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The Stranger

A/N: First fanfic, and I kinda wanted to have it on Gaia so other fans can here can tell me what they think. There will be blood and a few swear words later, I just want to give fair warning.

Chapter 1
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“Bye Conan-kun.”

“See you tomorrow.”

“Bye guys.”

Conan waves to his friends, then turns and sets out toward home. Ran had told him she had something special to show him before supper and wanted him to be home early. At least she was smiling again. He knows it will only be a matter of time before she begins to worry about him, or rather, Shinichi, and he will have to call her using his bowtie.

He stops at an intersection and waits for the light to change. Feeling like he is being watched, he looks around and sees a teenage girl with long brown hair and glasses staring at him from the open door of the corner shop. She looks like a foreigner, so she must think it’s odd for a kid his age to be alone. She turns back to look at a notebook in her hand, then speaks to someone just inside the building. Conan shrugs his shoulders and turns back to see the light change. He figures the girl is some lost tourist, based on the slightly oversized bag she had over her shoulder, but she seems to have gotten the help she needed, so he heads across the street.

***********************************************************************************

“Is that the target?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Will this plan work?”

“Of course it will, just don’t stop. But don’t miss, no matter what.”

“I don’t miss.”

***********************************************************************************

“Hey!”

Conan glances to his left as he reaches the center of the street to see who is yelling, then, at the same time, he hears running footsteps from behind. He starts to turn the rest of the way around, but doesn’t get the chance. He feels himself lifted up from behind and carried across the rest of the street.

Right when he sees the sidewalk below him, the arms around him tighten and everything goes sideways. The next few seconds are a blur of motion and the sounds of yelling and squealing tires. When they land, they roll and the person holding him ends up leaning almost on top of him with their arms still wrapped around him. He struggles to get out from under the person and, upon getting a look at the person’s face, is shocked to see that it is the same brown-haired girl that had been staring at him.

Chapter 3
***********************

After a cab ride that seemed to take forever, Ran and her dad finally reach the hospital. Ran runs right in and asks for Conan’s room when she hears a familiar voice. Looking over, she sees Inspector Megure speaking with Takagi down the hall. Unable to make out what they are saying, she heads over just when Sato comes out of the room.

“Well?” Megure asks Sato, and when she shakes her head, “So no change.”

Ran feels her dad put his hand on her shoulder, “Conan, please be ok.” Rushing forward, she bursts in the room, dodging past Megure and the others.

“Conan…”

“Uh, Ran-neechan.”

Ran stops short, seeing Conan, not lying on a bed as she had feared, but sitting next to it, holding the hand of a girl that looks about her age. Her dad marches past her and stands beside Conan, raising his fist to bring down on the top of his head.

“Co..nan...”

“Wait, Mouri-kun.”

“Megure-keibu. What happened? We got a call that said Conan was brought in, and then the news said something about a hit and run…I…”

Ran’s voice trails off as Conan quietly sighs.

“She ran out into the street and grabbed me from behind. I’m not sure what happened until we landed on the sidewalk, but she had hit her head on the pole and has been unconscious since.

“If it’s just a hit-and-run, why are you here?” Mouri asks, fist still hovering over Conan’s head.

“Because thanks to a videotape provided by some tourists who were nearby, we don’t believe it was, as you say, ‘just a hit-and-run‘.” Megure says, nodding to Takagi.

Takagi steps forward, flips open his notebook and reads from it.

“Upon arriving at the scene I heard my name; looking in that direction, I saw the ambulance pull away and a man standing by the corner with a cell phone in his hand. I approached him, while Sato-san spoke to a group walking toward the man. He said he wasn’t the one who called out but he had seen what happened. He said a car had pulled out suddenly and headed straight for the intersection on the wrong side of the road. A young boy - Conan-kun - was halfway across when the girl ran into the street and grabbed him. The car sideswiped her, sending both to the ground. He said the car turned right, hugging the curb, and never even hit the brakes. He approached the two and found the boy pinned under the girl so he helped him up. He said the boy touched the girl’s neck and made a call, but after his phone apparently died, the boy, quote, ‘ordered me to call the police and tell them everything I could think of.’ In the meantime, his wife, who had taken the video camera he had been using, had told Sato-san that she thought her husband might have gotten some on film.”

“In fact, he had caught quite a bit,” Sato adds. “From before the car pulls out to right after it flees. It also seems that the car actually swerved just prior to impact.”

“Well, that’s good,” interrupts Mouri, “that means they tried to avoid it, even though they fled the scene.”

“If that were the case,” Sato continues, “we would have turned it over to the traffic division.”

“Wait, so…” Ran looks from Sato to Takagi, not daring to believe what she is hearing.

“The car swerved toward the two of them.” Megure put in. “They would have both been out of the way and unharmed otherwise.”

“But…why?” Ran asked, fearing the answer.

“We haven’t established a motive,” Megure says before glancing over at Conan, who appears to be more interested in the girl than the conversation. Despite this, he drops his voice a little as he continues, “but it’s possible that it has to do with revenge.”

“WHAT!?” Mouri yells.

The door opens and a nurse walks in. She frowns at the group and tells them to leave the room so as not to disturb the patients. Once everyone steps outside, Ran taking one last look at Conan, still next to the bed, and closes the door, Megure continues.

“Nothing definite yet, but since the video shows that the driver was intentionally trying to hit them, we have to look into that possibility. We are checking on all criminals that you have helped convict, as well as those that Conan and his friends have done on their own.”

“Could this really be related to one of dad’s cases?”

“While we’ve confirmed that the most threatening suspects are still behind bars, we are also looking into the possibility of family members that might be holding a grudge...”

******************************************************************************************

Chapter 5
*********************

Ran arrives at the hospital and heads straight for the room that Conan and his mysterious rescuer are in. She enters quietly, noticing that both are sound asleep.

‘Knowing Conan, I doubt he slept much after what happened.’ Placing a bag with two sets of clean clothes in it on the chair, Ran looks over at the girl again. ‘I hope my clothes fit her, we look about the same size. Funny, her hair is similar too, maybe a bit lighter. Well, I’ll stop here after school and check in, maybe by then…’

With that, Ran slips silently out of the room, careful not to wake the two sleeping patients.

*********************************************************************************

Conan opens his eyes and sees the sun streaming in the window. It takes a moment to remember the events of the day before; when he does, he quickly looks over at the girl. He notices the rumpled sheets and figures that she must have moved in her sleep, or else she had woken up at some point in the night. He sees the bag of clothes and realizes he also missed Ran stopping by. He changes his clothes before getting back in the chair he was in yesterday. Still trying to piece everything together despite his grogginess, he has nearly fallen asleep with his head resting on his folded arms when the door swings open.

“Kudo, what happened? I been callin’ you since yesterday, so have the decency to pick up your phone…”

“Oi, Hattori, quiet down, will you. What are you doing here anyway?”

“Well if you had answered your phone I wouldn’ta had to fly out here. The updated news said the car was a black foreign model, but they didn’t say what kind.”

“Don’t worry, it wasn’t them. At least…it wasn’t a Porsche. And would you keep your voice down.”

“Fine,” Heiji lowers his voice while leaning down to allow them to continue talking, “So, are you sure it’s not related to you?”

“I’m not sure it’s not,” Conan answers with a sigh.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, some nearby tourists caught it on video; the car swerved toward us, so it’s believed to have been intentional. The question is who, and is it related to one of the cases I’ve solved or is it a retaliation against ‘Sleeping Kogoro’. Megure hasn’t found any likely suspects yet.”

“Sooo…you’re still here…why?”

“Cause that girl ran into the street to get me out of the way and as a result…” Conan waves his hand at her, allowing Heiji to see for himself.

“That still doesn’t explain why you are still here and not out looking for the culprit.”

“It was late and the only way to stay was as a patient ‘under observation’; by now the nurse that signed the order has probably left already, and besides I need to make sure she‘s OK.”

“Come on Kudo, you can’t seriously think that this is somehow your fault.”

“Would you stop that, what if she hears you? Or what if a doctor or someone comes in? I mean it, Hattori, so help me…”

“Look who’s talking. You don’t think calling me Hattori would be just as confusing to anyone who accidentally overhears us?” Heiji says with a smirk.

Conan only gives him a withering glare before turning his attention back to the girl.

“Fine, tell you what, while you’re stuck here I’ll go see if I can find out anything that might give us a lead. ‘Kay…Kudo,” Heiji finishes with a grin, but whispers the last word. The kid may be paranoid about it, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t right about people walking in and overhearing something.

Conan doesn’t turn his head, but the sound he makes is a mixture of annoyance and gratitude that few people could recognize let alone pull off. Heiji gives Conan a quick touch on the shoulder, partly to let him know he was leaving and partly to reassure himself that he was indeed ok, before leaving the room, sparing a quick look at the sleeping girl on the bed. He knew that when she woke up he had to thank her for saving Conan like she did, but only if she apologized for making him blame himself.

***************************************************************************************

“Kaito, what are you reading?”

“The newspaper.”

“Not another Kid heist.”

“Nope, no notes this time, Aoko.”

“That a fact? Perhaps he is merely looking for a new jewel on display in the area.”

“Hakuba-kun, will you stop that, you know very well that he is NOT Kid.”

“What’s that?”

“I already said it’s a newspaper, Hakuba-kun. Didn’t you hear me the first time?”

“No, that article.”

Hakuba Saguru points to an article on the back and Kaito turns the paper over to see what it is about. The title was ‘Teen Girl Saves Kid from Hit and Run.’ Just under it, a picture of an intersection, with police officers interviewing the crowd. The short story reads, ‘A mystery teen dashed into the street and grabbed a little boy in the way of a car going down the wrong side of the street. Police have not released the names of the victims yet, but eyewitnesses say that the girl had long brown hair, while the boy had short hair and both were wearing glasses. One person even claimed the boy checked the girl and, after making a phone call, told him to call the police and tell them what he saw. The girl, however, was lifted in the ambulance and was apparently unresponsive at the time. Both were taken to Beika General Hospital, but their conditions have not been disclosed. {No other information available at time of print.}

“Oooh, so some jerk decided not to wait for the light and a girl got hurt because of it,” Aoko says.

