A/N: Welp. I hope this isn't too easy. XD I couldn't come up with anything else and, yeah… (Laughs Sheepishly) Um, well, enjoy? Also, this is a bit late in the game, but my sister mentioned that the song Bump in the Night by The Allstars fits the Library Murder Case. XD I just thought it was hilarious while thinking of it while listening to the song, so I thought I'd share. XD I really feel like this isn't a good case, but, who knows? Maybe it's at least decent? ;;;

Disclaimer: I do not own Detective Conan or Magic Kaito in any way or form. Ryukaze Erise is owned by Iriss-sama.

Chapter Forty One; original case

"Midori-chan! You've got to help – I've been framed for murder!"

"What?!"

The shocked shout instantly tumbled out of my mouth before I quickened my stride, heading to a nearby public bathroom that I could change in – thankfully, I'd brought my bag with me, with clothes to change into. My lips curled downwards, immediately feeling entirely displeased with whoever had framed Erise and a familiar protective feeling curled deep in my stomach. I ignored the feelings, pushing them away for now. "Explain the situation." I demanded briskly, finally making it into the bathroom and locking the stall door behind me with a sharp clack.

I rested the phone between my cheek and shoulder as I hurriedly changed and whispered the command words, instantly growing in size as my heart raced beneath my chest. Erise's voice drowned out the sound of my harsh breathing. "I-I'm not even exactly sure! I was just eating at our café and t-then, suddenly, t-this woman falls over and d-dies!" She explained and I heard a faint sniff from the other side – she sounded close to tears. "A-And then the police come and they said t-that they found my fingerprints on the w-woman's cup!" She hiccupped.

My eyes narrowed in thought as I gave a low hum, pulling my larger clothes on. The fabric shuffled over my skin and I buttoned up my shirt as I began to speak to Erise, "That's problematic, but if there's a trick, there's always a way to figure it out. You're at the café, right? I'll be right there." I informed her and I heard a thankful sigh over the phone, fuzzing the connection briefly. "Thank you, Midori-chan." There was an unfamiliar voice over the line before Erise spoke again. "I need to go. See you soon…,"

The phone clicked off and I stood there for a minute, listening to the beeping before clicking my phone shut as well as that computerized woman began talking. I finished dressing, slapping on my cap, before leaving the bathroom and beginning on my way to our usual café. My eyes narrowed in a glare and I glanced down an alley before brushing it off and continuing on.

Whoever was dumb enough to frame Erise…

ooOOoo

I arrived at the café fairly quick, my pace being purposeful instead of my usually lazy, uncaring, walking. There were police guarding the doors into the café and crowds of people were standing by, curious by the police's presence. Really, people were too curious for their own good. I ignored the onlookers and strode up to the two officers guarding the door, giving them a casual smile. "Can I come in? My friend is inside." I asked nicely and saw the two officers glance at each other for a moment.

Finally, the taller of the two spoke up. "Sorry, but this area is a crime scene. You'll have to wait." He stated. I blinked and my smile twitched upwards in slight annoyance, "I don't think you understand. My friend is inside. She's a suspect for the case. Ryukaze Erise – the falsely accused." They didn't budge, so I went for a more direct approach.

"I'm here in Hattori Heiji's stead." I grinned, hiding a laugh, "As a detective."

They stared at me in speculation and I sighed before pulling out my cellphone, hitting Heiji's number. The numbers dialed instantly and two rings later, a familiar voice answered, "Hello?" I raised my brows at the officers as they seemed to recognize the Osakan accent both of us had before I asked, "This is Hattori Heiji, right?" "Uh, yeah, why are ya asking that, Mid–?" I cut him off as I clicked my phone shut, point proven. "See?" I knew I'd hear about that later, but I didn't care at the moment.

The officers exchanged glances once more before they stepped aside hesitantly. I nodded to both, feeling accomplished, before pushing the door opened, the bell ringing at my entrance, and striding in like I owned the place. My eyes immediately picked out the crime scene – a woman lying face-flat on the floor, surrounded by tape and there was a cup shattered beside her, a man sitting at the table next to the body, pale and shaky, and the police were unmistakable. Megure-keibu was the one who stood out the most.

