File Twenty-Nine: The Worst Luck Ever

Nothing.

It didn't matter where he looked ─ newspapers, testimonies, articles on the web, TV reports ─ he found nothing. There was basically nothing about that case he hadn't heard before.

Even if he had been researching for hours, even declining his friends' invitation to go play soccer in the park so he could get home early. He had barely put his bag on the floor before sitting on the table to begin searching for more clues.

Because there had to be something out there he had missed. Anything.

His hand hurt a lot after writing non-stop for such a long amount of time. His wristwatch lied somewhere on the table, after taking it off ─ at some point, it had become uncomfortable to have it on.

Looking down at his scribbles on his notebook made Conan want to groan in frustration, bang his head against the table until realization came into his mind suddenly.

Knowing that, as his luck would have it, he would only manage to give himself a nasty concussion instead of a sense of enlightenment, he scrolled down even more on the internet search on his mobile phone.

Then his screen suddenly froze. Come on, he sighed in his mind, burying his head on his arms. Could my luck get any worse?

"I'm home!"

With a muffled yelp Conan flipped his phone close and flipped the page on his notebook over, quickly scribbling something down before replying. "Welcome back," he said, rushedly, without even looking up.

He successfully hid the newspapers he had been looking at inside his math book.

"What are you doing?" his brother peered over his shoulder to see, curiously. "Math?"

"Your observation skills are impressive, Oniichan."

"It just that... It's weird to see you this focused in your homework," Shinichi commented, rolling his eyes. "Do you need any help?"

"No need," Conan said with a smile. "It's not that difficult, really. It just that it's simply too much. I missed more than two entire weeks of school, after all."

"Ah, of course," his brother commented, laughing a bit to himself. Of course Conan wouldn't find schoolwork difficult, that little know-it-all.

He was confused, however, when Conan suddenly stood up, taking his math book and notebook with him. "I'm doing this in the library," he decided. "It's too noisy with you here."

Shinichi's eyebrow twitched. "Hey..."

Conan said nothing in return and just left the room, leaving his brother to sigh, passing his hand through his hair. Really, what's wrong with that kid? he wondered, still staring at the hallway, where Conan had just disappeared from. He's such a brat sometimes... Most of the time, actually.

He began to walk towards his room to put his things away, until he tripped on something. Luckily, however, he was able to catch himself before landing face-first into the floor. What did...? upon noticing the little school bag on the floor, Shinichi couldn't help but shake his head. Kids, a fond sigh escaped him. I wonder why they are all so messy...

Glancing at the table, Shinichi realized his little brother had forgotten some of his stuff on top of the table, so he began to gather the books that have been scattered around when his eyes fell on the wristwatch lying on there.

Curiosity washing over him, he held it on his hand. Huh, pretty neat, he noted, examining it a little bit. When I was his age I had, what, a bright blue one? It looked definitely more childish, that's for sure.

Upon further inspection, Shinichi noticed something peculiar about this watch. Four red triangles on the border and a cross in the middle. Hey, hey, the teen blinked. Why does this look like a targeting screen?

Absentmindedly his finger went to the tiny switch and pressed it. He was startled when the lid suddenly flipped open. What the-?! he screamed inside his mind, walking around the room while watching everything through the lid. Wait a second, it actually is a targeting screen! he realized, leaning slightly against the table, facing the doorway.

Then, what does it shoot?

So, he pushed the button again.

Just in time for Conan to appear through the door.

"Say, did you see my-?" panic crossed the child's face when he saw a needle shooting towards his way and immediately threw himself to the side.

The dart wheezed right past him, stabbing itself in the wall behind him, right where his head should have been.

An uncomfortable silence ensued.

Before, after a few seconds of processing what had just happened, Shinichi's eyes fell on his little brother.

Conan, in turn, grinned sheepishly.

It didn't have the result the child wanted, though.

"Conan!" the boy in question winced at that. "What is this?!"

"A wristwatch?" he offered, quickly making his way towards the table. He let out a frustrated sigh when his older brother stood right in front of him, blocking his way. "Come on, I don't have the time for this..."

