Chapter 6: Nothing but Time
"I'll call you."
It had been one week since Conan heard those words from the magician. He didn't think anything of it but he jumped every time his phone rang. He was somewhat disappointed he hadn't heard anything from the thief even though he had boldly confessed that he had feelings for him.
He'd had plenty of time to think about his feelings about the magician, all that he said, and the impossible thing he'd asked for. He blushed thinking about it. He didn't even know how he would confess his feelings to Ran and now he had to do that and give himself away to the magician. It was unfair.
"Conan-kun! Dinner's ready!"
"Coming, Ran-nee-chan!"
He returned to the detective agency the day Kaito dropped him off. Ran was waiting at the professor's house worried because she hadn't heard anything about him being returned. She swore she saw him get into a car with a man who looked like Shinichi and she questioned him about it but he merely laughed nervously and said she must have been seeing things. She took him home that day and he had been kept inside since; Ran was too afraid to let him out of the house.
The kids came to see him after the second day and brought all of the homework he missed. Being bored and stuck at home, it only took a few hours to complete the basic algebra, elementary science, and English work, and then he was bored again.
His mother called a few times but he ignored her. He wasn't in the mood to explain his current situation. He felt like an abandoned mistress waiting for her lover to call to tell her when they could be together. He sighed again as he watched the cars go by and the people out walking, wishing he could be one of them.
"Conan-kun! I'm back!" He jumped up from his place and Ran opened the door and Sonoko was there as well.
"Ah, the detective brat is still at home? No school again?" Conan frowned at her but Ran was holding something.
"What's that, Ran-nee-chan?"
"Oh this was at the foot of the stairs, it is addressed to you."
Conan took the package and ripped off some of the paper. He paused as he saw the partial gold lettering that said Vol. 2 and the two girls looked at him curiously.
He covered up what he ripped and grinned at them, "thank you for bringing me this!" He ran out to the upstairs and shut the door to the room he and Kogorou shared.
He finished ripping off the paper in the room and he couldn't help the smile the rose to his face.
The Case Collection of Sherlock Holmes Vol. 2
He pulled the book out and a note card fell out.
My dear detective,
You seemed bored and I remember I had forgotten to give it to you during your last visit. Please forgive my blunder. I know you won't put it down until you've finished it so come tell me about it when you're done.
He flipped the card and there was a riddle on the back.
On the day of the detective's mighty end
When the hour of the dog falls asunder
In the place where Sherlock resides
This Modern Lupin will lay in wait to mend
His mistakes with magic and wonder.
The path there is for the dove to decide
Conan smirked at the riddle. On the day of the detective's mighty end, which if he calculated correctly, it took him two days to finish the first volume and if Kaito went based on that, in two days, when the hour of the dog falls asunder-
"Divides? Split in two," ah, that was it. The hour of the dog spanned from 7 pm to 9 pm so to split those times into two, the median was 8 pm. In the place where Sherlock resides, Baker Street, or phonetically in Japanese, Beika. In two days, at 8 pm in Beika, this modern Lupin will mend his mistakes in a place of magic and wonder. That line stumped him. Modern Lupin, the thief was obviously talking about himself, mend his mistakes, was he going to apologize? With magic and wonder. A magic show? But where?
The detective read through the note again. He guessed he would have to- wait. There was an overlook restaurant called Arsené in Beika in the Beika Center Building. And then there was the dove. He wasn't really expecting that a dove could lead him anywhere, could he?
Two days later, at 7:30 on the dot, Conan stood in the bedroom and stared at the dove that had flown in through the window. Kaito really expected him to follow a dove to his destination.
He'd finished the book as predicted earlier in the morning and he got himself ready for his so-called date with the magician.
He noticed the little rolled note attached to the little bird's leg and he took it.
"Dear Detective,
Michi has accepted the task of leading you to me. I'm pleased you were able to decode my note. I shall meet you at our final destination."
Conan snorted as the little bird cooed at him and he sighed, "lead the way Michi-chan."
