Chapter 2 : Voice
Third person PoV
It was with sleepy eyes Conan was watching his soup. His 7 a.m. coffee was one of the things he was missing the most since he had ended in this child's body. His lessons being boring as hell since he had learnt all this ten years ago, it usually took him the whole morning to wake up completely and endure a long afternoon of, once again, things he perfectly knew. Or, when he was lucky, it was a sport lesson and that, at least, could entertain him quite a bit.
But nah, today was plain usual, with Maths, Japanese and Music and the bespectacled detective couldn't say any of those were his favourite subjects. Only good news was that today was a Friday.
His spoon nearly slipping from his fingers brought him back to reality as he ended with soup across his face with a grimace.
"- Mo, Conan-kun, you're always so sleepy in the morning..." Ran softly laughed, coming closer and taking her handkerchief out to rub his dirty cheek with it.
"- Sorry..." The azure-eyed boy apologized with embarrass, hesitating in stopping her but enjoying the fact the girl was so close so he gave up and let her do with a slight blush.
"- Here, better ! Now go brush your teeth while I tidy that !" She ordered him with a smile.
"- Haaaiii !"
o.O.o
The child was barely finishing to dry his face in a towel when the bathroom's door opened, allowing him to see Ran's face in the mirror. Her face was pale and her eyes shiny, and even without being the detective he was, it was obvious something happened.
"- ... Ran-neechan ?" He dared to asked, turning to her to see she had her phone in her hand and that that hand was shaking.
"- It was Kazuha-chan... Hattori-kun's..."
Conan's heart stopped a moment while she gulped to finish her phrase.
"- Hattori-kun's father has been... He has been killed yesterday night."
Breathing again since he had feared for a second his best friend has performed his last hot-blooded stunt in a case, the azure-eyed boy was nevertheless hit by the information. Hattori's father being a policeman, this was of course a risk but it was still a harsh blow.
"- How are they taking it ? " He finally asked, picking that one question among the bunch that had spawn into his mind since it was probably the only one a 7 years old would have asked.
"- Kazuha-chan was shocked, she said she hadn't been able to sleep... And she was worried about Hattori-kun, apparently he was there when it happened... She asked me if we could come, she seems to hope you'd be able to cheer him a bit, since you two are so close. But there's school, I need to ask to Tou-san... Should we wait until tomorrow ...?"
The small detective stayed silent a second, while Ran kept asking herself questions which were more to hide her stress than to bring any decision, time to process the bad news coming one after the other.
"- We should wait tomorrow." He proposed with a low voice so she'd stop to stress about it. "If the wake is tonight, we would only hinder them...
- You're right, what was I thinking... I'll check with Tou-san and call her back... Go to school, Conan-kun, I'll be looking after that.
- Tell me if you have any other news !" The boy asked her as he grabbed his backpack and headed to the door.
"- I will !"
A few minutes later, Conan was out, his phone in his hand, dialling Hattori's number. But, well, he had been expecting it a bit, no one answered. Answering to the phone would probably be the last of his best friend's preoccupations on a day like this.
The boy quickly sent a text to the detective boys to warn them he wouldn't meet them as usual to go to school and headed to the closest shop to buy the morning's newspaper. Ok, this was Tokyo's but now way it wouldn't mention the murder of the head of the police of Osaka.
And indeed, it was covering the half-bottom of the first page.
The article explained how the superintendant general was finishing solving a case and had been attacked afterwards. One arrow straight into the heart. The reporter wasn't mentioning Hattori's presence on the crime scene, perhaps because he was a minor or because the police sealed the information.
The end of the text was concluding the suspect was still on the loose, without real hints to help find his identity.
"Ok, now, I'm worried..." He frowned as he understood this case was far from closed, meaning his best friend would probably throw himself into it, despite all the emotional implications which were sure to cloud his reasoning.
The azure-eyed child would have been more satisfied to come to Osaka as soon as possible to help Hattori but he knew he had to be patient, one day wouldn't change a lot of things. Though he would have preferred his friend to answer his phone...
"I'll try later..." He promised to himself.
o.O.o
But that later hadn't been any more successful than his first try so it was without real news about Hattori that he found himself in front of his door the following morning.
