Case Closed Fan Fiction ❯ The Detective Prince ❯ A Night In The City ( Chapter 57 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

The Detective Prince
Chapter 57
A Night in the City

The sound of someone walking down the stairwell could be heard, briefly taking his attention elsewhere. He looked up just in time to see her enter the room.

"You've been down here for hours now," Ran said coming to a stop once in front him. "When do you plan on coming up stairs?"

"Just a little longer," Conan plead. "I promise I'll be up soon."

"What are you doing down here by yourself anyway," Ran asked noticing the paper next to him. "Is that a cross word puzzle you're working on?"

"Yea, that's right," Conan said. "It's something we have to create for a school project."

"Can I have a look at it?"

"No, I mean not yet," Conan replied. "I'll let you have a look as soon as it's completed."

"I'd love to see it," Ran said turning back for the door. "Try and be up stairs in the next thirty."

"I will."

He focused his attention back to the paper after she left, looking over all the notes he had jotted down over the past few hours.

"Even through my analyzation, I feel I haven't gained any ground from where I started this morning."

They made their way past an outside market place, walking through a public park. The two of them stopped once reaching, which didn't take long for one to arrive. He looked over at her as the bus started up, wondering just where it was they were going.

"Interesting choice of seats when half of the bus is empty," Kazuha said. "Do you always sit in the back?"

"Lets just say it's a habit," Tim replied. "I think you've kept me in the dark long enough, mind telling me where we're going?"

"Patience," Kazuha stated. "We'll be there shortly."

"You used that same line twenty minutes ago."

"That was only because I knew you would start yapping if I didn't."

"Why should I believe you now," Tim questioned. "For all I know this place you're taking me to could be clear across the ocean."

"I guess you'll have to wait and see." Kazuha said resting her head back with the close of her eyes.

"She's enjoying this way too much."

The coldness that lingered over him slowly drifted away. He took a couple steps into the dark room, grabbing the slip of paper from the ground before making his way over to the body. He dropped down to his side, reaching forward to touch his wrist.

"His body has already stiffened, looks like the autolysis stage has already passed."

He continued the search of the body, not taking long for him to sight the cause of death.

"A blow to the neck," Heiji said moving in closer. "But what was the object used, I've never seen a wound quite like this."

He examined it for awhile longer, hearing the sound of the door swinging to the side with a loud thump. He instantly spun around to see Dick standing in the doorway.

"We have to get out of here right now."

"What's going on?" Heiji asked standing back up.

"When you entered this room you tripped off motion sensors just outside the door," Dick informed. "This whole place is strapped down in explosives."

"How long do we have?"

He quickly looked to the timer atop one of the explosives, turning back to him after doing so.

"A little over a minute."

"That will do," Heiji said. "Hurry and check out our victims neck."

"Didn't you hear what I said, we don't have time."

"Come on, this will only take a second," Heiji stated. "I've never seen anything like it."

He gave in, making his way over to the body to give the wound a look himself.

"See what I mean, it's to thick to have been done by a knife yet to thin to have been caused by many other hand maid objects," Heiji said. "Not to mention the skin is still mostly intact, so maybe a sharp object wasn't used at all."

It took a few seconds for him to take it all in, narrowing his eyes as he made his way back to his feet. He didn't want to believe it, but deep down he knew what caused his death.

"So what do you think?" Heiji asked.

"I think we need to get out of here." Dick said turning back for the door.

"Wait a minute."

"What now?" Dick said coming to a stop.

"There," Heiji said pointing deeper into the room. "What's that?"

Dick turned around, looking to see something laying near the far side of the room. He quickly walked over, kneeling down after reaching the object.

"What is it?" Heiji asked from where he stood.

"A laptop computer," Dick replied. "And it's currently running."

"What would a computer be doing sitting in the middle of the room?"

"I have a few ideas," Dick said removing the cord from the computer before taking it into his arms. "We'll worry about that later, let's get out of here."

"What about the body?"

"Don't have time," Dick said heading for the door. "Hustle, this place is goanna go up anytime now."

"Right behind you."

