A/N: And we are finally in New York. The bolded parts are when people are speaking in English as you might remember from my previous fics and chapters. I got once again some of the original case but I'm sure you understand and remember all the clues and how it will end. Yes, the investigations are still ongoing. Oh, about the English. It's mostly the same that was printed in the original manga files. If there's some changes made by yours truly, then they are something minor.
The fifth file: The middle year
Sub-file two: Broadway murder (On stage)
Ran didn't sleep at all during the next five hours in the plane. Shugo didn't either as he kept reading his books. Instead, the both of them fell asleep in Yukiko's car. Silvery Jaguar E-type.
Shugo didn't wake up even when Ran did in time to see the Statue of Liberty. Nope, he slept all the way to the theater, even through Yukiko's driving.
"How you could sleep through that all, I'll probably never figure out." Shinichi grumbled when they came to stop and Shugo yawned as he woke up.
"What? The great detective won't figure something out? That's a first." Shugo grinned sleepily before yawning again from his seat at the back of the Jaguar. "Hm? Why is Ran-chan on the front seat?"
"I had to help those two with some insane trick." The girl said weakly.
"Ho? What was it?" The hacker leant forward.
"Shinichi and I leant out of the window while Yukiko-san made this car tilt onto two wheels only!"
"But we got here just an hour earlier." Yukiko chirped. "Without troubles!"
"You sure?" Shugo glanced at the rearview mirror that showed him a police car stopping behind them.
"License and registration, please!" The New Yorker cop asked Yukiko.
"OK, OK…" The actress sweatdropped and gave the asked identifications to the man.
"You have 40 miles overspeeding! Are you playing Dirty Harry?"
"Oh, we were rushing…"
"You look familiar…"
"Well, you might…"
"You might have met her in some case…" A new voice joined the conversation. Shugo looked through the window to see Radish Redwood who was actually Sharon Vineyard in disguise. Quite impressive work with that mask. Helping Kaito had given Shugo the tools to look for differences and signs for masks and this one was obviously a masterful job. "She is working with us…"
"Captain!?" The police officer gasped.
"She is an undercover investigator! She seems to have missed the criminal…"
With three teenagers in the same car with her?
"Radish…"
"Who is this old man?" Shinichi asked.
"Captain Radish Redwood of NYPD. We became acquainted when Yusaku played a role in solving a particular case." Yukiko replied. "His wife is Japanese and he speaks it pretty well himself."
The fake Radish sent the officer on his way and Yukiko had a chance to greet her friend.
"Thanks Radish… You saved my day…"
"Uh-uh… You're thanking the wrong person." The 'man' spoke. "Could you thank me instead? Me, Sharon Vineyard?" The mask came off. Shugo had to blink. Just like that? It was really that easy? While he had seen the masks in action a lot of times last year and used some himself, it was still a surprise to see how easily they came off. This raised a question though… Why did she have the mask of Radish Redwood already prepared? Was she going to insert herself into the search of the serial killer that she'd dress as later on the night?
"Sh-Sharon!? How come?" Yukiko gasped.
"That officer is my fan. We were chatting while I was waiting for you… Then he received a radio call that a silver Jaguar was heading this way at crazy speed." The older actress explained. "I figured it was you so I instantly disguised as Captain. You better be grateful. This men's coat was rather expensive."
"But, is it okay? Everyone's watching you…"
"No problem… I told them it is a part of filming."
"That's why I love you! "
"Kaa-san… Tell me… What is she?" Shinichi asked.
"No way! You don't know? She is America's start actress!" Ran interjected, scandalized. Well, not quite. Shugo couldn't help but smiling at her reaction though.
"I didn't ask 'who'…" Shinichi glared. "I'm asking why the heck such a famous actress can disguise perfectly as someone!"
