File Ninety-Nine: Polaris and The Big Dipper
This couldn't be happening ─ no, it just couldn't be. Not now, at the very least. Of all times for Lady Luck to forget about me-
"Kaito? Are you home?" He cringed, leaning further against the door, suddenly very aware that the knocking wasn't stopping. "Hirai-kun?"
It truly was such bad timing, decided Kaito with a dry chuckle. Of all times she could've gone out of her way to visit them, it had to be when Kudo wasn't there, but running like a headless chicken around Beika to save his little brother who nobody was supposed to know about, but that They ─ capital 'T' ─ apparently knew about and-
Kaito forced his mind to stop there ─ and assured himself that he got the point already. Thank you very much.
"They got him, don't they?"
Kudo didn't even tear his gaze away from the phone to give him the confirmation Kaito truly didn't need. Simply remained silently still, as if he was nothing but a statue, while his eyes ─ empty, noticed the magician ─ lingered over his little brother's contact on the screen. Then, his grip on it visually tightened and a frown deeply carved into his features, teeth clenched as if trying to keep it together, but failing horribly.
Even if he could swear he had never seen him in such a way, Kaito couldn't bring himself to be surprised.
Kudo Shinichi, Great Detective of the East, known as Singani in the past, might be a lot of things, but he was still human, and definitely not invincible.
He had a weakness, and the Organization had finally found it.
So, Kaito took a deep breath, slapping a grin over his troubled frown. "So, shall we get going?"
Finally waking up from his stupor, Kudo gave him a questioning look.
"To Beika, obviously." He rolled his eyes. "Imagine having Hakuba covering the 'rival' spot in my heists instead of Tantei-kun ─ what a nightmare."
Slowly, confusion morphed to surprise, causing the magician to smirk, amused to no end about it, but other than that, he said nothing. Kudo then closed his eyes and sighed. "Thank you, Kuroba," he said.
"No sweat. Let's hurry or else-"
"But you're staying here." Kaito froze on his spot, not expecting to hear that. "I… need you to do something else for me."
The magician stared, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "What is it?"
"Just a little something..." For some reason, Kudo was scratching his cheek, a strained smile etching all over his face. "Something you might not like all that much, actually."
"He wasn't wrong," muttered the magician to himself, eyebrow twitching on its own accord. Of all things he could've asked me, he had to-
"AH! So you are there!" The girl outside had heard him ─ Kaito realized with a violent shuddering ─ and soon the knocking had turned into banging. "Kaito! Open up!"
Succumbing to his fate, the boy cried out. "I can't!" She paused, definitely puzzled at his response. "Right now I'm, uh… naked."
"Kaito, you're not naked."
"What do you know?"
"I've been knocking for nearly ten minutes now. You'd have put on something already if that was the case."
"... I could be."
"Goodness!" She sounded remarkably angry. Kaito cringed at the notion. "I swear, if you don't open the door right now, I'm kicking it down." Silence met her sentence. "So what are you going to do, Bakaito?!"
"Not paying up for a new door, that's for sure."
"You asked for it!"
If he let out a frightened shriek, Kaito wouldn't actually be all that surprised. Nakamori Aoko wasn't, by any means, a karate expert like that girl of the agency, so anyone would say, without a doubt, that it was impossible for her to succeed in such a feat, but Kaito would disagree ─ strongly disagree. Experience had long taught him that if that girl set her mind on something, she would do it.
So, naturally, he panicked. His instincts told him he should get away from the door he was leaning against, but he couldn't let her. The rather loud banging sound that followed right thereafter was enough, for less than a second, to make his determination falter ─ and his mind to consider if letting her in was really that bad…
No, I can't. He shook his head the moment it crossed his mind. It doesn't matter how much of a good plan Meitantei thinks this is, I just can't-
"What are you doing there?" Kaito's head whipped back to the front, allowing him to see the teenager raising an eyebrow back at him. When he said nothing, the person let out a snort. "Just get out of the way. You're looking rather ridiculous like that."
As in reply, the tip of the magician's lip twitched violently, glaring daggers at the arrogant smirk growing in front of his very own eyes. "Fine," he finally said with a scoff, stepping away from where he had been blocking the door. "But if this doesn't work out, don't blame me."
Offering him no further response, the teenager calmly opened the door to smile at the girl who, caught in the middle of preparing herself to actually break in, blinked owlishly.
"Hirai-kun," she said, clearly not expecting the door to open in a civilized manner.
"Forgive Kuroba-kun here," he said, smile still unwavering. "As you might be already aware of, he has the manners of a donkey and the audacity of a small kitten."
"Hey," interjected Kaito, looking thoroughly unsatisfied with it. "I'm still here."
"Believe me, I'm aware," replied Hirai without blinking, or even gracing him with a mere glance. "So, would you want to come in, Aoko-san?"
Hesitantly still, the girl nodded, then calmly walked inside when Hirai gracefully stepped aside to let her pass. On her way to the living room, she shot a glance towards Kaito, not failing to realize that, but not comprehending why either, he was scowling at Hirai. She wondered if something had happened ─ a fight, maybe?
"Say, Kaito." Kaito made a non-committal hum, not tearing his eyes away from the guy. "Why were you so scared?"
That got him to actually stare at her. Is she serious? He raised an eyebrow at the girl gazing innocently back at him, as if she hadn't tried to break his door just now.
"I'd say..." Hirai interrupted before Kaito even tried to reply. "He was just scared of what you would say to him after what happened this morning."
Aoko fell thoughtfully silent until her eyes opened widely. A gasp escaped her lips.
Did she seriously forget? mused Kaito to himself, dropping back to the couch.
"I didn't mean to frighten you, Aoko-san," Hirai continued. "I just got a call from my family in London. It was late there, so I was worried." He motioned to Kaito with his head, who snorted in return, looking away as if he was annoyed to no end by his mere presence. "Being the nosy guy he is, Kuroba-kun was desperate to know what was up."
"Then, is everything okay?"
"It was just an accidental call." Hirai's smile was so perfectly in place. Aoko stared at it for a moment more than necessary. "I believe my mother fell asleep with her phone and called me without meaning to."