Once I catalogued the scene, I searched around, spotting Erise's familiar figure at our usual table, slumped down and looking thoroughly worried. Her hands were clenched together in her lap and her eyes were deep in thought. I hurried over, ignoring the police who had noticed my presence, and placed a hand on her shoulder. She jumped at my touch and looked up quickly, relaxing once she realized it was just me. I frowned in concern. "Are you alright?"

She nodded, smiling faintly. "Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks for coming, Midori-chan. I spotted your number first and then without thinking…," She explained sheepishly. Feeling incredibly amused, I let out a raucous laugh, startling her. "Don't worry, don't worry! I'm actually glad you called me first!" I grinned, flashing her a thumbs-up. A heavy hand was put on my shoulder and I was turned to face Megure-keibu. He looked disgruntled at my appearance. "This is a crime scene – you can't just come in and–" He gruffed before pausing and his eyes squinted as he looked closer at my face.

I gave a nervous grin, suddenly remembering that they both knew me by two different names… Well, this was awkward. "H-Hey, Megure-keibu. Fancy seeing you again." I greeted with a small laugh and he removed his hand from my shoulder. He deadpanned. "You again?" He questioned and his voice was just as annoyed as he looked. It kind of looked like he was thinking something along the lines of 'great, another Mouri-kun?'. I bit back a laugh as I nodded and he sighed.

"You two know each other?" Erise questioned curiously, looking entirely more at ease with me in the building – it was nice to see I'd made a difference. Megure looked between the two of us as I turned to look at the brunette. "Yeah. I met him on a few other cases." I told her with a lopsided grin. Her sky blue eyes blinked in confusion and I hid a flinch as Megure cut in, "You know the suspect?" Nodding, I looked back to the inspector, "Yeah, we're friends." I affirmed. "And she's not the killer." I tacked on for good measure.

He didn't seem amused. "Watanabe-san, I understand that you want to be here for Ryukaze-san, but you can't just come barging into an ongoing investigation." He said with another sigh. I froze before my heart restarted at a faster pace; he'd just called me Watanabe. From the corner of my eyes, I could see Erise mouthing the last name to herself with a completely confused face. Well, shit…

"Um, you don't get it, Keibu. I'm here in Heiji-han's stead. I'm his apprentice." I lied on the spot, once again feeling the innate need to burst into laughter. Heiji's apprentice…! Oh, geez! Sometimes, I wondered about the part of my mind that supplied lies – it seemed like a strange place. "When I told him that my friend was in trouble, he told me he'd solve the case over the phone once I surveyed everything – that way, there's no favoritism." I explained with a matter-of-fact tone that I could tell irritated the inspector a bit as his brow twitched.

"I won't be a bother, promise!" Instinctively, my hand drew an 'X' over my heart in promise, "You won't even know I'm here."

He stared for a moment before giving in with a frown. "Okay, you can stay. But, if you interfere with our investigation, I'll have to make you leave." With that pointed last shot, he walked back over to the other officers, starting a conversation with them that I couldn't hear. Turning back to Erise, I felt like I couldn't breath – she'd heard my other name! I smiled a bit nervously and shuffled into the seat parallels to hers. Surprisingly enough, she didn't ask anything, just stared at me for a long moment.

Unnerved with the silence, I broke it. "Uh, s-so. Mind explaining the situation in detail to me?" I questioned, leaning forward and resting my chin on my folded hands. She pondered for a minute longer before deciding to answer the question. "Um, okay. So, I was eating lunch here – I had a burger and a pink lemonade – and when I was almost done with my meal, the woman sitting over at that table–" She pointed to the table where the pale man was sitting next to the body, "–with that man suddenly stood up and she looked like she was in immense pain and then she collapsed. I remember seeing her coffee mug shatter on the floor. The manager called the police and an ambulance, but by the time they got here, it was too late. I was so shocked! I never expected something like this to happen to me!" She frowned and it was strange seeing such an expression on Erise's face.

