The Detective Prince
Chapter 69
Mini Lon
He had been up for the previous hour, thinking of what the day might have in store for him. There was something off, something he couldn't quite wrap his finger around. He headed for the door after tossing on a shirt, arriving out to find Alfred roaming the hall.
"I see you're up early today."
"Not to worry, I'm feeling much better now."
"I'm glad to hear that's the case, what about your temperature," Alfred asked. "Has it stayed mellowed down?"
"As normal as it's going to get." Conan replied.
"That's nice to know," Alfred said before stepping aside. "Why don't you head down to the study, Master Wayne told me to let you know to meet him there when you awoke."
"Any idea what it's about?"
"He said he had something to give you," Alfred replied. "That's all I was told on the matter."
"Thanks for letting me know, I'll head down there right away."
He walked past him from there, wondering just it was he had to give him. He took his time as he made his way down the stairs, heading straight to the right after reaching the bottom. He stopped once reaching the door, raising his hand to give it a knock.
"You're up fairly early." Bruce said walking up from behind.
"Oh," Conan said turning to face him. "I thought you were in there already."
"I was, there was just a little something I had to attend to." Bruce said reaching for the door knob.
The two of them stepped into the room from there.
"Alfred said you had something to give me."
"Oh yes." Bruce said heading to the right of the room.
He stopped once reaching the desk, grabbing something that rested atop a pile of papers he had laid out on the left side.
"Your glasses," Bruce said returning them to him. "You left them in the TV room last night."
"Thanks, there's no telling when I might need these," Conan said sliding them into place. "So, how did things turn out at the city hall last night?"
The sound of the phone ringing buzzed loud to their ears, putting their conversation on hold for the time being.
"Give me a moment," Bruce said heading back toward the desk. "There's an important call I'm expecting."
He waited from where he stood, watching as he answered the phone. The conversation was brief, lasting only a few seconds. He placed the phone back onto the hook once finished, grabbing his jacket from the hook before heading for the door.
"Where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?" Conan asked before stepping off to the side.
"There's someone I'm supposed to meet with at Wayne enterprises," Bruce replied. "There's a position that recently opened up they're interested in applying for."
"I see."
"You're free to come along if you'd like," Bruce said. "If nothing else, it will get you out of the house for a little while."
"You know, I think I'll take you up on that," Conan said. "You can count me in."
"Right this way," Bruce said taking lead. "We have less than forty minutes before our scheduled meeting is set to begin."
The two of them left the room from there. They didn't get very far, stopped upon reaching the front door.
"Where are the two of you heading off to?" Alfred asked on his way down from the upper floor.
"To Wayne Enterprises," Bruce answered. "I'm on my way to meet with Mr. Barron for the first time."
"I hope that turns out well as you've been anticipating," Alfred said after finally making his way down. "Will you be needing a ride?"
"Not this time, I've got it covered," Bruce replied. "There's no telling how long this meet will take."
"You also received a call from Mrs. Elotte while you were out on your jog earlier."
"I'll get back to her some time tonight, if anyone else calls while I'm away just have them leave a message," Bruce said. "I should be gone no longer than two hours tops."
"Understood."
The two of them headed out past the door from there, walking down the long set of stairs toward the awaiting car. The first ten minutes was a quiet one as they cruised along the road, keeping a firm grip to the steering wheel as he looked over to see him change the radio station for a second time within the past minute.
"Is there something in particular you were looking for?"
"Not as much as becoming familiar with each station," Conan replied. "But since you asked, which are the stations that broadcast the news?"
"Three, four, nine, sixteen, twenty two, and thirty six," Bruce replied. "Though two of those stations deal with predominantly the weather."
"That's good to know, now I won't have to search around," Conan said before leaning back in his seat. "So, how did things go last night?"
"Not as expected."
This caused him to turn in his seat, not sure what to take from the straight forward expression across his face.
"Care to enlighten me?"
"She never showed."
"Oh, guess it can't get any simpler than that," Conan said. "Any idea why she didn't come?"
"Tim's looking into that as we speak." Bruce informed.
"And how do you think he plans to do that?"
"By starting with what we have in front of us," Bruce replied. "Which means finding out the names of those who were scheduled to be there last night who didn't show up."
"Good plan," Conan said. "There's always a chance she was there to meet with someone in particular, someone we might be able to single out."
"That's one option, but there's also the back up plan."
"Back up plan?"
"We'll only result to it if need be." Bruce said looking back to the road as the street light turned green.
He found his attention drawn to several sites they passed while continuing to drive, lost in thought as the minutes passed. Before he knew it they had arrived. He sat up in his seat as they came upon a large gate, watching as he swiped a card along a the top of a security panel which then allowed them access to a private parking lot. The two of them stepped out of the car after finding a spot, which didn't take very long.
"Right this way, we're almost there."
