"Are you sure this is okay?" Ran asked. "My dad is a detective."
"Ran, when was the last time your dad solved a case on his own?" Shinichi retorted. "And no, I don't mean one of those cases where it's 'find this person or watch that person'."
He had a point. As much as she loved her dad (endearingly), he wasn't that smart. Most of his deductions were either flat out wrong or way off the mark, because of this he didn't get cases all that often. Unlike a certain highschool deduction freak who had homicide practically falling into his lap.
"Point taken." She grumbled.
"I'm coming! I'm Coming! I'm Coming!" An all too familiar voice shouted from the stairwell.
They could hear his clattering footfalls as the man hazardously ran down the stairs. Ran deadpanned as she watched as her father fell face first onto the sidewalk before practically leaping up. His face was decorated with a dopey grin that persisted even after he noticed the pair.
"Where's the fire?" Shinichi asked Sarcastically.
"It's my first job in six months!" The detective replied as he flagged down a cab.
"A rich man's daughter has been kidnapped!" Mouri further explained, way too happy about the situation.
"A witness said that the kidnapper was a man in black!"
A man in black?
The pair shared a glance with each other as a cab came to a halt. Well, knowing the man in front of them, he'd need some help.
"The crime is summoning me, the Great Detective, Mouri Kogoro." Said man boasted with a laugh.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever help preserve that ego of yours." Shinichi muttered.
Ran glared at him.
"Why are you and some kid even in the car with me?" Mouri griped.
Mouri Kogoro was a private detective just a few years shy of 40. He'd once worked on the Tokyo Metropolitan Police force, but had been fired because he was terrible at every aspect of his job besides apprehending criminals and suspects in question. And even then he had more than a few slips up in that department. He was a brash, cocky man with an ego the size of an island, but he wasn't a man to be taken lightly in regards to physical power. The man had a judo throw like you wouldn't believe, and he'd saved Shinichi's hide with it on several occasions. Not that the teen would admit it.
"I'm here to help you, we both know you need it." Shinichi replied casually, like it was the weather.
Mouri muttered something under his breath, but did nothing else.
"So, who's the little brat?"
Time for the moment they'd all been waiting for (hint, sarcasm).
"She's Rachel Christy, a relative of Agasa's who's staying with me for the time being."
Mouri eyed her, but didn't say anything about the explanation. Not that either of them had expected him to. Even if he had noticed the resemblance between her and his 16-year-old daughter, whose mind would make the leap in logic necessary to come to the conclusion they were one in the same, even for Mouri Kogoro.
Mouri hadn't been exaggerating when hed's said the client was rich. The 'hourse' they arrived at was a spacious Japanese-style mansion that was at it's tallest, two floors tall. The estate was on the smaller end of things, but that didn't really diminish the grandeur of it.
The three were greeted at the front gate by the butler, an old gentleman whose hair had all turned grey with age. They were lead to the backyard where the master of the house and two servants waited.
"The child that was kidnapped is my only daughter, her name is Tani Akiko and she's 10-years-old." Mr. Tani explained.
The girl in the photo he'd provided was your average 10-year-old, her brown hair was pulled into a small pigtail with a red beaded hair tie. She was the picture of happiness as she hugged the neck of a dog that was looking a bit cross-eyed.
"My housekeeper, Aso, saw it with his own eyes."
"What did the kidnapper look like?" Shinichi asked.
He'd been quiet the entire time, until now, acquiring him several sets of eyes.
"Who are you?" Mr. Tani asked.
"Just a fellow detective, I'm partnering with Detective Mouri here for the time being for personal reasons." He replied easily.
He saw no reason to introduce himself by name, this was Mouri's case, after all. Mouri shot him a look, but didn't refute what he said or make any verbal complaints.
Aso, the elderly butler, nodded.
"At the time, the young miss had just come back from school, and she was playing in the garden. Suddenly, from the corner of the garden, a man in black jumped out and grabbed her. He then said "Tell your master, if he wants his daughter back in one piece, he needs to shut down his company for a month! If he tries to contact the police, his daughter is as good as dead!" After he said that, the criminal climbed up the pine tree, jumped over the fence and escaped."
"Did you get a look at the man's face?" Shinichi asked.
"My eyesight isn't very good, so I didn't see his face clearly." The elderly man admitted.
"That's a problem."
He could see Mouri seething in the corner of his vision, so he gave the detective the sweetest smile he had and nodded in his direction. Mouri took the hint, with a huff.
"Right, did anyone else here the criminal's voice or any other strange noises?" Mouri asked.
"Yes," The closer of the two woman, an older lady with long grey hair, said. "I heard Aso-san shout: "Th young miss has been kidnapped!" but I didn't hear any other noises."
"So, Aso-san is the only one who saw the criminal?" Mouri noted.
"Judging by the criminal's request, I would assume that he is working for a rival company."
It was a surprisingly logical deduction, and firmly sound too.
"Damn!" Mr. Tani snarled. "Not only does he want my company shut down, he also want's my money!"
