A long time ago, Ginzo had come to the conclusion that his possible future son-in-law, and likely the only candidate, present or future, for that position, was clinically insane. It was an opinion he'd come to quite early in his daughter's relationship with the boy. And one he often came back to whenever Kaito did something particularly ridiculous.

But never so often as when he watched the boy interact with his daughter. If the entire rest of the world had taken one look at Nakamori Aoko and decided it was best not to aggravate her, Kaito had taken it, laughed at it, and proceeded to do the opposite.

Sometimes he thought it balanced out their relationship. Anyone who stood by her side would have to have the courage to disagree with her. But most of the time, Kaito seemed to do it simply to infuriate her. Like now for instance.

"Would you just give me the key?" Aoko extended her hand. She managed to seem imperious even seated at a dining table. To Ginzo, it was an obvious sign to listen.

"No way. Forget it. Not going to happen." Kaito did not listen. "Besides, they're my keys. Why should you drive?"

"Because I'm the better driver." Aoko crossed her arms and stared him down. Ginzo kept his eyes on his coffee cup. Aoko's mastery of intimidation tactics was both a well known fact at the police station and point of pride for him. It was also terrifying when on the other end.

Kaito, however, did not have the same level of self-preservation instincts. "Says who? There's no one in the world that's been in the passenger seat with you that would ever say that."

"Yukiko-san -"

"Barring Yukiko-san."

She huffed at him. "You only said one person. Just give me the keys."

Kaito shook his head. "I don't have a death wish, so no." That was lie. It was one of the most obvious lies his unofficial second charge had ever made. If he didn't have a death wish he wouldn't be antagonizing his daughter so often.

Her glare increased. Aoko was clearly resisting the urge to resort to more violent tactics. "You were the one who crashed your bike in the first place. What are you getting all testy at me for?"

He ignored her words, "Either I drive or you stay here." To further emphasize his point, he held them as far away from her as possible.

She glared a minute longer before finally releting. "Fine." She ground out. And ignored his grin.

"Next week." she reminded him. At the very least, she would be a dignified loser. "Don't be late, otherwise Sonoko will kill me." After how long she'd pleaded for their 'Best Friend Getaway', she didn't want to hear the rant if she was late.

"Yeah, yeah." He waved her off. "What was it, another one of her crazy schemes to get a boyfriend?"

Her scowl wavered, losing it's valiant battle to stay on her face and she fought back a smile. Ginzo silently noted Kaito's expression soften as she did. "No, this time she said she wanted a weekend for us to celebrate being friends. And see fireworks, wear yukatas, and… something." Sonoko had listed enough items that she doubted they'd be able to see it all in a three day time span, but she didn't have the heart to stop her when she'd looked so excited.

"And she had to do it in Izu?" Kaito had that blank look on his face, the one he and Shinichi always got whenever they dealt with Sonoko's antics.

"Oh, just let her have fun." she shushed him. "Besides she worked really hard for this. I didn't have much free time recently."

"Because you spent it with Agasa-Hakase." He reminded her.

"Conan needed stuff. And he can't be trusted on his own." Aoko scowled at the memory of her idiot cousin's most recent debacle. And how he'd almost managed to get himself killed twice in a week. Both of which in circumstances so ridiculous she hardly knew what to say.

"Right, that mysterious kid I've never met." Kaito thrummed his fingers thoughtfully against the table. When she'd told them about the cousin that had suddenly been dropped in Japan like a hot potato, and left for Aoko to figure out a living situation for, he'd been surprised she'd finally found a brat that wasn't terrified at the sight of her.

Then he suddenly grinned at her. "At least you've finally met a brat you can get along with."

The grin widened at the scowl she gave him. "Shut up, idiot."

Aoko glared for a minute longer before eventually deciding she was done with him for the time being and rose from where they were seated at the dinner table. She rose and moved to the kitchen. Kaito, who was not wise enough to let the smoke clear once the fire had gone out, took his plate and followed her.

"I mean it. How often do you find a child that you don't scare off?" He broke into cackles. "Kekeke, remember those kids crossing the street you almost made cry?"

Aoko whirled around and faced him and Ginzo almost sighed at the satisfaction on Kaito's face. "I did not almost make them cry!"

The rest of the evening devolved into a familiar state of affairs as Kaito continued to bait Aoko until she cracked. He sighed when he saw his nearly empty coffee cup. Unfortunately, the machine was by Aoko, who if the furious glint in her eyes was an indication, was seconds away from grabbing a mop.

The sun loomed high in the sky as people of all ages roamed freely on the golden sands of the beach. Laughter rang from place to place as parents, friends, and siblings entertained each other.

"I'm glad you changed your mind, Aoko." Ran said to her friend as Sonoko lead the two what she'd decided was the best place to put down their towels.

"You have no idea how persistent Sonoko was." Aoko returned. Really, the moment Sonoko got any idea into her head, it was easier to simply play along than try to dissuade her.

Ran giggled. "You didn't make it easy though. I don't think Sonoko's begged this hard in a while."

"Of course I did," Sonoko answered. "How could I just let go of this golden opportunity?"

"We could have had a girls' weekend any time." Aoko rebutted. "And it didn't have to be this beach."

"But it's been so long." Sonoko said.

"It's been two weeks." They fell back into the same argument as Ran watched on with an amused smile.

