Part Thirteen
Kaito still had a few things that he felt he needed to do to properly pay back tantei-kun for the enormous debt he owed. After all, Kudo had voluntarily given away part of his secret to Kazuha, something Kaito himself wasn't so sure he'd be willing to give up if the situations were reversed, just to help him stay safe. Really, Kaito owed the shrunken sleuth a lot for that, but the things he was doing to pay back were all small scale. Hopefully the sum would make up for it.
With Kazuha properly confused on if Kudo Shinichi or Kaitou Kid had been staying at her house, the glasses repaired (enhanced), and an open invitation to the second heist to catch the villain-of-the-day, it all made for a good start for the repayment. But there were still a few things to do that could make them square as far as he was concerned.
The first, and most difficult, thing to do had Kaito sitting in a dark room, dressed as Kudo, and working what sort of words he'd use. This was going to be delicate. Hakuba needed to know to keep his mouth shut about Kudo still being alive. Granted, the great embarrassment of the incident would be enough to stop Hakuba from actively mentioning it, but who knew how it could slip out in casual conversation? And even a casual slip up might alert the wrong people and Kudo had done too much for people to get killed and have the people around him killed. No, Kaito wasn't going to let that happen. Even if Kudo hadn't already done so much for him.
Kaito did have to admit, though, the idea of completely and utterly teasing Hakuba as Kudo had a lot of nice, shiny aspects. But Kudo wasn't the type to tease someone he didn't know. Instead, the detective would be nothing but unfailingly polite, almost to the point of putting the skinny, freckled kid to shame. Kudo only loosened up with time and shared experiences. It was a shame too, because from what Kaito observed, Kudo could have a wicked, if dry, sense of humor with those he considered friends.
That thought actually made Kaito pause as he remembered back at the train station before the heist, when Kudo had apparently been teasing him.
... That indicated Kudo might think of Kaito as a friend.
Gah! Even when the squirt isn't here he's still throwing me off my rocker!
All through Kaito's time under the roof of so many detectives, he'd thought that Kudo had done it to get answers. A gesture of respect and apology that he'd unfairly discovered who Kaito was outside of a heist. But as a hand reaching out in friendship? Kaito couldn't afford friends with his night job. Hell, Kudo couldn't afford friends with his situation... But Kudo still had them. Friends who knew his secret and still stuck by him. Kudo's girlfriend, the one person who would mostly likely go ballistic at Discovering All, was still by his side and doing anything she could to help. Even Kazuha, despite the rough introduction she had into at least part of Kudo's secret, had stood by him and done what she could.
It made Kaito wonder if maybe, just maybe, sharing his secret with tantei-kun, tantei-han, and tantei-chan wasn't crazy. Maybe it was the right thing to do. Because now he might actually... have friends who knew. Friends he could really talk to about how crazy things went for him. And damn if he didn't want Aoko in that cluster as well, despite the risks. Because she deserved it more, she'd known him longer, and in a way it felt like a betrayal that he'd let tantei-kun's crew know all about his secrets before he'd told Aoko.
Kaito shook his head. Damn Kudo and all the chaos he shed in his wake. Kaito couldn't think about this right now. Later, after he'd time to absorb and deal with everything that had occurred during this horrendous Golden Week. Later, after he'd spent some time with Lady Luck and Tsukiyomi to ensure that his goddesses were still with him and looking out for him.
Deep breath. Think Kudo. Be Kudo.
And just in time, because a key slid into the lock for the hotel room.
The lights came on and Kudo heard Hakuba gasp.
Kudo stood, catching his reflection in the windows of the room. Slate grey slacks, white button down shirt, blue blazer, hair flat except for the cowlick in back. Everything in place. Kudo turned and gave a slight bow to Hakuba.
"Hakuba-san, please pardon my intrusion."
Hakuba looked at him, eyes narrowing. "Kudo-san," was about all he could manage. Kudo knew it was because he had been surprised. Nobody ever expected to return to someplace safe and see it invaded by someone you barely knew.
Kudo came up from the bow. "I apologize for the unorthodox nature of this meeting. But as I am certain you have already come to a few conclusions about me, I thought it prudent to talk with you privately."
Hakuba hesitated, still off-balance at the intrusion and refusing to show it. Kudo was fine with standing in the silence. He would be as patient as it took. Another moment and Hakuba finally took a confident step forward. "Please, have a seat, Kudo-san. Would you like some tea? Coffee?"
"No, thank you, Hakuba-san." Kudo sat back down as Hakuba sat across from him. The British detective put down a folder on the coffee table between them and Kudo noticed that it seemed to be a file on him. Buried under the Kudo persona he was acting as, Kaito shuddered. This was going to take more work than he thought.
They sat, looking at each other. Kudo knew what he was here to do. Damage control. But Hakuba was caught unawares and still trying to figure everything out. Kudo gave him the time. Hakuba wasn't his enemy, and it seemed the courteous thing to do.
It didn't take long before Hakuba's eyes sharpened. "You are here to ensure I tell no one that I've seen you."
"Correct, Hakuba-san." Kudo bowed his head. "I realize that it is an unusual request and undoubtedly sparks your natural curiosity," he gestured to the folder. "I assure you, that while I have had to learn skills that I despise," a wave to the door he'd picked in order to come in, "and that will likely spark even more of your curiosity, there is precious little that I can say. You know why I came. Will you please forget to ever mention that you and I have met?"