He did as he instructed, following him along the sidewalk as they made their way toward the entrance just up ahead. He gazed up at the massive structure as they approached, admiring its many features. Most eye catching of all was the set up of the layout itself. The doors slid aside upon reaching them, allowing for the two of them to head straight in.
"Well, this is it," Bruce said looking down at him. "Welcome to Wayne Enterprises, this is where almost all my business decisions are made on a daily basis."
He was a little lost for words, not sure how to respond as he continued to follow him through the building. He found himself fascinated by the floor of marble as they walked, taking a small time to look it over. They finally came to a stop after taking a right at the end of the hall which brought them in front a large service desk.
"You're early." A young woman said from where she sat behind the desk.
"I always try to be."
"Who's this with you?" She smilingly asked taking notice of him.
"Renae, meet Conan." Bruce introduced.
"Hi?" Conan greeted with a friendly wave.
"Hello to you as well," Renae waved back before facing Bruce once again. "If you don't mind me asking, is he family of yours?"
"Not quite," Bruce replied. "I'm actually watching him for a good friend for the next week or so."
"Oh, how nice of you."
"I actually don't mind it," Bruce said leaning forward. "The kid's been problem free thus far."
"I've got to hand it to him, he's good on the fly."
"I just received a call from Mr. Barron roughly three minutes ago, he should be here any minute now."
"You can send him up to the art room on the sixth floor when he arrives, I'll meet him there as soon as I can." Bruce said before turning to walk.
"Will do, but before I forget there's someone who wishes to speak with you," Renae informed. "I told him to set up an appointment, but he insisted he would only take up a moment of your time so I let him through."
"Where is he now?" Bruce asked turning back to face her once again.
"I directed him to the lobby," Renae replied. "That was no longer than two minutes ago, he should still be there waiting for you."
He turned to the right with Conan keeping pace with him as they began walking once more. They made their way down a short hall which lead them to a larger room than the one they had previously been in. The wall to the left side was made of glass, allowing for a perfect view of the neighboring buildings. On the right side of the room is where all the chairs were located, lined up from across the solid wall. The two of them headed over as they watched someone stand up from the nearest chair to them.
"James Gordon, what a surprise this is." Bruce said after coming to a stop.
"I hope this isn't a bad time, but there's something I'd like to ask of you."
"Is this about what happened last night?"
"As a matter a fact it is," James confirmed. "By now I'm sure you've heard the updates on the case, it was all over the news through this morning."
"What case?"
"I did happen to catch a little of it," Bruce said. "But what does any of that have to do with me, I already gave my written statement before I left last night."
"That's not exactly what I wanted to speak with you about."
"It's not?"
"It's about that kid," James clarafied. "You seem to know more about him than I."
"A little."
"Then perhaps there's a chance you know where he's currently staying, if so would you be kind enough to give this to him," James asked reaching into his jacket. "Here's my card, have him call me whenever he gets the chance."
"Just curious," Bruce said after accepting the card. "What is it you want to talk to him about?"
"With this case far from closed I thought he might be interested in helping lock it up," James replied. "After all, he was there to witness the whole thing unfold."
"I'll let him know," Bruce said. "You should hear from him within the next day."
"Thanks for the talk Wayne," James nodded before stepping in between the two of them. "I won't take up any more of your time."
"Nonsense, you're always free to stop by Gordon."
"I'll keep that in mind," James said before turning to walk. "Give detective Hattori my best, and I hope to hear from him soon."
The both of them watched as he made his way toward the exit through the hall they had come. After he was no longer in sight he looked up at Bruce who had a pretty good idea of what was on his mind.
"Who was that man?"
"Gordon, commissioner of the Gotham police force."
"That would explain," Conan said. "I heard him mention a Hattori, it wouldn't happen to be."
"The same detective Hattori from Osaka Japan," Bruce finished. "That'd be the one."
He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the thought of being left behind only to find out he had been there in his his place.
"What else don't I know?"
"And before you ask, no I didn't know he'd be there," Bruce said. "It came as a surprise to me as well."
"I heard Commissioner Gordon mention a case to you," Conan stated. "You said that woman never showed up, so what exactly happened yesterday night?"
"A high priced diamond was stolen," Bruce replied. "It was amongst other jewels concealed behind a glass case which all awaited to be auctioned off."
"A bidding?"
"That was the plan."
"So what happened?"
"With the use of the fuse box in one of the other rooms someone was able to shut off the electricity for a brief period," Bruce replied. "Within that short time they stole a diamond from the large collection."
"Was that it," Conan asked. "Are you positive nothing else was taken?"
"If so, it wasn't reported."
"Any idea who may have taken it?"
Within that instant the two of them turned at the sound of someone entering the room, looking just in time to see a smiling man heading their way.
"Hope you don't mind me meeting you here, the kind woman at the front desk said I would find you in here."