"After that, the police refrained anyone from entering and leaving and then while they were investigating, they suddenly asked if there was a Ryukaze Erise in the building. When I stood up, they asked me why my fingerprints were on the victim's coffee mug – the coffee mug that had the poison that killed her!" She whisper-shouted, obviously incredibly worried and scared.

I bit my lip, thinking intensely. Obviously, Erise wasn't the killer. I had no doubt about that. Even if I had only known her for a couple months, I knew that she wouldn't kill anyone – couldn't kill anyone. The only thing dangerous about Ryukaze Erise was her kendo and taekwondo and that's about it. Plus, she most likely didn't have any reason to kill the woman, which only emphasized the fact that she wasn't the killer. Surely the police knew that, too, but needed to keep an opened mind to the possibility that she did kill the woman. Always a suspect until proven innocent, or something, right? Or was that the other way around?

I shook the thoughts out of my mind, going back to the problem at hand. The fingerprints. How the heck did someone get Erise's fingerprints, of all things? To do that, you'd need preparing beforehand and possibly equipment that would be difficult to find – actually, I erased my last thought, you would only need something to pick up her fingerprints and then put them onto the mug. It wasn't actually too complicated now that I think about it. I clicked my tongue in annoyance, leaning back in the booth to stare at the ceiling. Erise stayed silent, probably thinking of her own things.

So, to get fingerprints wasn't all that hard, if given the opportunity – but, why Erise? That was the ultimate question. Was it just a random decision or did somebody purposely want to frame her? The thought sent an angry trill up my throat and I swallowed down the up-and-coming growl that wanted to escape. Come on – focus! You can do this. I restarted my previous musings.

If given the opportunity, you'd be able to steal Erise's fingerprints and then frame her for the murder – but, if she didn't have a motive, it'd practically be a moot point. The police would realize that she wasn't related to the victim in any way and she'd be proven innocent in court by default, no matter the fingerprints. So, what was the reason? And, of course, the actual culprit would have to be in this building. My eyes flashed to the pale man sitting at the victim's table. If I knew anything about killers, it'd be that they were usually close to the victim – unless they were a raging psychopath, but that was beside the point.

"Hey, Erise-chan, did that man come close to your table at all?" I asked absently, observing the man. A glimmer on his left ring finger caught my attention – he must be the victim's husband then, I decided. Erise shook her head, red-brown locks swaying with the motion. "Nope. He was sitting at his table the whole time. The only person who came near my table was the waitress." She stated. I glanced over to the mentioned waitress, noting she looked quite distressed for someone who was just a witness; apparently, the police had noticed, too, and were interrogating her at the moment. I smirked a bit.

"Did you ever leave your table while you were here?" was my next question. She nodded, "Yeah, I went to the bathroom." If the waitress was the culprit, then she had definitely gotten Erise's fingerprints when Erise'd been in the bathroom. I glanced at the contents of the table we were at, looking at the unfinished burger before I focused on the glass of warmed lemonade. A bit of powdery dust caught my attention and I leaned forward, careful not to touch anything.

Erise's fingerprints were definitely taken from this cup, then, I mused, leaning back into the booth. "This might sound rude – but, is there someone with a grudge against you?" I felt a bit bad asking this question, but I needed to cover all bases – though, I could hardly imagine it. Erise was a sweet girl; anyone who held a grudge on her would have to be a complete jackass. She didn't look offended – thankfully – and looked up in thought, brow furring in concentration.

"I'm…not sure. There could be someone, but if there is, I don't remember." She laughed gently after a moment. I let out a breathy chuckle, amused, before I nodded, standing up. She looked up in surprise, "Midori-chan?"

"Don't worry, I'll be back~! I just need to gather more information about the actual murder." I flashed her a grin before leaving the table, hands shoved in my pockets as I headed towards the body and police group. If I wanted to actually clear Erise's name, I'd need to know about my two other suspects and the victim before making any type of accusation.

