Chapter five
o-oOo-o
Thursday, 5:30 am
When morning dawned, Shinichi was completely exhausted.
They had spent a good part of the night with interrogations, paperwork and more interrogations before they had called it quits. Without a key he couldn't go to Heiji's empty house, as Kazuha was surely already at the hospital with her husband. So he had stayed in the Police Department and pulled an all-nighter. Wasn't his first and wouldn't be his last and he got a good deal of work out of the way.
Endo Isamu was still under psychological care as they weren't sure yet that he wouldn't harm himself if left to his own devices.
Heiji had been kept in the hospital for the night for observation. He had woken up when he'd been still in the ambulance on the way to the hospital and had demanded to be brought to the Police Department. Hakuba, who had accompanied him, had denied that vehemently, much to Heiji's chagrin. After the ensuing bantering, they could at least be sure that the hypnosis was broken.
In Hakuba's opinion it was a stupid decision that Shinichi had refused to go to the hospital for a checkup, under the pretext that someone in charge should be at the department and that Hakuba hadn't been in the thick of it.
Shinichi had also asked him not to tell Heiji too much about their fight. He wanted to do that himself and maybe gloss over some details, so his friend wouldn't feel too bad about it.
He expected him back any minute now, because Hakuba had informed him that Heiji had been released (after he had pestered the doctors until they had nearly kicked him out) and that they were on their way back.
Sure enough, he didn't have to wait long and the coffee in the three styrofoam cups was still scalding hot when Heiji marched into his office.
He stopped abruptly when he saw Shinichi sitting in front of his desk with dark circles under his eyes and a bruise covering his left cheek and temple.
"Ya look like hell, Kudou."
Shinichi snorted. "I don't want to hear that from you, Hattori. I wasn't the one in the hospital."
He looked Heiji over. He seemed tired and his movements were a little stiff. Shinichi felt with him as his own body was sore all over as well. But still…
"What did you think, running off like that? I could have helped you!"
Heiji shook his head and unceremoniously flopped down into his chair. "No, I needed ya ta check on Endo-san. I didn't want ta risk another victim. What if I had been wrong? When I sent ya off, it was just a hunch. Well, a very good hunch, but I still wasn't sure. What if neither Haruki nor Arisawa were tha culprit or if they had any means ta get ta their victim despite an officer bein' around?"
"Alright, I get it," Shinichi sighed. He propped up his head with one hand, only to wince when he put too much pressure on the bruise, he briefly had forgotten he had there.
"Did I do that?" Heiji asked uneasily.
"Huh? Oh, well – yeah, but don't worry about it, it's nothing big. I'm fine and it's not your fault anyway." He was just glad that the long sleeves of his blazer hid his bandaged arms. He didn't want Heiji to feel guilty for something that had been out of his control.
"I'm still sorry," his friend apologized. "I just remember bits and pieces about what happened after she snapped her fingers before my eyes. Next thin' I know is that I woke up in tha ambulance."
Not knowing what exactly had happened while he had been under Arisawa's influence frightened Heiji to some extent. When he thought back to how he attacked Shinichi, he just got some blurry images and he recalled an inner compulsion that forced him to obey no matter what. He felt miserable for hurting his friend and he wondered if he could have done anything about it - if he could have fought back somehow.
"So, we got a full confession from Arisawa?" he asked, taking one of the coffee cups and shoving these thoughts aside for now. He could brood later over something he couldn't change.
"Yes," Shinichi answered and handed him a thick file. "We also called Kimura-sensei to give an official statement. He was apologizing again and again for not thinking of it sooner. After you called him yesterday, he spoke with a colleague from back then, who remembered about the incident with Arisawa."
"Yeah, he told me as much on tha phone as well. I'm just glad he called in time for us ta act or she might have gotten away. I think I know tha overall method she used, but did she explain?"
Shinichi bit back a yawn and tried to get more comfortable in his chair. As soon as he was done here, he would hole up in bed and stay there for at least the rest of the day.