They raced out, picking up speed after making their way past the front of the warehouse. Neither looked back, taking cover behind a load of garbage after reaching the opposite side of the street. The sound of the explosion rang loud to their ears in the moments that followed. He stood back to his feet after everything fell silent, looking over at the site of destruction.

"Come on, we can't stay here," Dick stated. "The police will be here any time now."

"Shouldn't we report what we saw?"

"And go through the whole questioning process, also something we don't have time for that," Dick said walking back toward the alleyway. "We need to find out what's on this computer."

"Why do I get the feeling someone intentionally left that computer behind?"

"My thoughts exactly."

They finally reached the spot she had in mind, tapping him on the shoulder after sitting up from the seat.

"Come on, we can walk the rest of the way from here."

He followed her off of the bus, catching up to her side.

"This must be the part where you tell me we're almost there."

"You read my mind."

He stayed near her side due to the large crowd. Things mellowed down as they made their way past the city streets, heading into a dark park. With every passing minute he became more and more lost on where they were going. She finally stopped after reaching a bridge. She walked over to the edge, resting her hands onto the railing as she stared into the distance.

"Is this it," Tim asked. "Is this where you wanted to bring me?"

"Isn't it beautiful?"

He removed the bag from his shoulder, laying it to the ground before deciding to join her at the railing side. It was a magnificent view through his eyes, looking toward the lake in the far distance. The calming waves could clearly be seen, outlined by the lighting from the moon above. A gust of wind blew past, quivering at the sudden coolness.

"So, what do you think?" Kazuha asked.

"It brings fortune to the eye," Tim replied. "Thanks for showing, it's not every day you get a view like this."

She smiled, leaning forward as she continued to look on. He repositioned himself, letting his back lay up against the railing as he looked into the opposite direction.

"You know, you could have just told me if you wanted to hang out for the night," Tim said. "I would have come along regardless."

"What do you mean?"

"You should have listened to the message more carefully," Tim stated. "I did say I would arrive in Osaka today, but I never planned on meeting with him tonight."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

"No need to hide it, I already know you listened to the message I sent Heiji," Tim said. "How else would you know where I'd be?"

She didn't say anything at first, glimpsing over at him before turning back to the lake.

"How did you know?"

"For starters Heiji has never sent me a text, that was an eye opener from the beginning," Tim said. "The next being when I asked you when he planned on showing up, you responded by looking at your watch."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Kazuha asked turning to face him.

"I assumed you were checking to see how much time you had," Tim replied. "You obviously have something to do later."

"You're a lot smarter than you look."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"I hope you're not mad," Kazuha said. "I can call him and let him know you're here if you'd like."

"Don't bother," Tim said. "Already talked to him over the phone a short time after arriving here, we already agreed we'd meet tomorrow."

"You mean to tell me you already spoke with him before I showed up at that coffee shop?"

He nodded, smiling after doing so.

"Pretty much."

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you took delight in playing along."

"I would be lying if I said I didn't." Tim confirmed.

She turned back to the lake, leaning onto the railing for a second time.

"You're not upset are you?"

"Unless you want me to be." Kazuha replied with a wink.

He lifted a brow, a little taken back by her gesture.

"I don't even know how to respond to that."

They had walked for many blocks, watching as several police cars drove past into the opposite direction. They came to a stop once reaching a donut shop. The two of them headed in, finding themselves a seat at a booth across the room.

"You plan on giving that computer a look?"

"That's the plan."

He placed it onto the table, flipping the top open to see multiple numbers flying from one side of the screen to the other. He tried clicking a couple buttons only to find nothing happened. He could see the look on his face, knowing something was not right.

"What's wrong," Heiji asked. "Is everything working out ok?"

"It seems the hard drive to this computer has been corrupted."

"So much for that."

"Maybe not," Dick said lowering the top once again. "I know a certain computer wizard who could have this fixed in no time."

"The police should be there by now," Heiji said bringing his hands to the top of the table. "I still think we should have stayed behind, there might have been something else left at the scene we failed to catch."