The child tried to walk past him, only to get interrupted again, and groaned loudly with a frown.

Shinichi quirked an eyebrow at that. Conan actually looked pretty frustrated and irritated, as if he was actually in a hurry, which prompted his older brother to wonder why he would act like that. He came back because he had forgotten something, and I have his watch on my hand, then he realized. His phone... Why would he be in such a hurry to retrieve it?

So, without him realizing, Shinichi grabbed the phone on top of the table, hiding his actions from the younger boy with his own body.

"I'm waiting, Conan," Shinichi said to him, tapping his foot against the wooden floor.

Deciding he had no way out of this, the child sighed heavily. "It's a wristwatch alright... With an anesthetic dart inside," he confessed. "Professor Agasa made it for me."

"What for?" Shinichi frowned.

"You know, I..." he shrugged. "I attract trouble... and death quite a lot. So Professor Agasa thought it would be best if I had a way to protect myself."

"At this point I don't really know if you attract trouble or just ran towards it."

Conan scoffed. "What makes you think I-?"

"I heard a few interesting things at school this morning," the child was a bit confused at the change of topic, until his brother continued. "I was shocked to find of that Ran's father, who has been a lousy detective ever since I can remember, now is quite a famous, efficient and respected one. "

"Well, Occhan has certainly became brighter than before," the child moved away from his brother, and went to search for his lost item. "Maybe he experienced a sudden enlightenment, or something."

Shinichi's eyes narrowed. "And Sonoko, Sonoko for crying out loud, is now known as Deduction Queen Sonoko in our school," he stressed out. "Everybody in school teased me all day, telling me that she would one day surpass me, including Sonoko ─ especially her."

The little boy paused momentarily at that. "Really...?" that was all he could say, aware that it has been him secretly aiding her in a few more cases after that night at the villa.

"Ran told me you had been acting as Sonoko's little assistant."

At this point, Conan couldn't argue anymore. Not when Shinichi was giving him that knowing look he would give those he would interrogate after he had pushed them into a corner.

So he had no other option but to settle with an honest answer. "Can't really look the other way when Occhan pins every single murder as suicide," he shrugged. "Especially when the police seem to agree with him regardless the stupidity of his theory."

Shinichi's eyes opened. "So it really has been you guiding them!" he exclaimed, then smiling a little when Conan blushed a bit, clearly embarrassed. "It must have been hard, huh?"

Well, to be honest, he wasn't expecting that kind of reaction for his part. He expected him to be scolding him, but he seemed a bit... interested?

He guessed he should have expected it. His brother was weird.

"When a murder happens, at least Sonoko-neechan actually knows I'm helping her, even if she doesn't realize I'm the one practically solving the case," he rolled his eyes. "Occhan just thinks I'm pointing at random stuff and that, coincidentally, is relevant to the case. It makes things harder when he kicks me out the crime scene."

"To be fair, children shouldn't be hanging around dead bodies."

"Dad took you to lots of crime scenes when you were my age."

"Dad doesn't exactly fit in the definition of responsible parent."

"Point taken."

Shinichi watched Conan shrug, then continue looking for his missing item, before frowning a bit when he found it gone. Before he could say something, his older brother beat him to it.

"But wouldn't it be easier if you... I don't know, used this watch to knock them him out and then, with the voice-changer bowtie you used this morning, pretend you're them?"

The look the child gave him caused Shinichi to realize that clearly wasn't the saner idea that had ever escaped from his lips.

"People would definitely know if somebody is asleep in front of them. Not to say, it would be pretty weird if they saw somebody magically speaking without their mouth moving," Conan's eyebrow raised at that. "I don't think anyone would just believe that Occhan and Sonoko-neechan suddenly know ventriloquism."

"... Well... I think you have a point there," he laughed, awkwardly, scratching the back of his head.

"Besides, how would Occhan explain what happened at the case hearing when he hadn't actually done a thing?"

"Okay, okay, I got it. I wasn't really thinking..."

"Do you ever think when you're outside a case?"

