Many people have reviewed about Akai knowing who Bourbon was beforehand, but when I saw that Mizunashi Rena said quote "they have activated a new member" it must mean he was a part of the organization, but he might not have had his codename yet. If it was in the manga that he was Bourbon before, I don't know because I don't read ahead in the manga. I will make sure that Akai is the first to know however, don't worry. This is 510 and 511.

It has been a few days since I started living in the Kudo manor. It was a splendid, comfortable living space. It did take a while to get used to, after living from apartment to apartment over the past couple of years, to be able to live in an actual house. It was almost too big for one person, and sometimes I felt a little lonely and small in the big empty house.

The boy was right on one account; the library was fantastic. I had expected a bookshelf, but there was an entire room, two stories, walls filled with books, all of them the mystery genre. It was relaxing to just sit in the study, a glass of black coffee in one hand and a book in the other. I had just started reading the Night Baron series, trying to see what kind of man this Kudo Yusaku was. He was brilliant, the mysteries difficult and piquing my interest, presenting a challenge for me to figure out, it was very entertaining.

There were several weird things about the house. I had confined myself to a guest bedroom, and had not gone through any of the Kudos' things, however I am slightly surprised there were no photographs of the family. It was quite strange, but I didn't pay too much attention to it.

I had taken the boy's advice and had stayed as far away from Haibara as possible, while still being able to keep an eye on her. The past few days she would glare at the mansion like it had personally offended her when she went outside, and I promptly ignored it. She will eventually cool down…I hope.

I had slept in, waking up at around nine and was brushing my teeth when I heard yelling. I had planned on a lazy day with a book, but what could possibly be going on? I paused, glancing toward the door. Did someone just come in the house? It was only Tuesday so it can't be Yukiko-san. I hurriedly put on my voice changer choker and pull up my collar. What if it was an organization person? Although the organization wouldn't send an idiot that comes into a house screaming. Wait, the voice sounded familiar, and wasn't she calling for Shinichi?

"Geez, if you were coming home you should have told me."

I look as the door opened, exposing Mouri Ran.

I froze in surprise and she did as well, both of us staring at each other. What was she doing here? Crap did she recognize me? No wait that is not what I should be worried about. She is seeing a stranger, in her best friend's house. Surely she wouldn't think I was an intruder right? I mean what sane robber would calmly brush his teeth in the house he is trying to rob?

She blinked and asked calmly.

"Who are you?"

I relax slightly, even though I still fumbled for words. Seriously, did the boy not explain the situation to her? And why didn't he tell me she was coming over? At least she was going to let me explain.

"Um, well, you see."

Another girl, one I didn't recognize stepped out from behind the corner and her eyes widened with fear.

"Wait, it can't be, a thief!"

Oh no, this is definitely not how this is supposed to go. Mouri Ran apparently let that girl's logic win over mine as she readied her fists.

"Sonoko stand back."

Ah crap. She is proficient in karate isn't she? Maybe I can still try to diffuse the situation.

"Ah, you see—"

I didn't have time to explain as she let out a yell, and with lightning fast reflexes kicked out at my jaw.

I could have dodged, however if I did she would still consider me a threat and try even harder to take me down. However, she could easily tear the mask if I wasn't careful. I stepped back only slightly although I doubt if I did truly dodge it, it wouldn't have been by much. It was a splendid kick, strong and equally quick. She truly was a master.

I fall back against the wall and immediately cradle my jaw, feeling for breaks in the mask. It is slightly rumpled but otherwise not broken thank goodness. The other girl, Sonoko stomps forward.

"Serves you right. Ran, hurry and call the police. Ran?"

Oh please no. I cannot have a jail time because of a misunderstanding. I glance at Mouri Ran to see her blinking down at me. Holy crap that hurt. My jaw still tingles. I try to cover and smooth out the mask back to its original position.

"Um, who are you?"

I look up at the question.

"My name is Okiya Subaru. I am currently living here."

Sonoko hmphed.

"I bet he is lying to make us let him go."

Oh gosh I cannot deal with teenager girls. I stand up, smoothing down my shirt.

"I am here on permission from Edogawa Conan. You can ask him."