"Not this time," Dick stated. "Knowing when to pick your spots is a vital part of the game, and tonight was not one of them."

"And I'm supposed to know what that means?"

"You will soon enough."

"How long do you want to stay in here," Heiji asked. "Since that computer is non operational, shouldn't we start plotting what to do next?"

"It's not that simple," Dick said. "For starters we don't even know who that guy was."

"You're wrong in that regard," Heiji said. "That was Brutho Yunge."

"The leader of the Outworlders," Dick questioned. "Are you sure?"

"Positive," Heiji said with the nod of his head. "I met the man while in disguise back in Korea, no way could I forget his face."

"This whole situation has gotten just that much more interesting."

"You're telling me," Heiji said reaching into his pocket. "Check this out."

He slid the small slip of paper across the table. Dick brought it into his hand, gazing down at the sharply written number seven.

"Same trend as the killer in Tokyo," Heiji said. "You think it could be connected?"

"Maybe," Dick said with a long pause. "But why him.... what connection did Brutho have with the other victims?"

After standing there for over ten minutes, they decided to head back. It was getting late, with the frost air getting cooler by the minute. The sound of something pouncing through the grass could be heard as they walked, causing her to stop.

"Did you hear that?"

"It's probably just a bunch of night critters."

"That's not what it sounded like to me."

"Let me guess," Tim said looking into the darkness of the park. "You think we're being watched."

"You can never be too careful."

"I see, you're afraid someone is following us" Tim said turning back to face her. "Who knows, maybe this guy is one of those night stalkers."

"I'm being serious," Kazuha said crossing her arms. "And for the record, I can take care of myself."

"So does that mean you're not afraid?"

"How about we get back to the bus station?" Kazuha said turning to walk.

"Your call boss." Tim said following from behind.

The sound of his phone ringing could be heard as they walked, taking the time to reach down to grab it. She could hear him talking as they continued on, not really able to pick up what was said. The conversation didn't last long. He placed the phone back into his pocket before catching up to her side.

"I guess that brings our night to an end," Tim said. "I have somewhere I need to be."

"Who was that you were talking with?"

"Dick," Tim replied. "He needs my help with something."

"Is he in Osaka as well?"

He nodded his head.

"I'm sorry we had to cut this short."

"Don't sweat it," Kazuha said. "I have to be home in thirty minutes anyway."

"That's right," Tim remembered. "It's a school night."

"Do you think you'll make it back to Tokyo in time," Kazuha asked. "Not to mention getting some rest."

"One missed day of class won't hurt," Tim said. "My grades are manageable as it is."

The sound of the night traffic could be heard, walking all the way back to the bus stop where the two of them stood in wait.

"How long does the bus usually take to arrive here?"

"No longer than thirty minutes," Kazuha replied. "Its driving route has never changed since the time I started coming down this way."  

"And when did that start?" Tim asked keeping conversation.

"About a year ago," Kazuha responded. "I happened to come across that bridge during a school field trip, I've visited it on a frequent basis ever since."

"Well I'm glad you decided to bring me along," Tim said. "It was a pleasure."

The two turned at the sound of something driving toward them, looking to see the bus heading their way.

"We did things your way last time," Kazuha said. "This time we're going to sit at the front of the bus."

"You mean you will," Tim corrected. "I'm not getting with you, where I need to be is not in the same direction."

"Then why did you follow me here?"

"I just wanted to make sure you got on safely," Tim replied. "For all we know that guy from the park could have still been stalking you."

She smiled at his comment, turning at the sound of the bus coming to a stop.

"How long do you plan on being in Osaka?"

"Can't really tell you," Tim replied. "It depends how things wrap up going into tomorrow."

"What's happening tomorrow?"

"Something that needs my attention, we'll leave it at that."

"I enjoyed our time together," Kazuha said.  "Don't be such a stranger if you're ever in town, I know a couple other places you might like."

"I look forward to it."

The doors to the bus sprung open within the next second. She made her way in, taking a seat by one of the windows. She waved down at him, Tim doing the same as he watched the bus drive off into the distance.  