Hakuba glared at him, eyes narrowed. "Given our previous encounter," he replied guardedly, "and the fact that you have managed to break into my hotel room, might I ask for proof that you aren't Kaitou Kid messing with me?"
Kudo heaved a tired sigh, leaning forward to rest his head on his hand. "Hakuba-san, I do not know what to tell you. By this point, you have most likely uncovered that I have been missing for some time. Or perhaps, 'missing' is an inappropriate word. Let us use unreachable or reclusive. The fact that I happened to be in Osaka during a Kaitou Kid heist, and considering that I look a great deal like the person you suspect-" Hakuba took a sharp breath.
"Really, Hakuba-san," Kudo gave a light chuckle. "Ran is friends with Aoko-san. This Kuroba Kaito of yours seems to bear an uncanny resemblance to me, as my distant cousin Conan-kun does. I have confidence in my abilities, and if I were to offer a deduction on why you decided to pull my cheek when we met, it was because I likely sound like Kaitou Kid and the confidence he has in his own abilities. To then see me, someone who apparently looks almost precisely like the one you suspect of being the international thief, was something far too convenient to pass up."
Given the blush Hakuba was fighting, Kudo hit the nail on the head. Deep inside, Kaito squirmed in glee. Take that, mighty detectives! Psychology trumps deduction!
"A very logical deduction, Hakuba-san, if perhaps a touch too focused." Kudo would not insult a colleague outright, especially one who did have a good reputation in his deductions and one he'd just met. But a little poke in Hakuba's behavior needed to be addressed for this to work.
Hakuba gave very slight nod. "When all other possibilities have been eliminated-"
"-what remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth." Kudo nodded.
"I didn't look at other possibilities," Hakuba mumbled, looking away. A moment to let the embarrassment pass, and the half-British detective looked him in the eyes. "However, there are several unanswered questions about you, Kudo-san."
Kudo raised an eyebrow, ever the curious detective.
"Such as why you were so close to the Toyama residence in the first place? Why you were out in the rain so long that you ended up ill? Where you've been since you faded from the public spotlight?"
"And with answers to those, you can banish any remaining doubts that I might be the illustrious Kaitou Kid," Kudo offered, just a hint of sarcasm towards the thief that he really was.
"Rather," Hakuba replied, with the same dry tone.
Kudo sat back, crossing his arms and thinking. Inside, Kaito was scrambling. Hakuba wouldn't take a cop-out answer like "I'm not at liberty to discuss it," or "It's personal and none of your business," or anything like that. But the real Kudo had trusted him with the secret. If Kaito was really going to end up being friends with the truncated detective, he wouldn't betray him. Besides, Kudo was in too fine a mess to have Hakuba sniffing around. That might endanger Hakuba as well.
"It will suffice to say," Kudo replied, "that what I have been up to is none of your business."
Hakuba's brows dropped.
"However, if I did not supply you with any information, you would undoubtedly start poking around my life regardless." Hakuba at least had the decency to look a smidge embarrassed. "So."
Kaito continued to think as fast as he could for a decent answer that would satisfy Hakuba while not giving things away that would make the stubborn blond detective still poke around. Options were few. Even the half-baked idea of some sort of incident with an over-obsessive fan wouldn't explain how tantei-kun had completely dropped of the map and Hakuba wouldn't buy it. As long as Hakuba didn't get some sort of full disclosure, he'd probably still keep poking around. Come on! Something, something, something! On a case? To broad for Hakuba, and Hakuba would want to help no matter what details Kudo provided. Vacation? Visiting family in America? No, wouldn't explain how he stopped answering letters or why he was in Osaka at this time. Kidnapped? Too fantastic a tale...
Hakuba gave a quiet chuckle as he sat back, his shoulders dropping from some sort of eased tension. Kudo blinked.
"Hakuba-san?"
"Don't worry about it, Kudo-san. Your business is your business. I won't say anything and I won't poke my nose where you don't want it."
Kudo gave a polite smile and raised an eyebrow... How the hell had he managed that?
Hakuba stood with the ease of someone more relaxed than when he'd entered. "If you really were Kaitou Kid, then you would have three or four probable excuses lined up, all of them just plausible enough to be believable but strange enough that I would wish to investigate further." Hakuba picked up the file and handed it to Kudo. "I really do apologize for my outlandish behavior the other day."
Kudo took the folder and nodded, standing. Deep inside, Kaito was dancing for joy. He wasn't sure how he managed it, but if it kept Hakuba off Kudo's back, that was fine with him. He needed to send up some more thanks to Lady Luck.
"So, Kudo-san, did you see the news this evening?"
Grinning, Kudo shrugged. "I think I may have seen it. Given that the news segment you're referring to was on every channel, news or otherwise."
Kaito knew damn well what Hakuba was referring to. After all, he'd taken over the airwaves of all the Osakan channels to broadcast his challenge.
"Attention mean-nasty-bad-person! You missed! While you prevented me from properly making off with the Birth of Spring, at 11:05pm on the evening of May sixth, I will have the Birth of Spring. You're welcome to try again and fail again. Oh, and tantei-han? With any luck you won't have such nasty distractions this time. Really, what is the world coming to? Such violence, tut, tut."
