This is loosely related to my other DCMK story Something Important, but can definitely be read independently.
Just a warning; I tend to flip-flop between the Japanese and English titles for people in this fic. For example, I call Agasa "Professor" instead of Hakase, but use honorifics like keiji or keibu instead of detective or inspector. Sorry, I don't usually do this but I've been reading the manga in English and watching the movies/anime in Japanese recently and this is the result lol;p
I take liberties here with police procedure.
Italics are thoughts.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

"Kudou speaking," Shinichi said as he answered the phone. He hadn't recognized the number but then, that wasn't too odd an occurrence these days as a new Tokyo Metropolitan Police Detective. His card and business number were given out all the time.

"Kudou-kun, this is Sara." came a woman's voice over the receiver. Her choice of -kun and ease of use in her tone, suggested she already knew him well, but her voice wasn't ringing any particular bells in his memory. Nor was her name. He knew quite a few Sara's/Sera's/Sarah's after all.

"From the daycare." the woman added.

Suddenly, he knew exactly who she was.

Sara-san was the owner and main caregiver at a small daycare center that Shinichi sometimes visited. Unlike most daycares, Sara-san had a very strict and selective screening process when it came to deciding if she would allow a child to come to her daycare. Her main qualifier being; she only allowed in children who were with a parent that was fleeing an abusive partner.

Having escaped from a rough marriage of her own, Sara-san had decided to put her experience and motivation to good use. Her daycare was created to be a safe place where parents running from an abusive spouse could leave their kids for the day while they were at work, without the fear of wondering if their kids would still be there when they came to pick them up later.

Sara-san had told Shinichi that one of the hardest things she had had to deal with while running from her own husband had been finding people and places she could trust to leave her sons with while she worked two jobs trying to earn enough money to put a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs.

Many of the now single parents that she helped, ran to Beika because they knew no one would recognize or know them there. This often made them feel isolated and alone, with no one to turn to or help them.

She understood the fears and paranoia and isolation these parents felt on a daily basis. So she had created her daycare and had strict procedures and rules in place not only for her staff and the kids, but for the parents to follow as well.

The community she had created for these people was nothing short of impressive. Not only had she managed to create a safe haven for these kids to escape to and be kids at, she had also created a tight knit community for the parents; a place with people to share their hopes and fears of the future with, a place to feel accepted in rather than pitied or judged. A place to be amongst others who understood.

Most importantly, a place that they could now turn to for help and support.

Sara-san's selfless work and dedication had placed her on a high pedestal of regard that few in Shinichi's life had ever managed to reach. He knew all too well the hardship of having to run and hide to protect loved ones from someone whose violence and retribution he feared. He understood the hardship of suddenly having to start over and pick up the pieces of a shattered life and adjust them to new circumstances. He understood the loneliness of lying to every person you meet; hiding one's true self away and guarding every word and action made.

He also knew how grateful he was to have people he could turn to. Friends like Hattori and Haibara, and allies like Akai and Jodie, who knew; who knew who he was or what he was up against. Those he could turn to as Edogawa Conan and be treated with the same level of seriousness and respect as Kudou Shinichi. Their support and help and understanding were the reason the Organization that had haunted his steps for years, was no more.

He understood just what Sara-san's efforts and understanding meant to these parents and kids.

"Yes Sara-san, I'm sorry, I didn't recognize your number," Shinichi apologized, wondering why she was calling from a number other than the daycare's in the first place.

"This is my private number," Sara-san explained and Shinichi was relieved to hear the smile and relief in her own voice at his recognition.

"Ah," he said. That still doesn't explain why she's using it. "How can I help you Sara-san?"

"Well," she hesitated and he could hear her doubts in her voice. She sounded much more sure of her decision when she continued. "Kudou-kun I'm worried something has happened to one of my children."

Shinichi felt his stomach turn to ice.

Sara-san's children- those she looked after at her daycare- were all in delicate situations. Most of them were in hiding, so if Sara-san was worried that could only mean one thing; that she feared one of her kids had been found.