“It seems so, but the child ordering the adult around reminds me a case when a young boy, Edogawa Conan, figured out how to reveal a murderer and talked the rest of our group, almost exclusively detectives, into going along with it. I believe he is the same boy that has stopped Kaitou Kid on a number of occasions in my absence.” At this, Saguru glances up from the paper and makes eye contact with Kaito. A crack of wood on the desk between them cause them to both look over at Aoko.

“Would you two stop with the staring contest, class is about to start.”

***************************************************************************************

A few hours after Heiji left, the girl stirs and opens her eyes. She is startled by the quick movement as a small figure jumps from the chair next to her and heads for the door.

“Wait, please don’t leave…Conan?”

The figure stops with their hand on the knob, turning around slowly. The girl blinks several times, wiping her eyes, before the small figure comes closer, still nothing more than a blur, except for a glint of sunlight that she figures are from a pair of glasses. The figure reaches up onto the small bedside table and grabs something, then passes it to her.

“Here,” says a small voice, “These may help; they’re a strong prescription, so you must not be able to see much without them.”

“Thank you.”

She takes the glasses and puts them on, bringing everything into focus. The young boy was indeed wearing glasses himself, ‘Since he wears glasses, that’s why he would know about prescriptions.’ He seems confused, a bit apprehensive, and…inquisitive, maybe: his gaze, those sharp blue eyes, seemed to be studying her. After a moment, unable to take it anymore, she finally finds her voice, asking the question the nurse hadn‘t given her a chance to last night, at the same time he speaks again.

“Who am I?”
“Who are you?”

Chapter 7
*********************

A half hour after their arrival, the Detective Boys left, three of them giggling amongst themselves while the girl named Ai simply followed passively, pausing for a moment to lock eyes with Conan before shutting the door behind them.

“Your friends are really nice. It was sweet of them to come here and visit you.”

Before Conan can respond, the door opens again. Both look up, thinking that it is the kids again, but instead, Ran and Sonoko enter, followed by a disgruntled looking Mouri Kogoro.

“Hey, if the brat keeps ending up in hospitals maybe he should just…”

“Sonoko. I told you it wasn’t his fault. Just a hit and run. Don’t bug him.”

“Whatever, the little squirt seems to spend enough time here…”

“Sonoko!”

“Just ignore her,” Conan whispers to the girl, “she doesn’t know the meaning of the word tact.”

The stifled giggles cause the three to actually look at the other two occupants of the room. Ran finally realizes that both Conan and the girl are awake and listening to them.

“I’m so sorry. Hi. My name is Mouri Ran, this is my father, Mouri Kogoro, and this is Suzuki Sonoko. I’m so glad you’re awake.”

“Yeah, the squirt was lucky you were there to help him.”

“But I’m the one stuck paying the medical bills,” mumbles Mouri.

“What was that Dad?”

“Nothing.”

“Thought so.”

“I’ll go see if the nurse is coming. The doctor promised she would be here soon.”

Conan slips past Mouri and out the door, deciding to ask about the nurse, but thinking he will wait a little while before going back in, maybe even call Hattori.

Once the door closes behind Conan, Ran steps over to the bedside.

“Anyway, thank you for saving Conan. It may seem odd but please, just promise me you won’t tell him too much about what happened. He will go after them on his own, and possibly get injured.”

The girl’s blue eyes reflect a bit of confusion behind her glasses, but she smiles and responds, “You have my word, I will not let him get hurt.”

“Thank you…umm…what’s your name?”

“Well…unfortunately…I don’t remember.”

“Wait,” Sonoko steps next to Ran and looks at the girl closely, “Are you telling me you have amnesia? You don’t know your name? Does that mean you don’t even remember what happened? That was scary when you had it,” she says turning to Ran.

The girl looks from Sonoko to Ran, uncertainty evident in her face; her gaze rests on Ran at last.

“So…you’ve lost your memories before?”

“Yes, I did. So I know what it is like…what you are going through.”

“What happened? How’d you get them back?”

“Well…”

****************************************************************************

Almost an hour later, during which time Takagi and Sato joined the group and a nurse had come in to remove the I.V., Ran finishes her story. The girl has an odd look on her face as she glances at each person in the room, before settling her gaze on Ran.

“So, all these same people were here for you, during that time.”

“Yeah, well, not Sato, she didn’t wake up until after everything happened,” Ran replied, looking over at Sato who gave her a small smile.

“But, other than that, you knew them all, or at least, they all knew you.”

“Yes, they did, why?”

“Well…just that…you said you know what I’m going through…but you don’t. Not even close.”

“Hey, my best friend just told you what happened, how can you say it‘s not the same.”

“Because what is the same is what makes it different.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

The girl stands up, wearing the same shorts and tee that she had on in the video, and walks over to the window. She takes a deep breath before turning to face the group, her eyes appearing to tear up.

“Ran said that she had you all there with her to help her. HER family…HER friends…people who know her and care about her. Well then, where is MY family and MY friends, why is it that everyone in this room can‘t even tell me who I am…MY name is not only a mystery to ME but to YOU as well. The ONLY reason any of you are here, except maybe the police officers, is because Conan happened to be the other person involved. You can‘t claim to know what I‘m going through because YOU at least had people who could tell you who you were and let you know they cared about you. If not for Conan, I doubt I would have anyone but the police visiting me…if that. Just another Jane Doe that won‘t be thought about after the case turns cold.”

Throughout the tirade, the girl had made her way to the door, and with her final word, she slams the door behind her.

******************************************************************************************

Conan hung up his phone and heads back to the room. Heiji had said he hadn’t found anything at the scene yet, but he had one last place to check. He had also seemed glad the girl had woken up, but when asked, he had simply said he had to go and he would talk to him later.

When he opens the door, he finds Ran sitting in shock with Sonoko whispering in her ear, and Takagi and Sato trying to calm an angry Mouri. He turns and scans the hallway, quickly spotting a stairwell that had access to the roof. He creeps up the stairs, finally reaching the door at the top, he cracks it open and lets his eyes comb the roof. He spots the girl directly across the open area, left hand stretched up and clutching the chain link fence, the right hand in a fist at head height (well, her head height, not his). As he walks toward her, he takes in the shoulders shaking and hears her ragged breathing.

“What’s wrong? Are you alright…,” ‘might as well make use of my apparent age’, “Neechan?”

“Oh, Conan. Yes, sorry, I just…oh, I just acted like a total idiot, and lost my temper. I don’t…I mean…I hope I don’t usually act like that. Conan, I just listened about how Ran-chan lost her memories, and how you helped her get them back. Instead of being grateful that she sympathized with me, I told her off about how it’s her family and friends in both cases. I should of considered the fact that they were there and sharing that story with me even after you left the room…I must be an insensitive…”

Conan decides then and there that she is either an exceptional actress or truly a Good Samaritan that he was very lucky to have had around, no matter the case, his response had to match up or he could tip his hand.

“No you’re not. If you were, you wouldn’t feel bad. Besides, if you were really like that, you could have yelled at them to leave, instead, you left.”

“Yeah, but they all probably left, and I wouldn’t blame them one bit.”

“Actually, everyone is still there, Occhan is a little angry, but that’s normal for him, and like I said, Sonoko-neechan, she blows everything out of proportion.” Conan gives a small laugh and the girl starts laughing too. She turns to face him but the smile that was there turns to a frown in a flash. At the same moment, he feels himself lifted off the ground by the back of his jacket, one arm coming from his right side and trapping his own to his body, leaving him unable to reach his watch, the other still clutching his collar. All he sees is the girl’s face continuing to grow harder as he is held against the body of the person holding him and wondering who it was directed at.

‘Why can I never catch a break?’

Chapter 9
*********************

“What do ya mean GONE!?”

“Neither of them were in the room when we got here this morning. Poor Conan-kun, what…”

“Don’t you worry, Neechan, I’ll find him. Ain’t nothin’ gonna stop me.”

“Hattori-kun, I don’t think you should be involved in this, you are too close to…”

“You’d have ta go overseas to find someone that ain’t close! Name a police force in this country that ain’t been helped by that kid in some way.”

Heiji gives Megure a glare that he usually reserves for suspects. He is standing next to what had been Conan’s bed, which Ran had sat on after it was checked by the lab boys. He had arrived at the hospital a short time after Ran and the others, figuring he could get his friend off the hook (knowing that neither of them enjoy shopping with the girls) and discuss the case, only to find he was already gone. Heiji drops his gaze to Ran, who is clutching Conan’s red bowtie for all she is worth. He was glad that the two of them had swapped out his tricked out one for a plain one or Ran would have had a LOT of questions.

“Megure-keibu, the lab report came back. The bento that Conan-kun and Chiba-keiji ate from had been laced with a large amount of sedatives.”

“So they were drugged.”

“Ha! I know the culprit. It was our young lady. She faked it all, and slipped the drug into the kid’s bento. Then, when he succumbed to it, she passed the rest of to Chiba-kun, thereby taking out two people with one drugged bento. She is the one you should search for…”

“Actually,” the officer interrupts, looking quickly down at the report in his hand, “the bento box that we found in this room, which we believe the girl ate from, also had a similar amount of sedative in it.

“Ummm,” Mouri looks at the officer for a moment before continuing, “right, so she is an additional victim…next time, don’t hold that sort of information back.” He folds his arms and leans against the wall muttering “making me look bad…did it on purpose.”

“We still don’t have an ID on the girl…”

“Name: Marie Rivers. Age: 17. American.”

Everyone in the room looks over at the new arrival, although Heiji takes a deep breath first, already recognizing the voice as that of the British detective he had met at the fake Detective Koushien. Hakuba Saguru glances around the room before his eyes fall on the two bouquets of flowers sitting by the beds. Heiji notes that his eyes widen a bit and he seems to be in disbelief before turning to the group.