"I see… It's such a relief." She nodded, a bright grin back in place. "I'm sure that if you explain it to the teacher, he'll let you both do it again. Hakuba-kun already has to, too, after he returns from London..." Her hands latched behind her back, head tilting lightly in confusion. "But shouldn't you two be studying right now?"
When both Hirai and Kaito flinched, her severe expression returned. "You two are hopeless," she sighed, turning back on her heels and back to the door. "Wait up. I'm going to fetch my things."
"Why?" Kaito raised an eyebrow. "If it's about that test, forget it. I'm not doing it."
"Midterms are coming close, you know!" She stopped at the door to look at her childhood friend. "It doesn't matter how clever you guys are, you're going to fail at this rate," she scolded lightly. "And that isn't happening, not on my watch."
"Wait, Aoko-"
The door closed just as he was about to try to stop her. "That girl..." he moaned, dropping back into the cushions. "She really does as she pleases, doesn't she?"
Hirai gave him a long look before he snorted. "Do you really consider yourself suitable to emit such a comment?"
"Look, if it was up to me, you wouldn't even take a step inside this house, Hakuba."
It didn't seem to bother Hakuba, it even amused him. "Is there something you want to hide from me, Kuroba-kun?" He smirked widely when the magician scoffed, muttering something about 'KID' under his breath, that he paid no attention to. "Kudo-kun was right, I'll have to admit," he said, gaze dropping to his arms, taking into the darker tone with a pleased smirk. "You're rather talented when it comes to disguises."
"I learned that from my dad," he said, crossing his arms behind his head. "He was an incredible magician. But I'm sure you knew that already."
"He was probably the best," admitted Hakuba. "Not even KID would compare to him."
Kaito didn't reply to that.
"Though, something like this…" He motioned to his entire body. "Is something KID would easily accomplish, isn't it?"
"Beats me. Probably."
The sharp, knowing look the detective shot at him, and that the magician averted right away, only served to confirm that Meitantei had been right ─ he wasn't enjoying this at all. That guy, he thought, frowning profusely. I'd be grateful if he stopped getting detectives inside my home. Any other time, he would have been strongly against it ─ change his house's lock and shut himself in until that insane idea would vanish into nothing.
Though this time around, Kaito felt like he could overlook it.
I wonder how it's going. His frown had smoothed out. Leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees, Kaito's gaze fell to the ground. I wonder how Tantei-kun is doing.
He has to be okay. The young magician rested his chin on his hands and sighed, allowing his eyes to close. He is Tantei-kun, after all.
Shaking his head, Kaito rose back to his feet, deciding that thinking about it would not be of any help. Maintaining an ordinary routine, that had been what Kudo had entrusted him before leaving. Act as if nothing has happened at all.
That was probably the hardest task Kudo could have ever asked him, decided as he paced back to his room to recover his textbooks before Aoko could get there. Because, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop those thoughts from drifting back, over and over again.
Along with the small voice at the back of his head that told him he should be doing something more.
Sawamura Shun was quite the friendly person, reaffirmed Shinichi inside his mind as stepped away from his apartment, thanking him profusely for his help.
He had appeared at the right time, too, right when Shinichi had thought of leaving. The detective had been knocking at Mizutani Kousuke's door for long enough to appreciate the messy writing on the sign in front of his apartment ─ which was, probably, around five whole minutes. Then, Shun had stepped out, informing him that Mizutani wasn't home.
"Wait a second," he had said, once he had taken a good look at the face under the hood. "Aren't you that famous high school detective, Kudo Shinichi?"
At first, Shinichi had nearly panicked at the notion of someone recognizing him ─ which, come to think of it, was something he should have expected, since he had been quite known around Tokyo back in the day ─ but was quickly assured that he would keep it quiet when Shinichi said it was a confidential investigation.
He was quite the agreeable guy, too ─ Shinichi was infinitely glad about that, especially when Shun didn't have any qualms of inviting him over to give the teen as much information as he could.
Over a nice, warm tea that truly did wonders on his empty stomach ─ he hadn't eaten since morning, Shinichi had only realized then ─ Shun had told him about the couple that used to live right next to him.
Mizutani Kousuke and Honjou Nanako were lovers that ran away from Chiba, seeking to be happy together despite the disapproval of their parents. On that fateful day in Tanabata two years ago, they both had undertaken a trip to Kyoto and had stayed in that certain hotel.
Kousuke had gone to visit a friend in the city by himself. Little had he known about the tragedy that would befall upon his lover's shoulders while he was away.
"If only I hadn't gone out by myself, Nana wouldn't have died," he would say to himself, repeatedly. After her death, he had stopped working. He wouldn't even go home, either.
When Shinichi had asked where Mizutani might be at that moment, Shun had suggested Chiba, since it was the second anniversary of Honjou's death. He had shown him a card, too.
"I think you'll know if you ask her big brother." As he climbed down the stairs, Shinichi inspected the photo he had taken of it. "Prior to her death, her brother came to my place several times." He was quite the perfectionist, mused Shinichi, noticing the faint line written by a pencil that made sure the numbers were correctly aligned. "He said, if his sister were ever in any trouble, to contact him."
Just as he was about to put his phone down again, he felt it buzz in his hand. Hattori's name flashed in front of his eyes, so without thinking twice, he answered it.
"Oh, Kudo! This is big, very big! Crazy big!" Hattori exclaimed before he could get a word out. "The names of the seven victims you sent match the names of the guests on the sixth floor during the fire. There were two more guests on the sixth floor-"
"Honjou Nanako-san and Mizutani Kousuke-san."
He heard Hattori deflating at his answer. "What, you knew already?" he sighed, but Shinichi didn't reply, deciding to simply listen to what he had to say, silent in thought as he finally got to the ground floor. "Then, how about this? This Mizutani guy came here a year ago asking about the same thing I am."
An old woman was making her way inside the building, casting him a wary look as she passed by him, probably because of the hood he was still wearing even indoors. "It looks like there's no doubt this case has everything to do with the fire two years ago..." Just to be safe, Shinichi dropped his head ─ he didn't need more people recognizing him. "But what does that mean, then? If Mizutani's the culprit, what would his motive be?"
Rather than taking the stairs, the lady naturally called for an elevator. Absently, Shinichi watched her wait patiently for it to reach her floor, then smile to herself when the doors slowly slid open.
