Disclaimer: I do not own DC, MK, Touhou, or any manga, anime or game franchise, for that matter.

Author's Notes: The cases that Aya mentions here are based from true events. You can google them to learn more about these horrific human rights violations. I dedicate this story to the people who perished in those crimes. Justice for the massacre victims!

Feature Story Part V

The Ambitious Reporter

Aya was zoning off as she was listening to Heiji and Kazuha banter on about some childhood experience that involves Heiji looking for some missing neighbors' pets. The two still refused to look up. Aya wondered if her first set of questions was the reason for their sudden, obvious embarrassment. They're still teenagers after all, Aya thought.

Just when Kazuha started to narrate the bit where Heiji forgot to show up for their play date because he was still searching for Tororo the cat, Aya's mind wondered elsewhere.

She thought about yesterday, when she almost cried at the police station when Nakamouri Ginzo, an inspector known as a rival of Kaitou KID, told her that they won't let her home unless she confess to her crime. The crime, he said, was that she was collaborating with KID.

He accused that KID made contact with her, after she posted a note for him some days ago.

"Just the fact that he had made contact with you and you refuse to tell the police, that makes you a conspirator to his crimes," Nakamouri-keibu said.

"But he's not even stealing anything this time and it's not like I help him steal or give him information," Aya said.

She was hungry and it's already been hours since Nakamouri-keibu started to interrogate her. They took her mobile phone and even went to her house to go through her mail and things, to see if there was any trace of contact at all.

"Pleas, sir, I still have an interview tomorrow, and I need to rest… Oh, and there's still one last interviewee I have to call," Aya pleaded.

"We won't let you out here until the team confirms that you haven't received any messages or contacted anyone suspicious since you posted that interview request," Nakamouri-keibu said. "They're also looking at your house to check if he left you any note."

"Even if he did contact me, I don't see how that makes me an accomplice to his crimes! Lots of reporters interview him during his heists!"

"Those reporters just chanced upon his appearances – they're one of those on-the-spot things and we can't blame them for that," Ginzo explained. "Now yours is the scheduled kind, which means you are in correspondence with him. Regardless of whether or not he will steal anything this time, he is still a criminal on run from the law. Anyone in contact with him is automatically labeled as suspect as accomplices to his crimes. And how would we know if that's the only thing you talk about, huh?"

"But he really didn't contact me!" Aya said. During this time, she was telling the truth. "He never replied to the request! As for posting a request for interview – fine, lesson learned. I won't try to contact any internationally-wanted criminal ever again! There, you happy?"

"Hey, hey, hey don't raise that voice with me, young lady! I'm a police officer and I'm also your elder!" Nakamouri-keibu said.

Aya just rolled her eyes as she crossed her arms. She leaned back on the cold, metal frames of the chair she's been sitting at for the past three hours or so.

Nakamouri-keibu then started telling her that Suzuki Jiroki's case is different because he contacts KID to challenge him, which even gives the police the opportunity to catch KID on the act – an immediate ground for arrest. If it was an interview, it was purely self-serving, he added.

"What good will it do us? And you didn't even consult us before you printed out the request!" Ginzo said. "Your lawyers even warned us not to go anywhere near the vicinity of that Prince Royal Hotel where you're interviewing tomorrow, which makes you and your station more suspicious!"

"The lawyers were just concerned for my safety because you were practically stalking me since a few days ago," Aya said. "You were already disrupting my reports and I can't go on the field because you'd be following me! It's not like the request was even my idea!"

This was also true. Aya's editor, Tsukikage Hiroshi, a middle-aged man who ate too many donuts and had a bald spot shaped like an apple, was the one who told her to print out the request. He said that it would get his attention.

"Now, Aya, this is a major story and we decided to allot several minutes of the evening news for the entire week next week to air your interviews with these highs school detectives," Hiroshi said a few days ago when he called Aya to the office. "Capping it off with an interview with KID would be the cherry on top of the cake."

Hiroshi explained that Nichuri wanted to capture the target market of young people, since most of their viewers are in the older age group. They noticed that their ratings would peak every time they would feature a story about teenage detectives or KID, because the young people would suddenly tune in.

"That's also why the first edition of our new magazine will be about these – uhm, men of mystery – these teenage detectives and thief who captured the hearts and attention of many youngsters like you," Hiroshi said. "We put you on this report because we reckoned you'd know what young people would want to know about these detectives…"

"They're interested in them because they're good-looking, I suppose," Aya said.

