Chapter 2

Never mind, being fostered by a police family was definitely for the worst.

"—You will not have access to a phone or computer without supervision from either Saguru or myself," Hakuba-san continued, glaring down at Shinichi. They were in the man's house, a Western mansion surprisingly enough. Shinichi thought he'd have something a bit more Japanese, but then again, he did have an English wife at some point, if Hakuba-kun's slight accent was correct. Hakuba-san's office was all dark wood and bookshelves, with its owner behind a large, intimidating desk and his son off to the side, reading one of the books. "Of course, you'll have to use a computer for writing school papers, so we've already arranged for one that will only allow you on educational or research websites. Any phone call made will be listened to by Interpol agents stationed nearby and the number will be recorded for them.

"If you misbehave in any manner, you will be punished. I will not tolerate any criminal acts under my roof and if I discover any, you'll be sent to the same prison your father is in, Interpol's plans or not. Do we have an understanding, Lupin-kun?"

"Of course, sir." Lupin's son or not, Shinichi knew when there was a time to mouth-off and this definitely wasn't one of them. "If I may… what will I do for clothes? I only have these." Shinichi gestured down at his jeans and t-shirt.

Hakuba-san grimaced. "My son and his caretaker will take you out shopping then. They both have credit cards; just remember to keep the receipts. Interpol has promised to reimburse us for anything you need. Your school uniforms need to be ordered as well. Saguru, make sure you walk him through that when you three return."

"Yes, Father." Hakuba-kun finally spoke up. Shinichi had thought he'd gone mute for the entire conversation. "Let's leave, Lupin-kun. Baaya should be waiting for us down stairs."

Shinichi looked back at the Superintendent General, but he'd already turned to his work. "Alright." Following Hakuba-kun, Shinichi was introduced to his nanny—"Just call me Baaya, Lupin-kun"—and ushered out of the house and into a car, which Baaya drove, leaving Hakuba-kun and him stuck in an uncomfortable silence. Around them, people followed the rat-race that was life, scuttling about their business whether it is ordinary or possibly illegal.

Crossing his legs, Shinichi took the opportunity to inspect the ankle monitor. It sat heavy on his leg. He wasn't used to the extra weight yet; it would probably take a few days for him to learn to compensate for it. The black metal was snug, with padding inside to prevent the friction from tearing up his skin too badly. The locking mechanism was just a small, square hole. The key for it would be very distinct, something that Gramps would keep on him at all time… He brushed the keyhole thoughtfully. If he could find out where it was being kept…

"I wouldn't mess with that if I were you." Shinichi glanced at Hakuba, an eyebrow raised. The blond stared back, suspicion clear as day. "It's set to administer a sedative if the keyhole is tampered with. It would be problematic if you were to lose consciousness before our errands are complete."

Shinichi straightened, flexing his hands in front of his face to show that they were empty. "I wasn't going to do anything." Yet. "I was just looking."

He gave Shinichi a humorless smile. "Of course."

"So, I'm going to the same school as you?" Shinichi asked, desperate to keep the conversation going. With his family, there was always someone talking, usually Dad or Auntie, and the barren silence between them was killing him. "I've never been to an actual school before. Is it difficult? The television shows I've seen imply that it is."

Shock crossed Hakuba-kun's face for a flicker of a second—how curious. He obviously hadn't expected Shinichi's questions, but Shinichi really didn't think it was that surprising. How could he have gone to a proper school when they were always fleeing from Interpol? Not only were they rarely in a single area for longer than a month, but school leaves a paper trail that could harm his family. He had always been homeschooled… or perhaps the proper term would be "car-schooled."

Hakuba coughed, regaining his composure. "It's… different for everyone. Personally, I find it a tad boring. Note-taking is standard practice for most students, which is more time-consuming than it is engaging. I usually spend the class reading."

"Interesting." Shinichi had no idea how to continue this line of discussion. He'd never talked with someone his own age for long.

Hakuba actually snorted. "Hardly. I'm aware of my inability to interact with my peers. Most people find me to be a 'stick in the mud.'"

"It doesn't seem like a fault to me," Shinichi replied. "You're a better conversationalist than I am. At least you've gotten regular practice in the area; most of mine comes from the occasional sentence or two when I can't avoid it."

There was that shocked expression again. "You weren't allowed to talk to others of our generation?"

"Not from lack of my family trying. Auntie attempted to teach me for months, but I'd always mess up in some way so she gave up. Normal people can't keep up with conversations about Ancient Roman architecture or the newest upgrades to video surveillance."

Hakuba hummed in agreement. "It is rather difficult to find someone who understands the complexities of figuring out if a death by hanging was a murder or a suicide. Though I would be content to meet someone who has read Sherlock Holmes in the original English version. So many things get lost in translation…"

"You've read Holmes too?" Now it was Shinichi's turn to be shocked. "I've never met anyone else who likes it."

"It's more surprising to find that you've read Doyle's work, Lupin-kun."

Shinichi chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "That's kind of a funny story… Most teenagers spend their rebellious period drinking and doing drugs. I spent them reading every detective novel I could get my hands on."

"You're kidding!"

"Not a chance," Shinichi laughed. "Dad hates crime novels, especially Holmes. He spent weeks ranting about how they'd corrupt my innocence and drive a wedge between us."

Hakuba snickered. "I have a classmate whose reaction to Holmes is similar. And you read them just to spite your father? Ridiculous."

"Sorry to say, but the Lupin family is drenched the ridiculousness. I'll never escape from it," Shinichi bemoaned dramatically. That gained an eye roll from the detective, which he counted as a success.

"You're not as bad as I expected, Lupin."

Shinichi smiled. Was this what it was like to have a friend? If so, then he definitely made the right choice. "Right back at you, Hakuba. Which book was your favorite? I prefer The Sign of the Four, but a Scandal in Bohemia always holds a special place in my heart."

"Not to be cliché, but I've always favored A Study in Scarlet…"