"Well, the whole thing started with her being framed by some guys in college as you already know. She still declares that she was innocent and after looking over the case files, I even believe her. She had no record for misuse of drugs and absolutely no reason to change that. Quite the contrary – she wanted to publish a new theory, she had been working on for years. Interestingly, Saitama-san's most recent work – the one he discussed with Kimura-sensei - is almost identical to hers. He most likely stole it from her."
"Asshole," Heiji huffed. "So much for being a model student."
Shinichi smiled a bit wryly. "I agree on that. Anyway, after she had been expelled, she couldn't get a job as psychiatrist and ended up working as an escort. With her looks, she could choose whom she accepted as customer, but still despised it.
"In the beginning she just worked legally, but soon realized that the big money came with some… extra services. She was disgusted with the thought of sleeping with men for money and came up with the aphrodisiac. She mixed it with benzodiazepine and used the high state of her clients to lead them to believe that she had done it with them."
Heiji whistled. "So, she never really slept with any of tha guys?"
"No, in fact that was the reason why Himeragi got violent against her. He somehow suspected what was going on and didn't want to drink the aphrodisiac. When she then refused to have sex with him, he got a bit rough and she kicked him out. Same with Tatsuda.
"Then Saitama left his former escort Haruki, because he noticed that she was a bit too invested in him and went to a different one. As chance would have it, he landed at Arisawa's doorstep. Too bad for him he didn't recognize her as the female student he had framed, or maybe all this wouldn't have happened."
"Wait – he framed her, ruined her career and stole her work and still didn't realize who she was?" Heiji was speechless. The guy really had it coming. Not that murder was the right solution, but he could somewhat understand why Arisawa had gone berserk.
Shinichi nodded. "He wasn't only a straight-A student, but also a smug prick who didn't give a damn about others, especially women. He just used them for his enjoyment. Arisawa saw her chance for revenge and began to plan how she would take him out. She remembered Himeragi and Tatsuda and decided to use them as guinea-pigs for she feared that they would talk about her little trick with the rohypnol. Luring them back under the pretense of remorse and wanting to sleep with them for real was easy enough."
The men's egos must have been bursting when she came back crawling and asked for forgiveness. Most likely she had used the coffee-trick for them just like with Heiji, because they wouldn't have taken the aphrodisiac after knowing what it did to them.
"When they were drugged, she used her knowledge about post hypnotic suggestion to plant a command into their minds. Actually, different layers of commands. The first made them go to the hardware-shop to buy the tools themselves. It's not far from Arisawa's apartment so she knew it quite well. The trigger was the shop-sign and she made sure they would pass the shop on their way home. Once back at their home, the next command was to leave the door ajar and start the computer. The address to the little website she had built was ingrained into their minds too, so that it would be the page they opened as soon as the computer had booted up. After that, the recorded voice that accompanied the pop-ups worked as trigger. First to keep trying to close the window and the last sentence made them cut their own throat. Different from instant hypnosis, which Arisawa used on you, the victim would be aware of what they did during all the time, but couldn't stop it."
Endo had frantically tried to get home, because the command told him so. If they hadn't stopped him at the store, he would have killed himself that night.
He also had switched from Haruki to Arisawa, after Saitama had told him that Haruki wasn't quite right in the head. Essentially, he did whatever Saitama asked of him. A typical brainless follower, who somewhat worshiped his senpai. If he hadn't, Arisawa wouldn't have found him so fast.
Shinichi finished the rest of the explanation, he had gotten from Arisawa last night. She had known the addresses of her victims and had followed them after she could be sure that they were home. Then she would check through the door if they had already killed themselfves and enter the apartment to 'paint the walls with their sins' as she had called it. Shinichi was quite sure that the woman needed a good shrink herself by now. When she was done, she locked the door with a spare key. All she had needed was to ask were it was hidden when she had her victims under hypnosis.
So Arisawa would be locked away for a very long time. The method she had used was horrible and aside from the murders, she had also drugged and manipulated a Police Detective and attempted to kill a consultant.
Heiji suddenly was thankful that Arisawa had used instant hypnosis instead of her usual method on him. The thought of being fully conscious while attacking his best friend and still being forced to follow through would have certainly taken a toll on him. (He later learned about the handgun in the room and his gratefulness increased tenfold. A bruise would heal easily, a gunshot wound not so much.)