"Will you be there, Kudo-san?"
To that, the Detective of the East sadly shook his head. "Unfortunately not. I am meeting up with my parents at the airport tonight and heading out of the country." A casual shrug of the shoulders. "My father is avoiding his editors again and dragging me along this time."
Hakuba nodded. "I've heard of his reclusiveness."
"I suppose that I am unfortunately inheriting the condition. Goodbye, Hakuba-san."
They both bowed politely and Hakuba was even courteous enough to hold open the door for Kudo, all the better to not leave fingerprints or DNA as far as Kaito was concerned.
In the elevator, Kaito shed the blazer and opened up his button down shirt to an Engrish t-shirt and ruffled his hair to a more Kuroba-like appearance. A bright grin and a pair of glasses and nobody would ever have thought that he was Kudo Shinichi or Kuroba Kaito. In his pocket, Kaito turned off the recorder and popped out the tape. Jii would make sure that tantei-kun got it so that the little squirt wouldn't have to worry.
Kaito rubbed at his side, which was still aching with the bruised rib. He was definitely heading off to bed. After all, the following evening would be the heist.
It was early morning and Ran sat up in her bed, Shinichi in her lap, both of them going over the note that had been left by Kuroba. Somehow the thief had known that Kazuha and Hattori would respect the privacy and not open the note, which was a good thing, giving how incriminating the note really was. It was an apology for everything she and Shinichi had sacrificed in their decision to aide and abet an international thief. That he would give back what he could and he appreciated that they were willing to risk so much for him.
Ran put the note down again as Shinichi continued to fiddle with his glasses.
"Are they still too heavy?" she asked.
"No," he replied. "They're back to normal. I'm just... falling onto old habits, I guess."
"Oh?"
Shinichi shrugged, leaning back to her. "Paranoia. Did he put in a listening device like he did at my house when you were hospitalized, etc. He won't do anything to harm us, but..."
Ran hugged him closer. "Old habits die hard, right?" Shinichi nodded. "Have you tested all the functions?"
"All but the connection with your necklace. All are working normally. I haven't tested range or anything, but with the heist tonight, I don't have the time."
"I think we might want to make time," Ran replied, resting her chin on Shinichi's head. "While I'm certain Kuroba-kun knew what he was doing, I'd rather we didn't find out any problems in the middle of tonight's plans."
"Indeed," Shinichi agreed. They sat together for a moment, as the sun started to ever so slowly peek over the horizon. "Ran?"
"Hm?"
"Are you okay with this?"
"With what, Shinichi?"
Shinichi squirmed a little in her lap, clearly uncomfortable with the subject he was trying to broach. "With Kuroba? Who he is? That I didn't tell you?"
She smiled, though he couldn't see it, and kissed the top of his head. She relished these quiet moments in the middle of the night or early morning, cherishing every moment she could spend with Shinichi as Shinichi, not the Conan mask he wore, though Conan was so adorable she knew she'd miss him some day. But that was a thought for another day. That thought of losing Conan or never having Shinichi as Shinichi again was something that was permeating her worst nightmares. Golden Week had been too chaotic to fumble through the complex knot of feelings that Shinichi's predicament left. She was still working through it, and it would take time. But not now.
Back to Shinichi's question.
"I will admit, I'm rather surprised that Kuroba-kun is who he is," she replied. "But now it makes sense why you want me to talk to Aoko-chan about secrets." Ran settled her cheek against Shinichi's soft hair. "She's going to have to find out one day, if those two are going to have a chance."
The not-child in her arms nodded. "Much like I knew that one day I would have to tell you about me. But if Kuroba is anything like me, putting it off is infinitely preferable to facing it. Especially when you're dead certain that you know how they're going to react."
Ran gave a soft chuckle. "You'd probably have been right about my reactions, but my discovery had a lot of mitigating circumstances."
Shinichi snorted. "Mitigating circumstances I'd rather you didn't go through. I never want you in danger."
She swatted at him. "While I don't like how everything occurred, I'm glad it happened. Now I'm able to help you, even if it is pitiful how little I can do."
He looked up, twisting around to look straight to her eyes. "Ran. You really have no idea how much just being able to be me is helpful."
She hugged him closer again. "In answer to your question, I don't know how I feel yet about Kuroba-kun and what he does. It still needs to sink in. I've seen how he looks at Aoko-chan and now I fully understand what it is that I'm preparing her for. It's a little... Overwhelming."
He nodded.
"The similarities between their situation and ours are rather... sharp."
"And painful?" he asked.
"Sort of. It's like I have an outsider's perspective on our situation, but that's not quite right. I feel for Aoko-chan. And after listening to Kuroba-kun, I feel for him as well. Neither of them can have anything as things stand, but Kuroba-kun certainly wants to grasp it someday. I think Aoko-chan is starting to notice things, but she's not aware of it yet."
Shinichi snorted. "I'll leave the interpersonal stuff to you. I'm not qualified."
Ran laughed.
"But you realize that by us keeping quiet, we're breaking the law? That there might be a time where we become accomplices in his night job?"
