SailorStar9: With Chapter 36 uploaded, this is Chapter 37 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?

Disclaimers: I own absolutely nothing, except this plot and the pairing.

Pairing: Developing!Furuya Rei/Mizuno Ami

Chapter 37: Metropolitan Police Detective Love Story 9, Truth


In the Police Headquarters...

The other detectives in the Sato fanclub were gathered around Yumi and Miike, listening in to Yumi's recollection.

"I have returned..." Chiba peered into the office. "What's up with this heavy air?" he gaped at the unsettling atmosphere that came over the room.

"Chiba," Yumi rested a hand on his shoulder. "The truth is..."


In Shiga's apartment...

"I found it." Sato pulled out the empty takeaway box from the trash bag. "The production date is 8/13, and the same date as the newspaper."

"I read the newspaper every day." Shiga remarked.

"However, if you're just keeping him for a week, you can't just serve sweets, bento boxes and ramen cups to kids." Sato chided. "You should consider improving your lifestyle a bit. Noriya-kun is still growing up. Takagi-kun, did you confirm it with the convenience store?"

"The store had a footage of it." Takagi nodded. "Yesterday, Yasutomi-san was there buying dinner at around 6 o'clock on the evening of 8/13. There was also footage of Toshinari-san and Noriya-kun shopping at the same time. I also confirmed there was a traffic accident half a year ago on the street in front of the flower shop next to the convenience store. It seems a driver panicked and lost control of steering after a girl suddenly jumped into the street. After he ran over the girl, he crashed at the guard rail. That's when the driver lost consciousness. The people who witnessed the crash called the ambulance immediately, and the driver managed to stay alive. However, the girl's clothes were entangled and she couldn't move from under the car, so nobody knew she was there. She passed away after her body was found later. According to the driver, it seemed as if she was being chased by someone."

"So then, what does this relate to this murder case?" Sato wondered.

"It seems one of the store employees witnessed it." Takagi whispered. "He saw Toshinari-san running away from the scene. And the girl who died actually is..."

"That's right." Shiga confirmed. "My sister, Mika, was the one who passed away. Ever since that day, I come by the scene every day and place flowers there."

"Nii-san, did your sister have anything bothering her?" Conan inquired. "For example, a stalker."

"She only mentioned that once before, but that's all." Shiga stammered.

"I'll open the windows for some fresh air." Haibara pulled the curtains apart.

"The sun is already setting." Ayumi gaped. "We have to go."

"Don't you have dishes here?" Conan turned to Makabe.

"I think we have plastic dishes." Makabe replied.

"What happened to your leg?" Conan spotted the black-and-blue bruises on Makabe's thigh. "There's some pinch marks on it."

"Maybe I got pinched by a crab or something." Makabe guessed.

"Tell me, while you were watching Kamen Yaiba yesterday..." Conan whispered into Makabe's ear.

"I was holding it while watching the movie." Makabe confirmed.

"Anyway, when the crime took place between 7 to 9 pm, both Toshinari-san and Noriya-kun who live next to the crime scene were watching TV and couldn't hear anything else because of that." Sato concluded. "Then, maybe we should see the residents of the other rooms."

"But this apartment is scheduled for demolishment next year." Takagi pointed out. "The other resident is living on the 2nd floor, but he's staying at his grandchild's place last night."

"Haibara, take them away." Conan instructed.

"Alright, everyone." Haibara ushered the others out. "Let's go to the Professor's and play games there. Why don't you come with us, Noriya-kun?" she offered. "We have a lot to ask about the game. Also, I don't think you want to sleep next to a murder scene."

"You're not going with them?" Shiga spotted Conan was still there.

"Nope." Conan nodded. "More importantly, why did you move into an apartment that's about to be torn down next year?"

"I wanted to live in a different environment." Shiga replied. "I used to live together with my sister, but she passed away in that accident."

"But you only moved here a month ago." Conan pointed out. "You'd normally buy a lot of stuff life pots and fry pans. But, there's nothing here."

"I'm bad at cooking, so I only have fast food." Shiga explained.

"But, there aren't any detergents, scrubbing brushes or sponges beside the kitchen sink, which means no cups or dishes, either." Conan stated.

