Case Closed Fan Fiction ❯ The Detective Prince ❯ Starlest ( Chapter 79 )

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The Detective Prince
Chapter 79
Starlest

Everything was done with persuasion and patience, making sure every detail matched what was said down to the last detail. After nearly twenty minutes of working every angle he turned around to show him the completed drawing.

"I did the best to make out what you described, so tell me," Bruce said handing him the sheet of paper. "Does this look like the man you crossed paths with on the bus?"

He took the next couple seconds to look over the finished drawing, giving him a nod in response.

"I'd say this is about as close as we're going to get without having an actual photo of him."

"And you're sure you didn't get a clearer look at his face?"

"Like I said before, he had on that ski cap which made it difficult to do so," Conan replied. "But do you recognize him at all?"

"I can't say for sure, there's several others who run around in this type of attire," Bruce replied. "I'd need a distinct look at his face to confirm anything."

"You also said we'd be constructing a time table," Conan reminded. "I was curious to know when we'd start from, you never did say."

"From the estimated time of death involving the nine men who were found," Bruce said in response. "Which is said to have been around thirty five after seven."

"I was still waiting for the 72 bus to appear around that time."

"How long did you wait before it finally arrived?"

"Roughly twenty minutes." Conan replied.

"And that man you saw, was he already seated when you entered?"

"No, he didn't board until after we made our first stop about four minutes later."

"At about what time would you say that was?"

"Can't recall, but I know it was some time after seven forty five," Conan replied. "I remember checking the time minutes before the bus had arrived."

"And you said this mystery man entered the bus after making your first stop," Bruce said giving it some thought. "Which was a good distance away from the sporting complex which is at least a twenty minute dive, pending any heavy traffic."

"So, I guess that eliminates him from our list of suspects."

"Not necessarily, there are several other ways to travel that don't require going through traffic," Bruce said. "But if he is indeed involved, that raises the question of why he would backtrack to the Kane building where you were located only to pass by where the crime originally took place."

"Good point," Conan said. "And we probably won't get the answer to that unless we find him."

"What about the handle you saw stashed away in his boot," Bruce asked. "Did it have a significant detail that could separate it from most common knives?"

"It was just a plain solid black," Conan replied. "Nothing we can use to try and track him."

"As expected," Bruce said. "So at about what time did you finally get off the bus?"

"Exactly five after nine," Conan replied. "I remember checking the time right after losing sight of him."

"That's when you proceeded to follow after the other two, correct?"

"That pretty much sums it up," Conan confirmed. "But I must ask.. from your knowledge of the streets here, do you think he could have made it all the way from the sporting complex to where he was in such a short amount of time?"

"Do you mean by bus or taxi?"

Conan nodded.

"Being that the murders occurred after five and before nine I'd say no," Bruce replied. "Traffic is at its height in between those times."

"But isn't there the chance more than one person was involved with these killings," Conan questioned. "I mean, taking out nine guys isn't exactly a piece of cake, especially given their background."

"From the evidence collected, it seems to be pointing to one culprit at this given time," Bruce said. "But that doesn't mean someone didn't set it up to appear that way."

"So what do we do now?"

"I may go back and recheck the crime scene, but in the mean time I'm going to dissect what we have even further," Bruce replied while making his way around the desk. "If you happen to remember anything you forgot to mention, just let me know."

"Of course."

He turned for the door, only taking a few steps before coming to a stop at the center of the room. He stood there for seconds to pass, looking back to see he was already jotting down notes about what they had just discussed.

"What's wrong?" Bruce asked taking notice of this.

"About last night.. I'm sorry," Conan apologized. "I should have called and let you know what was going on."

"No need for an apology, it's your present state which called for concern," Bruce said. "The last thing I'd want is to call home and let them know of any unplanned incidents involving your wellbeing."

"Understandable."

"Whatever it may mean, you did a decent job for what it was," Bruce said. "With the way you pursued after those two men, but."

"There's always a but."

