Chapter 8: Visit from the West
Writing at a snails pace still counts as writing, right?
After eating, Shinichi informed Ran that Subaru was aware of the situation, so she didn't need to stay in his room anymore. She grimaced and mumbled out an apology for her inability to conceal her habits, which of course he waved off. It was only a matter of time, anyway. He encouraged her to get some sleep, and they both headed upstairs to get ready for bed. As Shinichi neared the top of the staircase, his phone rang. He ushered Ran into her room before answering it.
"Conan-kun?"
"Ah—Takagi-keiji!" he shifted the phone to his other ear. "Did you find anything?" A pause.
"Er… yes and no," he said. Shinichi waited. "We still don't have any updates on the minivan, but I did manage to narrow down that list you asked for to about… nine people, I think it was. I'm emailing the list to you now." Shinichi hummed.
"Was there anything… strange about any of them?" he asked.
"I… Strange like what?"
"Like…" He struggled to find words. "Did… any one of them claim to be someone else?"
"Uh… no? Conan-kun, what's this about?" asked Takagi, concern tinting his voice. Shinichi's phone buzzed against his ear.
"Nothing, nothing! Just curious," said Shinichi, trying to play the question off as inconsequential. "Listen, I gotta go: it's bed time. Thanks for the info." He hung up before the man could protest. Shinichi let out a long sigh as he checked his phone. There was Takagi's email and… it looked like Heiji messaged him, too. He opened the messenger.
Kudo: narrowed it down to six people, it read. Another buzz indicated an email from the Osakan: probably the list of people. He quickly typed up a response.
Did any of them say they were someone else?
Almost immediately, Heiji responded with, No. What kinda question is that? Shinichi rolled his eyes but didn't respond. Instead, he turned to face the door to his room. Since both Ran and Subaru knew who he was, he could sleep in his own room without worry. He walked in and closed the door before rushing to the bed. He climbed up and shoved his face into the pillow, sighing contentedly. His room, his bed… the only thing missing was a permanent antidote. His phone pinged at him a few times—probably Heiji demanding an answer—before he drifted off to sleep.
When Shinichi came downstairs the next morning, he was greeted by a plate of scrambled eggs and a cup of coffee. He blinked, the events of yesterday slowly coming back to him.
That's right, he thought. She knows, now. He eyed the coffee appreciatively before looking around. Ran was nowhere in sight, and even the kitchen was quiet. He frowned, poking his head in the kitchen. Empty, save for a half eaten plate of eggs. At least she was eating… he shrugged it off and returned to his breakfast. She was probably in the bathroom or something.
Once he finished eating, he began to plan the course of the day while he nursed his coffee. With two lists of people under his belt, he'd need to start looking into each one. Find an address, plan when he would go to see them directly so he could ask questions the police wouldn't know to ask. It wasn't until he returned to the kitchen with his empty dishes that he wondered where Ran was. She didn't usually leave unwashed dishes in the sink, but there were a few. He hummed thoughtfully as he placed his dishes in the sink, and then poked his head into the living room.
"Found you," he murmured. She was curled up on the couch, eyes closed. Was she sleeping? "Ran?" No answer. Asleep, then. He strode over to the couch and shook her shoulder, softly calling her name. Her eyes slowly opened and took a moment to focus. They were still puffy from yesterday, the dark circles still there.
"Shinichi?" She sat up and rubbed her eyes. "Must've dozed off," she mumbled groggily.
"Couldn't sleep?" he asked. She slowly nodded.
"… Yeah… I… I had a lot to process," she said, stifling a yawn. Guilt once again tugged at his chest, but it wasn't as severe as before. He should have expected this—it was a lot to take in. He checked his watch.
"I have to leave soon," he said apologetically. "Still gotta keep up the façade." He spoke with more bitterness than he'd intended, causing Ran's brows to bend slightly in sympathy. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, if you still need to sleep, I suggest doing it in bed—you'll catch a cold here." Before she could respond, he gave her a little wave before heading off to the professor's to meet the other children. Once at Agasa's, Haibara confronted him.
"Well?" she asked. "How is she?"
"Better—she's started eating, at least," he said in a tired voice. She nodded approvingly.
"No doubt she now knows about me," she said without emotion as she packed up her backpack. Shinichi nodded, and she sighed. "I suppose there really wasn't any other option once your secret got out. And right now, it's not as if she can tell anyone." She was talking to herself now, reassuring herself that she was still safe, at least for the time being. He decided to change the subject.
