With the exception of the plot and the original characters that are depicted in the story, the author makes absolutely no profit off of this work of fan fiction, and no copyright infringement is intended on the franchise of Detective Conan that rightfully belong to its owner Aoyama Gosho.
Once again, I would like to thank OnyxKatana and Vivian Graythorn for all their help with the eleventh act of Paper Faces! Now, let the long-awaited performance commence before the eager audience! Please enjoy the show! :)
As if a forgotten deity had heard Kaito's unspoken prayers, the last week of the first semester arrived just when the Rainbow Maiden heist concluded. To the students, especially for the seniors, this was a sign that their much-needed summer break was around the corner. However it also indicated that the first stretch in their education would be coming: midterm exams. Studying for all six subjects and being prepared for any surprises from the teachers gave the magician a perfectly valid excuse to avoid Shin-chan. Furthermore, he could hone his concentration on an unexpected development that popped up in his alter-ego's life.
Snake.
That man had been trouble from the very beginning of KID's public return. And if something were to happen to the coffee-haired sleuth through the criminal's actions as either himself or the civilian mask called Kuroba Kaito, he could never forgive himself. Pushing Shin-chan away would more than likely be incurring Ahouko's wrath via a swinging mop from out of nowhere (the prankster had heard through the grapevine that she was trying to arrange another date for him and Shin-chan), but that was a risk he was willing to take.
Kaito sighed softly as he stared blankly at the highlighted notes he made for his Physics exam, unable to concentrate the material due to these thoughts running through his mind. Azure orbs glanced to the side and saw a small, velvet box sitting next to the reading lamp. Picking up the magician opened it, seeing a miniature version of the Rainbow Maiden staring at him with hollow, slanted eyes.
On his way back home, Kaito decided to visit the theater - it was on the same day that the troupe of Paper Faces would be giving one last performance before leaving Ekoda to go to Osaka - and purchase a few items from the souvenir booth in the main lobby; the first item was the pin he now held in his grasp and the other was a necklace, another smaller piece that resembled the jeweled mask on a silver chain, currently tucked away in one of his desk drawers. In all honestly, he did not know what compelled him to purchase them in the first place. Maybe...even with everything that's going on right now, he wanted to believe the legend behind the Rainbow Maiden. And give Shin-chan something to believe in as well.
A sardonic smirk twitched the corners of his mouth as Kaito plucked the pin up from its velvet cushion and held it up to the fluorescent light. Heh. I guess Akako-chan's belief in magic has finally rubbed off of me, and it only took three years. It would be nice...to think that Shin-chan and I are destined to be together, despite the odds. Just like Aoko and that British prat; both of them are a match made in heaven - both have a strong ideology of justice that they share between them. The two of us? We're polar opposites - on different sides of the law. We might even be enemies. The young magician's countenance slumped at the thought, and tried to shake it off by putting the pin back in its box and resume studying. At least until his optimism faltered for the second time in the evening as Kaito recalled what Shin-chan would be doing over the summer.
The dark-haired teen did not specify where exactly she would be going except that it was at a mansion in the Kyoto countryside that belonged to the Borja family. Curious, he looked the name up during Japanese Literature class and immediately remembered it. An influential clan from Spain, there were a few of their jewels he had listed as possible candidates to be Pandora, but KID decided not to go after them at the time since their current whereabouts were unknown; furthermore the Borja was still struggling to attain the headship over their family, and personally, the Phantom Thief did not like to get involved in messy situations like that. Shinichi did not reveal any more information regarding her trip, except that she would be gone for the first three days of summer vacation.
Kaito did not pry Shinichi any further out of politeness; in his perspective, the trip seemed long enough to resist the temptation to send random text messages with emojis, and devote himself to the activities of his alter ego. Despite what he felt towards Shinichi, KID had an obligation to find the KID Killer, his most beloved critic. And the Phantom Thief needed to find a solution to contact the Detective of the East without drawing Snake's attention.
Getting the Organization involved was not an option.