“When did those flowers arrive and who brought them?” When no one gives an immediate answer, he turns to Megure. “I need to know…now.”

“Now than young man, I don’t know what business it is of yours, but we are investigating the disappearance of two…”
“Kidnapping.”

“What?”

“Those bouquets leave no doubt in my mind that this was a kidnapping. I am not sure how, but the white rose present in each vase relate to a case I worked on about two years ago, with one Marie Rivers.”

“Wait, you said that Marie Rivers is 17. How could she have worked on a case two years ago?”

“I grant that it was our first case. The ‘how’ is that she is, like myself and Hattori-kun, a high school detective.”

**************************************************************************************

As the girl’s senses slowly come back she struggles to remember where she is. The feel of hard wood under her and the slight chill tells her that she is no longer in the hospital room, causing her to still. Something tells her not to make a move until she knows what happened. She takes a deep, but shallow, breath and tries to think back.

‘We were eating the bentos that were dropped off. Conan fell asleep before he finished so I tucked him into the other bed and…that’s right, I gave the rest to the officer outside the door. Then I continued picking at mine…something was wrong. I felt a chill so I grabbed the hospital robe and threw it on. I went over to check on Conan and…I felt tired, dizzy…I dropped to my knees by the bed. Then the door opened and the nurse from the previous night walks in. She…she says something, and someone else is there…he walked over to me and picked me up…said that I was going to get my friend to come to them. What did he mean? What friend? The woman said that I would need…incentive. She stepped behind me and…sheets moving…? Wait…CONAN!'

With this thought, the girl lifts her head and glances around, taking in her surroundings. It appears to be a warehouse of some kind. The wide open area and the dust in the air indicating the wooden structure had been emptied and abandoned some time ago. A few large cans against the distant wall reflect the sunlight currently streaming through a window behind her.

To her left she spots a door and to the left of that, a small table. Seeing no one, she begins to rise.

“Well, well, well. So you decided to wake up. About time.”

The girl freezes in a kneeling position at the sound of the voice, noticing that, though she understood what had been said, it seemed different than what she had become accustomed to since she had woken up. She hears the door open and sees a woman with long brown hair come in…recognizing her even without the nurse’s uniform that she had been wearing the previous times.

“What do you want? Who are you…really? And where is Co…”

“The brat is fine. As for what I want and who I am. Well, it’s hard to believe that you don’t remember. Guess you hit your head pretty good, to forget that you put my fiancé in prison. He got life thanks to you and your little detective friend pinning all our murders on just him.”

The woman keeps her voice calm, almost conversational, save for when she mentions a detective. She walks closer to the girl on the floor, a smile on her face but her brown eyes are hard and filled with hatred.

“That still doesn’t tell me anything and I’m not sure what you mean by little detective.”

The girl stops, looking up at the woman now standing over her. ‘So help me, if they mean Conan…I am NOT going to let them hurt him.’ Suddenly flashing back to when she was on the hospital roof, the girl figures maybe she could try something like that again. She drops to the floor, spinning around and sweeping her left leg in a half circle that comes in contact with the woman’s legs. She crashes to the floor and the girl reaches forward to grab her.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Well, I would, but unless you don’t care too much about this kid here, I’d advise you to back away real slow.”

The girl turns her head back to the door and sees a tall, well-built guy with short brown hair standing in the doorway. Her eyes are quickly drawn to the limp form hanging from his outstretched hand and her heart plummets. Not sure what else she can do, she steps back from the woman, her eyes not moving from the man, or rather, the child the man is holding.

“Hey, Carlene, you all right?”

“Just fine. What happened? You decide to take your sweet time.”

“Cut me some slack, I figured she wouldn’t stop unless I had the brat, so I had to grab him first. You prefer I come in first only to have her ignore me until I came back with this.” He emphasizes the last part by waving his hand back and forth, causing the boy to sway but otherwise remain motionless.

“Now, now Hank, if you keep that up, the girl may come under the impression that the child is not alright.”

“Yeah, yeah,” The man, Hank, lets his arm drop but doesn’t seem to care that the boy is still dangling from it, nor that the girl is now giving him periodic looks that would give most people shivers. The person to whom the latest voice belongs to steps up behind Hank, a woman with blond hair that reaches just past her shoulders. Hank steps to the side, allowing the woman to pass by and proceed to the table, where she places a video camera.

“Now than my dear, although it seems you have no memory of it, we are going to, shall we say, recreate a scenario that you once used on us, with some minor alterations. This camera will use a wireless signal to send the live feed to a laptop. You will request that teen detective friend of yours to go to the location we tell you. He will eventually arrive here, at which time he shall take the boy’s place. If he fails to do this, or if the police try to follow…well, let’s just say that one way or another, two will pay for what you two did. Whether it is the two here at present, or the two that ruined our lives that day, it does not matter. Now, you two, remember not to touch anything on this camera other than stop, neither of you are any good with this kind of thing.”

With that, the woman swiftly exits, closing the door behind her. The girl looks between the two captors and finally decides that she needs to get Conan and check him, not trusting any of these people.

“Will you let me have Conan? After all, how can I be sure he’s ok? Just give him to me…please?”

“Well, well, well. You finally decide to switch back to English. You know, I hate how complicated the Japanese make everything. All those endings…some can be used for both guys and girls, others just one…and in that hospital, I’d avoid addressing people so I wouldn’t use the wrong honorific. Honestly, you would think…”

“Carlene, just zip it. I mean really, you complain about everything,” Hank interrupts, throwing both hands a in the air before noticing that he is still clutching the boy in his hand. “Ya know what, here girly, figure it’s one less thing to deal with. Don’t know why Sasha kept him in the front room. Better to keep your hostages together, easier to keep an eye on them, right?”

Hearing this, the girl takes a relieved breath and starts toward him, figuring he will pass him to her. To her horror, he drops his arm then swings it forward, literally throwing Conan underhanded. She takes a few steps back and manages to catch him, only to lose her balance at the last moment. She falls backwards, wrapping her arms protectively around the boy to shield him as best she can, but still having the wind knocked out of her. She rolls on her side and lays Conan out beside her. She checks his breathing and pulse without understanding how she knew what she was doing, but trusting whatever instinct that was guiding her and praying she was doing it correctly.

****************************************************************************************

A knock at the hospital room door causes the occupants to look up. A young boy of about 5 is standing there, holding what looks like a brand new laptop. He fidgets a little before taking a deep breath.

“A woman said I have to give this to the people in this room. She said it was about the girl and boy that had been here.”

Hearing this, Heiji jumps up and drops down on one knee in front of the boy, almost in one motion.

“So kid, what did the woman look like? Brown hair…blue eyes?”

“No…her hair was…like that Niisan there,” the boy points to Saguru, who had stood up after hearing Heiji’s words. As Takagi takes the laptop the boy turns back to Heiji, “She was wearing sunglasses, so I didn’t see her eyes. Can I go now, Mom is waiting.”

At a nod from Megure, Sato stands, takes the boy’s hand and leads him out of the room. Takagi places the computer on one of the tables and opens it. The first thing to appear on the screen is a white rose in full bloom followed by two stills. One is the girl the other is Conan, both appear asleep, unconscious, or worse. Each photo has a double image of the rose overlaid on them.

“I knew it.”

The group looks over at Saguru, whose eyes were locked on the screen.

“Young man,” Megure says, “you said you knew the person behind this. Now would be a good time to fill us in.”

Saguru takes a deep breath and looks Megure in the eye.

“I said I recognize the flowers in those bouquets as being related to a case. The culprit at that time was arrested and received multiple life sentences. This is most likely a copycat, however, since the white roses are mixed in with the bouquets, it indicates inside information, as that fact was never released to the public.”

Suddenly, the screen flashes and the scene that greets everyone’s eyes cause all conversation to cease. The girl is sitting on a wooden floor, hunched over a still form that they easily recognize as Conan. She straightens up and glares at the camera, or most likely, a person behind it.

-“You are so lucky he’s alright or so help me that trip earlier would be NOTHING compared to what I would do to you. Either of you.”-

A sob from Ran leads Heiji and Saguru to both begin translating the English to Japanese, at which a collective sigh of relief comes from most of the viewers. The translating causes most of them to miss the mumbled words that come from the screen next. The attention is brought back when the girl starts shouting.

-“I WILL NOT! I DON’T CARE WHAT YOU SAY I DID, I’M NOT ABOUT TO CALL SOMEONE ELSE HERE FOR YOU TO…”-

The girl suddenly moves between Conan and the camera, blocking him from view, but giving a good idea that some sort of threat was being leveled at the two on the screen.

-“Wait. Please don’t. Look…just let the kid go. As you said, he didn’t do anything to you. Why should he be put through all this? You have me…,” She pauses for a moment, “But I told you, I don’t know who this detective is you’re talking about. Even if I did, how would I know he would get this message, let alone come? You’re assuming a lot for this plan to work. NO, please,” The girl raises her hands and glances over her shoulder, apparently ensuring that he is blocked from the view of those behind the camera. “I mean it. I don’t know who you are expecting me to ask for…”-

By this point, Heiji is doing the translation entirely on his own as Saguru had all but stopped breathing. Suddenly, the screen goes black. The room is silent for about one second before Saguru mutters a few words that Heiji had been certain he would never hear from the proper Brit teen.

“Takagi-kun, is there any way to find out where that was coming from?”

“Yes Megure-keibu. However, it would require the signal to be reconnected in order to initiate a trace,” Takagi straightens up and steps forward, reaching for the laptop. Saguru thrusts his hand forward and grasps Takagi’s wrist before he touches it.

“Leave it. No doubt the one who brought it here is watching and any attempt to remove or hack it could prove to make the situation much more dire.”

“You really believe that?”

“Yes, although I also believed she would find some way to convey their location to us. Perhaps she is stalling for a reason…”

“Or perhaps she don’t remember how to, considerin’ she ain’t even able to remember her own name.”

