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.

Immense gratitude towards OnyxKatana and J0kersGirl for their help with this chapter. The eighteenth act of Paper Faces has, by far, become one of the most difficult segments I have had to write since I began this story, on top of handing a few personal hurdles that have occurred in the last month. If either of you are reading this, thank you again. Your support, feedback and ideas were extremely helpful, especially pertaining to the puzzle pieces from the crime featured in the previous chapter.

And so without further ado, let the show begin! :)

A person didn't have be a world-class sleuth to realize that Shinichi was positively fuming when she returned to Number 223 Clyro Villa. And if it weren't for the fact that it was around one o'clock on Sunday morning, she definitely would have slammed the door for good measure due to being both annoyed as well as angry. Despite everything she had done for the police department since her very first case, including the respect she had earned from the senior law enforcement officers as the Heisei Holmes, they still treated Shinichi like a child. Inspector Megure had excused the dark-haired teen from examining the crime scene in a manner similar to telling a favorite, but difficult, niece that it was bedtime.

To the moustached man, it was obvious to him that Kudo-chan was exhausted, and she needed to go home for a well-deserved rest so that she could get her gray cells working at full capacity in the morning. And all because she subtly mentioned that it wasn't possible for KID to be Kusanagi-san's murderer because it was totally unlike his modus operandi! On top of being frustrated with Inspector Megure, Shinichi's photographic memory groggily reminded her that she still had to finish an essay for her English class and send the final revision of The Witch's Banquet to the publishing company by Monday morning. Now, she understood why her father occasionally rant about his editors and "those damned deadlines from the Devil himself". Their expectations were enough to drive anyone up the wall, really.

Thankfully though, Kuroba-kun had been a massive help over the summer in proofreading and giving feedback on the manuscript, so all she needed to do was make a few modifications plus one final overview before sending it off. Furthermore, in light of solving this infernal mystery, that essay on the Tudor's influence in Europe could wait.

Taking a deep breath to calm down, Shinichi poured herself a glass of water and gulped it down in three, unladylike gulps. This investigation was affecting her more than it should. The fact that Inspector Megure had made the Phantom Thief one of the prime suspects made it worse than her usual cases. Every fibre of her being screamed that KID could have not done such an atrocious deed, much less do it because a gemstone. He always, always returned what he stole without having a single member of Inspector Nakamori's task force injured. Humiliating them via glitter bombs or decoys that sent them on a wild goose chase, however, was not beyond the criminal's mischievous streak. But on top of everything else, Shinichi has owed that damned magician a considerably debt since the Rainbow Maiden heist. If he hadn't been able to divert the Organization's attention long enough for them to escape, she doubted that either of them would escape unscathed. These syndicates tended to carry a lot of heat when they wanted someone dead and mounted on their walls.

This case needed to solved, and quickly before it muddled her mind in the worst way possible, more than they already were. Shinichi's heart sang that KID was innocent, while her mind objected and coldly stated that these emotions were clouding her judgement. Once the Detective of the East had polished off two large glasses of water, Shinichi went over to the dining room table and started to jot down what she knew about the case so far, including the suspects and their possible motives to kill Kusanagi Seimei and steal Persephone's Pomegranate.

Kusanagi Mimi (37) - Seimei's wife. Manager of a modelling agency. Could have killed the victim so as to not be cut out from husband's will if he found out that she was (supposedly) having an affair. Was last seen in the hotel's lobby bar, possibly the last person to see the victim alive.

Kaitou KID - Internationally wanted jewel thief. Targeted the victim's gemstone via a heist notice from Inspector Nakamori. Possible motive (?)

Hawatari Natsuo (27) - The victim's PA. Speculation of body language between him and the wife imply that they are lovers, and perhaps the man that the investigator in Beika was following. Need physical evidence to back up this possibility.

Shinichi looked over the details once, twice, and then by the third time she realized that the investigation would be at a standstill until Inspector Megure confirmed the wife's alibi, received any more information on the PI that the victim hired prior to his death, and attained the financial records from Kusanagi-san's company via Takagi-san.