"Aoko~"

"Sonoko~" Aoko mimicked.

Ran sighed, tired of the two picking up the same argument. "Maa, I'm glad to spend time with both of you." She said. "So stop acting like children."

That at least took the wind out of their sails. Or at least it did until Aoko wrapped her arms around Sonoko's waist and dropped like a anchor into the water without giving Sonoko a second to prepare.

Sonoko eventually managed to find her way back up, spluttering and spitting out seawater. "Aoko! You're dead!"

And with that she pounced towards her, every bit intent on dragging her below the water and Aoko laughed and danced out of the way.

"Isn't this nice, Conan-kun?" Ran turned her attention on the boy who was watching them with a bored look. If it hadn't been for the height difference, one might wonder if he or the laughing and playing duo in the water were older.

Still, she was intent on getting her young charge to have some fun. "It's fun." He agreed with a hasty smile. One that didn't fool her one bit. Though it was odd, given how much he'd pleaded to be brought along.

Then again, given how mad Aoko had been, she had no doubt the "ban on anything interesting, amusing, or any sort of entertaining" had excluded any sort of fun altogether and bored the boy to tears. It was only after both Ran and Sonoko had teamed up against her that Aoko had agreed to join them, let alone allowing Conan to do so.

Of course, it was all but a law of the world that all fun had to end. Which was how the four found themselves having lunch with a college student. Said college student was currently charming Sonoko.

Shinichi, stuck between Ran and Aoko, held back a groan. He'd begged his way onto the trip out of sheer boredom to circumvent Aoko's punishment, but he'd managed to find punishment all on his own.

At least that was what he was calling it. On the other side, Sonoko and the lunatic stranger interested in her sat flirting, or at least the older boy was and Sonoko blushed. Aoko sat on one side, glaring at the both boy that had dared to interrupt their all girls weekend and the girl that had let him. On his other side sat Ran, smiling through the awkward situation of being both the third wheel and the behind the fourth wheel intent on burning the first two wheels.

Aoko raised her eyebrows at Sonoko, silently showing her displeasure for being thrown over on a trip Sonoko had begged for for a boy. Sonoko gave her a sheepish smile in turn, but widened her eyes and gave the man a meaningful glance, as if to show how special he was. Aoko glared back.

In other words, it was a situation where he best keep his head down and sip his iced coffee. Or what would have been his iced coffee had Aoko not taken away the privilege.

He doubted Aoko was hearing a word they said since she seemed to find fault their flirtation in general rather than increase at the necessary intervals, when the sudden bang of the beer tankard on the table surprised them into turning their attention to the server.

"The beer you ordered." His voice was deep and managed to convey displeasure despite it's monotone. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't throw your cigarette ashes on the floor." He continued, ignoring Michiwaki's thanks.

Ran stared at him as he left, frowning in contemplation. "Haven't we seen him somewhere before?"

Aoko, who had also been interrupted in her attempt to burn through Michiwaki and Sonoko by sheer force of will, also turned her eyes to the him. She knew that silhouette, she was sure of it. His face was familiar despite the large glasses obscuring most of it.

"You're right. I could've sworn I've seen him somewhere before." Aoko agreed.

"Of course you have." Sonoko huffed. "He's the son of the owner of the inn we're staying at. He came to help for the holidays."

"Oh." Ran paused. "How do you know that, though?"

She waved the questions aside and clicked her tongue at Aoko, who was still looking thoughtfully at the server. "He was staring at as at the entrance so I asked the staff."

Aoko's head immediately turned back around. She looked back at Sonoko with narrowed eyes. "He was staring at you two?"

She herself had been dropped off by Kaito later so she hadn't seen the boy before, but the words gave her a bad feeling about him. "Do you need me to-"

She was stopped by Sonoko poking her head, "What are you thinking, silly? He's just a creep. Besides, you can't knock him out before he even does anything."

"I can, and I will if needed." Aoko argued.

Sonoko rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. Thank you, my beloved bodyguard." To which Aoko rolled her own eyes.

The conversation eventually turned back around to their vacation and Michiwaki invited them to join him for dinner. Only to scare Ran and Sonoko as he mentioned the ghost story of a woman murdered the previous year. Shinichi snorted as Aoko rubbed her eyes at their horrible luck.

"I really can't take you anywhere," she muttered to Conan. He sat beside her as the only other place when he'd arrived with his short legs had been next to Michiwaki and Sonoko.

"It's not my fault." he whispered back aggrieved.

"Everywhere we go, you somehow manage to find a murder. And this one's apparently a serial killer." They continued their tiny side argument as Ran and Sonoko asked for details of the murder despite their better judgment. And any hopes of getting sleep that night.

"We just have bad luck?" He tried, trying not to fidget both between Aoko's unimpressed look and Sonoko and Ran suddenly suggesting his older form solve the case. The universe always had to work against him didn't it?

He shot Aoko a look, silently asking her to find some way to change their minds, or at least change the subject before they called him and his other phone rang. Except it turned out to be unneeded as the rude server from before suddenly came back, forcing Sonoko and Michiwaki to move back as he placed their order down.

"Your Yakisoba," was all he said before stalking away.

Michiwaki sneered. "I've never seen a ruder waiter."