"You were on point with your main objective, but you missed one important detail."

"What do you mean?" Conan asked.

"As you came to find, the two men you were following after were part of a larger group."

"Were they also members of the Sprang Bridge Soldiers?"

"No, but they are linked with a smaller group."

"So what was it I failed to notice?"

"Stressing the importance of your surroundings while here should have been a top priority," Bruce said. "As you saw, an additional five men joined the fray."

"That's right," Conan said. "They crossed over from the other side of the road a distance ahead once she took a seat at that bench."

"What you failed to do was look back from where you trailed."

"You don't mean.."

"That's right," Bruce said. "There were four additional men coming from behind, if I hadn't shown when I did who knows what would have happened."

"Can't believe I didn't see or hear them coming." Conan said with the shake of his head.

"Don't pay it too much mind, the only thing that matters at the end of the day is the outcome."

"There's just one thing about last nights events that doesn't sit straight," Conan said. "Why did that woman stop at that bench when she did, it's not like it was a bus stop."

"Never question a woman's acute flexibility when it comes to her whereabouts, especially when walking alone at the time it was."

"Are you saying she knew?"

"Not from the start, but she must have caught on at some point," Bruce confirmed. "When she took a seat at that bench she knew what was to come, wanting no more than to lure them in."

"That makes little sense, why would she want that?"

"Naturally it wouldn't," Bruce agreed. "But she was equipped with a bottle of pepper spray and a taser."

"Pepper spray and a taser," Conan exclaimed. "Is that even permitted to have around here?"

"With a license, then yes," Bruce replied. "Whether she had one or not is unknown to me, but I commend anyone who's prepared and not too reliant on others when situations like that arise."

"Maybe I should start carrying a set of those around." Conan jokingly commented.

"Don't you think a slingshot would be more age appropriate?" Someone spoke from behind.

He didn't even have to look, already knowing who had joined the two of them.

"How long have you been standing there?" Conan asked turning to face him.

"Merely a second or two." Damian replied.

"Where have you been," Conan asked. "I didn't hear or see you on my way down a couple minutes ago."

"Out in the garage."

"What were you doing in there?"

"Here he goes with another one of his interrogations." Damian said finding his way around him.

"Did you look over that video footage like I asked?"

"All four angles," Damian confirmed. "There was nothing of high importance visually."

"I was afraid that'd be the case."

"What video footage?" Conan asked out of curiosity.

"We retrieved copies of four survaliance camera's that were near last nights crime scene," Bruce replied. "Apparently nothing was caught on tape."

"As I said before, not visually," Damian corrected. "I had a hard time with the ambiguous audio from each of them at first, but after diluting out the guttural like sounds I was able to pick up something said right before the shooting began."

"What did you hear?" Bruce asked putting a hold to things once again.

"It's him," Damian replied. "That's what one of the men spoke right before all hell broke lose, I have it saved as its own file if you'd like to hear it for yourself."

"Interesting," Bruce said. "That all but adds more weight to our claim of there being only one culprit."

"He's right," Conan thought. "If there had been more than one person who had engaged them, why say 'it's him' rather than them?"

"This should shorten our line of suspects as well," Damian added. "From what was said I think it's safe to assume at least one of them knew their attacker."

"The next step will be to come up with a list of any known acquaintances," Bruce said. "Which of course will include all members of the Sprang Bridge Soldiers."

"Wait a minute," Conan questioned. "Do you actually think it would be one of their own?"

"Not the most likely answer, but most certainly a probability." Bruce replied.

"I guess it's smart to keep all possible options open," Conan said. "On another note, where's Alfred?"

"I saw him leave earlier this morning," Damian answered. "And before you ask, no, I don't know where he strolled off to."

"He went to Crime Alley." Bruce informed.

"What's he doing there?" Damian asked looking his way.

"To meet with Heiji," Bruce replied. "He's taking him to a place near the station to meet with the commissioner for a second time."