The bird cooed and flew from the window and Conan snuck out of the room. The living room was empty and he remembered that Ran had agreed to go shopping with Sonoko. He tiptoed down the stairs and froze as he heard Kogorou's voice through the door to the agency. He listened to see if the man had heard him coming down the stairs but he was just yelling at the tv. He hastened his steps and exited onto the busy sidewalk. The dove flew over his head and he began his journey to the location of his date.
Keeping up with the little white dove in the sky was hard but he at least knew his way to the Beika Center Building. When he arrived, the little bird landed on the pavement in front of the door. He moved toward the bird and she flew through the automatic door when it opened. He followed her through the building until he reached the entrance to the restaurant. She disappeared inside and he was greeted by the maitre 'd.
"You must be the special guest. Please follow me."
He entered the dimly lit restaurant and he was led to a table on a raised platform. There was a stage in the large restaurant and the child watched interestedly as the lights went off and a large spotlight pointed toward the stage came on. The detective looked at his watch and the poof of smoke came as soon as the clock struck eight.
The boy watched the magician perform his tricks and his heart fluttered at the joy on his face. His grin was different than the grin he wore at heists, this one was happy, passionate about the magic he was performing. He had nothing to worry about here, no psycho fans, no police officers or detectives trying to catch him, no snipers trying to kill him...
He looked over his shoulder out of the wide expanse of glass over looking the bay just to make sure he was wrong about that, and he smiled and turned back to enjoy the rest of the show.
"So?" The boy jumped as the magician appeared at his table, "did you enjoy the show?"
"It was incredibly entertaining," Conan replied with a small smile, "there were a few tricks I couldn't figure out."
"Oh? Not even you, Meitantei?"
"You did well but I'll figure it out if I see it again," he brushed his fingers along the grain of the wood of the table, "thanks for inviting me."
"Well, of course, I said I'd take you on a date. I'm glad you were able to decipher my note." The magician waved his hand and a waited came over with two main course dishes.
"Going all out are we?" Conan asked as he thanked the food.
Kaito snorted as he took a sip of water, "this is far from all out. If you want it though, I will definitely show you an all-out kind of date."
"No thanks, knowing you it will end up being something embarrassing and over the top."
"You think I'm embarrassing and over the top?" Kaito feigned a hurt look.
"I think you're far too visible for the things that you do. A normal thief steals under the cover of darkness, or maybe even the cover of light, and I must admit, you're extremely good at what you do," Conan scoffed in disgust, "but you draw so much attention to yourself. Can't you steal like a normal person?"
"Aww, but where's the fun in that?" Kaito snickered as he ate, "then I wouldn't be able to bully you or Hakuba anymore."
"That fact that you admit to the bullying is wrong," Conan shook his head.
"It's all out of love," Kaito teased.
"For Hakuba too?"
Kaito gagged and Conan chuckled, "ugh, don't put the thought in my mind."
The boy glanced at him, "do you know Hakuba personally?"
"We're in the same class," Kaito grumbled, "he has a theory about my identity but he doesn't have the proof he needs to catch me."
"Wow I can't believe you let someone get that close," Conan snorted as he polished off his plate.
"Close doesn't accurately describe it," Kaito pouted.
He made their plates disappear with the snap of his fingers and in their place, chocolate cakes rested.
"I still don't get it. The magic you produce for your shows, is it really just sleight of hand or is it your magic magic?"
"As a detective, shouldn't you be able to figure that out?" Kaito smirked as he took a bite of his cake, "but to answer your question, no, I cannot make things teleport from place to place with my 'magic magic' as you call it. The rest is a magician's secret of course. If you can't figure that much out, are you really a detective?"
Conan looked at him unimpressed and Kaito smiled, "sorry, that was insensitive huh?"
"Um, Kuroba-san?"
Conan watched interested as Kaito turned his head to the two ladies that approached their table. He noticed how the thief's body language changed and his face had tightened. It was barely noticeable but his smile wasn't genuine and seemed a bit forced but to the girls in front of him, it was his same charming smile.
