The Detective Prince

Chapter 138

A Case Resurfaces

There was much that could have been taken away from those comments. There was no certainty to what it was he was referring to. He was prompted to question him on the matter, but chose not as a move was made for the other side of the room.

"Where's he going?"

His every movement was followed, tracing all motion which led to the grandfather clock just feet away from where the desk resided. No words were said, simply watching as an attempt to pull the glass away covering the inner parts of the clock was made.

"What's he up to now?"

This activity was bizarre to say the least, having no idea what exactly it was he was hoping to achieve with the latest move made. His uncertainty would soon come to an end, one turning into a curiosity as the glass was carefully pushed off to the side. There was no stopping there. His next move was to reach inside to grab hold of the pendulum, swaying it back in forth with equal force several times over. The count came up to twelve before finally stopping. What came next was giving the pendulum a downward tug; a move which resulted in the spark of a sound which no one in the room could deny hearing.

But it was what came next that caught him by surprise most, watching as the grandfather clock gradually slid left from its current position on the wall to reveal what appeared to be a hidden passage way. There were no words that came to mind in what to say next. Fortunately it wouldn't be his move to make.

"Come," Bruce instructed with the wave of his hand. "Follow me."

There was little hesitation as he opted to do what was asked. He brought his hands to his pocket as he began to walk, bracing himself for whatever was to come next. The opening that had been revealed in the wake of the move of the clock presented that of a dark path, only imagination presented for the many possibilities of what could be within.

"All will make sense soon," Bruce assured. "All will be made clear soon."

With that he walked forward, fading into the darkness set before them. He couldn't help but feel uneasy as he took his first step in.

"Watch your step," Bruce warned. "The path will become steep closer to the bottom."

"Thanks for the tip."

It became easier with the next steps taken, feeling a sense of comfort the further they descended into the darkness. The clock could be heard sliding back into place shortly after, something that didn't come as a surprise. A cool air surfaced from the depths below soon after, one which reminded him of his first thoughts when entering the study for the first time.

"So this is it," Shinichi thought. "This must be where that cold air I felt from on that day was coming from."

His eyes gradually adjusted to the dark path being walked; only becoming more curious as to where they were going with each passing second. It was at that time that a sound could be heard, one which echoed throughout the stone cold walls on each side. There was no visual for what it was or where it was coming from, only its ever growing whisper letting them know the destination was near.

"If I'm not mistaking that's the sound of something dripping."

This thought was only heightened with the fresh scent of water reaching with the next steps taken. By this time they had been walking for close to a minute, hearing as all movement out in front came to an end. He did the same, waiting for what was to come next.

"We're here." Bruce announced.

There was no telling for what had been reached; adjusting his eyes further to see what was in the darkness ahead. But even with his keen perception of the distance between them and what was ahead, there was no real way of knowing exactly what they came upon. The answer would come soon, taking Bruce only moments more to raise a lever located on the right side of the wall that sparked a path of lights.

And with that moment all was revealed, stemming from the large computer across the way to the several additional floors which showcased several different electronics at each station. He could only look on in awe, not fully clear on what it was he had come witnessed to.

"What is this place?" Shinichi inquired while still surveying the large area.

He turned to him with one simple answer to give.

"The Batcave."

…..

The rain drizzled lightly as it made a push for the ground, contacting softly with minimal sound to release. It was no different than any other scene of trauma. There was interest to be raised, crowds to be found in the wake of it all. The death toll was unclear, continuing to watching as one body after another were removed from the vehicles that had countless shots from unidentified firearms.

He had gotten there just minutes after the police, scaling the area several times only to find a phone, one which showed traces of blood. Could it be his? But there was no body for confirmation either way, which was nowhere to be found. His body had not been sighted with the others being reeled off into the trucks that arrived on the scene, nor was he standing amongst the crowd. It was almost as if he had disappeared. But why would he leave, and where would he go to without letting him know first?

Several scenarios went through his mind as the rain continued to fall, looking down at the phone as the question of them all surfaced once again.

"Master Kuroba… where are you?"

…

To speak its name only would be that of less than an introduction, following him as he headed over to where the large computer could be found. Once there he took a seat in the soft cushioned chair sitting in place before focusing his sights to the large monitor before him.

"Let me guess," Shinichi said removing his hands from his pockets. "The Bat-computer."

"No, I actually got around to calling it the super computer," Bruce stated. "Not the most creative, but has worked fine none the less."

"You called this place the Batcave," Shinichi said having a look over to the left side of the room. "But what is this place exactly, from what I can tell I'd say you've got a nice little headquarters set up."

"Listen up," Bruce said with a change in tone to be heard. "I brought you down here for two reasons, one being to further analyze your condition."

"Which probably won't require a trip to the medical center," Shinichi remarked after taking a deeper look around the room. "I wouldn't be surprised if you had a set station for everything."

"Resources are necessary for keeping a balance in the line of work from my position."

"So other than my condition," Shinichi said turning back to face him. "What's the other reason you brought me down here?"

"Months ago in Japan there was a series of unsolved murders," Bruce began. "Left at each scene was a hint to the play at hand, a riddle if you will."

"How could I forget."

"I didn't think you would."

"But something doesn't make sense," Shinichi said with the slight raise of his hand. "With how much effort was put in the culprit simply stopped, never to strike again."

"That is until last night." Bruce reported.

"What, where?"

"Right where we reside now," Bruce replied locking eyes with him. "Here in Gotham."

To Be Continued