Shinichi blinked rapidly.
"Wasn't Honjou-san's death an accident?"
Once she was inside, the doors slowly closed. The detective observed it for a whole second until his eyes went wide at the realization that had just struck him.
"Kudo?" he heard Hattori say, prompted by his lack of an answer.
"In that hotel, how many elevators are there?"
"Elevators?" He sounded predictably surprised. "I think there's only one."
"What's the capacity?"
"One sec."
While he waited for Hattori to rush inside the hotel to check, Shinichi stepped out into the street. "It says the elevator's capacity is limited to seven people… What's this about, Kudo?"
Leaning against the wall, his eyes narrowed. Seven. Just like he had supposed. Inside his mind, every single piece of the puzzle was coming together ─ he was definitely closer to the truth…
And closer to recovering that precious thing they had taken away from him.
Even busy with his own thoughts, he still heard a buzzer through the phone, meaning that the capacity had been reached, followed by the teen exclaiming that he would get off. Once outside, Hattori paused, then suddenly said:
"I get it, Kudo."
Shinichi nodded, even if he knew he couldn't be seen. "Most likely, on the night of the fire, Honjou Nanako-san was-"
"-pushed out of the elevator after boarding it," Hattori completed. "Because the eighth person wanted to get in, she was forced out. The one with the 1-Pin tile, Jinno-san."
Everything the western detective said next didn't come as a surprise, since it was the same he had deducted seconds ago. The other six victims had most likely been standing in the elevator in the positions suggested by the 7-Pin's red circles, and the last one must have been Nanako's.
"I'm afraid so," he said when Hattori paused. "Mahjong tiles have the shape of an elevator, and the back lines on the back must represent the elevator doors."
"When Jinno-san got on, the buzzer sounded." Just like it had happened to him minutes ago. "That's why he wanted someone out. The scapegoat turned out to be Nanako-san!" While he listened, Shinichi's free hand went to his chin, gaze dropping to the ground. "The other six either pretended not to notice or feared that they, themselves, would be forced out, and decided to cooperate with Jinno-san."
Thus, unable to escape, Nanako's life was prematurely consumed by the flames. After returning from his friend's house to discover that the love of his life was gone, Mizutani Kousuke would fall in despair and make a decision ─ he would make all those seven people pay for their sins. It all made sense.
But, at the same time, it didn't. Damn it, he cursed in his mind, passing his hand through his hair, frustration taking hold of every cell of his body. I'm so close, yet...
"Kudo?" came Hattori's slightly concerned voice. "Is there a problem with my deduction?"
"No." He shook his head from side to side. "It's just that I still can't understand what the letters on the tiles mean."
"Yeah." It had been bothering him for a long time, especially the odd triangle on the seventh tile. "Well, if the last circle does represent Nanako-san, there shouldn't be any murders."
"I hope so..."
It was weird, noted Hattori, how weak Kudo's voice sounded in his ears, and how it hadn't gotten better even at the prospect of no more people dying because of this serial murderer. "At any rate," continued Kudo, after a remarkably heavy sigh. "I'll try to locate Mizutani-san."
Why are you pursuing this case in Beika, Kudo? Hattori frowned deeply at the thought. Why does it feel like something terrible is going to happen if you don't solve it?
"Thank you, Hattori." He blinked several times when he heard it. "For real."
And for the longest time, Heiji was rendered completely unable to coherently respond, far too shocked to properly put his words together. Never before had he heard his fellow detective sounding… so sincere. As if he wasn't even trying to mask his words with a false sense of certainty, like all the other times they had talked, sans a few rare exceptions.
Not only was Kudo pressured to solve his case, he was scared, scared to death, about what would happen if he didn't... And there was only one single thing in this entire world that would make him vulnerable to such a degree…
All the air in his lungs suddenly froze, breath hitching as a terrible realization fell upon him like a bucket of icy water.
"Well, then. Talk to you later-"
"Wait up," Hattori blurted out, before Kudo could think of hanging up. "Wait a moment, Kudo."
"What is it?"
He hesitated, gaze lowering to the ground ─ what was he even going to say next?
"Don't worry about anything." Apparently, he had paused for long enough for the other detective to pick on what was going through his head. "I won't let anything happen to him."
He had no doubts about that, but it didn't make him feel at ease. "Is there anything I can do?" he asked. "I can catch a flight-"
"All I need is for you to stay right there," Kudo interrupted him. "So that you can clean after me if something goes wrong." Hattori lips pressed against each other, eyes sliding close. "I'll leave everything to you, Hattori."
He needed a second to allow those words to be processed, but Kudo didn't hurry him. "Leave it to me," he finally breathed out. Looking up, he forced a cheerful grin on his face.
"Come to think of it, Kudo. You never got to eat in that awesome okonomiyaki restaurant I found in Osaka, did you?"
Certainly, that threw him off the loop. "Uh, no?" It was evident by his confused, almost comical tone.
"I'm never wrong, you know. Even the kid had to admit it was good. And when I say good, I really mean it." He could easily imagine Kudo blinking cluelessly at the phone. "Next time you and the kid come over, we can go there together."
Kudo didn't answer. Hattori's grin faded, leaving its place for a resolved frown to take over.
"You have to come. Both of you," he said. "I'll be waiting."
On the other side of the phone, Shinichi stayed quiet, eyes wide as they stared up ahead, at nothing in particular. Eventually, his gaze softened, and a small, but gentle, smile blossomed on his face.
"Yeah, I know," he finally answered. "Later."
Conan had absolutely no idea of what Vermouth was supposed to be doing.
Seriously, he truly had no clue ─ despite the potentially dangerous situation he was in, he still paused, blinked, and returned to look back at her. Craning his neck to see, he watched her through the broken window, completely mesmerized, and disturbed all the same.
Cigarette firmly held by her lips and eyes gazing ahead, as if they were contemplating something far, far away from where she was, Vermouth's arms hung loosely at both her sides. Her chest rose, then lowered, as she took a deep breath, and ever so slowly, her hands rose ─ and began to dance.
No ─ Conan shook his head right away. Dancing was not the word, but maybe signing actually applied. He wasn't sure ─ while some of her movements actually reminded him of the American Sign Language he had read about in one of his many afternoons of utter boredom in America, some of them didn't completely fit. The resemblance stayed true, but it wasn't entirely the same.