"Oh, haven't I told you?" Yukiko blinked. "Back when I was just a beginner actress, I got a role as a spy. To build on the character, I studied under a famous Japanese magician for disguising techniques. Sharon was also there for a similar reason. It was then that we became close friends. Of course, I could never become someone as perfectly as Sharon can…"
"I know… What you often did was more like an absurd masquerade than a disguise."
"But I can't believe it!" Ran spoke up once more. "I didn't expect to meet someone so famous in NY… I have to thank God for it." She smiled.
"I wonder… Is there really God?" Sharon said, opening her umbrella as it began raining. "If there is such existence as God, shouldn't all honest hardworking people be happy? That's right… No angel has smiled upon me. Not even once."
Shugo didn't know what to make of those words. It was implied that Vermouth had been a test subject for the Miyano's thus she hated Sherry who continued their work. Not to mention that Miyano Elena was called Hell's Angel. That those tests had ruined her life and chained her to the organization, which was why she placed so much trust on Shinichi to be the Silver Bullet.
And while Shugo knew Vermouth to be a liar and deceiver… He got the feeling that those words just then were genuine. And even though her aura was darkened by the lives she'd taken without remorse… There was some overwhelming sadness over all of it. Shugo didn't know what to think about it. He really didn't.
"W-What do you mean?" Ran asked, interrupting Shugo's ponderings. "No angel had smiled upon you…?"
"It means she had experienced bitters of life! Right, Sharon?" Yukiko answered.
"You bet… My life represents series of misfortunes. My parents died in the fire of my hard-won screen debut. And my husband passed away of illness the day after I won the Oscar… Far different from my daughter Chris… Without trouble she became a successful actress on my coattails…"
Shugo flipped open his phone and searched for the actress's wiki page. With a couple of clicks he hacked his way to the theater's wireless so he wouldn't need to pay sky-high phone bill for using internet abroad. The perks of being talented… But yes, all the info Sharon told them, was found on Wikipedia too. Not surprising really.
"Oh, come on… I know you're proud of her." Even though you've never met her, Yukiko? Since Vermouth can't be two people at the same time…
"I don't consider her a daughter of mine." Sharon retorted. Shugo paused his scrolling. Could it be…? That Vermouth enjoyed being Sharon Vineyard? It was during this year more or less that the actress would 'die' and Chris Vineyard would step into the limelight… But that Vermouth didn't consider 'Chris' as a proper succeeding role after 'Sharon'. In a way Chris was closer to being the assassin personality while Sharon was the informant with all her connections.
"Or maybe I'm overanalyzing things again…" Shugo thought, tuning back to the conversation.
"Anyways, let's go park the car and get to the dressing room already. Besides, those patrons are getting to notice that there is no camera running…"
"But why an hour before the show? If we were here even earlier, we would've been able to talk to the actors in the dressing room without disturbing them." Shinichi grumbled.
"Silly…" Yukiko admonished her son. "Then they would've been just regular people. But not that it is right before the curtain time…"
"Oh, Sharon!"
"You really came!"
"I'm so thrilled!"
Lila Sanchez, Akane Nielson, Rose Hewitt… Three actresses in the main roles of Golden Apple. Shugo wrote up their names to a small notebook he started to keep in his pocket just in case he needed to write up and his phone wasn't available. Besides, even if this performance would end in tragedy on a bloodstained stage, Shugo would gladly to see how the careers of the other actresses would turn out later on.
"Wow, they are all Sharon's fans." Ran noticed.
"Uh-huh… Sharon is close to the chairman of this theatre troupe. When she said she'd come visit the actors, he got her the tickets just like that." Yukiko explained.
"Hey, isn't she…" Akane noticed her.
"Yes. She is the lady detective on the air…" Sharon began the introduction.
"Ohh, Night Baroness!" The three actresses chorused, much to Yukiko's joy.
"Yes!" The 'lady detective' smiled.
"Night Baroness?" Ran frowned in confusion.