That sobered her. Shinichi really was looking at the big picture and anticipating future possibilities. Ran was the first to admit, helping Shinichi hide as Edogawa Conan was probably breaking the law, at least in terms of fake identities and such. Keeping quiet about Kuroba being Kaitou Kid was unlikely to harm them, because really, who would believe that they knew? But it was still breaking the law. And if Shinichi was right, there really might be a time where their friendship dragged them into a heist not as pursuers, but as help.
That was a little bit more than she was really ready to deal with at the moment. Shinichi had had time to become accustomed and to think ahead. It was like Ran was back to being in the hospital, waking up to remember that Shinichi and Conan were one in the same. It was so much to deal with at once.
"I... I need some time to think about that," she mumbled. Time to consider where her morals and ethics would lay because being the friend of Kaitou Kid was undoubtedly going to be highly complicated. Kaitou Kid was, after all, anything but straightforward.
"Sorry," he mumbled. "I'm rushing things."
"No, it needs to be said," she replied. "Better to be aware of what we're getting into than to stumble in blind."
"'We'," he repeated. "I really like hearing that. 'We'."
Ran chuckled again. "So, are there any other secrets-that-aren't-yours-to-tell that I should know about?"
This time Shinichi gave a dry chuckle. "Not that I'm aware of. You now know about Haibara and Kuroba. Unless Mitsuhiko or Ayumi or Genta are hiding some sort of double life, I think that should settle about everything."
"Good." Ran hesitated a moment. "I understand why you wouldn't tell me about either of them, but the reminders of secrets still... stings."
"I understand."
No doubt he did. She had seen how keeping the secrets hurt him just as much as her. She hugged him close again. The hug wasn't just to reassure him, she knew. She had been clinging to him since Kuroba, dressed as Shinichi, had appeared with a bullet hole in his side. The image was sharp and clear and horrible. So Ran kept holding the real Shinichi close, in her own reassurance that Shinichi was alive, whole, and well.
"So," he said with a small yawn. "Today we should test ranges and make sure everything is in working order and get ready for tonight's heist."
"Yes," she agreed. "Now off to bed with you."
Shinichi gave a sleepy nod and pulled out of her embrace with some reluctance before heading back to the room he shared with Kogoro. Really, Ran wondered how they were always able to hide Kuroba from her father. (Of course, that her father had usually been out during the days bugging Inspector Nakamori about the heist probably had something to do with it...)
Ran was surprised when, once she was buried under the covers again, her cell phone started vibrating on her nightstand. Wondering who would be calling her at this hour, she yawned as she answered.
"Mouri Ran speaking," she mumbled, wanting very badly to just go back to sleep.
"Ran-san," the voice on the other end was altered. She sat up wide awake. "I understand that you have a burgeoning interest in electronic communication."
"Who are you?" she hissed. "How did you get my number?"
"Aaaaah, sorry, sorry," the voice apologized. "A mutual friend gave it to me. Someone you know both names of."
Ran blinked. Both names? The only people she knew of with two names were Shinichi and Haibara. And Kuroba. "Forgive me," she replied neutrally, "but I know a few people with multiple names. You'll have to be a bit more specific than that." Because if it was someone that Haibara knew... She didn't want to think about it...
"Very good, Ran-san," the voice sounded quite pleased. "The Young Master was right in saying that you'd be a good student."
Young Master? That didn't clarify anything at all!
"I'm waiting for specifics," she replied coolly.
"Well, I can tell you that you parted company with him about thirty-six hours ago?"
One of Kuroba's accomplices then. "Student?" she asked, wondering what Kuroba was cooking up.
"Why, I understand that you have a very interesting digital communication device that the Young Master was quite impressed with. Aside from getting the frequency, he didn't have the time to crack the encryption."
Ran narrowed her eyes. So Kuroba could listen in on her and Shinichi's private wavelength? But he wouldn't understand it. "Your point being?"
The voice was calm and precise. "If you want to be any good at keeping up with that child running around hither and yon, you'll need to be able to follow him not just by your little device, but by cameras and any other device you can access."
"And our mutual friend thought you should teach me?"
"Yes. This is entirely your decision, of course."
"Of course."
"I doubt you can make up your mind now. Tonight, I will give you some basics. You can tell me if you wish to continue or not. If it doesn't match up with your regular line of work, you won't hear from me again. If you ever wish to continue, speak to our mutual friend and we'll get started."
The line went dead and Ran stared at her phone. Lessons? In hacking into security surveillance? Lessons in breaking the law? She shuddered under the possibilities that brought to mind. A demonstration lesson at the heist? Really, when would she need to know electronic surveillance outside of visiting heists?
All too readily an image came to her mind. An image of Them observing her or Shinichi or Hattori or Kazuha or the children or Aoko or...
Ran shuddered again and buried herself under her covers.
She had a lot to think about...
Heiji was getting annoyed. He had been deep asleep, but there was this sound that kept waking him up. At first his instinct said it was his alarm, and he'd fumbled to turn it off, but nothing happened. As the noise continued and Heiji rose further and further out of the depths of sleep, he realized that it didn't sound like his alarm at all. So he buried his head under his pillow in hopes of blocking out the tapping so that he could go back to sleep. His circadian rhythm was very screwed up, thank-you-very-much, and with the promise of another heist tomorrow/that day, Heiji wanted to sneak in as much pillow time as he could so that maybe, just maybe, he could be back on a normal sleep schedule when school started back up again.
