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The Detective Prince Chapter 50 A Challenge The traffic throughout the streets had drastically declined from thirty minutes prior. The vehicles that had been involved in the crash had been towed away which allowed for a clear path to drive. Conan made his way across the street after the light turned red, heading for the detective agency to see Kogoro step down from the stairwell. "What are you doing here so quick," Kogoro asked. "Don't you still have forty five minutes until class gets out?" "They let us go early." "Is that so," Kogoro said. "I wonder why that is." "There's been a... they're having teachers constructing day." Conan quickly came up with. "Teachers constructing day," Kogoro questioned. "What is teachers constructing day?" "It's where all the teachers come together to pitch new ideas on any upcoming tests or events," Conan replied. "Concerning all the students of course." "Isn't that something they usually do on a teacher work day?" Kogoro asked narrowing his eyes. "It's because... the test is tomorrow," Conan said. "They wanted to get together to discuss what they're going to include in it." "I see." Kogoro said still skeptical on the matter. "You can call the school if you don't believe me." Conan said with a slight gulp. "It's not that I don't believe you, I just find it strange they'd let you out so early for something like that." "Where are you heading off to?" Conan asked in hopes of changing the subject. "To visit an old friend," Kogoro replied. "I won't be back until late tonight." "Does Ran know about this?" "I told her this morning before she went to school," Kogoro answered. "My phone will be on if there's any problems, so don't hesitate to call me if you need me." "Of course." "If the two of you go somewhere later make sure you lock the door," Kogoro instructed. "With all the crazy stuff that's been going on as of late, I don't want to take any chances." Conan nodded in response. Kogoro then signaled for a cab which didn't take long for one to arrive. Conan watched as he drove off, breathing out in relief. "That was close, I defiantly got away with one there," Conan thought. "It's not often he goes to visit an old friend out of the blue like this, I wonder what he could be going to see them about?" After a few hours of sitting in front of the computer he finally decided to take a small break. He shut off the lights on his way out, checking to make sure he had his ID as he did. It was still relatively early, the clock hitting past five PM. With the amount of extra time on his hands he decided to head up to ROTI. "Would you like me to wait here for your return?" "I don't know how long this will take," Tim replied while handing the cab driver a sum of money. "You're free to go." He closed the door after stepping out, immediately making his way toward the front entrance of the research facility. Once in he made his way over to the front desk which was located in the left corner. "How may I help you?" The clerk asked from behind the desk. "I was wondering if Bondo was around," Tim replied. "There's something I'd like to discuss with him." "Anyone looking to speak with Mr. Salvonte must set up a meeting ahead of time," The clerk stated. "I'm sorry, but you are unable to speak with him until doing so." "Could you at least tell him I stopped by," Tim asked. "I'd really appreciate that." "You know him personally?" "We met about a month ago," Tim confirmed. "Things have been pretty solid since." "I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," He said reaching for the phone at the side of him. "What's your name by the way?" "Just tell him it's the Wayne kid from Gotham," Tim replied. "He'll know who I am." He stood in wait as a conversation ensued over the phone. It took less than a minute for it to come to an end. "I'm sorry to say, but Mr. Salvonte is out of state right now," The clerk informed. "I can't directly reach him at this time." "Do you know when he will be back?" He shook his head from side to side. "Sorry, but no," He replied. "You're free to stop by anytime, I'm sure he'll be back as soon as he can." "Thanks for your time, Mr. Bennet," Tim said sighting his name tag. "I'll keep that in mind." With that he made his way toward the exit. "That little scenario turned out to be a lot quicker than I was expecting it to be," Tim thought to himself. "Didn't expect Bondo to be out of state, probably should have asked where he took off too." It was something that laid in the back of his mind throughout the remainder of the day. The night had come early with the emergence of thick dark clouds flowing in from the west. It was well past two that morning. He continued to wait at the table where he had been seated from the past hour. After a margin of silence the sound of the door cracking open alerted him of someone entering. He stood up from where he sat with an anxious look on his face. "So..?" "Njoo's idea worked as planned, there's nothing to worry about concerning our former problem," Gin replied closing the door softly. "He's dead Vodka." "Are you sure," Vodka asked. "I'd like to be assured this time, considering how many times he's managed to survive our several kill attempts." Gin pulled something from behind, an evil grin coming to his face as he held it out in front of him. "I'd say his garments found at the site are a token for our assurance," Gin said revealing the cowl and cape. "It seems we've finally beaten the detective at his own game." "Best news of the week," Vodka said in relief. "Now we can move forward with this next deal without worrying about his interference." Gin made his way past him. Vodka looked over at him in confusion once Gin came to a stop in front of the fire place. "Gin, what are you doing?" "Just paying a little trivial to our old friend," Gin replied setting a fire. "It's about time he burned in hell." With those last words he tossed the cape and cowl into the blazing flames, the two of them watching until there was nothing left of it. "Farewell, detective." The next day brought an early beginning for him, getting up much sooner than he usually did. After dressing himself for the day he made his way into the bathroom, heading out after brushing his teeth. "It's awfully quiet," Conan thought as he dropped the bag over his shoulders. "I wonder if there is anyone here besides me." He then made his way into the main room. Just as he thought, there was no one to but him. He looked down at his watch to check the time. "I have about an hour until school begins," Conan said. "Surely Ran hasn't left already." Conan made his way to the front of her room, giving it a few knocks before taking a step back. The door didn't open, nor did she answer from the other side. He tried knocking once more only to receive the same results. "I wonder where she could be?" Conan finally gave in after trying for a third time. He slid on his shoes which laid at the side of the wall before heading out the front door. On his way down the stairs he caught sight of Kogoro who was pacing back and forth in his office. After giving it a seconds thought he decided to walk in. "First you were early getting home from school yesterday, and now you're going almost an hour early," Kogoro said. "Is there something going on up at your school again?" "No, just another day," Conan replied with the shake of his head. "Have you seen Ran around by any chance, she didn't answer when I knocked on her door." "That's because she left awhile ago." "I wonder why that is, class doesn't start until another good fifty minutes." "She said something about going on a field trip," Kogoro informed. "Is there something you needed?" "No, just looking to say good morning," Conan replied. "On a side note, how'd your visit with your friend go yesterday?" Before he could reply the phone on the desk began to ring. Kogoro waked over and answered it. "Looks like that'll have to wait for another time." Conan thought while making his way out. He continued down the stairs, arriving down at the sidewalk to find his friends waiting for him. "What a surprise this is." Conan said more than glad to see them. "It was kinda of weird not having either of you at school yesterday." Ayumi said. "So you stayed home for a second time?" Conan asked looking Ai's way. "I didn't feel well enough to go." "What about you Conan," Genta asked. "Why weren't you at school yesterday?" "To tell you the truth, I didn't feel to good myself," Conan replied. "I think it had something to do with how long I waited to eat the night before, woke up with a headache of my own." "Well we're glad to have you both back," Mitsuhiko stated. "Now let's get going shall we?" "Why did you guys come here," Conan asked as they began walking. "You could have just waited for me up at the school." "We wanted to make sure you were ok and that you were coming today," Mitsuhiko said. "Lately you've had the tendency of not answering your phone, that's why we came over instead." "Well I'm glad you did, it gives me someone to talk to on the way there," Conan said. "So, what did I miss yesterday?" They past by one light to the next, continuing to make their way up and down the streets. He pushed up from where he sat, looking out the window to see some kind of event taking place in an open field not very far away. "I wonder if we're almost there, we've been driving for over an hour now." He turned on his phone which laid in