"There! You really are a genius, Aya! No wonder you're so young and you're already a field reporter," Hiroshi said. "So an angle about these detectives' love lives. You can also go for that approach on KID. See what kind of girl turns him on. Is he a boobs guy or an ass man? Juicy details like that…"

Aya nodded. It's true that she was the youngest television reporter in Nichiuri TV.

"And that's why we're putting you in the marketing team for the new magazine," Hiroshi added.

"I beg your pardon, Tsukikage-san?"

"You heard it! You're now promoted! You're heading the marketing team for our new magazine! And well, of course you have to write a few pieces every now and then… How about you also make a print version of the interview?" he said. "That would entice the audience to buy the magazine, ne? After every television special, you can do a voice over that says 'So-and-so detective spills more on our new magazine. Go out and buy a copy!' ne?"

"But Tsukikage-san, how about my TV reporting?"

"You can still report but we're lessening your beats," he said. "You're now dropping your reporting on the political and justice stuff. You can now just do the light ones, you know, the entertainment ones. Such a pretty, young face shouldn't be wasted on reporting on boring stuff like trials and corruption, anyway."

"But sir – I have to fly out to the Philippines next week for the coverage of the massacre trial," she said. "I've researched about this case for months! I've already booked a flight and everything!"

"I'll cancel the flight first thing tomorrow, then," Hiroshi said. "Just focus on your new tasks and in no time, you'll be as big as Okino Yoko!"

Aya frowned. She knew this would happen. He was building her up as "the next Okino Yoko". He was assigning her less and less to the investigative stories, which he would usually call "boring news".

"Understood, sir," she said.

"Now be a good girl and call out KID," he said. "He usually answers to requests printed out in broadsheets."

Aya did exactly what he said. When she told Nakamouri Ginzo of this fact, the inspector was still convinced that she was the one in cahoots with the world-famous phantom thief.

"Your darn editor ordered you to do it but you're still the one who did it," Ginzo told her. "You always had the choice to refuse the story. You reporters are always getting in the way of our investigations!"

And you police are always getting in the way of our reports, not to mention a career crisis, Aya thought.

Just then, another inspector entered the room and whispered something to Ginzo. He sighed, as if out of disappointment, and then informed Aya that she was free to go because they weren't able to find any evidence that KID made contact.

She thanked the inspector and left the police headquarters. Before going home, she was given back her mobile phone. When she opened it for messages, she noticed that her editor sent her an e-mail, asking her to drop by the office after her interrogation with the police.

"He also called several times and sounded really mad," said the inspector who gave back her phone. "I think you should hurry there…"

Aya hailed a cab and rushed to the office. It was almost ten in the evening and she expected the news room to be empty. She felt apprehensive about meeting Hiroshi. Being alone with him made her feel uncomfortable.

As she stepped into the empty news room, a single light was on. It was in Hiroshi's corner office room. She took a deep breath before approaching the room.

The heavy man was bent on his desk as he typed on his laptop. She knocked on the open door.

"You called, Tsukikage-san?"

"What took you so long, Aya?" he asked, not even glancing up at her.

"Sir, you knew I was in the police station…" she said.

"Oh, that, right…" he said. "Well, have a seat on the couch. I'll be with you in a while."

She did as she was told and after hitting a few more keys, Hiroshi joined her at the mauve, two-seater couch. He was so near to her that their knees were hitting one another.

"We're alone now," he said. "And I know you've been waiting for this… And don't worry, no one can hear us or see us because I actually went to the control room to edit the video captured by that inconvenient camera in this room… It's currently showing a dark, empty room, as if we were never here…"

Aya's heart started racing. "Sir, I don't know where you're getting at but – "

"Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about," he said.

Then he placed a hand between her thighs. Before he could do anything else, Aya grabbed this hand and took it off her.

"Sir, all the name calling and suggestive remarks were one thing, but this I can't tolerate…" she said. "Now I finally have something against – "

She stopped talking because she noticed something odd about this man's fingers. They were not the usual, chubby fingers that would "accidentally" brush against her shoulders or legs.

"You're… You're not Tsukikage-san, are you?" Aya asked as she freed his hand. "Are you… Are you…?"

