Secrets and Lies: Chapter 5
Sadly Conan was disappointed. After all the shocks and surprises of the last couple of days Kaito didn't think that he had it left in him startled at any new piece of information. After a tough mental tussle with a his greatest phobia and escaping from a pitch black basement realising that his best rival had worked who he was really didn't faze him. He had a sleepless night the night before and just wanted to go home and sleep.
Kaito merely raised his eyebrows a little and shrugged his shoulders. "How did you find out? I have made Hakuba swear to keep it secret and it was a blood oath so he can't have told you."
Conan smiled. Now it was time to demonstrate his genius, but this one hadn't taken a lot of brainpower to work out. He pointed to a black leather photo album on the seat next to him.
"We've met before. It was when we were younger and there are a few photos of you and your father."
He had been looking through all the old photo albums in his house six months ago on the whim of his mother who wanted to make a scrapbook for some reason. He had stumbled on a photo of him, his father, a magician called Toichi Kuroba and his son called Kaito Kuroba. Conan had spotted the resemblance between the boy and Kaito Kid and had phoned his mother to ask about Toichi Kuroba. He had been surprised to find that he had been the magician that had taught his mother and Sharon Vineyard the art of disguise. He also had done some research and found out that he had died in a tragic accident that had never really been explained.
He had all the pieces if front of him and he begun to see how they added up. The famous magician Toichi Kuroba had the night job of being Kaito Kid. Then he had died. Eight years later when his son was the same age as him a new Kaito Kid appeared. This one was his son Kaito Kuroba. It all made sense.
Conan had stashed the photo album at Professor Agasa's house in case his house was searched by the Black Organisation again. It had been just before Okiya Subaru which had been a good move as it would have been almost impossible to retrieve again. He had been planning to confirm his suspicions at the next Kid heist that he went to, but there had never seemed to be a good opportunity to ask him.
"I don't remember, but you are right. My name is Kaito Kuroba," he admitted knowing he couldn't off denying it. "My father was Toichi Kuroba who was the first Kaito Kid. I only found out last year that his death definitely wasn't an accident and he was called by a member of the Black Organisation called Gin."
Now it was Conan's turn to try to his reaction. His heartbeat sped up and his pupils dilated. Kaito observed that his hands were in fist. Across the room Haibara flinched and accidently fell off her computer chair before looking sharply over at them. Conan shot her a look and she went back to typing on the computer. Both of them had involuntary reactions whenever certain members of the Black Organisation. Gin was Conan's most hated member and for Ai it was a tie between him and Vermouth.
"I know Gin... He's the one that fed me APTX 4869 and left me to die on the ground," he replied bitterly. "If you want to hunt him down and kill him I'm very willing to help you with the killing part and I think Haibara will too."
Kaito nodded and changed the subject. "How do you know that I have Ichthyophobia?"
"I asked my mother Yukiko Kudo about you. She told me about a time when your family came over for dinner. Apparently she cooked fish and you ran off screaming. Your father taught my mother the art of disguise for a film that she was in."
"Did you search me? Also what made you want to lock me up in that dark basement?"
"I searched you to make sure you didn't have any lethal weapons and Hakuba here advised me to take your watch. Locking you in the basement was partly revenge for all the times that you have humiliated me at heists and to pay you back for disguising as Ran when you stole the Black Star. I also needed you out the way for a few hours while I planned how to involve you and Hakuba," Conan explained moving his rook and putting Hakuba into check.
Hakuba made a face and bent down closer to the chess board to try to work out how to get out of check. "I knew that Kudo-kun didn't want to harm you in any way, the fact that he only knocked you out attested that. He could have hung you upside down and dangled a fish in your face if he really wanted to harm you. After you were sedated I decided that it would be a good idea to intervene before you did something that you might regret before you woke up."
"Thanks Hakuba," Kaito replied sarcastically. "I didn't particularly appreciate the fish comment. How long were you planning to keep me in the basement?"
"I knew that Hakuba and Nakamori-san would be around somewhere and wanted to lure them out. I thought that Nakamori-san would react if I did something to you and Hakuba would be forced to reveal himself which is exactly what happened. I wasn't going to keep you in there for very long."
"Talking of Aoko, where is she?"
"She kindly made dinner for use and said that she was going to wash the dishes and then she would come and give you some chocolate ice cream. By the way she wanted to rescue you immediately, but I stopped her from charging in," Hakuba informed him whilst moving his king out of check.
"I'll just go and see her. Mmm, chocolate ice cream."
It reminded Kaito of the night that he had confessed her; that was a happy memory that he intended to treasure forever. At the moment he couldn't think of any recent happy memories. He had been shot, had his girlfriend kidnapped and been knocked out and it didn't look like things were going to get any better for him.