Worse still, her calling him meant that they may have been found and unable to get to any of the safe houses. If they had, Shinichi suspected Sara-san would have just called the police or taken other measures to ensure their safety, not call him.

"Why?" he asked, his tone all business. He stood from his desk and began collecting his keys and service weapon. He didn't have to know particulars to know this was likely serious and needed his immediate attention.

"I know that most children not showing up for daycare is normally no cause for alarm but-"

"Sara-san we both know that in your case, that is not true."

"Yes." she agreed, sounding reassured that he understood her concern. "Forgive me, I forget that you already understand." Shinichi could hear her small smile. She would never know just how well he understood.

Then she was all business. "One of my boys, Kurata Tetsu-kun, didn't show up today. His mother gave no indication he would not be coming today when she picked him up yesterday, nor did she call this morning to say as much, as procedure requires.

"I've tried calling her cell, but she doesn't answer. I tried calling her work too but they said she hasn't shown up for her shift." Shinichi pushed through the TMPD doors and trotted down the steps towards the front parking lot. She sounded rightfully worried. "This is not like her. Miko-san is very careful and dedicated to the rules and safety procedures of my center. She wouldn't just not show up like this, not without any warning. She knows the importance of keeping in touch."

"I understand Sara-san," Shinichi said, he had reached his car and quickly got in. "I agree that this doesn't sound right. Can you text me Miko-san's home address and work details?"

"Yes of course," Sara-san said and moments later Shinichi's phone pinged with a new message. He read it and started his car.

"Kudou-kun." Shinichi paused in putting his car into gear.

"Yes?"

"...Please keep me informed of what you find. I need to know if this breach is more widespread or just an isolated incident." The seriousness and heavy implications in her words had the young detective's eyes hardening. If anyone knew the importance of and safety in secrecy, it was the man previously known as Edogawa Conan.

Her use of her private number rather than the daycares' makes sense now, he thought, she's worried it might be tapped.

"I will Sara-san."

"Please also delete that message when you are done...and this number." He could hear the apology in her voice.

"I will," he promised. He had planned to all along.

"Thank you Kudou-kun." She hung up. Shinichi threw his car into drive and peeled out of the parking lot, heading towards Miko-san's residence.

He'd call her work when he got there and ask if she had been behaving oddly recently, but he doubted it. If she had had any suspicions of being followed or that her husband was closing in, she would have told Sara-san. He knew the caretaker had protocols in place for just these kinds of situations and she would have made sure Miko-san knew that too.

At worst, if Miko-san had felt she and her son were in danger she could have just taken her son and left during the night which, he supposed, could be the case. Perhaps the reason neither had shown up at daycare or work was because neither was in Beika, or possibly even Tokyo, anymore. He could arrive only to find an empty house and no clues as to where Miko-san and Tetsu-kun have gone.

He hoped that was the case because the alternative, of her abusive husband having found them...Shinichi gripped the wheel tighter.

He needed more information.

Pulling up to a stop light, Shinichi grabbed his phone and hit the speed dial. After two rings it was answered.
"Shinichi-kun? What's wrong?" came the concerned voice of Professor Agasa. Shinichi smiled. He was glad some things never changed.

"I'm fine Professor, just a case. I was hoping you could look someone up for me?" Shinichi asked, his eyes back on the road as traffic began moving again.

"Of course," the Professor agreed readily and it was in moments like this that Shinichi was reminded of how grateful he was to have the Professor.

Unlike any of his other friends or allies, the Professor was the one person who had always been there for Shinichi; before Conan, after Conan, as Conan, for big things or small. The man had been a rock in his life that Shinichi could always turn to. His steadfast support and unconditional help were something Shinichi knew he'd be happily paying the old inventor back for for the rest of his life. He just hoped the Professor knew how much it had meant to Shinichi for all these years.

I'll have to take the Professor out for dinner or something soon, he thought with a smile.