his lap, checking to see if anyone had left a message since the last time it was on. "No one has called since last night." He looked up into the sky to see the clouds that had been clustered together earlier that morning were nowhere to be seen. "Looks like whatever was brewing must have passed over." Another solid minute of driving went by. The bus finally slowed down after passing a gas station, taking a right which lead them toward large facility which overlooked a lake in the near distance. "Looks like we're finally here, bout time." The bus came to a stop shortly after making it's way into the parking lot. He was the last one to come out, looking around to see at least fifteen other buses sitting throughout the lot. He followed close behind the other students who made their way to the front of the building, feeling a hand touch upon his left shoulder after taking a few steps forward. "Did you enjoy the ride here?" "Should have brought something along to read," Tim replied turning to face Ran. "What about yours?" "Not much better than yours by the sounds of it." "Where's Sonoko," Tim asked. "Didn't the two of you ride on the same bus?" Ran pointed to the side of him. Tim turned to find Sonoko standing to the right of him. "Did I hear someone call my name?" "I had a feeling you'd be close," Tim said. "You never did tell me what you're participating in." "Speech," Sonoko informed. "I've already practiced several times over on what I'm going to say." "Speech huh," Tim said a little taken back by this. "I took you as someone who might get stage fright speaking in front of a large group." "Then you had me figured wrong, I can handle the spot light just fine." "What about you Ran," Tim asked. "What are you here for?" "The same thing as Sonoko." Ran replied. "Ten bucks says Sonoko talked her into that one." Tim thought to himself. "Ran never took me as a stage person either, or it just shows how much I know on the matter." They made their way in through the front entrance, welcomed by the cool air from inside. "You've gotten awfully quiet," Sonoko said. "Is something wrong?" "It's nothing to worry about," Tim assured. "Just thinking is all." "What about you," Ran asked. "You never did tell me what you would be taking part in." "He's doing what most of the guys in school are competing in," Sonoko informed. "Running in a little track and field." "And what's wrong with that?" Tim questioned. "I never said anything was." Sonoko stated. "That's strange, because I don't recall seeing a track when we arrived." Ran said "I bet it's around back somewhere," Tim pointed. "That seems to be where more than half the students are going." "I guess this is where we part ways." Ran said. "Hopefully you two haven't gone by the time I get back, I'd really like to see what the two of you have to say." "Just make sure you represent Teitan well by not coming in last." Sonoko said as he followed after the others. "No need to worry there," Tim said looking back. "I rarely ever take last in anything I compete in." "We'll see if that holds true," Sonoko said. "I'll be checking the chart to see the results later on." He gave her the thumbs up before turning into the opposite direction. They took a right after making it to the end of the hall which lead to a steel door. "I sure hope I'm going in the right direction." It didn't take long for him to have an answer to his thought, arriving outside to find many gathered around large track. "Looks like I arrived just in time," Tim said. "From the looks of it they should be starting anytime now." Most everything beyond the track was nothing but open field and a few trees here and there in the far distance. Located to the left about a quarter mile up was the lake he had seen while on the bus. He stood in the same spot as he continued to observe the area, hearing his name called by a familiar voice. "Aoko," Tim said turning to face her. "What a surprise this is." "I wasn't expecting to see you here," Aoko said. "How have you been doing?" "Busy would be the best answer," Tim replied. "But other than that I've been doing pretty good for the most part." "Come with me, there's someone I want you to meet." He followed her through the large group, wondering who it was she was taking him to see. "He's right over there." Aoko pointed as they approached the track. They could see him standing alone, stretching as he waited for everything to begin. He turned at the sound of them coming to a stop at his side. "Allow me to introduce you to.." "Tim." "Kaito." "You two know each other?" Aoko asked. "Yea, we met at a museum over a month ago," Tim confirmed. "Isn't that right Kaito?" "How could I forget," Kaito said. "That speech you gave about the arts was unforgettable to say the least." "I've always had a way with words, it's something that runs in the family." "I'm glad we have the opportunity to talk once more." "I hate to interrupt," Aoko said stepping in between the two. "But I was wondering where Keiko ran off to." "She left a few seconds after you did," Kaito informed. "She said she was going to go see if she could find a water fountain." "I'm going to go find her," Aoko said turning to walk. "Will the two of you still be here?" "I have a race to run," Kaito stated. "I'm not going anywhere." With that she took off, leaving the two of them standing alone. "So, you're running track just like me," Tim said with a smile. "Just out of curiosity, what's your time on the forty yard dash?" "I landed a five three straight," Kaito replied. "And you?" "Nice, you beat me by a few," Tim said. "Last time we recorded I ran a 5.502." "Huh, looking at you I'd expect better." "I could say the same for you." Tim said. "Who says I was trying," Kaito stated. "I could have easily knocked off three additional seconds if I had wanted." "I'd like to take you up on that." "What are you proposing," Kaito asked. "Because if you ask me I'd say you are suggesting some kind of challenge." "That's exactly what I was aiming for," Tim said. "Whoever finishes with a better time wins." "What's the wager?" Kaito asked. "The consequences for the loser will be decided after the race," Tim replied. "So what do you say, are you in?" "Be prepared to eat my dust." Kaito replied. "You mean that same dust created from the fire I'm going to burn you with after I pass you up?" "Good counter," Kaito complimented. "Let's just see if your production on the track is as good as your mouth running capabilities." "You won't disappointed." While they continued to wait they stretched out their muscles, making sure everything was loosened out for the race. "Haven't had any competitive fun like this in a long time," Tim thought. "Im going to enjoy this as much as I can." After another minute of waiting a loud whistle could be heard, grabbing everyones attention who stood near the track. "Alright everyone, can I have your attention?" "I think that was already gained with the whistle." Kaito thought to himself. "You can address me by Mr. Keian, I will be the one hosting all track activities," Mr. Keian informed. "We're going to begin with the boys, so if I could get six volunteers so we can get started on recording times." Kaito and Tim both looked to one another. "You ready?" "Don't see how a few extra minutes are going to make me any readier." Kaito replied. They were the first two to make it onto the track. Four others joined them shortly after. "It looks like we're all ready to begin Mr. Keian." Kaito said. "I take it you all know how to get set before a race?" They all nodded in response. "Good, now let us begin." They lined up from there, watching as Mr. Keian walked forty yards up the track. Once there he held a timer out in front of him, the whistle resting in between his lips. Kaito and Tim glimpsed at one another for a last time, looking toward the ground in the seconds that followed. They cleared their minds from everything, waiting for the go ahead ring. The whistle was loud and clear, each runner sprinting off from there. "No contest," Kaito thought passing by four of his competitors. "Only one man to beat." Everything seemed to slow down as they closed in on the last fifteen yards, Kaito's head swayed to the side as the two of them neared the finish. It was no contest, they were clearly faster than those who competed against them. "What happened," Kaito asked walking up to Mr. Keian after everyone had finished. "What were the times?" "You and that other kid came in at a 4.3002 and a 4.3402." Mr. Keian replied. "So which one of us came in first?" Kaito anxiously asked. "Sorry to say, but your friend came in a little before you." Kaito slowly turned around to find Tim standing a few feet away with a grin on his face. He made his way over with his shoulders slouching downward. "You already knew, didn't you?" "You could have beaten me you know." "What do you mean?" Kaito asked. "You got caught looking before we crossed the finish line," Tim replied. "Never look at the person at the side of you as you run, it can take away any momentum you may have." "Thanks for the tip," Kaito thanked. "I guess it's time to pay my dividends, so what would you like in regard to our bet?" "Give me a few minutes," Tim said savoring the victory. "I'll let you know as soon as I come up with something." Kaito crossed his arms at this. "I wonder what's taking Aoko so long, it shouldn't take that long to find Keiko." Someone caught his attention from the other side of the track. He