Hello everyone! I am back. Sorry for the long wait, this semester has been the busiest I have been, so writing has been put on the backburner. Now that I am out for the summer, I can hopefully write a lot more. Thank you for being patient. This is the case from 861 and 862, and Raven Chaser. I made it extra long for the wait.

It had been a month or so from when the NOC case ended, and life was peaceful again, in a stressful kind of way. I had helped the Detective Boys with some of their cases, kept an eye on Hakase and Haibara, and in general stayed under the radar. However, knowing that Rum had a slight hand in the previous case, means he might be on the move for other reasons, and that makes me suspicious.

I had just finished making some meat and potatoes for lunch, and smiled as I conveniently made enough to give to my scientific neighbors. I wonder if they were in? I left the pot on the stove, as I put the radio in my ear that was connected to the frequency of the bugs in Agasa Hakase's house.

"But why would they kill a Japanese Shogi player?"

Woah, did I walk in on something I wasn't supposed to? Who is the shogi player, and who is 'they'? So many questions in less then two seconds. I press closer. Are Haibara and Agasa Hakase investigating a murder? Without Conan?

"He probably just witnessed them killing that wealthy woman who was getting in their way. Apparently Amanda had clout with the CIA and FBI."

Amanda? Where had I heard that name before? Another voice spoke up.

"And it is true that Amanda visited Hanada Koji's room."

Ah, so Boya was in on this, and instantly the case was thrown into clarity. I hadn't heard of this case since I first joined the FBI, considering it was theorized the Black Organization was involved in Hanada Koji's murder, and my father had been working on solving it. This was an old case, though, seventeen years old to be exact. It gave me a bit of nostalgia, but the timing is off. Why are they looking into this now? Nevermind that, my father and I had both failed to solve this mystery, but now with Conan into it…the probability of it being solved is a lot higher. I smirk, not even bothering to hide my excitement. It will be a pleasure to work with the boy again.

Intrigued, I picked up my phone to text Camel to come over. Something tells me that Conan was going out somewhere to investigate this, he wouldn't be investigating this case now unless something happened, and I needed to be with him, which left Haibara alone and unprotected. Camel would be a good enough substitute. While doing that, I listened carefully to the conversation going on inside the other house.

"Apparently Amanda's fingerprints were on the doorknob, sofa, teacup, plate, and fork in Haneda's room."

Haibara chimed in.

"Maybe, they ordered tea and cake through room service for afternoon tea. Looks like the dishes were smashed when the room was ransacked though."

Conan hummed in agreement, and I hear a clicking noise. A mouse for the computer? So not written files but something on the internet? Or did they receive these case files from someone by email?

"Shards of plates and cups with 'Juke', the hotel's name, on them were scattered all over the room."

There was a small curious noise, the same kind he makes when he finds something interesting.

"There's some glass mixed in with the utensils. Was it a mirror? And there were letters on it too. P, T, O, N?"

I frowned. What could that mean? Although I feel like I have seen those letters on a mirror before.

"It probably spelled 'Put On Mascara'."

Ah, that's right. Akemi had that mirror. That's where I had seen it. I had forgotten. Haibara continued.

"Right around that time there was a cosmetic company selling mirrors along with mascara. It was a huge hit. They contained the words 'Put On Mascara'. My sister inherited one from our mother."

Conan asked.

"But what would that mirror be doing in Haneda Koji's room?"

Agasa speculated.

"The wealthy woman who was murdered was over 80 years old."

Haibara suggested.

"Maybe Haneda Koji got it from his mother too. As a shogi player he probably minded his own appearance. Anyway I am more interested in the room that was left ransacked. The Organization never would have done this. They always leave things as though nothing had happened. That's what the murdered woman's room looked like."

True, we suspected the organization's involvement, but dismissed it because of how opposite the crime scene was from their normal M.O. Conan observed.

"It says the sink in the bathroom was left running too."

"Anyway, I'm impressed you were able to find this information."

"Someone regularly uploads it to the internet. They don't seem to care that it get's deleted. It's as though someone's asking for the mystery to be solved."

Well, if they want it solved I think it should be our duty to solve it. I am all up for it. But if Boya just got this on the internet, then maybe I am not needed to go anywhere. I thought there might have been a connection to a current case. I sigh, deciding to listen a little longer before hanging up and going over. Who knows? Boya might pull some deduction up to help solve it.

"But how do you know he resisted?"

"There are defensive wound on Haneda Koji's arms from being punched or kicked. In his right hand were marks by him holding the small scissors that came with the room."

Agasa gasped lightly.

"He was holding scissors?"

I raise an eyebrow. Did that spark something? Did that mean something did happen?

"What about the scissors?"

Agasa commented.

"Actually there was a murder in Okuho City this morning. The victim died holding some scissors I invented, so Inspector Megure asked me to come to the crime scene this afternoon to explain how they work."

I had already hung up the ear piece at this point, hiding a grin. So there was a connection after all. What a coincidence that there were two murders with the same circumstances, although I would probably blame it on a certain Boya's affinity to murders. Sure the chance was slim that the scissors were used in the same way, because crime scenes were rarely the same unless it was a copycat, but it was a chance I was willing to take. Everything was becoming so intriguing.

I hear my phone vibrate, and I flipped open the message from Camel. On my way. Fantastic. I grab my pot and take the familiar trek over to the professor's house. I walk in just as Hakase was protesting his invention. I step in easily.

"Would it be all right if I accompanied you to the crime scene?"

Their gazes turned to me, all three with different levels of surprise, and with Haibara, paranoia.

"Subaru-san, why?"

I smile easily as Subaru, offering my excuse.

"I seem to have made too much meat and potatoes. I came to share."

I hold up the pot, hoping that the explanation doesn't fall through. Agasa smiles back.

"That's not what I meant. Why do you want to go to the crime scene?"

Ah, that might be a bit harder to explain. I decide to go with a half truth.

"There's something about that case that interests me."

I notice Conan's eyes light up. I don't know whether it is the prospect of working with me again, or that my interest confirms that the FBI or I or the Organization were involved with the case from seventeen years ago.

"Then let's head over there."

He hops down from his seat. Haibara nods in confirmation, and I pause. If this is connected to the Organization, and Rum, it would be better if she didn't come. Who knows who would be at this crime scene. Sure, it could be totally unrelated, but there was still a chance. I don't need her messing up our work on the Mystery train, or allowing herself to fall back into that terrifying fear she had when she was first on the run. It was way better if she sat this one out.

"Oh, you don't need to come."

I walked forward, easily letting my own intimidation aura through to try to convince her not to come. She eyes me suspiciously, but not in that fearful way, but in the 'what are you doing' kind of way. Huh, she must be getting a little more comfortable with me. I set down the meat and potatoes on the counter.

"You can stay home alone, can't you?"

Oh that seemed to have made her angry a little as I see the deadpan look fall over her face. To be fair, she has every right to be angry. I did sound a little condescending to her, treating her like a normal child instead of the adult/child she really is.

"Fine. You want me to stay here by myself so I can eat this poorly made food right?"

I frowned slightly. I did think I was getting better. Maybe I wasn't?

"Is it that bad?"

She gave a hefty dramatic sigh, the drama queen, and proceeded to criticize.

