Disclaimer: Do not own anything except the characters I made up. You'll know who they are.
Feature Story Part VI
Family Portrait
The setting sun was the only thing that lit the room. Everything in the penthouse of the Prince Royal Hotel was tinged in blood red and bittersweet orange.
The crew fumbled over their equipment to capture every bit of movement from the figure stepping out of the smoke.
"I'm ready for my close up, reporter-san," the thief in the silk, white suit said.
The shadow casted by the underside of his top hat made it hard to see his face. His monocle made him more unrecognizable.
It was Heiji's first time to see him this close.
He could be in his twenties, or even younger, he thought.
"Hey I'm serious about my close up," the thief said. "Who knows? I could be a good-looking guy..."
"Can you stop joking? You dare show your face in here!" Heiji shouted as he made his way out from under the couch.
"I believe we haven't been formally introduced," KID said with a bow. "Phantom Thief KID they call me, Mr. Detective of the West. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."
"Y-you're here!" Aya shrieked.
She was having trouble standing up and had to grab onto the frame of the couch. Kazuha left her safe spot from under the couch and helped Aya to stand up.
"I'm sorry for not replying to your message, reporter-san. You see, I prefer surprises," KID said. "Are the cameras rolling?"
Aya just stared at him.
"H-hai," said the tall, camera man.
"Audio working?" KID asked.
The audio guy, the youngest of the crew, nodded. The middle-aged photographer was already taking still photographs.
"I hope you don't mind that we just use the light coming from the sunset. I broke open the windows for that," KID said. "It's almost five in the afternoon… Do you all know that this is what photographers and filmmakers call the 'magic hour'? It's supposed to make your subjects look beautiful on screen."
Aya remembered she was told something about that in her basic photography class, back when she was still in the university.
"You can't get away this time, KID!"
Everyone turned to Ran, who was ready to pounce at KID.
"Beautiful princess, I'm not seeking for any fights today. I'm just here to grant this lovely reporter her interview. I don't want to be unfair to her," KID said.
"Y-you're still a criminal! We left a note for Hakuba-san and Conan-kun at the suite so the police are probably on their way up here," Ran said.
All Ran wanted to do was throw a kick onto his face and knock him down to restrain him until the police arrives. She was in fighting stance but fear held her back. She was unsure whether the thief had some tricks up his sleeves. Going near him would be a gamble.
She looked over at Heiji and saw the same dilemma reflected on his face.
"I'll make the interview fast, then. How about this, princess? I'll finish the interview with reporter-san and then you all are free to karate kick me or chase me as I try to escape," KID said. "Do you accept the deal or do you want reporter-san here to lose her job?"
"Don't be so cold-hearted, Ran," Sonoko said as she tugged on Ran's shirt.
Ran looked at her and saw hearts over her friend's eyes. She sighed and thought she was hopeless.
"Fine," Ran said. "For Himekaidou-san."
"I agree," Heiji said. "On the condition that you don't try any tricks on anyone during the interview."
"That seems fair," KID said.
"Fifteen minutes max," Heiji said. "And then I'll make you pay for what you did…"
O O O
Hakuba Saguru dreaded what awaits him when he opens his eyes…
He didn't know where he was and what happened to him. The last thing he remembered was that he was in a hotel suite to wait for his turn to be interviewed by Nichiuri TV.
He remembered he was with Aoko and Kaito and they met up with the Hattori boy from Osaka. His girlfriend let them in the suite and she found a note and –
"KID!" Saguru said as he sat up.
He finally peeled open his eyelids and his pair of baby blues immediately examined his surroundings. He was inside a room and was sitting on a queen-sized bed with layers and layers of high thread count comforters. A lamp on top of a drawer was illuminating the room. The curtains were drawn. On the other side of the bed was a telephone. He deduced it has been used recently and was put down in haste, based from the tangles in the wire.
There was a 12-inch pizza box on the floor. He looked down and noticed he wasn't wearing his own attire but the clothes Kaito was wearing when they were together before he was put to sleep.
"I'll get you for this, Kaito!" he said.
He jumped out of bed then noticed several pieces of papers on the bed, beside the spot where he slept.
He grabbed them and read every page. After he was finished with the note, he looked around the room for listening devices and found one stuck to the keyhole. He pocketed it.
I was right all along, he thought to himself.
All he had to do was expose the thief. He ran out of the room and out of the suite. He went straight to the elevator that was said to go straight to the penthouse game room.
As the doors of the elevator opened, he grabbed for his key card and was just the least bit surprised to find it wasn't there.
"That bloody thief…" he mumbled as he entered the elevator and pressed "G" instead.
