Chapter 10: The Inspector's Conclusion

After falling victim to an assassination attempt, Kaito finally regains consciousness. There, he comes into terms with the options he has at hand. But first, a certain inspector wishes to speak to him...

By the time Kaito was able to see again, he found himself lying in a strange place.

The ground he lay on was perfectly flat and dark as the void of space. He could not quite tell what material it was or feel it all. Above him, a plain white sky was there. Normally, Kaito would have appreciated such a serene view, if it weren't for the presence of an obnoxiously bright yellow light shining down on his eyes from somewhere. He knew it was not the sun since there was no warmth to it.

His body lay on its back, so Kaito lifted his head to look at himself. Weird. His head was either really heavy or his neck didn't have enough strength. No, it was something else.

An invisible force held him down. He didn't like it, so he began trying to lift his arms but his body disobeyed him. His breathing began to pick up in rhythm.

Suddenly, odd shapes rose and formed from the ground. They lifted up like a straight column and then wobbled into shape. His confused mind struggled to comprehend what they were even though it was clearly exactly what it looked like.

Human figures with the heads of crows.

Much like real birds, they turned and tilted their heads erratically. Their emotionless eyes blinked as they stared at Kaito. Under their gaze, they were looking at him and yet not seeing him, as if identifying Kaito as something other than what he is.

Much to his horror, one of them started to peck at him. It tore off a piece of his skin and consumed it, revealing black feathers underneath. One by one, the birds all began to pick away at his flesh. Strangely, he felt no pain. In silent panic, he watched them peel away his exterior self, eventually showing his true colors.

He had become one of them.

Slowly, the images faded away. It was not the first time he had that bizarre nightmare.

Taking in a deep breath while keeping his eyes closed, Kaito focused his attention on what his body currently felt. There was no need to dwell on the surreal scenario.

Something was tightly wrapped around his right hand, holding his wrist in a stiff position with something soft. It must be some bandages. But how did he get hurt there? Oh well, at least the wrapping felt well done. The pain in his forearm and side was slowly becoming more and more apparent after he woke up. He'll have to ask Jii to bring him some painkillers later. For now, he just wanted to sleep some more.

…

…

Wait. No, Jii was gone. Memories of the dreaded morning played behind his closed eyes.

Determined to face reality and dispel those visions, Kaito pried his heavy eyelids wide open. He could barely muster a sigh as he fully took in the fact that he was not at home. He should have known since the distinct artificial smell of antiseptic filled the air around him but wishful thinking got the better of him.

The events of the Whisper of Lady Green heist washed over him. An unpleasant taste was left in Kaito's mouth when he recalled that he had been stabbed by Spider's needles and subsequently passed out some time after the heist. Someone must have found him and sent him to a hospital. He had his Kaitou Kid equipment with him at the time, so it was going to be near impossible to lie his way out especially when it came to the needles with his blood on it and the stolen gem inside the sports bag.

Looking at his right arm, it was wrapped firmly with gauze pads. He frowned when he saw that there was still fresh red seeping through the bandaging. The wound hadn't closed properly yet it seemed. How long has it been anyways? Kaito flexed his fingers experimentally but winced when a deep pain shot through his arm in response. He really wanted to sit up. But after feeling his arm, he wasn't sure if he wanted to apply force to his abdominals. Similar to his arm, his side was thickly bandaged up too.

On his left side, he could count at least three bags that were hung above his bed. All their contents were fed into him via an intravenous needle taped to his left forearm. From squinting, Kaito could determine that one of them was giving him the blood coagulant and transfusion that counteracted whatever Spider poisoned him with. The other suspended bags he could only guess that they kept him hydrated or sedated, or both. He noticed that the lethargic calm he felt clouding his mind and dulling his senses was not natural. If anything, he should be in a panic about his situation.

More unusually, or predictably, was a pair of handcuffs linking his left wrist to the bed frame. His bandaged right arm's width was too much for handcuffs, in addition to being injured.

Gently running his free hand through his hair, Kaito felt his fingers getting caught on the bobby-pins hidden on a few spots. Reassured that he could free himself at any point, he relaxed his body. It's not like his only free hand was in any shape to move or lock pick properly anyway. Perhaps he'll give it a try after another nap.

Looking at his hands again, he then noticed the faint remnants of a dark blue ink on his fingertips. Kaito let his hands fall limply back down at his sides, a sigh escaping his nose. The police had taken his prints while he was out of it. Now he just had to hope his mother had at least done a solid job at covering their tracks nine years ago in hopes of stalling the police. And after that, he'll think of a way to slither out of this place. There was no way he was going to sit idle and let the police send him to prison.

That will be a guaranteed death sentence if they found out.

Although the lesion on his temple took a while to completely close up, Nakamori was fit as a fiddle. The toxicology lab reported that the mix of toxins in his blood was too low to present any danger and should be completely neutralized in a few days. After reporting about his injury and poisoning at the heist, the inspector was given a small break.