"What can I do for you, ladies?" He asked as he produced two roses.
"We were wondering if we could get an autograph?" They giggled as they held out their notebooks.
"Well, but of course, my autograph is already there," Kaito smiled and they opened their notebooks in awe. His name was signed on the inside covers and they looked at him starry eyed.
"How did you do that?"
He placed a finger on his lips with a grin, "a magician never reveals his secrets."
Conan snorted and Kaito gave him a smirk, "now ladies, if you don't mind, I'm on a date."
The girls noticed Conan then and he waved nervously and they grinned at him.
"Is this your little brother Kuroba-san?"
Kaito chuckled, "something like that."
They thanked him as they skipped away, happy with their gifts.
Kaito excused himself as he went to finish the clean up and he appeared in front of the boy with a smile only five minutes later.
"Done already?" Conan asked as he got down from his seat.
"Of course, who do you think you're talking to?"
"That's why I asked, I assumed it would be less than five minutes," the boy jabbed sarcastically.
"Wow Meitantei, payback for my earlier comment?"
"Whatever do you mean?" Conan hummed innocently.
They walked out of the center building and Conan looked around, "is Jii-chan around with the car?"
"Hmm, no. Did you want him to be?"
"How did you get here? How will you get home?"
"I'll fly, of course," Kaito smirked as he produced a black glider, "and if my company doesn't mind, I'll be a gentlemanly escort home as well."
Conan blinked before an amused smile took over his lips, "of course. For you, it's to be expected."
Kaito helped him onto his back and told him to hold on tightly as he climbed the emergency ladder to the roof of the building. The little boy didn't know what he expected when Kaito strapped them together and threw himself from the roof. He squeaked because he wasn't expecting it and he could feel the vibrations of Kaito's laughter in his chest after he opened the glider and they were soaring through the air.
Conan didn't have to pretend as he marveled at the view below him. He watched as they passed the buildings that sparkled in the darkness.
He was actually disappointed because they reached the agency so quickly. Kaito landed on the roof and unhooked the small detective from him and let him down.
"Thank you for accompanying me on this delightful night, Meitantei," Kaito bowed and Conan stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"It was really nice," Conan smiled, "thank you. I'm glad I was able to see you in such a comfortable atmosphere."
Kaito knelt down to his level and tilted his chin just enough so that the light of the waxing gibbous reflected from his blue eyes. The boy looked away uncomfortably after only a moment and Kaito chuckled before he pressed a light kiss to Conan's forehead.
"Until next time, Meitantei."
When he looked back up, Kaito was gone. He looked around and sighed, "leave me to do the hard work of getting back down."
"Conan-kun! Where have you been? I've been worried sick!" Ran scolded him the moment he came through the door. A ladder had been conveniently placed on the side of the building to help him get down but it also meant he had to go in through the front door and face Ran's worried wrath.
He waved his arms as he tried to come up with an excuse and a card fell from his sleeve. He reached down to pick it up and read the text.
I figured you'd need this for your excuse.
On the back, another card was adhered with weak adhesive so it could be removed easily and on it, was the heist note, with a target, a time, written in code and the date which read June 20th.
"Are you listening, Conan-kun?"
"I'm sorry Ran-nee-chan," he apologized in his pitiful kid voice, "it was Kaitou KID. That package you gave me, it had a note addressed to me inside and he asked me to meet him. So I went and he gave me the heist note." He separated the two cards and handed her the heist note.
"Oh, Conan-kun, why didn't you say something? We could have taken the note to the police," she sighed.
"He said that if I did that he would have just taken the jewel and not returned it so I had to come alone. It's okay. I would rather that than him just steal it right? And," the boy looked down at the ground pitifully for good measure, "it's been so boring being stuck inside. I just wanted to go outside. I'm sorry for sneaking out."
"You should have told me at least, I was so worried about you," she hugged him tightly, "how about we go out together to the police station tomorrow to deliver the note?"
"Okay," Conan smiled and he wrapped his arms around her back, savoring it.