The doors closed. It descended two, three floors when the lights inside started flickering.
"What is the matter with – "
The lights finally went off and the elevator stopped moving.
"That bloody thief!"
O O O
"Don't worry, reporter-san, I answer incomplete sentences. You won't have trouble interviewing me," KID said. "So, first question?"
"Are we doing this for real?" Aya asked.
"Just get on with it!" Heiji said.
"Oh okay…" Aya said. "KID-san, do you have a girlfriend or a wife or someone special right now?"
KID grinned. "Going straight to the controversial question, ne? Maa, as of the moment, there is none… I consider it a liability for my work."
"But I'm sure you have a certain type that you like," Aya said.
The audio handler stepped forward so that his boom microphone could get a louder response.
"I like all girls," KID said with a wink. "And I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the girls who are supportive during my heists. They are a constant source of encouragement and inspiration."
"That's such a celebrity response," Aya said in a frustrated tone. "Okay let me be more specific – do you have a fetish? Are you into lolis? Tsunderes? Do you prefer boobs or ass?"
"Maa…" KID said and everyone else in the room was surprised to sense a hesitation in his voice.
"All girls are created differently and each one has something special about them," KID said. "They're like gems and jewels which have different hues and sheens, but all are nonetheless valuable…"
"Oh, he's such a poet!" Sonoko suddenly said in a loud voice as she shook Ran. "And quite the gentleman, too!"
"Ssssh!" said everyone to silence her.
"Such a show off," Heiji whispered to Kazuha.
He was annoyed when he saw Kazuha blush a bit when KID was rambling on about girls being like valuable gems.
"For my next question, even if you don't have a partner as of the moment, how would you define a good girlfriend or wife?" Aya asked.
"You mean qualities I look for in a girl?"
Aya nodded.
"Since it would be difficult to be with someone like me, maybe someone who is okay with worrying a lot. I don't want her to worry but that's something she has to expect when she's with me… I can be quite a handful and I admit I'm the type who won't show his feelings… She may not understand fully the things that I do and oftentimes I may keep secrets from her but she has to trust me that what I only do is for the best," KID said.
Ran's heart started to beat faster. She remembered that Shinichi told her something similar during one of their conversations.
Come to think of it, his voice sounds just like Shinichi, Ran thought.
"For my next question, if you have to choose between all the jewels which you seek, and being with the one you love, which would you choose?" Aya asked.
KID sighed.
"I'm afraid it's more complicated than that," he said. "I can only choose neither or both."
"What do you mea – "
"I'm saying that this world is full of mysteries," KID said. "And that things are not always what they seem."
"People, too," he added as he looked right at Ran.
Ran's heart was still racing.
What does he mean? And where are Conan and the others, she thought.
"But I think that some of them should remain a mystery because opening the lid to Pandora's box may be quite deadly," he continued.
Everyone in the room remained glued to their spot and hung on to every word he was saying.
"People have a reason to keep secrets and one of these secrets may even be love," he said as he looked at Heiji and Kazuha.
"Does he mean us?" Kazuha whispered to Heiji.
"But everyone has their own reasons for keeping them," KID said.
"Do you believe that all secrets come to be revealed eventually?" Aya asked.
KID shrugged.
"Who knows? I believe, however, that all things happen for a reason," he said.
"See! He's deep, too!" Sonoko said in a more modulated voice.
"Oh and reporter-san, I can sense that a formidable opponent of mine is on his way up," KID suddenly said as he twiddled on something in his earlobe. "I set traps for all the elevators going up here but it seems he took the service elevator. Another detective fell for a rigged one, though."
"Another detective?" Ran asked. "Do you mean Shinichi?"
"Iie, he's not the one stuck in the booby-trapped elevator," KID said.
"But he's here?" Ran asked.
KID merely smiled.
"Hey is the interview over or something? Can we call off the truce now?" Heiji asked.
"Matte! Last question!" Aya said.
"Lovely reporter-san, go ahead and ask. I'll answer anything for you," KID said.
"This is kind of personal, but uhm… Exactly how often do you get laid?" she asked.
She had a mischievous smile on her face and she looked like she was stifling a giggle.
Even with all his concealments, everyone in the room was certain that Kaitou KID had blushed.
O O O
Aoko, Kaito, Ginzo, Conan and over ten officers were all cramped in one of the service elevators which had access to the penthouse. They were supposed to take the one leading to the game room but for some reason, it wasn't responding.
When they went tried to access the two others which lead to the hallway, these two stopped working as well. Ginzo's party was forced to take the service elevator, which open at the very end of the hall, hidden from view and beyond the two other conference rooms.