"That's her nickname here in the states! See, she is a wife of Kudou Yusaku, the author of Night Baron." Shinichi explained. "As a wife of a mystery writer, kaa-san once appeared on an investigating TV show as a guest. There, all the deductions she made, led to the arrest of the criminal. That's how she became famous as a lady detective…"
"Wow…"
"The fact it, she must have said whatever tou-san mumbled every morning as he read papers…"
"Yukiko-basan really is shameless, isn't she?" Shugo grinned.
"You said it…" Shinichi muttered.
"So are they your children?" Rose asked Yukiko.
"The shorter boy is, but the other two are his friends. Though, she could be my daughter-in-law in the future…" Yukiko whispered.
"How nice!"
"Oh no… I expected Night Baroness to tell us what the weird gift would mean…" Iberis Hamilton joined in. Shugo wrote up her name too. "Now, she is just dropping in with two kids. It's disappointing…"
"Weird gift?" Shinichi asked.
"Three days ago, a gift addressed to the troupe was delivered." Sharon replied. "An apple decorated with golden spray paint. With message 'For the Fairest' inscribed in animal blood.
"That sounds ominous." Shugo remarked. "And considering the synopsis of this show, creepily appropriate."
"Synopsis?" Ran asked. "Shugo, you know what the play is about then?"
"Yes, I read the plot line online. Considering that this is not the very first time this play is on stage, it was quite easy." The hacker shrugged. "Vineyard-san, you made your stage debut with this very play, didn't you?"
"Yes." Sharon nodded. "Now my role is played by Rose."
"Ah… I see." Some roles were traditionally given to certain type of actresses. In this case, young blonde seemed to be the requirement. Shugo tried not to scoff at the thought. With Rose's co-actors being a black woman and an Asian woman, it was no wonder that her role was that of the heroine that'd win the hero's heart for herself. But like the original Greek myth, this night would end in blood.
Heath Flockheart joined his co-actors and the group made their way to the backstage area where costumes and some of the props were held.
"Are you sure it's okay for us to be on the backstage?" Yukiko asked.
"No problem! A narrator will talk for the first 20 minute explaining the original Greek myth in a comical way…" Sharon replied.
"What are those on the ceiling?" Ran pointed out.
"They are costumes for the musical. We hung them from the ceiling so that they won't take up the space."
Shing…
A sound like metal plated chafing against each other was heard. Shugo looked up, trying to see where the armor was falling from. But it was already above them. Everyone moved. Ran pushed Rose to the ground. Shugo felt something to scratch his cheek. Nothing big but enough to sting. The armor crashed to the ground.
"Are you alright, Ran?" Shinichi asked the girl.
"Y-Yeah…" She answered shakily.
"It's me! Somebody is trying to kill me!" Rose shouted. Shugo had to look away from her. This was the first time he paid attention to the murderer before the murder happened. When it was an actual preplanned murder and not accident or moment of rage. Yukionna case didn't count because that spirit was messing with everyone's senses but here…
No guilt at all, and lies falling from her lips. Rose had her core already darkened and it only intensified when she focused on her target, Heath, who was inspecting the rope.
"The rope broke from aging…"
"Who would hang such a heavy armor?" Akane asked.
"Thank God! The great mirror was safe…" Iberis sighed.
"Sure, it's our lucky charm." Rose agreed. Shugo took a subtle step away. It was all he could do that he didn't cover his mouth and nose with his hand. The gesture wouldn't actually do much but it had a calming effect sometimes and eased his nausea.
"You don't owe any thanks to God nor the mirror but to this girl, don't you?" Sharon gestured at Ran.
"Ahhh… Thank you for saving me!" Rose smiled at the girl. "Oops! We've got to go now…"
"See you!" Ran waved when the actors left. "Ow… Oh, I scraped my arm…" She noticed.
"There is not God indeed…" Sharon gave her a handkerchief. "If there were, He wouldn't allow such cruel thing to happen."
