Saturday night. The street was packed with spectators and police cars, the sounds of excited cheering and wailing sirens echoing through the city. At either side of the street a blockade was set to prevent cars from getting stuck in the ocean of people come to watch the event. 'Do not enter' tape had to be wound around street lamps to keep the crowd back. Conan paced impatiently, checking his watch every few minutes. Only twelve minutes to go. He looked up, closely eyeing the sparkling diamond that sat in the glass case above his head. In the dim light he could scarcely see the thin laser beams crisscrossing all around it like a web. But tonight, the priceless jewel's safety wasn't his main concern.
Shinichi and the inspector climbed the steep stairs to the museum, serious expressions on both their faces. Conan was still pacing back and forth in front of the display case, his red shoes scuffing against the floor.
"Remember the target." said Shinichi, stopping in front of the boy, his small face peering up, anxiousness visible behind the big glasses. Only twenty officers had been selected to guard the gem, all easily recognizable in case the killers tried to pose as one.
"Eight minutes." said Conan, checking his watch again. "Let's get ready." The younger detectives silently marched to the hiding places they had decided upon earlier, each concealing themselves in the shadow of a pair of identical statues of angels holding a flaming spear, facing each other from opposite sides of the room. Ironic, thought Conan. The inspector took one last glimpse around and took his leave to join his men outside at the foot of the steps. This main entrance room of the museum had been purposely emptied of most of the true artifacts usually displayed and replaced with copies, so that nothing would be harmed in case worst came to worst. But despite that fact, there was plenty of room to maneuver, and even more places to hide, but they chose to use the angels so that Conan would have a clear shot with his watch if a possible assassin did appear. And if Conan missed, Shinichi had plenty of room to jump out and possibly take him down. The only big flaws they could find were if they were too slow to react or if no one showed up at all. Crouching down, Shinichi gulped, nervously fingering the gun tucked inside the pocket of his jacket, praying that he wouldn't have to use it. From inside the large, gold domed room, they could hear the muffled drone of helicopters hovering around the museum like buzzards as the clock continued to count down.
The large clock just across the street from the complex chimed loudly as the hands struck 11:30. A great hush fell over the crowds and tension hung thick in the air. The seconds crept by impossibly slow. Waiting inside, Shinichi nearly held his breath. This was a risky plan to begin with, dealing with any armed criminal was, but for these guys to keep slipping away from right under the polices' noses… He had to take extra precaution. Sparing a fleeting glance at Conan who caught his gaze, he nodded.
As the sound of the bell echoed through the now silent street, Kid looked out from the secret panel that he had prepared in the back of a replica statue of Artemis that sat by the entrance of the museum, a temporary replacement for the original. Sure if was made mostly of Styrofoam and wood, but he wouldn't help but marvel at his work. The police wouldn't be able to tell the difference, even if they had gotten the urge to closely inspect a harmless statue. He began to wish he could consider this a real heist; if the police force was always this organized and alert, it would prove more of a challenge for him. Peering around, he could see the inspector standing in front of a guard of twenty officers on the sidewalk, fidgeting with something in his pocket but always keeping his gaze on the doors. Presently Nakamori held up a radio, presumably confirming the positions of the helicopters. Kid took a deep breath, a familiar thrill running though him. But there was something else there this time, too.
He was leaving himself in the hands of people that had been desperately trying to capture him. He shook his head, and taking one last sigh, chucked a couple of flash bombs a few feet in front of him, slipping in the blinding light.
There was a sudden bright flash in front of the doors and all bystanders shielded their eyes. As the brightness began to recede, the next thing they saw was the white-suited, top hat wearing enigma known as Kaitou Kid standing confidently before them. With a smirk, he bowed to roaring applause and quickly slipped inside. Inspector Nakamori made a quick summoning motion with his hand, and ten of the officers sprinted up the stairs, posting themselves just outside the tinted glass doors.
Inside, Kid took a moment for his eyes to adjust from the bright lights of the helicopters and police cars to the dim interior of the room. It was almost pitch black, the only light sources being a few scattered security lights mounted just above the door and a couple farther down a hallway that branched off to his right. He spared one more second to search out the two detectives. He only caught sight of Shinichi, crouching behind a statue, when he heard the soft rustle of clothing to his left. There was no sign of his counterpart, Conan, but doubtless he was there, too. Taking a few cautious strides forward, he came to the glass case set on a pedestal in the center of the room. Within the glass, the Hope's Diamond glittered enticingly, the small amount of light reflecting off it's hundreds of facets, making it the brightest thing in the room. It looked flawless, perfect in every way. Pulling a small knife-like took from nowhere, Kid found a gap in the security lasers around it and cut a small hole in the glass. This was too simple for his to enjoy himself. Truthfully, he was rather ashamed of these simple tactics, but it was necessary. If he was in and out too fast, the assassin wouldn't have a chance to reveal themselves.
Shinichi watched from the shadows, also keeping a wary eye out for any unwelcome intruders. The gun in his pocket had grown forebodingly heavy as his apprehension grew, and he was afraid if he did have to move quickly, it would hold him down. But as much as he was trying to keep his full attention on possible trespassers, he found himself absolutely taken by the thief and his complexity. It seemed he was always saving a smile for his fans, but Shinichi had seen a different side to him the night he asked for help. Shinichi himself had a hard enough time when he was just Conan keeping his secrets. It was hard for him to imagine leading such a double life as the thief. Somewhere behind that monocle was just another boy. Normal life by day, world famous kaitou by night. But his train of thought was broken when he saw the diamond jump from its resting place in the case into the kaitou's white gloved hand. He really was amazing. The detective froze in place as Kid looked straight at him, a concerned expression on his face. Then, with a sudden smile, Kid disappeared in a flurry of white cape. Gritting his teeth angrily, Shinichi jumped out without thinking.