"You must be Antonio Barron," Bruce said stepping forward to shake his hand. "Pleasure to finally meet you."
"Tony, call me Tony," Antonio said in response. "I brought in all the required paperwork you'll need to see."
He held up a folder that rested down at his side.
"Don't bother, I've already looked into everything I need to know about you," Bruce said. "And with you being here before the scheduled time and prepared, I must say I'm more than excited to have you aboard."
"I see he's not one for small talk." Conan thought.
"So that's it," Antonio questioned. "I'm hired?"
"I made up my mind long before you arrived," Bruce informed. "I've already talked with several of those you jotted down as references, they all had good things to say."
"So where do we begin?"
"They're making space for your office as we speak, it should be ready anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour," Bruce replied. "But I wouldn't return until this evening."
"Why's that?"
"Mr. Fox is currently out at the moment but should be back anytime after five," Bruce informed. "He has a few things he needs to go over with you, after that's taken care of you're free to get situated."
"Sounds like a plan," Antonio said before turning back the way he had come. "Hope to see you soon."
"Come to me if you have any questions or concerns."
"Loud and clear."
He walked down the hall from there, leaving them as the only two in the room for the second time.
"He seemed nice enough, what position did you hire him for?" Conan asked out of curiosity.
"As our new CCO, Chief Compliance Officer," Bruce replied. "Now what do you say we head back to the manor?"
"Sounds good to me, but I do have one question," Conan began as they walked forward. "Where's Heiji staying?"
"Not quite sure, he did leave with Dick last night," Bruce replied. "But I do have a good idea of where he might be."
They made their way out from there, finding themselves back on the road a short time later. He decided not to switch on the radio this time around, sitting back in silence as they continued to drive. He then looked over at him after passing by another street corner.
"You never did get the chance to answer my question."
"About what?"
"About the person who stole the diamond," Conan replied. "Did you ever round up any suspects?"
"We did, they even arrested someone," Bruce informed. "Turns out she wasn't the thief."
"What do you mean?"
"Upon further investigation the police came to find the diamond found in Ms. Aileen's hand bag was nothing but a decoy," Bruce replied. "It was nothing but a fake replica of the real diamond stolen, and a good one at that."
"It must have been if it was able to fool you both."
"Something that won't happen again."
"That would explain why the Commissioner came to you about contacting Heiji," Conan said. "Any idea's on who the real thief might be?"
"We've got our suspects lined up."
"What's so special about this diamond anyway that they would only take it and not anything else?"
"I don't know about special, but it was most certainly rare," Bruce replied. "Turns out that diamond was a type IIb, which happens to make up only 0.1% of all natural diamonds worldwide."
"Bet it's worth a high price too."
They paved the way down the roadside, arriving to their destination after several minutes of driving. He caught sight of a familiar car parked a few feet away from where he stood after stepping out. He looked over his shoulder to see Bruce already heading up the stairs toward the front door, wasting no time in following after him. They entered to find him sitting at the bottom of the staircase.
"How'd things go at Wayne Enterprises?"
"Dick," Conan said walking toward him. "I knew I recognized your car out there."
"Things went well," Bruce said replying to his question. "I'd say Mr. Barron is as advertised."
"Where's Heiji," Conan asked. "I thought he'd be with you."
"So I see you've heard," Dick said sitting up from where he sat. "He's actually staying with Tim."
"I'm surprised to see you, I thought you had business across town today." Bruce said.
"I do, but there was something important I thought the two of you would like to know," Dick said. "And I think it would be best if I told you in person."
"Is this about what happened last night?"
"Not exactly," Dick replied looking down at Conan. "It's actually about that man you saw just moments before he died."
"You mean the guy who wore the eye patch?"
He nodded in response.
"What did you find out?"
"Some interesting information, very interesting at that," Dick replied. "After running an autopsy they found out that he had over fifteen face surgeries while he was alive, and that's just the beginning."
"Can't wait to hear this."
"When the authorities searched his apartment they found over seventy two different ID's he had gone under," Dick informed. "Not to mention several latex fabrics hidden beneath the kitchen sink which he probably used to change up his facial features from time to time."
"Sounds like this guy was hard on disguises," Conan said before lowering his hands into his pocket. "A whole new twist has just been added to this already complex puzzle."
"But that still doesn't explain why that woman didn't show up at the city hall last night," Dick said resting a hand under his chin. "She's our only real link to this guy at this point."
"Wouldn't worry, we might not have to wait too much longer to find out why."
Both Conan and Dick immediately turned to Bruce who stood with a reassuring look on his face.
"I talked with Tim earlier this morning, he came upon a source which might lead us right to her."
"What kind of source?" Dick asked.
"It's called the Mini Lon," Bruce replied. "I'm sure Tim will be more than willing to elaborate further when he gets here, which shouldn't be too long from now."
"A Mini Lon... what's a Mini Lon?"
To Be Continued