Ran quickly pulled out her cellphone, typing in a number. Sonoko gave me a suspicious glance before quickly drawing to her friend's side and they both listened to the phone carefully. I decided to resume brushing my teeth. Dental hygiene was important, and it was terribly sad a man can't do something so simple in peace without getting kicked in the face.

Although the move was…almost nostalgic. It reminded me of Sera. Not that she would always greet me in the mornings with a kick to the jaw, but she would be about as strong as Mouri Ran would be. That was a fight I would pay to see.

"Eh, a graduate student has been staying here since last week? Really Conan-kun?"

I sigh into my toothbrush. Saved by the Boya from murderous teenage girls. Thank goodness.

"Does Shinichi know about this?"

More silence. I pretend to ignore their curious and very open staring.

"Eh, why not? Oh I see. Wait!"

She pulled down her phone and both girls looked at each other, and then at me. Sonoko started sheepishly.

"So that means…"

I spat out my toothpaste and gently washed my mouth, mindful of the mask. I stepped out of the bathroom and they allowed me. Suddenly they both bowed so low and so quickly I thought they were going to snap in half.

"We are very sorry."

I stuttered very intelligently as Mouri Ran explained.

"For kicking you so unexpectedly without thinking."

Sonoko patted her on the shoulder.

"Come on Ran there was no way a good-looking guy like him could be a robber."

Wasn't she the one who said I was the robber in the first place? Mouri Ran seemed to agree with me and they had a mini argument in front of me. I rub the back of my head, trying to fulfill the Okiya Subaru personality. Akai would have admonished both the girls for acting without thinking. Okiya Subaru would play it off.

"Ah well, it is partly my fault for not being able to explain it right away."

"What graduate school are you going to Okiya-san?"

I answered dutifully.

"Touto University's engineering department."

I see Sonoko's face light up as she pulled out her cellphone.

"Um, would you mind if I take a picture, and get your email address?"

The Akai inside of me was baffled. Was this girl seriously trying to hit on me? She was what, sixteen, seventeen? Sorry, you are way too young for me. Nevertheless, Okiya decided it was a fine idea.

"I don't mind."

Right, Akai hates his picture taken, so Okiya must love it. Sigh, ah well. Worse things have happened.

"Just wait until I tell Kyougoku-san."

Sonoko easily blanched at that.

"Just a cellphone picture then."

Ah, she must already have a boyfriend then. Well maybe I should scare her off a little then. Women hate insulting right?

"Would it be ok to go out and buy something before that? I haven't had anything to eat since I woke up."

Mouri Ran leapt at the chance.

"Well then we will pay for an apology for earlier."

Hmm, I suppose I can actually use my deduction skills for a change. I discreetly look over both the girls as I continued.

"Well in that case, if you are sure it is all right. How about that 'Welcome Burger' place you ate at earlier?"

Both teenagers looked surprised, and Mouri Ran was the one to ask how I knew that. I gave them a simple deduction, nothing too fancy, while maintaining a polite bluntness about it. Through the deduction I saw something akin to fondness and sadness in Mouri Ran's eyes. I wonder why.

After I basically told them they both had bad breath they excused themselves to the bathroom. I smirked genuinely as they disappeared. They weren't all that bad. I bet Sera would love to be friends with them.

I stepped into the study, intent on finishing a chapter in the book I was reading while waiting for them, as they raced into the room.

"Okiya-san, would you like solve a mystery for us?"

Ho? A mystery huh? I turn toward them.

"What kind of mystery?"

Sonoko held out…a paper airplane.

"I found this in my garden and they have been all over the news lately. People think it is a prank, but maybe you can figure out its true meaning."

I gently take the airplane. This was rather strange. What were these markings on it? Interested, I turned it over in my hands.

"This was in the garden at your house?"

Sonoko nodded.

"I'd like to know for what reason that annoying prankster keeps spreading them everywhere."

Annoying prankster huh? I remember seeing these on the news, and if I remember correctly over a hundred had been collected. They wouldn't go to the trouble of marking each individual one as a prank would they? Hold on, these markings…lines and dots. Or dots and dashes. Could it be? Morse code.

"I see, what an interesting code."

"Does that mean you have already figured it out?"

I hear a phone go off and Mouri Ran reach for her cell phone. I ignore it, speaking clearly in urgency because if I was right about this code, it meant terrible trouble.