There's nobody around. After taking a good look around to ascertain that, his attention drifted back to the woman, hoping that he, with the little knowledge he had of sign language, could understand what she was saying. And why is she-?
Her hands froze on the hair, and her blonde hair whipped around with her head, eyes falling easily on where Conan was ─ or rather, where he had been. Cheek resting against the floor, Conan sighed in relief, mentally thanking his quick reflexes for saving him this time around.
So, he just lied there, motionless, hoping with all his might that she somehow had failed to see him, thus wouldn't pressure the matter any further.
Seconds, minutes ─ but hours were quite stretching it, he supposed ─ passed by, and he still hadn't moved a muscle. It was safe to assume nothing would happen, he guessed, turning around to lie on his back.
What a mess, he thought, letting a heavy sigh escape from his system. I still can't believe this is happening...
He had no idea, either, how he was supposed to get out of there. Irish had taken his phone and gadgets with him before leaving, rendering him completely unarmed in case the situation arose.
His gaze, still fixed on the wooden ceiling above him, narrowed. They must be worried. He didn't even want to imagine what the people close to him might have reacted upon realizing he was missing. Everyone…
Never before had he felt an urge so strongly of seeing them again. Ai-san, Ayumi-chan, Mitsuhiko, Genta, Professor Agasa… His lips pressed against each other. Occhan, Ran-neechan… His eyes scrunched shut. Dad, Mom...
And shot open again.
Oniichan.
The thought barely crossed his mind before he had sat back up, gaze wide and frantic, travelling from one corner to the other of the room he was in, until it stopped at the large figure slumped in a chair. Immediately, the boy crawled closer to him, hoping that an adult thinking alongside him would help.
"Superintendent Matsumoto," he whispered, nudging him with his head as well as he could without his hands. "Superintendent Matsumoto, please wake up. Super-"
He halted suddenly, when a thought suddenly hit him ─ he wasn't reacting. At first, he worried he was standing right next to a dead body ─ which actually wouldn't be all that strange ─ but, upon further inspection, he observed his chest was rising and lowering in a rhythmic motion. That stole another sight out of him ─ his heart had surely skipped a beat there.
He has been unconscious for a good few hours, reasoned the boy, frowning at the several empty lunch boxes and water bottles scattered around. He hasn't been starved or dehydrated… He didn't seem to have any visible injuries, either ─ not the kind that would knock him out for so long, anyway.
Conan paused, focusing his every attention on the lunch boxes. The tape is missing, he noticed, then smirked when realization stuck. So it was you all along, huh? Our beetle-bully.
Either way, it seemed like he was completely on his own. First things first ─ get out of this place. Carefully, he slid his tied hands from under his feet to the front of his body. Then, I'll call for help.
Leaning forward, he grasped one of the empty lunch boxes. This will do the trick, he smiled to himself.
Rope could easily be burned by friction, Conan reminded himself while he rubbed the edge of the plastic tray against the binds tying his feet. Eventually he succeeded ─ he couldn't help the victorious smile that came across his face when he took note of that.
His hands were next. Keeping the lunch box steady with the sole of his feet, he started on his hands.
He was almost finished. Just a little longer… Conan gritted his teeth. Come on-
Out of the blue, the door was thrown open, prompting the boy's head to whirl to that certain spot, palling completely at the sight of the familiar blonde woman standing on the doorway wearing an expression all over his face that Conan couldn't hope to understand, even with his deducting abilities. For a little, they just stared at each other, neither of them moving a single muscle.
When Conan realized he still had the lunch box held with his feet, clearly intending to cut the rope, he grimaced. The woman said nothing, though, just closed the door behind her and, slowly, approached him.
As she kneeled down next to him, Conan couldn't resist the urge to flinch backwards and away from her reach. Vermouth barely reacted to that, merely setting the plastic bag down ─ that only then the boy noticed she had been carrying ─ and took his hands into hers, with a surprising amount of gentleness that Conan wouldn't have believed she possessed, inspecting his ties closely.
Without a doubt, she had noticed the friction burns on the ropes. Still, he forced himself to look at her, trying to appear that he wasn't even a little afraid of her finding out.
But, unlike re-tying him as he had expected, she sighed and began to get the knots undone. That had the resolve evaporate from his gaze, allowing confusion to take over and remain there, even as he rubbed his wrists, which had begun to hurt already, staring incredulously back at her.
"You did it again," he mumbled.
She didn't bother to ask what he meant ─ Conan guessed she already knew. "Food," was all she said, digging through the bag she was carrying, taking out a lunch box similar to the ones he could see scattered all over the place. "You can't eat without your hands, can you?"
Still dumbfounded by what had just happened, he accepted the item he had been offered, fumbling with it for a while until he settled it back on the ground in front of him. He continued to gaze at it thoughtfully, finger tracing across the tape keeping it sealed.
There was a faint, almost imperceptible line just a few inches from the tape. Adhesive tape residue, he observed, frowning profusely. His head rose again, making one last scan through the room ─ again, there was nothing but that dusty cabinet and sink of what used to be a kitchen. And right there, Vermouth stood, leaning against the counter with an indecipherable frown on her features.
"Say, last time..." the boy spoke, gathering her attention back. "You were actually trying to help me out, weren't you?"
Vermouth looked back at him, clearly not expecting that. "I had forgotten completely about it," he replied, settling his attention on the wooden chopsticks, giving them a scrutinizing look before shrugging. "But I think it's gradually coming back to me..."
With a swift movement, he split them apart.
"The memories from four years ago."
It was getting late.
Conan couldn't see what was going on outside from his spot, but he was pretty sure that was the case, judging by the little light falling upon them from the small window in the farthest corner, high and definitely away from his reach. By that, he could deduce that hours must have passed since he had first awakened there, alone and confused, and hardly anything had changed at all.
His brother still hadn't found him. At this point, it was hard to keep on believing he would, thought the boy, resting his chin against his knees, sighing heavily. But he had to ─ his oniichan would never let him down, especially in a moment like this.
He hoped he would hurry, though ─ before the scary one-eyed guy got there.