"That quick huh, sounds like progress if you ask me," Conan said. "Any idea what they're meeting about this time?"

"It's just as you pointed," Bruce said in response. "They're making progress."

"Now that I've completed that whole video sequence, what would you like for me to do next?" Damian asked.

"I'll let you know as soon as I'm finished with this timeline."

"Call me if you need me sooner, I'll be down stairs." Damian said before heading for the door.

He moved aside as he passed, hearing the sound of the door close from behind on his way out. He stood there for the next minute or so, continuing to watch as he wrote down the remaining details of the case. He looked up once finished, stepping up from the chair before making his way around the desk.

"Before I head out, there's one thing I'd like to ask," Bruce stated. "You said you took your eyes off of the individual in question, exactly how long would you say that was for?"

"It happened right after getting off the bus, I turned to place a tracker onto one of the two men following the woman," Conan replied. "And once I turned back he was nowhere to be seen, couldn't have been more than five seconds."

"You may not have seen him, but tell me," Bruce asked. "What did you see?"

The sun was shinning brighter than it had been any of the past couple days, tempting him to slide down the window to gaze out. It was the perfect time of day, making it easy for them to switch lanes as they drove along the way.

"It's a beautiful day?"

"I'd say so myself, though I wouldn't get too used to it," Alfred said in repsonse. "Especially with the colder months just up ahead."

"All we can do is enjoy it while it lasts." Heiji said before leaning back in the seat.

He heard little of what was said over the radio, more focused to those who drove along as well. He knew they were getting close, glancing out as they passed by the Grant Park on the right side. He continued to look on, pleased to see the police headquarters come into view within the next few.

"We got here a lot sooner than I was expecting."

"It always seems to be that way after the first trip around," Alfred said. "So where exactly are you supposed to be meeting him?"

"Just up that way," Heiji pointed. "It should be two blocks away from our current position, I'll let you know when to stop."

He did just that, heading into that direction only to be met by a red light not too far ahead. They were stalled all but a but a minute or so. He kept his eyes pealed after they took a right at the next intersection, waving his hand after seeing the visual hierarchy of the of the sign clamped down onto the front of the small shop.

"There it is," Heiji pointed. "Starlest."

"And this is the place you were told the two of you would meet?"

"No doubt," Heiji said more than assured. "This is it alright."

He pulled over from there, finding himself an empty spot at the side of the road before looking over at him.

"I have no idea how long you will be, but do call once you've finished."

"That's the plan," Heiji said opening the door. "Again, thanks for the ride."

"Any time."

He unbuckled his belt before stepping out, closing the door in the process. He immediately headed for the entrance to the store, still wondering why they were meeting here rather than at the station like they had done the last time around.

"This is it."

He removed his hands from his pockets upon reaching the door, adjusting his hat before reaching forward to push the door off to the side. He found himself looking from one half of the room to the other. There were glass cases on all sides, filled with jewelary of different varieties in all corners. He then took notice of the fleet of stairs located near the back of the room.

"I wonder where those lead to."

He wasted no time in giving it a check, looking to the second floor to see a row of shoes and clothes lined up on separate sides. There weren't too many people in the store, making it easy for him to walk further into the room without incident.

"But why here," Heiji thought. "Why would the commissioner want to meet here of all places?"

It was just as he reached the stairs that he felt a hand fall down to the side of his shoulder, turning to see someone completely unfamiliar. The man standing before him was a few inches taller than himself, wearing a well broomed suit and tie, with a white under shirt to top it off.

"So I see you're good with time, he said you would be here within the minute."

"And you are?" Heiji asked.

"Detective Gates," He greeted holding out his hand. "But you can call me Rick."

"Then detective Rick it is," Heiji said shaking his hand in return. "I remember hearing your name from Gordon, he mentioned you as the detective working the case involving the recent heists?"

"That'd be me."

"So where is he now," Heiji asked searching the general area."Is the commissioner not here?"