"Money?" Aso asked, surprised and shocked by his employer's words.
"The kidnapper just phoned, he wants three hundred-million in old notes!" Mr. Tani explained.
"Master, maybe you misunderstood the request?" Aso pressed. He acted strange, as if this was a change to a plan.
"Stop saying that! Shut-up!" Mr. Tani shouted.
"Which companies would benefit if your company closes?" He heard mouri asked.
He stopped listening after that. The case was making no sense, or at least, very little sense. He toed the pink ball by the fence with one shoe. Three years ago he would have started juggling it with all the skills of a pro soccer player as he got lost in thought. Unfortunately, he was unable to do that after the incident.
Why did the criminal risk coming to her home to kidnap her? It's simpler and safer to do it on her way home from school. And then there was the fact he was seen, that was too careless. But he demanded old notes, which shows he has confidence in his request.
His thoughts were running around in circles. And the ball was taunting him, daring him to kick it. With a frustrated groan he did just that, kick the ball towards the tree by the fence. Still stewing his thoughts, Shinichi padded over to where he'd kicked the ball. When he bent down to pick it up, a large dog jumped from out of a nearby bush with a fierce sound.
"Shinichi!" Rachel shouted.
Her fear disappeared when she saw the big dog 'assult' her friend's face with slobbery kisses. It was a well-known fact that Shinichi Kudo was not just a corpse magnet, but beloved by dogs anywhere and everywhere. It was no surprise that he'd received such a greeting.
"How strange! Jumbo is usually only friendly to the people within the household." Mr. Tani said.
He, Aso, and Mouri had come running over when they'd heard the commotion.
The kidnapper supposedly used this tree to make his escape, and Jumbo his leashed close to this tree and usually barks at strangers.
Things clicked into place. Time to test his suspicion.
With the help of an offered hand from Mouri, Shinichi got up and placed a hand on the dog's head.
"So then, this dog normally barks at strangers, right?"
"Right, because Jumbo is one of the best guard dogs around." Mr. Tani confirmed.
He saw the gears in Mouri's head begin turning. Probably taking note of the contradiction between testimony and evidence. He also noticed Aso begin to creep away from them.
"Where are you going, Aso-san?" Mouri asked.
"The old man finally noticed.
"There are a lot of questionable points in what you've said." Mouri pressed. "If the criminal came in the garden using the pine tree, and took the girl and then used the pine tree to escape, why didn't the dog bark?"
"It's…It's because…" Aso stammered.
"There are many other inconsistencies in your statement! The truth is the only man in black out here was you, and you are the criminal who kidnapped the young miss, right?" Mouri demanded, Grabbing Aso by his dress shirt.
"Aso- You…!" Mr. Tani growled.
"Master, I am really sorry." Aso apologized, bowing over and over again.
"Why did you do this?" His employer demanded. "Who told you to do it?"
"N-nobody, all of this was done by me!" The butler insisted.
"Then, where is the girl?" Mouri asked.
"In a nearby restaurant." Aso said meekly.
Mouri, ginning, began spouting nonsense. Despite his words that it was "all clear now!" and "the hardest cases are solved!", this was both neither solved nor all clear. There were still too many inconsistencies and loose ends. And the girl wasn't home yet.
"M-master, the phone!" The older lady servant called, running towards them.
"Tell them I'm busy, ask them to call back later!" Mr. Tani said.
"But…" The lady hesitated, the offered the man a . Tani took the device and raised it to his ear.
"Hellow, I'm Tani."
"Is the three hundred-million ready?"
Tani gasped.
"Who are you?"
Just as I thought. Shinichi grimaced. This wasn't over just yet.
"Didn't I just call you? I'm the man who kidnapped your daughter!" The stranger on the other end proclaimed coolly.
"That's impossible! The criminal has already…" Mr. Tani tapered off.
"So you DO have partners!" Mouri hisses, griping Aso's shirt collar.
"I don't, it's only me, please believe me!" Aso insisted.
Shinichi chewed his lip.
If what he said is true, then after the first kidnapping, the first was kidnapped a second time. This time the culprit is serious.
"Dad, please help me!" A young voice called from the other end.
"Akiko!" Mr. Tani said, voice trembling.
"My patience is running thin." The second kidnapper said. "If you don't provide the thee hundred-million in time, then who knows what will happen to your daughter."
Tani collapsed to his knees in distress.
"Please! I'll get the money!" He pleaded. "Can you let Akiko return home safely?"
"Keep talking to him, try and make him tell us his location." Mouri whispered.
"His location?"
"Who's there with you?" The kidnapper demanded."it wouldn't be the police, right?"
"N-no! He isn't the police!" Tani said quickly.
"Dad, I'm in a school's storage room!" Akiko called."There's a big chimney outside the window."
"Akiko!" Tani whimpered.
"I'll phone you in an hour! By that time, you'd better have the money!"
With those words the kidnapper ended the call.