Now, let's see if I can actually do this…

ooOOoo

It was frustrating – incredibly frustrating. The police were more annoyed of my presence than anything and I couldn't get a shred of information more about the case than what Erise had told me. Until, of course, I struck a deal with Megure. I told him that if he gave me two hours – with full, police cooperation –, I'd know who the culprit was by then and if not, I'd leave. Obviously, my persistence had won and he'd agreed – probably with the thought in mind that once my two hours were up, he'd be able to make me leave. And with that big mouth, foot-in-mouth syndrome of mine, I finally gained access to more information. But – I also needed to solve this in two hours; otherwise I'd be 'kicked' out. Great…

Decided to take full advantage of my two hours, though, my first stop was a forensic officer nearby. He looked down at me with a curious expression, but Megure had already informed everyone to let me join their investigation. My eyes surveyed the dead body beside us and I was surprisingly not effect as much this time – it wasn't as disconcerting with the woman facedown; though it still sent an uncomfortable sensation down my skin. "What poison killed her?"

The forensic officer looked down to his clipboard. "She was killed by sodium cyanide, which had been added to her coffee. It was an almost immediate death." He informed somewhat absently, jotting down notes on the piece of paper before flipping through the other things. I nodded – of course it was cyanide; nobody in Detective Conan ever seemed to use anything else, I mused internally. "Was there any other fingerprints on Erise-chan's table?"

"Other than the waitress's? No."

"And the victim's name?"

An ID was produced in a plastic bag and I took it, gazing down at the ID with a deadpanned face. Was this serious? The woman that I'd seen earlier at the florist shop stared back at me from the ID, smiling. The kanji beside the picture read Takahiro Yui, along with her hair color, eye color, weight, and height with several other things. I looked down to the woman with a frown, handing the baggy back to the forensic officer, before looking up to the man sitting at her table. It most definitely wasn't the same man she'd been with earlier. A cheater, then?

She'd told the other man about losing her ring, though, so was that her actual husband? But, that didn't make any sense – the one sitting at the table was so clearly wearing his own wedding ring. Were they both cheaters then? I'm pretty sure my face looked comical as I gaped at the floor in confusion. The man in the florist shop had most definitely been wearing a ring, as well, now that I think about it – what was going on here? Bereft of a clear train of thought, I stood there for a moment before pulling off my hat and ruffling my hair wildly. "Rahh! This isn't getting me anywhere!" I hissed to myself in frustration.

Obviously, I wasn't made for the job of a detective.

I paced beside the body for a second before smirking to myself, heading quickly to the man still sitting at the table. He looked up at my arrival, still pale and shaken. I dismissed his unstable appearance and got straight to the point – I was never exactly known for my tact, after all. "So, are you Takahiro Yui's husband or…?" I trailed suggestively. He grew defensive very quickly, slamming his hand down onto the table and charging into a standing position. I flinched backwards, startled.

"What's that supposed to mean, brat?! Of course I'm her husband! What did you think, punk?!" His voice thundered, breaking the relative silence of the café and making my ears ring painfully. I raised my hand in surrender, "It didn't mean anything, I swear! I was just wondering, because you could've possibly been her brother or something!" I barked back, scowling. Well, well, someone's tense~!

Almost immediately, he relaxed. I blinked at the sudden personality change. "Oh, I see." He started, sitting back down, "Yes, I'm her husband. My name is Takahiro Yoichi. I'm a doctor. Are you with the police?" He questioned and I raised my brows impeccably before nodding – in a way, I was – and placed my hands back into my pockets, studying him with a critical eye. "I'm a freelance detective that they consult for help." I lied, "My name is Watanabe Midori." I introduced, offering a hand for him to shake for but a moment before pulling it back. I forgot – in Japan, you don't really shake hands. Oh boy, my foreign-ness is showing through…

Clearing my throat awkwardly, I went on with my questions, "I believe I saw your wife in the florist shop earlier? Is she a florist?" It seemed like an innocent enough question, but I was looking for a raise – nothing; darn. He smiled a bit sadly, "No, Yui was a wedding planner. She was probably setting the flower arrangements for an up-and-coming wedding." He informed and I nodded, bringing a hand to my chin in the classic 'thinking-pose'. A wedding planner, huh? That would explain why she was in the florist shop but who was the dude?