"Wear your masks right away when we enter the room! That smoke bomb could be a sleeping gas type," Ginzo reminded his men.
"Aoko, Kaito-kun, Conan-kun, it might not be safe to enter so you three stay in the hallway," Ginzo said.
"But I want to see KID!" Kaito said.
"Me too! I'll catch him this time, Nakamouri-keibu!" Conan said.
Ginzo looked at the kid and saw the usual fire alive in the boy's eyes.
"Okay you can go," Ginzo said. "We're always having a bit of luck when you're around, anyway."
"Aww how come the boy gets to go and I'm not?" Kaito asked.
"You're bad luck! KID always gets away when you're around," Ginzo said. "And… Just take care of Aoko while waiting outside, understood? Makes sure she's safe…"
Aoko pretended to cough so she can look away and hide the redness in her cheeks.
"For some reason, KID is getting bolder and bolder with his tricks. I don't even think that your magic is a match for him, Kaito-kun," Ginzo continued. "Somehow I can also feel that today, he's mad at something… Why else would he put you youngsters to sleep? It was almost like an attack."
"It wasn't really an attack. It wasn't just a chance to switch his disguise from Kuroba-san to Hakuba-san, either... It was meant to intimidate us," Conan said.
"You can call me Kaito-niichan if you like," Kaito said as he bent to smile at Conan.
"Erm… Okay… Hehe…" Conan said.
This one won't stop doting on me like an obaa-san, Conan thought.
"Anyway, I bet you anything that he was the one responsible for why the elevators which had access to the penthouse stopped working," Conan said. "Aoko-neechan, you're sure that Ran-neechan and Sonoko-neechan are still with Hakuba-san, ne?"
"Uh-hmm," Aoko said. "Sonoko just called to ask me to fetch you but they didn't mention anything about going elsewhere. So it must be that they're still there."
Conan knew the girl was telling the truth but somehow, he felt that something wasn't right. Something doesn't add up, he thought.
"You really care about your neechan… Don't you, little boy?" Kaito asked.
Conan nodded. "She means a lot to me," he said.
"That is so cute!" Aoko said. "But don't fall for her, ne? She already likes that detective boy who went missing! You'll just get your heart broken and you're way too young for that!"
Conan could feel the blood rushing to his face.
"Oh… Hai, I already know that…" Conan said. "Shinichi-niichan and Ran-neechan are perfect for each other! What I meant was Ran-neechan means a lot to me – like a real, older sister!"
Just then, the elevator doors opened and they heard screams coming from the game room. It echoed throughout the hallway.
"Everyone, let's go!" Ginzo ordered.
They all scampered past the portraits and paintings.
In the haste and confusion, Aoko tripped on a crease on the carpet. When she stood up, almost all officers have already entered the room. Kaito was nowhere in sight.
"Kaito!" she called.
She sighed.
"That magic freak! Must've slipped by me when he had the chance!" she said out loud as she walked to the door.
When she grabbed the handle and forced the door open, it was already sealed shut.
O O O
Prince Royal Hotel employees Hondou Hara and Masumi Kimiko were still waiting in the room for the arrival of the colleague of the Detective of the West.
"How long do you think we have to wait here?" Hara asked.
"Maybe there's a murder or theft! Wait 'til my son hears about this! He's actually a big fan of that high school detective!" Kimiko said.
"Do you think it has something to do with that weird, old guy cleaner guy who went to clean the penthouse this morning?" Hara asked. "I caught a glimpse of his cart and I'm pretty sure the sides are uneven…"
"Oh yes that old man… We were in the service elevator with him when we went up to clean the suite! I didn't recognize him so I asked and he did say it was his first day today," Kimiko said. "He was quite nice and even told me that he helped Sanzo-san in the kitchens with the trash…You know how Sanzo-san can be really slow sometimes and to think they assigned him to wait for some customers today!"
"Now that I think about it, I glimpsed a big, sort of trash bag on the bottom compartment of the cart. I think that's what made it uneven… You don't suppose there was a body there?"
"He also said he was going to fix the elevators which had access to the – Matte! A body? A dead body? You think that that detective boy is investigating a murder?"
"And I don't remember seeing the old, mysterious man in the staff room during lunch break. What if he just dumped a body here and escaped?"
Kimiko looked as if she was near tears. "What do we do now?"
"Let's go to the security office," Hara said.
The two brought the cleaning cart to the staff room before they proceeded to the security office.
They were greeted by a guard on duty at the security office's reception – a young, bald officer. His tie was loose and he had what seemed to be coffee stains on the front of his shirt.
