Dun dun dun!
"No way. Not doing it."
"Come on, Hattori. Would I be asking you to do this if it wasn't important? It's not like I'm asking you to work the case with him or anything like that, I just need you to try and worm as much information as you can out of Hakuba. I can't exactly ask him the questions I need to ask without looking suspicious." Shinichi paced back and forth inside of his room in order to help vent his quickly mounting frustration with his Osakan friend, realizing that this phone call he'd managed to sneak while Ran and Kogoro were busy putting groceries away was going to be a waste of time thanks to Heiji's rather deep-seated dislike of the other meitantei.
"So call the guy yourself. I'm just a little busy right now. Murder by palm tree in an Egyptian museum exhibit down here." Shinichi then heard the all-too-familiar sounds of police sirens and policemen's firm but garbled voices that were probably ordering onlookers around faintly in the background of their conversation. "Besides, I'm not dealing with that jerk."
"I didn't mean right now. But Hakuba Saguru knows more than just about anyone regarding Kaitou Kid from what I've heard and read. He probably has a suspect or two in mind who should really be watched for their own safety if-"
"Then say you looked up his number or something and ask him for whatever you want. But I have thirty suspects to start interrogatin' and that ahou Kazuha's cooking waiting for me once I'm done here. Later."
Shinichi leveled an angry glare at his phone after Heiji hung up before shoving it back into his pocket. He then allowed himself a disgusted sigh as he tried to begin formulating a good, unsuspicious reason for Kudo Shinichi to be calling Hakuba Saguru about the missing magicians- and also how best to lead the conversation where he would want it to go. I know that Hattori and Hakuba didn't get along too well during the whole Detective Koshien thing, but why does Hattori have to be so stupidly stubborn? If it really is the same Black Organization I've been dealing with that's kidnapping these magicians with what seems to be the ultimate goal of capturing Kaitou Kid then Kid, whoever he really is, is in a great deal of danger right now. Knowing how many information gathering resources they have at their disposal, I'm sure they have their own theories about who Kid is- or they may actually even know already. But outside of the Organization I'm certain that Hakuba has the best idea of who Kaitou Kid may be under that hat and monocle...
It was then that Shinichi thought back to the guy that Hakuba had said he'd been working with last night- the one that had been holding all those sketches and diagrams of the various magic tricks and stages of the theaters where the magicians had vanished. That was sure strange. I wonder if Hakuba asked him for those drawings...Well, no time to worry about that too much right now. I should be trying to think of a decent-sounding reason for Kudo Shinichi to call him. I have to get him to see the danger that the Organization presents somehow but I also have the feeling Hakuba wouldn't exactly listen to a six year old kid about it. Although I do hope that he won't get too nosy and ask me where I've been for the past seven or so months when I call him. True, he had used the temporary cures that Shiho produced a time or two in some particularly desperate situations to solve cases as his true self, but he had asked the police at the scenes to keep his presence a secret and they seemed to have been fairly thorough in honoring the request.
He rubbed his temples lightly with one hand as he rummaged through the contacts in Edogawa Conan's cell phone until he came across Hakuba Saguru's own cell phone number. He had nearly forgotten that the blonde meitantei had provided him with his cell number after the events of the Koshien as well as Hattori although Shinichi had never had an occasion to use it until now. Alright...how to get through this call. I think I'll open by explaining that Edogawa Conan gave me his number after I asked him if he knew anyone who might be a good source of information regarding Kaitou Kid. Now I just have to hope that he picks up- His thoughts were interrupted as he crossly realized that footsteps were approaching his door, the light soft gait that he immediately recognized as Ran's. This was not a good time for her to pick to walk in...
"Conan, what's wrong? You look so serious." Ran opened the door and entered his room carrying a new suit jacket she'd apparently purchased for him in her hand while wearing a somewhat worried expression.
"Oh! Mitsuhiko called me for help with a really hard history question we had on our homework. I'm worried about whether I got it right for him or not." It wasn't much and it sounded unconvincing to even him, but it was the best that he could pull out of his head on such short notice.
"Don't be silly. I'm sure you helped him get it right Conan," she replied as she ruffled his hair slightly before placing the new jacket in his hands. "Try this on, Dad found it on sale mixed in with the men's rack of sale clothes," Ran added brightly before beginning to exit the room again. "Put it on and come into the kitchen so Dad and I can see how it fits, I'm going to go start dinner and Dad's meeting with a client."