hadn't really noticed at first. He took a few steps forward to get a closer look. There was no doubt, it was clearly someone he had seen before. "She looks so familiar, yet I can't quite remember where I saw her." He turned to his left after feeling Kaito lean up against his shoulder with the use of his arm. "I see you've finally come to a decision." "What are you talking about?" Tim asked. "Don't play dumb, I saw you eyeing her," Kaito pointed. "I could put in a word for you if you'd like." "You know her?" "Of course, she's a classmate of mine," Kaito replied. "Her names Akako." "That's it," Tim thought. "That's where I remember seeing her, she's the girl I encountered in the subway when I was chasing after Kid." "Hey Tim," Kaito said waving a hand past his eyes. "You still with me?" "Yea, I guess I dosed off for a second," Tim said. "Must have something to do with the heat." "Couldn't agree more, it's one hot day." "To bad we can't go have a swim with the fishes over in that lake." Kaito gulped at his comment. Tim immediately took notice of this. "What's wrong," Tim asked. "You scared of taking a dip with the fishes?" "It's been over five minutes and they're still not back," Kaito said changing the subject. "I think we should go see if we can find them." "Right behind you captain." The both of them headed toward the door once again, Tim glimpsing back at Akako one last time. "Kaitou is not always an easy person to come across," Tim thought. "She could very well be my way of getting to him sooner rather than later." It had been a relatively easy day in class, completing everything handed to him in a timely fashion. He finished the last paper assigned five minutes before the final bell of the day was to ring, giving him a little extra time to sit back and relax. He was one of the first to make it out with Ai walking at his side. "You were noticeably quiet today," Conan said. "Are you sure you're feeling better?" "I feel fine," Ai said. "Today was more solo projects anyway." "Even then, you weren't as talkative when we were allowed to collaborate on certain problems." "Are you going somewhere with this?" "Never mind, just forget it." Conan said finally dropping the subject "About yesterday, were you really feeling sick," Ai asked. "Or was there another reason why you didn't go to school?" He wanted to tell her, but knew he couldn't. At least not until the right time presented itself. "Like I said before, I was to ill to go," Conan replied. "If I had felt well enough to go I would have." They pushed there way past the front doors of the schools, noticing there friends were nowhere to be seen. "They're usually never this slow getting out," Conan said. "You want me to go back in and see what the hold up is?" "I'll go," Ai said. "I wont be long." Conan waited by the front doors, looking at his watch as he waited. The sound of a car honking over at him caught his attention, looking over to see Dick parked at the corner of the street. "I wonder what he's doing here." Conan said before walking over. The windows rolled down as he approached. "Just the guy I was looking for," Dick said unlocking the doors. "Get in, there's something we need to discuss." "But I'm waiting for my friends," Conan said. "I can't just run out on them." "I'll give them a ride as well," Dick said. "Now that we've solved that little debate why don't you get in." Conan took him up on his offer, opening the door to the passenger seat. He settled in, strapping the belt in place after doing so. "So what's so important we need to talk about?" "The next hit is tomorrow," Dick stated. "If we don't figure out the when and where someone else is going to die." "The next hit," Conan questioned. "What next hit?" To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 49 Reversed Set Up He finally stepped away from the wall after standing there for over a minute, deciding to rejoin the others by the couch. "Who was that you were talking with?" Dick asked. "Tim wants us to meet him at the apartment." Conan replied. "Did he say why?" "I think it would be better if you heard it from him yourself," Conan replied. "It's about that certain surprise he's been hinting at all week." "Is that so," Dick said playing along. "It's about time we found out what it was." "He wants us over asap, so we better get going," Conan said before looking toward Ai. "I'll call you a little later to check up on your progress, hopefully you'll be well enough to go to school tomorrow." "Nothing some good rest can't fix," Dick said. "Works every time I experience any headaches." "Remember, I'm only a call away if you need anything." Conan said. "You don't have to worry about me," Ai said laying back once more. "I'll be fine." "Come on Conan, let's hit the road before rush hour begins," Dick said while looking down at his watch. "Which isn't to long from now." "Didn't know we were in a rush." Conan said following him toward the front door. "You're the one who said asap, remember?" Hiroshi stepped in front of them just as they approached the door. "Leaving so soon?" "Sorry we had to cut our visit so short this time," Dick apologized. "But there's somewhere we need to be." "When will I see the two of you again?" "I'll try and be over after school tomorrow, pending anything that may come up." Conan replied. "Bring Tim along if you're able, I want you all to see the improvements on the V-48." Hiroshi stated. "The V-48," Dick questioned. "What is that again?" "The metallic hand you saw me working with the other day," Hiroshi replied. "I'm sure you'll find the advancements most interesting." "I look forward to seeing it," Dick said. "We'll try and stop by tomorrow some time." With that the two of them made their way out. The doors to the car automatically unlocked as they approached. Once seated Dick glimpsed over at Conan who looked back in return. "So what did he really tell you over the phone?" Dick asked. "Some woman was looking for me up at the school today," Conan replied. "Says her name's Teia Njoo." "And what's wrong with that?" "She claims she knows me, except for the fact that I've never even heard her name up until today." "Any idea what she wants with you?" Dick asked. "He didn't say, only that she wants to meet me at noon tomorrow." Conan replied. "Where at?" "Don't know," Conan answered. "We'll have to ask Tim when we get there." "Maybe you two are just over reacting," Dick said starting the engine. "I'm sure it's nothing to worry about." "He already ran a background check on her." Conan informed. "And?" "Let's just say Ms. Njoo doesn't have much to show for as far as records are concerned," Conan replied. "I'd say that's more than enough to be skeptical." "I stand corrected," Dick said. "Now the question becomes, why would someone you've never met make something up like that?" ".. I don't know." "Well don't you worry," Dick assured. "We'll have this figured out in no time." "Between the three of us, I have no doubt we will." They drove in silence for the first few minutes. As expected traffic had really picked up from earlier. Conan turned on the radio after they came upon a mini roadblock, switching through three stations before deciding on one. "Looks like there's been a car accident." Dick said gazing ahead. "Does it look bad?" Conan asked resting his hands behind his head. "Not from this angle," Dick replied. "Nor does it look like anyone got hurt, so that's good." After managing to get past the minor traffic jam, they cruised along the rest of the way there. It wasn't hard to find a parking space upon arriving, the lot being more than half clear. They locked the doors before closing them, quickly making their way through the front doors. "What if it was you in my shoes," Conan asked as they came to a stop at the elevator. "How would you handle this whole ordeal?" "Factoring in our different life styles, I'm sure it would be much different than what you would." "Very true at that." The elevator door slid open shortly after with the two of them stepping in. They made their way up to his room, knocking twice to have him open up in a matter of seconds. "Not bad," Tim said inviting them in. "Didn't expect you guys to get here so fast." "Could have been sooner," Conan said. "If it hadn't been for that street accident." "Was anyone hurt?" "Thankfully not," Dick replied. "So what's going on with this Teia girl, did she say why she wanted to meet with Conan?" "It's not Conan she wants to meet with, but rather Shinichi," Tim corrected. "And to answer your question, no she didn't say why she wanted to meet with him about, only that it was important." "Where does she want to meet?" Conan asked. "Central Park," Tim replied. "So you're sure you've had no prior run in with this woman?" "Positive," Conan said assuringly. "I would have remembered a name like that." "Where did she say she met him?" Dick asked. "A library." "Sounds generic enough," Conan commented. "When you spoke with her, how did she seem?" "What do you mean?" Tim asked "What kind of vibe did you get from her," Conan clarified. "Did she seem calm, distressed maybe?" "Good question," Tim said bringing a hand to his chin. "From what I can recall, she seemed at ease for the most part." "So how are we going to play this," Conan asked. "Obviously I'm not going to meet with her, so there must be something you have planned up." "To be fair we really don't know anything about Ms. Njoo, let alone what she hopes to accomplish," Tim