"The vegetables in the cream stew you shared with us the other day were completely raw. It felt like you had been listening in on our conversation, and hurriedly brought over the food you were making so you could get involved in the case."

Ow, ok scratch that, she really is more comfortable around me, or at least bold enough to say all that. And that hit way too close to what happens in my daily life. It's not my fault. I am trying to protect her you know. Thankfully, I had become quite the actor over these past months as Okiya Subaru. I laughed to cover up the truth that she had thrown out there.

"No way. I am just not a good cook."

I lean down, beaming at her.

"In that case, I'd appreciate it if you could recook the food while we're gone."

Perfect, she just walked herself into the trap to keep herself here. I didn't even have to do anything. I hand her the mittens I had used to bring the dish over.

"I'm pretty sure I used the right ingredients and seasoning."

I stand up straight and walk out of the door with Hakase and Conan, not looking back once.

Once out the door I see the slight shift of curtains on the second floor of the Kudo Manor out of the corner of my eye. Instantly I pull out my phone and speedily type in a number.

"Hai, Akai-san?"

"Look after the girl."

I flick my choker off for a second, glancing off in his direction.

"I am counting on you Camel."

"Roger."

I feel more then see Conan's eyes slide up to find Camel, just for curiosity's sake more then actual intimidation. Of course he found him with his keen gaze in less then ten seconds.

Hakase pulled out his yellow Volkswagen, Conan climbed in the back while I took the passenger seat, and we took off toward Okuho City.

We started off in silence. I wanted to engage in conversation with Conan, but he had his pensive face on, the one of him trying to figure out a crime, and I didn't want to disturb him, so I just watched the scenes flick by through the window.

"Subaru-san, did our mutual acquaintance from the aquarium come and try to talk to you again?"

I looked up in the rearview mirror seeing his clear gaze staring calmly back at me. Ah, Bourbon I am assuming. I shake my head with a smirk.

"No, not yet. I don't think the hound has picked up the scent yet."

Conan's eyes flickered in understanding. Bourbon hasn't made the connection between us again yet. I hope to keep it that way. Oh yeah, there was one more thing I wanted to ask about from that case.

"How did you know? About the helicopter I mean."

Conan blinked in surprise, before he scratched his cheek awkwardly.

"A case a while ago. It wasn't that big of a deal."

A case huh? I am interested. Any time that Conan and the Organization meet has to be quite the entertaining story. Besides, we had quite a bit of time before we get to Okuho City. I turned in my seat to give him my undivided attention, even opening my closed eyes to look at him properly.

"Oh really? Do tell."

Conan's mouth curled into a small smirk. He adjusted his glasses with his finger before explaining.

"There was a serial murder case, spanning across many different districts so that the police forces from all over the country came together to try to solve the mystery. The victim had one thing taken from them, and a mahjong piece was placed next to the body. I found out later that one of the Black Organization's agents was one of the victims, and the thing stolen off his body was a sim card with a list of all of their NOC's. I wasn't the only one though trying to get it back."

That information would have been so useful. We could have struck such a blow to the organization, monitoring them, and then arresting them after they had led us to their boss or higher agents. Conan frowned.

"Irish, another agent of theirs was disguised as the chief of police. He was trying to find it too. I finally cornered the culprit at the observation deck of Touto Tower. But Irish was there too. He managed to knock both of them out and take back the chip."

Conan paused, and I see conflict in his eyes. What Boya? What was he struggling to tell me? The boy took a deep breath.

"He realized I was after the chip as well, and decided I was a big enough threat to the organization to take me to the boss."

Oi oi oi Boya, that's dangerous. So wait, what happened? I kind of had a feeling. Irish, I remember had a bit of a cruel streak in him. He wouldn't just let Conan go like Vermouth would. I suspect also, that wasn't really the reason why Irish cornered him. I don't know why but I feel like Boya wasn't telling the whole truth. Conan continued.

"We had a little scuffle. Mostly me running and trying to get him to waste his bullets and him trying to shoot me. I had him cornered with a gun on the walkway outside when they showed up in the helicopter. I am pretty sure Gin and Vodka were there, as well as either Chianti or Korn. They startled me enough that he turned the tables on me. Then someone called him on his phone. They asked him to hold the memory card out so they could see it easier, then a sniper shot the memory card and him in the chest."

Conan grimaced, and I could tell it was a sore memory. He saw someone get shot in front of him, and that must have been terrible for the person who would jump in to save anyone. Man, so they lost the NOC list and Irish. That wasn't a happy ending at all. Although now it was Boya up against at least three or four trained assassins with a military helicopter. How was Boya going to get out of this?

"They must have noticed me somehow because they started to shoot at me, but Irish covered me, with his last breath. I don't know why, but he protected me."

Huh, that is twice now, one of their own has protected you from them Boya. I don't know what it is about you in particular, but you must draw them out of the darkness in your own way. Conan shivered.

"I had to run, to escape. I ran to the top floor and hid as they shot at me. I managed to hide in the top observation room, but after shooting it out they tried to smoke me out with tear gas so I just kept climbing. I couldn't go back down. I finally reached the top of the tower. They took one more pass before climbing to come down at me from above."

He smirked.

"I had no other choice. I was trapped, unless I did something. I had just gotten the suspenders from Hakase, so I decided to use them to get down, but that wouldn't stop them completely. I needed a more permanent solution."

I was on the edge of my seat now, in wide eyed wonderment. Just like his father, Kudo Shinichi could weave a story that put you right into the action. So how did Boya get out of there alive? Conan grinned, his storytelling becoming more and more animated.

"They had shot off one of the lights on their last pass at me. I quickly tied both ends of the suspenders to the railing, put the light in the middle, and gripped it tightly as I dove head first off the tower. The suspenders can only extend a certain length, and thankfully I had estimated that a ledge was around that length. Once I had extended it as far as it could go, I flipped it around, and turned the whole thing into a giant slingshot. I let it go and it went up so fast with so much force it rammed right into the tail of their helicopter. I saw it try to land but I am pretty sure it crashed. I don't know how they managed to make out of that alive, but they did."

Holy crap boya. I pause, imagining it. Him standing on top of the tower, resourceful, his mouth a thin worried line, but nonetheless moving into action to not only escape, but to strike back proving him to be the hunter that he was. I smirk.

"That's quite a feat Boya. Although, what if they had come after you because of that?"

Honestly, if a person bringing down a helicopter of theirs with nothing but an improvised slingshot must have gotten someone's attention, hopefully not Gin's or any of our other lovely acquaintances, but someone's surely. Conan shrugged.

"I kept a low profile after that. None of them came snooping around. I guess they assumed I was a cop or something, but they never investigated."

I took a deep breath. Good, because if we had lost Conan I would have lost such a reliable ally against the Organization, and I definitely don't want that. Agasa admonished gently.

"Still Conan-kun, Subaru-san is right. You need to be more careful."

Conan frowned.

"I didn't exactly have time to back out with them shooting at me. They didn't give me a choice."

Agasa raised an eyebrow as he glanced in the rearview mirror.

"You know what is at stake Conan-kun if you get caught."

Conan narrowed his eyes at the older man.

"You know what is at stake also Hakase, of us needing to pursue them."