"Say it," came out a young man's voice from Hiroshi's body.

"You're Kaitou KID…" Aya finally said.

"Bingo," he said with a wink. "I hope you don't mind if I keep the mask on. I can't afford to let you see my real face. As for the surveillance cameras, I did edit them to show an empty office, so we're free to talk."

Aya was in disbelief. She found herself shaking. She was confused whether she started sobbing because of relief or because she was just very, very tired from everything that has happened to her the past few days.

KID started patting her back.

"Oi, don't cry…" he said in a tone of genuine concern. "Gomen… I didn't really mean to touch you that way. I was just testing out a theory…"

"A theory?"

"Hai," KID said. "This editor of yours, he's not very nice, isn't he? And he doesn't seem to have the same vision as yours in terms of your career path."

Aya stopped sobbing.

"What made you think that?"

"Hacking into this man's laptop, I found out two important things – first is that his stash of pornography often involves girls who resemble you a lot," KID said.

"There were also pictures of you since you were in the university," KID continued and Aya had to stop herself from gasping.

"Second is that he visited a page of an airline several days ago and the history shows that a ticket was cancelled," KID said. "The cancelled trip was yours, I believe."

Aya nodded. If this man wasn't a thief, he could've been a great detective, she thought.

"Based from your computer's history – sumimasen, I gave myself the liberty to also hack your files – and various notes scattered around your desk, I'd say that trip was very important to you," KID said.

"Hai," Aya said as she wiped her tears with a finger. "I was supposed to cover the trial of the patriarch of a political clan in the Philippines. He is suspected of ordering the massacre of over fifty people, more than half of which were journalists… Human rights stories and trials have always been my interest. I've been preparing for this story for a long time and it was dismissed just like that."

KID was smiling at her.

"This isn't what you envisioned your career to be like, ne?" KID said. "You know, since you requested for my interview, I've taken an interest to you, Himekaidou-san… I also did a bit of investigation on your background."

"Nani?"

"Twenty-two years old, dark brown hair, brown eyes, a Tokyo native, single, only child, parents deceased, lives with her paternal grandparents, a scholar since high school, got into Touto University with above average marks, graduated top of her class and youngest reporter at Nichiuri TV," KID said. "Did I leave anything out?"

"Well…"

"Oh yeah, you won a Pulitzer for an article you wrote during your internship in the US. It's about Japanese illegal immigrants and how their cases are being handled unjustly by some officials," KID said. "That's exactly why Nichiuri offered you a post as a reporter right after your graduation. Usually, you have to be a production assistant for years, or write for the news desk before you get offered a big position like that."

Aya nodded. "It was actually Tsukikage-san who offered me the job. During the interview, I was actually just applying for a producer job but he said I'm too pretty to stay behind a camera. I asked if I can still write and pitch stories and he agreed, so I took the job."

"Your first reports were about trials involving human rights violations, as well as corruptions in the government but months later you were reporting more and more about celebrities," KID continued. "Then I noticed the way you spoke started to change, too."

Aya scoffed. "It's the way it is around here… You have to blend in or else they'll gang up on you. You start to call everyone 'darling' and 'sugar' and 'sweetie' because the celebrities I interview loved being called that."

"But that's not really who you are, is it?" KID asked.

Aya shook her head.

"I don't have a choice," she said as she stood up. "That's what you have to do to climb the ladder here. You change the way you talk, the way you think, your preferences, endure a few touches from the boss – "

KID stood up. Their eyes met and Aya saw that he was holding back some anger.

"You should never let him do that to you!" he said in a very serious tone.

Aya was surprised.

"A gentleman values a lady for her wit, her abilities, and her successes, especially in the professional arena," KID said. "It is only natural to admire her beauty but he should never, ever take advantage of his position for his own benefit."

"Tsukikage-san was my editor since I started reporting over a year ago… I owe him a lot and he only wants the best for me," Aya said. For a second, she wondered if she meant it. "He's… He's building up my career so I can become the next Yoko. He's always just teasing but he never touches me…"

"Are you going to wait until he actually does?" KID asked, his voice behind the mask only rings of anger. "Those pictures of yours in his laptop should be your red flag."

Aya was in tears again.