They had been taking the first Shinkansen to Osaka and, after a short stop at Kazuha's house where they were going to stay not to hinder Heiji's mother, Ran, Kazuha and Conan had been heading to the detective of the West's house while Kogoro stayed with Kazuha's father to speak with serious faces of the case and would probably head to the police station later to see if he could help.
A face that looked familiar but wasn't opened the door. The owner of that face was a man in his forties, a kind of Hattori Heizô without the moustache and with softer traits.
"- Kazuha-chan ?
- Ohayô, Yamato-han." The ponytailed girl said with a small smile. "Here are the friends I spoke ta ya about, Mouri Ran-chan and Edogawa Conan-kun.
- Nice ta meet ya. I'm Hattori Yamato, Heiji's uncle.
- Mouri Ran, nice to meet you." The female Tokyoite answered with a bow as the small detective did the same, still looking at the man with curiosity. He didn't know Hattori had an uncle but, seeing his face, there was no doubt that the man belonged to the Hattori family, to his father's side.
"- Come in !"
The group followed the man and, after removing their shoes, stepped into the wide house, trying to be as silent as possible, not wanting to disturb any member of the family who could be here.
"- Don' worry, only me an' Heiji are here." Yamato declared when he noticed their discomfort.
"- Oba-chan is out ? " Kazuha wondered.
"- Yea, some paperwork ta do apparently… So she asked me ta stay here with Heiji. Though, since he doesn' get out o' his room, I don' feel I'm really useful. Want ta try ta speak with him first ?
- That ahou…" The ponytailed girl sighed as she shook her head. "Yes, let's try ! He wouldn' be that rude, refusin' ta see ya two when ya did all that way ta visit him…"
But apparently, he could be, since they didn't get any answer when they knocked at his door. The small detective had been expecting not to be able to see his friend but more because he was expecting him to be out and hunting down the culprit, not because of a wooden panel. While this was relieving him to see he wasn't running around like a mad dog, it was worrying him to see Hattori was that inactive, so far away from his usual character. No way, he wasn't going to let him sink in this kind of depression.
"- We'll try later, don' take it too personally…" The middle-aged man concluded with a sad smile before heading back to the stairs. "Let me at least offer ya some tea…"
The three of them followed him to what was probably the living room, a huge place with traditional settings.
"- I'll be right back." He announced, before stepping towards the kitchen.
"- I didn't know Hattori-kun had an uncle ?" Ran asked with curiosity, trying to bring a subject that wouldn't be too depressing.
"- Ah, well, there was some kind of disagreement in the family so they stopped ta see each other quite a while… It was a silly thin' but they solved it only a few months ago. It's a bit of a waste seein' what happens today…" The girl deplored as she shook her head. "Though I'm glad he's here fer Oba-chan and Heiji…
- Have you been able to talk to him since ?
- No… I understand he's shocked, with everythin' that happened but how can I help him if he doesn' even want ta talk … ?" Kazuha's voice almost broke at this last sentence and the tears she was holding back since they met her this morning were appearing at the corner of her eyes.
"- Hey, it's ok…" The Tokyoite whispered as she came closer to hold her friend.
"No, it isn't" Conan thought with a frown as he discreetly got up to head upstairs.
If he had to, he was going to quick Hattori's butt until he got a grip on himself. And a locked door wasn't the kind of thing that would stop him, even in this body.
o.O.o
Heiji's PoV
"- Hattori, that's me." I heard at the other side of the door.
I wasn't really surprised to recognize Kudô's voice, in fact, I was more surprised by the fact it took him so long to come and try again. I hesitated a second to open the door, still not really wanting to talk to anyone but I knew I was taking the risk to see a soccer ball bursting through it if I didn't.
"- We both know that door won't last long if I get serious, Hattori, so save me the trouble to have to explain why it has been blasted…"
Here it was, the threat, right as planned.
"- Comin' " I declared as I got up with a sigh.
I unlocked the door without really looking at him and settled back on my bed, grabbing a pillow to put my head on it.
After a long silence, I felt "Conan-kun" throwing himself on the bed near of my feet.
"- So ? Did you find any hints in that room ?"
The question was ironic, I knew it, so I decided to ignore it.
"- I was wondering if I'd have to look for you through the whole city of Osaka but looks like I worried for nothing..."