said. "With that in mind, I think it would be best if we started from the ground up." "From the ground up huh, what did you have in mind?" Dick asked. Tim reached over onto the desk, handing a slip of paper to Dick who read over it. "Let me guess," Dick said looking up. "This is the address to where Teia is staying." "I want you to go check it out," Tim confirmed. "Conan and I will wait here, that lowers the chance of any suspicion if we're spotted." "I know you two can find something to keep yourselves occupied while I'm gone," Dick said sticking the paper into his pocket. "I won't be gone long." "My phone will be on, so keep us updated on anything you come across." "You got it." With that he left the room, closing the door behind him. Conan made his way toward the bed, jumping up to have a seat. "Before I forget," Tim said looking his way. "Did you ever get the chance to head back to the theater." "According to Dick the place was completely surrounded by the media along with anyone else who was curious about the whole thing," Conan replied. "I don't think I would have had much luck getting in." "Not to mention trying to investigate," Tim added. "The scene's probably been altered by now." "That to," Conan said in agreement. "Not to switch gears or anything, but you said there was something you wanted me to do in regards to the Outworlders." "Don't worry, I didn't forget about it," Tim said. "It's jut something we don't have to worry about until Sunday." "So what's going to be happening on that day?" "They're having a little get together at some small inn called Branneys Den," Tim informed. "They've been importing some heavy goods from out of state, stocking whatever they have into one of their many registered hideouts." "So what's the catch," Conan questioned. "Am I supposed sneak in or something, because I don't see it taking them very long to notice a small child hanging around." "I already have something in mind," Tim said. "We'll be just fine." "Last time we talked you said they had four places of operation," Conan said. "Have you been able to locate anymore since then?" "Three to be exact," Tim confirmed. "They've been keeping busy for these past two days." The room became quiet for the next few seconds, neither saying a word within that time. "How far is Njoo's place from here?" "About three miles," Tim replied. "It won't take him long to return if that's what you were wondering." "What do you think he's going to do when he gets there?" "Set up shop of course," Tim answered. "That gives us a better chance at finding out what's really going on." Conan laid back, closing his eyes as he did. He occasionally opened them to glimpse over at his watch to check the time. Thirty minutes quickly passed by, which then turned into an hour. He sat back up with the adjust of his glasses, looking over to find Tim analyzing something that laid upon the desk. "What's with the dorky goggles?" "Explaining all its capabilities would take some time," Tim said shifting them up from his eyes. "I'm still trying to distinguish the affects of the components that were able to transform you." "Isn't it a little dangerous to be doing that in here," Conan questioned. "What if you accidently repeat the process, who knows what would happen this time." "It's all stuck in this container, I can assure you there's no risk in it getting free," Tim said. "Unless I unscrewed the top of course." Conan gave his watch another look, turning on the TV as he continued to wait. It wasn't until another twenty minutes passed that the door opened. "I see you guys left the door unlocked," Dick said walking in. "That's a first." "What took you so long," Conan asked hopping down from the bedside. "I thought for sure you would be back in under an hour." "I set up surveillance videos outside of her apartment, not to mention setting up four more around central park," Dick informed. "I even managed to hook a bug to Njoo's phone, any calls she makes from here on out we'll be able to listen in on." "How were you able to do that without her seeing you?" Conan asked. "Strangely enough, she wasn't there," Dick replied. "I even waited around awhile and she still didn't show up." "And I doubt she's out grading papers," Tim said. "Being that she's a gym teacher." "Don't you mean undercover gym teacher?" Conan asked. "Either way works." "It's getting late for a school night," Dick said catching sight of the time. "Only ten more minutes until seven, would you like a ride home Conan?" "Sure," Conan accepted. "My bags still in the car on top of that." "You coming back later?" Tim asked. "Most likely not," Dick replied. "As soon as I drop Conan off I'm heading back to my place to make sure everything feeds back to me correctly." "Call me if you gain anything of importance." Tim said. "And you try to get some sleep tonight," Dick said with a nod. "You look like you could use some rest." With that Conan and Dick made their way out. Once they arrived back to the car they rolled the windows up, feeling the cool chill of the night breeze. "So what do you plan on doing once twelve hits tomorrow," Conan asked. "Do you plan sending someone else to meet her in my place?" He shook his head from side to side while pulling out from the parking lot. "I only plan on observing," Dick informed. "No action needs to be taken at this point, especially since we still don't know what her intent of this whole thing is." "I guess he makes a good point." The traffic had mellowed down by this time, making it easy for them to pave their way along the road. Before he knew it they found themselves parked just outside the agency. "Thanks for the ride." Conan thanked before tossing his bag over his shoulders. "Whenever you get the chance, be sure to call me to tell me what happens." "Wouldn't have it any other way." He closed the door on his way out, waving back to him before heading up the stairwell. Dick nodded, driving off as soon as he could no longer see him. He came to a stop once reaching the door, opening it to see Ran standing over the table. "I was just about to call you," Ran said looking his way after hearing the sound of the door. "Dinner is just about ready." "I knew I smelled something." Conan smilingly said. It only got cooler as the night progressed, the sky darkening from clouds traveling in from far north. She sat in the darkness of the room, watching as the clock hit twelve. The phone rang seconds later just as expected. She reached over to answer it, standing to her feet as she did. "So what's the verdict?" "He'll be there," She said assuringly. "I had a talk with a classmate of his." "Good." "Is there anything else you need me to do, or is that all you require of my services?" "Just make sure you're at the park, I'll see you then... Teia." "Don't be late." He nearly over slept, the sound of the door slamming in the other room being what awoke him. "Saved by the door." Conan said slouchingly getting out of bed. After dressing himself for the day he made his way into the bathroom where he brushed his teeth, washing his face after doing so. "I have approximately twenty minutes until class begins," Conan said looking at his watch. "I didn't wake up as late as I had originally thought." Conan grabbed his bag before heading out. On his way down the stairs he could hear him laughing from within the office. "Somebody must be having a good start." Conan thought glimpsing in to see Kogoro at his desk. Not even five seconds after arriving out onto the sidewalk that he heard a loud honk from his side. He turned to see a car pull up with the door swinging open. "Get in." "Dick, what are you doing here?" Conan questioned. "I'll explain on the way." "But I have school remember?" "I had you excused," Dick informed. "Now get in will ya." He tossed his bag into the back before hopping in, securely closing the door behind him. "Is this about that woman who wants to meet with me?" "It seems this whole thing has just gotten just that much more complex." Dick confirmed. "More complex, that's usually never a good sign." "Teia received a call from someone just after twelve last night," Dick informed. "It looks like our suspicions about this whole thing were well noted." "Any idea who she was talking with?" Conan asked. "Whoever was on the other line was using a voice changer of some kind," Dick said. "You could tell from the way they sounded." "So why do you need my help," Conan questioned. "Couldn't you have just asked Tim." "He already is," Dick stated. "After that call was made last night I was able to trace back to where it came from." "Let me guess," Conan said. "Tim's on his way there as we speak." "That's right." "That must mean you're going to head up to central park," Conan said. "So where does that leave me." "Hold on, we're almost there." He turned to look out the window, wondering exactly where it was they were going. It didn't take long for him to realize just that. "We're here." Dick said bringing the car to a stop. "Why did you bring me to Central Park," Conan asked. "I thought you were going to come alone." Dick reached into the back to grab a black bag, zipping it open to reveal two laptop computers. "What are these for?" "The one you will be using has all the camera footage linked to it," Dick replied. "It has four different angles that cover a one hundred yard radius." "Sounds simple enough." "Here, put this in your ear," Dick instructed. "You'll be able to contact me if you see