SailorStar9: With Chapter 92 uploaded, this is Chapter 93 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 do not own Sailor Moon or Detective Conan, I only own this plotline and the pairing.
Pairing: Established!Furuya Rei/Mizuno Ami
Chapter 93: The Betrayal's Stage, Part One
Sometime later...
"Bourbon?" Vermouth called out to her partner. "You were supposed to turn right at the last intersection."
"Sorry," Amuro apologized, snapped out of his memories. "I was thinking."
"That isn't like you." Vermouth chided. "Does that mean you were listening to what I was saying?"
"I was listening." Amuro refuted. "I have to investigate it before it becomes public and destroy it if necessary."
"Your target is a large one." Vermouth reminded. "If you have trouble getting to him, I could have an acquaintance disguise you."
"Don't worry about it." Amuro assured. "I know how to get close to him." that said, he made a sharp U-turn and drove back.
The next day...
"Why do a couple of high school girls have to clean the house of a mystery nut while he's gone?" Sonoko complained, dusting the Kudo library.
"It's not bad once in a while, Sonoko." Ran chided, wringing a wash cloth dry.
"Thanks for your help." Okiya brought in a pail of water. "This place is too large for me to clean by myself. By the way, her name's Sera Masumi-san, right? She didn't come with you."
"We invited Sera-chan." Sonoko replied.
"She said she was too busy since she's moving hotels again." Ran added.
"Have you seen anyone strange around Sera-san?" Okiya inquired. "For example, someone constantly observing their surroundings and skilled in neutralizing any threats called Asaka. Though, I doubt they were using that name."
"They're not Asaka, but there is something." Sonoko recalled. "The title of the new song rock musician Hado Rokumichi is going to release is 'ASACA'. Apparently, he finally wrote the lyrics to a song he composed seventeen years ago and is going to perform it at his next concert."
"It's an unusual title, though." Ran remarked.
"It was written in the English alphabet when it was announced online." Sonoko explained. "But the CA' in 'ASACA' was spelled 'CA, instead of 'KA'."
"Why?" Conan pressed. "Why is it 'CA' and not 'KA'? There must be some reason for it."
"If you're so curious, why don't you ask himself?" Sonoko scolded. "We're going to watch Hado Rokumichi rehearse soon. I'll take you with me."
"Would it be all right if I joined you at this rehearsal?" Okiya requested. "I'm a huge Hado Rokumichi fan. By the way, when was the title announced online?"
"Just last week." Sonoko replied.
"Since it's his first song in five years, it was a popular news story." Ran supplied.
Later that week...
"We can't watch the rehearsal?" Sonoko exclaimed in disbelief.
"I'm sorry." Enjo Kanae apologized. "He actually hasn't finished the lyrics of the song yet. He asked to be left alone for two hours so he could write, while looking out for empty seats."
"Let him be." Fuse Okuyasu stated. "Apparently, this is going to be his last concert. I tried to stop him, but he's going to tell his fans at the end of tomorrow's concert."
"Does that mean you've reached an agreement?" Kajiya Hirokazu cut in. "Retiring before his contract expires is unthinkable, especially when you were yelling about taking him to court and charging him an exorbitant penalty for breaking the contract."
"Who are you?" Fuse turned to the news reporter. "How did you get in?"
"Through the front entrance, of course." Kajiya shrugged. "I bought one of the staff's jackets and used it to get in. Anyway, pretty managers, have you settled things with him, too? Rumor is the ASACA of the title of Hado's new song is also the name of his new girlfriend. I heard that, you, his longtime mistress, were furious with Hado for releasing it the song."
"I heard your chief editor was furious with you because someone beat you to reporting that Hado was putting his music career on hold." Enjo fired back. "You've been following Hado for fifteen years, so what were you doing?"
"That's why I pretended to be a staff member to get in here." Kajiya replied. "I wanted to make an explosive comeback before Hado quits."
"You there." Enjo glared at the two TV personnel nearby. "This man isn't allowed in here." she pointed to Kajiya. "Throw him out."
"Should we leave too? "Sonoko suggested.
"We're leaving?" Conan whined.
"That might be for the best." Enjo agreed. "There's no telling when the rehearsal will start."
"Shouldn't we watch the rehearsal if this is going to be his last concert?" Okiya wondered.
"Subaru-san, sorry." Ran remarked.
"We just not that big of fans." Sonoko beamed.
"Then, who suggested we come?" Okiya was confused.
"Me." Amuro cut in. "When I told them at Poirot that I was a huge fan of Hado-san, she arranged to have me come see a rehearsal. Sonoko-san's Suzuki Conglomerate happens to be financing his record company."
"Azusa-san, you came too?" Ran beamed.
"I kept it hidden at the store, but I'm a big fan, too." the disguised Vermouth fibbed. "I followed Amuro-san here after my shift ended."
"I was surprised." Amuro admitted. "She stopped me as I was leaving the building. The staff let us in after we explained the situation. Speaking of surprises, what a surprise to see you here, Okiya Subaru-san. It was good to see you the other day. Do you remember me?"
"You're the deliveryman, right?" Okiya responded.
"Uh, yeah..." Amuro blinked.
"You three fans enjoy the show." Sonoko declared.
"Conan-kun, we're leaving." Ran pulled Conan off.
"Azusa-nee-chan." Conan called out. "You like Hado-san because he's a good guitarist, right? You were really good at playing the guitar."