"Gomen, it's none of my business… And we're already so far from my original intent of being here," KID said. "You see, I decided to accept your invitation for an interview. I learned that two teenage detectives have already accepted your request a few days ago. I wouldn't really let them steal the spotlight from me, ne?"

"Re-really? You would? How come it took you so long to reply?" Aya asked in between sobs.

"You just came from the police station a while ago," KID said. "If I replied sooner, they would have found some evidence against you. If I used this disguise earlier, they would've probably checked this possibility, too, and contacted your editor and they will verify that he was someplace else. I waited until they've finished interrogating you. I need them to make sure your mail and correspondence records were clean."

"Oh," Aya said. "Arigatou, Kaitou KID-san."

"Tomorrow okay with you? I can go after you've finished with the high school detectives," KID said.

"Ano, if you showed up for the interview tomorrow, wouldn't that get me in trouble anyway? That's basically proving them that we were in contact, ne?"

KID winked at her. "You underestimate me, princess," he said.

"I already prepared for how you will be able to conduct the interview, while appearing to be innocent of their charges," KID said.

Aya remembered something – "You mean you'll ambush my interview with the other detectives tomorrow so yours would appear as an unscheduled interview?"

"You really are the epitome of brains and beauty, aren't you?" KID said with a smile. "I have some few requests, though…"

"What are they?"

"I already know that you rented out the penthouse of the Prince Royal Hotel for tomorrow's interview so I know the interview would be conducted there," KID said. "I need you to rent the Prince Edward Suite and make the detectives and their companions stay there while waiting for their turn."

"Well, I was going to make them wait in the game room of the penthouse because it's kinda big… But I guess I can make that arrangement. I'll reserve it first thing tomorrow and –chotto, how did you know about the detectives in the first place? And you even know that they'll be having companions with them!"

"I have my ways of knowing," KID said. "My next request is that you use the new hires as the crew for tomorrow. Their names are Mukai Mogu, Yoshimasu Kyosuke, Mitomi Hideo and Matsuzawa Jinno. You got that? I don't need to repeat their names, ne? I heard you had perfect pitch."

"Yeah… It's handy when you're a reporter," Aya said. "You'll disguise as one of them, I bet!"

She stopped crying now and was more cheerful.

"Oh I'll do something more complicated than that," KID said. "I too have my own agenda for doing this interview… Maa, I'll be going now, Himekaidou-san. I would've treated you to a late dinner but I know that you still have some unfinished business for tonight."

"Huh?"

"You still have one more detective to call… I suspect that I'm quite familiar with this one…" KID said.

"You mean Kudou?"

KID smirked. "That's what you call him, huh?"

"He's missing… People are even saying he's dead… I only got his girlfriend's number," Aya said. "Chotto, how will I know when you'll appear or how to contact you or – "

"Just trust me," KID said.

She was caught by surprise when he took a step closer and planted a kiss on her cheek. Aya blushed and touched the part of her cheek where KID's lips were.

"Before I go, I have a question…" KID said.

"Yes?"

"You're not really the girl in those porno videos, ne?" he asked. "Because they really did look a lot like you…"

Aya blushed and punched on his shoulder.

"IIE! Of course not! I wouldn't do something so indecent! I'm a journalist! I need to be respectable!" Aya said. "And you… You actually watched them, didn't you?"

"It got pretty boring waiting for you," he said with a shrug. "I even managed to send some of these videos to his wife. Didn't help that he labeled her as "wife" in his e-mail's address book."

Aya stared at him for some time before she realized the implications of what KID just said. It made her laugh, for the first time in a few days.

"Arigatou, I guess," Aya said.

"No need… And hey, for a human rights reporter, you should really know your rights first," KID said.

Aya understood what he meant.

"I'll see you tomorrow, then! Jaa!" KID said before pink smoke enveloped his body. When the smoke disappeared, so did KID.

Aya squinted her eyes to make sure what she saw was real. For a while, she wondered if he was even there or she was just hallucinating.

She took out her phone and scrolled down the list of contacts to look for Mouri Ran's number. She pressed on dial and waiter for her to pick up. She walked back to her desk.

"Moshi, moshi," a voice finally said.

"Konbanwa, Mouri-san," Aya replied. "I am Himekaidou Aya. I'm a reporter at Nichiuri TV…"

O O O

"So I thought to myself, that's the last time I'll ever go near a dog!" Kazuha said. "A big, growling, normal one is already kinda scary but a big, flaming one is really my limit."