"... Give me a break, you-"

"Anyway, have you seen my phone?" Conan ignored him. "I was pretty sure I left it here, but..."

Shinichi pretended to glance over the table, while keeping the object in question hidden behind his hand. "Ah," he suddenly said. "Now that I think about it, I might have heard something falling when I bumped into the table, after suddenly firing a dart out of nowhere."

"What? Oh, no, not again..." he whined, as he crouched under the table.

As soon as the little one's eyes were off him the older detective pulled the phone from behind his back and flipped it open. The screen had frozen in the last thing Conan had been doing before closing it, so he didn't need to know the password.

Shinichi's eyes widened. Conan had been reading an article about an accident that had happened more than a year ago.

"... the only victim was head doctor, Watanabe Satoshi..."

"... It's not here either..."

Shinichi flipped the phone close just in time to see his brother standing up. "Ah, found it," the older one said, handing him the device. "Sorry, I didn't see it behind your books."

With an annoyed grunt, Conan accepted the phone. He didn't notice the concerned look on Shinichi's eyes as he left, without any further word.

At least, until he stopped in the doorway. "Ah, Oniichan?"

"Huh?"

"A few months after you left, Ran-neechan came here to clean the house," he told him. "And she said something weird..."

"Weird? How so?"

"She told me she had to throw the orchid in Dad's desk because it had withered away," he said, with a knowing look. "Wasn't it supposed to be a petunia?"

Conan didn't expect, however, the genuine shock that crossed Shinichi's face. The older boy didn't say anything and eventually the child left.

Not without glancing back at his brother one last time. He was stroking his chin, deep in thought.

"You want me to... what?"

"Please, could you please have dinner at Professor Agasa's tonight?" his brother pleaded, with a sheepish smile on his face. "This... This is pretty important."

"Oh? What is this?" a teasing smirk crossed Conan's face. "Did you finally ask Ran-neechan out?"

"... How did you know?"

"You're blushing like a fangirl who just saw his idol glancing at her."

Shinichi only blushed harder, looking away from his little brother's knowing eyes, eyebrows twitching in annoyment. Conan just laughed, loudly, at him, embarrassing Shinichi even further.

"So? Where are you taking her?"

"... Beika Center Building's observation restaurant."

Conan blinked a bit. "Wait a minute... Isn't the place where Mom and Dad...?"

"Yeah," he nodded, curtly, ignoring the shocked look on his brother's eyes. "Don't get the wrong idea, Conan. I just wanted to eat there."

"... Sure..."

"Why does it look like you don't believe me?"

"Because I don't," he stated, not even bothering to change his expression a little biy. "I'm calling Professor Agasa right now, though, don't worry."

"Gee, thanks."

Conan's hand went to the phone, but hesitated for some reason. At the sight of it, Shinichi's annoyed facade faltered, and was replaced by confusion. Before he could ask what was wrong, the young boy spoke. "Just make sure to return home safely this time around, alright?"

Shinichi smiled a little bit as well.

"Of course."

When he had called Professor Agasa, it had been Haibara the one to answer, claiming that the old professor had been showering at that very moment. So, the child had told her everything instead.

He hadn't expected her to pause for a moment, then tell him: "Sorry, something came up and the Professor and I won't be home tonight."

Conan hadn't thought much about it and told her he would just go to Kogoro's house and cook something there ─ the man would argue, but he firmly believed Ran would side up with him so no worries there.

When he had decided to tell his brother all that, however, he paused. He saw Shinichi, dressed in an elegant pale blue jacket and black shirt, putting on a fancy fedora hat. There was a serious look on his face, as he adjusted the latter in front of the mirror.

He's so serious... Wait is he really...?

So he didn't say anything about Agasa not being home. Just wished him good luck and watched him leave through the front door.

Before grabbing his skateboard and leaving as well.

Surely, Kogoro didn't expect to see the kid again, so soon, making his way inside his office as if he owned the place. But he was there, standing right in front of him, skateboard under his arm and a determined look on his face.

"I need you to drive me to Beika Center Building's observation restaurant."

