Case Closed AU
By: FunahoMisaki
(A/N: I own nothing and read last chapter)
It was about a week later, after Irene had made sports and probably national news by getting to play some soccer with the professional teams… and promptly pulling off moves they'd never seen before and out-running all of them thanks to her near endless stamina.
Right now Irene as sitting in Jessica's lap sipping on an orange juice box Seiko had given her, only to earn a smack upside the head and a lecture on how the acid in the orange juice would corrode Irene's teeth from Karen, Irene and Jessica watching in amusement along with a few of the other party goers. They had all been invited, along with Richard and Rachel, to attend some wealthy girls birthday party where she was supposed to reveal who she were to marry at the end of it. Irene took one look at the guys who flocked to the girl, Reika, and immediately knew which of them was to wed the red clad girl.
It was kind of obvious to a well trained eye. The guy had a smug air about him, along with a smirk when he thought no one was looking. Irene could also tell that there was something off about the tall guy in glasses… he just felt wrong to her in some way and she had long since learned that if someone felt wrong to her then they were usually up to no good. It'd be just her luck if he turned out to be a murderer.
"So this is the child genius and movie star? For someone so famous you sure don't look like much." Reika said looking at Irene when she had casually walked over to the table the five women, since Rachel had joined them by now, were sitting at.
"Happy birthday!" Irene cheerfully said, ignoring the woman's last remark while the four older females at the table gave Reika looks that meant for her to be careful with what she said.
"Your fiancé must be really glad you two don't have to hide anymore. He's coming back towards you now with the rest of the group of your friends following him." Irene said innocently and causing Reika to look at her surprised.
"You know who my fiancé is? How? No one except for us and my father know!" Reika said surprised while the guys joined the conversation that was getting a fair bit of attention from those nearby.
"Easy. I can tell by the smug air about him, like he knows something no one else does, and by the way he would smirk almost triumphantly when he thought no one else was watching. Not only that, but if you look closely you can still see a lipstick stain on the top of his shirt, a stain that matches your lipstick color exactly." Irene said ticking the evidence off of her fingers while everyone except those that knew her were honestly surprised. Sure they heard she was a child detective but the media loved to exaggerate but now that they've seen her in action….
"Incredible." The tall guy Irene was getting a bad feeling from said staring at Irene in shock and… was that worry? The air about him was just like Karen's was before she killed Barnes, just like Félix's before he had tried to kill Jessie, and just like every other murderer she met before they committed murder. She made a mental note to keep an extra close eye on him.
"That's nothing! Jiji would have figured it out too had he been trying, but he's more interested in making people underestimate him right now. That's why he's acting drunk." Irene said giggling as she looked at her Jiji who was downing another shot of liquor, which Irene often called stupidity in a bottle. Sad part was that Karen, Seiko, Jessie, and Rachel all took to the name for liquor and refused to call it anything else.
"An act to make us underestimate him… perhaps he is a good detective after all." Reika said looking back at Richard before looking down at Irene.
"And you kid? Do you wear an act as well?" Reika asked narrowing her eyes at the girl who merely smiled innocently up at her… Irene really should have expected the loud squeal.
"Gah! Can't breath! Help please!" Irene gasped out as she tried to breath around Reika's hug of death. Just because she was used to this didn't mean it was any easier to breath when caught in it.
"Thanks Quentin-nii-san!" Irene said sighing in relief when the dark skinned heir managed to save her from the hug of death.
"Anytime imouto-chan." Quentin said smirking slightly as he returned Irene to Jessica who hugged her slightly again.
"You know her Quentin?" The glasses guy, Donald, asked looking confused.
"Of course I do or else I would not call her my little sister now would I?" Quentin asked rhetorically.
"How do you know her?" A blond guy with his hair smoothed back asked confused and curious.
"Hmph. If you must know I was a murder suspect a few days ago for a not yet released case. Irene-chan cleared my name and found the murderer quiet easily. We discovered that we both enjoyed many similar things such as soccer and martial arts and therefore we grew closer. I would watch after her when they could not or if I just felt like it. Eventually she started calling me her big brother and therefore she is my little sister." Quentin said flippantly while his 'friends' were surprised that he had been a murder suspect and they hadn't known it.
"Of course father did not mind the thought of her being called my baby sister and even made her an heiress to the company and family fortune alongside myself. He said something about it being good for business but I didn't pay attention." Quentin added casually, this time shocking even Irene and the other four women. No one knew that Irene had been made a co-heir to the Mifune fortune.