Aoko was nowhere to be found in the kitchen when he sauntered in. The dishes had been done and were on the draining board. A white apron was thrown down on a work surface and a pair of slippers stood tidily by the back door which was wide open. Kaito panicked at her disappearance coming to the conclusion that she had been kidnapped again. Then he after poking around the kitchen he discovered that the bin was empty and didn't have a bag in it. He deduced that Aoko had gone outside to put the rubbish out to help Professor Agasa. Kaito sighed. Sometimes Aoko was too helpful and kind to other and didn't think about the consequences. She must have assumed that it was safe enough for her to walk out to the gate by herself in the middle of the night. Kaito knew he was going to have to have a word with her when he found her.
He stuck his head out the kitchen door. "Aoko seems to have gone to put the rubbish bag out without asking. I'm going to find her. If I don't come back within five minutes something bad has happened. Bye."
Kaito turned and ran out the back door in his socks before Conan and Hakuba could reply.
Conan and Hakuba exchanged looks. The Black Organisation could have tracked them to the house and could be watching. And Aoko had gone outside by herself and could be walking into a trap.
"I think we should go after him. Just in case."
They hurriedly grabbed their shoes and sprinted out the back door after him. Neither of them saw anything out the ordinary until they were outside the front. Kaito was kneeling by what looked like a small bundle of clothes. A feeling of dread settled in Conan's stomach. He knew what it was before they stepped closer. After getting closer Hakuba saw that it was a child lying on the road, motionless and with their eyes closed. A young child with unruly black hair that was wearing oversized clothes with a piece of paper lying on top. They were the same clothes that Aoko Nakamori had been wearing that day.
"Is it...?" Conan asked softly, but he knew what it was. He had been the first victim of it.
Kaito nodded sadly. He didn't know what to say after looking down at a seven year old Aoko. She was unconscious, but alive. He had thought he was capable of protecting Aoko and could keep her out the clutches of the Black Organisation despite having failed once. Now he had failed in his duties.
A solitary tear ran silently down his cheek and dripped onto Aoko's child sized hand. A sight that would be permanently imprinted on his memory. He picked up the piece of paper, read it and screwed it up in his hand. He felt a hand grip his shoulder. He looked up and saw that it was Hakuba. He pulled Kaito up with an expressionless face and moved his gently aside and took his place by Aoko. Hakuba delicately picked up Aoko's wrist as if he was afraid that it would break and checked her pulse. Finding that there was a steady beat with no abnormalities he picked her up bridal style. He avoided looking at Kaito and addressed Conan instead.
"I think that we should continue this inside."
"She'll be okay. She's unconscious because she had been chloroformed and needs to sleep it off. The dose doesn't seem to have been that big," Haibara observed after examining Aoko on her bed in her bedroom that was completely plain and devoid of anything personal. "She has been fed APTX 4869 and seems to have shared mine and Kudo-kun's reactions to it. That point is interesting and will aid my research."
She saw that a depressed Kaito was sitting on her floor with his head in his hands.
"Lighten up Kid. At least she is alive. Although she might be better off dead if she is wanted the by the Organisation."
"Shut up," Kaito snapped in return glaring at her.
He unclenched his fists for the first time since he had found Aoko. He threw the screwed up note at Conan who had been wondering when it was a good time to ask about it. "Explain. Now."
Conan flattened the note out onto the floor so everyone could read it and gasped as well as swearing.
I heard you were hiding some fugitives. I thought I would do you a favour and make it easier for one of them to hide. That's the least I can do.
X
P.S. Be careful. Everyone is out for them.
"It's Vermouth," Conan stated simply knowing he was going to have to explain their awkward relationship.
Haibara flinched and sat down on the floor next to Kaito, shaking at the thought of Vermouth being nearby although she had detected nothing.
"How did this Vermouth person know we were here and are they helping or hindering us?" Hakuba enquired, puzzled at how Aoko had been dealt with so easily and quickly. If one member could track them down despite their disguises it said a lot about their skills.
"Vermouth is one of the most skilful members of the Black Organisation and a favourite of the boss. She is the best I've seen with disguises and she knows that I'm Shinchi Kudo. Luckily for me she seems to have a soft spot for me and she sometimes covers up for me. I don't really know why," he admitted ruefully wondering, not for the first time why Vermouth was always so willing to help him. He may have saved her life, but she had repaid him for that a while ago.
"She must know something about that poison that we don't if she was so sure that it would shrink Aoko rather than killing her. Sherry? Any ideas?"
Haibara looked up from her sulk on the floor and thought about it. "it's most likely something to do with the age of the person that you are administering it. Nakamori-san, Kudo-kun and I were all teenagers of a similar age so youth could be the factor."
"Would that help you make the antidote any faster?"
"Maybe."
Kaito held one of Aoko's small hands while she slept marvelling at how soft it was. He looked at what she was wearing and realised how exposed she was as she had been wearing a low cut shirt that say.
"Sherry, do you have any spare clothes that Aoko could wear?"
"In my wardrobe," Haibara replied standing up and rummaging through her chest of drawers and wardrobe.
Conan stood up too and glanced at his watch. "I think that it would be best if we got some sleep. Nakamori-san can share with Haibara and I'll get everyone else some futons so we can sleep downstairs. It's been a long day."
Sorry of some people don't understand my choice of words for some things. I use British words for things like rubbish etc.