Aoko raised her eyebrows and most likely would have said something had not Ran shot her a look. At the same time Conan kicked her shin. While she and Ran were usually the ones pulling him back - and often Kuroba - he knew how she could be when she was moody.

Only to be interrupted once again by outside forces. "Somebody help! There's a corpse out here!"

And like that chaos descended upon the room.

It was the body of a young woman. The police had refrained from giving out any details, but anyone who had seen her body before they'd arrived would never be able to forget it's mutilation.

For Sonoko, though, it was one aspect of her features in particular that drew her attention. Her hair color. It was the same as Sonoko's own. And more importantly, the same shade as all his other victims. Before she could stop herself, the image of herself as badly mutilated as the young woman appeared in her mind.

And suddenly she couldn't breathe. She was going to be next, she knew it. She knew it like she knew that the sky was blue even though she'd never touched it. And how she knew the depths of the ocean would crush her even though she'd never been deep within it before.

The world around her suddenly felt very small. And hot. The night air, which she had thought was cool, now burned her skin. She wanted to wrap her arms around herself, but they were shaking too badly to move as she wanted.

"Sonoko." Aoko grabbed her shoulders and stepped directly in front of her. Like that, her line of sight to the world around her was blocked completely. "Breathe."

"Aoko, listen to me. What if-"

"Breathe." She took a shaky breath. It was short and almost a sob, but she managed.

It didn't help. "My hair is light brown, too. What if-" The anxieties started to swell and she was once again hit with the certainty she was next.

"Again."

"Aoko-"

"Do it." There was no arguing with that tone. But there was a comforting familiarity to it. The world was large. The sky was blue. And Aoko commanded instead of requesting.

She could feel the warmth of her friend's fingers through the thin cotton shirt. But it didn't feel so blisteringly hot anymore. The night breeze tickled her skin and she fought the urge to shiver. She could feel the grip Aoko had on her and she knew that even if she tried to move back that grip wouldn't let go.

But Aoko let go of her shoulders, and Sonoko wanted to whine in complaint, but they were only gone for a moment. Instead, she brought her arms around her and pulled her forward, one arm behind her shoulders and the other at her back.

"You will be fine." She said. It wasn't a promise, but a statement. A truth the world would have to acknowledge no matter it's intent. And because of that Sonoko believed it. "No one is going to hurt you. I won't let them."

"Okay." She felt Ran's arm on her own and let her head fall into the crook of Aoko's neck. She closed her eyes and silently counted to ten just as Aoko had taught her.

"Better?" Ran asked, arm still running down hers and standing close enough that Sonoko could feel warmth of her body even through the chill of the night air.

"Yes," she let go reluctantly and Aoko and Ran took a step back in turn. But she wasn't going to let them go. Instead, she held out both hands, and they immediately took one each.

"Let's go find that inn. The sooner we get inside the less creeped out I feel." she said, trying to interject as much calm into it as she could. Ran squeezed her hand and Aoko hummed a low affirmation. Michiwaki looked at them with a befuddled gaze while Conan stared at them with the same bored expression he always had. The brat.

"Yes, there's no reason to stay here for much longer." Ran agreed, glancing covertly at Conan. Sonoko held back a snort. For all that Ran was worried about him, the only person she'd seen who looked more interested in corpses was Kudo Shinichi himself.

"Right, and don't worry, Sonoko-chan," Michiwaki smiled. "I'll protect you, too."

"Of course," she said. And smiled feeling the way her friends squeezed her hands.

"By the way, Sonoko-chan, I think we should change our dinner plans. How about I pick you up instead?" He suggested.

Aoko frowned at him, clearly unimpressed with his priorities. but Sonoko interjected before she could say anything. "Of course, pick us up at the Kawaraya Inn. How about around 7 o'clock?"

He smiled, and her heart skipped a beat.

It was the scream that brought them running. She knew Sonoko's voice. And that scream in particular. It was the kind she let out when she saw a corpse.

"Sonoko, are you alright?" Aoko was the first into the room, by her side as Ran flicked the light on and scanned the room.

Sonoko sat by their bags, hands at her throat and coughing. "What happened?"

"A-A man. He attacked me." Her voice was hoarse and her throat red. "He went out the window," she pointed.

Conan immediately dashed towards the window, and she gestured for Ran to follow him.

"Tell me everything."

Sonoko coughed again before she spoke, "When I opened the door, he was searching through our stuff. He attacked me when I screamed."

"He was searching through our stuff?" Conan repeated, having not seen anyone at the window, he'd overheard her words. She nodded.

"It must have been an underwear thief." Sonoko reasoned. "That pervert!"

"How did you know if was a man, Sonoko?" Ran asked.

"I bit him." Sonoko said without remorse. "And he had hairy arms."

"Oh." Ran blinked a few times, unsure of how to react.

Aoko, however, beamed. "Good job." She said. "Just like I taught you."

Ran looked her over, "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, I'm fine," Sonoko shook her head.

"Did you notice anything else, Sonoko?" Aoko asked.

She thought for a second before remembering, "He had a knife." And then made a face. "What a creep, even for an underwear thief."

Aoko hummed, exchanging a glance with Conan, who nodded. There was something odd about this attack that made her doubt it was simply a pervert satisfying their kinks. And Shinichi felt the same way.

Sonoko was about to say something when she caught sight of a face face over their heads.