"Most likely the meaning of this plane is an SOS."

Mouri Ran murmured quietly to herself. Sonoko interrupted, clearly panicked.

"You mean someone needs to be rescued?"

I continued.

"Yes, and what's more the circumstances are that immediate attention is required."

This wasn't good. We needed to find this person and quickly. We need more clues.

"If there is a different airplane, I would like for you to show me at once."

We need more of the code to solve. Surely there must be more giving clues to his location right?

"A different kind of airplane?"

"Yes, I remember from the news that close to a hundred had been found in the city area yesterday morning and the day before. And so if the message drawn on the plane was different between yesterday and the day before then I think we might be able to narrow down the location of the person who is sending the SOS."

Hmm, what could be an important factor here? Location of the planes? No they said it was all over Beika, so we couldn't narrow it down that way. Or what time of day? What could possibly be the factor that could explain it?

"By the way when was this found in your garden?"

I need to determine if this was the first or second message first of all, then we can go from there. Sonoko answered quickly.

"The morning of the day before yesterday."

Ah, so this is the first message.

"Before that, can you tell me how you know it is an SOS?"

I quickly unfurl the plane, explaining about Morse code to both of the teenage girls, although mostly to Sonoko due to Mouri Ran still looking at her phone. I had only learned it because as agents it was important to know. I was almost through with the explanation when Mouri interrupted.

"In otherwords, an SOS."

I glance over at her in surprise. She continues reading off her phone.

"That means it is a signal from someone asking to be rescued. That's what he wrote in the email."

Email? Was that the sound I heard earlier from the phone? Was she asking someone else about the case? Sonoko skips over to glance over her shoulder.

"You're kidding, Shinichi-kun figured it out too?"

"Yeah, he also asked if there was another paper plane I should send a picture to him."

Shinichi? Ah, could they be talking about Kudo Shinichi? Hold on just a minute, did that mean that in this room, I just witnessed him contact her? So he is still in contact with some people and wasn't dead, which was a relief. Maybe this could be the lead I need to find this guy. I decide to play innocent for now.

"Shinichi-kun. Come to think of it, the owner of this house is Shinichi too, isn't it?"

Sonoko started excitedly.

"You don't know? He is a detective and a high school student, Shi—"

"Kinichi. Kinichi-kun is this boy in my class who is a real mystery lover."

I blink in surprise as Ran blurted out, interrupting her friend. Ho?

"So it is not Shinichi-kun, but Kinichi-kun instead?"

"Ah yeah. The Shinichi of this house is a normal high school student with no extraordinary talents whatsoever."

She was lying to me. Even if I didn't know previously who this Shinichi person was, it was obvious that Mouri Ran was not an expert liar with her flushed face, rushed words, and widened pupils. I refuse to believe that what Jodie, and Yukiko-san was a lie. Why would she lie? Should I call her out on it?

"A normal high school student? I don't think it is like that at all."

Ah, a sliver of panic flashes across her face.

"Eh, what do you mean?"

Maybe I should see how far I can push this, try to glean some information.

"For some reason, even though I have been told he lives here, there is no trace of him left at all. There are no clothes, no diary, and nothing like a photo album either. Well I am just saying what I noticed."

Mouri Ran turned to Sonoko, saying innocently.

"Perhaps he cleaned up knowing we were coming over to clean and he didn't want to be embarrassed."

"Speaking of cleaning up, earlier when we were at Welcome Burger, wasn't the manager asking one of the workers to clean up an airplane that got caught in the sign?"

Mouri Ran quickly dragged her from the room, saying.

"Let's go get it, quickly."

Ah right, the mysterious person. I watched them go, thinking.

Kudo Shinichi hasn't been here. In months. I would have noticed over the past couple of days if someone had come in to clean up and when I had first come in with Yukiko-san it looked like someone hadn't lived in it in quite awhile. So she didn't want me to know that Kudo was a detective. Did that mean the boy was in danger? Was this case he was currently investigating so hazardous that this girl is trying to cover for him because she thinks I am a threat? Did that mean she did know where he was?

In any case, it looks like the rumors about the boy detective were true. I heard the phone go off a split second before I had completed my hypothesis, and considering he had to type it out, it meant he had come to the conclusion faster than I had. Interesting.