"I was going to buy them soon." Shiga answered.

"That's how it is." Conan noted. "I thought for a moment, maybe you just intended to move as soon as you killed Yasutomi-san."

"Hold on, Conan-kun." Sato started. "What's going on? Toshinari-san was watching TV when the crime took place between 7 to 9 pm, along with Noriya-kun."

"But Noriya-kun told me, he said he wanted to go to the toilet when the movie was on." Conan remarked. "Which means he's miss at least two minutes of the movie."

"Rental DVD." Takagi realized. "If the movie is being broadcasted, then it means it's also available for rental. It must be in the market."

"If he got a copy beforehand and played it secretly, then fast-forward the film where nobody is there, it'd seem to a kid that it's still TV footage." Sato pondered.

"But Toshinari-san, at the night of 8/13, you spent your time playing with Noriya-kun, isn't that correct?" Takagi was puzzled.

"Before and after the movie." Shiga nodded.

"Then, it's impossible for him to commit the crime." Takagi told Conan.

"Was that really the night of 8/13?" Conan posted a question.

"He had Noriya confirm the date on the newspaper that day." Takagi reminded.

"Then, maybe I'm mistaken here." Conan pondered. "Stores don't sell newspaper from the future."

"Tabloid newspapers." Sato gaped. "If it was a promotional newspaper, they'd have tomorrow's date. If he bought one and had Noriya-kun check it, he could lead him to get the wrong date."

"Buy the way, the newspaper for 8/12 is missing from here." Conan pointed out.

"He disposed of the 8/12 newspaper with the 8/13 date on." Sato noted. "In other words, the night you and Noriya-kun was watching TV was on 8/12. You had a lot of time to commit the crime on the night of 8/13."

"Wait a minute." Shiga protested. "Noriya told you it was yesterday we were watching TV. Even if he is a child, he could still tell the difference between yesterday and the day before."

"Noriya-kun did tell me on the 8/13, and in the evening after returning from the store, he was playing video games until the video started and continued after that, until it was late. He woke up early and continued playing, then went to the store with you to buy breakfast at around 6 o'clock. He took a nap after playing until it became noon. Then, he woke up and continued playing, then returned to the store after getting hungry and there's when he met us. But after getting back to the store and having breakfast, he said you left for a bit. You told him to keep playing with headphones on at the time."

"Where did you leave to?" Sato questioned.

"I just went outside to smoke." Shiga replied. "Also, it was in the morning, so it's irrelevant to the crime."

"Speaking of time, this room doesn't have any clocks." Conan reminded. "Toshinari-san is the only one with knowledge of the time due to his wristwatch. Besides, the windows have heavy curtains on, so if he was eating sweets while playing the whole time, he'd have a full stomach and then lose track of time."

"So, that's how it was." Sato realized. "The day before the crime, 8/12, you went to the store to buy the evening newspaper to fool Noriya-kun into thinking it was 8/13. You'd then let him play until it was 10pm, then tell him the movie was on and play the DVD until midnight. And if you let him play until morning, you could wake him up before it was evening and tell him it's morning already on 8/13. You'd let him play the entire evening, then go to the store to buy breakfast, while it was actually 6 pm at the time. After having 'breakfast', you told him you would be going out for a bit, while having enough time to kill Yasutomi-san. Since Noriya-kun was wearing headphones at that time, he didn't hear anything. You returned to your room after that, and let Noriya-kun play until dawn. Then, you made him take a nap until it became evening of 8/14; then, the two days passing would seem to Noriya-kun as if it was just one."

"Regardless of what you say, why would I attempt to murder my neighbor?" Shiga asked.

"Toshinari-san's sister sure is a beautiful lady." Conan flipped open the photo album. "But, it's really strange, she isn't looking at the camera in these last sets of photos. And there's a hole on one of them. Toshinari-san must really love your sister, you even took photos secretly and lined them all together somewhere."

"The forensics team did report there were pinned photos in Yasutomi-san's room." Takagi recalled. "Most of them were out of place from their sun marks."

