SailorStar9: With Chapter 208 uploaded, I present Chapter 209 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?

Disclaimers: I do not own Sailor Moon or Detective Conan, I only own this plotline and the pairing.

Pairing: Established!Furuya Rei/Mizuno Ami

Chapter 209: The Akabeko and the Three Lucky Men

Time passes...

"Thank you for coming to my exhibition today." Bekobe Motoko greeted the gathered crowd at the ceremony in front of the New Beika Modern Art Museum. "Please enjoy the world of akabeko art I've created to your hearts' content."

In the museum...

"Someone help!" a cry was heard. "Someone come quick. It's Bekobe-san!"

Conan hurried into Bekobe's resting room to find her on the floor, a strangulation mark around her neck and a half-written word in blood beside her head. "It's no use." he informed Ran and Sonoko. "She's dead."

After Megure's team was called in...

"The victim is Bekobe Mokoto-san." Chiba reported. "Real name Inaba Mokoto-san, 34 years old. Her profession is akabeko artist. This show is an exhibition of her work which just opened today at the New Beika Modern Art Museum."

"And you just happened to be at the scene of the murder again?" Takagi sighed, turning to Conan, Ran and Sonoko.

"The cause of death is strangulation." Ami made her report. "The mark around her neck indicates she was strangled with something, but we haven't identified the weapon just yet."

"In her left hand is an akabeko." Chiba noted, spotting the pink polka-dotted akabeko. "And written next to her right hand are letter spelling out 'fuku'."

"A dying message." Takagi realized.

"The culprit must be someone with 'fuku' in their name." Sonoko concluded.

"About that..." Ami started.

"The thing is, we questioned people in the area and learned those three may have had issues with Bekobe-san." Chiba informed, showing Sonoko the three suspects they singled out. "First, there's the dancer, Fukui Junya-san, her ex-boyfriend and the one who discovered the body. To his left, is Fukumoto Toshiharu-san, the head of Bekobe-san's office. He's been her business partner long before she became famous. The last person is akabeko craftsman, Fukura Hajime-san. They once worked together at the same workshop when Bekobe-san was a student."

After having stopped Fukura from destroying Bekobe's centerpiece, Conan was struck by inspiration by one of Sonoko's sentences. Reviewing the evidence in his mind, he realized who the culprit was. Needing to find concrete evidence, he had Chiba go to Bekobe's apartment unit using Sonoko's name. He also had Takagi open Fukumoto's blog and found the photo he was searching for.

"Don't be ridiculous." Fukura protested. "I didn't do it."

"Everyone, we've gathered you here, so..." Takagi started.

"So that I, high school girl detective, Suzuki Sonoko, can solve the case." Conan mimicked Sonoko's voice. Taking the slight distraction, he tranquilized Sonoko. "There are two keys to this case. The first is the dying message. The second is the weapon used to kill the victim. An akabeko in her left hand, the letter 'fuku' by her right. If we directly interpret the akabeko Bekobe-san was holding, it would seem to indicate akabeko craftsman Fukura-san. However, that akabeko was a key item for converting her dying message. Bekobe-san ran out of strength after writing only 'fuku', making it more difficult to decipher her indirect message that used a special meaning for the akabeko. Akabeko has another meaning; sometimes the same word has a different meaning when you go to another place. Then what does akabeko mean in the Fukuoka dialect, Fukumoto Toshiharu-san, the real culprit? If I recall correctly, an akabeko is a red loincloth. I had Detective Chiba look into it. It seems that you and Bekobe-san had been living together for a long time."

"I didn't do it." Fukumoto insisted.

"Then why did Bekobe-san leave the dying message 'red loincloth' in Fukuoka dialect?" Conan questioned. "Everyone, please remove your pants."

"What does this prove?" Fukumoto laughed. "We're all wearing loincloths."

"What's this?" Takagi was shocked to see Fukumoto's extra-long loincloth roll out.

"Your loincloth is exceptionally long." Conan pointed out. "It looks long enough to use for other purposes."

"That loincloth is the weapon?" Chiba gaped in disbelief. "I found it." he peered closely at the back of the loincloth. "It's small, but there's what looks like a bloodstain."

"It's her fault." Fukumoto confessed. "I originally came up with the concept of akabeko art ten years ago. She was an attractive woman from Fukuoka; rather than doing it myself, I knew it'd a success if we promoted her, so I proposed the idea. I was right and we were successful. Things began to go according to plan and we started making a lot of money. We were supposed to get married and share everything together, but... then she betrayed me. At some point, she signed a contract without my knowledge and started a new business. When I questioned her about it, she told me akabeko art belonged to her. She betrayed me, so I taught her a lesson."

Sometime later...

"Long time no see, Ijuuin-senpai." Usagi greeted her former high school senior, having bumped into her in a department store.

"Tsukino-san, how have you been?" Ijuuin Sonoko returned. "I'm actually getting married."

Married? Usagi twitched. Why is it that even my high school senpai is happy?

"Will you come to the wedding ceremony, too, Tsukino-san?" Ijuuin offered.

"Sure..." Usagi answered. "I can't wait to see my highly respected senpai on your big day." still, that happy expression on IIjuuin-senpai's face pisses me off. She huffed, slurping down her iced cappuccino in a nearby coffeeshop. I'm not comfortable with attending a wedding as it is. I just thought of a great idea. She grinned. I should just take her partner away from her. Men are so attracted by my charms.

Two weeks later at Ijuuin's wedding...

Ijuuin was about to put on her bridal veil when her cellphone rang. "Tsukino-san?" she recognized the voice from the other end of the line. "Why haven't you arrived at the wedding venue yet?"

"Seriously, you're so dull." Usagi mocked. "Haven't you noticed, senpai? Kajino is not there yet, right? Kajino and I will become a couple now. I'm with him right now. How unfortunate of you; your man picked me."

"Tsukino-san, where are you right now?" Ijuuin demanded.

"Do you want to know?" Usagi smirked. "Actually, I'm in a hotel in front of the station. He said he will marry me. I even got an engagement ring just now. I guess it can't be helped, because I'm younger and much prettier than you. I guess Kajino-san understands I'm a much better woman than you are."

"I'm sorry for being late." Kajino flung the door open to the preparation room. "Sorry to keep you waiting. I'm sorry, Sonoko."

"I thought you were staying with Tsukino-san?" Ijuuin was confused. "I received a call from Tsukino-san that you were with her. Tsukino-san, are you really with Kajino?" she resumed the call.

"How many times do I have to tell you, senpai?" Usagi sneered. "You don't want to accept reality."

"It's not Kajino who's with you." Ijuuin informed. "He's actually here right now."

"That's impossible." Usagi was stunned. "Then who is the man I am with now? Who are you?" she turned to her new lover. "You are not Kajino?"

"Usako, you even wrote a love letter like that." the red-haired man, Maeda Kenji and Ijuuin's stalker, cooed. "You're interested in me. And thanks for the brand new watch."

"Get away from me." Usagi shivered.

SailorStar9: Any OOC-ness is regretted. *Sighs* Don't you just hate plot bunnies sometimes? Read and review.