"What's the name?" the elderly inventor asked after a moment, during which Shinichi suspected he had been turning on his computer, completely unaware of the kind thoughts being thought of him.

"Kurata Miko, female, address-" and Shinichi rattled off the address he had memorized from Sara-san's text.

"Anything in particular you want me to look for?" the Professor asked. Shinichi could hear him typing over the phone.

"I need information about her husband." Shinichi swerved around a car ahead of him that had been going too slow for his taste.

"Her husband. Okayyy," the Professor said. Shinichi waited, focusing on the road and his driving instead. He'd be there soon.

"Well I can tell you Togano Toshiaki is a nasty piece of work," came Agasa's disapproving voice over the line.
"In what way?" Shinichi asked, turning onto the address street and pulling over.

"Well for one, Kurata-san has a restraining order against him. He is not meant to knowingly come within 50 yards of her or their son," the old man said. "Which went into effect as of two months ago when he was released from prison after serving his sentence for assault and battery charges."

"What was the incident that allowed her to get the restraining order?" Shinichi asked, his brow furrowing as he began adding and piecing facts together.

"Let's see. That would be when.." Shinichi heard more typing happening. "Her and her boy were taken to the hospital for medical care after he broke a glass table over her back as she protected their son. Jeez." The Professor breathed in pity and disgust. Shinichi understood the feeling.

"So he has a history of violence, likely stemming from a history of poor anger management," Shinichi theorized. Breaking tables over your wife's back was an act of violence that got built towards over time, not usually where one started, Shinichi thought.

"Yes. From what I can gather, the police were called out multiple times to the Togano residence by neighbors. No charges were ever filed though."

Shinichi sighed sadly. "They usually aren't," he said. He knew many abused spouses or partners never pressed charges, usually out of fear, dependency or misplaced shame. He supposed what had finally gotten Miko-san to run was her son getting injured that last time.

"Was the son ever hospitalized before that incident?" Shinichi asked, wanting proof to back up his theory. He heard more typing.

"No, not that I can see."

"How about Miko-san?" Shinichi pressed, then waited as the Professor worked.

"Yes. She visited the hospital a number of times over the years, usually for broken bones it seems." the kindly man relayed sadly.

"I'd imagine most to the torso and arms," Shinichi thought aloud knowing the stats on battery cases. This new evidence seemed to confirm his theory for why Miko-san suddenly decided to finally leave her husband. Her son being caught in, or the target of, the violence had been the last straw.

"Yes," Agasa agreed in that softly astonished voice he used when Shinichi beat him to revealing some piece of information. "How did you know-"

"I'll explain later Professor. Thank you." Shinichi said and hung up.

That explained the past, but not where Miko-san and Tetsu-kun were now. Shinichi turned to his car issued computer and typed in "Kurata Miko" and her address. The DMV report spat back a vehicle description and license plate number.

Shinichi drove around the block spotting; the house (no car in the driveway and the blinds all closed on the windows), the neighbors (all gone to work, except one elderly woman who lived catty-corner to the Kurata residence) and Miko-san's car (parked halfway down the street from her house on the opposite side of the road). He didn't spot Togano's car.

Shinichi parked his vehicle a few houses up from the Kurata's home and watched the house for a while. Nothing changed. No one came in or out. No one came to the windows. No one came to the house. No sounds were heard from within.

He called Miko-san's work and, as he had suspected, she had displayed no odd behavior in the last few days other than not showing up today.

That all could just mean no one is home. Perhaps Miko-san and Tetsu-kun left during the night and now the house is abandoned, Shinichi argued. Miko-san's car still being on the block however, made that a less likely scenario. Most people trying to skip town quickly don't leave behind their car. The vehicle not being parked in the empty driveway, is also pretty strange.

Shinichi got out of his car and walked down to Miko-san's car and looked inside. No blood and nothing inside seemed suspiciously disturbed. He did note though, that the doors were unlocked which seemed odd. The car was also parked a bit crookedly, he noticed, almost as though the driver had been in a rush to park and get out..

He started walking back towards the Kurata house.