Saguru looks up at Heiji in confusion, but suddenly his eyes widen for a moment as he understands. ‘So, that is why the police were looking for her identity, not because she was still unconscious but because she doesn’t know herself. That means those two are in even greater danger, and for them to be after another person…this must be connected to The Silencer Case, which leaves me as the one they must be after.’

“No offense, but I ain’t gonna continue sittin’ around here doin’ nothin’.”

Heiji pushes past Saguru, who notices the other teen holding what Saguru recognizes as the Conan’s glasses in one hand, but clearly trying to keep them a secret. Glancing around at the rest of the people in the hospital room, Saguru decides that the Hot-Blooded Detective might be the only one with any kind of plan. Saguru shakes his head, unsure of why he is about to do what he is, but knowing it must be more useful than staying here. ‘Especially if that feed comes back and identifies me as the other person they want.’

*************************************************************************************

‘Damn it Kudo. Only you would get yourself grabbed simply as a bargaining chip with some stranger. At least the police didn’t find that badge I delivered, so that better mean one of you has it.’

Heiji straddles the motorcycle he rented and goes to put on the glasses when he hears footsteps behind him.

“I’m coming with you.”

Heiji turns his head to see his least favorite detective strolling up to him.

“Ain’t happening.”

“You will be better off if you have my help, as you are not aware of who you are dealing with.”

“Ha, and you do? Ya said yourself, the best suspect you had is behind bars so ya sure ain’t talkin’ about him.”

“Look, I know you have the boy’s glasses, and you must have some reason for taking them without informing the police. You believe they are after a detective friend of one of the two hostages. Yourself, perhaps. The police would most certainly not allow you to go if that were the case, so you are leaving before that discovery is made. Am I right?” ‘If he cares for that boy half as much as he seems to, I am certain my scenario is close to what he is thinking.’

Heiji pauses for a moment, then shakes his head. ‘I don’t wanna know HOW he came up with that, but ain’t no way I’m gonna let him know about Kudo’s gadgets. He’s just gonna have ta sit this one out…’ Heiji grins at Saguru.

“Tell ya what. You ask me nicely, and promise to fill me in on everything ya know about this girl, then I’ll let ya come.” ‘Not a chance…’

“Fine. Please allow me to come with you, then I will tell you about her.”

Heiji’s jaw just hangs open, speechless. He wordlessly holds out his spare helmet and watches as Saguru takes it and puts it on. Heiji faces forward and slips the glasses on, activating them before placing his own helmet on and steadying the bike for Saguru. A minute later, both teens are gone from the parking lot, one trusting a pair of glasses and the other trusting the teen wearing them.

******************************************************************************************

-“I TOLD YOU THAT YOU WERE TO MAKE HER GET THAT ACCURSED DETECTIVE TO COME TO THE MEETING PLACE! INSTEAD, YOU WENT AND CUT THE FEED! NOW HE’S LEFT WITH SOME OTHER TEEN AND NO WAY TO CONTACT HIM!”-

Carlene holds the cell phone away from her ear as Sasha’s piercing accusations come thick and fast. After a few moments, Carlene puts the phone to her ear and defends her actions.

“If I had let her continue, she would have said more about us. She’s dead set against getting him to come. She may not remember him, but she’s still firm at protecting others.”

-“That’s why we grabbed the kid. So she would cooperate. Threaten him.”-

“We did…”

-“Wait, she still refused when you threatened him?”-

“Weelll, she kinda stepped in front of him.”

-“WHAT!?! PLEASE DON’T TELL ME YOU IDIOTS LET HER HAVE HIM!! Ahhh, I thought you would have known better.”-

“You were the one that said she needed to be assured of the boy’s health, so Eric just…”
-“YOU SAW WHAT SHE WAS LIKE! WE FORMULATED THE PLAN BASED ON THE FACT THAT SHE’S PROTECTIVE OF OTHERS. NOW WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT ANOTHER WAY TO GET TO THAT SMUG DETECTIVE.”-

“Does that mean we take one of them out?” Carlene asks, hoping to finish off the girl that had helped put her fiancé in jail and humiliated her earlier. Her face falls at Sasha’s next words.

-“No, not yet. We will bide our time and await our next opportunity. You can try to convince her with a warning shot if she continues to push, but do NOT use the pill. He said it was painful and deadly, both pluses, but I intend to be there for whichever detective we give it to. Not to mention the flambé that will follow to cover it up, as we promised.”-

Carlene’s smile comes back. Yeah, she remembered the man they had met. The guy had made them pay top dollar, or yen, for a poison that had been used for a while by his group with 100% success. She dips her hand into her pocket and touches the case.

“I’ll try, but with the way things are going, I won’t guarantee that both of them will be alive when you get back.”

Carlene hangs up; aware that she will get another earful from the woman when she gets back, but knowing she doesn’t have to listen to another word until she does. Sasha wouldn’t risk another call and leave the room, and the laptop, without her ‘ever so watchful’ set of eyes for much longer. She goes into the next room to give Eric the update, only to find him arguing yet again with the feisty brunette. ‘Honestly, this girl is turning out to be more trouble than she’s worth. If not for the fact that none of us are certain of that other detective’s name, we could have just finished her off on the street. Isn’t it a kick in the teeth, the ploy to get them both by getting the girl and using her to lure him to us is shot because she went and hit her head. Now, not only does she not know who we want, she doesn’t even know her own name.’

Her attention is brought back to the scene in front of her as the girl had somehow got up to the table and shoved it into Eric. The man, unfazed, shoves it back at her. While her grip keeps her from falling, the shaking sends the camera crashing to the floor.

“Too bad. Looks like your little show is cancelled.”

Carlene steps up beside Eric, causing him to take a step to the side in surprise.

“Carlene, so help me…I really can’t stand…”

He pauses as Carlene whispers in his ear. The girl tries to catch what they are saying, but to no avail. Carlene walks to the end of the table and the girl matches her, crossing her arms and placing herself in the woman’s path.

“Well, well, well. You seem to be getting bolder. It’s a shame that your friend isn’t going to be joining us. He went and took off with someone else. Didn’t even wait to find out where you are.”

“Yeah, well, I guess I’m just getting more and more ticked that you haven’t released Conan yet. The kid isn’t a part of this, you said it yourself. Just let him go, or I will re-introduce you to the floor. I remember how I did it last time, so I can refresh your memory if you don’t let the kid go.”

Carlene’s eyes flick over to Eric. The girl pauses for a second, before following her gaze and seeing Eric, still behind the table. What draws her attention is the gun that is now nestled in his left hand, cocked and aimed…at the still unconscious form of Conan. Without any thought, she turns her back to Carlene and runs for the little boy. Just as she hits her knees and leans over him, the sound of the gun firing reaches her ears, matching a searing pain in her right shoulder and a bright crimson liquid begins to stain the white shirt of the child under her.

Chapter 10
*********************

The video feed had come back, but from the action, or inaction on the screen, it was by no means intentional. The view is at ground level and only Conan is in the frame. The voices of two females yelling came clearly over the laptop, and one was easily recognizable as the girl that had been taken. The sudden silence is confusing until the girl suddenly dashes into view. The group watches as she blocks Conan from view once again, only this time, with her back to the camera. The sharp report of a gun shocks them all as the girl who was kneeling over Conan suddenly drops forward, seemingly draping her body over him before shaking slightly.

“What just…”
“Was that a…”
“What was being said?”
“I caught ‘Conan’ and a few other words, but that’s it.”

Megure looks around the room for the two teens that had been translating for them.

“Where did they go? We need a translator and they leave without telling us.”

“NO! Conan-kun…”

At Ran’s cry, everyone else immediately turns their attention back to the screen as Ran buries her head in her father’s chest. The girl had straightened up and moved to Conan’s side, providing a clear view of the gunshot’s aftermath. The girls right shoulder was bleeding heavily, obviously a through and through, but the girl seems to not notice or care. Her hands are over Conan shirt, blood leaking between her fingers.

-“How could you? HOW COULD YOU? He’s just a boy…just a…” The girl’s hand trembles as she reaches for Conan’s neck. A moment later, she pulls her hand back and removes the hospital robe. Instead of balling it up and pressing it to the wound, she drapes it over Conan, covering him from head to toe. She turns toward the camera, but looks in an upward direction and just off to the left. “You made a big mistake.”-

-“Really? How do…”-

“We need to know what’s going on. Takagi-kun, go find either Hattori-kun or Hakuba-kun…”

“Looking for me, Megure-keibu? I apologize for stepping out…”
“Forget it; just tell us what they’re saying.”

The blond teen steps up to the laptop, pausing for a moment at the sight of the blood beginning to streak down the right side of the girl’s blue top and seep through the robe beside her. He takes a deep breath and begins translating.

-“...body doesn’t work well as a means to get others to do something. Isn’t that why you brought him? To force my hand. Now the only one you can threaten is me, and I’m not about to let you do this to anyone else.-

The girl wipes her cheek, leaving a red line in place of the tears. Her eyes turn hard as she stands and walks toward the camera. She stops about halfway between the camera and the robe-covered boy, allowing only from the bottom of the tan shorts to her bare feet to be seen.

-“You said you would take two lives…well, I’m not calling the other detective here, so you’ll have to make do with me. But I assure you, I won’t make it easy. I won’t rest until all of you, including that blonde woman, are in cuffs. Was that what you were trying to do? Join that fiancé of yours in jail where you belong?”-

-“That’s it! I don’t care what Sasha says, you’re dead NOW!”-

A pair of green pants come into view and it appears the female speaker and the girl are struggling.

-“So much for re-introducing me to the floor,” the female voice mocks before the girl drops to the floor. “Looks like it was me doing the introducing.”-

The girl hooks her left foot around the person’s right leg and with a swift jerk, a woman with long black hair falls to the ground and into view.

-“WHY YOU LITTLE B-”

The woman is cut off as the girl grabs the collar of her shirt with crossed arms, her right arm against the woman’s throat and her left pulling on the collar, increasing the pressure.

