A/N: Happy winter holidays to you all! I finally posted a series playlist for Riddle in Reverse; you can find the link on tumblr!
This chapter introduces one more OC—the superintendent-general's wife, Shiyomi. Hope you guys like her!
Warnings at the end, as always.
Chapter 28
There were four places set at the Hakuba family's dinner table.
"Are you expecting someone?" Tsuyoshi asked his wife, carefully.
She shook her head, and didn't ask in return. After all, if he'd asked, he could hardly be the reason for the extra place.
Not that it's extra, not really, he thought, in something like bitterness. But to sit here with the reminder of who is missing, and eat-I don't think I could.
"Baaya," he called softly, in the direction of the kitchen.
The woman leaned out, frowning, obviously in the middle of putting the finishing touches on the food.
"There will only be three of us at dinner tonight," he said, gently.
Baaya's frown tightened. "Should I clear it away?"
"I will," Shiyomi said. "You can attend to the food."
"She forgets as often as she remembers," Tsuyoshi said in an undertone. "Is it something we should be concerned about? She is at an age-"
"As are you," Shiyomi replied, at the same volume, as she rose to gather the place settings. "And am I. You know why she's doing this, and it's nothing to do with age. If you're asking my expertise as a hospital administrator, your expertise as a police officer should be sufficient."
"Shiyomi…" Tsuyoshi started.
"We both know you can grieve someone who isn't dead," Shiyomi said, a bit more gently. Her tone hardened a bit. "Though I know you're trying to hide your worries about that from me."
"Two months is a very bad amount of time, in a case like this," Tsuyoshi admitted, feeling himself slump in place. Regardless of what I've heard from Inspector Nakamori or her cousin...unless someone's seen him, we can't know for certain.
Shiyomi didn't respond, busy putting the plate and silverware back into the cupboard in the corner of the dining room. Finally, she sat back down.
"We knew, that it could end like this, when we took him in," she said.
"We thought we did, but did we, really?" Tsuyoshi asked.
"Perhaps not," Shiyomi admitted, smile rueful. "You tried so hard. We both did. But I suppose it wasn't quite enough, in the end."
Tsuyoshi had debated, over and over, whether he ought to tell her that he'd spoken with Kuroba Chikage, and then with KID. In the end, he'd decided not to. He was reluctant to bring up today's developments for the same reasons. All he knew about was people searching-not solid leads, and certainly not any sightings of his son.
I won't give her what might be false hope, he thought. "I suppose it wasn't."
Shiyomi caught his eye. "Don't dwell on that, right now," she said. "It's not often we both have off, the same night. Our family isn't whole, but we should enjoy what we have of it, for now."
Tsuyoshi nodded.
It didn't seem that long ago that an impulsive need to do something about a lonely young man in dire straits had gained him a child who was already nearly grown. It really hadn't been that long ago, in point of fact. And yet, he'd become an irreplaceable part of all of their lives, and he'd left a space behind him.
Shiyomi could tell him, and herself, not to dwell on Saguru's absence. But in the end, even without the place settings there, they would all find themselves occasionally glancing toward an empty seat, waiting for a comment from a person who wasn't there to speak.
"My nurses have been talking about strange happenings at your precinct," Shiyomi said, tone deliberately light, as Baaya brought in the food. "I wasn't aware you had a shinigami."
"They're talking about that KID-Killer child," Baaya said, the small spark of amusement in her eyes not quite up to normal standards.
"What, Edogawa-kun?" Tsuyoshi said. "I should put a stop to that nickname; he'll get a complex!"
"Is he that fragile?" Shiyomi asked, poking at a bit of tonkatsu with her chopsticks.
"He's eight," Tsuyoshi said, with feeling. "Sleeping Kogoro's ward; I'm sure I've mentioned him…"
"The child with the huge glasses," Shiyomi said in realization. "I remember him from the bomb threat; he was a great help."