"I'll need you to cover for me with the kids—there's something I need to look into after school." She raised an eyebrow. "A possible lead," he elaborated. She nodded.
"Alright. I suppose I can play with them by myself for a day," she said. Shinichi shot her a grateful look just as the doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of the children. "Anything I should know about?" she asked as she moved towards the door.
"I'll let you know if I find something," he replied. She nodded and opened the door, three eager children spilling inside.
"Good morning Ai-chan!" chirped Ayumi. Haibara smiled.
"Good morning," she said softly. Genta and Mitsuhiko beamed at her. "Did something good happen?"
"It's Friday," Genta announced proudly. Shinichi and Haibara blinked a few times, waiting for an explanation.
"We were thinking," began Mitsuhiko, "that since it's the start of the weekend, maybe we could go to the park today." Haibara opened her mouth to speak, but Ayumi piped up first.
"We know Ran-oneesan is still missing," she said quietly, "but… it's just for the weekend. Agasa-hakase is more than enough to keep watch, right?" Shinichi's shoulders slumped a bit at the three's eagerness and desperation to play with their friends.
"It doesn't have to be the park," said Genta. "We could walk around the neighborhood and solve cases, right?" Mitsuhiko nodded.
"Yeah, yeah! We might even find a clue about Ran-oneesan's disappearance."
Shinichi guiltily averted his gaze while the children threw out ideas. Haibara finally stepped in and saved him from answering.
"Let's talk while we walk to school," she said quietly. "We don't want to be late." The children all chirped in agreement, their tones hopeful, and they all set out for school. Shinichi glanced over at his house as he left, hoping Ran would at least get a few hours of sleep. His thoughts were pushed aside as Ayumi addressed him.
"How about it, Conan-kun?" she asked. "What do you want to do?" He floundered for an excuse when Haibara once again stepped in.
"I'm afraid Edogawa-kun will be unable to join us this time," she said smoothly, "as he has preexisting plans with Kudo-san."
"EEEH?!" the three exclaimed in disappointment.
"Just cancel those plans!" said Genta angrily. Shinichi held up a hand.
"I can't," he said. "I already promised last week that I'd assist Shinichi-niichan this time." Ayumi frowned deeply.
"If you promised I guess there's nothing for it," she said softly. Mitsuhiko crossed his arms.
"What does a famous high school detective even want with a first grader, anyway?" he said, tone accusational.
"You mean besides the fact that they're related?" asked Haibara coolly.
"They are?"
"Distantly," amended Shinichi. "But anyway, Shinichi-niichan told me there's things children hear and places they can go that aren't easily accessible to adults. He thinks I can help with his investigation."
"In that case, he should have asked all of the Detective Boys," pouted Mitsuhiko.
"I-I'll ask him about it this evening," said Shinichi, laughing nervously. "Maybe he'll have something for you in the future." This seemed to appease the children, and the rest of the walk to school consisted of talk about homework, Kamen Yaiba, and high hopes for the promised detective work from Shinichi. The shrunken teen sighed, wondering exactly what sort of work he could give them that could keep them out of trouble and still yield results for his investigation. By the time they arrived at the school, they'd come up with a fantastical spy thriller plot that had Shinichi deeply sighing in resignation. They'd be sorely disappointed with whatever he came up with.
"All that aside," said Haibara as they reached the classroom, "the park sounds lovely. I'm just sorry Edogawa-kun will miss out on all of the fun we're going to have." She gave him a 'you owe me' smile, causing Shinichi to force a grin back at her in response. It would probably be some expensive brand-name purse.
Once again, all day at school, Shinichi's mind wasn't with his classes. It was brimming over with excitement at the prospect of this possible lead, despite having to remind himself that it would most likely lead to a dead end. Thankfully, though, he was not reprimanded by his teacher for not paying attention this time.
Once class ended, he parted ways with the children as they excitedly headed for the park. He hurried back to his house, impatient to get started. As he opened the door, he was greeted by the scent of beef stew. His stomach growled—an irritating sign that he would have to delay the start of his research. He sighed as he passed Subaru in the doorway. He looked up at the man, and then down at his watch.
"Aren't classes over…?" he asked. Subaru nodded.
"Yes, but I've got a lab project to finish, which can't be moved from the university," he explained as he stepped out of the door. "I'll likely not be back till early tomorrow morning." Then he left before Shinichi could respond. The teen almost felt guilty. Almost, but Subaru actually seemed to enjoy the extra work, so he put it out of his mind.