A buzzing sound pierced through the silence, breaking Conan out of his thoughts. Curiosity tugged at him, so he watched his only companion picking her phone up and read whatever text she had been sent. It wasn't a good one, he supposed, considering that she had frowned at the mere sight of it.
He didn't even have to open his mouth to speak. Vermouth had merely raised her head, snorting when her eyes met with his inquisitive ones.
"You better be prepared," she answered his unspoken question, standing away from the wall and approaching the door. "Somebody is going to visit us."
Conan shivered involuntarily. "Miura-sensei?"
"Worse." She frowned. "Much worse."
The boy didn't have the time to worry much about it, because, in the distance, he could hear a car coming to a stop. His eyes flickered to the door, and back to the woman.
She wasn't looking at him. Her arms were crossed in front of her chest, and her expression, cold and stoic, felt… odd to Conan, in a sense.
"Sensei?"
This time, she did look at him. The boy paused, taking a deep, quivering breath, before he could get his voice back.
"What's going to happen to me?"
"You remember what you did then, don't you?" Vermouth gazed impassively back at those eyes of his, that squinted, as if seeking to see through the darkest corner of her own soul. "You called your partner and told him I had escaped."
He added nothing else, a frown decorating his features that only deepened with every second she said nothing at all. Before long, she snorted, after an uncomfortably long amount of time studying him.
"You have quite a splendid memory," was all she said.
"You helped me hide," he continued, settling the food, which he had yet to touch, back on the floor. "Why?"
She shrugged. "I have my reasons."
Conan didn't like that answer in the slightest. "You don't like the Organization much." He wouldn't give up just yet ─ not when he had an opportunity like this. "Not only did you try to help me escape, you also tricked my brother into joining them."
His eyes lowered to the ground, narrowing at the thought. "If you claimed I'd be in danger if he didn't, he would naturally join. You correctly deduced that." He closed them, taking a deep sigh, before focusing back on her. "With a motivation like that, it was clear to you that reckless idiot would bring the Organization down, no matter what it took."
In return, she smirked, but had yet to say a word. "Why?" He didn't wait for the answer he would not get. "Why would you go to such lengths to take them down?"
Vermouth contemplated him for a little, then she simply focused back to her pocket, fishing out a cigarette box, approaching the door. Seeing that, Conan's shoulders slumped ─ he had figured he wouldn't get an answer from her.
"I have a question for you." Conan was shocked when she peered at him from over her shoulder. "Why did you decide to chase after us?"
He blinked, having not expected that question to surface. Patiently, she watched the boy's gaze dropping to the floor, eyes flickering as the memories of that certain day, more than a year ago, flashed behind them.
"Being honest with you..." Finally, he uttered, a bittersweet smile drawing itself on his face. "I just wanted to bring him back."
"As I expected." Conan's gaze shot back up. "We aren't all that different."
The sight that greeted him left him staring, eyes widened in full capacity, as if trying to ascertain that he wasn't seeing things. Blinking, he looked again and realized, to his further surprise, that it was there.
"Just like you..." There was a soft, genuine smile gently tugging Vermouth's lips upwards. "There's somebody I wish to bring back."
Feeble as it was, Conan blinked once more, and then it was completely gone, replaced by her icy, emotionless expression. "Don't think I'm going to help you this time," she said calmly. "I can't take any more risks."
Any more risks? Conan pondered over her words, suddenly aware of the troubled crease his forehead was sporting. "Did you mess up-?" Realization came crashing down at him before he could even finish his sentence. "The boss is getting suspicious."
No matter how much the boss seemed to, whatever the reason, favor her over every other member. "People keep dying around you," he whispered, a little worried at the realization. "Not only that, you were the one to bring the traitor Singani to them… You failed at getting Sherry, too…" He focused back on her ─ despite everything he was saying, she was smirking, as if amused. "That's why, when Irish requested your help to infiltrate inside my old daycare center, you didn't protest."
"I was already working with him." She nodded. "Even if he died from natural causes, nobody would believe I wasn't involved anymore."
It couldn't be good, decided Conan, shivering a little at the thought. The trust that the boss had on Vermouth was vanishing into thin air ─ hanging by a thin line that could snap at any second now. With her gone… It was hard to predict how things would change for everyone involved, him included ─ as ironic as that sounded.
"You'll be fine," she said suddenly. "As long as you do as you're told, you'll be let go."
"And what about my brother?"
When she didn't answer, Conan's curious gaze darkened considerably. Vermouth looked away from his intense glare and back to the door, making him completely unable to see her expression any longer.
"It will still be okay," she added, in an almost inaudible murmur. "Just one silver bullet is enough to make the shot."
Thus, she left ─ leaving Conan to sit there, alone, confused about what those words meant.
Slowly, the puzzlement vanished, leaving him to frown again. There was only one single thing he was absolutely sure of ─ if things carried on like that, one way or the other, his brother was inevitably going to meet his demise. And that was something he couldn't allow, if there was something he could do to avoid it.
So, nodding to himself, the boy turned his every attention to the convenience store lunch box.
"Thanks for the food."
Children were highly intuitive creatures, capable of grasping the hardest concepts and absorbing them like a sponge, to be perfected by little to no practise at all ─ either that, or Conan was, just, Conan.
Conan hadn't been to Hawaii. Hadn't been taught how to ride a car, or how to shoot a gun, but he had learnt it all quickly enough to get out of harm's way, so Shinichi could tell that it was probably how he was. That begged the question, however, where had he learned this.
Grumbling under his breath, Shinichi moved the skateboard slightly, and promptly stepped on top of it. Surely, he wouldn't fall down if he just stood there, letting the engine do the work.
I'm growing too old already, aren't I? Shinichi sighed dejectedly, shoving his hands inside his hoodie's pocket. Where did Conan learn to skate, anyway?
Probably, he figured it out on his own, somehow ─ he shook his head. Just turning around was giving him a lot of trouble ─ he highly doubted that had been the case with his little brother.
Isn't this a little too fast for a young child? Shinichi had to suppress a flinch at the realization that he was passing past a car beside him. I'm pretty sure you'd need a helmet, too.
Seriously, though. What's that kid made of?