Tsuyoshi shook his head. "What is the world coming to…"
He knew what Shiyomi had likely heard; Inspector Nakamori had reported it to him earlier in the afternoon, along with suspicions that Edogawa might be part of a group investigating Saguru's disappearance. Which...well, Nakamori was sharper than most gave him credit for, but he wasn't, say, Inspector Yamamoto. If he'd come to that conclusion, others might eventually, too, and all it took was one person with decent wits and less discretion than the KID Task Force's head…
"If you heard rumors that he and Hattori Heiji are overseas, they're true," Tsuyoshi said carefully.
Shiyomi leaned forward. "I'd heard they were working on a case. But not where."
Tsuyoshi braced himself. "I received a few odd texts from your nephew in the British Police. It seems they've taken Kuroba Kaito to London in search of our son."
Baaya's eyes brightened, a small smile spreading across her face. Shiyomi's expression, meanwhile, darkened.
"And you didn't tell me immediately?"
"All I know is that those three are looking for Saguru," Tsuyoshi said. Well, and that they have a fourth, but I have suspicions about who that actually is and I probably shouldn't mention him to you, given that. "Your cousin said they claim to have reason to think he's in London, but when pressed, they wouldn't say what reason. They were odd and evasive through the whole conversation, but they did at least seem concerned. Still...it's no more a break in the case than Inspector Yamato taking over the investigation was."
"But I was still informed when that happened," Shiyomi said, tone all but glacial.
Tsuyoshi sighed. "You were. I'm sorry, dear, I just didn't want to give false hope."
Shiyomi's expression softened. "I know," she said. "But it's not just that. I want to know about it if there are children running away from home on our account. I heard about Superintendent-General Hattori's child, as well—though I admit I was planning not to mention it to you."
Thinking on it, there were some unpleasant parallels between the two situations. A superintendent-general's son, abruptly gone with only the barest essentials in tow and no clues to where he was headed. But Heiji had made clear his intention to come home when his business was complete.
"I can understand that," Tsuyoshi said quietly.
"It's not entirely false hope," Baaya said, tentative at first, then more firm. "Is it? Those children…they're geniuses, like the young master, aren't they?"
"Yes, but genius isn't enough to solve everything," Tsuyoshi said quietly.
Baaya wilted slightly. Shiyomi's frown tightened. Tsuyoshi regretted his words, just a bit.
"Perhaps not," Shiyomi said. "But it is something. Still, it won't do to spend the whole supper speculating about what those boys may be up to."
"I suppose not," Tsuyoshi said, searching the day's events for a suitable change of topic. "Well, we had another call from the Japanese Embassy. Traffic's been ticketing foreign diplomats again."
"Oh, goodness, is it the same officers?" Shiyomi giggled. The shadows of distress were still in her eyes, but Tsuyoshi could see the change in topic doing her good.
It wasn't enough, but it was something.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Eisuke woke up to the sound of Shinichi cursing, which was concerning enough to actually jolt him from groggy half-sleep to relative wakefulness at a decent speed.
"Give me the the d*** coffee," Shinichi snarled, sounding almost dangerous.
Eisuke swore a bit mentally, and wondered if it was too late to pretend he was still asleep. Oh, wait, detectives. So much for that plan.
"Caffeine's dehydrating, an' you jus' got over—" Heiji was saying.
"Screw you, Hattori, you aren't a doctor and that's not even true," Shinichi snapped.
"He's right, it's pseudoscience," Eisuke agreed. "Well, I mean, you really shouldn't drink coffee if you're already dehydrated and you have other options, because it doesn't stay in your body as well as a lot of other drinks do. But Kudou-san should be recovered by now."
"And by the end of the week I'm going to be back in a place where people keep telling me coffee will stunt my growth," Shinichi half-growled. "This?" he gestured to himself. "This took a lot more chemicals than are present in your average cup of coffee. Just. For the record."
"Is he always this grumpy in the mornings?" Kaito asked sleepily, from the other bed.
"Told me ta get outta his house once," Heiji said, all fond amusement. "Wasn't even his house; it was the Mouris'."
Eisuke was, frankly, baffled at how patient Heiji was being with Shinichi at the moment. Personally, he'd only been up for a few minutes and throwing pillows was looking like a great option.