anything out of the ordinary." "What is it, some kind of communications codec piece?" "You could call it that," Dick replied. "I'll be on a roof overlooking looking the whole park." "How far out?" "No more than two hundred yards," Dick answered. "Not to close, not to far." He pulled the second computer from within the bag, stepping out from the car after doing so. "If I'm going to be monitoring the surveillance videos, what will you be doing?" "The computer I will be using is linked with Tim's communications system," Dick said holding it up. "With it I'll be able to watch everything that goes on around him, similar to that of a RTLS, a type of tracking system." "That must mean he's suited up," Conan said. "And here I thought it was strictly a night job." "Birds aren't nocturnal." "Point taken." "I'll contact you as soon as I get situated on the roof," Dick said. "In the meantime keep an eye on that camera footage, Teia should be here any time now." "I thought she wasn't coming until after twelve," Conan said looking down at his watch. "That's not for another few hours." "Trust me, she'll be here a lot sooner than that," Dick said. "Just keep your eyes peeled, you'll see what I mean." He closed the door from there, disappearing after heading up a hill. "He might be right," Conan thought to himself. "After all this isn't a normal meeting, she'll probably need time to set up whatever it is she plans on doing." The temperature continued it's ascend as he made his way through the hot forest. He pushed past several hanging branches, avoiding any sharp edged ones. After over an hour of walking he finally came to a stop, looking down into a wide spread ditch to find a small facility. "So this is where the call came from, seems secluded enough." He took this time to give the surrounding area a look, locating three surveillance camera's which were located near the roof. "This is defiantly not your ordinary business place." He then directed his attention toward the path leading up to the entrance. It was faint, but he could see it. There was a noticeable margin of dirt laying across, hinting that the ground might have been tampered with. He then noticed separate stacks of leafs laying five yards apart from one another. "Could be landmines, better be careful moving forward," Red Robin said. "This is a lot of security for an already well hidden location, what is this place exactly?" He gave the area one last look, nothing else jumping out at him. "Need to play this safe." Red Robin said pressing down to his ear piece. It took a few seconds for him to receive a response, kneeling down behind a tree as he waited. "Are you there yet?" "I'm here alright," Red Robin confirmed. "I need your help pin pointing any explosives." "Explosives," Dick questioned with a long pause. "I don't see any explosives near you, or anything for that matter." "Try double checking the connection." Moments of silence ensued. He peaked out from behind the tree to see the video cameras rotating from side to side. Figuring out how to get in was going to be tricky. "I checked the wiring for connectivity," Dick finally radioed back. "Everything's a go, it must have something to do from your location." "Wouldn't doubt it," Red Robin said. "They might have a jamming system sitting around somewhere, that would explain the signal problems." "Good thing we're using boosted transmission, or we'd really be in for it." "I'm going to let you go," Red Robin said. "I need to start figuring out a way to get in without being seen by those cameras." "Is anyone inside?" "Can't tell from here, but I'll keep you posted," Red Robin replied. "RR out." Nearly an hour had passed since arriving at the park. He looked down at his watch which read fifteen after ten. "Less than two hours until twelve," Conan thought. "I wonder how early Dick expects her to come." His phone buzzed from where it laid at the side of him. He reached over to see he had two missed calls. "Ayumi called, guess I better start thinking up something to explain my absence." Just as he placed the phone back at his side someone appeared on the bottom left screen, a woman at that. "Looks like we might be in business," Conan said sitting up. "I wonder if she's alone." He continued to look on, watching as she dropped from one screen only to reappear on another. After a half minute of walking she came to a stop in front of a bench, deciding to have a seat. "Hey Dick," Conan radioed. "We've got company." "Yea, I can see her from here." "Do you think it's Teia?" "Can't be too sure." Dick replied. "How did she get here, did you happen to see how she arrived?" "Negative," Dick answered. "She must have caught the bus and walked the rest of the way here." He watched her every move, noticing when she glimpsed down at her wrist. "She's checking the time," Conan thought. "It's looking more and more likely that this is our girl." After a little patience and some handy maneuvering he made his way past the first line of security. It was dark throughout the hall, prompting him to switch his cowl to night vision mode. As he walked forward he noticed many spider webs hanging around as well as something clamped on the lower side of the left wall. He kneeled down to see what it was. "Motion censors, how original." He stood back to his feet, taking a deep breath as he pinned himself up against the wall. With the close of his eyes he side flipped over it, landing to the other side with a light tap. "So far so good," Red Robin said. "Good thing those censors were of low quality." Everything seemed to intensify with each passing minute, keeping his binoculars tight in hand as he scoured the whole park from his position. She hadn't moved from where she sat. Only hour remained until noon, and they were still no closer to finding out what she had in mind. The sound of his ear piece ringing could be heard in the next second. "What's up," Dick answered. "See anything note worthy from your end?" "Besides a few bike riders and a jogger, nothing here," Conan replied. "What about you, have you seen anything from up there?" "I've checked all other roof tops," Dick informed. "No one in sight, so that pretty much rules out a sniper unless they plan on striking from somewhere else." "A tree could be a possibility." "Thanks, I'll give all tree's in the surrounding area a look." "Glad I could help." The signal got stronger and stronger with each step taken, as did his suspicion. From the time arriving up until this point, he hadn't come across a single person. He came to a stop once reaching the room, peaking in to see a phone laying on a desk in the far right corner. "That must be the phone the mystery man used to call Teia last night." He slowly stood back to his feet, readying himself to head in. Just as he was about to take a step he noticed a wire at the right side of the wall inside the room. He then looked to the left to see the exact same thing. "I wonder where these wires lead to." It didn't take long for him to realize they were linked to a computer which also sat on the desk. "Now I see what this is all about." Red Robin said with a smile. He dropped to a knee while clicking down to his ear piece. "Hey Dick, we've got a problem." "What's wrong, don't tell me you haven't found where that call was made from." "I have," Red Robin said. "That's not the problem." "Then what is it," Dick asked. "Have you been sighted?" "This whole thing was one big set up." "Set up?" "The room the call came from is wired," Red Robin informed. "If I hadn't noticed the wire this place would have went up in smoke." "Are you sure?" "There's no one here but me," Red Robin said. "That's the only thing that makes sense." "Well if that's the case, then hurry and get out of there." "Not yet." "What do you mean not yet?" Dick questioned. "Keep an eye on Teia," Red Robin said. "I'll see you soon." "Wait, what do you plan on." Dick began only to be closed off. He directed his attention toward the room once more, standing back up as he walked forward. He carefully stepped over the wire, slowly making his way toward the computer. "Now it's my turn." Red Robin said taking a seat in the chair. It was down to the last thirty minutes until twelve O'clock was to come. He watched as she reached into her purse to pull out her phone. "Looks like we're finally making some headway." Conan said. He couldn't tell what she was saying by just looking. The conversation only lasted for a few seconds. She stood up from the bench after hanging up, smiling as she walked toward the road. "What's going on," Conan exclaimed. "Why is she leaving, it's not even twelve yet." None of it made any sense. Why go through all the trouble of setting this all up only to leave before the planned time. Conan radioed Dick who didn't respond. He tried for a second time only to gain the same results. "Why isn't he answering?" Over five minutes passed as he continued to wait. He tried calling Tim as well, who also didn't answer. Just as he was about to get out, the driver door swung open with Dick hopping in. "I tried calling you, how come you didn't answer?" "Was to busy watching our suspect drive off." Dick replied. "Did she take the bus?" "Someone picked her up in a black car this time," Dick informed. "Unfortunately I wasn't able to get the license plate number." "I wouldn't worry about it to much, let's not forget Tim's working from the other end." "Well that's also a problem," Dick stated. "He's not