I glanced between them as they glared mildly at each other. Am I missing something? I agree with both of them, but it sounds like there were more reasons then I was thinking of. Agasa was the first one to break with a small sigh.

"I am just worried about you Conan-kun, and want you to be more careful."

Conan's eyes softened and he looked down at his lap.

"I understand. Sorry."

We sit in an almost awkward silence, which I broke.

"So Boya, do you know the officers at this crime scene as well?"

I am guessing yes. The kid knew everyone, especially in the force. His eyes brightened.

"It's Division One, so these are the officers that I solve most of my cases with."

He blinked before he chuckled.

"I mean Mouri Tantei solves with. I just help out a little."

I raise an eyebrow at him. Right. So these were the officers that he was most familiar with. How interesting. I wonder how they react to him around the crime scene. I do believe If I remember correctly, Camel and Jodie both had worked with Division One as well on different cases. It will be great to finally meet them.

"We are here."

I turned to face forward again just as we pulled up to the house. It was a nice house, with the name Hiyama on the gate to the inside. I let my eyes roam around, seeing the several police cars as we stepped out of the car. I can tell just by looking that Boya wanted to run off and start investigating and was restraining himself. Agasa turned to the house and yelled out to a young police officer.

"Tagaki-keiji."

The man turned and his face lit up as he ran toward us.

"Agasa-san, we have been waiting for you."

He paused, letting his eyes roam over Conan and I.

"You didn't come alone?"

Ah, well it was kind of a surprise that I was here, but surely the officer knew Conan well enough to know he couldn't keep his nose out of a murder case. Agasa chuckled sheepishly.

"Well actually—"

I interrupted smoothly with a calm lie.

"I was actually involved in the development of those scissors. Will we be in the way?"

That was a good enough excuse, right? I give a small glance to the boy at my side. I was getting as good at implementing lies on short notice as him; I wonder if exposure to him helped me with that. The officer nodded.

"Well, if that is the case."

He looked a little confused, and I could tell why. Making the scissors in question is a little out of character for me, but I needed to see this crime scene.

"So where is the body?"

Conan piped up. Takagi spared him a small glance. I see he is well accustomed to the grade schooler at crimes, not even stopping him from entering the crime scene. An act of frutility, but one that all police officers should at least try to follow.

"It is in the annex. Megure Keibu is in there now."

He gestured and we followed him up to the add on.

"So the crime scene is in the annex."

Strange that it wasn't in the main part of the house. Takagi Keiji looked back at me.

"The victim had been spending most of his time in the annex lately because he felt the main house was insecure."

Hmm, now why would he think that exactly? Maybe the Organization was threatening him? Or someone had to have been to make him feel uneasy in the main house. I glanced to the side to see some other officers investigating some men. I wonder how they are involved. My mind is starting to speed up, running through several possibilities. It had been awhile since I had just been at a crime scene, just to investigate. They looked like body guards of some sort, based on the build. I wonder if they heard anything.

We stepped inside the building and I don't miss how Conan stays back, watching the men for a moment before following. We walk toward the bathroom, where the man in charge, Megure Keibu I am guessing, greeted us.

"Ah, Agasa-san. Thank you for coming out here."

I stayed in the doorway, taking in the scene in front of me. The body was still there, which was slightly surprising, and it was obvious by the blood on his face he was hit on his head, probably the cause of death. He had the scissors in question in his hand. Did he grab them from somewhere else in the house, or did he keep them in here? Ah he has facial hair so mustache trimmer perhaps? There was what looked like a glass cup shattered on the ground, and an identical one on the counter. There was a mop behind the victim. I kept looking at the evidence in front of me, quietly observing as I listened to Megure Keibu brief us.

"Allow me to explain the situation. The victim as the president of a real estate company, and owner of this house, Hiyama Kunihisa-san, sixty-one years old. He was bludgeoned to death with a blunt object. He was attacked in another room of the annex, and fled into the changing room of the bathroom, but the culprit broke through the door and finished him off. The victim was holding these scissors with your logo on them. What do they do exactly?"

Agasa Hakase, took a step forward, about to explain.

"Oh, they—"

I hold out my arm, stopping him.

"Wait. You will hurt yourself if you are not careful."

Thin house slippers wouldn't stop the shards of glass. But why was the cup there to begin with? It is too far away from the counter to be assumed it fell off in the scuffle. I ask.

"Can we assume the victim threw this cup at his killer when he entered the room?"

The inspector looked at me in surprise.

"What? Yes."

Then when that didn't work…

"Then the victim attempted to defend himself with these scissors, invented by professor Agasa Hakase, that he used to trim his mustache?"

Megure Keibu nodded slightly.

"Probably."

I narrowed my eyes. Why scissors? I mean there are a sharp object, but compared to whatever the blunt object was, it had very little reach and in that case, basically useless as a weapon. The mop behind the victim would make a much better weapon right?

"Then don't you think it's strange?"

"What's strange?"

I explained.

"The mop behind the victim."

"What about the mop?"

They still don't get it?

"The long handled mop would be far better for defending oneself against a killer with a blunt object, so why did he choose the scissors?"

"You're right."

A victim never does something without reason. Was he trying to tell us something by using the scissors, leaving a dying message of some sort? Maybe. We can leave that option open for us right now.

"Wait a minute. Who are you?"

Oh right, I forgot. I had never met these people before. I got too hung up on the case. I stated politely.

"I'm Agasa Hakase's assistant, Okiya Subaru."

He looked a little skeptical.

"Okiya-san?"

I explained.

"I came here today to help explain the scissors."

Megure Keibu glanced toward the items in question.

"Ah, apparently these scissors make a sound when they're closed, but can they record noises?"

Dang that would be convenient if that was the case.

"They're not nearly that useful."

Agasa rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

"Sorry."

Megure Keibu hummed, bending down to look at the victim.

"I thought he was holding them because he recorded the killer's voice."

Conan piped up, almost startling me. He had been so silent I had almost forgotten he was there.

"But there's blood on the shards of glass near the entrance. The culprit must have stepped on them."

Ah, I didn't even notice because it is such a small bit of glass. It paid I suppose being as short as he was, so he could see things us adults can't.

"Conan-kun, you can't come in here."

Ah, there is the police duty of keeping civilians out of the crime scene. Takagi Keiji grabbed at the boy, probably going to forcibly remove him from the crime scene. That's probably the only way to keep him away. No amount of talking will get him to leave. Conan just smiled up at the officer.

"Won't we know the identity of the killer if we compare this blood with the blood of the people who came to the house?"

Ah, distracting by changing the subject. Aren't you the manipulative little detective, Boya? Although, that is a great idea. If the blood is the killers, maybe this isn't as complicated as we think it is. Takagi frowned.

"Actually, that blood—"

"Takagi, take them outside away from the crime scene if you are going to explain."

Magure barked, as a forensics officer came in with a camera. Takagi gestured, and we followed willingly. I tsked under my breath, wishing I had my FBI status available so I could participate without being hindered. Although this let me see kind of the struggles that Conan had to deal with constantly, so maybe it wasn't so bad. It made me more grateful, that was for sure. Once we were out the door, Takagi shut it with a sigh.

"That blood is from the person who discovered the body."

Agasa Hakase exclaimed.

"What? It belongs to the person who discovered the body. Not the killer?"

Takagi nodded.