I kind of see what is going on. Both girls decided to have a little contest between me and this 'Kinichi-kun', probably to see who was the better detective. Otherwise they wouldn't have bothered both of us with this mystery. It sounded like they had full faith in his deductive abilities, and they knew mine as well from the earlier show. All right, Kudo Shinichi, let's see what you got. I won't lose to you. It will be interesting to see if I could gain another ally in the fight against the organization.

The two girls returned quickly, holding the paper plane reverently. Sonoko thrust it quickly into my hand.

"Here Okiya-san."

I examine the plane closely, starting with the center fold, where five lines, or dashes could be seen. Hmm, zero huh? But zero what? Could it be an address? I flip it over to see a symbol. I blink as I turn the paper plane slowly. A martini glass? No that wouldn't be right. I do feel like I have seen this symbol before though. I glance at the two girls, both of them staring at me with wide eyes, with Ran clutching her phone in her hand. Of course, so that's what it is. I hand it back to Sonoko.

"I believe it is an antenna mark."

Sonoko asked, puzzled.

"An antenna mark? Like on a cellphone?"

The girls quickly compared Ran's cellphone with the symbol.

"It's true they are the same."

I explain slowly.

"And so, if we add the zero from the five lines from the body, and the first message, we get: I am in a place where radio waves don't reach, come rescue me. That's what it would mean right?"

Sonoko jumped up and down, squealing.

"That's amazing Subaru-kun, you are a great detective."

No if I was a great detective, we would have already found our mystery person.

"Even with this, as of yet, we only know it is out of reception range."

It's narrowed down, but only slightly. Sonoko gave her input.

"A place outside reception? You mean like a cave in the mountains or something?"

Mouri Ran interrupted.

"But the paper planes have only been found in the city."

"Then what about below ground?"

"How would it be able to fly into your yard from underground?"

Ah, so these teenagers weren't total airheads. They both had reasonable heads on their shoulders. Although, is it because both of them have been around Kudo Shinichi and that has influenced them? Sonoko nodded.

"Oh I guess you are right. Hold on, if there were some the day before yesterday, and yesterday, what about today?"

Ran gasped.

"Ah, the TV news."

After turning on the news, we saw a story about a kidnapper who committed suicide, and a kidnapped victim still at large. Mouri Ran flipped through the channels with a sigh.

"That's all that is on right now. That man, President Daita, used his experience as a formal sailor to bring his company through a lot of hardships."

Wait, a sailor? Ships are the one place in the world Morse code is still prevalent. This might be our mystery person.

"Could it be?"

"Could what be Subaru-san?"

"This kidnapping case. It might be related to the airplanes. If he was kidnapped and is still confined somewhere, it would make sense that he would be throwing these SOS paper planes at night so the criminal won't catch him."

It did make a whole lot of sense, the timing of everything.

"Then this President Daita is the prankster?"

"Yeah there is a high possibility. Since he was a former sailor it wouldn't be strange for him to know Morse code, since they use it as a means of communication during emergencies. Most likely he doesn't know the kidnapper committed suicide and is trying to get help without him realizing."

"I see, that means that if the kidnapper picked one up he would think it was a prank."

This was getting more and more serious. Now that the kidnapper was dead, no one knew this man's whereabouts, and time was running out. He could be seriously starving or dehydrated, heck he could be seriously injured for all we know. Ok so what else can give us clues? What the planes were made of?

"It seems the paper airplanes found yesterday and the day before were made from single pages ripped out of magazines. President Daika might be restricted form moving much and he can't reach anything except a magazine."

Both girls looked at me sadly, and then something caught my attention.

"And now moving on, we are following up on a story about a paper airplane prankster."

Oh good more information. Maybe we can spot a new pattern. Ah, sure enough. Although wait a moment…there are partial circles, and strange creases. What could this mean? Could it be it was made differently? I quickly pull out my notebook, tearing out a piece of paper. Maybe if I could replicate it?

I ignore the girl's questions, filing them away as background noise as I fold creases into a standard paper airplane. But no, there were more creases, and the circles, if they were half, then that means they must come together to make a whole somewhere. But where? Not on a normal paper airplane. This must also be Morse code.

"You know, speaking of paper airplanes, there are a lot of different ways to fold them, like animals and such."