answering." "Why's that?" "Not sure," Dick said. "The last thing he told me was that the facility he was in was wired to explode." "You don't think that he..." "Defiantly not," Dick replied. "If he didn't think he could handle the situation he would have left." "So what now?" "We go back to the base," Dick replied. "Tim said he'd see us soon, so I'm assuming that's where he'd want to meet." "Good call." Even though they had come up empty, they didn't let it bother them too much. Just like the previous day, they found themselves packed in yet another traffic jam. It took them an hour to finally break free of it. Once they reached the forest, he parked directly across the street by the roadside. "Any idea why she might have left so early?" Conan asked as the two stepped out from the car. "Bet it had something to do with that phone call," Dick said. "That might be a question we can't answer." "Not yet anyway." The two of them made their way down into the base, surprised to walk in to find Tim was already there. "What took you guys so long?" Tim asked looking up from the computer. "Heavy traffic," Dick replied. "How'd things go on your end." "Let's just say things went out with a bang." "You mean to tell me you tripped the wire," Dick asked. "I thought for sure you had everything under control." "What if I told you it was intentional?" "Why would you do that?" Conan asked. "Like I told Dick before, this whole thing was a set up," Tim said. "I should have known from the moment I came across all those death traps, not to mention the many hanging spider webs which would suggest no one has been around much." "Well if that's the case, wouldn't that mean they knew about the bug Dick planted on her phone," Conan asked. "That's the only way we would have found that facility in the first place." "Right you are Shinichi." "Now the question becomes who would know Conan would be smart enough to trace everything back to that place," Dick said. "And more importantly, why they want him dead." "Why did you let that place explode anyway," Conan asked. "You could have just left undetected." "That was the plan." "So what happened that changed it?" "I wanted to try and figure out who was behind all of this," Tim stated. "So I had a look in on the computer which was in the room." "What were you able to find?" Dick asked. "There were over ten thousand different networks hooked up to one server, including the computer I was on," Tim informed. "From what I can tell it was used for getting in contact with other groups or members for different tasks." "What kind of tasks?" Conan asked. "Drugs, money, paid hits, you name it." "Sounds dangerous." "Here's the fun part," Tim said with a grin. "I set up my own little virus within the main system, in a few months from now anyone who has or does have access to the network will find that their computer will internally implode on itself." "Damaging their business for a period to come," Conan said with a clap. "Wow Tim, I'm impressed." "What about the explosion," Dick asked stepping forward. "Why did you do that?" "After installing the virus I tried hacking into the main file to see where everyone in the system was located," Tim stated. "An alarm went off in the room after a failed attempt was noted, luckily I escaped through a vent a few feet away from the door that lead to the sewer." "That's what you call a narrow escape." Conan said. "I even left the cowl and cape behind," Tim informed. "They might not find a body if they decide to search, but that should drop any suspicion of anyone surviving the explosion." A brief silence filled the room, taking in the days events up to this point. "That would explain why Teia left after receiving that call," Conan said. "Whoever was on the other line must have told her about the explosion." "Now I see," Dick said. "They must have thought Kudo was the one to fall into their little trap." "And they failed, because we reversed what they threw our way." Tim said. "And we'll continue to do so," Conan added. "I'm going to head home, there's something I want to do." "Would you like a ride?" Dick asked. "Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll walk this one out." "Suite yourself." They watched as he left the room, the door sliding shut in the moments that passed. Dick looked back to Tim who had already found his attention back on the computer. "You know leaving your cowl behind was a risky move right?" "Yea, I know," Tim said. "But I wanted them to be assured no one escaped." "But they thought it was Conan who was there, not you." "I didn't know that at the time, It's something I didn't really think about," Tim said. "What about Teia, was anyone with her?" "No, but I did see the car she left in," Dick replied. "Someone picked her up in a black car." "What kind?" Tim asked. "A Porsche," Dick answered. "A 356A Porsche if I'm not mistaken." "You must be good with your cars," Tim commented. "Because I wouldn't even be able to begin to give you the names of certain brands when we go past the main name." "What do you have planned for tomorrow?" Dick asked. "Why do you ask?" "I thought it would be a good time for you to go and give Salvonte a visit." "Might have to hold off on that," Tim said. "I'll be getting off school a little later than usual." "Why's that?" "We're going on a field trip," Tim replied. "Other high schools are coming along as well, one of them being Ekoda High, so it should be make for an interesting day." "Oh yea, you told me about that," Dick remembered. "That's why you bought those new shoes." "What about you," Tim asked. "Anything planned for tomorrow." "I'll find something to keep myself busy," Dick said heading for the door. "I always do." "Where are you going?" "Back to my apartment," Dick replied. "I have something to work on just like you." "You plan on coming back later?" Dick looked back at him one last time after stepping out past the door. "We'll see." To Be Continued

The Detective Prince Chapter 48 The Substitute It was nearly pitch dark once he reached the hall, his eyes slowly adjusting to the darkness. "Someone must have shut off the lights," Tim thought while feeling his way around. "Maybe even all the electricity, I don't hear a single movie rolling in any of the rooms." The same scream could be heard once more. What came to his ears next left an electrifying feeling throughout his body. One gun shot, followed by the sound of something hitting the ground. "That doesn't sound good," Tim thought while racing into that direction. "What in the world is going on?" Everything fell dead silent from that moment forward. He slowly pushed on, not wanting to alert any possible gunmen of his presence.The moon shined bright from a window above, lighting his way as he tip toed along. He kept his eyes lowered toward the ground as he walked, looking out for anyone who could be hurt or wounded. Sure enough he caught sight of someone laid out across the ground, kneeling down at their side to give them a look. "They're breathing, that's good to know." Tim thought. "Better keep my ears peeled, there's no telling who could be lurking from my blind side." The lighting was dim, but there was just enough of it for him to pin point where the ticket booth stood. He quietly made his way over, looking down to find someone laying beneath the counter. He dropped to a knee once more, giving them a soft tug. He received no response in return. He then reached for the neck to check for a pulse, feeling a warm wetness near their shoulder. "She's alive, thankfully," Tim said removing his hand from the body. "The loss of blood must have put her under, she'll defiantly need medical attention." Tim's head sprung up at the sound of someone stepping onto a pile of broken glass from behind. He spun around to see a dark figure standing a few feet away, catching sight of a gun pointed directly at him. "Looks like I have the gunman locked in," Tim thought while reaching for a cord clamped into the wall. "Now to play a card, gotta make this quick if this is going to work." Before either could make a move the sound of foot steps fast approaching caused the gunman to turn and run. Tim watched as they slid the gun into a gun holder strapped on their left leg. "Tonight's your lucky night my good man, next time you won't be so fortunate." They spoke while coming to a stop. "That voice... could it be," Tim thought. "Can't worry about that now, can't let them get away." By the time Tim got to his feet it was already to late. The mystery man had already pulled a grappler of some kind out from their side, shooting it up toward the window. Tim could only watch as they successfully escaped. "A cape....?" That was the last thing he saw before the gunman vanished into the night. A bright light flashed onto the side of his face, causing him to swing his head around. "Don't be alarmed, it's just us." Mitsuhiko said holding his wrist watch in place. "I kinda had an idea you guys would follow along," Tim said. "Just thought it'd be sooner." "We would have been here quicker, but Conan took us on a search for the fuse box." Ayumi informed. "Did you happen to find it?" Tim asked. "We sure did," Mitsuhiko replied. "It was way over by the back door exit." "Did any of you try pushing the lever up?" "We tried, but the electricity didn't come back on." Genta stated. "And after hearing the gun fire I called the police," Conan informed. "Did you see what happened?" He shook his head in