Therefore, with a grim frown stretched across her mouth, Shinichi closed the notebook and proceeded to catch up on some much needed sleep. Not that she would ever admit it out loud or within ear shot of Inspector Megure, of course. However, while she finished brushing her teeth, the dark-haired teen's little gray cells reminded Shinichi something she had forgotten until now.

Earlier last week, the sleuth had gotten an email from Sakano Nisei - who will be her official editor once the one-year contract she signed with the publishing company is finalized- on the pretense of discovering a writing reference that may prove to be extremely helpful to the sleuth in the near future. With everything that has happened between uncovering the truth about Pandora and Kuroba-san ignoring her in class, searching for the book was placed on the bottom of her priority list.

And given to the fact that she just remembered it, the Detective of the East groggily concluded that she might as well stay up to find and purchase the item before going to sleep. Booting up her laptop, slim fingers tapped rapidly against the onyx keyboard. Double clicking on a link to the site she occasionally ordered from, Shinichi punched in the title under the 'Books' category and thankfully find it in under less than five minutes.

Just when the order had been confirmed and charged to her bank account, bleary blue eyes blinked at the section of rare books being advertised for a limited time only. Curious, Shinichi moved her mouse onto a random tome and clicked on it, seeing a brief summary as well as three photographs: the front, the back, and even the first page. Yet on the bottom left hand corner there….were initials. "KS".

Shinichi frowned. The letters sounded familiar. But...where? Closing her eyes, the sleuth allowed her little gray cells to go through her extensive memory banks, similar to how the Internet conducted a search based on the words placed in the search engine of a chosen website. When she had finally remembered, the epiphany almost slapped Shinichi across the face.

While assessing the hotel and how it would be possible for the killer or his accomplice to commit the crime and vanish with all of the extra security due to the KID heist, Shinichi happened to bump into the museum's curator, who decided to come to the lobby bar for a drink. The Detective of the East asked him a few generic questions, and he in turn whispered some information about Kusanagi Seimei. While it was true that the rare books on display were indeed from his collection, but it was only a quarter of it. For the last six months (and Shinichi didn't hear it from the curator himself), someone has been able to bypass the security on Kusanagi's special room for his rare books despite changing the code every day and stealing them. The teen investigator was able to get a list of the books from the curator before leaving the hotel, on the pretense that it might put on a different angle on the case and try to clear KID's reputation of first-degree murder.

Suddenly rejuvenated, Shinichi pulled out the list and closely examined the book she saw on the glaring LED screen. After a few minutes, she deduced that the rare novel in question, a Japanese first edition of Darwin's Origins of Species, was the very same book that went missing from the victim's collection three months ago. For the next two hours, she cross-examined the list and saw that every single book had either been sold to an eager buyer or was still on the market for a hefty price. Furthermore, they were all owned by someone whose username went by "TheRarityCollector". Just when the exhaustion was finally catching up to the young woman, Shinichi called Inspector Megure and asked him if it was possible to track down this person through the website, or at the very least the IP address on which these transactions were being made. Once she disconnected the five-minute conversation and double-checked that the apartment was locked up tight, Shinichi fell asleep on top of the futon in the blink of an eye.

Eight hours later and two cups of piping hot coffee, Inspector Megure called the teen sleuth at ten o'clock with more information on the case. As he speculated last night, the cause of death was not a heart attack, but an allergic reaction to peanuts; furthermore, the tox screen showed traces of trichloromethane, commonly known as chloroform, in the victim's bloodstream. Slowly digesting this discovery in her humming mind, Shinichi quietly replied that Kusanagi-san must have been dosed with the chloroform before being exposed to his allergy. "What about the pillow that was used to cushion the victim's head? Would the scent from that be enough to trigger an allergic reaction?" Shinichi asked, taking a languid sip of her beverage.