"He had something come up, thus ejecting himself from the fronts for the time being," Rick replied. "But from what I've heard, you and I should be more than enough to tackle this on our own."

"That leaves me with one remaining question."

"Go ahead, I'm hear to answer anything that may cross your mind."

"Why are we meeting here instead of at the Gotham City Police Station?"

"A very good question indeed," Rick said while turning for the stairs. "Walk with me, all will be answered soon enough."

This caught him by a bit of a surprise, none the less doing as instructed. They made their way up to the second floor, continuing to follow him as he headed to the right side. They stepped around several clothes racks in their path, finally reaching a door located near the back corner.

"This is it," Rick said giving him the nod. "This should only take a second."

He took a step forward with three convincing knocks. The sound of voices followed up in return, which then turned into the sound of foot steps heading their way. The door slid open within moments as a man appeared before the two of them.

"Good to see you again detective Gates," The man spoke. "I'm hoping you have some good news for me."

"We're working on it," Rick said. "But rest assured we'll have this predicament settled in no time."

"Who's this with you?" He asked looking to the side of him.

"Heiji Hattori," Rick replied. "He'll be helping with this investigation."

"Well, it's a pleasure to have you aboard Mr. Hattori," He said with the shake of his hand. "The names Ellson."

"I'm glad to be taking a part in this," Heiji acknowledged. "But what exactly are we investigating?"

"The burglaries of course," Rick replied. "And from the note received, it all but confirms we here at Starlest are their next target."

"Hold on," Heiji said. "What note?"

"It seems you haven't been given the full details of the case at hand." Rick said.

"Gordon said he planned on letting someone else fill me in," Heiji informed. "And from theses circumstances, I'd say right now is as good as any other time for an update."

"But first, why don't the two of you step on in," Ellson suggested. "I'd rather we do this in private."

"Well noted." Rick said in agreement.

The two of them stepped into the small enclosed room, following Ellson who lead them to the left, stopping after reaching the center where another man sat in front of two computer screens.

"What is this place?" Heiji asked.

"The security back room," Ellson replied. "And this is Ed, the man who keeps a watchful eye for what goes on in and outside of the store."

"Welcome." Ed said looking his way with the nod of his head.

"So what's this note you mentioned?"

"The one who's been going around stealing from small companies such as ourselves has been been leaving small notes before hand, riddles if you will."

"This has occurred to five separate stores now," Rick added. "This would make the sixth if they are indeed successful with their next planned heist."

"What exactly do these riddles elude to," Heiji asked. "And if possible, do you think I could have a look at the most recent one written?"

"Each note left behind has ultimately pointed to the where and what," Ellson replied. "Meaning the location and item they plan to acquire."

"Here you go," Rick said reaching into his side pocket. "This was the note slipped in with yesterday nights imports to this very store."

He accepted the slip of paper, unfolding it to lay his eyes onto the message before him.

"i am soley for the eye beyond all affiliated kins, a tune to Hear with a misdirection Red (1)," Heiji read before dropping down to the second line. "superior to my the Deceiver, at the Affair shall I appear.."

He found himself reading over the message several times over, trying his best to make sense of what was written.

"That's some twisted stuff if you ask me," Rick said from his side. "I don't even know where to begin to make sense of that jitter."

"What do you think, detective Heiji?" Ellson asked.

"..I don't know, at least not yet," Heiji said finally looking up from the note. "In the mean time, are there any possible suspects that have come to mind?"

"My first initial thought was Nigma, but then I remembered he's currently locked away within that dammed aslyum."

"Nigma," Heiji questioned. "Who's that?"

"Don't worry about it kid," Rick said patting him on the shoulder. "We've already eliminated that route as a potential lead."

"Mind if I hold onto this?" Heiji asked.

"Be my guest," Rick replied. "We've already got a copy of that note stored away at the station."

He wasted no time in tucking it away.

"Now that we've got him all caught up, why don't I let you know why I really brought you two back here."

"The stage is yours." Rick said in response.

"Then if you would, please direct your sights to the screen."