"Thanks, Kudou. For bringin' me out of it."
"Sure thing, Hattori," Shinichi smiled. "You would do the same for me."
"Ha, of course! If ya're in need of a beatin', call me anytime," Heiji joked.
"Yeah – though you'll have to compete with Ran over that honor. She's always making sure that I don't forget that she was the captain of the karate team for a reason if need be."
Speaking of Ran. He hoped the bruise and cuts would be mostly gone when she came back in a week or she would start to fuss over him all day and he didn't want to worry her again.
"Good to see that you are so lively in here," came Hakuba's voice from the door. The night showed on his face as well, but he hid it behind British dignity and stoic calmness.
"Kudou-san, you should head home and rest properly. The case is closed and as you can see, the hot-headed Detective is fine as well, so no reason to stay here any longer. The remaining paperwork can be done later and I'm sure you still feel the aftermath of the electroshocks. I will-"
"Wait-" Heiji interrupted and Shinichi winced. So much for glossing things over. He had hoped to hide that fact just like the cuts on his arms.
'Thank's for nothing, Hakuba,' he glared at the Brit, who just shrugged unimpressed.
"Ya got shocked too? How? Why didn't ya tell me and why are ya in tha Department then? Why weren't ya at tha hospital?"
"Well," Sheepishly rubbing his neck, Shinichi looked to the side. "I had to break you out of the hypnosis and while we fought, the stun-gun got stuck between us somehow and I just triggered it without thinking. And someone had to be here for the interrogation."
When he saw Heiji's unbelieving face, he waved his hands in reassurance. "But I'm fine, really. I didn't get much of a shock anyway."
Hakuba harrumphed. "Yes, sure."
Heiji now had enough of it. He stood up, rounded the desk and leaned down to Shinichi, trapping him in his chair between his arms.
"Ya're an idiot! I knew ya've been hurt since I've entered tha room. And I'm not speakin' about tha bruise. Ya think I didn't notice how ya're rubbin' yar arms all tha time? Sleeves up!"
He did that? Huh. Shinichi hadn't even noticed himself, but the bandages were kind of itchy. With a defeated sigh, he obeyed.
Heiji's eyes narrowed and his mouth thinned as he bit his lips in displeasure. "Shinichi! Home - now!"
The usage of his given name brought across that he really meant it. Even though they knew each other for years now and were as close as brothers, they had stuck with the habit of calling the other by last name. Only in certain situations they would change to the more intimate addressing.
He then turned to Hakuba. "And here I thought ya were a voice of reason. Why did ya let him work tha whole night?"
With his arms crossed before his chest, Hakuba looked back, challenging. "How was I supposed to know he wouldn't go home? Am I his nanny? I did tell him to get medical treatment, but he is just as stubborn as you and what should I have done? Knock him out and drag him there?"
Shinichi was aware that Heiji's angry behavior was mostly just worry and some parts guilt and when Hakuba was ordered to drive him back to Heiji's house, he went without trying to discuss. He would have gone soon anyway as he was ready to drop right there and then.
When a suprised Kazuha let him in, he just gave her a short rundown and she was on her way to the Department to chew out her husband for not telling her right away that he had been hurt. Apparently, Heiji had just sent her a text, saying that he wouldn't be back for the night.
Why he had thought that was a bright idea, Shinichi had no clue. He probably just had wanted to have a good night's sleep before facing Kazuha's scolding for being careless.
'Well, seems like you're not much better than me, Hattori.'
Shinichi shrugged the thought off, trudged up the stairs to the guestroom and was asleep before his head even hit the pillow.
o-oOo-o
"I told ya, I had ta work, woman!"
A grumpy voice woke him from his slumber. Still tired, Shinichi turned to check the time. He had slept for ten hours straight and after carefully stretching his muscles, he could say that he felt a lot better.
"Sshh! Ya'll wake Kudou-kun, ya maroon!"
'Too late, but I should get up anyway to eat something.' His stomach grumbled in accordance as he hadn't had anything else than the coffee in the morning.