Inhaling a deep breath, Kaito opened closed the Physics notebook and put it to the side, putting a dog-eared English textbook in front of them. I can't just go over to her place as KID because Shin-chan would more than likely try to kick a soccer ball at me than listen to reason. What if...I don't need to talk to her directly? Azure orbs began to widen as the magician was suddenly hit with an epiphany. Shin-chan knows that Kuroba Kaito is a big fan of KID. So it wouldn't odd to have someone who claims to look up to the Phantom Thief act as a middle-man. A messenger with sealed envelopes and a signature that Shin-chan would recognize! Yosh, I'm a genius! Suddenly stricken with a bolt of motivation, the dark-haired teen enthusiastically resumed concentration on his studies before he casted a glance at the drawer closest to him.
A small and secretive smile then stretched across his lips, revealing the tips of his teeth. In addition to his duties as KID, Kaito made a promise to Shin-chan to do something for her, even when the request itself came from Aoko as a binder titled The Witch's Banquet with a sticky note that had three words written on it: Please read me.
I wonder...what sort of side will I see when I unearth the fruits of your labor. Neh, Shin-chan?
xPFx
Shinichi was drained, for the lack of a better word as her small frame sank into the mattress under her. Right when the midterms had ended, the Detective of the East packed up and left for the writer's conference, sponsored by the Borja family, at the hotel where it was held. Today was spent at Shinichi's current residence, and tomorrow the festivities would be held in the Borja's home in the countryside.
The first day and a half opened the door of the literary world for this novice novelist; most of the panels were by invitation only, which meant that there were no crowds at the panels except at the stipulated time slots. It was a wonderful opportunity to talk with prominent publishers and authors, even learn a few things from their own personal experience. Armed with pen, paper, and her tranquilizer watch, Shinichi was at the conference panels until there had been an hour left to get ready for dinner.
She had been fortunate enough to meet a few representatives from prominent publishing houses who offered to read her manuscript, especially at the VIP-only workshops where authors would read the first five to ten pages and suggest on how to edit it so as to suit publication guidelines. But so far, despite meeting these people and receiving very helpful advice, what Shinichi was enjoying the most on this trip was being able to spend time with her family as Kudo Shinichi, rather than hanging around her parents as their 'distant relative' Edogawa Agatha.
Glancing at the clock on the nightstand, the coffee-haired teen saw that it was ten to six o'clock. Time to get ready for dinner and met Mom and Dad in the banquet hall. Shinichi thought as she sat up from the bed and got changed. Satisfied with the evening black dress and matching low-heeled sandals, the Detective of the East pocketed her key card and went downstairs.
When she arrived at the table that the Night Baron author had reserved ahead of time, the three of them began to catch up on what has been happening before Shinichi had moved to Ekoda. Yukiko was especially interested. Despite the contrasting personalities that both the mother and child had, the Kudo women actually maintained a very close relationship even when the latter was poisoned by the Black Organization.
As her daughter narrated endless tales that occurred in her home, especially about the friends she made - Aoko and Hakuba-san - a knowing smile spread across the mouth of the former actress as Shinichi animatedly talked about her 'date' with Kaito and how no one died when they were at Tropical Land. Both Yuusaku and Yukiko shared a knowing smile before motioning for their confused daughter to continue her story, who was curious at the reason behind their expression. It seemed that their little girl was growing up, and with help from the only son of a certain teacher who taught Yukiko all she knew on the fine art of deception; from the pitch of a voice, to intricate and complex make-up.
Perhaps a trip to Ekoda in the near future was in order? The brunette thought about that for a second and shrugged. Maybe, but not anytime soon. What mattered at this very moment, was talking and spending these few days as an actual family. No more secrets, no more hiding from men dressed in black. When dessert was passed around their table by one of the waiters, a pale-faced maid suddenly appeared and whispered in the man's ear. Yuusaku and Shinichi narrowed their blue orbs ever so slightly as they heard what was being said between the staff before sharing a look.