-“Me…I heard you two talking about the hit and run. Why aim for a boy if you wanted me? Why bring him along when he did nothing to you? If you wanted the ones that put your fiancé in prison, what…2 years ago…then you should have come for us, not drag a boy into it. Not to mention all the people back at that hospital that care about him...”-

-“H...Han…”-

-“Gotcha." Two thick arms come from behind the girl, grabbing her wrists and breaking her grip on the woman. The woman slides backwards and out of reach while the girl continues to struggle. “Sorry, went to check for any unwanted company.”-

The new person, a male, forces the girl face down and places his knee on her back; the girl’s only reaction is a muffled cry of pain. The woman gets to her knees with her left hand to her throat, her right hand reaching in her pocket, a look of pure hatred in her brown eyes.

“No way.”

“Mouri-san, what is it?”

“She was the nurse that kicked us out of this room on the day of the accident, remember?”

“What? Dad, she was the one who made it so Co…Conan…could stay...” Ran breaks down into tears again, so Sonoko takes her by the shoulders and leads her over one of the beds and out of everyone’s way.

“It was planned…it was planned this whole time”

“Takagi-kun, I want the hospital employment records. If she really worked here, we can track her down that way.”

The blond teen leans closer to the laptop, making sure to catch every word said around him as well as taking in every detail of the room on the screen. ‘Come on. No way these guys succeeded where even Scorpion failed.’

-“You want the reason why we had to go for him? Cause we couldn’t get you, not directly anyways.”-

-“What do you mean you couldn’t get me directly? Wait…you had tried before. The roof…here…I can do things to defend myself…you knew I could. You needed a way to get me to put myself in your path for you. That’s why you aimed for Conan, cause you knew I’d run out into the street to save him. And having him here…you could ensure I wouldn’t fight back or run, not with a kid…”-

-“That kinda sums it up. Hold her tight. Sasha said to wait, but it’s gone too far now. I say we cut our losses and find that ‘H’ kid before the cops find us. Here you go…enjoy your last few minutes…I hear this stuff makes it pretty painful.”-

The woman leans down and removes something from a small container that she had withdrawn from her pocket, holding it out to the girl’s mouth. The girl turns her head toward the camera in an attempt to avoid the woman’s hand. Now directly in front of the screen, the teen notices the man tighten his grip and shift his weight. When the girl opens her mouth in shock and pain, the woman shoves the red and white item in, keeping her hand over her mouth until even he observes her swallowing whatever it was. At once, both the man and the woman move out of camera range.

-“Quick, let’s light this place up and get outta here. Sasha’s gonna be mad enough, we can at least make sure everything ends up in the water.”-

-“I know, I know. Besides, I ain’t the one that shot the kid.”-

-“No, you’re the one who said to shoot at him to scare the girl…she got between, I guess it made my aim off. I was certain I would miss him.”-

-“No big deal now. Huh, a bonfire at sunset. Want to wait for Sasha on the other side and watch the flame’s reflect…? ”-

The voices fade as the two leave but the sight of the girl clutching her chest nearly causes the teen to turn away. The girl begins to crawl toward the robe-covered child, and he faintly hears her muttering something about a promise and not letting him get hurt.

‘Hmmm…clever girl, if she did what I think she did…morbid, but effective. I’m coming Tantei-kun.'

“Hakuba-kun, what happen…where did he go this time?”

“I don’t know Keibu, I never saw him leave, and I was right by the door.”

******************************************************************************

“ARE YOU INSANE!?”

“RELAX WILL YA. I LET YA COME WITH ME, DON’T COMPLAIN AND JUST HOLD ON.”

The motorcycle takes a sharp right turn and heads down yet another street, leaving more angry drivers and pedestrians behind. The streetlights begin flickering on as the sun sets to their left, but the two teens are oblivious to it.

“I shouldn’t have come…”

“WHAT WAS THAT?”

“DO YOU EVEN HAVE A PLAIN?” ‘Right, look who I’m asking. Of course he doesn’t.’ “WE’VE BEEN CRISS-CROSSING THE TOWN FOR…”

“IF YOU RATTLE OFF SOME TIME TO THE SECOND I WILL DROP YOU OFF HERE!”

“VERY WELL, THEN TELL ME WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR?”

“I’LL LET YA KNOW WHEN I SEE IT.” ‘Literally.’

Heiji tunes out his passenger and focuses on the glasses. He had hoped that they would have picked up on the badge he had given the girl by now, but so far, no luck. His phone starts ringing and he reaches to answer it only to have Saguru grab it.

“HEY…”

“YOU’RE DRIVING THE MOTORCYCLE, I’LL ANSWER THE PHONE.”

‘I hate it when he’s right.’

“Hello, Hattori Heiji’s phone…”

“Ahhh, Hakuba-kun, is that you?”

“MEGURE-KEIBU. I APOLOGIZE THAT WE LEFT SO ABRUPTLY. I HOPE WE DID NOT CAUSE YOU ANY INCONVEN…”

“No time for that. We have determined that Conan-kun and the young lady are located somewhere near the water. Possibly the river. However, we have been unable to narrow the location down any further. Have either of you got any leads?”

“NO, BUT IF THEY ARE NEAR THE RIVER THEN…AHHH! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?”

“YOU JUST SAID THEY’RE NEAR THE RIVER, THAT’S WHERE I’M HEADIN’”

“Hakuba-kun? Are you there? What happened?”

“WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO THE RIVER. IF WE COME ACROSS ANYTHING...WATCH IT HATTORI!"

*************************************************************************

‘Huh, I hope Tantei-han’s driving is better with others…then again, considering the times Tantei-kun starts out on that bike and ends up on that board of his…’

The teen scans the ground below him from the roof of a building halfway between the hospital and the river. He had known he had to call in help and was thankful he had snuck a peak at the boy’s cell phone, finding the Osakan’s number in the process. A quick glance around reveals no witnesses, a rare occurrence but the desired one. He leans forward and pushes off the edge of the roof, activating his glider before he drops too far. He compensates when he catches a lingering updraft from the road below, and heads off to follow the river.

‘He better not end up in the water again. That other time was way too close…not to mention those…things in there.’

****************************************************************************

“Megure-keibu,” Takagi calls as he dashes into the room, “The doctor says that the nurse’s name is Bara Shiroka. However, that name doesn’t appear in any records prior to the day of the accident.”

Takagi continues his report while Ran’s continued crying provides a sad background. Sonoko is still trying to soothe her but not having much success. She looks over her friend’s shoulder and her eyes fall on the bouquets still sitting next to the beds.

“Bara…Ran, didn’t that other detective, Hakuba-kun, say something about the white roses in the vases when he first got here?”

“Yes…I…I think…he did. Why?”

“It is possible that the name is a fake…”

“Keibu, the building!”

The group turn their attention to the laptop and are shocked at the black smoke in the background and flames that are criss-crossing the wooden building. The spot where Conan had been is now vacant. The girl is crawling toward the far wall, dragging a bundled up robe under her.

“When did the building catch fire? They had restrained the girl after that fight. What happened after that?”

“I left to get the information on the nurse. I didn’t see anything…”
“I was at the door and couldn’t see the screen.”
“Ran and I were over here.”

“So besides that new teenage detective wanna-be no one saw what was happening. Figures,” Mouri crosses his arms with a huff, “he takes off twice without letting us know a thing.”

Takagi steps up to the laptop and reaches out for it.

“Didn’t Hakuba-kun say not to mess with that thing?”

“Yes, but he must have himself because the volume setting is all the way down. See the icon there…” The confused look Megure gives him answers for him, “Never mind.” Takagi pushes a button and the crackling of the fire, the creaking of wood, and the sound of coughing begin to emanate from the speakers. Just as the volume approaches max, a sickening crunch is heard as the roof collapses and an earsplitting scream is the last thing to echo through the speakers as the screen goes dark. The group stares into the blackness but all they see is their own reflection staring back at them.

***************************************************************************

“GOT ‘EM.”

“WHAT WAS THA...A…AT?”

Heiji ignores his passenger and takes a hard left as the glasses pick up the signal he had been waiting for. Traffic had already started to thin out, and the road ahead is clear, so Heiji revs the engine and brings it to full throttle. The sounds that are accompanying the signal begin to clear up and what he hears makes him wish he could go faster.

-“Conan. I’m sorry. I wasn’t able to keep my promise. But I’m not gonna die until you’re out…of…”-

The rest is cut-off by coughing, and he can make out the distinct crackling of a fire. How many times had Kudo been in that situation? He was always fine…right?

-“Oh…it’s like my body’s on fire too…no…no…n…AAAAHHHHHH!!!”-

The crash that follows causes Heiji to jerk the handlebars. The words he now hears from the teen behind him match a few heard on TV when Nakamori is shouting before, during and after a Kid heist.

‘Wonder if Kudo has picked up that phrase. Hope he knows better than to use it as Conan or Neechan won’t allow him near a heist again. After all, he’ll want to…’

Heiji shakes his head, causing Saguru to speak to him again, but, still lost in his thoughts, he doesn’t catch what he said. Rounding another corner, his stomach twists again as he sees a warehouse engulfed in flames. He knows Saguru must understand as well, as he tightens his grip on Heiji. As soon as they stop, Saguru lets go and shifts to dismount. Heiji’s attention is suddenly brought to the signal on the glasses…still active…AND MOVING AWAY!

“Hold on!” Heiji says while whipping his left arm behind him to keep Saguru on.

“Not a chance. If those two are in there we have to...”
“They’re not. Just hold on.”

At that moment, Heiji’s phone rings. He puts it on speaker so both of them can hear.

“Ha…Hattori..ri-kun…Co…Conan…”

“Neechan? What’s wrong? What…”

“He…He was...”
“Ran, perhaps Megure-keibu should…”
“No, I can do this. For Conan-kun.”

“What do you think she means by that?” Saguru asks as they hear Ran take a deep breath.

“He was shot. The girl moved between them but…she draped the hospital robe over him. The feed cut out after she screamed. They…they’re both de…”

Ran dissolves into tears, and a glance at Saguru shows he too is deeply affected by this news.

‘Now I can’t wait for his story, but first.’