"I'm afraid I won't be able to answer that question until the lab boys finished analyzing, and you were right about it not belonging to the hotel. The killer or his accomplice must've brought with them to do the job. Oh, and the wife's alibi at the lobby bar was checked by the bartender. She only left the area once, but came back five minutes later from using the restroom. She couldn't have gone to the third floor and kill her husband in that small amount of time, but that doesn't mean she could've hired someone to do the job, especially since Kusanagi-san's will was being rewritten. We received a confirmation about it this morning from the lawyer," Inspector Megure, pausing for a moment. "Furthermore, we did have another look around the building, and found more evidence that points to KID being the culprit."

Shinichi felt a rock sink to the bottom of her stomach at the investigator's word, but masked her growing anxiety in a neutral voice that persuaded Inspector Megure to continue. "One of the rookies suggested that since KID would have needed to dispose both his costume and the evidence without giving himself away to the police, perhaps they were placed in one of the laundry hampers that are left in the hallway near the restrooms while the maids do their rounds. Sato-kun decided to humor him, and as it turns out, we found both the costume and syringe used to inject Kusanagi-san with the chloroform in one of the dirty laundry hampers. We're hoping to find even a partial print on either of them. We also discovered a colored contact tense in the hallway where the maid saw KID running down the hall. We should have DNA results within the hour."

Azure eyes widened ever so slightly. "Did...you say...a colored contact lense?"

"Yeah, Sato-kun said it looked like it was dark blue. Why?"

Shinichi glanced at the list she left on the dining room table, the wheels in her mind starting to turn. "Inspector Megure, I think I might have solved this case."

xPFx

At one o'clock in the afternoon, Shinichi and the police force were able to assemble the group of suspects to the hotel's banquet hall, lined with uniformed officers so as not to disrupt the gathering. The dark-haired teen surveyed each of them carefully before she respectfully bowed her head to them.

"Thank you very much for cooperating with Inspector Megure and myself on such short notice. There has been an unexpected development in the investigation, in light of surprising evidence that Inspector Megure discovered this morning," Seeing the traces of irritation and confusion being replaced with both fear and intrigue in their body language, the sleuth continued as she carefully pulled out a piece of paper from her pants pocket.

"What I have in my hand is a list of rare books that've gone missing from Kusanagi-san's private collection for the last six months. Mimi-san, you wouldn't have any access to the room where your husband kept these volumes because he changed the security code every day, correct?"

The petite blonde looked at Shinichi in surprise and slowly shook her head. "No. If there was one thing that Seimei-san treasured above collecting gemstones from his international travels, it was those dusty old volumes. He'd never would have allowed them to leave that room, much less the house, unless he was right there!" The sleuth stared at the brown-haired widow for a long moment before she nodded. "Of course. However, there was one other person who knew these codes but was extremely careful in how to remove them from the room without being caught. However, that's half of the fun right there, when committing embezzlement right under Kusanagi-san's nose wasn't bringing enough excitement in your work. Isn't that correct, Natsuo-san? Or should I refer to you as 'TheRarityCollector'?"

All of the attention shifted to the victim's secretary, whose face became a shade of bone-white with hazel eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. "W-What are you talking about, Kudo-san? Why would I steal from Kusanagi-sama, much less money from the company I work for? And I've never heard of that username before!" Shinichi raised an eyebrow at him and asked, "But how do you know that I was referring to a username than an actual nickname?"

"T-That's-!"

"Don't try and deny it, Hawatari-san," Inspector Megure snapped. "My team was able to trace the account under that username to the company computer that's registered under your name. I'll admit that you did a good job on covering your tracks, especially with small withdrawals you made from the company's accounts, but you got careless when you made a pretty expensive purchase yesterday evening. Does the topic on rare gemstones ring any bells?"

"I-I don't know-"

He was cut short by Inspector Megure's low but authoritative tones. "Stop lying. It's no use. The account was tracked and traced to you. Apart from that, you bought a rather old book on rare gemstones last evening, at 8:15 PM, using your credit card. Moreover, the autopsy report we received this morning

clearly shows that the cause of death was not a heart attack, but a severe allergic reaction that stopped his heart."