Kazuha finally looked up and noticed that the reporter wasn't even looking at them anymore. She was just staring at the space in the wall behind them, as if she was somewhere else.

Heiji seemed to have noticed this, too. He snapped his fingers in front of her.

"Oi, reporter-san, you still with us?" Heiji asked.

The reporter shook her head.

"Ah yes, just remembered something… You two are so energetic it reminds me of when I was younger!" she said. "Just go on with your story, darling."

"Maa, I always get involve in cases when Heiji's around and most of the time I almost get killed but I always trust Heiji to save me," Kazuha said.

Heiji looked away so that Kazuha wouldn't see his blushing face.

"It's not my fault you're so clumsy that you always get into trouble! I always tell you to save yourself or let me handle it but you always, always just interfere with my cases!" he said.

"I only wanted to help because I don't like to see Heiji bothered or tired or in danger…" Kazuha said in a small voice.

Heiji was still looking away but he wanted to see how her face looked like when she said it.

"You two are so cute!" Aya said. "Now, five years from now, where do you think the two of you will be?"

"Still in Japan, I guess…" Heiji said.

"I didn't mean that! I meant, relationship-wise!" Aya corrected her.

"Hey didn't we already say that we're not together? I don't see why anyone would want to be with this troublesome girl!"

"We're just friends! We're just friends! And he thinks of me as his little assistant!"

"Well there you have it, folks…" said Aya to the camera. "A love-hate, in-denial relationship! That seems to be the trend for young people these days. Don't forget to buy a copy of the magazine for the in-depth story about these young detectives and their love lives!"

Aya froze in a smile for a few moments before she said, "And cut!"

Heiji and Kazuzha both exhaled very loudly.

"You're not done yet – we still have to take sitners and still photographs," Aya said. "Now Mouri and her friend were shot in the bedroom. Hakuba and Aoko were in the hallway so I guess we can do the two of you in this game room but we'll choose a different background."

"What do we have to do?"

Aya winked at them. Both Heiji and Kazuha gulped, knowing it's something they wouldn't want to see aired on national television.

O O O

Sonoko and Ran waited for Aoko to return. They were again left with the sleeping Saguru. Aoko went to the lobby to meet with whom they thought was the real Kaito, who they knew had been missing since earlier that day.

Ran was still calling Conan but the boy was still not picking up his phone.

"I'm worried, Sonoko, what if KID captured him?" Ran said. "He can be careless sometimes, just like that deduction geek…"

"That brat probably went to the playground or something," Sonoko said. "Don't worry about him too much or he'll –"

The phone in the room rang.

"Moshi, moshi," Ran said as she picked up the receiver.

"Ran-neechan! Hakuba is KID!"

It was Conan, who sounded out of breath.

" Get out of the room now! He might do something to you girls and –"

"Conan! Where are you?" Ran said. "You weren't picking up your phone! And why couldn't you just tell it to us personally?"

"I'm calling from the front desk… KID took my phone and my key card!" Conan said. "Hurry! Get out of there now!"

"We can't just leave Hakuba-san here all alone… He's still sleeping…" Ran said.

"He's already there?"

"Iie, the real Hakuba-san… KID disguised as Kuroba-kun, that boy who looked a lot like Shinichi – "

" – I don't think he looked like Shinichi-niichan at all – "

" – and when he sent the note with sleeping gas, he took that opportunity to make Hakuba-san fall asleep and switched into his disguise. We just found out when a face mask in the form of Kuroba-kun's face slipped off the real Hakuba-san's face. Nakamouri-keibu's daughter who is friends with Hakuba-san said that KID has a grudge against Hakuba-san. So we thought that KID disguised as him to make an embarrassment out of him in national television. He was giving out weird answers like he was in love with KID – "

"Ran-neechan!"

"Hai?"

"Take a deep breath," Conan said. "I'm just glad you and Sonoko-neechan are safe…"

"Oh," Ran said. "Was I talking too fast?"

"Just a bit," Conan said. "But I bet that if Shinichi-niichan was here, he'd tell you that he was proud of you for making those deductions!"

"Speaking of that deduction geek, it didn't occur to me to call him…" Ran said.

