Hey !
So, let's head to the last 'part' of this fic... Time to discover who's behind all this ! :D
o.O.o
emmahoshi : Haha, even in the manga, Heiji makes so much fun of Shin it would only be fair him to be turned as a chibi and have Shinichi mocking him xD Oh yea, the author had good reason to think he could be targeted, seeing the subject of his book... ^^ Eh, sorry, I could have gone on and on after what I decided was the end of this fic (and reach the "famous" 28 chapters xD) but I felt like ending it there. Author's whim : )
Chapter 16 : Failed
The next morning, on Sunday, after a short trip by train, we were walking towards the address given by the author. Yea, "we". The four of us...
Needless to say we had been welcomed quite coolly the previous night. The girls, when they noticed we were missing, had been switching the TV on to have some news about the heist, knowing we would be here despite our - yea ok, totally fake - disappointed faces when we told them there was no way to get in if we weren't VIPs.
When we came back, I exchanged a look with Kudô when we spotted them near the entrance, fists on their hips and hard expressions on their faces. Oh, yea, we both knew we were doomed, there was the same light of panic in our eyes.
And indeed, we had been scolded quite a while once they all - Kazuha, Neechan and Okan - made sure we were safe and sound.
They apparently didn't appreciate to find out we were in the middle of a hostage taking, that I understood, since Kazuha yelled it several times, with a different tone each time, from worried to angry, though angry was the one she used the most.
Using the heist as an excuse, I managed to avoid talking about Kasai and what I thought was a murder attempt he organized against Sahashi-han.
One or two hours discussing helped, since everyone started to be tired and, now that they saw we had learnt our lesson, the girls started to calm down.
But we had been under close surveillance the following morning so, when we wanted to leave, at half past nine, no way we could have been able to get rid of them. We nevertheless tried, not knowing what we'd find there but, after a few failed attempts, seeing we were starting to be late, we gave up and agreed them to come with us.
It should be safe… Seeing the many tries last night, our guy clearly wanted to kill Sahashi-han back there, probably meaning he didn't know where else he'd be able to find the author. Well. That's why I hoped.
Because I honestly could think about other explanations for this behaviour. And none presaged any good for the old man's safety. Or even for the girls if we ended in something unexpected...
"- Why again did ya say he agreed ta see us ?"
Leaving my dark thoughts aside, I focused on Kazuha and her question.
"- I kind o' saved his life last night...
- See ? Ya were indeed doin' dangerous things last night...
- Maa, Kazuha-chan, I think we already made our point about that subject last night..." Neechan softly laughed after she looked at me.
I had a grateful smile towards Kudô's girl, glad she noticed my low shoulders at the idea of being scolded. Again.
"- I still can' believe we're goin' ta meet THE Sahashi-han... Is he famous in Tokyo too, Ran-chan ?
- Hmm... His name rings a bell but... I'm not sure why, sorry.
- I heard about him !" Kudô observed, his childish act "on". "His last book about politics is really famous, apparently one or two persons had to leave the Diet because of the accusations he did against them, it was quite the outrage...
- Didn't some people got angry after him ?
- Haha, a lot were already..." I laughed at Neechan's comment. "The guy always loved polemical subjects...
- Yea, that's why he's so secretive, he kind o' hides himself. Barely a handful o' people have been able ta see him lately, so visitin' his home is quite the honour... I'm surprised his home is in Osaka, by the way...
- He's supposed to come from Kyoto, right ?" Kudô pointed out. "That's what's written on his books' preface...
- Well, it's a great way ta cover his tracks then... His fans an' his enemies will look fer him in Kyoto while he's here in Osaka, nicely thought in my opinion..."
I stopped and raised my head to see the plate on the nearby gate was displaying the number I was looking for.
"- Ah, here we are !"
Rising my hand to ring the bell, I couldn't stop myself noticing this was quite the nice traditional gate, implying an assorted house was behind it. Apparently, author was a career that could bring its bunch of money.
"- Strange, I'm sure I heard it rang inside..." Kazuha wondered after a few minutes and still no one to open to us.
Before I could even try to tiptoe to have a glimpse over the gate, my little friend pushed it, forcing it open without any real effort.
I looked at him, not really at ease, knowing such a maniac about safety wouldn't let his door unlocked. So the fact we could open it so easily was clearly presaging nothing good and we were starting to have to envisage those disagreeable "other explanations" I refused to think about earlier : a culprit who knew Sahashi-han's address.
"- Ok, we're goin' ta go in, just wait fer us outside...
- Ya wish... No way we'd let ya two alone in, Heiji, we're comin'."
My eyes in Kazuha's, I knew I wouldn't be able to convince her otherwise. This was so frustrating. I knew it could be dangerous but I had to see what happened inside. And quick. I had no time to discuss with her, she could be so stubborn sometimes...
"- Tsk... Stay behind me then." I gave up with annoy in my tone.
We were walking with caution but I was wondering if it was really useful. There weren't any extra shoes in the entrance and the place seemed empty. And calm. The kind of calm I didn't really appreciate, the dead calm kind.
And indeed, when I entered what was probably the author's room, I understood why.
"- Kazuha, call the police. Neechan, ya go with her, ya don' wanna see this..." I quickly ordered, my eyes focused on what was in front of me.
"- But the culprit could..." The female Tokyoite wanted to point out, though she stopped quite fast when her eyes fell on the body, barely refraining from screaming.
"- It's been at least six hours he's dead, the culprit left ages ago..." Kudô observed, his little hand already on the man's carotid artery.
"- I'll... wait with Kazuha then..." She said after a gulp, turning her heels.
"- Crap, we're too late, Kudô..." I swore, clenching my teeth with bitterness.