"Eh?"
"Well, Yukiko, I'm leaving."
"Huh? Weren't you going to watch the show with us?" Yukiko asked.
"I was going to but… now I've got something to take care of and it seems there's going to be a storm tonight. I'll pass on it…" Vermouth's aura flared momentary. Shugo gulped quietly. This was the true aura of hers. Something stronger and more pungent that Yamato's. The true face of the assassin.
"Shugo, are you alright? You went so pale." Ran asked him.
"I'm fine." The boy tried to smile reassuringly. When he turned his head, Ran seemed to catch sight of something.
"You are bleeding!"
"Eh?" He touched his left cheek and his fingers came back bloody. "So I am… I felt something scraping me when the armor fell. Maybe a piece of it flew up when it crashed."
"And you didn't notice?" Ran began dabbing away the blood with her handkerchief. Thankfully the scratch wasn't bleeding too much and most likely wouldn't even leave a scar.
"Nope!"
"What should I do with you, Shugo? I always need to watch after you…"
"Always?!"
"If I hadn't dragged you to other's you probably would've remained by the school gates for the entirety of the year."
"That was nine years ago!"
The musical was good if a bit cliché. But Shugo could always enjoy just the music and the setting itself. Yukiko and Ran both kept gushing about everything while Shinichi… Well, he was bored. And then went to explain the original Greek myth and how it applied to the musical to Ran.
"That's the Greek myth." Yukiko said. "This musical is different. You'll be surprised when you learn the true identity of the shabby-looking aristocrat."
Shugo glanced at the man.
"I know how it was in the previous versions of this play but… I'm still not sure if I accept such mixture of lores…" He stated.
"Eh? What do you mean Shugo?" Ran asked.
"Ah! Don't spoil it to them, Shuu-chan!" Yukiko cut in. Shugo just shrugged and tuned back to the performance.
The 'Paris' of the play was revealed to be the Archangel Michael. Shugo shared the sentiments about the turnabout with Shinichi, not that he voiced them aloud.
Then came the time for Heath Flockheart to be lifted from behind the mirror. Smoke covered the stage almost completely and spilled into the first rows of the audience, too. And the laser sight streaked across the air and smoke, creating a bridge between the stage and the balcony seats, and also a distraction if needed.
But Shugo traced its path with his eyes and noticed something crucial. Something that Shinichi didn't know to look for yet…
The laser's angle was too low for Heath to be shot from the air. From this point of view it was obvious that either one of the actresses had been the target or the one targeting. While Shugo already knew the solution to the case, he still wanted to see himself what he could notice and derive deductions from them and see how they fit into the final picture the puzzle would form.
The angel rose, in his pure white robe and white wings extending from his back… and blood staining his clothes and face.
"Dead angel…" Shugo whispered. Next to him Shinichi got on his feet and when the audience began to move, the detective boy made his way to the balcony seats. Yukiko pulled Ran with her to safety. Shugo remained in his seat until the theater was empty. The only people left were him and the dead person. And Shinichi plus some staff. But Shugo sat in his seat and watched the fresh corpse in morbid fascination. It was quite artistic in a way but also told about the sick mind Rose had.
The hacker turned the sounds back on his phone. No new messages or unanswered calls.
Someone called the police. Sirens echoed in the distance.
"Jesus Christ! I can't believe it's Heath…" Radish Redwood, this time the real one, said when seeing the victim.
"You know him, Captain?" His dark-skinned, colleague asked.
"My wife is his big fan… What's going on?"
"I crammed actors in a room, but most of the audience have flown… Of course there is also that boy who according to staff haven't moved from his seat since the commotion started…" The officer pointed at Shugo who was tapping away on his phone. "The bullet went through his chest, and was buried in the wing on his back…"
"In the wing…" Redwood muttered and turned the body on its side. "Here it is…"
"According to his wound, the bullet was shot down from the angle of 40 degrees…"
"40? Such a high-angle…"
"It's reasonable. The killer shot from the terrace over there…" Yukiko stepped up. "Using a laser sight as his guide…"
"Oh, Night Baroness!" The officer smiled.