A client, perhaps? The wedding ring the man was wearing could have been an engagement ring. The idea was vetoed quickly – the man had called her by her first name, without any honorifics. They had to be close and a client and wedding planner wouldn't be getting friendly enough to call each other casually while inviting each other to lunch and such. Unless, somehow, my information about business relationships was off, but I hardly doubt it. And even if she had been cheating, that didn't explain how she could so easily tell him she was missing her wedding ring, nor how the man had worn his so easily around her.

I rolled my eyes, thanking the man briefly, before heading over to the waitress that had just finished the questioning with the police. She took one look at me before sighing and taking a seat at the bar counter tabletop, resting her chin on her palm. "I take it you're going to question me again, freelance detective." She quirked a half-smile. I raised one brow. She answered my silent questioning, "I heard you talking with Yo–Takahiro-san." She explained. I caught the slip.

My eyes narrowed the slightest and I saw a bead of sweat run down her cheek nervously. I located her nametag; Toshiro Sakura. "Do you know Takahiro-san?" I asked innocently. She mustered up an unbelievable smile. "Of course I don't. This is the first time that Takahiro-san and his wife have ever been to this café." She answered. Uh-huh…

"Oh, does that mean that you could've known him before he came to this café with the Mrs.?" I grinned happily and she quickly spluttered out a reply, "O-Of course not! I don't see how I have anything to do with your investigation. The police have already questioned me. Why don't you leave this up to the professionals, kid?" She quipped with a sharp tone. Defensive, defensive~!

I backed up with my hands up in surrender, "Okay, okay, don't get your panties in a twist. I was just wondering. There's nothing to be defensive over, right?" I chuckled darkly as she opened her mouth to retort again, but I quickly walked away from her, going back to Erise's table and plopping into the booth.

"I'm pretty sure you have nothing to worry about." I told her with a smirk, adjusting my hat restlessly. "The police are holding a tight leash on the waitress's tail. She's the most likely one, so…," My eyes went up in thought as I scratched my cheek. Something felt wrong.

Even if the waitress was the killer because of an affair with Yui's husband, that doesn't explain why she framed Erise; why not just frame the easiest person – the husband? It would be more likely for him to kill his wife, but…actually, not really either. He was the one cheating, not her. Unless she was cheating with that man. But, no – I really doubt it because of the wedding rings. Even if he saw them together, you'd think he'd notice that they were both wearing their rings and then he'd assume he was just a client or something; old friends or something of the sorts. Besides, he wouldn't have time to collect Erise's fingerprints, unlike the waitress.

My eyes widened as I replayed some of my thoughts from earlier and I stood up, startling Erise, and made my way over to the forensic officer quickly. Absently, I glanced at the clock; about forty-one minutes had passed and I had an hour and some minutes left. Good; plenty of time. "Hey, can I see the victim's cellphone? I want to check something." I said with an urgent tone. He stared at me for a moment before complying, handing over the mobile that was placed in another plastic baggy. I grinned in thanks, pressing some buttons and immediately going to her contacts.

I scrolled down, glad she only had a few contacts – Yoichi, okaa-san, otou-san – and I finally reached her last contact; the last out of four. The kanji was bold, Masaomi, it stated. I opened his 'file', pulling out my own cellphone and dialing in the number quickly. Once that was done, I clicked out of the contact list and handed the phone back to the skeptical forensic.

I headed off into the corner, phone at my ear and the deep voice from earlier at the florist answer. "Hello?"

"Ah, yes, sorry to bother you. My name is Watanabe Midori and…,"

ooOOoo

I sighed, shutting my phone with a click. So that's how it was. I quirked a smile, though, glancing over to the waitress – I guess Erise's name would be cleared; that was a good thing. I raised my arms above my head in a stretch, feeling accomplished despite the difficulty level of the case being very easy for one in the Detective Conan world. I jumped as my phone rang out suddenly, and I glanced at the screen, laughing a bit as the words 'Hattori Heiji' flashed boldly.

I opened my phone, bringing it to my lips, "Perfect timing, Heiji-han~!" I snickered, heading to the bathroom to talk to him in private. "Perfect timing? What are ya going on about? And what was with that call earlier? You know who I am and then you hang up on me?" He voiced through the phone, sounding slightly irritated. I laughed, reaching the bathroom and locking the door; due to the café being relatively small, it had one of those one person bathrooms.

