Chapter Forty
HEYOOO I'M BACK! So, where have I been this past week and 1/2? Um. Aside from a bad case of writer's block, I've been... playing Undertale... I got it just 2 weeks ago and was so hyped up for it I made my dad play it with me. Good news, he loves Sans (actually asked me to draw him). Bad news, I can't get past Muffet's fight. So for the past day or so, I've been screaming at the screen and continuously dying when she calls out her pet spider for "dinner". I CAN'T. GET. PAST! So, I decided to take a break and come back to this. SO HOW'S E'RRYBODY DOIN'?
Ran glanced over at Ruri where the brunette seemed to be concentrating on her notes.
It had been 2 days since her transfer and both Ran and Sonoko noticed something was on the girl's mind. When they asked about it, Ruri smiled sadly and said, "Nothing's really wrong."
As such, Ran decided to take Ruri to meet her father, who she seemed to be a fan of.
The bell signaling the end of the school day rang and made Ruri jump a little.
"Make sure to get these notes because they'll be on tomorrow's test!" the teacher yelled before gathering up his stuff and leaving the classroom.
"Ruri-chan," a voice made her turn.
Ran smiled. "Do you want to come over to my place today?"
Ruri glanced over at the board to make sure she wasn't on cleaning duty before nodding. "I'd love to."
"I'm sure Conan-kun will be happy to see you."
"Otou-san, I'm home!" Ran called as she opened the door to the Mouri Detective Agency.
"Ran-nee-chan!" Conan smiled as he saw the girl.
Ruri stepped out from behind the taller girl and smiled softly.
"Ruri-nee-chan!"
"Hello, Conan-kun," Ruri greeted.
"Ran? Did you bring a friend of yours?" Ran's father lumbered over to inspect the scene.
"Hello again, Mouri-san," Ruri bowed.
"Oh, you were that kid at the theatre, right?"
"Hai, that's right. I was impressed by how you handled it," the girl smiled.
Kogorou instantly straightened up and puffed out his chest. "Well, I am the great Detective Mouri! Gahahahaha!" he laughed.
Ran sighed at her father's antics but was happy to see that Ruri seemed to be cheering up a little.
"Ruri-chan, would you like to stay for dinner?" she asked.
"Oh, I'll have to decline... if I stay any longer past next hour, I'll have a hard time getting home," Ruri shook her head.
"By the way, Ran," the older man called. "I got a job from someone earlier today."
Ran hummed in response as she listened.
"I've got to go up to Karuizawa to investigate a burning."
"A burning?" Ran repeated.
He nodded. "Someone set a man named Yamaguchi Hasuta on fire."
"They set him on fire?!" the girl cried.
"He's still alive, but this is the 2nd time it's happened. He's afraid that it'll happen again and that he might lose his life this time."
"How on earth did you manage to convince your father to let me go?" Ruri asked.
"Well... I just told him that you really look up to him and that you'd like to study how he does things because he's such a great detective," Ran grinned.
Ruri laughed nervously, looking over at Conan who seemed to be investigating a nearby tree.
As a cold wind whipped around the two girls, Ruri snuggled deeper into her jacket. Karuizawa, predictably, had become a winter wonderland in the past month or so.
"This is the place?" Kogorou looked up at the huge cottage nestled in the trees.
"It IS Karuizawa," Ran reminded her father.
"Mouri-tantei?" a voice asked.
A young woman had appeared at the doorway with a shocked expression.
"The one and only, my lady!" the detective quickly stepped forward and bowed, trying to be as cool as possible.
Ruri suppressed a laugh.
"We've been waiting for you," the young woman smiled. "Please, come inside."
The woman guided the foursome down a long hallway before stopping at a door. She knocked once and stepped inside.
"I've brought them," the young woman stepped to the side to let the group inside the room.
"Good," a voice rasped.
A man laying on a bed wrapped in bandages was the only thing in the room aside from a table and a lamp.
"You must be Yamaguchi Hasuta-san," Kogorou greeted.
"Who are the children?" the man asked, his voice sounding like knives being sharpened.
"My daughter, her friend, and a brat we're looking after," the detective gestured to each in turn.
Hasuta smiled a little before groaning in pain.
"Miyako!" he called.
The young woman who somehow disappeared suddenly rushed to his side.
"Yes?"
"Get me my painkillers..." Hasuta ground out, clenching his teeth in pain.
As Miyako ran off to get the medicine, Kogorou began questioning the injured man.
"Did you see anyone as this happened?"
"No."
"Do you have any enemies?"
"Lots. But none would choose such a dumb and inefficient way to kill me, I'm sure of that."
Ruri watched this go on for quite a while before she noticed Ran fidgeting.
"Is there something wrong, Ran-san?" she asked.
Ran turned a little red. "Ah, um... I have to use the bathroom," she whispered.
"Would you like me to ask?" Ruri offered.
Ran nodded.
"Excuse me," Ruri interrupted the interrogation. "Yamaguchi-san, is there a restroom nearby?"
"3 doors down the hall, on your left," he replied.
"Thank you," Ran rushed down the hall to the room of relief.
Ruri smiled.
"Come with me," Conan suddenly hissed and he grabbed the girl's hand.
"Oji-san, we're going for a walk!" the little boy called, the older man waving him off.
"Is there something wrong, Shinichi-san?" Ruri asked once they were far enough away.
Conan thrust a rag into her face. "How does this smell?" he asked.
Ruri didn't need to get any closer to tell him that it stunk.
"It stinks!" she cried, scrunching up her nose.
"That's because it's linseed oil."
"Linseed oil?" Ruri repeated.
"Also known as flaxseed. It's highly reactive with oxygen and is one of the leading causes for spontaneous combustion," Conan explained.
"You don't think Yamaguchi-san was doused with this, do you?"
"It's possible. I can't tell if this is clothing or not, but something tells me this is our murder weapon."
My writer's block was cured thanks to Secrets of the Dead. Thank you King Tut for inspiring this s***fest of a story. Anywho, I'M BACK. Also, this case is one of my making! So... yeah. *cough*i'mUndertaletrashnow*cough* Mmm, must've got a frog in my throat. I have been listening to DM Dokuro's Bonetrousle remix and it's the best thing ever. Don't really know HOW I got into the fandom- wait. Yes I do. I watched Cry play it. MMMM that man's voice. ...*ahem* sorry. This endnote got kinda weird so I'm gonna end it nooow...
NEXT TIME: BURNING MAN (PART 2)
DFTBA LOVELIES! :)
OH IT'S THE WRONG NUMBER
THE WRONG NUMBER SONG
WE'RE VERY VERY SORRY THAT WE GOT IT WRONG
OH IT'S THE WRONG NUMBER
THE WRONG NUMBER SONG
WE'RE VERY VERY SORRY THAT WE GOT IT WRONG
OH IT'S TH- *is hit*