The two were out of breath when they told him of their suspicions. The young officer just looked irate.
"Y'know, that little boy looking for his papa's charm and that blonde dude already bugged me so no more of 'em complaints!" he snarled.
"It's not a complaint, officer," Hara said. "We think there's a dead body somewhere in this hotel. Probably the penthouse because the suspicious old man went there."
The officer looked like he wasn't even listening.
" – And they just both rushed outta here! Not even a 'thank you, sir' after I sneaked them in – "
The two ladies left the young officer and went to the reception instead.
The receptionist, twentysomething Minami Yukie, was huddled over the telephone and looked as equally irate.
"Minami-san, can we have a word?" Hara said. "There's a – "
"Excuse me, ladies. I'm occupied at the moment," she said. "Some idiot got stuck at the elevator and our team can't get him out."
"Minami-san, this is kind of urgent," Hara said.
"You know what's urgent? All elevators which had access to the penthouse stopped working!" Yukie said. "Of all days! When there's media up there and some police officers came in with a warrant and everything!" Yukie continued.
Hara and Kimiko just looked at each other and shrugged.
"Let's leave her," Hara whispered to Kimiko.
They went to the staff room to retrieve their cart. There was only one person inside and it was Sanzo Kinta, their oldest employee who cleans the kitchens and occasionally waits for customers in the hotel restaurant.
He was taking his rucksack from his locker and appeared to be leaving soon.
"Konbanwa, Hondou-san, Masumi-san," he said. "My shift is about to end and – why is it that two, beautiful ladies such as yourselves look so sullen?"
"We've been suspected for murder and there's a dead body in the hotel… What if my son hears about this? What will he say about it?" Kimiko said.
"Sanzo-san, there was an old man who helped you with the trash early morning, ne?" Hara asked.
"Old man? It was a young boy who was starting today... He left before lunch time and said he was supposed to meet a girl in Shibuya," Sanzo said as swung his rucksack over his shoulder. "I actually saw someone who looked like him in the restaurant today… That magician boy… Well, I'll be going now. See you tomorrow!"
Hara thanked the old man and waved at him as he bid them goodbye. She checked her wrist watch and realized that their shift was about to end.
"What do we do now, Hara?" Kimiko asked. "There's still probably a dead body somewhere in the hotel... And we didn't wait for the acquaintance of that detective boy! What if they keep suspecting us?"
"Shift's over," Hara said. "Let's go home."
O O O
Conan made it inside the game room just before the doors closed. He was in the middle of a forest of navy blue pants. He kept excusing himself as he was made his way out of it.
From somewhere to his left, he heard Ginzo and Kaito arguing.
"Oi you were supposed to be back there, making sure Aoko isn't hurt! Go back there and bring her back to the suite… but no funny business!" Ginzo barked at Kaito.
"But Nakamouri-keibu, so many officers were rushing in and my body was sort of carried inside…" Kaito said.
Conan finally made his way to the front of the police officers, who he has just noticed were all standing very still.
"Oi what are you – "
And then he saw him. On the farthest part of the game room, near the master's bedroom, stood a man clad in white suit and silk, top hat. He was holding on to his card gun.
Even from the other side of the room, he knew that the thief was smirking at him.
Between him and the phantom thief were the crew and their equipment, Aya the reporter, Heiji, Kazuha, Ran and Sonoko. Conan noticed that the youngest crew member was laying still on the floor.
"Oh, just in time, tantei-san," KID called out to Conan.
"Why were these people screaming, KID? What did you do to that boy?" Conan asked.
"Take a closer look at the room," KID said.
It took Conan a few minutes before he saw the almost-invisible strings which kept his friends hostage and immobile. The strings were stuck on ceilings to walls and floor, in different directions and different angles.
They crisscrossed one another and left very little room for each person to move. They were woven around the room as if a spider spun a gigantic web. It reminded Conan of the laser lights used to detect movement in safe rooms and vaults.
"Don't get any closer, Conan-kun!" Ran said. "They're laced with some sort of sleeping chemical! That crew member tripped and fell on a string and he fell on the floor instantly."
"That's when we all screamed and you went in," Kazuha said.
"The term is transdermal," KID said. "If it touches any part of them, the chemical will seep into their skin and would paralyze their muscles. It's a new feature to my gun right here. Made it myself. Quite brilliant, don't you think?"
"KID you… If I only have my katana, I'll hack you to pieces!" Heiji said.
"Tsk, tsk… You were the one who wanted my interview to end so soon, tantei of the west. I wasn't even able to provide reporter-san here the answer to her last question," KID said with a wink.
