SailorStar9: With Chapter 37 uploaded, this is Chapter 38 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: Established!Furuya Rei/Mizuno Ami

Chapter 38: The Case of the Lucky Calico, Part One


Time passes...

"Awesome." Genta gawked, Azusa showing the Detective Boys the featured article. "Poirot's really in there."

"There's right." Azusa beamed. "A reporter came here a while back and said he was going to publish a piece about us, but I never expected that it'd be an article this big."

"You're even in there, Azusa-san." Mitsuhiko added. "See here: Taii-kun, a calico cat who frequents the café and Azusa-san, a beautiful Poirot employee."

"Maybe calling me beautiful is a bit much." Azusa gushed.

"Newspaper articles tend to exaggerate the facts, after all." Conan drawled.

"But there's nothing about you, Amuro-nii-chan." Genta turned to the older man.

"I happened to be off work that day because I wasn't feeling well." Amuro explained. "Wasn't there another kid in your group?"

"Ai-chan went home already." Ayumi supplied.

"Apparently, she remembered something she had to do." Genta added.

"Talking about Taii, where is he?" Conan cut in frantically. "Is he already here?"

"The truth is... "Azusa winked. "Taii-kun is staying at my house since last week."

"Are you sure that's the right thing to do?" Genta asked.

"Taii may be stray cat, but he has a collar." Mitsuhiko pointed out. "So, he must belong to someone."

"He turned up covered in scratches from getting into fights with other cats around here." Azusa sighed. "I couldn't help but worry about him. And there's a photo of him in the magazine now. If Taii's owner is really searching for him, I'm sure they'll see the article and turn up here."

"But it's not fair to keep Taii-chan all to yourself." Ayumi whined.

"And there's no way his owner would find such a tiny photo." Genta added.

"That's what you think." Azusa smiled. "But we've got a surprise."

"Excuse me." Amesawa Shogo voiced. "Is this the Café Poirot from the magazine?"

"Yes." Azusa blinked.

"I read in that article." Amesawa stated. "Apparently, a cat turns up in the evenings to beg for food? There was a photo and all. That's actually my cat. I've been looking for him for the last six months."

"What are you trying to pull?" Masuko Teishi demanded. "That's my family cat. I know it is. You shouldn't just say something like that."

"The owners really turned up." Genta gawked.

"Not just one, but two." even Mitsuhiko was surprised.

"They're not the only two." Azusa replied.

"There's another one waiting inside." Amuro pointed.


Inside Café Poirot...

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Shagawa Mutsumi rebuked. "This cat is my granddaughter's cat, Mugi-chan. Where's Mugi-chan? Weren't you bringing her here now?"

"When I left to go and get him, I bumped into these kids and we got talking." Azusa replied. "And then, these two men turned up, claiming to be his owners, too."

"I'm his real owner." Masuko insisted.

"You're wrong." Amesawa retorted. "I'm telling you, he's mine."

"Are you trying to steal my granddaughter's cat?" Shagawa accused.

"Taii-chan's really popular." Ayumi gushed.

"But why do three people want him?" Genta was confused.

"He's just an ordinary calico cat, like you see everywhere." Mitsuhiko was puzzled.

"He's not that ordinary." Conan corrected.

"He's certainly a brilliant cat." Mitsuhiko agreed. "He even took your message to this café back when we were all trapped in that nasty delivery van."

"Taii-chan was really helpful then." Ayumi added.

"But in the end, the message just got blown away by the wind when he brought it here." Genta pointed out.

"Anyway, Azusa-san, if you would go home and bring Taii here." Amuro suggested. "While we're waiting, I'll hear what each of them have to say with a mystery-solving specialist on my side."


In the Mouri Detective Agency...

"Looking for a cat's owner?" Mouri echoed after the group brought the case to him. "Go ask someone else. I'm busy today."

"It's Goro-chan." Ayumi beamed as Goro walked towards the kids.

"Why is he here?" Mitsuhiko wondered.

"My mom had to go to Fukuoka for work, so she asked me to look after him for tonight." Ran explained.

"Leave." Mouri snarled. "It's not like I'd even get paid for this."

"Then, I'll hire you." Amuro stepped in. "For payment, I'll give you a ticket to a premium seat at Okino Yoko's summer concert."

"Let's see, the first cat owner." with that, Mouri changed his tune. "Shagawa-san, I hear you're a housewife. So, when did your cat go missing?"

"About two months ago." Shagawa replied. "I asked a friend to take care of him since we're going on a family holiday, but apparently, he vanished the moment she took her eyes off him. This is a photo of the cat's owner, my granddaughter. Though, it's a photo from five years ago."

"He's just a kitten in the photo." Mouri took the picture. "But the markings on his body do look similar."

"Then, do you like cats, too, madam?" Conan asked, holding Goro.

"Of course." Shagawa replied when Conan put Goro down. "Come on up." she gestured to the gray cat. "Your cat does seem to be quite shy, though he certainly loves his owner." she blinked when Goro pounced onto Mouri's lap.