"I did not tell you to leave, I asked you what you were doing there!" Shinichi fumed. "Which was a valid freaking question since you were supposed to have left by then!"
"Oh, I see how it is," Heiji said, feigning hurt.
Eisuke did, too. Heiji was not being patient; Heiji was just cheerfully goading him.
It's too early for this, Eisuke thought, despairing, as he sat up.
"Kudou-san, how are you feeling, besides caffeine-deprived?" he asked, tone clipped.
Shinichi took a breath, closed his eyes, then opened them again. "My head doesn't hurt anymore, and I'm not tired or out of it, either. I'm still a little bruised up, but that's-"
"Your hip?" Eisuke interrupted.
"Still hurts," Shinichi admitted.
"I brought ibuprofen," Eisuke said.
"I don't need-"
"It's an anti-inflammatory," Eisuke said. "It's not just going to stop the pain, it'll bring down some of the swelling that's causing it." He glanced at Kaito. "And unless your back is at one hundred percent, you should take some too."
Kaito started a protest, but Eisuke held up a hand.
"This is our only full day in London," he said. "We need to be in proper shape to search if we want to get anything accomplished."
Kaito's mouth thinned out into a grim line, but he stopped arguing.
"So, breakfast?" Heiji asked, a little awkwardly.
"Only if I get coffee," Shinichi said firmly.
Eisuke sighed.
They got dressed and ready as quickly as they could, given that they were three teenagers and a seeming child, most of whom were used to living alone, rather than to having to share a single bathroom and a limited amount of floor space. Kaito's quick-changing skills could only help matters so much.
Getting downstairs and ordering food was no simpler, especially since the waitress tried to give Shinichi a kid's menu and got the same reaction Heiji did when she said he couldn't have coffee. Eisuke, frustrated, finally ordered a cup for himself and promised to give it to Shinichi.
"All right, we'll need a plan," Eisuke said.
"I vote splitting up," Shinichi said.
"Have you ever watched a horror movie?" Kaito asked.
"Actually, not that many?" Shinichi said, an odd note of question to it. "I mean, Mom likes watching them for the effects but Ran hates them. They scare her."
Kaito looked confused.
"Can't punch ghosts," Eisuke, Shinichi and Heiji said at once.
"Y'know, if anyone could, it would be her," Kaito said, a slightly distant look in his eyes.
"Okay, no, we need to focus," Eisuke said. "Shinichi has a point; we'll cover more ground if we aren't all together. But we can't go by ourselves; Shinichi looks like an unattended child and Kaito's English isn't good enough for the level of questioning witnesses he might need to do."
"So, pairs?" Heiji said. "Me 'n' Kudou, you 'n' Kuroba-han?"
"Actually, what about the other way around?" Kaito said. "You two know how to think like detectives, sure, but Hondou-san and I know more about how Hakuba thinks."
"Okay," Shinichi said, sounding a little reluctant.
The conversation stalled as the waitress showed up with the food. Shinichi snatched Eisuke's coffee almost immediately, while Heiji watched Kaito drench a pile of pancakes in syrup in something like horror.
"We should also probably be worried about the fact that Superintendent-General Hakuba knows we're here," Shinichi said suddenly. "If he sends police to find us, or to back us up…"
"He won't," Kaito said calmly, shoving a forkful of pancakes into his mouth.
Heiji raised an eyebrow.
"He knows KID's here," Kaito said. "He probably thinks KID's in charge; hard to say if that's a comfort to him or not, since he knows KID's a criminal, but also a nonviolent one, and he likely thinks KID is an adult. Either way, he won't interfere with us finding his kid by getting part of the search party arrested."
"But…if he thinks KID is here…doesn't that mean he knows you're KID?" Eisuke asked cautiously. "Shouldn't you be panicking?"
Kaito grinned at him. "But he doesn't think I'm KID, he thinks you are."
"What," Shinichi said flatly, as Eisuke gaped.