"In other words, the photos here were actually pinned on the board." Sato took the photo album from Conan. "And in order to eliminate his ties to the crime scene, he took all of them down with photos of Yasutomi-san already in the room. In that case, then there's maybe some data of them left in Yasutomi-san's computer."

"I believe they're still there." Shiga admitted. "I didn't go as far as to do that, and since I brought my sister's photos back, that stalker's room doesn't have anything related to my sister anymore."

"Then, Yasutomi-san was indeed the one stalking your sister." Sato concluded.

"I only came to know that a couple of months ago." Shiga sighed. "As I was about to place a bouquet at the street as usual, he approached me there. He said, 'You were a fan, too, huh?' After I got worried and followed him back, I saw it from behind the window. There were many photos of my sister on his board. And as he was staring at them, he said 'It was your fault for running away.'"

"Then the reason your sister jumped to the street as if she was being chased by something..." Takagi gasped.

"That guy was stalking her and forced her to jump in front of the car." Shiga related. "I confirmed after as I was about to end his life. 'Why were you running away? Why the hell didn't you call an ambulance to save her if she was buried under the car?' If he had done that, my sister would still be alive today. That bastard was... just a coward."

"And that's why you moved into this room and went with your plan?" Sato asked.

"I asked if I could keep Noriya here a week earlier." Shiga confessed. "I didn't think he'd fall for that so easily."

"What're you saying?" Conan retorted. "Noriya-kun pinched his own leg not to fall asleep and kept playing; that's why your plan went smoothly. Since his mother asked him to keep you company and cheer you up."


Later that night, in Sato's car...

"So, isn't it time to tell me already?" Sato chided. "Whom were you planning to give those flowers to?"

"They were for you." Takagi replied. "I wanted it to be a surprise and I intended to present it to you alongside a ring."

"Instead of that, I want your red badge." Sato insisted.

"You mean the one offered by the first division of the police force?" Takagi blinked. "But, why that?"

"You said you will take responsibility." Sato pouted. "Don't you remember? The juvenile offender you handcuffed was about to run away. But I put him to the ground. It seems my badge got loose and fell off back then. After I realized I lost it, I returned to the scene to search for it, but to no avail."

"I actually picked it up and put it in my back pocket." Takagi stated. "I forgot about it."

"Really?" Sato reached over and retrieved her badge. "My red badge." she pinned it on her coat.

"You're normally supposed to wear that, but even if you didn't, they could give you a new one if you just lost it." Takagi chuckled.

"I thought it'd be over if I lost it." Sato remarked, relieved. "And I was really embarrassed. I was feeling depressed the whole time."


In the police headquarters later...

"It seems as if we're..." Sato blinked, walking in with Takagi and feeling everyone's stares at them.

"Being stared at." Takagi gulped.

"Miwako." Yumi sang.

"Yumi, why is everyone glaring at us?" Sato wondered.

"Isn't the answer inside your heart already?" Chiba teased.

"Miwako, you said that wasn't there, did you?" Yumi nudged.

"I found that now." Sato beamed. "Takagi picked it up." she flashed her red badge. "I wish he had told me earlier, since I was upset."

"It can't be..." Takagi exclaimed, realizing the reason and Yumi and Chiba nodding morosely at him.

"On 21:36, Wataru Takagi arrested." Detective Horita glanced at his wristwatch, Detective Ida and Detective Sogawa deadlocking Takagi's elbows from the back. "We'll transfer him for interrogation now." the other officers dragged Takagi off to the interrogation room.

"Gentlemen, is there something I ought to know?" Ami sweatdropped, seeing Takagi was manhandled by the rest of the male detectives.

"This matter is none of your concern, Mizuno-san." Detective Nakamura assured. "Please hand in your report to Inspector Megure. All of us wish you a peaceful night."

"Right..." Ami blinked as the detectives tossed Takagi into a nearby interrogation room.

"Was that..." Amuro mused, hearing Takagi's horrified scream coming from the police headquarters when he arrived to pick Ami up.

"Takagi-kun." Ami sighed. "Gossip mongers. My colleagues are gossip mongers, the lot of them." she moaned.

Amuro just chuckled.


SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Read and review.