"Yes. His name is Senba Kazunori-san. He ran a candy shop in this neighborhood, but his son and wife sold the property to President Hiyama without his approval, so he came by this morning to complain."

That sounds like probable cause to me. Agasa asked.

"Then didn't he do it?"

"That's not possible."

Ah crap, what kind of alibi did this dude have.

"Not possible?"

Takagi gestured and led us around the side of the building. Ah, so he is useful in the fact he is giving us information, even if he won't let us in on the main investigation.

"As you can see, there are iron bars on all the windows of the annex. Those two bodyguards were at the only entrance, and they were frisking everyone who entered. They would have known immediately if someone was carrying a blunt weapon. They were even using a metal detector."

So there should have been no way for someone to sneak in to kill the victim, at least in normal circumstances. This was getting very interesting. How did this guy die? Nevermind the person, what about the weapon? How did they, and the weapon get inside, unless…

"Is it possible they used something that was already in the annex as a weapon?"

Takagi answered clearly.

"No. President Hiyama had a lot of enemies because of his dishonest business practices. To avoid being attacked by his visitors, the only thing that could serve as a weapon was that mop. Nothing else was kept in the annex. Naturally we didn't find blood on the mop."

So that only opened up a whole list of suspects. Great, it just got a whole lot complicated. Conan piped up.

"Was the old man already dead when he entered?"

Takagi turned to the boy and answered clearly.

"Yes. After being frisked, Senba-san entered the annex and called out to him but there was no answer. The bathroom door was open, so he went to look. He saw President Hiyama on the floor bleeding from the head. When he ran to the body, he stepped on a shard of glass near the door. Then he returned to the entrance and told the bodyguards what happened."

Considering the guy had basically thrown us out of the investigation, it was amazing how much he is giving to Conan. How often did this boy stumble across crime scenes that giving a six-year-old knowledge on a murder case was the norm? Probably too many times was the answer. It was good though, that he is at least treated like an adult some of the time. Conan hummed pensively, before asking.

"Where is he right now?"

"He is being treated by a police officer in the main house."

There was one more piece to the puzzle that we needed, minus the suspect. Both Boy and I are here for a different reason, besides solving the crime itself. We need to know if this crime scene is close to the one seventeen years ago. The scissors fit, but there is one other factor, right? I interrupt their conversation.

"Please excuse me if I am wrong, but was the sink in the bathroom left running?"

Takagi turned to me with curious amazement in his eyes.

"Yeah, it was. How did you know?"

We were right; they are similar. If we solve this case, could we possibly solve the one from all those years ago?

"I knew it."

I see Conan's glasses flash in the sunlight as he gives me a suspicious look. Takagi turned as another officer came up, and I felt something tug on my sleeve. Conan murmured softly.

"Hey Akai-san."

I allowed him to pull me down on his level. It must be serious if he used my real name. He held up his hand, whispering quietly.

"Is there something going on with this case?"

I raised an eyebrow. He didn't catch how this one? I whispered back.

"You must have noticed it too. It's very similar to the murder of Haneda Kenji seventeen years ago."

Conan's eyes widened, and unbridled interest shone in his eyes. I continued.

"The case that inspired me to join the FBI."

The interest grew. I see him looking at me greedily, like I was another mystery to solve, a case to unravel and savor. Although, it might not have been my past, but a more solid connection to the case that had stumped him that piqued his interest. His excitement was palpable as he asked quickly.

"It inspired you to join the FBI? Akai-san, you were involved in the Haneda Koji case seventeen years ago?"

I glanced around before admitting.

"No it was my father who was directly involved."

That only sparked even more questions on the mini detective's face.

"Then was your dad a FBI investigator too?"

Ho Boya, are you becoming more interested in me? I don't know how much I want to give away exactly. I don't exactly like people prying into my business, and Boya should understand that at least. I need to get him to back off a little. I disclose.

"No he wasn't in the FBI."

I pause, and a brilliant idea flashed across my mind, and I smirked at him sweetly.

I had not pursued Edogawa Conan and confronted him about his identity ever since I found out he was Kudo Shinichi during the Death Kanji case. I didn't think I needed too; I had gotten the necessary knowledge that I wanted, and now could focus on keeping him safe. Now though, besides the whole identity thing, more questions are forming about how the detective first of all shrunk, and secondly how he got caught up in the organization. I can't ask him these things outright, without hinting at that I already knew who he really was. I can't ask Edogawa Conan those questions; I have to go to Kudo Shinichi.

I don't find anything wrong with that. After all, during the time we have worked together, he has shown explicit trust in me, and of course I have trusted him completely as well. Okiya Subaru wouldn't be possible without this trust. It should be no problem for him to trust me with his identity, yet he hasn't made a move to tell me about it at all, even though he must have some inkling that I know about it. Which means, I need to open up my investigation on the Boya again and try to get the information out of him. This was the perfect opportunity; it actually killed two birds with one stone.

"But if I'm going to tell you about my father, I wish you would tell me about your identity."

That got him to possibly talk about himself, or at the very least got him back off of my private business. Which choice will you make Boya?

As I predicted, Conan stiffened. He said quietly.

"Not until everything's been resolved."

Ho? Did he mean with the organization? Or just this case in particular? In any case, his attention has been successfully diverted away from asking me any more questions about my life.

"I see."

I stand up straight; you can escape my questions for right now Boya. I will ask you questions later, after of course we solve this case.

"Hey, what's going on here?"

A new man comes barging into the crime scene. I scan him systematically. Not really threatening, and he is sporting a limp on his right leg. Ah is this Senba-san? My suspicions were confirmed when he protested.

"I thought you were going to let me leave once the were finished treating my cut."

Takagi responded with a passive wave of his hands.

"We still have questions for you."

Hmm, Takagi isn't exactly the dominating officer type, more of the nicer kind. I see how that can have it's merits. I had always played the bad cop in the good cop/ bad cop routine and can tell he had a way with suspects to keep them from getting too explosive. Interesting.

I see Agasa Hakase whisper in another officer's ear. He turned back and started to answer, in which I stepped closer, trying to hear.

"That's Senba Kazunori-san, the man who discovered the body."

I interrupted.

"Ah, the man who injured himself stepping on a piece of broke cup at the crime scene."

The officer looked at me with a little bit disconcerted at my question. I walk forward, scanning the guy again. Now I just needed to ask him some questions, to see if I could get some more information out of him since he was technically a better witness to the crime scene then the police were. I put on my most polite tone and asked.

"Excuse me, but did you step on the glass with your right foot?"

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"What?"

I explained.

"It looked like you were favoring your right leg as you walked."

He looked at me confused.

"No, it was my left foot I hurt today. My right leg is feeling the aftereffects of when I broke it in a traffic accident last month. I ended up in the hospital until last week because of it."

Immediately distrust filled his eyes as he asked heatedly.

"Wait who are you, a cop?"

Takagi soothed calmly.

"No he helped develop the scissors the victim Hiyama-san was holding."

I asked quickly, before he could get angrier.

"Would you be willing to recreate the circumstances under which you found the body? I have a few questions."

This was important. Maybe he was the culprit and we could find inconsistencies with his story, or maybe we could find something that could lead to the case being solved. He scoffed.

"Why would I do that when you're not even a cop."