"Hashimoto said that Superintendent-General Hakuba was okay with knowing absolutely nothing about Eisuke's background, remember?" Kaito asked. "He knows who the rest of us are, and he knows KID is looking for Hakuba; he probably just assumed that Eisuke, who has no obvious connections to Hakuba, is actually KID borrowing some random person's identity."
Eisuke blinked. "So, he doesn't think I'm actually KID, he just thinks KID is disguising as me."
"I don't think anyone in the police is quite ready for the idea that KID is actually a teenager, so that's probably it, yeah," Shinichi pointed out.
"It's not exactly the first conclusion a person would jump to," Heiji added.
"So, no one's sending police here, and the Superintendent-General is very amusingly wrong," Kaito said, grinning wide.
"At least that's one less thing to worry about," Shinichi said.
"For you, maybe," Eisuke huffed.
"Look, let's just divide up the search area," Shinichi said.
The rest of the meal turned into a bit of a production, with all of them reaching over each other's plates to point out places on maps, but they managed to decide who was going where in about the time it took them to finish their food.
"So, we meet back at the hotel around six?" Heiji asked.
"Sounds good," Eisuke said. "If we want to keep looking in the evening I think it's best to do it as a group. Also, we'll need some time today to share what we've found."
"We should keep our badges on," Shinichi suggested, as he climbed down from his chair. "Call in if anything happens, okay?"
"That goes for you, too," Kaito replied, also standing. "I'm-fine-unless-I'm-passing-out-san."
"But I did call, when I was passing out," Shinichi said.
"Try callin' 'fore it's an emergency, next time," Heiji said.
"Don't worry, I'll be with him this time," Eisuke said cheerily, earning himself a glare. "Come on, Conan-kun, let's go."
Shinichi followed him out of the hotel, keeping pace oddly well given his shorter stride. Then again, he'd had plenty of time to practice, and Eisuke's legs were shorter than Mouri Kogoro's, so it wasn't like he would be that hard to keep up with, comparatively. It was interesting, what you noticed about people, when you took time to pay attention.
"So, where to first?" he asked, deciding to let Shinichi take the lead for now.
Shinichi rattled off an address. "It's the farthest from here, but if we go there first, we can work back toward the hotel. That way we don't end up at the far end of New Cross when it's getting late."
"That's smart, Conan-kun," Eisuke said.
Shinichi made a soft sort of humming noise. "I'll be honest. I wasn't that crazy about the way we ended up paired off; nothing against you, I just work well with Hattori. But I think there's a silver lining to all this."
"Is there?" Eisuke asked, curious despite himself.
"Well, this way, you aren't with Kaito," Shinichi said. "And you said you wanted to try fish and chips, right?"
Eisuke let out a laugh, out of surprise more than anything else. "Yeah, I did. And I guess we have to have lunch eventually!" He sobered almost immediately. "We have a lot of searching to do before that, though."
"And hopefully, some finding," Shinichi replied. "We turn down the cross street up ahead."
Eisuke followed, half daring to hope that when they came back this way, it would be with good news.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kaito had been surprised at how easily he fell into the rhythm of working with Heiji. They were both pretty detail-oriented, and they both liked to present themselves as a lot less competent than they were, until showing all their cards became necessary. They also both had impulsive streaks, but Kaito actually had a tighter rein on his, which should worry Heiji, really, because Kaito's impulsive streak had nearly gotten him shot a few times. Though, according to Shinichi, Heiji's had done the same. And yet here they were, both of them occasionally asking questions too soon because they just couldn't wait.
Kaito was of the professional opinion that they should never be allowed to do anything more dangerous than a search together without supervision. Someone would probably end up injured.
It was something like five thirty, now, and they'd scoured nearly all the locations they'd claimed from Hashimoto's list, searching for Hakuba and questioning anyone with relevant information. There'd been a few witnesses who had stories of people who might have been Saguru, and some people who remembered his visits for past cases, but nothing that told them where he was now. There was just one pub left.
"We've got to check it!" Kaito insisted.
"We'lll be late gettin' back," Heiji replied, crossing his arms over his chest. "Kudou'll freak."