"There's really no need to call him, he's probably busy with a case – "

"I guess it's because I was so worried about you but now that I know you're safe, I'm glad," Ran said. "We'll call Nakamouri-keibu's daughter to fetch you in the reception area. She's also somewhere there at the lobby to meet the real Kuroba-kun… Maa, see you in a bit, Conan-kun, I'll call Shinichi and consult with him what to do."

"You don't really have to because he might now have his phone with h –"

Ran hung up the phone in the room and called Shinichi on her mobile.

"You're calling that freak again? I really don't think we're in any danger…" Sonoko said.

Ran raised a finger to her lips.

"Call Nakamouri-san and tell her to fetch Conan who's at the reception," Ran asked Sonoko.

Sonoko nodded and went out the room to call Aoko. Just then, Shinichi's phone ringing had stopped and he answered.

"Shinichi! What took you so long to pick up?" Ran said.

"Shinichi, huh?"

"Yeah, you're Shinichi – are you asleep or something?"

"Iie, just…" said the voice from the other end of the line before it laughed. "Sumimasen, I just thought of something funny. Anyway, how's the interview?"

"The bit about you and me is done but Heiji and Kazuha's is still ongoing – Oh no! He's probably up there now to also mess up the interview with Hattori!" Ran said.

"Why don't you go up here – I mean, there to see for yourself?"

"Here? Are you in this hotel, Shinichi?"

"Of course not… Sumimasen, I'm probably just really tired because of this case I'm working on," Shinichi said.

"Oh right… I didn't mean to disturb you… Have you solved this current one?"

"I think I did. I've been suspecting someone for the longest time but I didn't know that I would be able to confirm his identity here… I owe you some thanks," he said.

"What are you talking about, Shinichi?" Ran asked. She felt like she wasn't talking to Shinichi at all.

"Come up here and see for yourself," Shinichi said and hung up.

"Chotto, Shinichi!" Ran said.

Sonoko entered the room.

"There, I talked to that girl," Sonoko said. "She and that Kurosa – uhm, Kuroba friend of hers have already met and they're about to fetch Conan from the reception desk."

"Sonoko, I have a bad feeling about all this…" Ran said. "There's some paper and pens at the desk in the living room. Can you get that for me? Let's just leave Hakuba-san a note and let's go up the game room ASAP."

O O O

"Where's that kid?" Aoko asked.

Aoko and Kaito were in the lobby to look for a boy named Edogawa Conan.

"Let's leave that boy and go up to the penthouse now! What if KID's already there?" Kaito said. "I want to see him! I want to see him!"

"Can you be patient for a bit?" Aoko said. "I shouldn't have let you come here in the first place!"

Just then, her mobile phone rang.

"Otou-san! Where are you? You weren't picking up! Did you get my message?"

"Some police units and I are already on our way! I'll get that lousy thief! And take in that journalist, too!" Nakamouri Ginzo said. "Wait for me at the entrance and bring your key card!"

"Oh about that, I only brought the one I have, but you can ask at the reception for some more, if many officers are going up," Aoko said.

"Yours will do," he said. "Now wait for me at the entrance, we're almost there!"

Ginzo hung up. Aoko scratched her head and turned to Kaito

"Kaito, can you look for the boy? I have to meet otou-san at –"

Then Aoko saw Kaito holding the hand of the little boy with huge eyeglasses.

"Oh! You found him!" she said.

It's kind of cute seeing him holding the boy's hands like some caring, older brother, Aoko thought.

"Sumimasen," the boy said. "I wasn't at the reception for a while because I had to use the toilet."

"It's okay," Aoko said. "We can't go to the penthouse yet because I only brought one key card with me and I still have to wait for my otou-san at the entrance. We'll all go together once we meet up."

The boy smiled and nodded.

"Isn't he cute? He reminds me of a young obo-chama!" Kaito suddenly said.

"What're you talking about, Kaito?"

"I mean, he reminds me of a younger me! Many people called me obo-chama, if you don't remember," Kaito said with a laugh. "Of course, my otou-san was really rich and influential when he was alive and I'm everyone's little master… That's only what I meant!"

Aoko just frowned at him then reminded them that they should start go to the entrance now.

She led the way out the lobby. Just in time, several police cars arrived. Nakamouri Ginzo stepped out of the car nearest the entrance and waved at Aoko.

"Couldn't bring any helicopters today since it's such short notice," he said as he approached them.