After a two day resting period, Nakamori should be feeling much better, yet he found himself tapping a finger nervously against his steering wheel on the way to the hospital. That morning, he had been told by the guards at the hospital ward that Kaitou Kid regained consciousness and had recovered enough to speak. As the leading inspector of the task force, he needed to talk to the phantom thief.

Under the pretense of still feeling unwell from the heist, Nakamori dismissed himself from his office at the police headquarters. Not even his colleagues were allowed to know about Kid's status. As he parked his car, he could spot a few of his men as plainclothes officers stationed around the perimeter. According to the blond detective, they had to be vigilant.

Speaking of Hakuba, the inspector had yet to receive any new information since the night of the heist. School likely delayed the detective's progress but Nakamori still wished to wring every last drop of intel out of Hakuba. How dare the brat hide relevant information and evidence from an inspector when he was just a self-proclaimed detective? Even with days passed, Nakamori remained fuming about that part.

At any rate, Nakamori had a feeling Hakuba was going to drop by later since he should be in class at the current hour of the day. Right when the teen detective was going to arrive, the inspector planned to intercept and grill him.

During his ride on the elevator to the private ward, Nakamori adjusted his tie and made sure his suit had no wrinkles or food crumbs on it. Usually, he would only be fussing about his appearance on his way to see Superintendent Chaki at his office. Somehow the idea of visiting Kaitou Kid made him on edge. How should he present himself when he walks in?

Nakamori settled on a professional stoic air, even though the urge to throw a whirlwind of questions at the thief was immense. After one last check with the guards, he was allowed through the door with a knock. He held his breath and mentally crossed his fingers for things to go well.

The inspector's ears barely registered the sound of the sliding door closing, leaving him alone with the thief inside the room. The bed was positioned at the furthest corner close to a reinforced window, in a way that allowed him to see Kid's profile upon walking in. Kid was sitting up and focused on the view outside, looking more lively than the last time Nakamori saw him.

A blue eye looked towards Nakamori with a side glance. Clearly pretending to have not heard the door being knocked beforehand, Kid turned his head in false surprise and smiled a little too cheerfully. "What a pleasant surprise! It's you, Inspector Nakamori!"

Cautiously, Nakamori remained silent. Even bed bound, this was still an internationally wanted criminal. Or at least someone capable of playing that role. His eyes immediately landed at some handcuffs resting at the foot of the bed. Where did those come from? He then noticed that Kid had gotten his cuffed hand freed and was resting them both innocently clasped on his lap.

Out of reflexes built up from heists, Nakamori broke the silence with an angry finger pointing at the handcuffs. "You- How?!"

"Heh! Really now, Inspector? Did you forget who I am?" The classic self-assured smirk lifted the corner of Kid's mouth. "Don't worry. I'm in no shape to run anytime soon and I plan to enjoy this hospitality in the meantime!"

Snatching the handcuffs away and storing it in his pocket, Nakamori clicked his tongue at how easily Kid had made him lose his cool. "I still can't believe it was just some brat behind the hat and monocle…"

"…" Kid held his gaze on the man. His face betrayed nothing but his silence hinted at his discomfort at Nakamori's remark.

Taking no chances of letting Kid conjure a trick or a game to derail the course of conversation, Nakamori dove into his foremost question amongst his laundry list of other questions for the thief. "What happened to the first Kaitou Kid?"

For once, it was Kid who broke eye contact first and stared ahead into nothing. "I don't know what you mean, Inspector. There has always been only one."

As he predicted, Kid was going to be as slippery in conversation as he was during heists. But Nakamori had been the man who could keep up with the elusive thief's romps for many years in a row. He was not going to back down. "Don't play stupid with me. You and I both know that you're way too young to be the same Kaitou Kid as the one that first appeared almost twenty years ago in Paris."

With an answer ready to go, Kid's smile widened. "Or maybe, I'm just a big fan!"

"Humph. I'd consider that, if it weren't for how damn near identical your methods and skills are to the original one. My career spent in fraud cases has taught me that even copycat schemes have their own small variations."

The smile remained unfaltering. "Dedication to my idol is my main drive, Inspector."

"No, it means that you've known the first Kaitou Kid and were close enough to learn under him."

"…" Kid dropped the bright grin he had, opting to tone it down to a placid half-smile. "Fine, I did know the original Kid. But why does it matter?"

Alright! Seems like when the thief was confronted with a solid and persistent argument, he would give in eventually. Preparing for the uphill battle, Nakamori continued. "Then you should know what happened to him."

"Inspector, what makes you think that something happened? He could have very well just passed the title to me and retired."

A solid reasoning, if not for the obvious attempt at dismissing a discrepancy. "Twenty years is a long time, Kid. I had plenty of opportunities to do my research on a criminal that I'm investigating. The first Kid was active for ten years, and you were reaching the end of your second year of activity and nearing your third. You think I won't take note of the eight year time gap in between?"

It was hard not to notice the sudden halt of Kaitou Kid's announcements after nearly a decade of consistent heists. Even if the original took the time off to train the new Kid, why then go completely silent for eight years?

