SailorStar9: So, with Chapter 116 uploaded, this is Chapter 117 of this fic. (Sighs) Guys and girls, is it too hard for you to leave a review, instead of just putting this fic up on your favorited list and story alerts?
Pairings: Established!Furuya Rei (Amuro Tooru)/Mizuno Ami
Disclaimers: I own absolutely nothing, except this plot and pairing.
Chapter 117: The Spark That Fell on the Ranch, Part Two
In the Hatoyama Ranch basement...
"A meteorite?" Kobayashi-sensei echoed. "The three men riding on the bus with us came here to look for a meteorite?"
"There was a hole in the wall of the chicken coop and a filled-in spot on the ground in front of it because someone filled in the hole made when the meteorite broke through the wall and struck the ground." Conan explained. "The large number of burnt branches and the long ditch Ayumi-chan saw proves it. Normally, when a meteorite falls, it forms a crater. But if the meteorite was small and something changed the angle of its trajectory when it fell, that would explain why it broke numerous branches as it passed through the woods and created a long ditch until it stuck in the ground."
"Then, that video the large man was watching inside the bus was..." Mitsuhiko gaped.
"Probably a video of the meteorite falling that had been uploaded to the internet." Conan nodded. "If there was a voice confusing the meteorite for a bottle rocket, whoever uploaded it probably didn't realize what it was. For meteorite hunters, on the other hand, it's a treasure map. If the location where the video was taken was uploaded as well, then they can search for the meteorite."
"Meteorites are treasures?" Ayumi was confused.
"It depends on the type and size of the meteorite." Amuro took over. "Apparently, some have been valued at tens of millions or even a hundred million. Generally speaking, meteors are finders keepers. Judging by their behavior on the bus, the large man is a meteor hunter in it for the money. The skinny man is a writer for an astronomy magazine. The old man with glasses is a scientist researching meteorites."
"Then, what does that meteorite have with us being locked in here?" Kazami inquired.
"It's up to them to figure it out." Amuro looked up.
With Wakasa-sensei's group...
"Edogawa-kun, can you hear me?" Haibara contacted Conan via the Detective Badge. "We snuck into the ranch office and are standing above the basement door. There's a large padlock on it. I doubt we'll be able to open it."
"What about a phone?" Conan inquired from the other end. "Is there a phone there?"
"We found three in the next room." Fumio replied. "But they all seem to be disconnected."
"Is there a journal or notebook nearby?" Conan pressed.
"All the stuff's probably on the computer on the desk." Haibara answered, noting the lack of paperwork. "There's also a bunch of things around the floor. It's gloomy in here since it's evening."
"I'll turn on the lights." Genta reached for the light switch.
"Don't turn on the lights." Conan snapped. "The man who locked us down here could be watching from somewhere. If you turn on the lights, he'll know someone is in the office."
"It's hard to search the office with only our watch lights when it's so dark out." Haibara was using her watch's flashlight to look around."
"Then, start by closing the curtains." Conan instructed. "Does anyone have any bottled water or milk?" he asked.
"I have mineral water." Wakasa-sensei replied.
"I've got milk." Genta added.
"First, add a little milk to the water and mix them well by shaking." Conan dictated. "Then, place the bottle on top of your watch-light."
"Wow." Genta exclaimed, the office was lit up.
"I see." Fumio nodded. "The Tyndall effect."
"The what?" Genta blinked.
"Tyndall effect." Fumio went into lecture mode. "It occurs due to the properties of light; when light is shone through water with milk particles scattered, the light is diffused and making it brighter."
"You're definitely a Public Security Bureau officer's kid." Haibara remarked. "The objects scattered across the floor are documents relating to meteorites." she related. "Someone stepped on a highlighter. There's ink everywhere."
"Is that highlighter yellow?" Conan inquired.
"How did you guess?" Fumio was surprised.
"If it's been stepped on and the ink had been spilled, does that mean there are footprints?" Conan pressed.
"These look like..." Fumio peered closely at the footprints. "Hiking boots. And they're all over the documents on the floor."
"There's also a dent in the floor tiles as though someone hit them with someone." Haibara added.
"Could it be this rock under the desk?" Fumio reached under the table and retrieved the stone.
"There's a weird rock over here, too." Wakasa-sensei noted.
"It's a perfect match." Fumio blinked when Wakasa-sensei pieced the two rocks together.
"Isn't that a meteorite?" Mitsuhiko asked excitedly.
"Haibara, do you have a magnet?" Conan asked.
"I have a compass." Haibara replied.
"Put that next to the rock." Conan spoke.
"It's fake." Fumio reported, seeing the compass needle remained still.
"Now that I look closely, I can see the color has chipped away in a few places on this rock." Wakasa-sensei remarked.
"Most likely, someone colored it to make it look like a meteorite." Fumio reasoned.
"Normally it would make sense to assume it was the ranch owner who was under such financial distress that he had to sell the ranch." Haibara mused.
"But there are tons of magnets on the desk." Genta pointed out. "Why all the magnets when it's fake?"
In the Hatoyama Ranch basement...
"Maybe someone swapped it out." Kazami suggested. "The ranch owner found a meteorite and had it appraised by an expert, but he was told it was an ordinary rock when it was later returned to him. The ranch owner insisted that wasn't possible, but the expert ignored him. That's probably when the highlighter fell and was stepped on. When he took a closer look at the meteorite that had been returned, he noticed it had been colored. Realizing he'd been scammed, the ranch owner killed himself in his despair."
With Wakasa-sensei's group...
"We've got trouble." Haibara reported. "There are four lights heading through the woods. It looks like that man is headed towards that spot with the three men."
"Haibara, are there blue and red permanent markers and cellophane tape in the office" Conan inquired. "You guys are gonna make something for me."
In the forest...
"It's the man we met this afternoon." Haibara noted, stopping Umisuke from enacting his plan.
"What are you doing here?" Wakasa-sensei asked.
"We came to give you this." Haibara handed Umisuke her Detective Badge.
"Oji-san, don't you want to avenge your brother who was conned out of a meteorite?" Conan's voice sounded from the other end. "Take a look at the ranch building. You should be able to see us from there. We've already escaped and called the police. I've got something I want to discuss with you. Don't you want to know who tricked your brother before the police arrive?"
"If you know who it is, then tell me." Umisuke demanded.
"Remember the footprints on the floor of the ranch office made when someone stepped on and broke the highlighter?" Conan prompted. "Those were probably the footprints of whoever conned your brother out of the meteorite. If you shine the brown-haired girls blacklight on it, the sections stained with ink will glow. You'll need water, too. Get the three of them to kneel and shine the light on the soles of their feet."
"So, it's you." Umisuke snarled, locating the conman. He was about to activate the ignition device using his phone when Wakasa-sensei grabbed his hand and dunked it into the pail of water she prepared. "It's true that I can no longer use the explosives. But I can still beat him to death. Now that I know the man who conned my brother out of the meteorite was you." he pointed to Nanbu. "My brother said in his message to me that he was trying to sell that meteorite so he could restore the ranch, but you broke it."
"I'll return the meteorite." Nanbu stammered.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Umisuke snapped, slapping Nanbu. "My brother killed himself.
"I'm a professional kickboxer, though." Kanou slammed Umisuke into a tree with an elbow strike.
SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted, by the way. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Read and review.