"So then imouto how are you enjoying the party?" Quentin asked turning away from his friends and smiling at his 'sister' who grinned up at him.
"It's cool but a little boring though…no one is doing anything except just standing around and eating or talking…" Irene said causing many to frown. They forgot how young she really was sometimes. Now that they looked around a bit…there really was nothing for a child Irene's age to do…no one had thought to provide anything for a young child to do…
"Hmm yes I can see why you would say so. Not much for one to do if they don't wish to talk or eat." Quentin muttered to himself.
"It's okay that it's boring though! That means nothing bad is happening! I'd take withstanding boredom over investigating another murder case any day!" Irene said cheerfully… she cursed herself later when all the tires were slashed on several cars.
"Okay that's just my freaking luck. Looks like I'm staying here tonight." Irene said sighing after Reika and the boys were stuck here with a sweet little old lady named Nani and the grown man that was keeping an eye out for Reika.
"Do you want us to stay with you Irene-chan?" Seiko asked worriedly, only to look up when Reika slapped Richards car keys out of Quentin's hands.
"Looks like birthday girl doesn't want anyone else to leave." Irene said crossing her arms behind her head boredly. It wasn't for a few hours that Reika went missing and everyone split up to look for her. Irene went with Karen, Seiko, and Jessica while Rachel was with Richard and Donald, causing Irene's eyes to narrow.
"You don't like him do you?" Seiko asked as the only group of four searched the house, running across Donald's group several times and causing Irene to narrow her eyes at him each time.
"No. He has the same air about him as Karen-nee did before Burt Barnes died." Irene said causing all three women to tense. All three of them knew that Karen had killed him, she came clean about it to them of her own free will, and none of the three females thought any less of the dentist turned actress.
"We'll keep an eye out then. You think birthday girl was his target?" Jessica said as she placed a reassuring hand on Karen's shoulder and a protective one on Irene's.
"She is. The question is where did he put her?" Irene said before narrowing her eyes as she ran across Donald's group just outside of a bathroom.
"No need to look in there. We just checked." Donald said smiling at them and causing the four females to nod slightly. They waited till Donald was out of sight before entering the bathroom.
"The only place big enough to hide her in here is in the bathtub." Irene said her eyes zeroed in on the bathtub and causing Jessica to nod as she walked forward and open the lid.
"It's her! He's trying to slowly drown her! Karen help me get her out of here!" Jessica said as she ripped the duct tape off of Jessica's mouth and hoisted the girls head above the water. Karen immediately rushed over and helped Jessica lift the birthday girl from the tub, placing her on the floor and untying the rope and duct tape around her arms and legs.
"The lights!" Irene said when the lights suddenly went out and there was a sound of the window breaking.
"You two stay here and watch over her! Come on Aunty Seiko." Irene said taking off down the hallway with Seiko right on her heels.
"He's not out there and neither is Reiki-san!" Irene said as soon as she ran up to the rest of the group of searchers.
"Huh?" Quentin asked turning and looking at Irene who glared darkly at Donald.
"Jiji. Kaa-chan. That bathroom you ran into me and the others at. Who checked the tub?" Irene asked causing them both to point at Donald and causing Irene's teeth to be bared at him.
"Well Donald-san. You'll be upset to know that we checked the bathroom and the tub after you left. Guess what, or rather who, we found in it?" Irene asked glaring dangerously at Donald who looked panicked before rushing at her angrily. As soon as he got near her Seiko stood in front of Irene and slammed her closed fist into Donald's chest multiple times quickly.
"See. I told those two that boxing lessons would come in handy!" Seiko said smirking as she knocked Donald out with a clean uppercut.
"Birthday girl was bound and gagged in the tub and it was slowly filling with water. We found her and got her out just as the water was covering her head. Karen-nee and Jessie-nee are with her now in the bathroom. So one of you call the cops and someone else call an ambulance." Irene said turning to the shocked group, causing them to nod while two boys dug out their cell phones and placed the calls.
Irene didn't know it but by helping save Reika's life she put Reika's family in her debt and they would spend weeks trying to find a proper way to thank her, before deciding to fund her movies, the gadgets Dr. Agase builds for her, and set aside several million dollars for her future schooling and presents for her birthday and Christmas.