Animals? Wait a second. Maybe he made it another shape originally, and then put it in standard form to make it fly easier, and if I remember the creases correctly…

I fold along the lines that I remember, putting the dots where they should go and lean back. Ah, I see, so that is how it is. How clever. I refold it into the standard way, just to check and make sure my work is correct, and it is. The pattern looks exactly like the one seen on the news.

"Subaru-san, did you figure it out?"

I tear out another piece of paper, to make this one easier to see and fold it back into the original shape.

"This is it, the message President Daita wanted the people to find who picked up these planes. 'Be'."

Sonoko and Mouri Ran glanced at each other.

"Be? Those three circles?"

I answer accordingly, explaining calmly my reasoning.

"Yes probably. This Morse code is written the Japanese way. A single circle is 'he' while two dots over it would be 'be'."

"But where is the message in that?"

I smirk as I glance at the animal in my hands.

"Do you recognize the shape?"

"You mean a squid?"

"And if you put the two together?"

The girls' eyes lit up in realization.

"Be..ika…Beika!"

I continued, glad they found the answer on their own.

"In other words Beika city."

Sonoko gave me a deadpan look.

"A pun."

I shrug nonchalantly.

"It's ok to use puns in code. The point was for the kidnapper not to realize, so puns are ok to use."

That narrowed down the search quite a lot. Although how do you find some place without reception in a city? Underground was out of the question. It had to be someplace where he could get the airplanes over a wide area…

Of course! Not low, but high.

"A high rise building. The base station antenna is targeted toward the ground where population density is high, so it is hard to connect in high places. Even if you connect, as a consequence of the height, you pick up several radio waves from different base stations. You often get roaming mode, and go outside of range."

Good, we have narrowed it down a lot further now. If I remember correctly…

"There are two high rise buildings in Beika. Beika hotel is one, but in a hotel there are always people coming and going, so confining someone would be difficult. Therefore, President Daita is probably being held at Beika Tower Apartments."

Yes that would be more secluded. There were a lot of apartments there, but it narrowed the search down far enough that one team of police could scour that place and find him relatively quickly. That is assuming he is there. We might be completely incorrect about the location, but it was better than nothing.

"That's really close."

I cut in.

"Now the message about being out of range might just be a hint, because in reality the kidnapper might have taken his cellphone. In any case, we should tell the police about this."

Suddenly Mouri Ran's phone rang. Oh, I forgot. Kudo Shinichi was in this too wasn't he? Sorry, I believe I got this one before you. She answered it, and her eyes lit up. Ah, so it must be him. Although, calling not emailing? It must be urgent.

"I'm still at Shinichi's house."

A pause and her eyes widened.

"Then you solved the paper plane code?"

Another pause, and I managed to hear a man's voice on the other end, sounding serious.

"Right, on my way."

She hung up, and it was amazing how her eyes lit up with determined fire.

"Sorry Subaru-kun I have to go help Sh-Kinichi. Bye."

She ran off, up the stairs, and within a minute was back down, holding binoculars and she sprinted out the door.

Oh, then I must have lost again. I had just figured it out, but it sounds like he is already halfway to the crime scene, and had a plan of action to deal with it, if the binoculars were any indication. Wait, if he is in this city, will he come stay here tonight? Then why hasn't he come seen his friends and family? Sonoko, after contacting the police, decided to leave as well.

"Ah, I should have gone with Ran."

I smirk. I believe that those two, from what Jodie has told me about them, can take care of most anything. A man that can outsmart me, and a girl that can easily kick me to the ground? I think they could handle it.

"Well, let's trust that she and him can handle things at the scene."

I narrow my eyes. Maybe I can get Sonoko to give me information.

"That mystery lover Kinichi-kun, right?"

She giggled nervously.

"Yeah, sure. Goodbye Subaru-kun."

She took off before I could ask anything else.

I sigh as I finally relax. I never did get a meal out of those girls, but at least they provided my brain a little workout. I hadn't had a good mystery, besides the ones in these books in the library, since I became Subaru.

Kudo Shinichi is not all talk, like I assumed. He was highly intelligent, and was a mystery just like the ones he loved and solved. I must be getting out of touch. I can't believe I have been beaten intellectually recently by two boys, both of them younger than me.