"That's not necessary, just please let us out of here," Aya said.
"Don't be so scared, my beautiful genius," KID said. "Even if you get caught in my web, you will just be paralyzed for a few hours. Nothing dangerous."
Conan looked behind him and saw the other officers taking several steps backwards.
"Let them go, KID!" Nakamouri-keibu shouted. "This is between you and me!"
Kaito looked frozen. He was hiding behind Nakamouri-keibu and was even holding onto an arm.
"It was never just between just the two of us, Nakamouri-keibu," KID said. "But I'll honor you another deal. Stop the cameras – I can see it's still filming what's happening – and then I'll cut all the threads."
"Do it, Momo-san," Aya said as she looked at the camera man.
"But Himekaidou-san, you said not to stop filming whatever happens," the tall man said.
"Do it!"
It was Nakamouri Ginzo who ordered this time.
The camera man pressed the button that stops recording. The red light near the lenses faded.
"Good," KID said. "The strings will now slowly fall onto the floor in a matter of minutes as I make my escape. I originally designed it to just hold onto the walls for a matter of minutes, anyway…"
"Hey that's not what we talked about!" Heiji said.
Conan thought of something really rash. He looked for a straight, open path between him and KID. He found one but he had to be really precise with his kick so the ball won't touch the side of Ran.
"Everyone, gomen…" Conan said before pressing on his belt.
A soccer ball shot out of the small opening in the latch. As it was inflating to its full size, Conan turned a knob on the side of his right shoe. His shoe seemed to emit electricity.
He kicked the ball hard but with accuracy. It cut through all ropes but as they broke, they fell on Heiji and the others.
"Kudou you – " Heiji was about to say but he dropped to his knees.
The crew, Kazuha, Ran and Sonoko fell one by one to the floor.
The ball still aimed for KID but the thief was able to avoid it. Another second later and he covered himself with a smoke bomb. In an instant, that part of the room was covered with a taffy-colored smoke.
Conan was careful not to step on anyone who fell on the floor as he ran to where KID was. He knew that the thief would spread out his wings and fly out the nearest window to escape.
I needed to catch him, to hold onto his cape or leg when he's about to depart, he thought.
The smoke bomb did not leak out of the windows as quickly as Conan expected. For some reason that baffled Conan, there was also smoke from the other end of the room, where the officers and Kaito were standing.
"Everyone don't move! You might step on the kids and the crew! Put on your mask!" Conan heard Ginzo from the smoke. "Let go of me, Kaito, damn it!"
The mist got heavier and Conan started coughing. Then he felt the cold metal of the barrel of the gun on the side of his head.
"Tantei-san," a familiar voice whispered to his ears. "You should learn to tame your obsessive need to unmask me… I, too, have my own reasons for living a double life…"
"What're you saying, KID?"
Conan turned but the feel of the cold metal was gone and so was KID. And beneath the heavy mist, he could see that on the floor in front of him, was his key card and his two, identical mobile phones.
O O O
Aoko watched as the officers, who were left behind and had now just arrived at the penthouse hallway, attempt open the sole door to the game room.
"Whoever designed this hotel must be whacked! Why is there only one entrance to this room?" even said one of them.
Aoko remembered a master's bedroom inside the game room but she can't recall seeing a passage or a door when she went in there to use the bathroom.
"Aoko!"
She turned and saw Hakuba Saguru coming from where the service elevator is hidden.
"Got trapped in the elevator. It seems like all three elevators which had access to this floor were controlled by that thief!" he said as he approached her.
"He trapped everyone inside the game room, too," Aoko said. "Just then, we heard people shouting…I wonder if otou-san and Kaito are all right…"
"KID never hurts anyone…As for Kaito, I'm pretty sure he's more than okay…"
"What do you mean by that? Don't you dare start again with that ridiculous theory of yours that Kaito is KID!" Aoko said. "How many times should I tell you that when KID appears, some of the times, Kaito is with me… or us! Remember that time at the Ochima Art Museum?"
"He could've just used an assistant," Saguru said. "The girls left me a note about what happened when I was asleep and if I combine that with the information I gathered from the reception desk before I came here, I deduce that KID used an accomplice with his disguise trick…"
"So you mean – "
"If Kaito is KID, then he could've easily switched with me during that commotion at the suite. That girl at the information desk said that when the windows at the penthouse blew up, Nakamouri-keibu was with two teenagers, a small boy and several police officers and they went up the game room using the service elevators. I take it that the two teenagers are you and Kaito," Saguru said. "But that time, KID is already at the pent house so that must mean the one you went up with, was his accomplice is posing as him – Kaito, I mean."
