-school prodigy, tell him to get his butt over here,"

Jimmy abruptly turned around. They couldn't call him in. He was already here! This could be bad for his cover.

"He'll be here in a minute, sir," the officer told the inspector.

"Good, good," He turned to the dancers. "Your names, please,"

"Jimmy,"

"Rachel,"

"Mariah,"

"Ronald,"

"Christopher,"

"Zoey,"

"Gary,"

"Jessica,"

The final dancer didn't answer, so Jimmy did. "And this is Elizabeth," he said as she broke out into another fit of sobs. "She's Michael's partner," he said, nodding his head toward the bloody body now being seen to by a forensics team.

As he was speaking, they picked up the body and moved it to another location. At this point, the inspector ushered them inside. They discovered yellow tape on the floor in the position of the body.

Jimmy helped Lizzy into the room and onto the bed. He turned to Rachel and whispered to her, "If they try to pin this on me, don't blow cover,"

Rachel looked at him worriedly, but nodded.

"Now," the inspector started, once again gaining all of their attention, "Whose room is this?"

"Mine, sir," Jimmy replied, standing up. He now had an incredible wet spot on his shirt where the sobbing Lizzy had left her tearstains.

"And where were you at the time of the murder?"

"Well, since I don't know the time of the murder, I can't exactly tell that. But I was dancing for live television when the body was found,"

"Trying to play smart with me, eh? You know where you were at the time of the murder! You were here, as the murderer himself!"

The dancers gasped, each staring at Jimmy.

"What!" Jimmy tried to defend himself. "I didn't-"

"Jimmy?" Rachel asked, playing aghast. "Did you really do that to Michael?"

"What! Rachel! No! Of course I didn't! I never met Michael until the start of the competition!"

"That's what you want us to think! Maybe you were secretly in love with Lizzy, and you murdered him because he was her partner!" Takero accused.

"Excuse me! I'm not in love with Elizabeth, thank you!" Jimmy tried to defend himself.

"Inspector?" a call came from the doorway.

"Oh! Hartwell! Come in!"

Jimmy and Rachel silently gasped. They weren't expecting Harley.

"Hello, Inspector," Harley Hartwell said, coming into the room.

"Harley! I was just accusing this young man of murder!" Takero said cheerfully. He motioned to Jimmy.

Harley looked over and his eyes widened. "What the heck are you doing here!" he practically shouted.

Rachel, who was looking uncomfortably between Harley and Jimmy, put on a surprised look and gasped.

"Harley?" she asked, "What are you doing here!" she ran over to hug him, during which time she whispered, "Go with it!"

"Errr- Hi! I haven't seen you in a long time!" he said loudly, then he whispered, "What's your name?"

"Rachel," she whispered back.

"Jeez, Rach. How long has it been?" he said loudly once again.

"Dunno," she replied, shrugging. She looked at Jimmy and winked.

"Thank you," he mouthed back at her. She just smiled.

"Well, I think I'll start by questioning the guy whose room this is. And that would be-?"

"Mine," Jimmy said. "Jimmy Ikudo, at your service," Harley almost laughed, but he retainied a stoic face.

"Well, then, Mr. Ikudo, I'll start with you. Could everyone else please leave the room?"

"But Harley-" the inspector protested.

"Everybody," Harley cut him off with a meaningful glance.

The inspector left looking disgruntled and was followed by the dancers.

"Ikudo?" Harley teased as soon as the door was closed. "Couldn't you think of something a little bit more... complex?"

"Hey! I didn't decide the name! It was Inspector McGuire. So go bug him,"

"Well, I'll remember never to ask him to give me a name on an- undercover mission, I presume?"

"Right,"

"Oh Yea! Love the new hair, and are those contacts?"

Jimmy just grumbled.

"So, what are we going to do?" Harley asked.

"What?"