Ah crap, doesn't this guy get it? He is the crucial piece right now that can lead to solving this case, and if he doesn't cooperate those chances go down. He also isn't proving his innocence either by refusing to cooperate; it made him look like he had something to hide. I hear a small voice come from down behind me.

"Hey about those scissors. They have another special feature. If you performed a certain action near the body, that feature may have been activated. Right Hakase-san?"

I smirk inwardly. Conan is setting his traps again. Brilliant. There is no such feature, but this guy doesn't know that, and it will cause him to act. Nothing motivate suspects like the possibility of them being caught. Not only that, but the police will have to keep us around the investigation because of this special feature as well. I send the detective a grateful look as the man sputtered.

"What action?"

Conan smiled up at him sweetly.

"We can't tell you yet. In any case, why don't you do what you did when you found the body?"

The man gave the boy a mild glare, which Conan just grinned up oh so innocently. Senba-san backed down first with a sigh.

"Fine."

He stepped forward, motioning to the bodyguards. I watched him closely, every single move he made, trying to find the key. The bodyguards took out their metal detectors and started patting the man down.

"First I was frisked by these bodyguards at the annex entrance."

The bodyguards nodded and stepped back. He opened the door and stepped inside.

"Then I opened the door and went inside. I waited awhile but he didn't come out, so I entered the annex and called out to him but he didn't answer."

He stepped forward into the annex. I followed him close behind, trying to see any discrepancies and making a list as he went.

"I noticed the door to the bathroom changing room was open. When I looked inside I saw this."

We had ended up at the bathroom at this point. He stepped aside to let me room enough to step with him. Megure Keibu was still there, and he looked up at us puzzled.

"What's going on?"

Takagi explained.

"The scissor's special feature may have been activated, so he's recreating the steps he took when he found the body."

I bent down to look at the floor, trying to think how a normal person would interpret this situation. As a FBI investigator I would have taken in the big picture and rushed to the man's side while avoiding the glass. I feel like as a person who just got out of the hospital from an injured foot, he would have also wanted to take caution about hurting his feet again. I asked for clarification.

"Then you saw Hiyama-san bleeding from the head and lying on the ground, so you ran to him right?"

"Yeah."

"Even though there were clearly pieces of a cup all over the floor?"

It wasn't like the cup wasn't noticeable; it should have been easy to see and avoid I should think. The man explained.

"Well, when I looked inside, the door was only cracked open so I didn't notice the shards. Then I punctured my foot when I ran to the body."

I grinned; there is that inconsistency we were looking for. I was about to jump on the chance when someone else beat me to it.

"That's weird though."

The three men turned to look at Conan, who had snuck in behind us.

"If the door was mostly closed, then when you opened it to enter the room most of the shards should have been pushed to the other side of the door. If the culprit had closed the door, then there should be more shards closer to the entrance."

It was true. The door had to have been open all the way, otherwise the shards of glass should have been moved. Now he has to change his story. He was lying the first time, so will he tell the truth or another lie. I can see the slight panic in the man's face as both Conan and me turn our undivided attention to him.

"Y-You're right. I made a mistake. The door was wide open. I was distracted by the body and didn't look at the floor."

Conan gave him a dead pan look.

"Really?"

Senba-san's eyes widened, and I don't blame him. He has now been discredited. I probably won't, and I doubt any other officer here, will believe any statement he has now. He spat.

"So what? Are you saying I did it?"

He stripped off his jacket quickly.

"Look closely. If I hit someone hard enough to make them bleed, I'd have blood on me, but there isn't any blood on my clothes."

No, there was no blood, but his shirt was in disarray. Conan pointed out childishly.

"Huh, Mister, the bottom buttons on your shirt are in the wrong place."

I stepped forward to see, true to his word, the buttons were mismatched near the bottom. Agasa added.

"And the back isn't tucked into your pants."

I summed up.

"Your necktie is tied neatly, but the rest of you is a mess."

He stuttered.

"I-It's just a coincidence."

No, not a coincidence. I am almost convinced this guy is a murderer. He has lied to us, and now with this move, it's like he is desperate to prove that he is innocent, which only makes him even more suspicious.

"In any case, I didn't have a blunt object that could serve as a weapon. That proves I didn't do it."

That's right at least; just because I say he is the culprit, doesn't mean it is set in stone unless we find evidence that convicts him. We have the end goal, but now it is all about finding the puzzle pieces to fit together. He storms away.

"I've had enough. I am leaving."

Takagi chases after him.

"You can't leave yet. Wait, wait a minute! Please Senba-san."

I watched him go. Yes, he is our culprit I am sure of it. But we are stuck until we find the weapon.

"We are finished taking photos. Let's collect the pieces of the cup."

There has to be something. I asked.

"Did Senba-san step on the glass barefooted?"

"No, he was wearing slippers. See."

The man held up the bag with the slippers in question. There was a glass shard sticking straight through the shoe, with blood tinting the inside of the sole. I bent down to look at it, and I see Conan scooting closer for a better look. I see. It must be him then. There was blood around the glass area, but why on earth was there blood in the toe part of the slipper? So he must have used his sock as a blackjack of sorts. Now we just need the item he put in the sock.

Magure Keibu stepped forward.

"Uh, do those slippers have anything to do with the feature of Agasa-san's scissors?"

I take a leaf out of Conan's book, by distracting with another question.

"This broken cup is the same as the one on the counter right?"

Megure turned slightly to look at the cup in question.

"Yeah. Apparently the Fusae Brand collaborated with a tableware maker to make those cups."

The cup said Fusae Brand on it. F, R, U, A were on the floor, so that left S, E, B, N, A, and D. if we conclude the D was stuck in Senba's slipper, then that leaves. SENBA. A dying message. Very clever Hiyama-san. Although, how did the glass shatter like that?

"So what did the cup have to do with the scissors?"

Right, I need to convince these people to let me stay. Dang, not enough huh. Thankfully the next distraction was the other crime scene investigators.

"Excuse us, body coming through."

All of us scooted to the side, watching as the corpse was taken out of the room. I froze, looking down at the body as it passed. A sweet smell? Why? I pointed out to the inspector.

"I smelled a strange smell coming from the body."

Magure turned to me.

"Ah yeah. There was some kind of honey like paste in the wound on the body."

Honey? Why would there be honey on the body?

"Does the honey have anything to do with the scissors?"

I ignored him, putting my hand up to my chin as I thought. I almost chuckled as my action was mirrored by the youngest occupant in the room. It made me a little happy and disappointed that the Boya was currently just as stumped as I was. At least we were on the same page. Megure Keibu was saying something else, but I ignored him.

The scissors the victim was holding. The broken cup on the floor. The honey. The running water in the sink. How could all of these things possibly fit together to paint an accurate picture of what happened. No, there has to be a link. We just need more information.

I allowed Agasa Hakase to push both of us outside. Once there I bent down and whispered to Conan, pulling on his elbow. He turned toward me, slightly distracted. I see he is working his genius brain as usual.

"Did you get it?"

I ask. What all has he figured out that I haven't. He flashed back to reality as he nodded.

"Sock into a black jack right? But what was in the sock?"

I nodded.

"The cup?"

He smirked.

"Dying message. Honey?"

I frowned.

"Don't know yet."