"But if Kaito really is KID, when did he get to the game room? You said he switched to your disguise so did he just enter there or something?" Aoko said. "As I recall, our interview –well, that interview where KID posed as you, ended an hour ago… So why did he wait for a while before he sort of attacked the people in the game room?"
"He was setting up the traps for the elevators," Saguru said. "Well, either that or his accomplice was the one who posed as KID upstairs when the real Kaito was with you downstairs. But knowing KID – Kaito, I mean – he always does the complicated things himself…"
Aoko was feeling uneasy. She thought that it can't be possible that Kaito is KID.
"Maybe I should really stop calling him KID… I should start calling that thief by his real name – Kuroba Kaito…" Saguru said.
"Stop it, Hakuba-kun!" Aoko said.
Just then, the doors finally broke open. The officers rushed inside and so did Aoko and Saguru.
The mist was just evaporating.
Aoko gasped when they saw that everyone was lying on the floor. Most of them were asleep but some of them were already trying to get up.
"KID's flying out the window!" shouted the officer beside Saguru. The officer pointed to the open window in the middle of the room.
They focused their gaze on a triangular white wing exiting the window.
Ginzo was finally able to stand upright.
"Unit 2 and 3, follow him! Unit 4, search the floor. Unit 1, start pinching people's faces to see if he disguised as anyone!" he said. "The one that flew out may be a dummy again!"
The officers gathered all their might to hoist themselves up. They scattered around, some going out the room and some started to pinch the faces of others.
The reporter and camera crew were also busy with their own business. They were re-starting their equipments. Once they were set up, they filmed KID fly away.
Ran, Kazuha and Sonoko were just waking up. Heiji remained asleep.
Conan was standing by the window and was watching the white wing get smaller, as it sped off into the horizon.
Saguru and Aoko walked closer to the windows. As they were getting closer, Saguru recognized Kaito, who was face down on the floor.
"If you really want to unmask disguises, let's start with this one!" Saguru said. "If the real KID is who I think it is, then this may be his accomplice!"
Saguru grabbed Kaito by the shirt and pulled him up.
"Oi Hakuba what're you – "
Saguru pinched Kaito's cheek.
"OI THAT HURT!"
Saguru's eyes widened. "The mask wouldn't come off!"
"That's because you're pinching my real face and if you don't let go, you'll tear off my skin!" Kaito said.
Saguru let go of Kaito.
"Geez, Hakuba, if you wanted to touch me so much, all you had to do was ask," Kaito said. "And here I was, thinking that it was Aoko you might like…"
Saguru glared at him.
"Since Kaito is really who he is, then I suspect that the one who flew out the window is his accomplice," Saguru said.
"Iie," interrupted a voice, thick with Kansai accent.
Not far from the two teenagers, Heiji was also coming about. He stretched his arms as he stood up.
"The one who was interviewed and flew out the window was the real KID," Heiji continued. "Unless you would grace us with your deductions on why you blame that boy."
Saguru explained his theory to everyone in the room.
"So your whole theory is anchored on the fact that this boy may be KID," Heiji said immediately after. "But your deduction did not explain anything at all! You were right on what happened before but you weren't even here when KID attacked us!"
"That's one thing I haven't put into consideration yet," Saguru said.
"KID didn't just burst in here and attacked us," Heiji said immediately after.
"Hai, he was the lights guy the whole time!" Kazuha said.
"However, your deduction has some validity at some point andit's possible that he switched disguises with Jinno-san when Jinno-san was out in the hallway and talking on the phone," Heiji said.
"But for that to be true, then the body of that lights guy must be somewhere around here, in this floor." Hakuba said.
"Oi Ku – Conan-kun, don't you have anything to contribute to the discussion?" Heiji turned to Conan.
Conan was walking to where Ran and Sonoko were. They two girls were seated at the fainting couch while Heiji and the others started to huddle around the billiards table.
"None as of the moment," Conan said. "Hattori, I need to talk to you later…"
Heiji was taken aback. "O-oi why the serious face, Conan-kun?"
"I'll tell you later," Conan said.
Suddenly, two officers from the hallway came running into the room.
"Nakamouri-keibu, we're from Unit 4 and we found a body in a stall in the bathroom farthest from here," said one of them.
"It's a man in his twenties, with curly hair dyed blonde. His left arm is covered in tattoos and we found him in a big, black trash bag," the other one said. "When we woke him up, he said the last thing he could remember was that he went in the Nichiuri TV office earlier today…"
"Poor thing was knocked out too strong he can't remember anything after this morning," Nakamouri-said. "Give him aide before you ask any more questions. I'll be with Unit 2 for the chase."