Venturing into the kitchen, Shinichi found Ran leaning over a large pot as she carefully ladled the stew into two bowls. He suppressed a shiver at the sight of his body moving like Ran. Not important, he thought, reminding himself that she wasn't moving "like Ran": she was Ran. He cleared his throat, startling her. Thankfully, she'd already put the bowls down on the counter.
"Ah, sorry—did I scare you?"
"N-no," she said as she quickly glanced at him. "Just surprised. Dinner's already ready." She picked the bowls back up and headed into the dining room, Shinichi trailing behind. He climbed into his seat as she placed the bowls before she turned back to get their drinks. He noted there was already rice at the table. A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he remembered the routine he'd fallen into at the Mouris' house. She returned quickly, setting down the glasses of water as she slowly took her own seat. Just like yesterday, she mostly kept her gaze averted, silently eating her dinner.
"I've got some research to do after dinner," said Shinichi casually.
"Research?"
"I've got a list of people who disappeared and reappeared two weeks later with no memory of their time gone." Ran's spoon slipped from her hand.
"There're others like me?"
"Possibly. None of them are claiming to be someone else. Publicly, that is. So I need to find their addresses and question them myself. I've got nine to look into here in Tokyo, and six more in Osaka. There are probably more in other cities, but I don't exactly have access to other police forces."
"Fifteen people," she said thoughtfully. "That's an awful lot."
"And it looks like this goes back a few years," said Shinichi as he absently stirred his stew a bit before taking a mouthful. "We just don't know that it's pertinent to our case yet." Despite the uncertainty, Ran's eyes sparkled with hope, and Shinichi just wished this didn't lead to a dead end.
After dinner, Shinichi excused himself, disappearing upstairs to his room while Ran washed and put away the dishes. Once she finished, she headed upstairs herself. As She reached the top, a knock echoed downstairs. She frowned and headed to Shinichi's room, standing awkwardly in the doorway. He was sitting at his computer, already pulling up different web pages.
"Shinichi, there's someone at the door," she called nervously. Shinichi looked over, pausing his research.
"You should probably answer it," he said. Before she could complain, he added, "It'll look weird if I answer it. Just tell whoever it is it's not a good time, and send them away." He turned back to his computer, not giving her a say in the matter. She sighed as another knock resonated in the air, and she reluctantly headed downstairs, sucking in a breath as she prepared for the encounter. She looked at the intercom and grimaced as she realized whoever was knocking had bypassed the gate.
"Hello," she began as she opened the door, preparing to shoo away the unwanted visitor as politely as possible. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was.
"Kudo?" Hattori Heiji was at the door, looking almost as shocked as Ran did. He eyed her up and down. "Geez, ya coulda warned me," he mumbled. "Y'look like shit," he added as an afterthought as he attempted to push his way past the door. Ran kept her weight against it.
"W-what are you doing here?" she managed to squeak out.
"Cold as usual," he muttered, leaning casually against the frame. "The prof said ya were over here. I wanted t'compare notes, an' frankly, yer last text kinda weirded me out, so I wanted t'see how ya were holdin' up." Ran blinked a few times, trying to sort out what to say, when she noticed a shadow behind Heiji. Before she could do anything, he forcefully pushed past the door, another person coming in close behind him.
"This idiot came, too. Sorry 'bout that," he said, more as an afterthought than an apology. Ran took a few steps back, not sure what to do.
"K-Kazuha-chan…" Kazuha stuck her tongue out at the dark skinned detective before turning an inquisitive eye in Ran's direction.
"Kudo-kun?" She stopped and her brow knitted together. "Are ya okay? Y'look really pale."
"Of course he's not okay: his girl's missin'!"
"I…" Ran stiffly looked from the Osakans to the door. "Th-this… really isn't a good time," she said, voice cracking. Heiji let out a dry laugh.
"If you think for one second," he started, voice rising in irritation, "that y'can get rid of us after we came all this way t'cheer ya up, yer sorely mistaken!" He slammed the door shut to emphasize his point while Kazuha tried to pacify him.
"Well, we did come uninvited," she was saying as panic set in, rooting Ran to the spot. "If he really doesn't want us here, we should leave."
"Screw that! He's just being an ass as usual," scoffed Heiji, turning to scrutinize who he thought was Shinichi. "Ain't that right, you ungrateful little…" He trailed off as he saw just how terrified Ran's expression was. He frowned as he looked her up and down, taking in her stance. She squirmed under his sharp gaze, and his eyes narrowed.