"Whoever did this is trying to pin it on you. But I can't exactly exclude you from the suspects. Otherwise I'd have to tell everyone why I gave you immunity, seeing as I know you couldn't have done it,"

"And how do you know this?"

"Kudo, you're a detective who was shrunken into a seven year old, and has been living with his girlfriend, even though she doesn't know it. You've just gotten your body back. I don't think the first thing you'd do is murder someone,"

"Well," Jimmy finally said, "I spite of the synopsis of the past few years of my life, you have a point,"

"Thank you," Harley said, "I am a detective after all,"

"Except, Rachel's not my girlfriend,"

"Jeez, Kudo! You still haven't asked her out!"

"I've only been back for a few weeks!"

"I know. But seeing as how you've made Neechan suffer, I thought that was the first think you'd do,"

"Yeah, well... there you're wrong,"

"Ohhhh, one wrong prediction! How many does that make?"

"Three," Jimmy said.

"That's right!- Hey wait a minute! Three!"

"One, right now. Two, the first time I regained my body. Three, the time you found out I was me at that mansion for the Sherlock Holmes prize,"

(A/N: I live in the U.S., and these are the only times Harley has showed up in the series. For those people who read the manga or live in Japan, I expect the times Harley or Heiji has been wrong is higher... not to mention that CN won't buy new ones, so I'm stuck with repeats)

"Hey that is three,"

"I know. I can count,"

"Oh! Don't get smart with me you-"

They were interrupted by the opening of the door.

"Harley! We found some evidence linking Jimmy to the killing!" Takero shouted.

"Evidence?" Jimmy asked.

"Evidence?" Harley mimicked.

"In the deceased's date planner, a meeting with Jimmy is scheduled right after Michael and Elizabeth danced. This went before Jimmy went on, so that would leave a perfect window of opportunity. Can you account for where you were during that period of time, Jimmy?"

Jimmy looked startled. He hadn't made plans to meet with Michael. Someone must have forged a note to him, telling him to meet here. But who?

"No, sir. I'm afraid I can't. I was with Rachel most of that time, she was extremely nervous about going on TV. But I was gone for about twenty minutes before that, after we came off at the beginning of the episode,"

"And what were you doing during that period of time? Let me guess- Murdering the lead male in the only couple that was ahead of you in the standings!"

"No! I didn't do it!" Jimmy said, desperately trying to avoid being asked where he was.

In truth, he was on this floor at the other end of the hall for those twenty minutes. He'd figured that would be as good a time as any to search the rooms of the dancers for anything suspicious. Rachel's prediction earlier had got him thinking, and he decided to check background for each of them.

"So then where were you?"

"I... can't answer that," Jimmy sighed dejectedly.

"Then we have him, right Harley?" Inspector Takero looked hopefully up at him.

"No, Inspector. I believe we'll need more evidence than that. The letter or date in the plan book may have been forged. We don't have solid evidence until we know that Ikudo was actually up here during said time. Now will you please let me continue my questioning?"

The Inspector trapsed away, looking sullen. Harley continued after the door was closed again.

"So, Kudo. Where were you actually?"

"I was down the hall, looking in some of the rooms. I decided to check background info because Rach predicted there'd be a murder tonight. I know, this puts me in a very bad position, seeing as I was up here when the murder supposedly happened,"

"I gotta say, Kudo, you really aren't very good with timing,"

"But this still leaves actually finding out who the murderer is, and finding the probable next victim. Then we gotta work on motive, and how to catch him. We've got a lot of work to do. Who would frame me? Someone who obvioiusly doesn't know who I am,"

"Another dancer, perhaps? You and Rachel are the newbies in this dance competition, I'm guessing. What place are you in?"

"Second,"

"Well that certainly counts as motive to frame you. The only team ahead of you is the one who's lead male has been murdered!... But there's nothing we can do about that now. I'll have the Inspector check records for all of the dancers. Right now, we should search the room,"

And so, both teen detectives started a search of the room.