He sighed.

"Me neither. There has to be something."

We both nodded to each other. All right, both of us were caught up to speed, but didn't know where to go from here. Agasa said something about the strange case, but I was too busy focusing on the pieces. How did he get the blunt object inside the annex?

"Even if Senba-san isn't the culprit because he didn't have a weapon, how did the culprit sneak into the annex, when there are metal bars on the windows?"

I murmured.

"No, the culprit—"

"Is him. It's Senba-san."

Conan finished. Ah, he already knows too. Not surprising. Agasa Hakase looked at us in surprise.

"What? Really?"

I explained.

"We even know how he killed him."

Conan sighed.

"But we still haven't found the murder weapon."

He closed his eyes for a second, before opening them with a revelation. Ho, what did you think of?

"Oi, You guys searched Senba-san right?"

The bodyguards? Of course, even if he didn't have the weapon on him, he might have been carrying something strange anyway.

"Oh, yeah."

"Did Senba-san have anything unusual on him then?"

I stepped closer, intently focusing on their answer.

"Anything unusual huh? Come to think of it he had a plastic bag containing a little figurine about this small."

He held up his fingers about three inches apart. The other bodyguard added.

"And a little catalog of the series the figurine belonged to."

"He said it was a prize from his candy shop, and that he was going to give it to his grandchild."

"Although that store has apparently closed down."

A figurine couldn't cause enough damage. That was strange though. I couldn't imagine the figurine and catalogue would come separately like that. Aren't they usually packaged together?

"Anything else?"

I asked. They turned to look at each other.

"Besides that he had a wallet, handkerchief, and keys."

So no. The other bodyguard remarked.

"Come to think of it. One of those colored balls I used to buy at the neighborhood candy shop as a kid came flying over the wall."

A ball? Something new. I pounced on the chance.

"A colored ball?"

"Yeah, just before Senba-san arrived. There was a yellow one about this size. We turned it over to the police. There is a park on the other side of the wall, so some kids were probably playing baseball. They never came to retrieve it though."

I asked.

"Do you remember where that ball came from?"

"Yeah."

The bodyguard led us over to one side of the annex.

"We heard something strike the roof so I headed to the back of the annex. I think it was around here."

Hmm, maybe they both came and that's how he snuck in. He could have thrown the ball as a diversion.

"Did both of you leave then entryway then?"

"No I came by myself."

So that wasn't it.

"Was there anything besides the colored ball?"

"No, just the one ball."

So he didn't throw anything else then to use as a weapon.

"Hey, there aren't bars in this little window. Where does it lead?"

I glanced down to see Conan kneeling next to the window near the ground. Perfect Boya.

"The bathroom, the one across from the changing room. Not even a kid could fit through a window that small. That's why there aren't any bars on it."

No, but you could definitely hide a weapon here, and pull it through when the timing was right.

The slipper that he wore. The honey in the wound. The colored ball that struck the roof. Piece by piece it's starting to come together.

"Come to think of it. The sound we heard was pretty loud for a colored ball. It sounded like clang-clang."

Oi, was the weapon inside the ball? No that wasn't possible because the bodyguard picked the ball up and turned it into the police. But if that was the decoy—

A shriek from the front entrance made Conan and I turn and race toward the noise. I see your reaction time is as impressive as ever Boya.

"Hakase!"

We rounded the corner to see Agasa Hakase looking very startled.

"What's wrong?"

He turned around looking very embarrassed.

"Oh, no, I just…it's nothing serious. But look. Ants!"

Ants? Now that he mentions it, there is a tiny line of the insects, crawling under the house. Conan berated the professor.

"Hakase, you have tons of insect encyclopedias."

Ants are insects that usually are attracted by the smell of food, and are especially fond of sweet things. Oh my, it couldn't be that simple could it? I bend down as Conan and the professor are talking, looking under the house and grin. It was that simple.

"Hey Boya, come here."

Conan understands as well I see, as he walks forward and crouches down next to me. I smirked.

"Looks like we found the weapon, we've been looking for."

For there, covered with ants and honey, was a ball. Not the same colored one, but it looks like one of those capsules that hold figurines. So that's why he had the figurine, and the ball was of course a distraction. Conan turned to look at me.

"You want to handle it or should I?"

Ah the deduction I am guessing.

"Why not both of us Boya, no reason we can't share."

We can both put forward our knowledge to trap the criminal. In doing so, it makes sure we don't forget something important. He grins with excitement.

"We have to get everything ready first. Mind getting the forensics guys for me?"

He pulled out a handkerchief, crawling further under the house to retrieve the ball and bringing it back.

"Will they listen to us Boya?"

That was the main thing. It didn't matter if we knew the answer if they shove us aside. I was a nobody, and he was six, well physically anyway. Conan grinned, plopping the handkerchief and ball in my hands.

"That's why we demonstrate. They can't argue with us if there is proof right?"

Ah right, Boya was used to this treatment. It must be horribly difficult having to do things to prove you were right, instead of people just believing your word was law. I doubt Kudo Shinichi had to prove himself more then a couple of times before the police believed him when he said the culprit was the culprit.

"You go deliver that. I will go ask Tagaki Keiji to fetch us some things form the convenient store. Then we can get started."

He scampered off, leaving me with the capsule. I looked down to see a metal ball, sitting in a pool of honey. That iron ball if struck hard enough could leave the wound in question. All right, deliver this to forensics to prove the murder weapon. That was my task.

I found the men who were organizing the evidence.

"Hey, I found this ball underneath the house. We think it is the murder weapon."

The men turned, astonished as they clamored to see the ball.

"Ah yes, we will check it for prints and blood right away."

They hurried to grab their equipment while I strolled back to the front of the annex, where Agasa was waiting. I strolled right past him into the house to see where Megure Keibu was coming out.

"Ah, Subaru-san. I do believe I said—"

"Can you gather everyone Megure Keibu? Quickly?"

Agasa Hakase interrupted. I turned to see the professor standing in the doorway. Megure turned to look at me briefly, before walking out, calling.

"Chiba, come over here, and bring Senba-san with you."

I sighed, sidling up to Agasa Hakase.

"Thank you."

Agasa chuckled.

"It's all right. Conan-kun basically needs help in that department too."

"Are we ready?"

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. I turn slightly to see Conan standing there like he never left.

"Ah, did you get to Takagi Keiji?"

Conan smiled.

"Hai. He should be back any minute now."

"What did you need Agasa-san?"

Chiba, the kind of chubby officer from before, asked. Senba-san and Megure were also here, intrigued. Time to get this show on the road. Agasa cleared his throat..

"Ah, we know who the culprit is and how he murdered Hiyama-san."

Chiba's and Megure's eyes widened.

"What?"

"You figured out the culprit's identity and the trick he used? Is that true Agasa-san?"

Agasa shook his head.

"No it's these two who figured it out."

I nodded slightly.

"Yes, we did."

"Yeah."

Conan put in his input as well. Agasa-san opened the curtains for us, now he has left the stage to us. I smirked at Senba-san, as if to say We totally saw through you.

"We determined the method Senba-san used to bring the blunt weapon into the annex."

Senba-san growled back.

"What? Wait a minute, I already told you. I was frisked when I entered the annex."

He turned to the bodyguards.