"What should we be looking for?" Heiji asked.

"Nothing in particular," Ed replied. "This is all the views we have set around the premises with the use of our surveillance cameras."

"Just staying on top of things," Ellson added. "We have to be prepared, especially if this mystery person does in fact try to go through with their plan."

"So what would you like us to do from here?" Rick asked.

"That's quite simple," Ellson replied. "If it's not too much to ask, I'd like for the two of you to look out for any suspicious people or activity for the next hour or so."

"I see, you're anticipating the thief will come here to try and size up things for their heist," Rick said. "I'd be more than willing to give you some of our extra added time."

"You can count me in as well." Heiji said with a nod.

"Good," Ellson said pleased to hear. "I was hoping I'd get your involvement."

"So how do you want us to play this?" Rick asked.

"Simple," Ellson replied. "Just act if you are another one of the customers, no one will notice."

"Sounds easy enough," Rick said. "We'll report back to you if anything should be brought to our attention."

"And I'll be waiting."

"Come Hattori," Rick said turning back for the door. "Let us see if we can make anything out of this."

Ellson lead the way with the two of them following from behind, reopening the door before stepping off to the side.

"Report back to me if you find anything to be questioning or suspicious," Ellson stated. "Ed and I will be watching on from the cameras shown to you, just be sure to stay discreet as discussed."

"That's the plan." Rick said.

"Then I'll let the two of you run loose, good luck detectives." Ellson said before closing the door.

The two looked to one another in the seconds that followed.

"How would you like to press on from here?"

"I'll go and monitor things down on the first floor," Rick replied. "I'll leave everything up here to you."

"Fair enough."

"Keep your eyes peeled kid, the easiest way to put an end to this is to catch this guy in his tracks," Rick said. "I'll touch base with you in the next half hour or so."

"I'll see you then."

"If you see or find anything before hand, come and let me know," Rick said while turning for the other side of the room. "I'll see you soon."

Rick left from there, leaving him to stand alone. He didn't move for the first couple moments, simply pulling out the note to give it a second look. He read over it once again, finding it in himself to try and disect every part of the message down piece by piece. Coming to a conclusion wasn't going to be easy, feeling there were questions that needed to be answered before he could unravel the true meaning.

"According to detective Gates there were five other riddle based notes left behind at the other locations before the thief struck," Heiji thought. "Maybe I'd have a better understanding of what they're planning if I had a look at the other notes, along with what was stolen of course."

He raised the slip of paper to his eyes, soley focusing in on the first part of the message.

"i am soley for the eye beyond all affiliated kins, a tune to Hear with a misdirection Red (1)."

He allowed nothing else to enter the mind, keeping his concentration to what was in front of him.

"Affiliated kins... this could prove to be an important detail," Heiji thought. "I'm almost certain it doesn't symbolizes the connection of siblings, but rather different items of interest or perhaps separate locations.. something we aren't expected to take note of."

Wasting no time he looked to the last part of the riddle.

"The 'H' on hear and the 'R' on red are capitalized, giving them an imposing presence amongst the other figures," Heiji thought continuing his examination. "Then there's the single interval, defiantly the most unclear element featured in the note."

He took no time to look at the riddle written on the second line, sticking the slip of paper back into his pocket.

"No use in trying to solve the other riddle, I'm betting the two are linked together in some way," Heiji said. "Which means in all likelihood I'll have to solve the first to understand the second."

He laid his hands to his pocket before finally deciding to walk. There were very few present on the second floor besides him, beginning to study the layout of the room as he stepped around a rack of socks. Everything that came to his sight he tried relating back to the riddle, feeling there was something to find. He stopped once reaching the center of the room next to a small shelf of cosmetics.

"One thing's for certain.. detective Gates and Mr. Ellson are wrong, no way after leaving that note would the culprit take the risk of coming back," Heiji thought. "If anything, they might be visiting the location of the next place they plan to breach if successful here... but where?"

To Be Continued
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