"Let him, we're not here for Kudou," Kaito said, a bit more harshly than he'd meant to. "We're here to find Saguru, it won't make us that late to check here, just quickly, and if he was here and we didn't look I will never forgive myself."
"You won't, either, will ya?" Heiji sighed. "Look, you go ahead, but be quick about it. I'm stayin' out here."
"It'll go faster if you help," Kaito wheedled.
"You'll lose me in the crowd if I help, like ya did in the last coupla pubs," Heiji replied. "No thank you. I'm stayin' here where ya can find me once yer ready ta leave. If ya need translation call me on the badge."
Kaito rolled his eyes, then hurried inside.
He scanned the pub, trying not to get distracted by the mob of people in unfamiliar street fashion, but it was hard. There were men in shirts striped loudly enough to be distractions all by themselves, women in brightly embroidered headscarves, and at least one person wearing some sort of jumpsuit that looked like it had been stolen from a contemporary of the Beatles.
And...a woman, leaning over the bar, wearing a bright green cotton blouse and black slacks so crisply straight he could tell where they'd been ironed, her curling brown hair in a messy little updo. Kaito filed her away for later; he could disguise as her with practically no work-he even knew how to get one of his wigs to look like that.
Wait.
That was exactly the kind of disguise Kaito would choose for this kind of place. A blouse with puffed sleeves to disguise noticeably muscular shoulders and an empire waist to hide narrow hips and keep the disguise chest piece in place. The brightly colored shirt to draw the eye away from the black pants, which practically melted into the half-darkness of the room and were straight enough to hide that the wearer was more angular, wiry muscle than curves. The result would be a woman with none of his physical characteristics, and with a little makeup, the character could even look frail enough that Kaito could laugh and say "Do I really look like I could do any of that?" when someone asked if he's KID in disguise. It was a good trick.
The hair was the clincher, though. Kaito knew that style-artful dishevelment achieved with roughly fifteen bobby pins and half an hour of effort, but worth it in the end, because the hair stayed out of your eyes. It was from one of Aoko's favorite fashion blogs, and she showed it to Kaito a week or so before the Nightmare Heist.
That meant Hakuba probably saw it around the same time, and once before, back when he was Kaito.
So, he had sight of Hakuba. Next step was getting close. Approaching him straight off as Kuroba Kaito would be a mistake, he knew that much. He'd need a disguise to get close.
He ducked into the bathroom, and took out his makeup kit, praying to every god he could remember a name for that Hakuba wouldn't leave while he was putting together his disguise. This was a rush job, so he went for heavy, Harujuku-Goth-style makeup, contoured just right to distort the size and shape of his eyes and mouth. His dark sweater and jeans would work well enough-Hakuba could recognize them as items Kuroba Kaito owned, but they were sold across Japan and probably identical in cut to items available overseas. A bit of hair gel to spike up the top of his hair and slick down the sides completed the disguise. It wouldn't hold at all in better light, or up close, but Hakuba wouldn't be able to recognize him from across the room.
He took a deep breath, tried to ignore the sound of his heartbeat echoing in his ears, and then started toward the bar.
A/N: Warnings for discussion of loss and grieving in the first section as well as some medical language and Shinichi's poor coping mechanisms taking the form of lashing out angrily at people in the second.
Additional disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and please do not take medical advice from a fanfic. However, all the medical stuff in this chapter is correct to my knowledge. If you wanna get technical, caffeine is a diuretic; however, as it is present in coffee it won't make you lose more water than you take in by drinking coffee. Currently, the prevailing feeling in public health seems to be that it's better to drink something that's not as healthy or hydrating as it could be than to not drink at all. Additionally, ibuprofen does reduce pain by bringing down swelling so in some cases it can be beneficial beyond pain relief.
In my original outline, the section where they search the locations they got from Hashimoto was going to be longer and more filled-out; however, by this point a lot of the significant things I'd wanted to do in those sections have already been done and it would have ended up as filler. No one likes filler—not the writer, not the readers—so I timeskipped that bit.
Please look forward to the next chapter; I think you can probably tell that Things Will Happen in it.