"Hey you. I didn't have a blunt object then, did I?"

Both shook their heads.

"No."

As if just not bringing the weapon on your person could excuse you from the investigation. I was about to answer, when Conan beat me to it.

"But you had a figurine inside a plastic bag, and a little catalogue of that figurine's product series, right?"

All right Boya, I will let you explain this. It made the most sense, considering he was a 'child' and was more likely to have knowledge about a toys packaging then a graduate school student like me would.

"So what?"

"Then you should have had one of those too, so why didn't you?"

Senba-san bent down to ask aggressively.

"What are you talking about?"

I stiffen, trying not to throw the man. He was aggressive, but I was half afraid he might just pick Conan up and hurt him. Conan just blinked, staying completely calm, not bothered by the angry man in his face.

"A round plastic capsule. The objects you had on you were the contents of a capsule toy. Apparently the catalogue wasn't inside the plastic bag with the figurine."

Senba-san looked a little more panicked now, but it didn't matter. Boya had already begun spinning his web, entrapping him slowly, waiting for the killing strike.

"Oh, that? I threw it away since it was getting in the way."

"Conan-kun!"

I look over to see Takagi Keiji running up, holding a plastic bag.

"I bought the capsule toy, honey, colored ball, and large marble you asked for. But did the culprit really use these?"

Huh, so the officer listened to the boy's request. Goes to show how often it must happen. I bet though Conan used the excuse that 'Mouri Tantei' needed them for his demonstration, not the young sleuth himself most of the time. Conan put his hand in the bag.

"Yes. Start by opening the capsule. Use the tape holding the halves together to cover the holes in the capsule."

As Conan explained he did the motions himself, slowly following all the instructions he gave himself carefully. I don't miss how he turns and shows the officers what he is doing.

"Then put the marble inside the capsule, pour honey over it, and close the capsule again. There, all done."

He holds up the capsule, which looks exactly like the one we found under the house. He grins, looking exactly like a child showing off for an adult. Takagi asked skeptically.

"All done? What does that mean?"

Well it doesn't look like much, for sure. Conan holds out the capsule.

"Could you throw this capsule and the colored ball on the roof of the bathroom?"

"What? You want me to throw them?"

"Yeah."

"Got it."

So they do listen to him. That made me worry about him a little less. Even without hiding behind the name of Mouri Tantei, they still see him as an intelligent child and will go along with the whims of him, even if they try to kick him out at first.

Takagi ran over to the side of the building. Conan called, making sure Megure was watching.

"Make sure you throw them on the roof."

"Ok."

There was a second of silence before I hear the clack of the capsule hitting the roof tiles. After a few more seconds, I hear Takagi call back.

"Huh? The colored ball came down but the capsule's still up there."

Just as we theorized. Conan smirked.

"Takagi Keiji, keep watching over there."

"Ok."

Conan trotted over, giving me a cool look.

"Now let's head inside the annex."

Your turn. I get the message and open the door to the annex.

"Yeah. Could you remind me what you did after being frisked and entering the annex?"

I turn to Senba-san, waiting for his lie so I could shoot it down.

"I told you. I waited for Hiyama to come meet me, but he never showed up so I went inside."

Believable but not what really happened. I corrected him.

"No, when Hiyama-san met you, you told him 'I'd like to use your bathroom'."

Senba-san looked at me like I discovered something, probably the truth.

"The bathroom?"

I turned to Megure to explain.

"Of course, not to perform a biological function, but to collect the murder weapon."

Megure gasped in shock. Conan interrupted.

"In any case, let's go to the bathroom."

I nod in agreement.

"It should be arriving soon."

The honey should have slowed the capsule down, but it should be enough so that it should be falling through the gutter right about now.

"Arriving?"

"You'll see."

I responded. I couldn't explain better then actually showing them. I led the party through the house, going through the events that had transpired.

"In the bathroom across from the changing room, where Hiyama-san was murdered."

I opened the bathroom door, and see the small window near the floor.

"If you open this small window near the bottom of the wall."

I reached through the window, moving my hand back and forth, searching until, aha there it is. I feel the spherical shape with my palm. I pick it up and pull it through.

"See?"

Megure's eyes widened as he looked at the capsule in my hand.

"That's the capsule Takagi-kun threw on the roof. What's the capsule doing outside the window?"

He bent down to yell out.

"Did you hand it to him, Takagi-kun?"

Takagi replied instantly.

"No I didn't do anything."

Megure Keibu asked, puzzled.

"Then how?"

I give the Boya a small glance. Back to you, Conan.

"Megure Keibu, weren't you watching? The colored ball rolled off the sloped roof."

He reached forward, and I hand him the capsule, watching as he walked over to the toilet, putting the capsule on the toilet lid.

"But even if you tilt this capsule…"

He lifted the lid up and instead of rolling like the ball, the capsule slowly slid down the incline.

"See? The marble gets stuck in the honey, and it doesn't roll very well."

Megure Keibu bent down, agreeing seriously.

"I see."

Conan clarified.

"So unlike the colored ball that fell right away, the capsule rolled slowly. Once it entered the gutter, it slowly rolled along. Then it fell to the bottom the same way rain water would and came out the end of the gutter. Gutters are slanted slightly toward the edge so rainwater flows through them better."

Megure called out.

"Is that what happened Takagi-kun?"

"Yes sir. It came rolling out after awhile."

I stood up.

"By the way, Senba-san threw the colored ball, along with the capsule outside the fence to disguise the sound. Since the bodyguard mistook the colored ball as the source of the sound, he left the area immediately."

Megure picked up the capsule, turning it in his hands.

"But is this marble really enough to kill someone?"

"What was inside the capsule was a heavy iron ball rather then a marble. If you put that ball inside of a sock and make a blackjack, it will dramatically increase its lethality. The honey around the wound on the murdered Hiyama-san's head proves it. Right, Senba-san?"

I turn to the culprit in question, daring him to challenge our claims. For every excuse we have an answer, so we might as well get this over with.

"What, What about the blood? If I hit him hard enough to kill him, I'd have blood on me, but there's no blood on any of my clothes."

I doubt he had a change of clothes ready, which means…

"You probably got naked inside the bathroom, so the blood wouldn't get on you. It seems like you dressed yourself in a hurry. You washed off the blood that got on your body in the bathroom next to the changing room, didn't you? You could have dried yourself off using toilet paper and flushed it."

Conan turned and beamed at Agasa.

"Right Hakase?"

Agasa Hakase agreed shakily.

"Yeah."

Megure turned to him.

"Normally you vigorously solve the mystery, but you are awful quiet today."

Ho, has Conan used his little voice changer with Agasa's voice as well? It would be easier considering the Professor could lip sync since he didn't need to be put to sleep like Mouri Tantei did. Agasa deflected it easily.

"I thought I'd let the young'uns handle this case."

I will take the stage back Boya.

"That's right. After retrieving the iron ball from the bathroom, Senba-san put the ball inside the sock, undressed, and called Hiyama-san to the bathroom, claiming the toilet won't flush or something similar. Then Hiyama-san was struck by Senba-san with the sock containing the iron ball. He fled into the changing room opposite the bathroom, but the door was broken down. He threw a cup to resist his attacker to no avail before being finished off by Senba-san. Senba-san meant to wash off the blood and honey-stained sock along with his body, but if he wore slippers over a wet sock that slipper would be unnaturally wet. So he deliberately injured himself by stepping on the shards of the cup Hiyama-san threw at him and used it as an excuse to take off the sock."