But the tapping didn't go away.
So with a massive, put-upon groan, he poked his head out from under his pillow and covers and blearily looked around to ascertain what was interrupting his snooze time. Nothing in his room seemed to be amiss and the early dawn light was starting to stream in through his blinds. Blinking, Heiji squinted towards his window, where a shadow seemed to be blocking part of the morning light.
A grumble and fumble out of bed later, he opened his blinds to see what was obscuring the sunlight. A balloon? A familiar balloon...
Heiji couldn't open his window fast enough as he reached out and yanked it off the branch it was tied to. The same branch as last time, to be exact. Almost the exact same spot.
Hands trembling, he looked at the package that was with the balloon this time. It wasn't a heist note; unsurprising, giving Kid-Kuroba's televised challenge the previous day not only to Heiji, but primarily to his would-be attacker. Heiji attacked the package, ripping it apart and turning on the light in his room to get a better look at it. Inside were two things. The first was very clearly labeled "Tantei-kun Only" with smaller writing underneath that read "Peaking is Cheating". Heiji scoffed, tossing the small item to his bed. What really was interesting him was the file underneath; because it was also labeled very clearly. "Tantei-han Only" with smaller print underneath, "Sharing is Caring".
Flipping open the file, Heiji sucked in a breath sharply. "Itotsuki Katsumaru, 37. Best known for corporate espionage and thievery, specializing in electronic communication, hacking, and misdirection." The file went on with a photo of the would-be attacker that Kid had challenged. Slightly portly, unassuming with short black hair, and haven't-shaved-in-a-few-days scruff around his chin. And the information. Aliases, known and suspected cases of involvement, with the former being much shorter than the later.
This was... This was... Wow.
Kid had contacted his own contacts and done what the Osakan police and Interpol had been unable to in such a short time. Narrow it down to find out just who the interloper was. And Kid-Kuroba had given it to Heiji. He took a moment to process that. He knew that Kid wasn't so bad when he'd disappeared on Kazuha, leaving just enough doubt so that if Kudo ever had to reveal the rest of his baggage to her, there wouldn't be a further explosion, since all the blame would be at Kid's feet. But this wasn't just paying back for them taking care of the thief.
This was sharing of information.
Heiji really didn't want to think about what that could lead to and what morals or ethics he'd have to compromise if he walked down that path. For now, he'd take what was given him. He scrambled around his room to get dressed. No doubt Nakamori would be arriving at the station early to start doing set up. The owner of the Birth of Spring had called to say where he'd hid the real jewel and promised that he wouldn't replace it with a fake this time. Nakamori and Heiji's own father would probably be stepping on each other's toes most of the day to ensure that nothing went wrong this time. But Heiji was about to ensure that, because he'd make sure everyone on-site would know who they were looking for and take the necessary preparations to ensure that this Itotsuki wouldn't meddle in their communications.
Still hopping into his socks as he thundered downstairs, Heiji slipped Kudo's gift into his pocket, planning on dropping it off later. Only taking the time to down a glass of milk and a glass of orange juice, Heiji raced around downstairs, grabbing a jacket and trying to think of what else he'd need because his day was about to get real crazy, real fast.
He almost jumped into his shoes, file in hand, when his mother's voice called from the top of the stairs.
"Y're in a rush this mornin'."
"Sorry," he called back, stepping toward the door. "Hiest's tonight 'n' there's a lotta stuff ta do." He opened the door, ready to step out for the day.
"Well," his mother replied, "I think ya've got enough time fer a decent breakfast, don't ya?"
Heiji, his back to his mother, scowled. He could disobey his father without batting an eye, though his gut always twinged, but he could never disobey his mother like that. Damn it. He'd wanted to avoid his old man, but it looked like that wasn't going to happen...
With a sigh, Heiji stepped out of his shoes and followed his mother into the kitchen where she started to make breakfast. From scratch. She's gonna make me wait 'til th' old man comes down so's we can talk. Yay. Heiji let out another sigh. Sure enough, he could hear the shower going on upstairs, which meant that his father was up and getting ready for the day. If it weren't for the fact that his mother was there, Heiji would have started growling.
"So, do ya plan ta spend the day with Kazuha-chan again?" his mother asked quietly.
Heiji slouched back, crossing his arms. "Don't know. I'm definitely gonna stop off 'n' talk with Mouri-han 'bout the heist tonight, but mostly I wanna help the station prepare."
"Oh?" she asked, pouring out tea and setting out plates.
"Yeah," he replied, not really wanting to elaborate. Especially since, by his estimation...
"Good mornin'," his father, the great Hattori Heizo said, coming into the kitchen, dressed and ready for a normal day at work.
"Good mornin'," his mother replied with a proper bow and the slightest of smiles.
"Yo," Heiji offered, not liking all the formality.
"Son," Heizo replied. "Ya certainly have energy this mornin'."
"I'm young. I'm supposed ta have a lotta energy."
"Dearest," his mother said softly.
Heizo said nothing for a moment, merely sipping his tea. "Y're notes were extensive 'n' very helpful." The stern man reached into a pocket and pulled out the three crumpled pages that Heiji had thrown at his feet five days previously. That seemed like a lifetime ago, back after the first heist when he'd been running on no sleep.