"There are plenty of school storage sheds the have a chimney visible from a window." Mouri said. "Have the money ready in case time run's out."
"Y-yes." Mr. Tani said.
Mouri was right, that clue did not cut away enough location, even when taking into consideration that it was a local school. But they had to find the girl soon, there was little change that the kidnapper would just let her go, even if his demands were met.
"Get a car, we should have enough time to look aro-" Shinichi watched in mute shock as Ran snatched the map from his hand and mounted Jumbo like he was a poney.
Crap!
"After that dog!"
Ran might not be a detective like her father or Shinichi, but she was clever in her own right. Using Shinichi's map and Jumbo's long legs, she managed to check all of the school (five of them) with chimneys visible. They were all busts.
Crap, what now?
She didn't have much time left, the girl had to be found soon! Looking up, she noticed a rectangular building, then had an idea.
"Maybe, it could be…"
Just as she thought, from the side the building looked identical to the silhouette of a chimney! And there was only one school that could see the building at the right angle necessary!
"You have no value now." She hared the kidnapper say.
I'm not too late!
"Wait!" She shouted.
"Who?" She hared the kidnapper, a man definitely not too much older than her dad, say. "Where are you?"
"Get him!" She ordered, letting Jumbo pounce from the opening in the doorway.
She heard him collide with something, and saw a few stray volleyballs, as she ran over to the bound and gagged girl sitting terrified with her back against a wall.
"It's alright now!" She said, pealing the tape gag off.
Who are you?" Akiko asked.
"Mouri Ran- ah, no!" She stuttered, catching herself. "Rachel Christy, detective's assistant!"
"Detectives… Assistant?"
Jumbo let out a whine as the man's foot collided with the dog's jaw. The poor thing ran off.
"You little devil!" The man said, smiling. He brought the shiny aluminum baseball bat off of his shoulder and prepared to take a swing. Ran jumped out of the way She lept up to take her own crack at him, but he grabbed her leg and threw her into a pile of soccer balls.
Crap! My body's smaller and weaker now!
Eyeing the soccer ball that rolled into her light of sight, she took her chance and slammed her foot into the black and white sphere. The man caught it with ease. It dropped to the floor with a quiet 'plot' and then the next thing she knew, the bat was being slammed into her side, sending her flying again. She bounced against the floor and crashed into another wall painfully.
Damn it! I'm too small- if help doesn't get here soon, I'm done for!
"The game's over! I'll kill you!"
Ran braced for the impact of the bat colliding painfully with her head.
Instead, the bat was stopped abruptly by a familiar arm.
Dad!
"Bastard!" She heard him say.
She watched with awe as her dad's fists were driven into the man's gut several times. Pulling back, he let the kidnapper wall to his knees before delivering a finishing blow in the form of a round-house kick to the jaw. The kidnapper was sent backward with the force.
T-that was my dad, right?
"It's alright now, your safe."
Snapping out of her thoughts, Ran turned her head and watched as Shinichi freed the Akiko from the ropes tied around her.
"How did you know we were here?" She asked.
"Simple, I asked about the layout of the local schools and learned that the closest thing to a chimney that could be seen from a school was the side of a certain building. And we also saw the dog close by." Shinichi explained.
As if on cue, Jumbo the dog came running back into the shed and began moving the older little girl.
Once they were back at the Tani estate, Akiko explained everything.
"I was the one who planned the kidnapping!" she admitted.
"W-what?" Her father gaped.
Shinichi was the only one unsurprised by this. And Aso the butler, but for a different reason.
"Because, you only care about work every day and not about me, so I asked Aso to help me arrange this kidnapping." She was close to crying, voice cracking as she spoke. "I thought that if dad's company was closed you could take me out to play!"
"That's why…" Mouri murmured, a hand on his chin. "The first kidnapping was a fake!"
"Even if it was my daughter who asked, you shouldn't have done it!" Tani said. "Do you understand, Aso?"
"Yes…" The man in question replied, looking resigned.
"As for your punishment, you have to book a one-week trip for two that will start tomorrow." Tani said. "The destination is Australia!"
Aso's mood shifted to surprise, along with his expression.
"Ah! Master!"
"Of Course, it's for Akiko and I. We're going together!" Tani said putting a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Papa!" She cried, throwing her arms around her father's neck.
"Where's Ran?" Mouri asked.
They had just arrived at his detective agency. That's right, he hadn't given the man the rest of the cover story.
"Ran's helping me solve a case at the moment- it requires a lot of undercover work, which I can't do." Shinichi explained. "So starting tonight, I'll be making myself a regular here so I can take care of you in her stead!"
"WHAT?!"
Because Ran's now the 6-year-old, her dad is going to have to take up the 'resident basass' for her. So we'll be seeing plenty of papa Kogoro protecting his kittens(little Ran and Shinichi).
You know how I said the chapters after the first two would be shorter? Yeah, don't expect that to happen too often. Most of these are going to be written episode by episode, so yeah, they'll be pretty long.