"Sorry about that – I needed people to think I was your apprentice." I ignored the spluttered, "You what? Why?" and continued on, "Either way, I need your opinion on something." I intoned, leaning back on the cold walls of the bathroom. He sighed in exasperation, but he sounded vaguely amused. "And what would that be, Midori-han?"

"A case, actually. I think I know the culprit, but I'm not exactly sure. Plus, I don't have any evidence." My tongue clicked in annoyance as he chuckled, "A case? If I didn't know any better, you'd be a detective, Midori-han." "My lucks just bad." I quipped, earning another amused laugh. Unbidden, my lips curled upwards. "Whatever you say. So, tell me the details. I'm curious about the type of case you'd get wrapped into." The grin on his face was practically tangible through his voice.

"Oh, shut it." I laughed. "Anyways, here's my deduction…," I trailed uncertainly before starting up at the beginning. He listened intently, interjecting a few times or humming in approval. Finally, I was finished and he hummed over the line again. "Sounds about right." I sighed in relief; good, at least it wasn't completely off. "The problems the evidence, though. There doesn't seem to be any. The fingerprint remover was probably flushed down the toilet, too."

"Uh, please don't say that. There's no way I'm going digging through the sewage." I groaned, making a face at the mere thought.

Heiji laughed over the line and his tone was smug and calculating – "Well, it was just a misunderstanding. If you explain that, I'm sure they'll break."

"That sounds so sinister."

"Hey, whatever works, right? Besides, it isn't like you're holding 'em at gunpoint."

"I guess…," I sighed. "Okay, thanks for your help, Heiji-han. I'll call you back with the results." I told him, smiling as he began to protest. "Hey, wait, I want to ask you somethi–" I cut off his call with a click, snapping my phone shut.

Well, then. I had a culprit to reveal. I passed off the quelling feeling of excitement and smugness due to helping Erise – no way was I turning into one of those detective-like people. I shivered away the thought. Yeah, no thanks…

Mentally, I moved forward a pawn.

Review Replies:

To: Kudo Shinichi Tanteisan – (Laughs) I know that if I got in a jam, the first person I'd call would be my sister, but sometimes, in panic, you just call the first person that comes to mind. XDDD No problem, E-chan! I hope you're feeling better now. Being sick sucks. (Winces) But, if you're not – here's some more chicken soup! (Hands over Steaming Bowl) (Laughs) I hope not. XDDD Shinichi would prosecute me with indirect murder. XDD (Grins as Snowflakes fall and eats Cyber Cookie) Thank you, E-chan~!

To: MagicMilkbone – (Laughs) The whole flower thing will be explained in the next chapter. XD And I can't wait until I make it to Ai~! 8D Oh, I pair them two~! ConanxAi is so cute~! 83 And they would look pretty cute together~! XD I kind of feel bad for framing Erise, but it's not like she was in any danger of being arrested – sort of. XDD;;; (Laughs) She does, doesn't she? XD I feel like her luck is a bit of both – twisted good luck and horribly bad luck. XD I like the poem The Jester – it's short, but an interesting look into a Jester's job. 8D And it's okay! ^^

To: Iriss-sama - Yup, an update~! 8DDD (Evil Laughter) I had stopped it like that and now I'm stopping it here~! Mwahahahaha– (Coughs) Ugh. My throat. XD (Grins) And Erise is okay, for now. XDDD And you're not the worst author. ^^ Some people don't update their story for, like, years and don't give it a second thought. Or, sometimes, they cancel it and leave people hanging. But, you haven't done that. ^^ And I will – thank you! 8D (Gathers all the luck material) Thank you so much, Ri-chan~! 8DDDD (Returns Lucky Hug)

-Well. I hope that this isn't too translucent of a case. I had a difficult time planning this and got lost several times, since I'm a scatterbrain. XD And I felt the need to leave the deduction hanging, since Conan does that with those irritating doors. XD Can anyone figure this out? 8D

"Next Revolver's Hint: Pockets!"