"Excuse me ma'am," Shinichi called as he walked up the driveway of the elderly woman he had spotted earlier living across from the Kuratas. She turned from her gardening.

"Yes?" she said with a smile that Shinichi returned. He squatted down next to her so she wouldn't have to stand. The arthritis in her knees seemed bad if his earlier observations of her hobbling were anything to go by.

"My name is Kudou Shinichi," he said, pulling out his credentials for her. She looked down at them briefly but didn't comment. "Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about this morning...?"

"Kanaya Kai," she introduced, pulling off her gardening gloves as she turned to face him more fully. "Call me Kai-san."

"Kai-san do you mind answering a few questions about this morning?"

"Well certainly deary, but I'm not sure what you could possibly want to know," she said in slight surprise.

He smiled. "I was just wondering if you could tell me if anything odd happened today at the Kurata house?" Shinichi asked. He didn't want to point at the house over his shoulder in case someone was watching, but it appeared from the way she looked right at the correct house, that he needn't have worried.

"Is something the matter?" she asked. Shinichi could easily see the concern forming in her eyes.

"I'm not sure," he hedged. He didn't want to alarm her, but he also needed her help, something he knew would be gained much easier if he was honest. He decided to aim for keeping his answers honest but vague. "She missed an appointment this morning so I was coming to check up on her, but she doesn't seem to be home."

"Oh she is sweetie," the lady assured. "The only time she left today was to move her car this morning."

"So you saw her this morning?"

"Oh yes. I see her and Tetsu-kun every morning," she confirmed with a smile.

"Can you tell me what happened this morning?"

"Hmmm...well now that you mention it today was very odd."

"How so?" Shinichi asked, pulling out his small notebook and pencil.

"Well for starters Miko-chan let a man in the house," the woman said.

"Why is that odd?"

"Oh Miko-chan never lets men into her house. In fact she hardly lets anyone into her house at all, let alone a male stranger."

"Why do you think he was a stranger?"

"Because he was a delivery man. Had a package and everything dear."

"Did she seem surprised to see him? Can you describe what he looked like?" Shinichi asked, already pulling up his mental image of Togano, from his DMV photo, to compare against.

"I couldn't see her expression from here," the woman said, affecting a thoughtful expression. "and the man had on a hat so I couldn't see his face either."

"Did you see any logos or his delivery vehicle?" Shinichi hadn't noticed one on his earlier circuit around the block.

"Come to think of it, no I didn't," she said in a tone of dawning dread as she realized at last just how odd all of that was. "Is something wrong?"

"Ma'am please answer my questions. So you saw a man with a package approach the house and Miko-san let him in. Is the package the only thing that made you think he was a delivery man?"

"No. It was the color of his clothes. They were navy bottoms and a white button up with a navy hat. Like the mailman usually wear," her voice gave a slight tremble.

So a quick disguise, a ruse just to appease the casual observer and get Miko-san to open the door, Shinichi surmised.

"What happened next? Has the man left?"

"No. No one has left since Miko-chan came out to move her car."

"Is that normal?"
"No," she crocked, her voice starting to sound strained. "Usually she and Tetsu-kun both come out and get in the car so she can drop him at daycare and go to work. I usually say good morning to them and little Tetsu-kun gives me a big wave and says good morning back." she put a trembling hand to her lips. Shinichi could see that while she may not know what exactly was wrong, she was starting to realize that all these irregularities meant something was definitely not right.

He understood the guilt he saw forming in her eyes. Noticing something odd, but not understanding its significance until it was too late, was a feeling he unfortunately knew well.

"Ma'am it's going to be ok, I'm here to help." Shinichi said, and something in his eyes or tone must have reassured her because she took a calming breath and lowered her hand. She looked over to the house in worry. "Walk me through what happened when Miko-san came out."

Kai-san took another fortifying breath. "She seemed to be in a hurry," she recalled, her tone slightly choked.

"Why do you think that?"

"Her hair was a mess and her uniform wasn't as neat as it usually is." He added those details to his notebook.