“Neechan, we’re at the warehouse, Megure-keibu was right, they were by the water. But I think they got out. I’ll call ya back when I find ‘em.”

Heiji disconnects the call, sticks his phone back in his pocket and, with a quick but confused nod from Saguru, peels out, heading downriver toward the signal.

**************************************************************************

“Ran, what’s the matter. How did Hattori-kun take the news?”

“Well…he said that he thinks they got away from the fire. And that they’re at the warehouse and it was near the water, but…”

“Ran-chan, what is it?”

“He said that they were there because you were right about it being near the water. When did you call them to tell them that?”

“What? I never called them…and what does he mean ‘by the water’? What water?”

********************************************************************************

‘You have got to be kidding’

The glider catches another lift over the flames and a swift adjustment sends him on a downward slope following the river and the spot of blue he had caught sight of in it. His receiver had caught the conversation between the cell phones as well as the sounds that he can only guess were coming from one of the pint-sized detective’s gadgets. ‘For once I can be grateful for one of those things…since they aren’t being used against me.’

A bridge up ahead gives him an idea so he dips the nose of his glider forward into a dive, pulling up to land him on the support beams. With a few swift motions, he sets up a decent tether and pulley system. Looking upriver, he spots his quarry just as he changes into a spare set of clothes. Leaving his white outfit so it won’t get wet, he takes a deep breath and drops headfirst toward the water.

**********************************************************************************

Heiji pulls his bike to a stop just as they cross a bridge and looks around.

“I was under the impression you knew where you were going this time. Why are you-”
“I do. Here. Now outta my way.”

Saguru barely dismounts before Heiji jumps off the bike and takes off toward the embankment, leaving Saguru behind.

‘Come on Kudo, ya ain’t makin’ me feel any better about…’

Heiji stops short for what seems like forever, but was no longer than a heartbeat, when he sees what is under the bridge. Conan is lying on his back halfway on the bank with the water swirling around his legs. One sleeve of the robe that the girl had been wearing earlier that day wrapped over his right shoulder, the rest is going down his right side before floating over his legs in the water. The reddish-brown stain on his white shirt the confirmation of what Ran had said on the phone that Heiji didn’t want to accept. This couldn’t happen. Not again. He had been right before and his actions had saved Kudo’s life. So why hadn’t he listened to his feeling this time? Because he had been in a hospital…with guards…he had planned on sticking with the kid all day, just in case. Instead, he had spent it just trying to find him, only to come across…

“KUDO!”

Heiji rushes forward and drops to his knees beside the still form of his friend. Heiji places his hand on the small chest, telling himself this isn’t real.

‘This whole thing is just another nightmare. I’m gonna wake up and go meet him at the hospital. This just isn’t…what the…Did he just?’

Heiji starts to unbutton the shirt only to have Saguru yell over to him.

“It is best to leave him until the proper personal arrive.”

“Who asked you?”

He pulls the shirt back to show no wound anywhere, at least none that hadn’t scarred over. He yanks off his jacket and wraps it around Conan, freeing the robe in the process. Heiji gather the boy in his arms and turns around.

“We gotta get him back to the hospital. He wasn’t shot, but we don’t know what they used to keep him drugged, not to mention this water ain’t exactly warm…Hey, you even listen…”

Heiji finally focuses on a sight that he never thought he would see. Saguru had stepped into the water and grabbed the robe after it started floating away. He is fingering the bullet holes amidst the bloodstains at the shoulder with an odd expression. Sadness? Wistfulness? Heiji recalls that Saguru had seemed to know the girl…Marie. He hadn’t told him the story yet, but…she had been wearing the robe and the blood around the bullet…oh. The badge had to have been in the robe, and she must have wrapped Conan in it at some point. Intentionally or not, that’s how they had found him, meaning the girl must still be either back at the warehouse or in the water. If the one they had found had been the other...

“Hey, Hakuba-kun. Conan-kun’s fine, just a bit cold…and unconscious, but nothin’ too serious. I’m sure she’s fine too.”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Look, call Megure-keibu, he can organize a search. Conan-kun washed up…she may be somewhere too. I…I need your help getting Conan-kun back, and waiting for an ambulance to find its way here will take too long. If I can’t answer a phone while driving I sure can’t hold him.”

Saguru seems to come out of his reverie and take proper notice of the child in Heiji’s arms. Meeting Heiji’s eye he finds none of the teasing or reckless attitude that he associates with the Osakan teen. For once, he sees sympathy and sincerity. With a nod he carefully takes Conan from Heiji and follows him up the embankment, conscious of the care that Heiji has for the boy as well as the sudden trust from the other teen by placing the child in his hands. He wonders how much more he owes him now and if he can ever truly repay him.

*************************************************************************************

“Well my dear. That’s one of you two taken care of. Now it’s just a question of where to take you?”

************************************************************************************

“Conan-kun’s what? Are you sure? When? Where…here? I’ll meet you at the entrance.”

Ran hangs up with a huge smile on her face and fresh tears streaming down her checks.

“Conan-kun’s alive. He wasn’t shot.”

“Honey I know you want to believe that, but we saw it-”

“No Dad. Hattori-kun found him…alive. The shirt had bloodstains but there wasn’t a wound…he thinks the girl used her own blood. He found the robe with the bullet holes and thinks she just pressed her own blood on him…make it seem like he was hit so those creeps wouldn’t bother threatening him anymore. Dad, he’s alive.”

Ran throws her arms around her father briefly before running out the door. Megure looks at the door then the laptop. He shakes his head and turns to the other people in the room.

“Anyone want to tell me how Hattori-kun, who wasn’t even here, knew enough about the shooting and what happened after that to come to those conclusions?”

**************************************************************************************

“EVERYTHING OK?”

“YES, WE ARE BOTH FINE. STOP ASKING AND JUST CONCENTRATE ON THE ROAD.”

Saguru presses himself closer to Heiji’s back to cut down on the wind that reaches the now shivering bundle between them. His mind is swirling around a number of things, from the young boy between them, the glasses that he knows the Osakan doesn’t need, the still missing Marie, and the little item that he has tucked in his pocket. He had gone to the hospital to solve one little matter of an unknown identity. Instead, he goes off with the biggest ‘hot-blooded detective’ to solve a double kidnapping. But even finding Conan had simply presented him more questions and no real answers. Something he really hated.

*************************************************************************************

“Are you sure it is safe to bring her here?”

“I doubt there’s anywhere that is safe at the moment. We can’t let anyone know.”

“What about at least getting help from your m-”

“No. I don’t want any more people involved than there already is. What I saw today…it answered a few questions that now I’m not so sure I want to know. It’s too late to back out, but once the other one is out of the hospital, I’m going to be dropping by with a ‘welcome home’ gift, so to speak.”

********************************************************************************************

“What do we have?”

“7 year old, male, found unconscious. Body temp is low, breathing’s shallow. Possibility of drugs in his system, based on the nature of his abduction.”

“He’s that boy that was kidnapped by the girl he was sharing a room with, right?”

“NO! They were both kidnapped. It was not her fault.”
“Hattori-kun is right. She did everything she could to protect him, I saw her. Hakuba-kun saw it too, so don’t you dare insult her by even suggesting that.”

Saguru looks up at this comment, having stepped back after handing his precious cargo off to the medical personal waiting at the entrance. The orderly that had made that comment backs away from the group and decides that some other doctor could use his help, rather than the boy surrounded by overprotective teens. As the doctor is ordering blood work and Conan is wheeled away, Saguru steps over to Ran.

“Mouri-san, I saw what Hattori-kun did, and while I would be the first to confirm that she would indeed do that, even I would have to say that stepping in front of him to argue with their captives isn’t exactly…”

“I’m not talking about when you were both there, I mean after. When she ran to him right before the gunshot. We all saw her try to take the bull...and then making it seem she had failed. Hattori-kun, when you called I figured he had told you all this. You knew she had pretended her blood was his. You even said she must have pressed her own blood on him to create that illusion.”

“Wha…umm, Neechan, when did that happen?”

“When you called and said you had found Conan-kun alive and that you were on your way here…that’s why I had the doctors ready…”

“Neechan…we never had time to call. The last time I spoke to you was when you told me you all thought he was dead. Not to mention this guy,” Heiji adds, jerking a thumb in Saguru’s direction, “was with me from the time I left until now.”

“Hattori-kun,” Megure calls, coming to join the group, “about time you got back. Hakuba-kun, you too. Job well done, but I wish you had kept us more in the loop”

“Well, it was thanks to your tip about them being near the water that let us narrow down the area in time. Otherwise, we might not have been able to pick up the trail.”

“Yeah, no kiddin’. What gave it away that they were near a body of water?”

“I was going to ask you that same thing Hattori-kun. The only time we called you was after Hakuba-kun took off for the second time and even then it was Ran-chan that made the call.”

“Excuse me, Megure-keibu. It may have been hard to hear riding on that bike, but I’m certain that it was you I spoke to on Hattori-kun’s phone. You said you had determined that they were near the water, possibly the river, but couldn’t narrow it down further. I hung up on you because this guy swung the bike around and took off for the river.”

“I never had that information until Ran-chan relayed it to me after the video cut out.”

“Now hold on. We left after that anyway.”

“No, the second time.”

“The feed came back?”
“The feed resumed after we left?”

“Yes? Part way through, right after the gunshot, was when Hakuba-kun returned and continued translating.”

‘Wait a second. I know I was only here once, not to mention those multiple phone calls that no one seems to have made…if that guy took my words yesterday seriously than he might have decided to check it out...not to mention it would be further confirmation he is who I’ve been saying he is. He knew where to go too and coming as me would be a good choice. I mentioned I knew him, but showed no interest in visiting myself. So help me, if that cocky magician tries to pass himself off as me again I’ll be sure to charge him with identity theft too…not that that isn’t already on his rap sheet.'

“Hakuba-kun…are you alright?”