Heiji didn't say anything, merely took the notes back and stuffed them into a pocket. Just because he had been right didn't give his father the right to demand them. Heiji held to the line his father had drawn between amateur detective and professional officer. He did what he could as a consultant, followed every rule placed down on how he was to work with his father's officers, but to have the Great Heizo demand his notes... Heizo would be justified in demanding the notes of any officer under him, but he never did, trusting them. To demand the notebook of Heiji, who wasn't an officer under him, crossed the line that Heizo himself had drawn.
And if Heizo thought that that was an adequate peace offering, he had another thing coming.
He ate his breakfast slowly and properly, as his mother expected. But he said nothing.
"May I ask what that file is, son?"
"No," Heiji replied politely. "It ain't none o' yer business."
Heizo looked sternly at his son. Heiji glared back.
His mother Shizuka, however, gave a small cough.
Heiji let out a sigh. "Y'll find out later," he said, gulping the last of his tea before standing. "'Scuse me, I gotta lotta work ta do." And with a calmness he didn't feel, Heiji quietly left his house to go talk to Inspector Nakamori.
As it turned out, the Birth of Spring had never left the Umeda Sky Building. Instead of being on display with all the other items of the collection, it had been hidden deep under the building in the maze of shops underground. Another concession the collector did at the suggestion of his accountant. (Said accountant was currently fired because of the disaster that he'd guided the collector into.) However, given the information that Hattori had provided to both the Task Force and the local police, everyone agreed that rather than moving the Birth of Spring up to where it was supposed to be displayed, it should be kept underground to increase interference from electrical devices such as cell phones, which Itotsuki preferred using when doing his espionage work.
Every member had a specific set of passwords to use whenever calling or checking in that were then rotated. That way if, say, Hakuba wished to speak to Inspector Nakamori over the radio, he'd have to give his fourth password. If he wished to speak to Mouri, he'd have to give his seventh password. And at random, someone would go over the entire broadband and ask for them to rotate their passwords. It was complicated and they'd been practicing at the station for most of the day to ensure that Itotsuki would have difficulty in relaying false orders to someone.
This was actually quite clever. But Hakuba had suspicions. How had Hattori mysteriously come up with this file on who the interloper was? Something seemed off. But Hakuba didn't think he'd get anywhere if he questioned Hattori outright. He'd tried to subtly have some of the Task Force members ask, but the response seemed to be that Kaitou Kid had delivered it the same way he'd delivered the invitation to the heist.
But that didn't ring true for Hakuba. Why would Kaitou Kid give such precious information to Hattori of all people? Hattori wasn't one of Kid's regular chasers. In fact, several members of the Osakan police were boasting how this whole heist was a gift from Kid to Hattori, but for what? And since Hakuba couldn't ask Hattori directly (not without turning five shades of red) he was discreetly staying near the Detective of the West. That way, if something happened during the heist, he'd be nearby to observe.
It was still an hour to the proposed time of the heist. Hakuba snorted; 11:05 indeed, the inverse of 1:05 for the v referenced in the first note. Did Kaitou Kid think that by simply inversing the time, he'd reverse the results of the heist?
"Hakuba-kun! Hattori-kun!"
Hakuba blinked, turning to see Aoko coming over with Toyama. The British detective hid a grimace. Please, God in Heaven, don't let Toyama-san mention my atrocious display in front of Aoko-kun...
"Oi, Kazuha!" Hattori seemed to growl as he too stalked over. "What're ya doin' here?"
Toyama glared at Hattori. "I ain't bein' left out."
"Kazuha..."
"Don't bother talkin' me outta this. It'd be like Kudo talkin' Ran outta not helpin' him."
Hattori gave a sigh.
Hakuba tried to ignore them and not blush at the same time. "Aoko-kun, what brings you here?"
She held up a large basket. "Last minute snacks for everyone. Once things get going, they'll probably need the sugar boost," she said. "Cookie? Pastry? Plain-old bread?"
Hakuba gave a small grin. "Bread would be fine, thank you," he replied, since anything heavier, especially with Hattori glaring at him every once in a while, would probably upset his stomach.
"Hattori-kun?" Aoko offered.
The Osakan detective snatched a cookie and gobbled it in one bite before turning back to Toyama. "You really wanna help? Go help Nee-chan. She's in th' surveillance truck street-side keepin' an eye 'n everythin' 'n' relayin' stuff."
Toyama glared. "Keepin' me outta things?"
Hattori rolled his eyes. "No, I'm not. Unless ya think ya can't spot nothin' on those tiny screens."
Predictably, Toyama bristled. "I'll show you who can't see anythin'!" Turning on her heel, the Osakan girl grabbed Aoko by the arm. "C'mon! We'll show these big strong men just who they're dealin' with!"
They were interrupted in their stomping away by a figure who slipped through the crowds and hid behind Aoko.
"Kaito?" Aoko asked, puzzled.
"Kuroba-kun," Hakuba replied coolly. "Interested in the heist?" Beside him, Hattori was sputtering.
"Hell yes!" Kuroba retorted, looking around warily. "But I'm also hiding."
Aoko gave the tired sigh of one used to dealing with Kuroba. "Hiding from what?"