"Hai!" they both said and went out the room. Several more officers, including Nakamouri Ginzo, followed them.
"So that's what happened," Heiji said. "After disguising as you and putting traps on elevators, he attacked Jinno-san when he went out to room to use his phone."
"But how did he know that Jinno-san was stepping out to use his phone?" asked Kazuha, who walked over to where Heiji and Saguru where.
"He bugged me, remember?" Heiji said. "You still have it, right?"
Kazuha searched her pockets. "Gomen, I think I lost it…"
Saguru was searching his pockets, too.
"I lost the listening device he installed in the room, too. Could I have dropped it?" he thought out loud.
"You're not suddenly gonna accuse me that I took it from you, ne?" Kaito asked.
"I can't believe otou-san just rushed off like that without even saying goodbye to me," said Aoko who joined in their circle of conversation.
"Hakuba-kun, why are we gathered around here?" Aoko asked. "Are you still accusing Kaito? That was pretty embarrassing…"
"We're trying to figure out what happened today," Heiji said. "What we have so far is that KID disguised as Kaito when he met with you and came to this hotel. Then he put Hakuba to sleep to disguise as him and attend his interview. Then, he rigged the elevators then attacked Jinno-san and disguised as him. This happened when Jinno-san left the room to talk on the phone."
"He knew when to time our movements because he bugged us all," Saguru said. "Now, all this running about and switching disguises could also work with an accomplice, especially if Kaito here is the real KID. If Kaito is the real KID, then he would've needed an accomplice to disguise as him to meet up with you and Nakamouri-keibu so he could make an appearance with KID, thus lessening the suspicions on his part."
"Actually, it's possible that Kaito is really Kaito now and his accomplice was the one who flew out as KID," Heiji said. "They could've switched disguises during that commotion when Conan kicked the ball, sending the strings flying across the room."
"You forgot one thing…"
Conan walked to their little huddle.
"When he attacked Jinno and put him in the bathroom across the hall, that would've taken several minutes," Conan said. "How do you explain that?"
"Jinno-san went out the room twice and both those times were just really short," Kazuha said. "You have a point that we'd notice if he was sweating and all, if he just came from somewhere, carrying a body, ne?"
"So that may mean that there really is an accomplice who disposed of the sleeping Jinno – but by that time, wasn't Kaito was already with Aoko and the others?" Heiji said.
"So there really is an accomplice but the accomplice did not disguise as Kaito – instead, the accomplice was just there to help out KID knock out Jinno-san and put his body in the bathroom."
"What if the body was there to begin with and the accomplice posed as Jinno-san since the beginning?" Hakuba asked. "Did anybody check the bathroom before?"
"Iie, everyone was using the one in the master's bedroom," Aoko said. "What are you getting at, Hakuba-kun? And if there was a body there, the cleaners would've noticed it!"
Saguru scowled.
"Oi, are Ran and Sonoko all right?" Heji asked Conan.
"Ran-neechan's not talking and Sonoko-neechan is still daydreaming or…" Conan said.
They all turned to look at the girls. Ran's head was cast downwards and Sonoko was blushing. Her hands were clasped together and she was something like, "Thank yooooou for making me meet KID up close! My muscles are still aching but that's how love is supposed to be! Love hurts!"
"That girl should get herself checked…" Aoko said as she narrowed her eyes on Sonoko. "Will Ran be all right?"
"We'll go to the spa later! That will cheer her up!" Kazuha said. "Hey you want to come with us? It will be just us, girls!"
Aoko's face brightened. "Yes, that would be great! Kaito, try not to burn anything in the room while I'm gone, ne?
"So we'll all just to back to the room, then?" Saguru asked. "Case closed? We haven't even considered all possibilities yet…"
"I have to admit that I wish I could be with the squads chasing after the KID that flew away but my muscles really hurt," Heiji said.
"Let's leave the investigation to Nakmaouri-keibu for now," Conan said.
"But I still haven't proved that Kaito is KID! Why should we leave now, when all the evidence are here and very fresh?" Saguru said. His usual, calm voice sounded shaken.
"Oi, oi you don't have proof!" Kaito said.
"Our listening devices are missing… You must've taken it and it's still with you!" Saguru said as he pointed at Kaito.
"They're with me," said Conan, who appeared behind Kaito.
Heiji glanced around. "Weren't you just beside me a while ago?"
Conan opened his palm and inside were the listening devices.
"I found them on the floor," Conan said. "Kazuha-neechan must've dropped them and you probably did, too, when you were pinching Kaito-niichan's cheeks."