All those thoughts evaporated into nothing when a certain motorcycle crossed past him. Looking over his shoulder, he contemplated the priest for several seconds, and turned back around. Sure enough, in a house a couple blocks away, he could see two figures, wearing black, talking amongst each other ─ a woman and a man, he noticed when he got closer.
"There was only one anonymous bouquet this time," said she, who Shinichi assumed to be Honjou Nanako's mother.
Having said this, she quietly retired back inside, and the man was about to do the same when he locked eyes with a teenager, who calmly made his way to him. He stopped slowly in front of him, lowered to pick his skateboard up, and faced him again.
"Good afternoon," he said, as politely as he could. "Are you Honjou Nanako-san's brother?"
The man nodded, hesitantly.
"I apologize for my rudeness, but can we talk?" Shinichi asked. "I want to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind."
Thus, they talked. Skateboard tucked under his arm, because he wasn't risking embarrassing himself in front of this person, the detective strolled with him through the streets of Mitaka City. They conversed quietly, as if afraid to disturb the peace that surrounded them all.
All the while, Shinichi allowed his gaze to rest on the still sea that extended all over his eyes to the horizon, and beyond. The waves were nonexistent, and the wind caressed his cheeks so gently that he could barely notice it.
The calmness of it all, however, only strengthened that ominous feeling he had been pushing to the back of his head ever since all this mess started. A storm was coming ─ fiercer, stronger than ever, and absolutely unstoppable.
Therefore, there was nothing they could do but to hold himself, and wait for it to strike.
"You're that detective, Kudo Shinichi," said the man ─ Honjou Kazuki was his name. "Is that true?"
Shinichi was aware that denying it would be futile. "I'd be grateful if you didn't speak of this to anybody," he said. "It's a confidential investigation."
Without a hesitation, Kazuki nodded his head. "Is this investigation about Nanako's death?"
"I haven't decided yet," was all that Shinichi could answer at the moment. "I was looking for Mizutani-san, in fact, but it seems he didn't come to the memorial service."
"He came here early at dawn and hurriedly left a bouquet before leaving."
"He left just like that?"
"Yeah. My parents still can't forgive him for running away with my sister."
Shinichi pondered over his words, coming to a stop and resting against the rails, hands sliding inside his pockets again. At his side, Kazuki remained completely silent and still, eyes fixed on the sea, but contemplating something beyond the horizon, Shinichi could tell.
The victim was his sister. The thought had crossed his mind just before he could stop it. Of course, even two years after her death, he still can't forget her...
Mentally, he shook his head from side to side, forcing the thought to recede. It's not the moment for this. He frowned, closing his eyes and willing himself to take a deep breath. I need to focus.
Even so, he didn't cease gripping the pair of glasses that were kept away in his pocket.
"The one your mother said was left anonymously was from Mizutani-san, then," concluded the detective. "Since she mentioned it was the 'only' one today, does that mean there were other anonymous ones before, right?"
"Yeah, other than his."
"Could you tell me more about them?"
At this point, Shinichi was almost certain that he would not get any more information, but then Kazuki nodded and proceeded to take an organizer from his pocket. As he read, the detective couldn't help but inch closer to take a look for himself, and to be amazed by how clearly recorded the names and addresses of those that had sent those flowers were.
"Four on the day of the funeral two years ago from Matsumoto City, Kawasaki, Numazu, and Kamakura," Kazuki read. "Three on the memorial service day last year. This time from Tokorozawa, Odawara, and Hachioji."
Shinichi frowned. All seven were from where the victims lived...
Suddenly, Kazuki closed the organizer. "Actually, when I met Kosuke-kun this morning..." There was a severe expression on his face. "He said something strange."
Something strange? That had seriously caught Shinichi's attention. "What did he say?"
"There were eight people I could not forgive." Frowning profusely, he met eyes with the detective. "Now, only one remains."
"... Oh."
That couldn't be good.
When he opened the door, certainly Professor Agasa hadn't expected to see the same three children he had seen off not even five minutes ago. At first, he had worried that something might have happened, and even considered the option that they were still distraught by their friend's abduction to leave this place, until his gaze had lowered to see what Mitsuhiko held between his hands.
It had another rhinoceros beetle, which had been found near the bus stop after, presumably, having found its way there all the way from Beika Forest, stuck in an unaware passenger. Like the last one they had found, Agasa had seen another 'V' shaped tape stuck on its wings ─ definitely the same culprit.
"I see!" he had suddenly exclaimed at one point, after removing it. "This could be someone's message!"
As it was now, Mitsuhiko stared at the box with their newly found beetle, staring at it intently. "This bug is known as a 'beetle' in English," he had proudly explained then. "After combining the word 'beetle' with the musical term 'beat', you get the legendary band, The Beatles!"
Just like Conan before him, instead of a simple letter, he had seen it as the number five. "Their fifth album was titled 'Help!' How's that? See now?"
At first, they hadn't thought much about it, waving it off like another of his quizzes he would enjoy giving them to solve, but now Mitsuhiko couldn't get it away from his head. Frowning, he stopped walking, prompting both his friends to do the same, offering him a curious look.
"Say, guys," the boy mumbled, still staring at the innocent bug he carried. "This… has nothing to do with Conan-kun, has it?"
Both children stiffened at the mention of that certain name.
"What are you talking about?" Genta quirked an eyebrow. "Conan was with us when we got the first one."
"I know that!" Mitsuhiko tried to argue, but deflated instantly after. "I know that. But I was thinking… Didn't Shinichi-san say that Conan-kun's kidnapper was also disguised as someone at that conference? Maybe the real one is held somewhere and asking for help, so..."
"Aren't you thinking too much into it?"
The boy didn't answer, just held his gaze down, clasping the box between his hands. "Maybe I am, but..." He frowned profusely. "If there's a possibility that Conan-kun is there, too… I don't want to sit back and do nothing. Not like the last time."
Genta's eyes opened slightly before casting his gaze back on the floor. Ayumi watched the two boys stand there, uncertain of what to say, for several moments until a resolved glint took over her gaze, promptly turning around and running across the street.
"Ah, Ayumi-chan!" cried Mitsuhiko, startled by her actions, as he and Genta followed her. "What are you-?!"
All their questions were answered right away when she stopped, right at the bus stop, and twirled back around, a bright smile plastered all over her face.