"The calico cat at the café had been neutered." Amuro stated. "Do you know anything about that?"

"That was a rough time for him." Shagawa recalled. "He was kept overnight and when he came out, he had to keep his bandages on for some time, and it was a week or so before they took the stitches out."

"Masuko-san, president of an IT company." Mouri moved on to the second person. "So, you're the second candidate for this cat's owner. When did your cat go missing?"

"When I moved." Masuko answered. "About four months ago now. My wife of thirty years passed away, so I decided to sell our house and move into a flat. I was sure he was in his carrier when he was put into the moving company's van, but when we came to empty the van, he'd vanished."

"Do you have any photos of him?" Mouri asked.

"I've got a photo taken on my phone." Masuko dug out his handphone. "It's just the cat and my wife in the photo, but I took it."

"This looks just like the Poirot's cat, too." Mouri noted.

"Then, you like cats, sir?" Conan asked. "Would you like to hold him?" he handed Goro over.

"Have you got a cold?" Mouri blinked when Masuko suddenly sneezed.

"By the way, was your cat neutered?" Amuro inquired.

"My wife handled everything." Masuko explained. "So, I don't know the details. I do remember that despite having surgery, he didn't have any bandages; he just had what looked like a parabolic antenna around his head."

"Like I said, just bring the cat here and you'll know soon enough." Amesawa was confident. "I'm his owner."

"Still, I'll like to hear what happened, part-time worker, Amesawa-san." Mouri stood his ground. "When did your cat go missing?"

"About six months ago." Amesawa answered. "I value freedom, so I let him roam free. Then one day, he suddenly didn't come back."

"Do you have any photos of him?" Mouri asked.

"I don't." Amesawa shrugged. "I value his freedom, too."

"Then, you like cats, too, sir?" Conan inquired.

"Of course." Amesawa walked over. "Come on up."

"No way." Ran gaped when Goro leapt into Amesawa's arms. "Goro's usually so wary of strangers."

"I've always gotten along well with animals." Amesawa bragged.

"Then, do you remember whether he had been neutered?" Amuro inquired.

"Who knows?" Amesawa shrugged. "He was fully grown when I got him."

"By the way," Conan took Goro back. "We've been calling Taii-kun 'him' but she's actually a girl."

"Then, maybe she's not my cat, after all." Amesawa's expression changed.

"what're you saying?" Mitsuhiko chided.

"Taii's a tom cat." Genta retorted.

"You can even see his balls." Ayumi added.

"Don't scare me like that." Amesawa stammered. "Of course, he's male."

"So, which of those three is his owner?" Mitsuhiko pondered after the interviews were over.

"It's gotta be that young guy." Genta noted. "Even Goro really liked him."

"But the photo the other man had looked just like Taii." Mitsuhiko pointed out.

"But he isn't even in it." Mouri scoffed, turning the TV back on.

"Then, how about the old woman's photo?" Ran wondered.

"But, that's from when he's a kitten." Amuro pointed out.

"Have you figured anything out, Conan-kun?" Ran sighed.

"Not quite yet." Conan chuckled.

"Turn that down." Ran scolded her father. "It's hard to think with that noise."


Later that evening...

"What's going on here?" Amesawa retorted. "Didn't you call us all here because you figured out who his owner was?"

"As for that, Azusa-chan from Poirot should be arriving with the cat at any moment now." Mouri assured.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Azusa burst through the door.

Taii jumped out from Azusa's arms and leapt into Amesawa's arms.

"He's obviously my cat." Amesawa declared. "We'll be leaving now."

"But, didn't you know that when some cats see three people, they're drawn to the one in the middle?" Conan smiled. "You never know, he could've just leapt at you because you're standing in the middle."

"Then, let's try it again." Amesawa snapped. "You'll see. I can stand to the left or right, it won't change a thing."

"There's an even better method that we can use." Conan supplied. "It's an experiment that'll let us identify the cat's owner right away. Azusa-san, are you ready?" he asked, having positioned Azusa and Taii at the Agency's door.

"Taii-kun's calmly eating in front of the door to the agency." Azusa confirmed.

"Then, try coming here and opening the door one by one." Conan instructed. "One-on-one, he'll be able to identify his owner for sure. Let's start with Shagawa-san."

"Mug-chan, it's me." Shagawa opened the door. "Don't you recognize me? I guess it won't work unless it's owner, my granddaughter." she noted, Taii returned to his cat bowl.

"No, he'd do the same thing with your granddaughter." Conan corrected. "After all, this cat is male and the one you're looking for is female. Isn't that right, Amuro-nii-chan?"

"Shagawa-san, you said that when your cat was neutered, it was hospitalized overnight." Amuro stated. "Then, it was a week until its stitches were removed. You weren't describing a male cat being castrated, but a female cat being spayed. Spaying is an invasive procedure involving opening up the abdomen and removing the ovaries, where castration is a simple procedure that just needs the scrotum to be cut open and the testicles removed, so it generally doesn't need a cat to stay overnight. All that's needs to be done post-operation is to make the cat wear a collar, so he doesn't lick the wound, like Masuko-san described."