I pause, narrowing my eyes at that. Why had I thought of the Boya? Not many people have outsmarted me, and not many were Japanese boys. My instincts were telling me something was there. What had happened today during the time that I had 'encountered' Kudo Shinichi? He had come to the answer before me, by a few seconds, but it was still faster than me. I hadn't heard a lot from the phone conversation, but that kind of urgency, and the slight panting in the background, meant that he was running probably toward the scene of the crime, and he already had a strategy. Both of those had only happened to me one other instance, with one other person.

I walk up the stairs toward his room. I had promised the Boya I wouldn't go snooping in this detective's stuff. I reached the cracked door, probably not closed correctly by a hasty Mouri Ran. I raised my hand to push it open, when I stopped, sighing.

"What am I doing?"

This should be a last resort. I am not going to displace the hospitality of the Kudo family for the breach of privacy. I couldn't find any photos of this mysterious teenager throughout the entire house. Hold on a second…is that what the Boya was doing when I first moved in? He disappeared upstairs and had returned after a substantial amount of time, enough time to hide photos or anything about the existence of Kudo Shinichi. Well, there was more the one way to skin a cat.

I pour a small glass of bourbon as I start up the computer. Now then, he has been out a while, but I bet since he is a high school detective, he must have been loved by the media. If I could just get a picture of him from an article…

Here we go, a whole slew of articles, all praising his name as the 'Modern day Holmes' and the 'Great Detective of the East.' Wow, big titles for a seventeen year old. Looks like he has done well for himself too, but I already knew about his one hundred percent solve rate. Pretty much an accomplished record for someone who has not graduated yet. Now if I could just find a pic—

There. A boy with brown hair and blue eyes stared back at the camera, thumbs up as a criminal is arrested in the background. All in all, a normal high schooler. I leaned my face into my hand, tilting my head to one side. I was sure I had never met this boy, but he looked so familiar. Hold on just a minute.

That cowlick. Those sharp blue eyes. That smug knowing smirk.

I take the drawing feature on the computer and easily draw two black circles around Kudo Shinichi's eyes. It wasn't the best pair of glasses, but it would do for these purposes. I lean back, surveying my work. There was no doubt. I didn't need to be an expert to know that Edogawa Conan and Kudo Shinichi were the same person. No one can look that similar.

The Modern Day Holmes was now a child.

It would explain the maturity and intelligence beyond his years. Also the lack of pictures, especially from when he was younger. It explained his absence, his willingness to give me his house, his friendship with Haibara and his connection with Yukiko-san. So many cogs and gears clicked together. It made a whole lot of sense. I would totally disbelieve this, if I didn't already know there was another shrunken adult, namely the one I was currently protecting.

I couldn't confront him however, at least not now. As with Shiho and Haibara, I have nothing without evidence, and while Haibara was easy, it will be nearly impossible with the Boya. I don't have his or Kudo Shinichi's fingerprints for comparison, and he would need a mountain of evidence. I know how he thinks, and how he totally traps his victims. I have to do the same to him, otherwise he will blow me off and evade my questions with excuses. I will just have to bide my time. Or this could all be coincidence.

I don't really want to harm the Boya with this knowledge. It is just exciting knowing that I am killing two birds with one stone in solving both of the mysteries that had been plaguing my mind for the past few weeks. The Boya was throwing down the gauntlet, a challenge, by hiding all evidence knowing that connects him with Kudo Shinichi. Now it was up to the few people who could to collect the clues. I am sure Haibara knows who he is, as well as Agasa Hakase, and Yukiko-san. Mouri Ran obviously doesn't, and Sonoko doesn't either. So select few know this knowledge. If I find out, I will keep the knowledge to myself.

Just like with Haibara, I cannot celebrate too early. This might be completely wrong, and I was accusing the Boya for no reason. And I do just want to know the knowledge for my own purposes and assurance. It would let me sleep better at night knowing that a seven year old is actually a capable detective, and the missing teenage detective is actually safe and sound. Nonetheless, I cannot do anything except lie in wait and gather evidence. I have never hunted a hunter before. This should be interesting.

I smirk as I take a sip of bourbon. You might have won the paper plane prank case Kudo Shinichi, but this one I claim victory as my own. Now I just need to catch you in the act.