Yes, Mom. Shinichi made a face after Ran closed the door before he slipped off his usual blue jacket and tried on the deep green one Ran had foisted off on him. Well, the sleeves were a tad long but nothing that couldn't be fixed up with a little of Ran's sewing handwork. Just then, he blinked as his cell phone rang- his real cell phone that was still being paid for by his parents. Who the hell would be calling me on that phone besides Ran? Most likely not Hattori, he's in the middle of a murder investigation... He ran over to his door as the first ring finished, carefully locking it before placing a few obstacles in the way of its reopening. He then rushed over to his closet as the second ring began and shut himself in it before flicking on his voice modulating bow tie and selecting the voice that it seemed like a lifetime since he'd last actually possessed. He frowned as he saw that his phone showed the number as 'Unlisted'- so it wasn't anyone he knew after all- before he hit the answer button and answered it in a wary tone. "Hello?"
"Hello there tantei-kun."
Shinichi dropped his cell phone as shock ran through his body after he finished registering the owner of the smooth, even voice on the other end of the phone. That confidence...and that stupid nickname the other speaker had addressed him with...there was only one person- or more specifically one amazingly devious, intelligent and ridiculously slippery master thief- that it could even possibly be. But how in the hell had Kaitou Kid gotten this number? It was unlisted and always had been, even back before he'd been shrunk. Then again, this was Kaitou Kid; it was probably best not to ponder that question too much and just know that it was most likely obtained by some bizarre, illegal means that probably involved a disguise. After taking a deep breath to steady himself and quickly attempting to prepare himself mentally to match wits with the wily thief, Shinichi slowly knelt down and picked up the phone back up. "Sorry about that; dropped the phone." He was grateful that he somehow managed to sound so calm and collected.
"Let me take a guess. You're wondering how I found this number." This was followed by a soft, somewhat gleeful chuckle that quickly raised Shinichi's hackles. "Sorry tantei-kun, but a magician doesn't ever reveal the secrets behind their tricks. Part of the code, you know."
"What do you want?" Shinichi's rapidly mounting irritation was soon surmounted by his inborn meitantei's curiosity. What did Kid want with him? the other boy (Shinichi was fairly certain that Kid really was one, or at least above the age of fourteen but below the age of twenty-five- he was far too limber and his frame still too undeveloped to be much older) had probably had to go through at least some difficulty to acquire his unlisted cell phone number, so there must have been a purpose. Besides, Kid was highly deliberate and methodical; he never did anything without a good reason behind it and Shinichi was sure that he was probably that same way outside of his signature white outfit, even if he wasn't obvious about it.
"Why would I call you, tantei-kun? I know you're smarter than that, you tell me." Shinichi could hear what sounded like paper crinkling in the background on the other end. Most of the time he would have assumed that the caller was reading a newspaper or something along those lines, but with Kaitou Kid Shinichi knew there was an equal chance it was a carefully and deliberately created white noise so Shinichi would have a hard time tracing the call based on what he heard. And Shinichi was also dead certain that an attempt to trace the call, even if he'd had the resources at his disposal at the moment, would go nowhere. "Or do you need a hint to help you out? I'd hope not, it's been all over the place after all."
Shinichi's brows rose in mild surprise as he immediately latched onto what was going on here. Kid must have figured out or heard that they're after him. And he probably doesn't want any more magicians landing in the hospital; he does operate with that nonviolent moral code of his after all. Shinichi didn't think, though, he could go so far as to presume that Kaitou Kid might actually be feeling guilty about the fact that people were getting kidnapped and held against their will simply because they bore a physical resemblance (or dressed in a similar manner to) Kid. Shinichi had strongly suspected that Kaitou Kid was the true target of the magician's kidnappers after the second disappearance, had been nearly certain after the third vanishing and had finally had his suspicions confirmed thanks to that message meant for Kaitou Kid that Hakuba had related yesterday.
"I think that you've figured out the target of those magician kidnappings. You." Shinichi then felt a smirk creep across his face as he came to a realization that very nearly made him laugh aloud except that he didn't want Kid to hang up on him- and he also didn't want a curious Ran knocking on his door and asking what was going on. Suppressing the laughter and managing to sound at least mostly serious he finished with "And you want my help to try and figure out what the kidnappers want with you, right?"
"Gold star, tantei-kun. Very good." A particularly loud paper crackle after the admission was followed by "You see, I may be a thief but I'm a magician as well, as you know. And whoever's doing this is not only harming my fellow magicians, but also scaring most of the rest of them into not performing any more. I really don't like that much, it goes against my philosophies. But at the same time I don't exactly feel like handing myself over to the kidnappers and I also have a rather funny feeling that going to the police for protection wouldn't be the smartest move, you know? My identity could very well be exposed either way. Hence this call."