Saguru looks up and finds himself face to face with Ran. The rest of the group had moved off, presumably to return to the room and attempt to find some answers. The fact that Ran had remained behind when they were looking into Conan’s kidnapping was a testament to her trust in the others.

“Yes, I’m perfectly fine Mouri-san.”

“Thank you…for saving Conan-kun. I’m also sorry that you weren’t able to find the girl...ummm, Marie, was it?”

“I don’t deserve much credit this time. It was Hattori-kun who seemed to know where to go, even to leave the warehouse.” ‘And I will find out how he knew that. Another question to which I need to figure out the answer.’

“Well, it doesn’t matter, the two of you brought Conan-kun back…I’m sure your friend is just fine as well. Megure-keibu sent out a search party to comb the riverbanks. She’ll be found.”

Ran gives Saguru a small smile and turns around, heading off after the doctor.

‘Marie…’

************************************************************************************

A/N:
Just so you know…the return bike trip with Conan being held between Saguru and Heiji was planned BEFORE I watched the 14th movie. I even mentioned to a few people that some parts of that movie were very close to what I was doing. I felt I should note that here, just in case some of you noticed the similarity and thought it was taken from the movie.

If you like this, PM me or I actually started a thread in chatterbox that can be used if you want to share your comments/speculations or anything (I really started it to get the Invincibility achievement but it would be nice if it got some use).

~Mysteryfan17~

Chapter 12
*********************

“That brat is so lucky that I don’t just-”
“Just what Mouri-han?”

Mouri looks up at the girl that had just walked out of his daughter’s bedroom. He tosses the can he had just finished drinking from onto the table, letting it roll to the floor. He crosses his arms and looks past her to see Ran tucked into her bed.

“Nothin’. How’s Ran?”

“It’s just like the doctor said, still sound asleep. I can’t believe you actually allowed them to resort to that, especially after what happened to Conan-kun. Do you really think it was necessary?”

“If I hadn’t she would still be at that hospital hov’ring over that freeloader, no doubt.”

“Would that be so bad? She’s worried about him.”

“You saw the state she was in, besides…I’m her father and I will do as I see fit. I don’ need to explain m’self to some teenager…”

Kazuha watches as he grabs another beer can. Sighing, she kneels to grab the one she saw roll onto the floor, only to spot four more already under the table.

‘He went out of his way to carry her home after they gave her that drink, than goes and does this. I hate to admit that it might have been a good idea, but the way they did it…and then gettin’ drunk. It’s a wonder he was able to drink all these in the time it took me to get her into bed, but it does explain his speech. I don’t know if I should just lock up and leave or stay, considerin’ he’s bound to…’

A bang and a loud snore precede the rest of her thoughts, but she shakes her head and finishes it anyway.

‘…pass out.’

********************************************************************

Silent as always, the now black-clothed teen dangled three stories up and just to the side of Conan’s hospital window, listening to the…conversation, for lack of a better word, between the two teenage detectives that were still awake.

********************************************************************

“I don’t get how you expect me to believe that you were able to drive the motorcycle with those glasses on. The boy seems unable to see without them while I know you have no need for glasses, yet you wore those the entire time. You reacted to nothing that I could see or hear and you said that they had left the warehouse and were able to find Conan with no more knowledge as to his possible location than I. Tell. Me. How.”

“Now hold on. You’re the one who asked ta come along with me, remember? We made a deal and you have yet to complete your half of it. Ya told us one thing, but not much else: at least nothin’ that had been asked before you walked in here. I still want to know what the big deal is about her that made you so desperate to come with me. Ya even asked me if I was leaving in case I was the person they…wan…ted. Tha’s it isn’t it? You wanted to leave because you thought it was you that they were trying to get her to ask for.”

The two teens stare at each other, both trying to force the other to break the silence and answer the questions that had been presented to him.

Saguru’s manners win out over his attempt at out lasting his hot-blooded counterpart. He breaks eye contact and sits down heavily in the chair he had vacated earlier. Heiji allows himself a smirk before remembering the reason he wants the information. Glancing at Conan quickly, he is grateful that he doesn’t have to reveal his method as of yet, and hopefully Conan will wake up and help him figure a way out of explanation himself.

“Very well, a deal is a deal. As I stated before, Marie Rivers had come to England for a summer visit. She arrived on May 21st and was to remain until September 2nd. My mother had insisted I take Marie to the Burley Manor due to their varied collection of artifacts that she thought might interest our houseguest. While we were there, Mr. Burley became agitated and nervous He suddenly took off without a word to anyone…or so it seemed. Thirty minutes later a call came in to the house that Mr. Burley’s car had gone off the road and he had perished. It would have been ruled an accident but for the single white rose found on the passenger seat under a jacket.”

“Wait, a rose? You’re kiddin’. Are you saying that’s what you’re basing your claims on?”

“Not entirely. A white rose is the symbol used by a murderer called ‘The Silencer’ although no one knows why. The Silencer had committed murders in Europe and America for 10 years. We had our driver set up a video camera before he left with Marie’s laptop while the two of us questioned the remaining people, all members of the household. We narrowed it down to four suspects whose alibis were flimsy and only confirmed by each other. I knew who it was but Marie insisted on some set-up to force the guilty person into the open. It worked and the camera streamed the entire event to The Yard.”

“Live streaming to a laptop…like what the kidnappers did.”

“That was further confirmation that whoever we were dealing with had to have knowledge of that case. The other point was that the rose found in the car was not the only white rose to have made its way into Mr. Burley’s presence. A bouquet of flowers had shown up at the house addressed not to his wife, as most flowers would have been, but to him. It was determined that a white rose was slipped into the bouquet as a way to scare him out of the house. Marie was uneasy about it at the time, but the case was relegated to memory as the summer went on. We worked…well together, I will admit. We solved over 50 cases that summer. She is worthy of the title ‘detective’, unlike some I can name…”

“Ya’d better be referrin’ to the girl from the fake Koushien or I’ll-”

“If you inferred something from what I said, I cannot be held responsible for it.”

“Fine…continue.”

“She was unexpectedly told to return home by her parents and I last saw her on August 24th when she left for the airport. I have not heard from her since.”

“That’s it?”

“What more did you expect? A detailed outline of that summer? If you have anything you wish to clarify about then or now, you may ask after you answer my questions.”

‘Kudo, sometimes I wish I had your ability to come up with lies on the spot.’

********************************************************************

‘So they do know each other, or at least they did. To have his respect as a detective must mean she’s really good. If she didn’t have amnesia I doubt it would have been so easy to knock her out. I guess Tantei-kun will be getting his delivery sooner than planned.’

The silent eavesdropper is about to retract his cord and return to the roof when something stops him. He runs through what Saguru had said and how he acted at the water with the story he had just heard.

‘Seems like Tantei-han was right to question the completion of that story, he left something out. I think I’ll just hang out here a little longer and see what more I can learn from these two. I can sleep tomorrow…gotta love vacations.’

*****************************************************************

“You took the boy’s glasses from the crime scene and then wore them the entire time…why?”

“…I thought it would bring me some luck in finding him.”

Saguru raises his eyebrow and Heiji makes every effort to avoid looking guilty. Saguru realizes that there is something going on and decides to play one of his trump cards to see if it will break through the barriers he sees going up.

“I can’t help but wonder if your reluctance to answer me truthfully has something to do with this.”

Saguru reaches into his pocket and withdraws a clenched fist. Heiji starts to rise, forming fists of his own when Saguru opens his hand, palm side up, to reveal something that causes Heiji’s dark skin to become a few shades lighter.

“Where the hell did you find that?”

“It was in the pocket of the robe at the river. I recognized the name from having read about them in the papers. I had just finished inspecting it before I came in but refrained from bringing it up so as not to worry the boy further. It seems to have multiple frequencies that it can broadcast on, much like walkie-talkies, as well as a tracker. However, considering it was in Marie’s robe, I have to wonder if all of them are equipped so, or if she had this one in particular for some reason…such as distrust?”

Heiji shifts uncomfortably, knowing full well the implications that Saguru was presenting. Off or on, that badge could be tracked by those glasses, and his attitude toward the missing girl prior to seeing what was on the laptop did not help his case. He reaches out but Saguru pulls his hand back, preventing him from retrieving the item that had allowed him to find Conan.

‘Man, how could I have been so stupid as to not think to grab that thing? Kudo is gonna kill me for letting him find that…unless I can convince him it was just something the kids wanted her to have as thanks…it’s not a lie…I’ll just omit the extra feature.’

“I did give that badge to her, but it was a gift from the Detective Boys as thanks for saving Conan-kun. They said they were making her an honorary member. Besides, they all work as a walkie-talkie and all of them can be tracked, a feature that Agasa-hakase has built-in to all of them. They do belong to a buncha kids, so I guess it was so they can be found if needed. Completely normal, just like the ones the other kids have.”

Saguru levels an incredulous stare at the Osakan, causing him to shift in his seat and return his gaze to Conan.

********************************************************************

‘Oh man, Tantei-kun. How have you maintained your identity with this guy knowing the truth? He can’t play down a child’s toy, and yet he hasn’t blown your secret yet. Might be best to not let him know about the newest addition to your ‘little’ club. At least until he can fool Tantei-san. I’m going to have to wait here longer and that means…’

********************************************************************

“Dear child, you have put me in quite a predicament. I’m sure the young master wishes things to stay between us but I truly feel it would be a benefit to allow a woman to tend to you. I am but a…Gentleman’s valet, not a lady’s maid.”

The old man looks out the window again, having completed his ministrations and continues his one-sided conversation.

“It is not as though I am unused to treating injuries, some much more severe than your own, but both of my previous patients were decidedly not females. I do hope that, if you cannot be delivered to those that the young master intends to leave you with, that he will relent and allow the mistress to come.”

A vibration in his pocket alerts him to an incoming message, so he steps away from the bed and flips open the phone.

‘Still gathering info. Will be awhile.’

The old man shakes his head and is about to close the phone when it shakes once more.

‘Let her know, she can help with our guest. DO NOT TELL HER EVERYTHING!’

‘Of course, Bocchama.’