"Huh? Why would I-?"

"Because that's where my brother took Ran-neechan for dinner... Also, where my father proposed to my mother."

He didn't need to be asked twice. Roughly ten minutes later, Kogoro was watching the kid stepping out his rental car inside the parking lot.

Conan wasn't sure what he was doing, even as he hesitantly stepped inside the restaurant. Looking around the place, Conan couldn't help but gape in amazement. He definitely stole Dad's credit card, he decided. There's no way his allowance could afford... all this.

If he still has an allowance, that's it.

"Hello there," he flinched a tiny bit at the sound of a woman's voice. Turning around, he came face to face to a waitress, smiling at him in such a way people would do to an innocent, young child. "Are you looking for someone, little one?"

He cutely shook his head, a matching sweet smile crossing his face. "My parents are over there, don't worry," he pointed to a random direction before running away.

Soon, he managed to get away that woman's curious eyes by going around the corner and then hiding under a random table, close to a window. If she sees me here without any adult around she might start to wonder, he said to himself. I just need to stay here until nobody...

He winced, visibly, when a pair sat on the table he had been hiding under. Just my luck.

"Are you sure it's okay? This place looks expensive."

Conan's eyes opened, widely. That's Ran-neechan's voice. Don't tell me I actually managed to...?

"Don't worry about it," it was his brother, he realized. "I brought my dad's credit card."

The child couldn't really tell if hiding under the same table their date was taking place was good or bad luck. What are the chances, really?

At least he was in a good position to overhear what they were saying. He had come here, after all, to figure out what his brother was thinking ─ because he definitely wasn't stalking them, or meddling with their love life either. He was simply curious, just that, because he was a detective.

"You careless brat."

"Silly. If anything, my parents were careless... leaving the country for fun and abandoning their sons at home."

"Like you're the one to talk," Ran accused him lightly. "Weren't you the one who left Conan-kun alone at home?"

The detective seemed to wince at those words, then pause for a moment. He recovered a few seconds later and let out a terribly fake, humorless chuckle.

"It's... It's not that I wanted to, you know."

Conan could basically hear the regret weighing down his voice and it made him frown slightly. He knew Shinichi had no other choice but to leave, yet that didn't mean he disliked the fact any less.

Yeah, because of the Black Organization...

Because Shinichi had been, most likely, involved with them.

He stopped the thought there, because he didn't like were this was going.

"So," Ran spoke up, probably wanted to dissipate the tense atmosphere she had created without meaning to. "What did you want to tell me about?"

"A-Ah... What I want to say is..." Shinichi trailed off, hesitant.

"Well?" Ran pressed, smiling at him.

Well? Conan straightened himself, anxiety gnawing at him.

"What I want to tell you is..." Shinichi fidgeted nervously.

As he shifted, Conan felt his brother's leg accidentally bumping into his shoulder. Which, naturally, caused the child to freeze and close his eyes shut, hoping with all his might that he would notice...

But then Shinichi suddenly stopped talking and casually said:

"Ah, sorry."

Please, don't ask why.

"Sorry for what?"

... Of course.

"Huh? I just kicked you..."

"Are you sure you didn't just kick the table?"

"No way, that's not possible," he commented.

And the child panicked a bit, because he knew his brother was right. The legs of this table were positioned on each edge of it, so there was absolutely no possibility of them being right in front of him.

Conan's head popped out from under the table and wildly looked around for a way to escape. He noticed a waitress passing by with a trolley and, without anybody noticing, slipped under the tablecloth.

Just in time for his brother to take a curious look at his feet and Ran to yell at him, angrily, calling him a pervert in a very loud voice. As the trolley carried him away, Conan chuckled, amused, when he heard Shinichi's lame attempts to explain himself.

Swiftly he jumped off the trolley as it passed by a darkened hallway and bolted before anyone could spot him. I need to buy time until I figure what to do next, he thought, calling the lift, clearing ignoring the fact that he could easily read the sign that said 'Use for Employees Only'.