response. "No, I didn't see anything," Tim replied. "It was to dark, whoever did this must have run off before I got here." "Are you sure you didn't see anything?" Conan asked. "I'm positive, all I remember hearing is shots fired." "Darn," Genta exclaimed. "How are we supposed to find whoever did this now, there's no telling where they could have gone to." "We'll leave it to the police," Tim said looking away. "This is something they'll be more equipped to handle." "He's right," Ayumi said. "There's not much we can do until the police analyze the scene, once they do we might be able to help based from their findings." "Let's hope they get here soon," Genta said. "It wouldn't be good if the shooter came back, it's to dark in here to see." Conan looked up at Tim while his friends continued to talk, noticing his eyes fixated toward the window above. "I wonder what that's all about," Conan thought. "Did he see something he's not telling?" It wasn't long after that everyone else who filled the theater made their way out as well. The sound of the sirens could be heard coming from up the street as they made their way toward the doors. Once out they stood along the side walk to wait for the incoming police cars. "That was quick, I didn't expect them to arrive this fast." Mitsuhiko said. "Do you think they'll find out who did this?" Ayumi asked. "If they do I bet we don't find out until tomorrow some time," Mitsuhiko said. "Who knows, maybe it'll be in the morning paper." "Good guess," Genta said. "I'll defiantly be giving it a look." He had kept to himself from the time they arrived outside, watching as many different vehicles drove past. It didn't take long for Ai to take notice of this. He turned at the sound of her stopping at his side. "Is everything alright," Ai asked. "You're usually more enthusiastic at a time like this." "I'm fine," Conan said assured. "It's just.. the whole thing with the power being shut down, none of it's clean cut." "You mean the fact we weren't able to switch the power back on?" "Not just that," Conan said. "But how would someone be able to shut off the electricity, then seconds later be at the ticket booth to open fire?" "Maybe there's more than one person we're dealing with." Ai said. "Could be," Conan acknowledged. "And with Kogoro not here, I can't exactly go in to investigate without being kicked out." "Looks like we've hit a roadblock." "On more than one front." Conan added. The police exited their cars shortly after. Conan looked over as they talked with a few of the bystanders, not recognizing any of the four officers. "I guess I better get you kids home," Tim said. "Sorry your movie night got ruined." "It's ok," Ayumi said. "We can always try again this weekend when things clear up." "Only if we decide to go see something else." Conan thought. "It looks like the police have everything under wraps," Tim said. "We should be good to go if you guys are ready." "I guess there's no point in sticking around," Mitsuhiko said. "Maybe there's something good on TV I can catch before going to bed." "That's the spirit," Tim said with a smile. "So who are we dropping off first?" "Conan of course," Ayumi stated. "He lives the closest." "Alright then," Tim said turning to walk. "Let's go before it gets any darker." With that the six of them walked away from the theater. Conan continuously glimpsed back as they walked, doing so until the theater was out of view. The events that took place rested on his mind throughout the rest of the night, feeling there was something he'd missed. The next morning brought a fast start. His eyes peaked open at the sound of a honking truck from outside. Still exhausted from the previous night, Conan slowly forced himself up. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes before stepping down onto the ground. "I just know there's something I missed," Conan thought to himself. "After school I'm going to head back down to the theater, there's got to be a trick the gunmen used to shut off the electricity." A knock came at the door just as he finished getting dressed. He grabbed his bag which laid in the corner of the room before opening the door to find Ran standing over him. "Good morning." Conan said strapping the bag over his shoulders. "I thought you'd be gone by now, considering how late I got up." "You didn't over sleep, there's still twenty minutes before class begins." Ran informed. "How'd your chapter notes go," Conan asked. "Did you get finished?" "As a matter a fact I did, thanks again for sharing your method with me," Ran said. "I'm sorry about your movie." "You heard about what happened?" "Tim told me," Ran informed. "He's actually outside waiting." "For what?" Conan asked. "We're walking to school together today," Ran replied. "He wanted to talk to you about something, that's why I knocked on your door to see if you were still here." "Did he say what it was about?" Ran shook her head in response. "He didn't say." "I wonder what it could be?" "When you go down could you let him know I'll be a few more minutes?" Ran asked. Conan nodded. "Will do." "Thanks Conan." He headed out the front door after watching Ran walk into her room, quickly making his way down the stairs. It didn't take long for Conan to locate him, turning to his right to see him standing against the wall. "Nice little cover up," Conan commented. "If you really wanted to talk to me you could have just called." "I thought it would be better if we discussed this in person," Tim said. "It's about last night." "Does this have something to do with what happened at the theater?" "I lied to you when I said I didn't see anything," Tim admitted. "The truth is, I did get a glimpse of the gunman." "Then how come you didn't just say so when I asked?" "How he was dressed, the way he spoke," Tim began. ".... I think our mystery man is Kaitou Kid." "What," Conan said in disbelief. "Are you sure?" "Not one hundred percent, it was pretty dark to say the least," Tim replied. "Didn't want to upset your friends, that's why I didn't tell you." "Thanks, that's the last thing they needed to hear," Conan said. "So where do we go from here?" "Simple, I'm going to track down Kid," Tim answered. "Then I'll know for sure if it was him I encountered last night." "How do you plan on confirming anything by asking him," Conan questioned. "I don't see how that will help, being the fact he can simply deny being the one you saw." "Don't worry, I know exactly what to do," Tim said assuringly. "The truth will reveal itself in the process." "You seem to have a plan, so I'll leave it to you," Conan said. "What about that little task you had in mind for me in regards to Brutho?" Before he could receive a response, the two turned at the sound of someone heading down the stairs. Ran appeared shortly after, smiling over at the two of them with a step forward. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything." "Not at all," Tim said. "We just finished what we needed to say, perfect timing on your part." "What were the two of you talking about anyway?" Ran asked out of curiosity. "Wizards and Dungeons." Conan quickly replied. "What's that?" "Something you wouldn't be interested in," Tim replied while looking down at his watch. "We have less than fifteen minutes before class begins, we better get going before we're late." "I guess that goes for me as well." Conan said. "I have practice today, so I'll be a little late getting home," Ran said. "Try to hold off on eating anything, I'm going to fix dinner as soon as I get home." "I won't." Conan promised. "Good, I'll see you after school." They parted ways from there, Conan heading in the opposite direction of the two. He paved his way along the roadside, wondering what the meaning of last nights attack meant. There was a lot to consider, but he had nothing to pin point why. "Why was the theater chosen for the attack, and what message was the shooter trying to send," Conan thought. "They elected not to be seen, so that rules out framing if it's true the culprit isn't Kid." This remained on his mind the whole way to school. It was very apparent as he entered the school premises, the three of them seeing the vague look on his face. "Conan doesn't look so good, do you think he's sick?" Ayumi asked. "I doubt it," Genta replied. "He's probably just upset because we didn't get to finish watching the movie last night." "Wouldn't worry about it," Mitsuhiko said. "It's probably more on the lines of not being able to solve what happened last night." They became quiet as he neared, smiling over at him to brighten the mood. "Hey Conan, how's it going?!" Ayumi asked cheerfully. "...Good, I guess," Conan replied. "Where's Haibara, I thought she'd be with you guys." "I haven't seen her all morning." Mitsuhiko said looking around. "Maybe she's not coming today." Genta said. "You want me to give her a call?" Ayumi asked. "No need to, I'm sure she's just running a little late," Conan replied. "Let's get to class, I'm sure she'll join us pretty soon." "Last one there carries everyones bags after class." Genta declared before taking off. "Sounds like a deal to me!" Mitsuhiko said running after him. Ayumi did the same, leaving Conan standing alone. "That was unexpected." He accepted defeat, not interested in racing any of them to class. The first period of the day seemed to go by quickly. Maybe it was due to the fact of having a substitute teacher who spent more than of class telling his life