"Those damn relatives." He looked around suspiciously again, before reaching into his jacket and pulling out...
"A straight-jacket?" Toyama asked, utterly befuddled.
"Yup. They want me to try and wiggle out of one again. I'm hiding here. What better place to get away than a Kaitou Kid heist? I get to watch a master magician in action, avoid relatives in this chaos, and see you and Hakuba. It's a win-win all around."
Hattori was still sputtering.
"Wait," Toyama said, clearly trying to catch up. "You're a Kaitou Kid fan?"
"And how," Aoko grumbled. "You should see the card-gun replica he made. He even made a really good looking Kaitou Kid costume during a skiing contest our class was having." Oh Hakuba was sure it was just a costume. Really he was. Absolutely positive.
"S-s-so," Hattori stuttered, "This g-g-guy... wants to be Kid?"
"You betcha!" Kuroba replied brightly, standing tall and proud. "Someday I'll be just as good a magician! Maybe even better!"
The Osakan detective gave a great grin and slapped a hand down on Kuroba's shoulder. "In that case, ya might's well get used t' bein' called Kid, right Kid?"
Kuroba stared, blank-faced for a moment before a big grin came to his face. "You mean use 'Kid' in my stage name? Now that might work! Tell me, what do you think of 'Magic Kid' or 'Kid Sorcerer' or 'Kid Kaitou'? Hmmm, I'll need to think about this." He whirled to Aoko. "What do you think?" he asked. "Is 'Kid Kaitou' too obvious of an homage?"
"Kid," Hattori growled, "aren't ya supposed ta be hidin'?"
Kuroba went pale and quickly glanced around. "Shit!" he hissed. "There's the worst of the bunch! I gotta run!" Staying low, he flitted back through the crowds, heading for the stairs leading out of the building.
Hakuba was tempted to follow, but Aoko seemed to catch the look in his eyes. "No way, Hakuba-kun. You have work to do, so don't your bother chasing Kaito around."
Toyama glared at Hakuba. "I'm guessin' this guy's got no manners?"
Retreat!
"Usually, but never when it comes to Kaito..."
Hakuba noticed that Hattori was wandering away with a smug little grin and decided that it was a good time to go back to shadowing the Western Detective.
Ran sat in the front seat of the surveillance truck, her laptop out and patched in to the monitors that were behind her. She had called Kuroba and left a message with a specific number for his chosen tutor to contact her (not her cell phone). Hidden behind her hair was a rather gaudy earring that had a built in phone, something that Professor Agasa had made some time before. She had first used it when she ended up being the one to solve a case where a teacher she believed in had unfortunately ended up being the murder. Over the phone, Shinichi had been a wonderful shoulder to lean on, but it had been Conan whom she'd ultimately broken down with. Little did she know at the time that she was still relying on the same person.
The earring phone was actually rarely used, but it was because it was rarely used that she wanted her would-be teacher to contact her through it. Which he did. The voice over the phone was no longer modified. Or at least, not so obviously modified. It sounded like an older man, most likely past middle-age. Shinichi could probably deduce more from the voice, but he wasn't there. He was out mingling amongst the legs of many adults, looking for the face of Itotsuki.
"Very good, Ran-san," the old man said over the phone. "How is that software I emailed you working?"
"It's working very well, Ojii-san," she replied. "The facial recognition is already running, but I'm worried about if our man comes in wearing a disguise. Even something as simple as a beard might make him unrecognizable."
"Just Jii will suffice," the voice replied with an amused chuckle. "And don't worry, it will take more than just a beard and a pair of glasses to fool this program."
"If you say so, Jii-san." Ran hesitated a moment. "Won't software like this also recognize other people if told? Such as the mysterious thief of this evening?"
Jii laughed even more. "The Young Master will not be so easily recognized. Don't you worry, Ran-san. Our friend is quite safe."
She smiled, still rather uncertain how she felt about actively making sure that Kaitou Kid was safe.
"Conan-kun? Hattori-kun?" she said into the Detective Badge she held. "Am I coming in clear?"
"You betcha, Nee-chan."
"Of course, Ran."
"Oh-ho!" her would-be tutor laughed. "I see you have communication with some people in the field on a different band that our target can't access!"
Ran smiled. "Trade secrets," she replied. "Now, about-"
"There ya are, Ran-chan!"
Ran turned, surprised to see two people climbing into the back of the surveillance van.
"Kazuha-chan! Aoko-chan! What a surprise! I wasn't expecting to see you here."
The Osakan girl glanced at Aoko from the corner of her eye and shrugged. "After everythin's been happenin' the last few days, ya couldn' keep me from this."
Ran nodded. Now that Kazuha knew, or at least partly knew, she wasn't just going to sit back and do nothing.
Aoko just sighed. "I didn't really have anything better to do," she mumbled. And Ran understood. Aoko had been left alone for a good portion of Golden Week, so being in the middle of the action with her friends seemed a no-brainer.
"Aoko-chan? Are you feeling any better?" Ran asked as the two sat down in front of the monitors in the back of the van.
The girl gave a bark of laughter. "Would you believe that not an hour after I left you and Conan-kun, I finally got my period? I knew I was due with how weepy I've been all week."
Kazuha nodded sagely behind her. "Once inna while the cramps hit me so hard I can hardly move." The Osakan reached for her purse. "Didja need any spare tampons? I think I gotta few."