He simply waited for the doors to close and leaned against the wall in the corner of the elevator closest to the entrance, sighing tiredly. Now, what should I do? he thought to himself. There should be a way to leave this place without gathering more attention...

If I go down, people will notice I'm using this elevator, even if I'm not allowed to, and would be in big trouble. If I just leave through the front door, people will wonder why a little child is leaving without their parents so late into the night... Not to say that Ran-neechan could spot me. I definitely don't want to be in the receiving end of her karate...

And the way to the parking lot is in the other side, so calling Occhan is not an option. If I just call him, he would also cross paths with Ran-neechan and...

Conan sighed again, clueless of what to do next.

Then, he heard steps heading closer.

"I'm not feeling well today," somebody said. His voice was getting closer. "Just tell everyone to continue supporting our company."

To his surprise, the door of the lift opened beside him and a man stepped inside. "Well," he said to whoever was on the other side ─ Conan couldn't see from his spot. "Say 'hi' to everyone for me."

And the doors closed once more.

Conan did not move, his mind running for an answer for the question that was probably going to be asked any second now...

"Ah, I didn't see you there, little boy. What are you doing here?"

"Shh!" Conan hushed, his index finger right in front of his lips. "I'm playing hide and seek with my friends."

"Oh, is that so?" the man smiled at him. "Maybe you should hide somewhere else. This is for employees use only."

"Aw, is that so?" the boy pouted childishly. "I really liked this place."

The man chuckled at him. "Maybe I can make an exception for you," he offered. "Just this time around."

"Really?" he did his best to play the role of an excited child. "Thank you!"

"Don't worry," he nodded. "I'm hiding as well, after all."

Conan blinked. "Eh? Aren't you too old to play hide and seek?" he asked, even if he was curiously looking at the way he was unbuttoning his shirt.

"I want to surprise a few friends," he explained. "That's why I'm hiding here until the time is right."

"Oh," he nodded, then gave him a bright smile with his eyes closed. "I see... That sounds fun!"

There was a loud sound, similar to that of crackers going off, and felt something splattering on his face, causing him to open his eyes, feeling confused. Then, they widened in horror when he saw the man from before, slumped against the wall.

With a hole on the middle of his forehead, blood everywhere, including his own face ─ if the red spots on his glasses were something to go by.

Dimly, he noticed that the door had opened, yet he just stood there, quietly. Luckily for him, there were no mirrors in the elevator, making the place where he currently was at a blind spot for whoever had shot that man.

He didn't move. Going for a peek was a dumb ─ practically suicidal ─ option.

So, he just waited for the doors to close again. Once they did, he inched closer to them.

"Hey," he could hear a woman talking. "The party just started."

"Right on time at 8:30 PM," there was a male voice. "But before the party, here's a present."

For a moment, Conan did not understand why they were acting so casually. He even glanced at the floor number and, indeed, they were still in the same floor.

Probably the killer, whoever they are, is creating an alibi.

"Ah! What is it?"

"It's like the piercings you're wearing right now. A pink pearl necklace."

Pink? his eyes sharpened at that.

"Thank you!"

"This is nothing," then, his warm, tender voice shifted to a cold, murderous tone. Conan even had the chills when he heard. "Today I ensured that memorable day for you."

It was a wonder how that woman hadn't suspected anything at that point.

As things were now, however, Conan stayed there, alone with the dead body in such a small elevator, feeling the scent of blood beginning to impregnate the air and fill his nostrils, to the point of actually making him feel nauseated. Even so, he did not leave. He waited for a few minutes after he heard the footsteps heading away.

Only then, he called the police.

Upon leaving the elevator, he came face to face with two other ladies and a man, who gasped at the sight of the red liquid splattered on his face, then screamed loudly when they saw the corpse behind him.

This will be hard to explain.

A/N:

ajjr12: Yeah, it was Countdown to Heaven, right? I haven't seen it in a long while, so I seriously need to see it again soon. About Ran, I have something planned for her in the future, but it might take a while for it to happen.

Dy: Amuro will eventually appear in this story. I like him too much to just forget about him XD