Chapter Twenty-Four

Hey guess what, guys? I finished a class so I can put out another chapter! *sparse clapping* Um... so, enjoy!

"Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask, and he will tell you the truth."

-Oscar Wilde

"Conan-kun?" Ruri called.

She could hear his voice from behind the creepy looking sarcophagus.

"I'm going to try and open it, ok?"

She slid her fingers in the slits on the side and began to push. Very slowly, the top began to move.

The top slid and began to reveal the tied up and gagged Conan inside.

Ruri helped him out and she untied him.

Conan ripped off the tape on his mouth.

"We need to hurry!" he yelled, shocking Ruri.

"E-Eh?"

"Hiroshi Komazuka switched Atsushi Yabuki's fake rapier for a real one! We need to switch it back. Also, Yabuki-san poisoned Komazuka-san's wine prop!"

"But...what are we going to do?"

"... I have an idea. But first, we need to find Robert-san," Conan smiled.

Ruri watched as Conan pulled his bowtie over his mouth to begin his plan.

"Is that so? The real rapier is missing?" he said, the gadget perfectly imitating an older man's voice.

"That's amazing..." Ruri mumbled.

"Eh?" Conan turned to her.

"Ah! I just- I mean- I-I've never seen a voice changer that managed to be that precise!" she waved her hands.

Conan stared at her in disbelief before saying that they needed to make sure Robert knew about the real rapier and told someone.

"How dangerous!" Robert cried. "Damn it, I'm going to file a complaint!"

Conan and Ruri shared a smile.

"No... wait a second..."

Two pairs of eyes turned back to the man.

"Shocking him to death on the stage lift... that doesn't sound like a bad idea, either."

No way!

"It isn't like I was the one messing with the rapiers. I can still claim it was an accident."

Even Robert! Ruri thought, covering her mouth.

As soon as Robert left, Conan rushed out from his hiding spot and to the sword stand, switching the real weapon with the fake one.

"We need to make sure he doesn't go into Yabuki-san's dressing room!" Conan told Ruri, rushing out of the storeroom.

Ruri followed the boy out and into the hallway.

Man, for such short legs, he can run!

They ran to the dressing rooms and neared Yabuki's.

"Even an elephant can be poisoned to death," a voice from inside the room said.

Conan and Ruri pressed their bodies against the wall.

"That old man - he's about to see.. hmhmhm..."

Dealing with one criminal is relatively simple... but three is too many to handle, Conan thought. And even if they were stopped now, there will be a next time.

The Heisei Holmes smirked. So... I have to save him, even though he's a criminal.

Conan followed Yabuki who went into Komazuka's dressing room. Ruri closely on his heels.

Pressing himself up against the wall once more, he listened.

"Well, I'll accept it for now..."

Conan readied his bow tie and knocked against the wall.

"Komazuka-san? Is everything going OK?" he asked, perfectly emulating Kinuko Shimizu's voice.

"Y-Yeah!" came Komazuka's reply from inside the dressing room.

Please... Although Robert-kun and Yabuki-san are doing well, these are their first starring roles. Komazuka-san, please give them some guidance."

Ruri and Conan watched from the catwalk of the theatre as the show began, the curtain rising to reveal the actors.

The sword fight soon started and Ruri noticed that Conan bent down and pulled something out of his pocket out of the corner of her eye.

Is that... a bottle cap? She wondered.

He cranked his power enhancing kick shoes and dropped the cap in front of himself.

With a ferociously strong kick, the cap went flying at the white masked man and just as the fake rapier touched him, the bottle cap flew into his face, making him drop to the ground, seemingly unconscious.

Just as Ruri was about to ask what that was all about, Conan ran to the crossover gallery and grabbed a pulley. He pulled it back as the lightening sequence started up and let it go, once the owl masked actor was in range. The actor was hit with the pulley and went falling onto the lift.

Ruri watched as Conan readied his stung gun wristwatch as Komazuka lifted the wine-filled chalice to his lips. The aim was true as the actor fell to the ground without taking a sip of the poisoned drink.

Ruri and Conan watched as all three of the would-be murderers were carted off on stretchers.

"Conan-kun!" Ran's voice came from behind the duo, making them both jump. "Where were you this whole time!"

"Well..." Conan put his hands up. "The toilet..."

"Geez! I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"Well, I..."

"You'd better smarten up!"

Conan lowered his head. "Yes... I'm sorry..."

"I'm really sorry about this, Ruri-chan!" Ran bowed to the girl.

"No, no! It's fine!" Ruri shook her head. "I needed a little excitement to cheer me up!"

"What happened? I noticed you looked down earlier but you seem much happier now..." Ran tilted her head.

"I... well... my parents just went to America for the unforeseeable future..." Ruri looked away.

"Oh... I-I'm sorry," Ran apologized.

"Don't worry," Ruri smiled.

She felt a small hand wrap around hers. She looked down to see Conan gripping her hand in an almost protective manner.

"Thanks, Conan-san," Ruri ruffled the boy's hair, making it fluff up a bit.

The hair quickly fixed itself with a "pomf" and went back to looking neat with that familiar little cowlick.

Ruri laughed.

"If it makes you feel any better, my parents are in America as well..." Conan told Ruri.

She smiled. "Ran-san told me."

"Although, to be honest, they might be anywhere at the moment," his voice went completely monotone.

Ruri snorted. "Sounds rough."

"Not really. They haven't been around for a long time now, so I've gotten used to it," Conan shrugged.

"I'm sure they care about you in their own way," she assured.

"Conan-kun!" Ran called. "We need to leave!"

"Hai, Ran-neesan!" Conan called back.

"Ne, Ruri-san?" he turned to the taller girl.

"Hm?"

"Would you like to exchange mail addresses?"

Ruri stared at the boy in shock for about a minute.

"Uh, sure!" she pulled out her phone.

Within a minute, they had exchanged their numbers and Conan was off.

"Tonight wasn't a bad night..." Ruri mumbled, after waving the Mouri's off until she couldn't see them anymore.

Ruri opened the door to her house and was greeted by the unfamiliar emptiness.

She sighed as she made her way to her room and flicking the light on. She took a quick shower and sat on her bad before noticing a little white card and a white rose on her desk.

Ruri picked the card up and read.

"Cheer up, Ruri-chan. You're not all alone.

KID"

She felt tears begin to fall on her cheeks and she wiped them away.

"Thank you," she whispered, before turning off the light and falling asleep, cuddling the KID rabbit.

AND THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE THE BIG CONFRONTATION! OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY OH BOY!

NEXT TIME: FALLING INTO BLACKNESS

DFTBA!