"What does an allergic reaction have to do with this? I didn't murder him!"

Shinichi smoothly stepped in, her sharp blue eyes trained on the PA, whose face had drained of colour. "Now, Natsuo-san, you are digging yourself into a deeper hole. No one used the word 'murder' either. So, you can either confess everything straight away on your own, or we can drag this out and I can elaborate on exactly how everything was orchestrated, down to the last detail. I'll let you choose."

"Kudo-san, what are you talking about? I'm certain that Natsuo-san couldn't possibly have stolen and sold all those rare books from the collection, much less committed murder?!" Kusanagi Mimi looked positively shocked and slightly hysterical. Honestly, the teenager couldn't blame her.

"I'm sorry to say this, but it's true. And I have enough evidence to say so. The cameras in the corridor did that for me. Those cameras showed Kaitou KID definitely running down the hall and confirming the maid's statement, but those same cameras also proved that it was not him. For one, they showed that KID's eyes were green. The newspapers, the media and the police have claimed more than enough times that Kaitou KID were a dark shade of blue, indigo to be precise. Moreover, the police found a blue-colored contact lens in the corridor, which the criminal used to disguise himself as KID and frame the Phantom Thief for a crime he did not commit. DNA doesn't lie, and it revealed that Natsuo-san was the one wearing them. Your plan was precise and detailed, right to knowing when and how long the housekeepers would take to do their rounds long enough to change out of the costume, and dispose of the evidence. His credit card wasn't used to purchase it, but the owner of the shop where it was sold recognized Natsuo-san from a photograph, and said that he came in on the day before the murder to purchase it for a 'friend'. Before you think about trying to lie to the police and myself again, Natsuo-san, there's one thing I need to know: who was your accomplice?"

"A-accomplice?!"

"Correct. Judging from your weight and height, it's physically impossible to inject the chloroform and keep a man of Kusanagi-san's size pinned to the ground at the same time. This logic also includes carrying him to the balcony without leaving any drag marks on the floor," Blue orbs narrowed dangerously at the flinching man before Shinichi slowly held up a photograph to the shell-shocked group. There in the grainy image was the secretary, giving Persephone's Pomegranate to a broad-shouldered man dressed in all black, the brim of a fedora obscuring any facial recognition.

"I'll ask you one more time, Natsuo-san. Who was the person that helped you commit this crime?"

"A-All right, I'll tell you! I'll tell you everything that I know! I-" Just when was he about to say anything else to the detective and the police force, the glass behind Natsuo shattered, followed by five, consecutive crimson geysers suddenly bursting from his chest. Shinichi could only watch in utter shock as the victim's personal assistant fell onto the ground. In a matter of seconds, Natsuo had been demoted from being a prime suspect in a criminal investigation, to a corpse just like Kusanagi-san.

When Kusanagi Mimi released a high-pitched scream, pandemonium and chaos reigned supreme in the meeting room.

xPFx

It was lot harder to knock out Inspector Megure and take his place in the banquet hall than the Phantom Thief had anticipated. Despite being an officer in his mid to late forties, he was a lot more observant than people have given him credit for; either that, or he's picked up a few habits from working with Shin-chan for so long. Regardless, KID successfully infiltrated the area and plucked his dear critic from the chaos before Snake, or whoever made at least a dozen holes in the unfortunate Natsuo-san. Thankfully, the girl did not kick up too much of a fuss as he pulled her back, away from the recently deceased PA. Taking advantage of the momentary shock and confusion, he pulled a small spray bottle from his sleeve and quickly spritzed the girl. His particular blend of sleeping gas was extremely potent and fast-acting, and almost immediately, Shinichi swayed before collapsing in his arms. Under the pretext of taking care of her, he stepped out of the room where the chaos was unfolding, neatly sidestepping the array of officers that were pouring in, having heard the gunshots and the glass shattering.