Senba-san was sweating hard now. I continued walking through the steps deliberately, imagining exactly how this crime took place.

"After hastily dressing yourself, you went to the entryway and told the bodyguards Hiyama-san was murdered in the changing room. While they left their post to investigate you hid the weapon beneath the main house. Forensics has already found the capsule containing the iron ball that was swarming with ants, and even though you stepped on the shard of glass with you heel, there was blood all the way inside the slipper because it is Hiyama-san's blood."

Time to finish this guy off.

"Naturally, it should be on your body too. You can't erase traces of blood from your body just by washing it once with water."

What now Senba-san? Will you give up, run, or fight? Senba-san stared at me for a moment longer before bowing his head.

"Yeah. I'm sure it's all over me. When I washed myself off in the bathroom, the tiles were red with his blood."

I relaxed, and I noticed how Conan crept closer, also relaxed. Now we just need a motive, although I can guess what it is. Megure asked.

"Did you kill him because he bought your land?"

"Yeah. He talked my son and his wife into it while I was in the hospital. The accident that put me in the hospital was something Hiyama put his underlings up to."

Hiyama sounds like kind of a jerk. Although they did say he did some shady business.

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, when I asked him about it before I killed him, he promised to pay my hospital bills if I spared him. My family ran that candy shop since my grandfather's generation. I was shocked to find it gone once I returned from the hospital. The shop had been smashed to pieces and a giant iron ball was swinging in the air."

So you decided to strike back with an iron ball of your own. Poetic justice I suppose, and I have seen other people murdered for less.

"So I smashed his head open with my own iron ball, but in the end I'm just a man who runs a candy shop. I couldn't fool you."

He looked down at Conan with an apologetic look on his face.

"Especially not a kid."

Conan looked back, his gaze calm, but stern. Chiba silently led the man away to a police cruiser and I finally relaxed. One more case solved. I had to say it was a nice change of pace for Boya and I to work together on just a simple murder mystery, nothing with bombs, or helicopters, or organization operatives or almost certain death. Megure Keibu interrupted my thoughts.

"What about those scissors the victim was holding?"

Oh yeah we left that out of our deduction. We didn't really need it considering our other mountain of evidence. I answered his question simply.

"Ah, that was Hiyama-san's dying message."

"A dying message?"

I nodded.

"The letters on the shards of glass on the floor were F, U, A, and R. the shard stuck in the slipper read D. if you rearrange the letters left after removing FUARD from FUSAE BRAND, you get SENBA."

Megure's eyes sparked in realization.

"I see. But it's hard to imagine he was able to precisely cut out those little letters with scissors while the door of the changing room was about to be broken down."

Yes, that's what I was stuck on. He could have cut them out, but why didn't the whole glass shatter when he tried? Agasa cut in.

"That's it. The chemomechanical effect."

What? I turn my undivided attention to Agasa Hakase. Did he know something I didn't? Megure also looked confused.

"Chemomechanical?"

"Yeah, if you try to cut glass with scissors, it shatters. But if the glass is submerged in water, the water permeates the glass which weakens it. It allows you to cut it."

How interesting. So that's why the sink was running in the bathroom. In those last precious minutes, he remembered such an interesting fact and used it to his advantage. Clever. Megure asked in disbelief.

"Does that really happen when you put glass in water? Could you show us?"

Agasa waved his hands.

"Even though it's like cutting glass, it does still shoot off small shards so it's very dangerous."

Megure backed off thankfully.

"Then why didn't he leave the letters spelling senba? That would have been easier to understand."

Yes, too easy. Conan seemed to pick up on it as well.

"Because it would have been too easy. If the culprit realized the letters spelled his own name at a glance, he would've hidden them."

"You're right."

Conan continued.

"That's probably why he threw the cup at Senba-san when he came through the door after cutting the letters out of it."

I agreed.

"That way he would think the glass broke when it hit the wall. He wouldn't realize the letters that were removed from the glass were important."

Wait a second. What did I just…It would be impossible for the culprit to tell instantaneously. I glanced down at Conan, only to see him looking up at me seriously.

I was so right to come on this little excursion, hoping the Boya and this case would lead me to a lead in the case from seventeen years ago. If the same rules apply, that Haneda Koji used the scissors that he held in his hand to cut the mirror that said PUT ON MASCARA, then he must have left a message with those letters. I need to get back now, so I can investigate.

Almost in synchronized motion, both Boya and I reached forward, grabbing each of Agasa's hands and dragging him from the annex. Conan glanced at me.

"Are you coming with us?"

No, I had an even better idea. If we were right about this, then it would be a good idea to let the FBI know so they can open their own investigations. Camel is occupied, but Jodie should be free. I am already pulling out my phone, texting her to come here, with my tablet.

"No Boya, I have my own ride. Thanks though."

Conan narrowed his eyes and basically sprinted off toward Agasa's yellow bug, with the professor in pursuit yelling after him to wait.

I take a deep breath to curb my rising excitement. It doesn't do well for me to get all flustered from this, even if this is something I have been searching for repeatedly for the past seventeen years. I draw a little ways away from the house, lean against a street lamp, pull out a blessed package of cigarettes. Okiya doesn't smoke, but I need one, as a celebration at least. I deserve that much.

It wasn't long after, when the red car I borrowed during the NOC incident pulled up, squealing to a stop besides me. I stepped forward, and Jodie rolled the window down.

"Why'd you suddenly want to meet Shu?"

I don't have time for this right now. I flick off my voice changer.

"Take my tablet out of the glove box."

Jodie questions it, but doesn't ignore my request, reaching over and grabbing the device before handing it to me. I quickly search the Haneda Koji case, and find the site that Boya must have been using earlier. I mutter to myself as I scroll looking for the picture I wanted. There, the mirror.

"The letters originally written on the mirror were PUT ON MASCARA. If you remove the PTON, it leaves UMASCARA. Since CA and KA can be pronounced the same way, what comes to mind is…"

There was a person involved in that case that could be spelled with those letters. I typed it out quickly.

"Asaca, the suspect, Asaka. If you take that out of UMASCARA that only leaves…"

I freeze, looking down at the three letters that were left. UMR. There weren't that many things that could be spelled with those three, and the main one that I was thinking of...

I silently spell out the remaining three letters, in the configuration that they had to have been in all those years ago.

R.U.M.

Rum. I smirk, glee filling my body. Asaka is Rum. I scrolled back up to look at the picture of 'Asaka'. Nothing but a blurred face and a handprint, but it was a start, a lead.

No sooner had I done that when my phone dinged. Startled I shut off my tablet, and reach for the phone.

It was a text from Conan.

Pirates being bodyguards.

I raised my eyebrow at the cryptic message. Oh I see. Rum is a pirate's beverage and Asaka was the old lady's bodyguard. I see, he figured it out as well. I'm not surprised. I could practically feel his satisfaction through the phone. Not that I am any better. I quickly shoot back.

Seems like the pirate needs a silver bullet or two.

We will catch him Boya, between the two of us. This hunt has only just begun.