"What an interesting night this has turned out to be," Tim thought. "Now to find out what those two called about."

He had finally given up for the night, making his way up the stairs with his head hanging downward. He opened the door to find Kogoro was the only one there, who happened to be pacing from one side of the room to the other. He walked past him, heading straight for the room.

"So tired," Conan thought with the removal of his shirt. "I haven't felt this exhausted since being exposed to those chemicals at ROTI."

It wasn't just his body, but his mental state as well. He found his way over to the bed after getting into his night clothes and shutting off the light. His mind fell blank, rolling up with the blanket as he fell into a deep sleep.

The sky began to lighten up ever so slightly, the clouds slowly drifting away from in front of the moon. He checked the time on his watch several times over as he made his way to the arranged meeting spot.

"Almost there."

The sound of the crickets chirping could be heard from the side as he continued walking, helping to keep his mind rested from everything else. He finally sighted them outside the gas station they said they would be at, the two of them immediately noticing him as well.

"What was the hold up?" Heiji asked leaning up from the wall.

"Sorry, I was in the middle of something," Tim said. "So, what seems to be the problem?"

"Where to begin." Heiji said.

"For starters Brutho is now dead," Dick informed. "We found his body at the warehouse they were scheduled to meet at."

"Can things get anymore twisted," Tim questioned. "What was the cause of death?"

"A blow to the neck, and a good one at that," Heiji replied. "We didn't get the chance to fully examine the scene, being the fact the whole place went up in ashes."

"An explosion?"

"Heiji unintentionally set off motion censors when he entered the room," Dick informed. "From there we had less than a minute before everything blew away."

"Every time we take a step forward, it seems we're forced to take multiple ones back."

"Not necessarily," Heiji said reaching into his side pocket. "Look what we uncovered near the body."

He took the small slip of paper into his hand, his eyes slightly widening at what he saw.

"Seven," Tim read. "Were there any cut marks found on the body?"

"That's what is different from the past victims, he's the only one who didn't have any additional wounds," Dick answered. "Considering we're dealing with the same guy of course."

"And you're sure the man you saw was Brutho?"

"Positive." Heiji replied.

"That puts us in a hole," Tim said. "We'll have to find another entry way, that was our goat to lead us to all the others."

"We're not entirely out of the game just yet," Dick said assuringly. "Before the explosion went off Heiji brought this to my attention."

He pulled it from within his bag, handing it to Tim who raised a brow.

"A computer?"

"It was found near the far wall," Dick said. "What relevance it may be to us will be for you to find out."

"Why me?" Tim questioned.

"The hard drive is either A, corrupted, or B, has some extreme security panels in which we need to get past," Heiji replied. "We figured you'd be the best option for handling this task since computers seems to be one of your things."

"I'll get on it first thing tomorrow."

He pulled the bag to the front, zipping it open to place the computer atop the rest of his belongings.

"I think it's safe to assume their meeting has been canceled," Heiji said. "Is there anything else I can help with, or am I free to go?"

"We'll call it a wrap for the night," Dick said. "Thanks for coming, I'll let you know if there's anything else we need you for."

"I'll be ready."

With that he turned away, walking toward a motorcycle which was parked a few feet away.

"Nice bike," Tim said following after him. "Is it yours?"

"Sure is," Heiji replied after having a seat. "Parked it about a mile away before catching a cab to meet up with Grayson, wanted to stay low key on this whole matter."

"Good call." Tim said. "You know, I'm kind of a bike person myself."

"Is that so," Heiji said placing the helmet over the top of his head. "I took you as more of a car guy."

"Add that to the list of things you didn't know about me," Tim said. "Though I will say, yours is nothing to mine in comparison."

"I really doubt that." Heiji smilingly said before taking off.

The two of them watched, looking on as he zoomed out of sight. He turned at the sound of him coming to his side.

"Tim, we need to talk."

He could see the concern in his eyes, giving him his full attention.

"What's wrong?"

"It's about how Yunge was killed."

"I'm all ears," Tim said removing his hands from his pocket. "So.. what happened?"

To Be Continued

















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