Holding her carefully, he bounded over to the fire escape and used the stairs to make his way to the ground floor. Quickly removing his disguise and stuffing it into the backpack he had kept prepared, he transformed into Kuroba Kaito. Adjusting Shinichi so that he was holding her up, he walked out through the fire exit, exiting into the alley behind the hotel. He used his phone to call Jii-san and tell him his location. Supporting Shinichi's entire weight on himself, he walked out to the edge of the alley, where Jii-san had pulled up with the car. To any bystander, it would have seemed like the girl had collapsed on him and he was helping her out. He even gave her the occasional shake for good measure. Helping her into the car, he got in beside her, and signalled to Jii-san to start the car.

He could not risk KID being sighted anywhere near the scene, as he was already being suspected of murder. There was no doubt in his mind that once the media had gotten wind on about what happened at the hotel, it would be even more difficult for the Phantom Thief to continue his search for Pandora. As much as he hated to admit it, the nightly shows would have to be cancelled until his (slightly) pristine name was cleared from committing first-degree murder.

Fifteen to twenty minutes later, Jii-chan and Kaito arrived at the Blue Parrot. With both gentleman supporting Shinichi's limp frame, they were able to carry the young woman up the stairs and into a room that the billiards owner used to help KID plan his next heist. According to his estimation, the sleeping gas would be wearing off, and the sleuth would wake up any moment. He hurriedly changed into his signature white suit, complete with monocle and top hat. Kuroba Kaito gave way to the jewel thief, Kaitou KID. The stage was set, and all that remained was for the show to begin.

Jii-chan, aware what exactly was going to happen between the young lady and his Young Master, left the establishment on the pretense that he had to get a few things at the store. The older man was not too keen on having Kuroba Kaito revealing everything to the very sleuth who wanted to put him behind bars for his crimes as KID. However, Jii had a soft spot for Kudo Shinichi, and knew that the girl had a good heart. Perhaps, just perhaps, things might turn out for the better. Besides, he could see that his Bocchan had been facing extreme inner turmoil. If this was the only solution, then so be it.

xPFx

Azure orbs blinked once, then twice, before Shinichi released a low groan, suddenly assaulted by a wave of nausea and exhaustion.

"What...happened?" The dark-haired sleuth whispered, to no one in particular, as her eyes adjusted to the surroundings. "All I remember...is confronting Natsuo-san, and then he...he died. Isn't that right?"

"I do apologise for the extremely un-gentlemanly behaviour, Kudo-chan. Or, as we know each other, my dear Tantei-chan?"

Shinichi snapped to attention, as she analysed the words. She knew that velvet voice like the back of her hand, and those polite tones too. She almost couldn't believe it, but decided to say it out loud, more as a confirmation for herself.

"KID." The Detective of the East said with gritted teeth and pushed herself up from the futon underneath her, but was suddenly attacked by more fatigue. "Damn. What the hell did you use? And more importantly, how did you bypass the security at the hotel without tipping yourself off to Inspector Nakamori?"

"A magician never reveals his secrets, Tantei-chan. You of all people should know that by now~." The most wanted criminal in Japan countered with a shark-like grin and mischievous wink. Unfortunately for KID, his response did very little to calm down the furious detective.

"Robbery, a suspect of first-degree murder, and now kidnapping. Are you trying to paint an even bigger target on your back by saving a damsel in distress, you idiotic magician? Or is this some half-assed attempt to confront those men in black again, when you don't even know that Persephone's Pomegranate is Pandora?" Shinichi snapped, her blue orbs darkening at the white-clad thief. "

To her increasing anger, the magician's response was a soft, knowing smirk. It was bordering on patronising, the kind that appear when someone gives a child when they narrate a discovery or an event that is common knowledge. "I see you've done your homework, Kudo-chan. And very thoroughly too. I'll add a bit to that and tell you that Persephone's Pomegranate is not Pandora. It was never actually my target at all. The heist was just to throw the Organisation off the track."