"Michiwaki-san," she beamed. Out of the corner of her eyes, Ran noted the way Aoko's eyes narrowed as they both helped Sonoko to her feet.

"Why are you here?" Aoko asked. Ran went to say something before noting the expression on her face. It was an expression she'd seen on Shinichi's own often enough that she went along with her. She knew Aoko would tell her later what had pinged on her radar Unlike Shinichi, Aoko would share whatever she noticed or suspected.

"Ah, I ran out of petrol so I ran here. And then I was kindly escorted to your room."

"Can you take your shirt off?" Conan asked. He'd noted the mud on his shoes and his wet shirt. He had been running through the rain. "I'd like to see your arms." But that didn't mean he couldn't have attacked her and gotten wet when he'd escaped.

Instead of questioning the child, Michiwaki simply did as requested. Aoko's own eyes narrowed at that because she'd been ready to back Conan, as would be natural when asking a man to strip in a room of girls, and at the request of a child, but he'd went along with it.

But she hesitated when his arms were bare, with no sign of a bite. His arms weren't hairy either. There was little reason to treat him like a suspect, but something was off about him. And not just how he'd managed to find their room by himself.

"What's going on here?" The person who walked in was none other than the server from before, the son of the inn owner. His demeanor seemed better than before, but it was the large bandage around his right bicep that drew their attention.

"Sonoko?" Said girl understood Aoko's unasked question immediately.

"No, the man I bit was very hairy." At that both men gave her slightly startled looks, as if wondering why she was going around biting people.

"What happened to your arm?" Ran demanded, still suspicious.

He blinked, still unsure of what was happening, or the girl's extreme hostility. "A drunk guest pushed me around a bit the other day."

"And when was that?" Before he could even open his mouth, Aoko, who had been watching them with a pensive look, placed her hand on Ran's shoulder and shook her head.

"I don't think it was him."

At that, Ran deflated as well. She knew Aoko well enough to know that if there was even the slightest doubt, Aoko would hound him worse than either of them could. And that meant she'd found something so definitive it would be impossible for this boy to be the one who attacked Sonoko.

"Why do you think that?" Conan asked, wanting to know the reason behind her sudden 180. He was sure she'd seen something he'd missed, but his unrelenting curiosity wouldn't let it go.

She gave him a wry grin back. "Because I doubt Sonoko would have been able to injure him or even fight back if Kyogoku Makoto had been the one fighting her. And I sincerely doubt he'd bother to use a knife."

Said boy's head turned towards her abruptly. "What do you mean?"

"Kyogoku Makoto?" Conan repeated. At the same time, Ran lit up with sudden understanding. "The karate champion."

Aoko nodded. "The Prince of Kicks would probably have been able to subdue her pretty easily, even if she'd surprised him."

Sonoko gave him a critical look, but agreed. "He doesn't have the hairy arms of the guy that attacked me."

"Attacked?"

It was Ran who answered. "Yes. A man came in through that window and was looking through our bags. Sonoko happened to come back and he attacked her." She continued as Kyogoku move to inspect the windows. "Fortunately, we came back and he fled out the window."

"It must've been a burglar. It's happened once before." At the last part, Kyogoku seemed to almost be speaking to himself.

"Before? Why didn't you warn us?" Sonoko demanded.

"I did tell you. And I told you to close the door and windows properly."

"Are you trying to make this my fault?" she retorted.

He didn't even bother to face her as he retorted. "As for you, are you trying to get attacked? It's not safe to go out at night wearing things like that." Sonoko flushed slightly in embarrassment at his words, only to be infuriated a second later. "Plus it doesn't really suit you."

"Are you serious?" she fumed at him, even more so as he gathered their belongings and didn't even bother facing her. "And what are you doing with our stuff?"

"I'm moving you to another room." He finally turned back and looked at her. It was the first time he'd looked her in the eye that night, and his height surprised her. She barely reached his chin, and he was much broader than her. It made her feel suddenly off-put. She wasn't used to feeling so small next to someone, especially one who seemed intent to make her hate him, and it made her dislike him all the more.

"No, that's fine." Aoko answered, seeing that Sonoko has suddenly lost her capability for words.

"And I suggest you have dinner here as well," he turned to Aoko, having noticed how all three of the others had looked to her earlier. "The man could be waiting for you outside."

She nodded. "Good idea." She gestured for them to follow her. "And Michiwaki-san, if you could join us downstairs. It isn't appropriate for you to come into the room full of girls."

"Kyogoku Makoto." The door to the kitchen opened and Aoko stepped through it, closing it behind her before leaning against it and crossing her arms.

He didn't look up from the dishes he was washing. "Nakamori Aoko."

He did look up, however, after she grabbed a nearby bucket of water and poured it over his head. Sputtering, he dropped the plates and removed his glasses.

"What are you doing?" he hissed.

"Cooled down, yet?" she asked instead. If his tone was fire, hers was ice. Ice that froze the blood and shattered its veins.

"What are you doing, Kyogoku?" She grabbed the front of his collar and pulled him down. "And what do you have against Sonoko?"

He pulled himself out of her grasp. "I don't have anything against her."

She sneered at him. "Oh really?" She took a step closer, too close. "You've had a problem with her since she got here. The beer mug, the room - she hasn't been here long enough to have done something. This is the second time we've interacted with you."