"This is a job for the Detective Boys, right?" she said, fist pumping into the air, full of energy for the first time since everything went downhill.
Soon, they copied her actions. Together, the three detective boys cheered, determined to get the job done this time.
"There were eight people I could not forgive. Now, only one remains."
There, sitting on top of the stairs leading to an old shrine, Shinichi let his head drop, eyes sliding close, but thoughts unable to drift away from that certain case.
The number of guests staying on the hotel's sixth floor amounted to nine. Not counting the deceased Nanako-san and Mizutani himself, all other seven were killed. Just who is this final person?
One more ─ one more victim was out there, unaware that their time was running thin, restlessly moving, unwilling to stop, not even for a moment. To be fair, Shinichi definitely felt as if he was also running out of time, even if he had yet to be given a deadline.
Every second that passed by without him getting any closer to finding that memory card meant another second that Conan had to share with those people.
Sighing deeply, the detective pressed the heel of his hands to his forehead. I wonder if you're okay, had crossed his head before he could even think of stopping it. Did they hurt you again? Did they even feed you?
Conan… You must be really scared right now, aren't you?
No matter how terrifyingly courageous, or reckless, his younger brother could be, he was still a kid ─ an eight-year-old that shouldn't have to be going through this twice already. Shinichi hoped, too, that this experience wasn't triggering so many unpleasant memories…
Then again, it was virtually impossible for such a thing not to happen, all things considered.
I need to get him out of there. I need to get Conan back right now.
But it was easier said than done ─ he had nothing about his whereabouts, nothing. And, despite having spent most of the day on this case, and that he was mostly certain about the killer's identity, he did not know how he was supposed to find him. No matter how much he thought about it, how much he forced the gears in his brain to turn, struggling to find an answer, there was nothing.
Not a single lead. Just a dead end.
You have seriously overestimated me. Shinichi let out a weak, humorless snort. If you saw me right now, would you still say the same thing?
"I want to be an amazing detective, just like you, Oniichan!"
The memory that would steal an amused smile out of him in normal circumstances caused him to grit his teeth. Damn it! Before he realized, his fist was throbbing ─ he had just, in a sudden burst of anger, punched the tiled floor right next to him. Damn it all!
Holding his head between shaky hands, Shinichi's eyes shut.
How am I supposed to consider myself a detective…
A bright, childish grin flashed behind his closed lids.
… if I can't even protect the one thing that matters to me the most?
Where are you?
Where are you, Conan?!
"Oh, I know!" The thick English-accented tone made Shinichi jump, startled. "This is a chouzu, isn't it?"
"Right, you know a lot!"
Allowing himself to be momentarily distracted from his internal conflict to the two women talking a good distance away from where he sat, right beside the water basin. The blonde woman was giving the dipper in her hand a long, scrutinizing look.
"But, I don't know what to do with this dipper."
"Is that so? I'll teach you then."
Shinichi stared blankly at them, before shrugging and turning back around to focus on his own troubles again. That was, until he paused, stared at the thin air in contemplation, and spun around, gasping at the ordinary sight of the foreign woman washing her hand with the dipper, as she had been instructed.
The next moment, he had the phone in his ear and was calling Agasa, words rushed and stumbling with each other as he tried to explain everything he had in mind, all at the same time. Predictably, the poor professor didn't understand a thing, so it was up to the little girl to seize the phone instead to make tails and heads of it.
"Polaris and the Big Dipper?" Eventually, his message got across. "It is true," she confirmed, after a long silence, only filled by her rushed typing on her computer. "They are not just similar. They align perfectly with the actual photo of the stars." He heard her snort. "What a perfectionist, our killer."
A perfectionist, indeed ─ Shinichi couldn't help the satisfactory smirk that blossomed all over his face at the realization of what it implied.
"The 1-Pin and 7-Pins all indicate the shape of Polaris and the Big Dipper." Jumping back to his feet, the detective hurriedly climbed down the stairs, two at a time, leaving the two women from before alone to laugh amongst each other. "And the letters actually represent stars from the Ursa constellations ─ Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, Eta ─ as Greek letters. So, Ai-chan, could you-?"
"The location of Merak, the remaining Big Dipper star, right? Right away." She paused to look for it. "There. Shiba Park, in Minato Ward."
Shiba Park, Minato Ward… There's no doubt about it.
It has to be that place!
He could hear the loud clattering of her boots and the soft creaking of the floor as she paced around. He could smell the invasive odor of smoke he would always feel on Kogoro whenever she was close to him, along with the sun warming up his skin gradually dimming, announcing the arrival of what seemed to be a long night.
Alas, Conan didn't open his eyes. Merely lied there, perfectly still in his place on the floor, even if his body was starting to ache for being in such an awkward position for so long.
He was getting hungry, too, but all he could hope was that his stomach didn't decide to growl, thus giving him away ─ more or less like Genta would have done. Probably, he should have eaten what he had been offered so that he could have enough energy to survive this…
That was what he would have said under normal circumstances. The tape residue he had spotted on his lunch box, however, had forced him to take an entirely different route.
My food was tampered with. Just like Matsumoto's, most likely, so that he wouldn't interfere with anything.
The same as me. He would definitely be much easier to deal with if knocked out. Especially if they have to move me somewhere.
Somewhere to be bargained for Oniichan's life.
Vermouth hadn't stopped pacing around him, and Conan couldn't help but imagine her checking everything around, making sure he had done nothing while he was on his own. Yet, then again, he could do nothing but to lie there, praying to no god in particular that she didn't check inside the cabinet under the sink, where he had dumped all the food he was definitely not going to eat. And wait.
Then, continue waiting… and waiting.
His patience was running thin, but he had to push through it either way ─ he knew he wouldn't have an opportunity like that again. I need to wait until her guard is down. And then…
Then he would run. Where? Anywhere was fine. As long as he was away from their reach, he would be fine. His brother would be okay, and everyone else, too.
Provided that nothing out of the ordinary happened, it would work out.
"Ah, there it is!"
"That way!"
"Hey, wait for me!"
If Conan was praying before, he was basically begging to whichever entity that would be willing to hear him out, so that Vermouth didn't see his muscles tensing abruptly when those voices filled what would be otherwise an ominously silent forest.