He got up and changed out of the wrinkled clothes he hadn't bothered to take off before going to bed, and went to the bathroom to splash some water in his face. When he came down the stairs, he prepared himself to walk into another argument between Heiji and Kazuha, but actually, the two of them sat in the living room, cuddling on the sofa.
"Hey," he greeted a bit awkwardly.
Kazuha turned to him, startled and gave Heiji a slap on the shoulder. "See? Told ya so!" Then she perked up. "Kudou-kun, slept well? Are ya hungry? Ya must be hungry. I'll fix ya somethin'. It'll take just a minute."
And with that she was up without waiting for an answer and disappeared into the kitchen where they could hear her clattering with some utensils shortly after.
Heiji eyed him sternly. "So, how are ya? And don't try to hide anythin' again, I know everythin' from Hakuba now. Though I had ta order him ta tell me, 'cause apparently, ya told him ta keep mum. Since when are ya keepin' things from me, Kudou?"
Shinichi let out a surprised snort. "Who are you? My father? I think you know quite well why I didn't tell you right away. And shouldn't I be the one asking about your well-being? You have been the one drugged, hypnotized and passed out after getting an electric shock. I think I have the right to worry a bit about you," he counted on his fingers.
Heiji groaned. "Don't try ta turn this on me. I have been ta tha hospital and got tha all-clear. Look - I really appreciate yar concern and I can totally understand, but ya know damn well that I'm not someone ta turn a blind eye ta things that happened and I always take responsibility for what I do. Somethin' like this won't bring me down, ya don't have ta protect me from tha truth. Though - being used as a weapon against yar own best friend really sucks."
Letting himself slump into an arm chair, Shinichi chuckled, relieved that Heiji was just - well, Heiji. "I bet." Then he sighed. "I'm sorry."
"It's alright," Heiji waved off, always fast to forgive. The case was over, the culprit caught and they both more or less unharmed. That was all that counted. Well – aside from...
"Hattori, did you hear something regarding your promotion?"
Heiji squirmed a bit in his seat. Trust Shinichi to come straight to the point.
"Well, there won't be a promotion this time. I decided that myself."
He didn't think that his superiors would have made him Inspector anyway, not after how this case had went, but before they could even discuss the matter, he had went there and humbly had asked for another chance next year.
The case might be over and the culprit behind bars, but he had made mistakes. Mistakes an Inspector couldn't afford to make. He wanted to be sure that he deserved it, that he was at his best when he got this position. Until then, he would continue to work on himself.
Shinichi watched his friend. Really - Heiji wasn't any longer the rash teen he had met as Conan. He had matured a lot over time. Sure, he still made decisions on the fly, but now he knew that this trait wasn't always an advantage.
"So, that means you're free next week to pay us a visit? Ran would be thrilled to have you and Kazuha over. She will be back on Thursday."
Heiji gave him a knowing smirk. "Ya just don't want ta be alone with her when she learns about yar latest stunt, ya coward."
"Have you met my wife?" Shinichi asked in a dry tone that made Heiji laugh out. As nice and good-hearted as Ran might be, his friend had a point. When she put her foot down, she was downright scary.
"Alright, pal, I'll see that I can get a short vacation after everythin' for this case is wrapped up. If I remember right, ya promised me a restaurant tour, right? I assume ya're buyin'?" He wiggled his eyebrows teasingly.
Shinichi groaned. He had no problem with inviting his friend now and then, but a whole tour through Tokyo's food-stalls and more fancy restaurants would burn a hole in his wallet.
Well, if it distracted Ran from worrying, it was totally worth it.
And he certainly couldn't complain about Heiji being bad company when they were out together. He just hoped that no-one would try to food-poison anyone while they were around.
They really had enough excitement and trouble for this month.
o-oOo-o
The End
o-oOo-o
A.N: I know that hypnosis is normally only possible when the person that is to be hypnotized is in agreement with the orders given. I have no idea how the usage of drugs influences that, but for my story I let Arisawa take full control over her victims. Thanks for reading and if you would consider to drop me a review, it would be much appreciated.