He said nothing.

She wasn't stupid enough to believe him. She was always careful with Ran and Sonoko. With Ran, it was her beauty that attracted the wrong attention. Attention that sometimes needed to be redirected with a broken nose or the point blank blunt statement that her father has surefire aim with a gun… and neglecting to mention he was no longer a police officer.

With Sonoko it was different. She attracted both the interest and loathing. There were people interested in her family name. And there were people interested in decreasing the overall number of the Suzuki family. Her family had protected her well enough that Sonoko was often oblivious to it, but Aoko knew enough about the business world to take her own measures.

She took another step. "Did you really think she didn't notice you staring?" She'd noted it herself. Back when they'd been at the restaurant, the boy's head would turn ever so often to look at Sonoko, only backing off when it met Aoko's own glare.

And stopped when instead of anything she expected, he turned flushed at her words. The unresponsive man started sputtering again, this time without the water, and left a red-faced boy instead. She'd expected a sob story, a tale of loss at the hands of Suzuki Jirokichi or some other nonsense not directly related to Sonoko, the the only target within their ability to hurt.

This was not that.

"She-She noticed me looking at her?" He managed to get out. He looked like as sure-footed as a new-born calf.

She stared at him for a long moment. And then.

"You. Idiot."

Sighing, she took a few steps back and turned aside, bringing up a hand to support her forehead. "How is it possible for a human being to be this stupid?"

He was still red and sheepish when she turned back to him. "Are you serious? You're acting like this because you have a crush?"

He reddened even further at her words, which only made her further incensed. "How old are you? Five? You're jealous and you want her attention so you insult her?"

"I-"

"Shut up, you fool." Aoko cut him off. Showing perhaps the little intelligence he did have, he did close his mouth.

Dripping wet, red faced, and curled in on himself, he looked ridiculous. He was ridiculous."You complete buffoon. Was your plan to make her hate you?"

He bent in on himself a bit at her words, embarrassment becoming even more visible. "Oh, of course not. You didn't think that far, did you?" She threw up her hands. "Should I even be surprised?"

She glared at him, bright blue eyes turning even brighter as it focused on the target of her fury. Once, someone had compared the light in her eyes when angry to ice. If Kyogoku had any knowledge of that, he'd have disagreed. Ice wasn't cold enough for look in her eyes.

"Well?" He stared at her, a small part of him wondering if it was now alright for him to speak and a much larger portion wondering what she was talking about.

Slowly, cautiously, "Well, what?"

Ice definitely wasn't cold enough was the look she gave him.

"When you're done throwing your little tantrum, listen up." She ordered. He straighted. "I don't care who you are or whether you were raised by pigs. You were out of line."

"Let me give you some advice, since you obviously don't interact with society. Who she spends time with is her choice. What she wears is her choice. You don't have any right, lover or friend, let alone stranger, to decide that. Understand?" He nodded stiffly once she finished.

"And who the hell are you to say if it suited her with your getup?" She added, gesturing at his oversized spectacles and old fashioned style. The look he gave her was more suited for a wounded puppy.

'And last thing, nothing someone else does invites someone to take advantage of them. It's always the twistedness of the person that commits it that's at fault, never the victim." She headed for the door, tossing a glare over her shoulder. At the last few words he was of the rumors in the martial arts circles of her closeness with the police.

"Wait!" He said, before he'd even thought what to say afterwards.

She paused and looked over her shoulder, but didn't turn back around. He realized that if he didn't give her a reason to listen soon she would leave altogether.

"What about Sonoko-san?"

"What about her?" An eyebrow raised. "What should I do to protect her? She almost got attacked last night, but she doesn't trust me and I don't know who the attacker was or what they wanted."

She looked at him for a moment, without wavering or blinking and he kept her gaze. He needed to keep Sonoko safe. And he knew it would be far easier if her friend trusted him. Or at least tolerated him.

Finally, finding whatever she was looking for, Aoko turned back to the door. "We're going to the Haunted Restaurant tomorrow morning. Be there. And control yourself."

"Oh, and charge me for a beer mug." She threw one arm up over her shoulder, mug in hand and empty of any liquid - as anything inside would have fallen out given the way she was holding it. The door shut behind her.

Aoko stepped out the door and bit back a groan. She'd gone into that thinking she'd need to call reinforcements from the Suzuki family, threat of the police, and a myriad of other failsafes to buy time to keep him away from Sonoko until she get her out of here.

The actual conversation was so ridiculous if was giving her a headache from how much her IQ had plummeted by being in his direct vicinity. She'd once respected him as a fellow martial artist. It was rapidly dwindling after that conversation.

She rubbed her temples, intent on clearing her mind of one headache when she had one more to deal found him standing outside the inn. Phone in hand, he'd clearly just hung up the call.

"Good, you're alone. That makes this much easier." Her words drew his attention, and he looked up from his phone.

"Who are you?" He demanded, tracking her with his eyes but not stepping closer.

"That's what I want to ask you. Who the hell are you and why are you stalking us?" His bushy brows disappeared behind the brim of the the cap he was wearing.

"Girl, I don't know whose bright idea-" his words cut off mid sentence as she smashed top of the beer mug into the wall of the inn. He jumped.