Ayumi-chan, Mitsuhiko and Genta?! Staying quiet on his spot proved to be nearly impossible at that. What are they doing here?!
He couldn't explain it ─ seriously how?! Conan didn't remember ever leaving any clues to his location ─ hell, he didn't even know where he was. Please tell me they didn't come alone. He scrapped that thought out because, obviously, they had to come alone, or they wouldn't even be there, as simple as that.
In the privacy of his own mind, Conan allowed himself to let out a heavy, exhausted sigh.
Those idiots.
The pacing that had stopped moments ago with the cries of his friends resumed again, but to his horror, Conan quickly realized that they were heading away, and towards the door. True to his suspicions, the creaking sound as it opened filled the room, until it closed again.
Conan's eyes snapped open, wide and utterly terrified.
"Ah, Sawamura-san? I'm sorry to bother you again. It's about Mizutani-san and Nanako-san's hobby."
That had clearly taken the man on the other side of the phone aback, but Shinichi did not let that bother him. "Could it have been star-gazing?"
"T-That's right. He said he chose to live here because of its proximity to the observatory."
Exactly as he had thought. Holding back yet another sigh, Shinichi threw his head back, allowing it to rest against his seat. "Of all stars, they loved Polaris and the Big Dipper the most," continued the man. "The beautiful shape of the Big Dipper and Polaris shining right above the north pole… I think they strengthened their love by gazing at those stars."
Shortly after that, the call was finished, leaving Shinichi's hand to drop to his lap, the phone just barely held between weak fingers. There, all alone with the gentle swaying of the train he was riding, Shinichi felt the exhaustion he had gathered in the entirety of the day making him sink in his seat and close his eyes lightly.
But he couldn't rest yet.
Craning his head, Shinichi allowed his gaze to drift to the darkened sky, where the first stars could already be appreciated ─ Polaris and the Big Dipper were shining upon the city, exactly like those moments two years ago when the tragic couple would profess their undying love to each other.
I'm almost there. His frown came back into place, and his attention went back to his phone. Just wait a little longer.
After a deep breath, Shinichi browsed through the contacts until he found his little brother's name. And placed in his ear.
"I know where it is."
I'm coming, Conan.
There they were ─ Conan realized, breathing heavily against a tree, eyes fixed on the three children that passed right past him without noticing his presence, chasing after what seemed to be a beetle. The beetle landed on top of a tree, right next to another one bearing a 'V' shape tape, and only then Conan understood what they were trying to do.
Mitsuhiko can be quite smart sometimes, he mused, and took a step forward. But stupid at the same time.
Taking a deep breath, he allowed a smile to creep over his face. Never in his life would he have believed he would miss them so much.
"Guys-!"
Yet Conan's voice was abruptly silenced. His three friends turned around, startled and equally surprised, but were even more shocked to see that they were all alone.
There was a prick on the back of his neck, then followed by the feeling of falling backwards briefly before he was seized by the pit of his arms and lifted from the ground in a matter of seconds. As he receded back in the darkness, Conan saw his three confused friends running around, heads snapping from side to side in a vain attempt to see him.
"I heard him. I swear I did!"
"Me too! I thought it was this way, but-"
"Conan! Are you there, Conan?!"
No matter how desperately he wished he could respond to their calls, Conan couldn't do it. Even if the hand wasn't clamping over his mouth, he had reason to believe that he wouldn't manage to ─ the evidence was the wristwatch that he could see, by the corner of his eye, in his captor's other hand.
"Did you really think I'd buy that?" Vermouth whispered to him.
A zipping sound later, he was being settled back inside what he assumed to be a large sports bag.
"Hide in here." Weirdly enough, he could hear her voice, even if she, in reality, was saying no word at all. "I know Rum well ─ he's not going to say anything about you to the boss, or it'd mean admitting he has messed up again."
The worried calls of his friends faded into nothing as the woman closed it with him inside.
"I'll come back to let you out, but until then, do not move."
And that was what he did ─ knees pressed tightly against his chest, brought by arms locked around them, Conan simply lied there, cushioned by what seemed to be packages, undoubtedly filled with highly illegal substances he had no intention of identifying, and completely alone with his own fear and the unforgiving darkness that surrounded him.
But the little boy didn't even dare to tremble in fright ─ even the smallest movement would give his position again, and he had no wish to find out what would happen once he did.
So, inside that bag his sensei had dropped inside of, Conan merely waited.
"What a surprise," he heard Vermouth say from close. "I never imagined you'd want to visit us in a place like this."
"Only you, actually." Maybe it was his imagination, but the one-eyed guy sounded strangely nervous. "The boss wanted to see you."
Conan blinked, unable to stop his curiosity from emerging, despite the critical situation. A 'boss', he had said… Could it be that person Sensei had mentioned before? The little boy could not help but think about what that could mean ─ if there was a boss his sensei was working for, did that mean there was something else behind all that?
Like… a secret organization, maybe?
"Oh, you wanted to see me?" Vermouth snorted. "I'm flattered."
Surely, they were so invested that nobody would notice a thing if he moved just a teeny little bit, right?
If he just… poked a small hole into the zipper with his finger… He'd just have a little look, and then…
"Of course!" A voice that did not belong to Vermouth, or Rum, echoed in his ears. "Haven't I told you before? You're my favorite."
Little did the boy know then those memories would be pushed to the back of his mind, not to be thought about for the years to come.
Back then, Conan saw hands moving as if dancing across the air, but he wouldn't remember what they looked like. He heard a laugh booming through the room, but he wouldn't recall what it sounded like…
And there was a face ─ a face he observed for far more than he had intended with wide, surprised eyes. A face that he would remember as nothing but a blurry blot, and that would not come back into focus, no matter how hard he tried to see it again.
A/N:
CherryGirl 21-6: I haven't seen it yet either. I'll have yet to wait quite a while before I can watch it :(
Rene: Well, I saw it and I liked it but, I don't know, I think I'd have liked it more if it hadn't been right after the 53th opening, my favorite. And the 52nd was beautiful to me, and very high up on my list, so yeah xD
Mr Darklord: I don't know if I can bring myself to actually kill him, but… well, I can't promise anything xD