"Yukiko?" Redwood frowned. "What are you doing here?"
"I happened to be watching the show… Of course, I never expected a musical to turn into a mystery…" The actress explained. "The gun was fired at the climax scene when an angel appeared. It's a translunary scene… The actor himself rises from behind the mirror as an image of the angel projected on the mirror slides up. With the effects of smoke screen and explosive sounds, the angel looks as if he emerged from the mirror."
"So you are saying the killer shot Heath from the terrace at the moment of his appearance…"
"Exactly… The gun was dropped right after to create even bigger confusion. This way he could escape from the crime scene more easily."
"But are you sure the killer shot from the terrace?"
"Positive! Because of the smokescreen on the stage, I could clearly see a beam of red light running from the terrace to the stage… My son and his friend saw the light as well."
"Your son?"
"See, he's right beside you…"
Shinichi pulled Redwood's cheek, earning the man's ire.
"This is Shinichi you always talk about?!" The Captain asked.
"Uh-huh. Doesn't he resemble Yusaku a lot? He's a little rascal just like his father." Yukiko smiled. Redwood's attention was attracted the by one of his subordinates and he turned away from the Japanese to talk with them.
"Yukiko-san… What is Shugo doing still at the seats?" Ran asked the woman.
"I don't know…" The actress frowned. "Do you know, Shin-chan?"
"… I stopped by when the police arrived. Midorikawa just said he was staying there to keep in his mind the angle the laser sight had. According to him, it was too steep angle for Heath to be shot once he was in the air." The young detective replied. "Then he began doing something with his phone and haven't moved since. But what he implied with his statement… I agree with him."
"Yukiko, you were right." Redwood spoke again. "There was a suspicious individual who reserved the terrace of all seats a month earlier. Unfortunately, the sex of the person is unknown since the face was covered with a scarf and a hat."
"Then that person's got to be it…" Yukiko mused.
"Why is it 'the terrace of all seats'? I thought terraces are expensive and good." Ran asked.
"Nah. From that angle the stage is hard to see. That one especially is a cheap seat." Shinichi answered. "It leaves a strong impression if a masked individual reserves such seat… And that's exactly how the killer wanted it to be."
"Distractions…" Shugo had walked the way to the front of the stage and agilely climbed on it. "What we heard about the apple, the falling armor, the laser sight and masked individual buying seats… They are all distractions for us."
"You are correct." Shinichi nodded slowly. "And apparently the acoustics are great here is you could hear all the information all the way back to your seat."
"Yes, now that has been tested too."
Shinichi crouched to examine the body while Shugo remained standing behind him. Meanwhile Ran was speaking to Yukiko and Redwood.
"Then why don't you let Shinichi solve the case?" She asked, with later explanation prompting Yukiko to approach her son and ask for his insight to the case.
And thus they made their way to the backstage. Shugo sent a quick message to Yamato who in respose sent him s picture of palm trees and… Sataa Andagi? That was the Okinawan treat called, right? Shugo remembered it from Azumanga Daioh… All the mangas he read after his sister… Some good, some bad and some plain ridiculous… Azumanga Daioh was part of the good ones though…
"Well, I hope he as good time there."
A/N: And cut! We are leaving the stage so I'm cutting the chapter and case here. I hope you've likes this thus far. :)
Vermouth is a complicated character. I honestly don't know what to think of her. Neither doe Shugo but he very much wants to stay out of her radar.
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-Mystery0028:
I hope you liked this chapter. The next part comes... hopefully soon.
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I wrote a one-shot. But it spoils things like a lot... Hmm... Oh, there is a community made for my fics to this verse world. Leaping into Dream, same than the forum and future sequel fic.