"She ran to her car. Didn't even say hello back to me when I called out to her," Kai-san continued. "She backed out her driveway rather quickly too. I thought she may have been running to the store quickly for medicine or some such. I thought maybe I'd go over later to make sure Tetsu-kun was alright, but then she parked her car down by the Todas' and ran back to her house. Oh?"

"What is it?" Shinichi asked, noticing her tone change.

"Well, she ran all the way back to her house but before she went in she stopped and took a moment to straighten out her clothes and hair."

"Did she seem in a hurry because she was excited?" Perhaps she was trying to make herself look good for her husband because she was happy to see him? That didn't seem to fit, but why else would she bother to fix her appearance to go back in the house, but not before she went out in public?

"No…" the old woman suddenly looked up and met Shinichi's eyes. Her's had tears. "She looked terrified."

She began sobbing and placed her hands over her mouth again. "Oh poor Miko-chan. How did I not think-" Shinichi pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to her. She accepted it and began dabbing at her eyes, making an effort to try and reign in her emotions.

"The important thing is you noticed now, Kai-san. Thank you," Shinichi said.

"You will help them won't you?" she pleaded, guilt and worry glistening in her eyes.

"Yes, I will," Shinichi affirmed. "Ma'am if you could do me one more favor?" He waited until she nodded. "Could you draw the layout of Miko-san's house for me?" he asked, holding out his small notebook and pencil to her. He assumed from her earlier comment of Miko-san hardly letting anyone in the house, that she had been one of the few exceptions.

"Of course, deary." She took the offered tools and began sketching.

"Thank you," Shinichi said as he took back his notebook and pencil and looked over her sketch. He was impressed at how well rendered it was. Shinichi startled when her leathery hands gripped his, looking up into her worn and worried eyes.

"Please help them detective," she begged, squeezing his hand tightly. He didn't flinch; helping had been his intention from the start.

He nodded once and that seemed to be enough for her. She patted his hand with a final sniff and then began to rise. Shinichi helped her to her feet and to her front door.

"Please stay inside after I leave. I should have this all settled soon." She nodded and he headed back to his car, thinking over what he had just learned.

His new theory was that the delivery man had in fact been Togano Toshiaki in disguise. Distracted by the morning rush of getting herself and her son together for the day, Miko-san had likely only given a cursory glance to see who was on her doorstep, opening it when she saw a supposed deliveryman.

It likely hadn't taken her long to then realize her mistake, so why didn't she slam the door in his face? Lock him out or scream for help?

Ah. He had a weapon. Likely hidden in the package he was carrying. Most likely a gun or a knife. Unlikely a bomb since I doubt Togano is here to kill himself.

More likely he's here to punish them for leaving, Shinichi thought grimly. He looked at his watch. Daycare usually starts at 8am, as did Miko-san's shift at the restaurant. So assuming she had every intention of getting herself and her son to their appropriate places this morning-and it's a fifteen minute drive from the house to the daycare center- that meant Togano had been in the house, alone with them, since around 7am, around five hours ago. Shinichi's frown deepened.

After getting inside Togano likely subdued his wife and then called for Tetsu-kun. Togano had then likely told Miko-san to move her car and used their son as leverage to ensure she'd return. Otherwise I assume she would have just gone for help.

That's also why she was in such a rush- memories of the unlocked car, crookedly parked, flashed across his mind -she didn't want to leave him alone with her son for long after what had happened the last time he lost his temper, Shinichi's mind recalled Agasa's descriptions and the stats he knew for battery injuries. Moving the car was likely a forensic countermeasure so none of her neighbors would get suspicious at seeing the car in the driveway when it usually isn't.

He must not have cased the house very well then or he would have known to watch out for the elderly neighbor his wife and son were friendly with and whom they always shared greetings with in the morning.

But how had he found them?

Shinichi shook his head. That doesn't matter for now. Luckily that is one piece of the story that can wait until after Togano is arrested and Miko-san and Tetsu-kun are safe.