"Damn it!" he shouted, loudly, staring at the empty case. "He was right there and I let him get away!"
Also looking quite troubled, Conan stepped into the light.
"He got us all." the boy said gravely, pushing up his glasses. "But we can't blame ourselves. That was quite an act he put on. We have to confront the inspector Nakamori and inform him."
Taking a deep breath to collect himself, Shinichi nodded and led the way out the door.
Upon their emergence, there was deafening cheering from the crowds. They knew Kid had once again evaded the law. The inspectors brow furrowed as Shinichi and Conan descended the stairs empty-handed.
"Well, that happened in there?" he asked, already having an idea.
"He tricked us all. There was no one else except the three of us in there." reported Shinichi.
"How do you know that whoever it was just didn't show?" the inspector asked, refusing to believe he had been so easily fooled. Shinichi shook his head.
"He was smiling." he replied. A fleeting memory of the concern in the kaitou's face flashed through his memory, but he was now sure it was imagined. The inspectors frown deepened. Conan stood silently next to Shinichi, lost in thought when he offhandedly took notice of a large news camera that had been rolled up to the very edge of the tape just behind the inspector. A lady with dark hair pulled back into a bun and wearing a small pair of rectangular glasses on the tip of her nose raised a microphone to her mouth.
"Hello," she began over the slowly dying noise of people departing from the commotion. "I stand here at the scene of yet another Kid theft. Once again, this crafty kaitou has managed to dazzle and outwit the police force. But now, a new factor has come into play. Did he have help on the inside?" This caught Conan's full attention and he tugged on Shinichi's sleeve. When he got the older boy's attention, he placed a finger on his lips, he pointed to the reporter. "Some witnesses believe that famous high school detective, Kudo Shinichi, had a hand in this crime. More in formation on this subject when we return."
The red light on the camera blinked off and the cameraman flashed the 'OK' sign. The pasted-on smile fading from her face, the woman pulled out a small compact mirror, checking her makeup. Shinichi was in disbelief.
"Excuse me, but you shouldn't be spreading false information to the public without evidence." said Shinichi bitterly as he stormed up to the reporter. When she snapped the mirror shut to see who was addressing her, her lips spread into a thin smile.
"Ah, Mr. Kudo himself. How would you like to get an interview, hm?"
"Look lady, I don't know who you are, but a news reporter's job is to inform people of facts, not lies. There is no evidence that I helped him and it's absolutely ridiculous to even think such a thing!"
"Then tell me, where's the evidence you didn't help him? The cameras from that room in the museum were removed. It would have been the perfect opportunity. So tell me, how much are you getting out of this scam?"
Enraged, Shinichi forced himself to bite his tongue. Biting off some ignorant reporter's head wasn't going to help his situation any. With some urging from Conan he spun on his heels and stormed away from the scene, Conan following at his heels.
When he arrived back at his house, Shinichi slammed the door shut and threw himself in a chair, grabbing up the remote and flipped on the TV, checking all the news channels. To his dismay, the rumor had spread like wildfire after a drought. Stations everywhere were throwing out accusations of Kid and Shinichi being in league.
"That's just ridiculous." scoffed Conan, turning the screen off irritably. "You and anyone else with any sense at all knows it's not true."
Shinichi frowned but said nothing. He rose to his feet and ascended the stairs without a word. Sighing, Conan went into the kitchen to get a very late dinner.
Standing just inside the window of the familiar bedroom, Kid could hear the slamming of the door and muted voices from the TV. A wave of guilt washed over him. He hadn't wanted anything like this to happen, not to the people who had tried to help him. Especially Shinichi. Briefly he could hear the voice of the inspector defending Shinichi before he was cut off. Leaning back against the window sill, Kid admired the diamond in his hand, about the size of a tennis ball, perfectly crafted. The sound of footsteps and the door creaking open drew his attention. A weary-looking Shinichi walked in, his head hung, but looked up in alarm as he noticed the presence of the kaitou. Kid forced a smile.
"What are you doing here?" Shinichi demanded angrily, clenching his fists as the night's news played mockingly through is head. To his slight relief, the kaitou's look of glee quickly melted away.
"I didn't mean for this to happen." he said solemnly, "And no matter what you think, I wasn't trying to fool either you or the inspector."
Shinichi laughed humorlessly.
"You must think that because I fell for your act once that I'm completely gullible. I can't believe you.
Kid's face darkened. Outside the window, a small sliver of the moon was barely visible in an overcast sky. Kid tossed the gem to Shinichi who instinctively reached out and caught it, and quickly wrapped it in his shirt so as not to damage it.
"You don't have to care." said Kid darkly, "I asked you for a favor and you accepted. But it all went wrong, and that I deeply regret. But regardless of whether or not you'll help me one more time, there's still going to be someone after me."
Shinichi looked hard into the deep blue eyes of the thief, so much like his own. His brown hair fell over his face, casting a dark shadow on his youthful features. He could sense a sadness there. Feeling slightly more relaxed, somehow talking with the thief seemed to have that effect on him, he sighed deeply and closed his eyes.
"Alright, what do you propose this time?"
>>>to be continued…
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See? I keep my promises, so this chapter I tried to make longer.
Yup yup!
So many ideas, so little time to write XP