"And you made it sound like you and your granddaughter lived together with the cat." Conan added. "But the truth is, she just brought it to visit occasionally. You didn't seem to know how to act around cats. Cats don't like being stared at by anyone but their owners. I'm guessing what really happened is that your granddaughter had to go away somewhere and left her cat with you, but she disappeared."

"You're right, boy." Shagawa relented. "My granddaughter went on a school trip and her parents decided to go aboard while she was away. I was asked to take care of her cat, but I couldn't seem to make friends with her. And then, she vanished when I took my eyes off her; I didn't know what to do, bu then that picture of the cat in the magazine leapt out at me."

"So, you thought the Poirot cat could replace the cat you were missing." Mouri concluded.

"When did she go missing?" Conan asked.

"Last night, after eating dinner." Shagawa replied. "I checked everywhere a cat could hide, in-between the furniture, and anything with an opened door, but I couldn't find her anywhere."

"Then, you should try looking for places behind closed doors." Conan suggested. "Places like toilets, cupboards and inside washing machines. Cats can sneak in through doors unnoticed the moment they're opened."

"I'll go and have another look." Shagawa hurried off.

"Why don't you try next, Amesawa-san?" Conan closed the door again. "Just do what Shagawa-san did earlier."

"What's wrong?" Amesawa gaped when he opened the door and Taii remained unresponsive. "Jump up here, like before."

Taii squealed in fright and hid behind Azusa.

"Didn't you know?" Conan chided. "Catnip's effects only last five to ten minutes. With that gone, you're nothing more than a stranger who's yelling at him. Just look at Goro is you want proof. He was happily playing with you before, but now he's scared and won't even come near you."

"If you're really his owner, you wouldn't need to cover yourself in catnip dust when coming to meet him." Mouri deathpanned.

"And when Conan-kun told you that he was female, you backed off straight away." Amuro added. "If you really seen him in the magazine and were convinced enough that he was yours to come all the way here to get him, there's no way you'll back down so easily. You knew, didn't you? If he was female, he wouldn't have any value at all. Due to chromosomal abnormalities, only one in a thousand calico cats are male. That rarity is why maneki-neko beckoning cats were modeled on them. They're worth at least a million yen each. I've heard some had sold for twenty million yen or more. Obviously, someone like you who knows how rare they are wouldn't let such a rare cat run wild in such a big city."

"I'm sorry for wasting your time." Amesawa fled.

"Finally, why don't you try, Masuko-san?" Conan requested.

"Soseki..." Masuko gaped, opening the door and seeing Taii waiting for him. "So, you do remember me, Soseki."

"But why?" Ran blinked.

"It's the sound." Conan replied. "I saw on TV that cats have great hearing and they always remember the sound of their owners' footsteps. You said he vanished when you were moving." he turned to Masuko. "Did you have the Cheetah Moving Center handle your move?"

"Yes, but how you know about that?" Masuko blinked.

"He's climbed the back of a delivery van belonging to that company before." Conan explained.


Afterwards...

"Thank you very much for your help." Masuko claimed Taii. "This has my address and email on it." he handed the tearing Ayumi a card. "If we can arrange a time, I'd be happy for you to come and visit him."

"I never knew cats were drawn to the person standing in the middle of a group." Azusa mused.

"That was a lie." Amuro spoke. "If he hadn't said that, he wouldn't have the chance to do the experiment with the footsteps, so he told that little fib. He's got sharp claws hiding under that innocent smile. Since we're talking about cats..."

"That was a pun." Azusa smiled. "Didn't you have to go to the veterinary clinic right now, Amuro-san?" she reminded.

"You're right." Amuro looked at his wristwatch. "I have to hurry."

"Amuro-nii-chan has a cat?" Genta wondered as the half-Japanese ran off.

"Amuro-san isn't the one with the cat, it's his girlfriend." Azusa supplied. "You know, the female coroner from the police department."

"He's dating Mizuno-san?" Ayumi gushed. "Since when?"


One week later...

"I never thought that old man would be the one to contract us." Mitsuhiko remarked, the Detective Boys had entered Masuko's apartment. "The email he sent to the detective agency said we could come today if we wanted to see him."

"I wonder why?" Ayumi pondered.

"Maybe he decided to get rid of his cat, after all." Conan concluded. "He seems allergic to cats."

"Anyway, please open the door." Masuko's neighbor urged the apartment's manager. "I heard a strange noise from there."

"Masuko-san, it's the manager." the manager opened the door with the master key. "Are you okay in there? What's with this cat?" he looked down, Taii slipped out of the half-opened door.

"Has something happened?" Conan ran forward.

"This cat doesn't look injured at all, but there's blood on its paws." Masuko's neighbor replied.


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