Sending his confirming message to the young man, he dials a number he has known by heart for years. When it is picked up, he hesitates for a moment, but the person on the other end seems to have anticipated the call and speaks first.

“Jii? Is that you? What has my son got into this time?”

********************************************************************

“I cannot BELIEVE I am going to walk up to these cops. Why am I the one doing this…shouldn’t Carlene be doin’ it? She was the nurse.”

-“Shut up Hank. Just do as you are told. Offer the cop the food for the occupants of the room but make sure you are ready to take off when they question you…you have to-”-

“I know, I know…lead him away so the one in the nurses’ outfit can get through the…”

-“Hank. What is the matter?”-

“We got a problem.”

Hank narrows his blue eyes when he enters the hall where they had learned the boy’s new room was located. A woman is in front of the target room, talking with a nurse’s aide…more like arguing based on the reaction as the aide bows quickly and hurries away as the woman at the door calls after her.

“And remember, no snacks or visitors will be allowed in until morning, so don’t bother offering anything again.”

Just as the aide passes him, a man comes by with two Styrofoam cups and addresses the woman so he edges close enough to listen in, turning to conceal the paper bag in his left hand with his body.

“Is everything alright?”

“Ah, Takagi-kun. Yes, she was wondering if the boys wanted a snack or something. After what happened, and our orders that nothing be brought by anyone else, I had to tell her off.”

“Well, I brought this from the coffee shop and it was never out of my hand. I figured we might as well keep alert.”

The woman smiles and takes the offered beverage. After a quick sip, she leans up against the wall and stares at the ceiling.

“Sato-san?”

The man moves his free hand forward, but pauses before making contact with the woman’s shoulder.

“Those two…I’ve overheard some of what they are saying.”

“Sa…Sato-san…what…”

“They said things…I heard enough to know that the missing girl and Hakuba-kun were the ones to bring down The Silencer. And Hattori-kun used Conan-kun’s glasses and something of those kids’ to track down Conan-kun. Neither of them shared those details with us…I can’t help but wonder why.”

“Wait, The Silencer…I read about that case. The man attacked the two people that confronted him, but they managed to restrain him before the police arrived. Are you certain that Hakuba-kun said that they were the ones to reveal The Silencer?”

“Takagi-kun, I read that too. It seems that Hakuba-kun is downplaying the arrest even to Hattori-kun. He never said anything about the man attacking them.”

“Then maybe it was the police he attacked and not them….the paper could have been wrong…and we’ve covered for- OW!”

Hank looks up to see the woman eying him and the man rubbing his arm. He turns quickly and walks away, trying his best to not draw attention from anyone else. Just before he makes it to the door, he spots a blond man with a hat approaching him. As he brushes by, the man smirks and slips a piece of paper into his hand. Hank turns the corner and stands in a stairwell to read the note.

Better luck next time.
You did what you needed; now it’s my turn.

Hank mutters a few choice words as he crumples the paper in his fist and goes to throw it to the ground.

-“Keep your temper. Just get out here and don’t leave anything behind.”-

“But that…”

-“HANK! Do as I say. GET. OUT. HERE. NOW!”-

“On my way.”

********************************************************************

“Jii, what happened?”

The woman that has just entered spots the young girl in the bed and hurries over. She places a hand across the girl’s forehead and the other on her own. Once the motherly instinct has satisfied her that no fever is present, she turns to the old gentleman that had called her.

“Well, mistress…I can’t tell you much more than I already have-”
“Jii, we have known each other for far too long for you to try pulling that card with me. What aren’t you telling me? Beside the fact that there are no…planned excursions for tonight, you called me at 2 am to come down here and not only is my son not here, a 7 year old that is a complete stranger to me is sleeping in this place. No reason…no explanation for any on this…”

“Mistress, please, you know I would not keep anything from you if not for…”

“Ahhh, so he told you not to tell me. He’s gonna have fish for a week for this one…unless you spill. Which do you think he would prefer?”

“Ooooo…” ‘Forgive me, Bocchama. I failed to keep your secret just as I failed to keep your father’s from you.’

As the old man reveals more of what he knows the woman’s face softens.

“Just like Kaito…he’s more like his father than he’ll ever know. So he’s visiting a detective to find out when he can bring this girl to him…and you really don’t know why it has to be him…can you at least tell me who? I can tell it’s not Hakuba-kun, he wouldn’t risk increasing his suspicions that way, and the only other real ‘detective’ that isn’t on the police force is that little boy…don’t tell me. Jii, are you sure there isn’t something your hiding?”

“N-n-no, mistress. Truly, I know nothing more. He has kept anything else secret, even from me.”

Jii bows his head, having remained standing the entire time. The woman had taken a seat on the side of the bed and is continually checking the dressings on the girl’s injuries. A quick cough causes both adults to focus their attention on the girl in time for her to start tossing. She begins to gasp, as though having difficulty breathing. The man leans forward and observes her mouthing something inaudible.

“Not again.”

“What do you mean by that…Jii?”

“I fear she is dreaming again of the incident that led to her condition.”

“Conan…where are you?”

Tears begin to streak from the girl’s closed eyes. Before Jii can do anything, the woman leans over and gently stokes the girl’s hair, brushing the bangs and tucking loose strands behind her ears. The girl jerks than calms down and relaxes. After wiping the tears away, the woman resumes stroking her hair. Jii watches, dumbfounded, before shaking his head and addressing the woman.

“No matter what, a mother’s touch is a mother’s touch.”

The woman smiles and spares him a glace before turning her gaze to the quarter moon framed in the window.

“Well, I suppose regardless of how I feel, I knew he would follow in his father’s footsteps if he ever learned the truth. Secrets are a part of that. It’s just…harder when it’s your son. Jii…are you sure he can trust this detective…and this child? I already lost my husband; I don’t want to lose my son too.”

“The detective in question is skilled, but I believe his morals to be just as high. He allowed him to escape more than once simply out of respect for him helping someone else. I have no reason to believe this case will be any different. Do not worry.”

“I guess I will have to trust his judgment…but I will never stop worrying.”

********************************************************************

“What did you pull me out for?”

“You were leaving anyway, besides, with Dennis’ credentials, he can get even more information out of them.”

Sasha raises her eyes from the file in her hands to eye the angry brunet. Hank crosses his arms and glares back at the woman, calmly seated in the passenger side of the car, only to have Carlene come up behind him and lay a hand on his back. He looks back at her and is surprised to see she is wearing regular clothes.

“I thought you were going in as a nurse again?”

“Well, well, well…still in the dark. Plans change…you know that. That girl is out of the picture thanks to that poison, so I don’t mind waiting a little longer to get her friend. Especially if we can finish the little kid off too…better than leaving another detective to figure us out later.”

“Calm down Carlene. If you want to finish the kid, you may…”

Carlene grins and claps her hands together.

“…after we take out that other detective…no sense in cutting another tie to him before he is in our grasp. For now, it will be attempt only. Understood?”

Carlene crosses her arms and pouts, only to be surprised when Sasha hands her a piece of paper.

“Here, this is a compilation of the boy’s information. Living address, school and any other bits of information we have. Use it to keep an eye on him and wait for the right moment to strike.”

“Well, well, well…looks like I get to pick up where you left off.” Carlene says to Hank as she smiles and takes the paper, eager to play a new part in the plan.

********************************************************************

Takagi watches as Sato heads off for a couple hours of rest, knowing that neither of them would be getting any real sleep until sometime tomorrow. He reaches up to once more rub his arm where she had hit him. ‘I hope that guy didn’t hear what we were saying, but did she have to hit so hard…’

Takagi straightens as a young man with blond hair walk directly toward him. He takes in the easy stride and slight build but, knowing what Mouri can do, doesn’t drop his guard. Once the man is two doors away, Takagi steps forward and raises his hand.

“I’m sorry, you can’t come this way.”

The man stops and reaches into his inside pocket, causing Takagi to tense even more and move his hand over to his weapon. The man spots the gun as Takagi rests his hand on it and slowly pulls his hand out, holding a folded up ID. He raises both hands to his shoulder level, allowing the ID to open.

“Easy. I’m a detective from England. My name is Dennis Mitchell and I received word that a young woman whose description closely matches that of Marie Rivers was at this hospital. I have a photo if you would care to look and confirm the reports.”

Takagi takes a closer look at the ID, however, with it all in English, he only understands parts of it. In the back of his mind he recalls how often he has had to rely on others for English translations. ‘That’s how Kudo-kun first helped us, but recently Conan-kun or Hattori-kun has filled that. I should start studying it again…it’s more useful than I thought it would be…and maybe Sato-san will be impressed if I can translate something without relying on them.’

“Very well, give me the photo.”

Takagi takes his hand from his gun and scans the hall quickly as the man retrieves the photo. Not seeing anyone besides the nurse at her station, he turns his attention back to the man, who is now holding out a photo. Takagi takes it and recognizes the girl at a glance. The girl’s hair was in a ponytail, but her face, eyes and the glasses where the same. He looks up at the man and nods.

“Yes, she was here, however I’m afraid that I can’t tell you anymore than that at the moment. You will have to clear it with Megure-keibu tomorrow. May I keep this photo?”

The man’s face flickers for a moment before he resumes his composure and sighs.

“Of course. I understand and yes, you may keep that…I have a copy of it on my laptop. Have a pleasant night…oh. You never gave me your name.”

“Right…sorry. Takagi Wataru.”

“Thank you. Good night.”

With that, the man turns and walks away. Takagi waits until he is out of sight to breathe a sigh of relief. He holds the picture up and notices a strange marking on the top left of the photo, as though something is between the camera and the girl. Suddenly, he decides he ought to ask the only person he knows from England about it. He turns to knock when he hears something inside the room that makes him stop.

‘Now I know why Sato-san listened. Those boys will have some explaining to do in the morning.’

********************************************************************
A/N: YES! Finished this chapter just in time, now I can enjoy tomorrow without worrying about this chapter. I hope you enjoy it and please let me know what you think...either about the story itself or you speculations about...anything.