"And I heard he disguised as you again to get into the hotel?" Ginzo asked Kaito.

"Yes, sir," he said. "I don't necessarily find it insulting but I did get worried when Aoko stood me up at our meeting place and – "

Then they heard a loud, crashing noise from somewhere above. They looked up to see the penthouse's windows leaking pink-colored smoke. Several shards of broken, window glass rained upon them and they had to cover their head to avoid being scratched.

"KID!" Ginzo said as he ran to inside the hotel. "Unit one stay with me while the rest ask for key cards going to the penthouse… Aoko, c'mon, let's go!"

O O O

"Hold your poses until that lazy lights guy comes back," Aya said to Heiji and Kazuha. "I'm so sorry, darlings… But it would be against his human rights if I deny him from taking his calls. He kind of told me earlier that a relative is at the hospital so he would need to take calls every once in a while."

Heiji was unable to retort anything nasty because he was focusing very intently that his body won't respond in certain ways.

Kazuha was also silent the whole photo shoot. She was seated on Heiji's lap with one arm around his shoulders and the other resting on the fainting couch's raised, wooden frame.

They have just finished shooting sitners, where Kazuha and Heiji were pretending to fight and then make up and then hug each other. Now they were being photographed for the article.

"When this magazine comes out, I say we buy all the copies and burn them so nobody can see the pictures!" Heiji whispered to Kazuha.

Kazuha nodded.

"Heiji," she said.

"Nani?" he whispered back.

"There's something hard on your pants…"

"Iie! That's not me! I'm not – I don't think about you that way, Kazuha!" Heiji said, a bit louder this time, as his face turned scarlet.

Kazuha blushed and removed the arm around him. She started tugging on something stuck to his pants.

"OI WHAT ARE YOU TOUCHING?"

She showed him a small, blinking light shaped like an earphone.

"This has been stuck on your pocket since I saw you came in for the interview," Kazuha said.

"It's a listening device! And those types that can record, too! I've been bugged!" Heiji said. He wondered when it was stuck on to him.

"Kazuha-chan, sweetie, can you put your arm around Heiji again?" Aya said from beside the camera man.

Then the door to the hallway opened and Jinno came in. He had a huge smile on his face.

"About time! That's the second and last time I'll let you take a call!" Aya said. "Did your relative get to live or something?"

"He's been alive this whole time, after all…" Jinno said as he picked up the lights.

Aya just looked at him and shook her head. After reminding everyone of their duties, the photo shoot recommenced.

It took several more shots of Heiji and Kazuha in compromising position before Aya finally said "Okay that's a wrap!"

Heiji and Kazuha exhaled. For their last shot, Aya instructed them to have Heiji's head resting on Kazuha's lap while Kazuha strokes his hair.

"Finally! We can move!" Kazuha said.

Just when Heiji was about to raise from his position, the elevator to the game room opened. Ran and Sonoko came running in.

"Everybody, don't move from where you are! We believe KID is here!" Ran shouted.

"Really, Ran?" Kazuha said. "We have to hold our positions a bit more?"

Ran looked at them and she blushed as she saw how awkward it must be for them.

"Well, it's only a few minutes while we pinch people's faces to see if they're wearing masks…" Ran said.

Jinno the lights guy started laughing.

"Iie, I'll save you the trouble," Jinno said in a different voice. Aya instantly recognized the voice.

Ran pointed at Jinno.

"You're – You're – "

The windows started to crack open. One by one, the glass windows exploded, as pink-colored smoke created a canopy over the figure of the bony Jinno.

Everyone inside screamed. Heiji pulled Kazuha to under the couch and covered her head. Ran grabbed Sonoko's arm and went for cover under the billiards table. Aya dropped to her knees and crouched beside the fainting couch. The rest of the crew was scrambling to open their equipment and video KID's appearance.

Heiji glanced at Aya and saw that she had a look of genuine shock on her face.

Is it possible that she didn't know about this, Heiji thought.

The pink smoke slowly dispersed and was seeping out the open windows.

"I'm sorry to disturb your shoot, detective of the West, but I believe I've also been summoned," came a voice from the towering smoke.

A man dressed in a white suit with cape, silk hat and a monocle, stepped out of the smoke.

"I'm ready for my close up, reporter-san," he said.

Next: Family Portrait