Nodding to one another, Shinichi pulled out her phone and started tapping it while Yuusaku stood up. His wife, having a dreaded thought and a very intelligent guess about what exactly was going on, followed the bespectacled novelist out of the banquet hall to the hotel's barely used reading room. Sprawled out on the couch with two puncture wounds in her neck was Sara Borja, the CEO of The Quill and current family head, age 38. A half an hour passed before Inspector Megure and a few other members from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrived on the scene. Within that allotted time, Shinichi, with unexpected assistance from her mother, they were able to gather testimony from the staff and the people who last saw Sara alive.
Motosuwa Minoru, age 49 and Sara's editor who worked for the prominent publishing house Red Butterfly. Watanabe Mei, a 34 year-old guest speaker at the conference who wrote a vampire romance series that was popular with teenage girls. Finally, 25-year old Shiba Yamato; he had accompanied Sara to the conference as her assistant.
After an autopsy and sweep around the room was conducted, Megure informed Yuusaku and Shinichi that the victim had been drugged by the handkerchief - which was heavily dosed with chloroform - before her body had been completely drained of blood. Time of death is estimated around two and three o'clock this afternoon. The reading room can be accessed through a hotel key card. But how could that have been done without anyone noticing? Yes, there were no cameras in this room for the guests' privacy, though it almost seemed impossible to take almost five and half liters of blood away from the crime scene. At least, until the Detective of the East examined the victim's feet and saw a needle mark on her right toe.
Once Shinichi and the Night Baron author were given permission to search each of the suspects' rooms, the two of them each found clues. A contract between Sara and her editor, a bottle of red wine in the fridge, and a letter dated back almost twenty years ago. Comparing the evidence and testimonies that each member of the Kudo family had gathered, both father and daughter were able to pinpoint a motive, and a murderer.
The killer was Yamato but he did not act alone. His accomplice, originally believed to be Mei because the crime scene itself was from a chapter in her latest novel, was actually Sara's editor. Both of them tried to deny the fact with their air-tight alibis, yet the coffee-haired sleuth pointed out a few things that either man overlooked: Sara was on medication that could not allow her to drink any alcohol whatsoever. So why would there be any wine in her fridge? Furthermore, it takes almost thirty minutes for human blood to dry on the sort of the floor that was in the reading room. And finally, red wine is hard to distinguish from blood by merely observing it through the bottle.
Following his daughter, Yuusaku presented the contract between Sara and her editor as well as the letter from twenty years ago; the latter was in fact, related to the rightful heir to the Borja family. And that person had been the child of Sebastian Borja and his younger sister, Cassandra. Shiba Yamato is just an alias for Nathaniel Borja, Cassandra's son and the one who should have been the family head instead of a washed up writer.
Cornered in the conference room with the other suspects and Inspector Megure, the two men reluctantly confessed the deed and the motives behind it: for Yamato - Nathaniel - it was revenge for having his mother being denied and disrespected what was rightfully hers after solving the epitaph that Sebastian created 18 years ago, and above all else, insulted by Sara who both denied the fact that her father truthfully died from a heart attack. That was why Sara had been chosen as the first victim, though Nathaniel admitted that he wanted to wait until the conference had been moved to the family home in the countryside. Minoru knew it like the back of his hand and had a very good reason for wanting to get rid of Sara too.
Blackmail.
Having himself failed to become a writer before working for Red Butterfly, Minoru was responsible for writing an unsavory book that was 'inspired' by another writer's piece that was received poorly by both critics and readers before the original author herself committed suicide. The writer had been Mei's younger sister, Watanabe Yui. Sara found out and used the blackmail to keep him as her agent as well as the ruse while she tried to create another novel that would eclipse the success of her first novel Madam Caterpillar. But after seven failed novels in a ten year span pushed Minoru over the edge and helped Yamato commit the heinous crime.
The bespectacled Kudo patriarch stared at the criminals with a hardened expression before he turned to Shinichi, who in turn pulled out a thick folder and presented it to Yamato. What she had was Sebastian Borja's final draft. The previous family head penned down the final truth at the very end of his story before passing it down to his own editor and close friend Aoyagi Toji, just a half a day before Sebastian's sudden, cardiac arrest. Out of deference to the departed, Toji never opened the sealed manuscript.