That man I had spent the whole night protecting, the one supposed to give me answers as to why the one who killed Oyaji was after him, was here, lifeless, at my feet.
The room - and the house in fact - was incredibly tidy, so either the culprit had been extremely silent or he knew the author and came in as a guest. I was in favour of that second possibility : living myself in a traditional house, I knew it was almost impossible to walk in without hearing the wood cracking under your feet... The man had been stabbed in the lower ribcage but the hit had been directed upwards and the blade probably touched the heart, according to the pool of blood under the old man's body.
"- Don't despair yet, Hattori, he left us with something..."
I watched my best friend with hope, noticing he was taking his handkerchief out to grab a paper slightly sticking out of Sahashi-han's hand.
Still not touching it, he unwrapped it with care, revealing a message.
And then, at last, I could breathe. This wasn't a dead end yet. During his last moment, the author had found a way to relay a message to me. That note, on which my name was written and below it a website address and a login and its associated password, had to be something important.
"- Looks like he left some answers behind him, Hattori..." My best friend smiled before pocketing the paper.
"- Oy, we need ta leave that ta the police !
- You sure ? Hattori... First, I don't think we should trust the police too much right now, above all in Osaka. That paper could easily get lost, if you see what I mean. And second, your name is on that paper. And you just found this body. You sure you want to spend some precious hours in the police station instead of investigating this website ?"
I grimaced, totally agreeing with my friend. I hadn't really thought about it but, if anyone wanting me to stop that investigation got that paper, this could turn to be pretty annoying. And as much as I wasn't really fond of school, I still preferred it over a cell...
"- The police just parked in front of the house." Neechan warned us as she came in.
"- Ok, thanks !" I said with a smile, before crouching near of Kudô and whisper with a low voice. "Ok, let's look at this when we're back..."
o.O.o
Even without anyone suspecting us, we had to spend a long time at the police station to leave our testimony. Needless to say it was pretty hard for me to stand that long wait, eager as I was to have a look at that website. Kudô had even to nudge me once or twice, to force me to keep a straight face.
I had to explain several times how I had been able to have a rendezvous with someone that famous... I absolutely couldn't mention the previous night's party since I wasn't supposed to have been there but me and my big mouth managed to convince them I helped him in the street and he invited me as a thank for that day.
But that had been LONG.
And once again, that had been long to eat lunch with everyone, with my mother sighing when she learnt I got myself into another case, though she sounded slightly amused. Well, I always had that kind of bad luck, and that wouldn't be such a hinder to have some bodies spotting randomly around me as a private, right ? Though, I was nowhere close to Kudô's "luck" in that matter, with bodies literally raining over him...
"- Conan-kun, don't forget we have our train at 9 !" Neechan reminded my friend when she saw we were leaving the table and heading towards my room.
"- Haaai !"
Yea, until dinner to try to decipher what Sahashi-han left behind him. While Kudô closed the door, I rushed towards my computer and impatiently waited for it to light up, my fingers drumming on my desk.
"- Oy, easy Hattori, it's been hours already, staring at your computer won't force it to start any quicker...
- Sorry..." I apologized, stopping my hand. "Paper please ?"
I had to type the address twice, my fingers not able to go as fast as my brain wanted them too, and finally there it was.
"- His next book ?" I frowned, when I recognized the kind of frame it was.
"- Apparently... Could you sent that file to me ?"
I kept a copy for me and gave another for my best friend to put it on his phone, before we both started reading.
And after one hour, Kudô's verdict fell, without appeal.
"- Hattori... It's the BO. That paper we're reading is about the Organization. The alcohols' names have been changed to animals' names but else..."
My best friend had just been voicing loud what I was starting to figure by myself. This sounded so much like the Organization he had been fighting against... But that was...
"- Crap... But if that's Them, it means... They were the ones wantin' ta kill Sahashi-han ta silence him an' stop him before he publishes his book ? But that'd mean that... Kasai is with them ?!
- And, by extension, that They're the ones who ordered your father's murder to give him his position. And who got Saijô out. And kidnapped Tanioka's son to have Kyoto's Superintendent General to work for them.
- Hell..."
I didn't need to see my reflection, I knew my face was as white as a sheet and I could tell you this didn't happen often, seeing my dark carnation...
"- Ya think we could get anythin' out o' that book ? Saw somethin' that could help ta arrest them ? Or at least compromise Kasai ?
- I didn't see anything I didn't know yet but I'm far from being finished with the reading...
- The question also is... How did They hear about it ? That paper isn' even out !
- Yea, that's quite the mystery... And the only one who could have told us is lying cold in a morgue... Hattori, this is so big...
- I'm not plannin' ta give up, if that's what ya're tryin' ta say." I firmly declared, my eyes in my best friend's, stubborn as never. The hell I'd stop my investigation, even knowing it was the BO. "Those guys, they...
- I'm just saying we're going to need to take it easy... and slow.
- Ok, what's next then ?
- Find out who had access to that book. And since Sahashi-san's editor is in Kyoto, I think it's time to call him..."
I looked at Kudô, wondering who that 'him' was, before noticing his imperceptible smirk.
Oh no no no...
"- I'm not goin' ta ask help ta that chipmunk-dumbass.
- The name's Ayanokoji-keibu, Hattori. And remember you wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for him...
- ... I know... But that's visceral...
- I know, I know..." Kudô said, nevertheless throwing his phone at me. "But I already got involved too much in front of him in order to save you so I can't do that anymore. "
My glare at him was dark but I knew I had no choice and the smirk on my best friend's face was clearly showing he knew it too.
"- I hate ya, sometimes...
- You're welcome..."