"Then why send me a heist note that you'd be stealing The Hound of Baskervilles from the rare book collection? That isn't like you, and there hadn't been any rumors of a hidden jewel in that particular novel."

"Because my target was never any jewel. The only target I had this time was you. I knew you would come if I targeted a valuable Holmes book, a first-edition no less." His lips curled into a smile. "I was right, wasn't I, Shin-chan~?"

Shinichi's eyes widened, as she tried to take this in. The elaborate heist was a ruse to get to her? Why would he do that? Her mind was running a mile a minute as she tried to make sense of everything. Also, something about the nickname that the Phantom Thief used to address her rubbed her the wrong way. It didn't feel wrong to hear him call her that, but they were not quite that familiar. "D-Don't call me that."

"Oh? And why ever not?"

"Because...you don't have the right to address me like that." Shinichi stammered, her glare wavering ever so slightly as she looked at the Phantom Thief straight in the eye. "We might be rivals, sometimes friends, but at the end, you and I are on different sides. And in light of recent events, I've come to realize that's all that you are to me: a client who approached me with a task I cannot complete. Furthermore, you are the Kaitou KID. You can just disappear and reappear to your heart's content, whether it's to engage in an intellectual game or steal a gem while putting on show for the audience. You...you're not there. Not like...like how a friend should be. Not like how another magician friend of mine has been there for me when I needed someone the most. To me...he is the true magician, someone I will always hold in the highest regard and cherish until the end of my days. No one else can hold a candle to Kuroba Kaito. Not even you, KID."

KID smirked, but his eyes were shadowed by the brim of his hat. "Well, if you say so. I'll take your word for it, Tantei-chan. However, I do disagree with you about one thing."

Shinichi's eyes narrowed. KID's politely charming tones always threw her off balance, and she could never quite predict what he would do next. Taking a chance, she decided to go along with his games. "I don't recall asking for your opinion on the matter, KID."

"I do think I'm entitled to an opinion. Seeing as I am the matter. Wouldn't you agree, hmm?" The gentleman thief asked. The Detective of the East raised an eyebrow at him. "You are, to a certain degree, but what are you getting at? I'd prefer to not beat around the bush when it comes to a discussion like this."

"I'm quite hurt by the fact that you hold this Kuroba Kaito in such high regard, while you wound my pride with your razor-sharp words. It is rather unfair to say that I cannot hold a candle to him. I'm pretty certain that if there is anyone in the world who can match up to either of us, it would be the other. Kuroba Kaito and Kaitou KID."

The coffee-haired sleuth blinked at the Phantom Thief in utter confusion. It wasn't unusual for KID to speak in riddles, especially when she had confronted him on the rooftops as Edogawa Agatha, but this felt...different. More complex, more cryptic? Were those even the right words to describe KID's unusual speech pattern?

"What are you getting at?" Shinichi asked after a long, uneasy silence fell upon the dimly-lit room.

The Phantom Thief, who had not moved from his position since his critic regained consciousness, took a step forward, another one and then another. Within three strides, he was standing at barely an arm's distance from Shinichi. All the mischief that danced in his dark blue eyes vanished, and steadfastly locked onto her own. His voice was low, serious and shaking as he spoke.

"For so long, everyone has been dying to know who the elusive Phantom Thief was under the monocle and hat. But after all that's happened, after everything we've been through as rivals and sometimes friends, I've decided to take a leap of faith. You're the only person whom I truly trust, and you're the only one whom I would trust with my identity, even when you could potentially reveal it to the police."

Taking a deep breath, KID continued, still maintaining eye contact with the sleuth as he placed a hand over his bone-white hat, tipping it forward ever so slightly. Shinichi felt dread settle in her stomach as she waited for him to finish speaking. His next words made her world tilt sideways.

"Do it, Shin-chan. Unmask the Kaitou KID."

Despite being able to find the one truth behind Kusanagi-san's murder, the prime suspect has offed and Shinichi is given an offer she couldn't refuse. Or will she resist the temptation to unmask the Phantom Thief and remain ignorant of KID's true identity? 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)