Ran tried not to react to the sputtering noises she was hearing over her earring cell phone.
"No," Aoko shook her head. "I flow too heavily for a tampon. I have to have a pad."
"Aw, I'd hate it if I couldn' have a tampon. All o' my akido gear'd be stained."
Aoko gave a light chuckle. "My mom was the same way apparently. Or at least when I can bully my dad into talking about it."
"Oh?" Ran couldn't help but ask, especially with the old man choking.
"Yeah, my mom died when I was really young," Aoko explained. "I was petrified when I got my first period. My dad tried to explain it, he really did, but he couldn't get any words out right at all. Finally he dragged me next door and had Kaito's mother explain things to me. It's a good thing she did! I was petrified that I was dying with all the bleeding!"
Ran laughed. "I know what you mean. My father at least had the good sense to call my mother when I got my first period. She came right over and kicked my dad out of the apartment and sat me down to explain a few things. Thank God Shinichi was away with his family at the time. When he came back, he started to notice I was a little different once a month and when I explained it to him, he got so red."
Aoko giggled. "Kaito too, but then, he got the facts of life at the same time as me. His mother thought it'd be a good idea that since she had to explain things to me, she'd explain things to him too. She tried to get my dad to explain things, but he was so flustered by that point, he couldn't do anything."
"Heh," Kazuha laughed. "I guess I got th' lucky straw. I just talked ta m' mom and everythin' was fine."
They all laughed together. Over her earring, the old man was mumbling, "Ran-san... please... give an old man a break... men aren't supposed to hear woman-talk..."
With one last chuckle, Ran decided to give her tutor a break. "Ladies," she said. "I've been watching the monitors the whole time, have you?"
"Ah!" Kazuha groaned. "'n' I told Heiji I'd find somethin' fer him."
"Then pay attention please," Ran gently chided. "Do you see on camera three that person skulking about?"
A moment of study and...
"Oh that's Kaito. He's hiding from his relatives," Aoko offered before delving into the tale that Kuroba had painted for her about his disappearance for most of Golden Week. (Ran laughed outright on how the smallest dog was apparently the most dangerous...)
They chatted together as they kept an eye out on the surveillance video. The old man would guide Ran through some of the finer points of the spying she was doing and she set up a chat window to ask questions more directly since she couldn't speak them aloud. This Jii-san was incredibly informative; already, in the back of her mind, Ran was thinking of ways to apply what she was learning to her home, if she could get the right tools. Ways to make certain that she and her family and Shinichi were safe.
"Ran-san, you are an excellent pupil," he complimented her. "I'll be sure to contact you again, if you are interested."
"I'll look forward to it," she typed back. But for now, her focus remained on the screen and looking for the face of an interloper.
"Aoko-chan, ya seein' what I'm seein'?"
"I'm not sure, Kazuha-chan. Ran-chan? Camera twelve?"
Ran poked her facial recognition software to look at the feed before gasping.
"Conan-kun! Hattori-kun! We've found him!"
Meanwhile, on camera one, there was a flood of pink smoke, happily engulfing everything as a cheerful voice proclaimed, "Ladies and Gentleman!"
Author's Notes: Bleh! This took forever to write. The main problem being that we're writing the last chapters in the last two weeks of summer before school starts and we're back to teaching. (ie: No Free Time). So there is a lot of last-minute things we're trying to finish up (sealing/patching the driveway, sorting through curriculum, finishing other projects that we've been trying to finish, etc) and time for typing was proving to be elusive.
But anyway.
We're not sure where it came from, but the whole talk between Kaito-as-Shinichi and Hakuba just seems to... work really well. We weren't planning on it originally, but when trying to approach this chapter, Kaito just jumped in and said, "this is what's going to happen" calm as you please. Okay, so there it is. Covering the bases after Hakuba's discovery of "Kudo" at the Toyama household. Hehehe. We enjoy rereading that.
Heiji semi-resolved his storyline with his father. They still have a rocky relationship, and this story certainly didn't help matters, but Heiji has a lot to prove to his dad. And Heizo needs to stop being such a hard-ass, but anyway.
The two of us really see Ran trying to keep actively involved with Conan-kun once she knows. With the necklace and the advent of some of the gadgets that Agasa-hakase can generate, we see her starting to work with computers to do what she can that way. Jii-chan teaching her some of the ins-and-outs seems a natural progression of that, since she doesn't really have anyone to properly train her otherwise. How far in this sort of training she's willing to go is a question mark. For both Ran and Heiji, there're a lot of questions on where their morals and ethics lie with regards to anything about Kaitou Kid. Shinichi, as mentioned, has had time to sit and think about it and what could or might happen. He's already dealt with it and he sees himself as already breaking the law. As long as he can still stand what he's doing, he'll be okay, but Ran and Heiji haven't thought about it yet.
Yes, yes, we promised a heist. Well, it's started... right?
...A lot of you seemed to have Great Expectations about the glasses... Sorry if we disappointed. The main issue with them were that they were so heavy. Kaito made them more normal-weighted. He can listen in but not understand in case of something. It's up to Ran/Shinichi/Agasa on whether or not he gets the encryption.
*ahem* Next time: The Heist. (Really, need we say more?)