Chapter 10
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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.”
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“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!”
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‘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.’
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“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.
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“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.
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“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?”
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‘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.
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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 sleeves 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’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 washed up…she may be somewhere too. I…I need your help getting Conan 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.
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“Well my dear. That’s one of you two taken care of. Now it’s just a question of where to take you?”
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“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?”
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“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.
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“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.”
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“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 doctor’s 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 Heiji 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 back…I’m sure your friend is just fine as well. Megure 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…’
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A/N: I will correct the order at a later date.
By the way…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 of you 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.
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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 sleeves 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’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 washed up…she may be somewhere too. I…I need your help getting Conan 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 doctor’s 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 Heiji 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 back…I’m sure your friend is just fine as well. Megure 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: I will correct the order at a later date.
By the way…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 of you 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.
With a keen eye for detail, one truth prevails!
~Shinichi (Case Closed)
~Shinichi (Case Closed)