Did I look that bad for him to try to anger me about my detective's policy ? I didn't sleep much and had seen better days but... I was myself. Kinda. A myself with a huge brick in the stomach and a wide hole through the heart but myself.
"- I'm grounded" I finally declared as an explanation to his comments.
"- Grounded ?
- I'm still waitin' ta know why though..." I stopped a second to gulp, feeling my voice was hoarse, for not speaking for a few days and for well... I guess that, female or not, when something like this hits you, it's just impossible not to shed one or two tears. Perhaps more. Probably more. "Fer my 'protection' apparently...
- It rarely stopped you..." Kudô pointed out with a sad smirk.
"- I needed some calm, so I didn' really fight ta get out.
- I guess... Want to talk about it ...?"
I knew what he was offering wasn't what I was looking for. I didn't need - or let's more honestly say "didn't want" - someone to lend me a shoulder to cry on. Not yet. What I needed now, right now, was a detective. A good one. A great one even. And my best friend just happened to be one.
But that also meant I had to tell him. That story I managed to tell only once to Toyama-han, right after ... it happened.
I took a deep breath and locked my eyes in his.
"- I need ta talk, yea. But that's about the case."
Kudô nodded and his piercing eyes focused on me. Right, detective mode. I knew I could count on him for that.
"- ... That voice, from that guy who ... murdered Oyaji. I know it. I just can' remember who the owner o' that voice is..." I deplored, after finishing my story, and I ruffed my hair with frustration, trying to fight my urge to yell with anger or cry with pain or both, that urge I felt since that dreadful night.
"- Someone from a former case you think ?"
I nodded a yes to his question so he went on.
"- Have you tried to focus only on the ones who could have a grudge against your father or you and could use a bow ?
- We're so close ta Kyoto, half the people in here have at least held a bow once. An' with all the cases I solved, eh, havin' a grudge against me is also a standard... Same fer Oyaji, considerin' his line o' work..."
I had already thought about it a thousand times two nights ago. I could find dozen of names without even thinking too much about it.
"- But most should be in jail, right ?
- That just means we can add their relatives on the list o' the suspects..."
Once again a very depressing conclusion, the same that I had last night.
Kudô got up, taking his chin between his fingers as he started to circle in my room, his brain almost fuming with hyperactivity.
"- You said it was pretty dark, right ?
- Yea.
- And you were wearing dark clothes ?
- That's a yes again...
- Then you're not looking for someone who held a bow once or twice in his life, you're looking for someone well trained. And forget anyone with glasses, their sight is usually too poor by night to be able to perform such a shoot.
- Eh, that's only if they're not cheatin', just like ya are, tryin' ta look inoffensive with yer bespectacled face..." I involuntary grinned.
Before paling a few shades.
"- ... That bastard ! It's that fuckin' bastard !
- What ? Remembered anything ?"
I ignored my best friend's comment to get up and take the phone I left on my desk, almost letting it fall on the floor with excitation.
"- Oy, Otaki-han !
- Hei-chan ?! Are ya... ? Ya ok ?"
I could feel the worry in his voice. That was also part of why I didn't want to talk to anyone. I didn't want pity. I wanted answers. And the idea of everyone looking at me with a sad face, just like another of those victims' relatives was driving me mad.
"- Later. Otaki-han, no lies, Saijô Taiga escaped from prison last Thursday, right ?
- Eh ?! How did ya ... Uh... I mean, I don' know..."
But his clumsy stuttering was far enough of an answer to me.
"- Protection, eh... Got it now..." I concluded as I hung up. The pieces of the puzzle were coming in place perfectly.
"- Saijô Taiga ? Why does it ring a bell... ?" I heard my best friend ask while I took my jacket and put my cap on my face, visor front, as usual when I was on a case.
"- Because ya helped me ta arrest that bastard." I answered before storming out of my room, barely hearing his "Oy, Hattori !" when he tried to stop me.
Ok, time to stop for a little explanation for the title, since I usually don't use such flashy names...
"Taiga" is pronounced the same way than 'a tiger' in Japanese, so it's a kind of joke there, for those who wear this name. My 'tiger's wrath' is nothing more than 'Taiga's wrath'.
As to who is Taiga... You know that name also, just try to remember, you have until Sunday ; )