"Dude, that chemical he used to put you to sleep must've made you more agitated," Heiji said as he put an arm around Saguru.
"Say, Heiji-niichan, let's grab an okonomiyaki or something while we for updates from Nakamouri-keibu," Conan said. "Let's leave this case for now and you need your rest, too!"
"Hai, hai," Kaito said. "You just all need rest! And okonomiyaki sounds delicious! I'll volunteer to buy there's this place in Shibuya I know…"
"I'll go with Kaito-niichan and help buy the okonomiyaki!" Conan said as he raised a hand.
"I really don't want to leave the scene, but you're right about my body aching… What sort of chemical did he use on us anyway?" Heiji asked.
Saguru looked up, as if to search in his brain some answer. "I think it's – "
"Hey Heiji, we'll leave you with your new buddies now," Kazuha said as she grabbed Aoko's arm. "The girls and I are going to the spa…We really don't feel like listening to you as you make your deductions… Ne, Aoko?"
"MATTE!"
They all turned and were all shocked to see the entire crew surrounding them. The camera was pointed to their huddle and so were the boom microphone and the still camera.
"Matte! Don't go yet! This is so exciting! Producing deductions so fast!" Aya said. "And team work!"
"Is – is this being broadcasted live?" Heiji stammered. He blushed and waved to the camera.
"Were you filming us the entire time?" Kazuha asked.
"Hai and iie, we're not live. We're just taking more shots for sitners," Aya said. "Don't worry, darlings, this is so much better than those sitners we took a while ago! This one has action and it features who you really are!"
"Speaking of who we really are, you should start talking like yourself again, Pulitzer-winner Himekaidou Aya," Conan said.
"Pulitzer?" Aoko said. "Isn't that the award given to journalists?"
"Hai," Conan said. "I researched about Himekaidou-san on my phone's internet while I was looking at the videos in the security office…"
"Matte! You're a Pulitzer-winning journalist?" Heiji asked.
"Pleasure to finally meet you," Saguru said.
"Oh, uhm hello again," Aya said and wondered about why Hakuba Saguru was introducing himself again.
"Anyway I don't think I'll be doing this story anymore…" Aya continued.
"NANI?" all of them asked.
"I'll turn over the tapes to some other reporter and then I'm quitting my job," she said.
"We went to all this trouble and you won't even air the story or publish the article?" Heiji asked.
"Hey, it would still air, it's just that I won't be able to see through it," Aya said. "I'll just ask a different reporter to write the script and edit the story. The article's deadline is later tonight, actually. I can still write it. I'm just announcing that this would be the last article I write for Nichiuri!"
"Why are you even saying this? It's not like we care," Heiji said.
"I think one of you might," she said as she straightened out her blazer.
"Just out of curiosity Himekaidou-san, what will you do now?" Saguru asked.
"Be a human rights reporter," she said. "There are so many human rights violations, even to reporters like us. Take Mizunashi Rena, for example. She just sort of disappeared – well, the rumor is she is in a coma but my instincts tell me that she was targeted for some reports she did. It's quite common, journalist killings and even here in Japan – "
"Don't try to find out about it," Conan said in a serious tone.
"What do you mean, Conan-kun?" Aya asked.
"I said, don't try to find out what happened to her," Conan said.
"You should listen to him," Heiji said. "You don't know what you're dealing with…"
"That just makes me more curious, you know that?" Aya said with a wink.
"They're not joking about it," suddenly said Kaito. "Just trust the boy."
He looked at her and she could see from his face that he was far from kidding.
"H-hai," she said. "Maa, to lighten the mood, why don't we have a picture? All of you ! Ran-chan, Sonoko-chan, you join, too!"
Ran snapped out of her reverie.
"Us?" she asked.
"Yeah, go join the others here," Aya called out to them.
Ran and Sonoko stood up and joined the others.
"Hey, I just noticed this now but you and Aoko-chan could be sisters!" Aya said. "Go stand beside each other!"
The others looked at them.
"Now that you mention it, they're alike in some angles," Kazuha said.
"Ran-chan, can you carry Conan-kun and put him on the table?" Aya instructed
"Oh, uhm, sure…" Ran said and she did what she was told.
"Heiji-chan, can you put an arm around Kazuha-chan? And you boy with the messy hair, can you stand closer to Aoko-chan and Saguru-chan?" Aya asked.
The teenagers grumbled but did as they were told.
"Now on the count of three – Giro-chan, is the camera ready? Momo-san, I want you to take a video of us taking the picture – okay, let's count… One, two, three – say cheese!"
"THIS DAY IS SO AWESOME!" Sonoko said.
Next: Pact and Promise