She was in behind him before he had time to take more than a step back. One arm reached out and behind his head, pulling back his hair until his throat, and the cartilage of his laryngeal prominence jutted out. She kicked out his knees and he fell to the ground.

The other arm held up the broken beer to his throat, right where the cartilage protruded most. "I already had to deal with one imbecile tonight. I don't have the patience for another." She said. "So you can either give me what I want, or this is going to be very painful."

"Kid, whatever you're doing, you really don't-"

"Who the hell are you and why are you following us?" She asked again. "I don't like to repeat myself."

The glass nicked his skin and a thin line of blood ran down his throat. He swallowed. It dug in further. "W-wait, I'm not a bad guy. I'm an police officer."

She didn't release him. "Name, rank, and division."

"T-Terabayashi Shouji, Inspector, Violent Crimes."

Aoko paused, and then suddenly felt very foolish. She'd been on edge and it had made her more impulsive than she otherwise would be. Of course there were police hanging around tracking that serial killer. She removed the glass from his neck and took a step back. "I apologize, I thought you were the murderer."

He held up a hand to his throat where he felt another trail of blood leak down. "You're letting me go just like that? What if I was the killer?"

She looked at him and smiled thinly. "You're not. I can tell." He swallowed.

"Well, who are you? Not just any kid will confront a possible suspect to a murder and threaten him." His other hand gestured forward and he waved to her. He may not know how she knew who he was, but she figured he at least had a right to know who had nearly killed him.

"Nakamori Aoko." She gave her name in return.

His eyes widened. "Well, that makes sense." And he'd thought of the rumors regarding the cousins as tall tales.

She smiled again, this time much more genuinely amused. "The police usually know me by name." Ah, so she'd used that to test him if he really was the killer. And to see what he'd do if he was. With what he'd seen of her martial arts skills, he thought it was rather likely she'd be able to defend herself and take care of him if he had tried to attack her.

"You've created a bit of a reputation," he said in return. It got him a smirk.

"Your suspect is Miwazaki, I'm guessing." Aoko decided to be blunt. She'd already wasted time with Kyogoku and she needed to be back before the girls got suspicious.

"Yes." He paused for second. "What made you suspect him?"

His team had their own reasons, but hearing someone else's opinion would be a good second perspective. And it was possible she'd noted something he hadn't.

"He approached my friend today. She was attacked the same night and the attacker somehow knew where we were staying down to the room." She continued. "I never told him our room number, nor did the other girls, but he showed up right after the incident."

"Suspicious."

"Yes, but my friend bit the perpetrator. He didn't show any signs of it."

"Perhaps an accomplice?"

"No." She shook her head. "I have reasons to think he works alone, but I'm not entirely sure." Namely, Shinichi had thought so on a hunch, but she couldn't mention his name right now.

He nodded. "I'll look into it. Anything else?"

"There's a possibility he might be looking for the footage on a camera my friend has. I'm not sure what the footage has since he checked them all, but it's likely he'll stick around for a while. We're going to that haunted restaurant tomorrow, how soon would you be able to get your subordinates to assist you?"

"Tomorrow is fine."

"Good, make sure to keep the restaurant clear of civilians. Scatter a few undercover officers throughout the building. And have people outside in case he tries to escape. I'll either have a confession or he'll be cleared by noon tomorrow."

That made him raise his eyebrows. "It usually takes months of careful planning to get any evidence, let alone a confession."

"He's going after my friend. I'll get him behind bars before he can succeed." Her eyes blazed with promise. "And I'm not to patient type for those matters."

He smiled. "Then I'll tell my men to be ready to make an arrest."

"Don't sleep in the car by yourself, Sonoko. That's not safe." Aoko drew her up even as Sonoko protested.

"But, Aoko!"

"It's only for a little while, so it should be fine, right? We can get her something to eat as well. That way -" Whatever Michiwaki was about to say next faltered under Aoko's gaze.

"I'm not letting her stay by herself when we don't even know why that nutcase attacked her."

"I think so, too." Sonoko turned to her other friend with betrayed eyes.

"Ran!"

"Mou, Sonoko, stop whining." She shushed. "Aoko's right. It's not safe to just let you stay here by yourself. What if something happens?"

"What could possibly happen while I'm in a car?" Sonoko threw up her hands.

"Would you like that list alphabetically or statistically?" Aoko asked immediately. As she was speaking, she pulled up Sonoko, who stumbled forward into a much broader chest.

She looked up into eyes obscured by those ridiculously large glasses once again. "You?"

He frowned at her. "A thank you wouldn't hurt."

Sonoko scowled at him. "Who asked you to catch me?" Her eyes knit together. "Why are you here anyway?"

Aoko spoke up first. "I invited him." Even Shinichi looked surprised at that. She'd told him about the Inspector, but she hadn't mentioned Kyogoku.

"What? Why?" Sonoko practically screeched at her. She gestured to Kyogoku. "Why would you invite him?"

Ran, however, frowned at her suspiciously. "Aoko, you aren't letting your idolization cloud your head, are you?"

Aoko snorted. "Don't worry, whatever respect I had is long gone." She addressed the group as a whole, "No, if someone's after Sonoko, it's better to have as many people looking out as possible."