The question now is, how to get those two out of the house without anyone getting hurt? With no car of his own here, Shinichi was assuming that Togano had no intention of leaving the house any time soon. Which means the only way to ensure Tetsu-kun and Miko-san's safety is to extract them from the house.

Shinichi curled the fingers of his hand under his chin and began plotting.

Our best bet would be a distraction, something that could keep Togano occupied but not alarm him to the police being onto him. Shinichi feared what Togano would do to his wife and son if he found out too early that the police were here.

So a distraction to keep him occupied as another group infiltrates to get Miko-san and Tetsu-kun out. I'll likely have to be a part of the extraction team since I know Tetsu-kun and can thereby more quickly establish a bond of trust and convince the two to leave with me.

But that means whoever else is playing decoy will be in the most danger. Shinichi had no doubt that whatever Togano's weapon was- and he was leaning towards a gun- he would have it with him while he interacted with their distraction.

Hmmm, Shinichi pulled out his notebook and looked at the floorplan Kai-san had drawn him. It appeared that the living room and master bedroom were in the front of the house, Tetsu-kun's bedroom and the bathroom were in the middle and the kitchen and small laundry were in the back, with a central hallway bisecting the house from front door to kitchen entrance.

To avoid prying eyes Togano likely moved them to the kitchen in the back of the house, so the distraction would ideally have to be at the front door. Perhaps someone pretending to be a salesman or someone coming around with a survey?

Shinichi doubted Togano would answer the door for someone pretending to need help with car trouble or a lost pet.

Perhaps a Census worker ruse would work? Or something for the police. That would likely be best as it's guaranteed to have Togano's attention and he is less likely to hurt someone claiming to be with the police. He wouldn't want to bring The Force down on himself too early.

Shinichi's eyes narrowed; he wasn't thrilled with that ruse but it could work.

So a small group. One out front to monitor and act as a central relay between the groups. One or two people to play decoy and two or three for extraction. But who to play which parts?

I have some ideas for the extraction team and lookout, but for the decoy…

Shinichi's phone began buzzing and he absently lifted it to his ear without looking at the caller ID.

"Kudou," he answered, only giving a small part of his brain over to the phone call as he continued to mull over the logistics of his plan.

"Ugh it's so sexy the way you say that." Shinichi's entire train of thought derailed and he pulled his phone from his ear to look at the caller ID. It read 'Best Boyfriend Ever' with heart emojis.

"Kaito?! When did you change your ID in my phone?" Shinichi growled as he put the phone back to his ear, his cheeks aflame. Kaito was laughing.

"Do I have your attention now Meitantei?" the magician asked slyly and Shinichi was grateful his boyfriend was not there to see his cheeks this red.

"Yes." he grudgingly admitted. Shinichi could practically feel the smug grin on the man's face in the ensuing silence. Shinichi sighed. "What do you want Kaito?" he asked, running a hand through his hair as he looked back to the Kurata residence.

"Is this a bad time?" Kaito asked, dropping his teasing.

"Not really. What's up?"

"Aoko wants to know if we would like to join her and her father for dinner tomorrow night?"

Aoko Nakamori, Kaito's best friend, and Inspector Nakamori, once head of the Kaito KID Task Forc-.

Shinichi's eyes blew wide as his plan suddenly crystalized, the pieces all coming together perfectly.

His eyes slowly narrowed into that wicked look he got when he knew he had someone cornered. The look would have sent a shiver of fear crawling down KID's spine.

Clearing his throat Shinichi zoned back into his conversation. "Yeah that sounds great. Hey Kaito, what are you doing right now?"

"Huh? Is this a kinky question Shinichi~?" Kaito purred and the detective's cheeks were once again aflame as he sputtered.

"No it is not!" He could hear Kaito snickering and dropped his red face in his remaining free hand. "Kaito."

"Ok, ok. I just finished classes and am on my way home for lunch and to study. Why?"

The grin that slashed across the detective's face would have sent the ex-thief running.