Meanwhile, outside, Rachel was have a hard time of her own.

'Evidence?' she thought in reaction to the inspector's cries, 'How could they have evidence against Jimmy? I mean, he didn't do it. But he doesn't have an alibi. But I know he didn't do it. He's a detective, and he would do a better job of hiding evidence. He's been at enough crime scenes to know where not to hide things,'

She was jolted out of her thoughts by a voice. "I'm sorry, Rachel. This must be tough for you, having your partner be the lead suspect in a murder case," The comment had come from Chris.

"Yes. But I know he didn't do it,"

"How?"

"I know him. He wouldn't do something like this. I've know him since we were two. Our mothers used to be good friends. He was always there for me, and then he became my pertner. I couldn't have been happier. I know he didn't and wouldn't do this,"

"But do you really know him, Rachel?" Lizzy piped up. She had on a determined face, "You said yourself he disappeared for a year. What if he turned murderous then?" she practically shouted.

"Lizzy," Rachel said, coming over to her. "You're upset right now, and you need someone to blame. Jimmy didn't do it, that I'm certain of. Jimmy barely knew Michael. And dancing doesn't matter that much to him to make him turn murderous and kill the lead male of the only couple ahead of us. He doesn't get jealous that easily, and he's not nearly that competitive,"

"I- I'm sorry, Rachel. I didn't mean-"

"Of course you didn't," Rachel said, hugging her.

Just then, the detective came out of the bedroom, looking sullen. "Dangit!" he said, "I thought we had him!"

"You've found evidence, Inspector?" Gary asked.

"Well we did, but the high-school show off thinks that it's not enough. His date journal said that he had a meeting with Jimmy during the time of murder, which explains what he was doing here in Jimmy's room,"

"But the meeting note could have been forged inside the datebook. Or, if he recieved a note from Jimmy, that could be forged," Rachel said, desperately trying to clear Jimmy's name.

"That's exactly what Harley said. How did you know that?"

"Er- my father is a retired policeman," Rachel said, which was technically true, she just didn't tell them that he's a famous Private I.

"Right," Takero said, still suspicious.

"So, correct me if I'm wrong- you all have motives to kill Michael,"

"What!"

"That's Absurd!"

"No! Let me finish!" the inspector said, "The fact that they're in first place is enough of a motive for any of you. For Chris and Zoey it's a bit stronger because they were kicked out of the tournament. This is the same for Jimmy and Rachel because they were the team second to Michael and Lizzy. Lizzy herself may have a motive to kill him, as well as any family members-"

"He doesn't have family," Lizzy interrupted, "He was put up for adoption when he was three. His foster parents and sister died in a car accident when he was eighteen,"

"Well that excludes family members. There's also dance teachers and coordinators, and am I correct in guessing you have a lot of those?"

"Yes," Lizzy said.

"Well then, this is not going well," The inspector sighed.

"Hey, Harley!" Jimmy called. "I think I found the murder weapon,"

Jimmy pointed to a knife stuck in the safe of the room. It was covered in blood.

"Oi, Kudo, this is not good,"

"How did someone get the key to the safe?" Jimmy asked.

"I dunno, but this puts you even more atop the suspect list. This type of safe is unbreakable. The only way in is to get the key. So where is it?"

"Well, I never used the safe, so I left the key where it was when I got here. Someone put it back in that same spot. Now they'll find my fingerprints all over this safe and key. And you can't date fingerprints, so they won't know if I touched the safe before I looked in here with you. Although you shouldn't tell them I was looking with you because that would totally mess up my alibi. Why would a detective search the room for the weapon with the lead suspect?"

"Well, Kudo. You're just digging yourself into a hole now,"

TBC!

Hey I actually got another chapter out before HP: HBP came out! Of course, I'm going at midnight to get the book!

Next chapter: Another week of dance, more evidence, and more MURDER!

Oh! And I've thought of a new oneshot for CC! Look for it!

animebookworm!