As the family watched the awestruck men being carried away the police, they silently reflected on how the literary world could be both inspiring, and cruel to others.
Once the two-day trip ended at the Borja family home - in which the atmosphere had a cloud of sadness hanging over it, especially with Sara's husband and daughter who was around Shinichi's age -, Yuusaku and Yukiko said good-bye to their own child. They would be flying onwards to America, and then to London. While Yukiko crushed Shinichi in a tearful hug, Yuusaku merely ruffled the sleuth's coffee-haired tresses as she struggled to breathe while captured in her mother's vice grip. Once farewells had been exchanged and the taxi carrying her parents had driven away, Shinichi left the Kyoto countryside in her own taxi.
But rather going directly to Ekoda, the coffee-haired sleuth decided to take a short detour to the wrought iron gates at 2-21 Beika. The Kudo Residence. Her old home. She would spend the night here and catch up with Professor Agasa before returning to Ekoda on an afternoon train ride. Even though it had been a while since she had come to this place, Shinichi always saw this musty and rather gloomy mansion as home (both are which caused by the lack of light and fresh air). Unlocking the heavy wooden doors, she entered the building just when it began to drizzle outside.
Shinichi really did not care about seeing a few cobwebs in the banister as she walked up the stairs with her suitcase; right now, she was too tired to give a damn. The important thing was that she had arrived in Beika before it was dark, there was a comfortable bed waiting for her, and above all else within walking distance of the person she wanted to talk to since the Rainbow Maiden heist. Haibara. So many questions buzzed through the little grey cells, with only more of them coming instead of receiving answers despite the hours of Internet and library research Shinichi had invested in.
Who was Snake? Was there another branch of the Black Organization that the FBI and CIA overlooked? Or is this a completely different syndicate who wanted a gem to become immortal?
Whichever the case might be, any syndicate spelled bad news in bold and capitalized letters. On that night, those men on the roof had been carrying guns. Proper guns, with proper bullets, that would kill.
And before she realized it, Shinichi had found herself fearing for a life that was not hers: Kaitou KID's. In spite of all the chaos that he caused wherever he went, the Phantom Thief was a good man who had a strict 'no-one-gets-hurts' rule. The reasons why he fired his card gun were to either protect himself or on nearby objects so he could make an escape. And from the bloodlust that she sensed on the theater rooftop, those men in black would not hesitate to kill. Either way, the dark-haired teen was going to get the bottom of this mystery. And the first step was to talk to Haibara.
Inhaling a deep breath as she hoisted the suitcase on top of the bed, Shinichi glanced at her wrist watch. There were still a few more hours until Haibara was out of school, so the Detective of East could unpack her belongings and take a small nap before interrogating the small scientist on the Organization.
Once her clothes had been put away and the luggage placed in a corner of the room, the coffee-haired teen laid on the bed with her phone on the nightstand - set up to wake her up in an hour - . Just as the exhaustion from the last few days started to kick in, a nagging feeling in the back of Shinichi's mind came back full-force.
Kuroba-san has been avoiding me for a while. The midterm exams were pretty tough, but I wonder why he hasn't been blowing up my phone with text messages. I get at least two or three of them a day. Still...why does it bother me so much? Shinichi thought before her blue orbs eventually closed, falling into a light sleep.
But what the teen sleuth did not realize as she rested in her old bedroom, something deep within the Kudo Residence came to life in its dark prison. A sudden, and bright garnet light shining for a moment before it faded as quickly it had appeared.
Summer break has just begun, though it seems that there is no rest for the Kudo clan as their much-awaited reunion quickly becomes entangled with an unexpected tragedy and closure of the Borja case. Now it seems that Shinichi is determined to figure out who are the men in black that have targeted KID at the Rainbow Maiden heist! Will Haibara give Shinichi the truth that she is seeking about Snake and a gem that grants eternal life, or the little scientist throw the Detective of the East off of her tracks? Decisions, decisions :)
Please feel free to review or PM me with any questions, comments, or constructive criticism. Thanks to everyone who has favorited, reviewed, and added Paper Faces to their alert lists.
See you next illusion. - (KID caricature)