"Of course." the disguised Vermouth nodded.
"Azusa-san, didn't you say you never touched a guitar?" Ran blinked.
"When we invited you to join our band the other day." Sonoko reminded.
"I was just too embarrassed to join a high school band." Vermouth fended.
"Hado's best song is 'Bloody Comet'." Okiya was having a amiable conversation with Amuro, much to Conan's surprise.
"I prefer 'Snowy Fallen Angel'." Amuro related.
"Subaru-san." Conan tugged Subaru's sleeve. "This isn't good." he whispered. "We have to get away from here."
"They say nothing ventured, nothing gained." Subaru quoted. "It takes courage to retreat, too."
"We're here for the fire inspection." two firefighters announced. "We'll checking the facilities."
"Wait, you can't go in yet." Enjo tried to stop them.
Her warning was ignored when the two firefighters opened the rehearsal hall's doors before screaming in horror.
The scream alerted the rest and they hurried to the entrance, only to see Hado hanged on the stage.
At that, the three detectives sprung into action.
"Don't, angel." Vermouth stopped Ran from entering. "Don't go inside. You don't belong to this bloody stage. Because you're innocent." she explained her slip-up. "In any case, let's let them handle the case."
"Were there multiple killers?" Amuro looked up at the body. "If it was done by one person, they must have been incredibly strong. Don't you agree, Okiya-san? When we met the other day, I noticed you had exceptional detective skills."
"I'm just a grad student who enjoys mysteries." Okiya responded.
After Megure's team was brought in...
"What's the overview of this case?" Megure asked.
"The deceased is musician Hado Rikumichi-san." Takagi read off his notes. "Thirty-nine years old. He was going to perform a concert here tomorrow."
"What is his time of death?" Megure turned to Ami.
"Based on the dilation of his pupils, he's dead for around one to two hours by my estimation." Ami replied.
"According to his manager, Hado had been in here for around two hours writing lyrics." Takagi reported.
"During that time, someone entered the auditorium, hanged the victim by his neck and killed him." Megure concluded. "They probably passed a rope over the metal bars used to hang spotlights, and lifted him using the machine for lifting the heavy curtains."
"I don't think that's possible." Amuro spoke. "The room was with the curtain controls were locked. When the murder took place, the staff who had the key were out to lunch."
"Then, did they lift him without using the machine?" Takagi blinked.
"Probably with several people." Okiya added. "Without pulleys attached to the bar above the stage, it would've been impossible alone."
"Another point of interest is the folding chair, leftover rope, and toolbox left at the edge of the stage." Amuro stated.
"There's also a strange hole in the rope near the knot in the rope attached to the seats." Okiya pointed out.
"There was a baseball with kite string attached to it in the middle of them." Conan spoke.
"Conan-kun, you're here, too?" Takagi gawked.
"We... really should be used to this, shouldn't we?" Ami deathpanned.
"In any case, we should question the staff." Megure instructed. "Anyway, I can't believe how often we run into various detectives."
"Although Conan-kun deserves an award for his perfect attendance." Takagi noted.
"You should really consider retirement, Inspector." Ami joked, her assistants transporting the body to the autopsy theater.
"Har, har." Megure snorted.
"According to the staff, during Hado-san's estimated time of death between 4:30 to 5:30, the only persons who weren't seen for a while, were Fuse-san and Enjo-san." Takagi addressed the gathered group.
"Wait a minute." Fuse protested. "I told you I've had an upset stomach since this morning. I was just in the bathroom."
"I was running around the concert hall issuing instructions to the staff." Enjo related.
"Additionally, the body was discovered by the firefighters who came to perform an inspection." Takagi revealed.
"Detective, shouldn't he be considered suspicious as well?" Fuse suggested, pointing to Kajiya.
"I bought a jacket from the staff and entered the auditorium before 5:30." Kajiya admitted. "It was around 5:20. If you think I'm lying, ask the person who sold me his jacket."
"That's odd, then." Takagi frowned. "Enjo-san was missing between 4:30 to 4:50, and Fuse-san was missing between 5:00 to 5:15."
"It wasn't possible for any of them to work together." Megure concluded.
"Did anyone of you play baseball?" Conan piped in.
"I Played rugby through college." Fuse recalled.
"I played a little tennis in middle school." Enjo responded.
"I was a phantom member of the hiking club." Kajiya revealed. "Hado played baseball through high school. Apparently, he was an outfielder with a strong throwing arm."
"We found a baseball at the crime scene." Takagi explained.
"It's probably the ball Hado received from his team when he graduated from high school." Enjo recalled. "He always had it on him."
"Do you know where Hado-san's cell phone is?" Megure inquired.
"We couldn't find it in the green room or with his things." Takagi supplied.
"Hado always kept his cell phone in his breast pocket." Enjo replied.
"Amuro-san," Takagi held out a notebook to their coroner's lover. "Could you write your name and 'I'm sorry' in this notebook? We found this paper in Hado-san's breast pocket." he showed the distracted blond a piece of crumpled paper. "We're having everyone in the auditorium write it so we can perform a handwriting analysis."
"You're left-handed?" Amuro asked, seeing Okiya write down his name on Takagi's notebook. "When we met the other day, you removed your mask with your right hand. I thought you were right-handed. Don't worry about it; it's just, the man I want to confirm something with just happens to be a lefty."
SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Read and review.