"But why come to me in particular?" He then realized that Kid had called Kudo Shinichi's cell phone and referred to him- the supposedly absent Kudo Shinichi- as 'tantei-kun.' Ice filled Shinichi's stomach as the horrifying, full implications were realized very quickly. He knows who I really am? Was this a highly subtle method of blackmailing him into assisting? Shinichi then found himself shaking his head; something about that scenario simply didn't fit for some reason that he couldn't quite define yet. Shinichi found that he could barely bring himself to focus on what the thief was saying as he continued to frantically wonder how Kid had figured out who he really was.
"Because I have a healthy respect for an intelligent opponent. You and tantei-san are both very clever. Not smart or resourceful enough to actually catch me, of course, but that's to be expected isn't it?" Another chuckle. "I do hope you're not too busy to help. I don't want to entrust this case to just anyone after all. Choosing some random tantei from the phonebook isn't a route I'd prefer to go."
"I don't really have much of a choice in the matter, do I?" retorted Shinichi in a somewhat angry tone, his feathers ruffled but also not completely surprised that Kaitou Kid seemed to have begun the conversation not only holding all the cards but also seeming to know that in the end, Shinichi wouldn't refuse the request to help. He almost wanted to say no out of sheer spite, but knew (just as Kid also seemed to know, irritatingly enough) that his conscience wouldn't let him hear the end of it if he refused.
"I'm so very glad to hear that. It means that my earlier phone call to tantei-san wasn't wasted," replied Kid smoothly and cheerfully; Shinichi could almost hear the superior smirk working its way across Kid's normally emotionless features as he talked. "You should be expecting a call from him shortly. Goodbye for now, tantei-kun." With that, the thief hung up the phone and left Shinichi staring at his own cell phone with a mixture of fear and puzzlement until it started ringing again. Is this 'tantei-san', whoever that is?
"Hello?"
"Is this Kudo Shinichi?" Shinichi's eyes widened as he recognized the slightly accented Japanese from yesterday at the hospital. It's Hakuba Saguru...so Kid called him? But that doesn't make any sense...and why is Hakuba calling me?
"Yes it is," replied Shinichi in a somewhat puzzled tone. "How can I help you?"
"What do you mean by that? You're the one that called me and left a message with this number asking to arrange a meeting tomorrow about these magician vanishings, Kudo." The blonde meitantei sounded a bit puzzled, not that Shinichi blamed him a bit.
Shinichi rubbed his eyes and let out a quiet, exasperated huff as he realized that Kid had called Hakuba all right-using his voice. That idiot Kid! I can't exactly meet anyone as Kudo Shinichi...well, unless I use one of the cures Haibara developed but I hate to use one unless it's really an emergency... "Oh...right. I'm sorry, Hakuba. I didn't realize who this was at first."
"Well, I do have a two-hour window tomorrow afternoon at about four, luckily enough. If you still wanted to meet that is. I must confess that your message surprised me a great deal."
Shinichi suspected that Kid had even known of that availability before he'd called but he suddenly found himself in possession of a great chance. "I do want to meet." Shinichi's firmness surprised himself, but then he realized that this was an absolute, golden opportunity to try and explain at least some things about the dangerous organization that Shinichi very strongly felt was in the back of everything going on. "I have some information on a group that I strongly suspect may be behind the kidnappings but I don't exactly feel comfortable discussing it over the phone."
"Then I'll see you at four P.M. tomorrow. Do you have the address?"
They hung up after Shinichi wrote it down. He'd have to pop the cure almost immediately after school, quickly get dressed and then try and hail a cab since it was across town in a rather highbrow neighborhood. He hated 'wasting' one of the cures on a meeting like this, but Kid had pretty much forced him into a corner. Of course, I'd be willing to bet that Kid is beginning to feel pretty cornered right now as well. And based on what Shinichi had been able to deduce about the mercurial thief, he was also willing to bet that being cornered was not a situation that Kid liked in the least.
"CONAN!" Ran began knocking firmly on his door, causing Shinichi to jump slightly. "Do you not like the jacket or something? You haven't come out yet and shown how it fits."
"The sleeves are just a little big is all, Ran-neechan. I'm sorry, I got busy playing. I'll come out now." He walked over and unlocked the door before offering Ran a bright child's smile while holding up his arms to showcase the slightly too long sleeves. "See?"
He would have to make arrangements later to slip one of the cures as well as the lone 'adult' outfit he had well-hidden into his backpack.