Ran was the one who caught on the quickest. Or rather, the only one aside from Shinichi who even understood her reasoning. Sonoko wasn't merely anyone, but the heiress of one of the most influential and affluential conglomerates in Japan, if not the entire world. It was a fact of life for her family to have enemies, but for someone to be after her like this, completely out of the blue, they couldn't rule out a possible assassination attempt either.

If anything, the only reason Aoko hadn't called her family directly and canceled the entire trip, as she should have done was that she doubted, and Shinichi had agreed, that it was unlikely to be a product of the Suzuki name, and instead Sonoko was most likely a victim of circumstance.

"Now come on." She said, grasping Sonoko by the elbow and dragging her forward. "Let's have breakfast." She saw Terabayashi out of the corner of her eye, at the far end of the road. She'd conferred with him and planned to have his men keep watch outside the restaurant in case Michiwaki happened to escape, or tried to resist.

The restaurant was sparsely occupied, with a couple by the far side, and a few lone men evenly across the room. Shinichi raised an eyebrow at Aoko, who upon noticing the glance he cast around the room, gave a nod.

"So, Michiwaki-kun, how did you sleep?" Sonoko attached herself to the man. Kyogoku's jaw tightened, but he didn't say anything. Ran glanced between them, but her eyes caught on Conan shooting Aoko another look, who in turn merely shrugged. The fond smile on her face caught both their attention, and her smile grew at the identical quizzical look they sent her. She'd often found herself noting the similarities between Conan and Shinichi, and even more so now that Conan had mysteriously managed to pick up whatever 'twin telepathy' the cousins had shared.

"I slept alright, but more importantly, Sonoko-san, how are you? Are you alright after that incident yesterday?" He asked.

"Well, more or less." She waved off the question. "That damn panty thief is in for it whenever he gets caught."

Kyogoku coughed, "Panty thief?"

Aoko kicked his shin. "He has to be deranged to go after women's underwear like that."

Kyogoku nodded solemnly. "I agree. What a twisted, depraved mind."

Ran gave them both a suspicious glance, sure they were conspiring somehow, but unsure of how or even what on. But she did notice Conan rolling his eyes at the two and the oddly mischievous glance Aoko shot him back.

"For once you're not wrong." Sonoko reluctantly admitted. She let go of Michiwaki's arm and threw her arms up again. "Who knows what kind of lunatic he is." She huffed. "Stealing underwear and threatening girls, what a pathetic loser."

Kyogoku's lips twitched, which didn't go unnoticed by Sonoko. "Why are you smiling?" She demanded.

"I just agree with what you said." He appeased.

"You're right," Aoko added. "A guy like that doesn't deserve any dignity. He should just be thrown to the dogs."

Her gaze turned to the man accompanying them. "Don't you agree, Michiwaki?"

His brow twitched at the lack of honorifics, "Of course, Nakamori-san. A horrible person like that deserves nothing but the worst."

She smiled. Michiwaki hesitated, unsure of the reason why, but sure he'd somehow landed into a trap. It was her smile. A cold, mocking smile.

Sonoko and Ran exchanged a glance. They knew Aoko. They knew her personality. And that meant they knew when she was weaving her web. And right now, she was going in for the kill.

"You were never going to find it, you know." She steepled her fingers together and rested her chin on her hands. The smile remained in place.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean," Michiwaki said hesitantly. Unsurely.

Sonoko silently noted it was the first time she'd seen him unsure since the moment he'd approached them.

"She means, that whatever you did, you messed up." It was Ran who said that.

She was solemn facing him, the way they knew she was when she was facing a tough opponent in the ring. Or a criminal.

She stood, and Sonoko did as well. "I don't know what Aoko realized, or what she found out, but you need to leave."

Michiwaki glanced between them, unsure of what was happening, but his gaze quickly growing from confused to angry. "So what? I'm being tossed aside for some wrong I don't even know? Just because your friend said so?"

He turned to Sonoko. "She's jealous. She doesn't have a boyfriend, but you have someone and I care about you. You-"

"Shut up!" Sonoko burst out, incensed. "Don't you dare insult Aoko like that. She's not jealous or envious. She saw the real you, and I should've seen it, too."

"Are you really going to believe her just like that?" He asked incredulously. "Without even hearing my side?"

"She tolerated you this long. I don't know what you did, but you crossed the line." Sonoko retorted, before her eyes filled with sudden comprehension. "No way, are you the panty thief?"

There was no other reason Aoko would have such a sudden, strong reaction to him otherwise. When he'd first joined, her displeasure had been directed at them both, but primarily Sonoko herself. But she hadn't tried to stop him from joining in.

And Michiwaki's entire personality seemed to have shifted. The easy charm she'd liked had fallen off, and it seemed he was like a different person.

Michiwaki didn't respond, but his look was answer enough. Sonoko took a step back, but she wasn't fast enough. He reached out a hand and grabbed her by the hair, dragging her forward and towards him. He held a knife to her throat.

"This is all your fault, bitch." He snarled at her. "If you hadn't taken that picture everything would have been fine."

Sonoko gasped, feeling the knife at her throat. She choked as she felt it dig into her skin. It it pressed any harder, it would draw blood.

But what hurt more was that the man she'd been so interested in was the one holding a knife to her throat. He'd approached her not because he'd been interested in her but for his own interests.

It was always like that wasn't it? Wherever she went, the boys flocked to everyone but her. Ran was popular. She was gentle and kind, and beautiful. Everything she wasn't.