"Yer not Kudo," he said, taking a defensive step back. His accusatory glare was nothing short of venomous. Kazuha blinked, confused.
"Heiji?"
"Who the hell are you?!" he demanded just as Shinichi entered the room to see what the commotion was.
"Yer actin' weird, Heiji! It's just Kudo-kun!" Kazuha said. Before Shinichi had any time to act, Heiji bellowed,
"THAT CAN'T BE KUDO BECAUSE KUDO IS RIGHT THERE!" He violently pointed a finger at the shrunken teen.
All eyes were on Shinichi now, as stunned silence filled the air. Heiji blinked a few times before slapping a hand over his mouth.
"K-k-kiddo! I meant kiddo! Right, C-Conan-kun?" he stammered out, attempting to salvage his slip while Shinichi glared daggers at him. Kazuha looked utterly unimpressed.
"I ain't stupid," she said as her eyes narrowed. "You clearly just called him Kudo." She stared at Shinichi. "An' this ain't the first time ya've done it, either."
"W-wha—" Heiji sputtered. Shinichi could see the wheels straining in his head as he tried to come up with a good excuse.
"Forget it, Hattori," he sighed, dropping all child-like pretenses. "You can't clean up after this mess." Kazuha's eyes widened in surprise as he walked past them towards Ran. "Maybe I should just put a sign on my head." He gave Ran an irritated glare. "Why didn't you get rid of them?" he half hissed, snapping Ran out of her shocked stupor.
"I tried to—he forced his way in," she explained, tone apologetic.
"You…" Kazuha started, a bit confused. "If yer Kudo, then who's that?" she asked incredulously.
"That's what I've been askin'," Heiji barked in agitation. Ran winced at the aggressiveness of their tones, and Shinichi glared at them for a moment before answering. He discreetly grabbed Ran's hand and squeezed it.
"This," he said, expression softening slightly, "This is… is Ran." Ran stared down at her slippers as the two Osakans simultaneously gave a start.
"WHAT?!"
Ran bit her lip and frowned as she tried in vain to will down the embarrassed flush that was creeping up her face. Heiji stood, stunned, for a full minute before laughing nervously.
"Alright, Kudo, really, who is this?" Shinichi gave him a flat stare, opting to remain silent. When he didn't acknowledge that he was joking, the grin faded from Heiji's face. "Yer not kiddin'," he whispered shakily. Shinichi shook his head.
"How?!" asked Kazuha in dismay.
"We don't know yet," said Shinichi as he let go of Ran's hand and crossed his arms. "We just know that somehow, her DNA is actually mine." Heiji's mouth hung open for a moment before stupor turned to rage, and he turned his fury onto the small teen.
"Why didn't you tell me?!" he shouted, angry at having been left in the dark. "Didn't ya think I could help ya?" Shinichi sighed.
"Its because you're too impulsive," he replied. "I didn't want you in on this until I was certain I couldn't do this myself."
"But I'm yer best bud!" Heiji protested. "Why would ya keep me out of the loop?!"
"Why? So you could bust your way in without a lead and make Ran uncomfortable like you're doing right now? Even if I'd told you, you wouldn't have believed me right away, anyway," he said in a flat tone. Heiji winced a bit, sheepishly glancing up at Ran. He shivered involuntarily and turned away.
"Fine, fine, I get yer point," he said, waving his hand.
Do you? thought Shinichi irritably. He sighed.
"Guess I should've expected this," he muttered. "Especially after asking that question last night." Heiji straightened up.
"Y'know," he started, face serious, "I might not'a come if ya'd explained yerself. Ya come up with fake excuses all the time, right?"
"Tell me, honestly, would you really have stayed away if I had come up with a dismissal to that question?"
"… No…"
Ran and Kazuha silently watched the back and forth not-quite-bickering. Kazuha slowly inched her way over to Ran, stopping just beside her. She took her eyes off of the detectives and cast a worried glance at Ran's face. Feeling her gaze, Ran looked up, greeting Kazuha's eyes with her own, albeit briefly. She quickly looked down again, uncomfortable.
"Yer really… Ran-chan…?" A nod was the only answer given, though a heavy weight traveled on that gesture. Before more could be said, Shinichi threw his hands up in an attempt to end the argument Heiji had started.
"Fine," he said loudly enough that the girls redirected their attention to him. "If you'll quit complaining, I'll tell you what I know so far!" They could almost feel the triumphant grin Heiji was so poorly trying to suppress.