Kid maintained his indifferent tone. "And what of it?"

"The transition was too abrupt, which means something happened during that time gap and caused the first Kaitou Kid to be unable to act."

"Like I said, he retired from the role." The thief insisted on that explanation.

Nakamori would have preferred not to point this out. It somehow felt like a cheap shot since the Kid in front of him had been exceedingly capable and on par with the first. "B-but you're just a child! You should be in school right now. I can't imagine an adult letting someone as young as you run around with a white suit and annoying the living crap out of the police."

A hollow laugh escaped Kid's throat. "Perhaps I'm just that awesome!"

In Nakamori's mind, Kaitou Kid had always been an honorable and good natured man, thievery and tricks aside. Sending a teenager out to heists seemed out of character. Heck, the younger Kid almost died during the previous heist! Nakamori could only imagine that the boy was masquerading as his mentor out of coercion or adolescent impulse. The original could not show up to stop the teen or help because…

…

"He's …dead, isn't he?" Nakamori drew his conclusion out loud.

"…!" Kid's shoulder hitched ever so slightly. Realizing that he had shown a reaction to the man's words, he chose not to deny it. "Not bad, Inspector… I clearly underestimated you."

At last, the inspector had peeled back a layer off of the mystery that is Kaitou Kid. But much like the night he saw the boy's face without the monocle and hat, Nakamori felt rather despondent over his new discovery. Knowing that a man he had held some form of respect for had passed away without him knowing about it didn't sit well with him.

Nakamori allowed himself to stew in silence, while Kid stared out at the window.

"How long have I been here?"

Kid's voice pulled Nakamori out of his thoughts. "Hm, about two days now."

For a moment, Kid froze. "I…see." The youth looked uncharacteristically disappointed and downcast but that was quickly replaced with his usual smirk.

Great. The man resisted the urge to groan from the pang of pity he felt. Kid had always been good at toying with people's feelings. Fine, the thief had won this round. Scratching the side of his cheek with a finger, Nakamori tried offering him a source of comfort. "Do you… want anything? I can bring it to you."

Kid blinked at the inspector with widened eyes after hearing the unexpected offer. "Really? Anything?"

Nakamori then remembered that he needed to add restrictions. He was not about to let the thief get his own way just from that. "One thing only, and it can't be anything that will help you escape. Got it?"

"Hm…" In a dramatic show of deep consideration, Kid held his chin with his uninjured hand. The intravenous tube stuck to his wrist followed the motion. "A coat, preferably with a hood."

Nakamori lifted a confused brow. Of all things he expected the thief to request, it was not something as mundane as that. He had predicted something more…extreme, like takeout from an expensive restaurant or a retry at the heist. Heck, he was even willing to lend the guy a phone to call his associates or his family, while under monitoring of course.

Kid forced a laugh and looked at him like the reason was obvious. "I do feel a little cold, Inspector."

Naturally, Kaito knew that his answer sounded ridiculous. His room was perfectly warm, but there was a lingering cold ache he could not warm up in his body. Although it didn't cause him real pain, it worsened the dull gnawing he had felt in his chest recently. But he would never admit that out loud.

If asked any further, he planned to say that he didn't like having his face exposed, which was also true. Fortunately, Nakamori didn't press. The man excused himself and left the room with a shallow bow.

The visit from the inspector felt like it went on for so long. Alone at last, Kaito's straight posture slackened and a sigh deflated his chest.

Two days…Which meant that he had missed Jii's funeral.

The idea that he had to attend the ceremony as 'Kurokawa Haneji' irked him before. But now he had missed the ceremony in its entirety. Kaito chewed his bottom lip and cursed his luck. If only that Spider hadn't shown his ugly mug that night, then he wouldn't be stuck inside a hospital under police custody and having to plan a daring escape soon.

Less than an hour later, the inspector walked back from his errand. Nakamori rested the paper bag on a visitor's chair while he pulled out the requested item. With an extended arm, he presented it to Kaito while avoiding direct eye contact out of stiff pride. He cleared his throat. "I hope this fits you. I have no idea what size you wear."

Kaito stared at the neatly folded article before beaming and snickering in Kid-like fashion. "Ooh, I knew you would deliver, Inspector! You even picked my favorite color! How did you know that?"

The remark caught the man off guard. "Eh?" Upon looking more closely at the item he was holding out, Nakamori spat out a curse. "Hush it, Kid. It was the only available option." Under his breath, the man mumbled about not paying attention while he picked.

"Don't be so shy! I know you're a considerate man, even to a gentleman thief like me!"

The trap had been laid out and triggered.

For the next few hours, Nakamori was figuratively led in circles by Kaito. Letting the thief start talking nonsense after he caught the inspector's fumbling reaction was a big mistake, for the man at least. As for Kaito, he went on unrelated tangents and hypothetical rants as payback for making him slip out the truth about a sensitive topic. Ah, Inspector Nakamori still fell for his antics despite being sharp on rare occasions.