But her? She'd always been the one who chased. Never to be chased. And she always fell for men who had no interest in her. And again, she'd fallen for a man that would hurt her.

"Sonoko, breathe." Aoko said. "You'll be fine."

Then her eyes turned back to Michiwaki. "Let her go. You won't be able to get away anyway."

Aoko pressed a hand to Kyogoku's forearm when she felt him move, warning him not to do anything rash.

"The restaurant is surrounded by police." She said.

He gave a humorless laugh. "So you've already figured everything out, huh?"

Conan answered him, for once straight to the point. "You're the one behind the serial killings."

Ran gasped, and beside them, Kyogoku tensed beneath Aoko's grip. She shot him a look, warning him not to do anything impulsive.

"You're a creepy little boy aren't you?" He asked. "But you're right. I was the one who killed them.

"And if it wasn't for this stupid girl, I would have gotten away with it, too." The hand holding the knife to Sonoko's throat pressed deeper, drawing a thin line of blood as Sonoko whimpered.

"She doesn't have the picture." Aoko said. "She never caught you on her camera."

"That's what you're looking for, isn't it?" Conan asked, though it wasn't really a question.

"Of course she has the picture. I caught her taking pictures through the camera." Michiwaki retorted.

"She never took a picture of you. That picture she was talking about was a picture of Ran at the beach." Aoko said. "Let her go, Michiwaki. She doesn't have anything to do with your murders."

"Even if she isn't involved, there's no way I can let her go now," he refused. "She's the one that's going to get me out of here."

He kept the knife pressed to her throat and took a step backward, forcing Sonoko to follow him lest the knife pierce her skin again. The undercover officers around them stood by warily, unable to detain him until he'd let go of the hostage.

But Ran wasn't going to let him go so easily. She was the one closest to Michiwaki and Sonoko. She picked up a glass, and slashed it through the air. The fizzy drink inside fell out, flying in an arc towards the two. Michiwaki used the hand at Sonoko's throat to shield his eyes from it.

It was only a moment, but it was long enough for them to take action. Kyogoku, despite being farther, reached Sonoko first. He took hold of her wrist and yanked her away from Michiwaki. She fell straight into his arms as Michiwaki finally regained his sight.

He came at him, knife raised. The look in his eyes showed that he no longer cared who he was hurting, but had lost himself to bloodlust. It would have scared anyone, but Kyogoku was no normal man. One arm kept Sonoko safely by his side, and ready to maneuver her for whatever way he attacked.

The knife cut through the air and then into his skin, but he didn't even seem to notice though it was stuck halfway in. Before Michiwaki could even let go of the knife, Kyogoku flexed his arm. It shot out and struck him in the throat with enough force that he stumbled back into the chairs. Kyogoku didn't chase after him, reluctant to leave Sonoko by herself.

Michiwaki stood back up, slightly dazed from the sheer force, and using a chair to support him, but standing nonetheless. The officers around him hesitated because of the knife in his hand and the crazed look in his eye. His mind was gone, and right now, he was little more than a wild animal ready to lash out at anyone.

But Ran was ready for him. She moved forward, batting away the knife he jerkily shaked in front of him like it was little more than a children's toy. It flew through the air and struck into the wall with enough force that there was a resounding clang even as the knife continued to vibrate long after its incision.

He hunched under the fury of her repeated jabs, trying to protect his abdomen as best he could. But that only made his head an easier target. She took a step back, and before he could even figure out what was going on, roundhouse kicked him with enough force he toppled to the ground.

He landed at Aoko's feet. "You're under arrest, Michiwaki. I suggest you comply without causing any problems."

Her foot rested over his wrist, the same one that had held the knife to Sonoko's throat. "Otherwise, we won't be so nice." She stepped on it for good measure, ignoring his pained grunt. She let Conan handle talking to the police as she headed to where Kyogoku spoke quietly to Sonoko.

"Thank you," Sonoko said, eyes on the knife still embedded into his bicep. "And I'm sorry you got injured saving me."

"It's nothing." He said. "Are you okay?"

Sonoko let out a wet laugh. "I should be the one asking you that."

"I'm fine," Kyogoku said, even as the knife stuck out of his arm.

"Why did you help me? We don't even know each other." asked Sonoko. "I called you a pervert and yelled at you."

"You probably don't remember, but we met at a karate hall once." Kyogoku said, reminiscing. "You were cheering on your friend with all your heart."

Ran who'd joined her side, but Aoko stopped her before she could call out to them.

"But you should be more careful." Kyogoku continued. "You never needed to try with men so you don't know how we are." He turned. "Consider this a warning from one of your many suitors."

Sonoko immediately blushed, but too shy and too stunned after the sudden confession to go after him. Ran looked at Aoko with wide eyes, who smirked back, and immediately slapped a hand over Ran's mouth to hide the squeal. "Don't ruin the moment."

Then she suddenly grinned, an idea coming to her as she looked between the two. She laced an arm through Ran's and marched over. "Are you just going to stand there or are you going to get his number?"

Sonoko turned to them, still flushed, and stammered out a few words. Ran and Aoko shared a smile and pushed her after the boy who'd just confessed to her.

AN: I now have a Tumblr account. A little tidbit until I can next update. The link is on my profile page