story. "One down, three more to go." He made his way to the locker room minutes later, changing into his gym clothes for the class period. Once doing so he closed the locker to find Argo standing at the left of him. "Hey Tim, have you seen our sub for the day," Argo asked. "She's a real hottie." "Another substitute?" "What do you mean?" "I just had a sub in my chemistry class," Tim replied. "This makes the second of the day." "That must mean something," Argo stated. "Who knows, maybe it's a sign of something special to come." "I have no idea what you're talking about." "Don't tell me you don't believe in fortune." Argo said before heading for the door. "What does any of this have to do with fortune?" Tim asked following after him. They arrived into the gym shortly after, having a seat in the center of the room along with everyone else. Five minutes passed while they sat in wait. "Class should have started two minutes ago, where's our instructor?" The wait finally came to an end moments later, the sound of a whistle being blown alerting everyone of her arrival. "It's about time," Someone said from behind. "I was beginning to wonder if class got canceled or something." She lowered the whistle from her mouth before making her way to the front of the room. "I'm glad to see everyone made it to class on time." "Except you." Argo mumbled. "That will be five laps around the gym, anything else that comes from your mouth will be an additional three laps." She said looking his way. "Who me?" Argo asked. "That's seven laps." Not another word came from his mouth, many of his classmates giggling as he made his way over to begin his rounds. "Wow, she really means business." "My name is Teia Njoo," She said introducing herself. "You can call me Ms. N for short." "Are we running the mile today like we were scheduled to?" Airi asked with the raise of her hand. "That has been scrapped from todays lesson," Ms. N replied. "We'll start off with your normal warm ups, if everyone participates we'll be looking at a relatively easy day, sound fair enough?" "Best teacher ever." Sonoko said in response. Unlike the previous day He waited outside of the classroom door for his friends to come out, anxious to return to the scene. "Class went by fast today." Genta said walking out along with Ayumi and Mitsuhiko at his side. "I don't know Genta," Mitsuhiko said with a pause. "It seemed to drag if you ask me, wouldn't you say Conan?" "I was to busy working to really pay attention to the time," Conan replied. "I plan on heading back to the theater, do you guys want to come along?" "I need to check in with my parents first." Genta said. "As do I," Mitsuhiko said. "I'll meet you up there after I do." "Shouldn't we go stop by Agasa's first," Ayumi questioned. "Ai never showed up for class." "You guys can go ahead and do that," Conan said. "I really want to get back to the crime scene as soon as possible." "I see what you're trying to pull," Genta said with the cross of his arms. "You just want to solve the case so you can take all the credit for yourself." "If I don't go now there might not be anything left to uncover," Conan said denying his accusation. "Once the police feel they've found all they need, what makes you think they won't clean up the scene?" Genta scratched the top of his head while giving some thought to what he said. "I guess you have a point." "Which is why I have to go now," Conan said. "If any you decide to come along, I'll see you there." Over the past week he realized just how packed his locker was becoming. He reached in to maneuver his supplies, making room for yet another text book. "I should really think about taking some of this stuff back to the apartment, next thing you know I won't even be able to fit a dime in here." Tim said closing the locker. He turned to walk only to bump into Sonoko who stood in his path. "What are you still doing here," Tim questioned. "School ended ten minutes ago." "Are you always this late getting out?" Sonoko asked. "Pretty much, it's not like I'm in a rush to get anywhere," Tim replied. "What about you, why are you still here?" "We have another test coming up next Wednesday." "And?" "You're supposed to help me study remember?" Sonoko reminded. "But it's going to be multiple choice," Tim said. "You should be able to pull a superb grade easy, you've actually been paying attention." "Well obviously you haven't been, because only the first three pages of the test are multiple choice," Sonoko informed. "The four last pages are written responses." "Guess I have been spacing out in class a little." Tim thought. "So how does today sound," Sonoko asked. "I could follow you back to your place or you could come over my house, either way works." "Yea... I actually have a lot on my plate for tonight." "How about tomorrow?" Sonoko asked. "The weekend would be better, that way we can be more flexible with the time." "Good point." Sonoko said coming to an agreement. The sound of the door to the teachers lounge flew open, causing the two of them to look over to see Ms. N heading their way. "Just the person I was looking for," Teia said coming to a stop in front of the two. "I thought for sure you'd be gone by now." "Why do you need to see me," Sonoko asked. "Did I do something wrong?" "You did great in class today, both of you for that matter," Teia stated. "I was actually hoping you could contact a certain someone for me." "Who do you need me to get ahold of?" Sonoko asked. "Shinichi Kudo," Teia replied. "I did a little asking around amongst the other students and they said if anyone knew where to find him it would be you." "Me?" Sonoko questioned surprised at this. "Let me guess," Teia said with a smile. "Are you his girlfriend?" "Oh gosh no," Sonoko firmly denied. "He is far from my type." "Why do you need to speak with Shinichi," Tim asked stepping in. "Do you know him?" "I met him three years ago at a library," Teia confirmed. "I heard he's become quite the detective." "What do you need to talk to him about," Sonoko asked. "Is there something you need help with?" "Just see if you can get ahold of him," Teia said. "Tell him to meet me at central park no later than noon tomorrow, let him know it's important." "I'll see what I can do." "Thank you Ms. Suzuki, you don't know how much this means to me," Teia said turning to walk. "You two stay out of trouble now." Tim's eyes narrowed, watching as she disappeared around the corner. He felt a slight nudge at his side seconds later. "Tim, are you ok," Sonoko asked. "Is something bothering you?" "It's nothing, just thinking." "Well I'm going to go wait for Ran to finish with her karate session, if there's anyone who can get ahold of Shinichi it's her," Sonoko said. "Would you like to come along?" "Can't, I have something I need to attend to." It had hit past mid day. The traffic quickly begging to pick up just like it always did around this time. He walked with his hands rested in is pocket, looking upward to see the street light turn red. With that he made his way toward the other side. Just as he stepped onto the sidewalk he heard a loud honk, looking over to see a red car he had never seen before. "Were they honking at me?" The car slowly pulled up with the window in the passenger seat sliding down. "Need a ride?" Dick asked from the drivers seat. "When did you get this." Conan accepted while opening the door to get in. "Rented it this morning," Dick replied. "Where to?" "The theater," Conan answered. "I want to have another look at the crime scene, not sure if Tim told you what happened last night." "Just got done driving past there, and let me be the first to say you're not getting in," Dick stated. "The place is packed; police, bystanders, newscasters, you name it." "Great," Conan said sitting back with a huff. "I had a feeling that might happen." "Any place else you'd like me to take you?" "You could give me a ride to Agasa's," Conan replied. "Haibara didn't show up for class today, I think I better go check on her." "Your wish is my command." The light turned green moments later, allowing for them to move on. Dick reached over as they drove, flipping on the radio. "Do you have a music station you like, or would you prefer to hear the news?" "Anything works," Conan replied. "I'll let you decide." He laid back in thought the rest of the ride there, occasionally looking out the window to gaze up at the sky. "We're here." Dick said after parking. Conan left his bag in the seat, locking the door before closing it. Surprisingly the gate was unlocked. "Bet he's expecting you." Dick said. "You might be right." They made their way up to the door, giving the bell a ring before taking a step back. The door slid open not long after. "Conan, I had an idea you would come," Hiroshi said. "I see you brought Grayson along as well." "It's actually Dick who brought me," Conan corrected. "Where's Haibara, is she ok?" "She woke up with a massive headache this morning which prompted her to stay home for the day," Hiroshi informed. "I was actually in the kitchen whipping up a batch of tea for her to drink." "Where is she?" Conan asked. "Laying on the couch," Hiroshi replied while stepping aside. "Come on in, we could use the company." They took him up on his offer. Conan headed straight for the couch, arriving to find her laying on her back. "You had everyone worried at school today you know," Conan stated. "Are you feeling any better than you did a few hours ago?" "Still rather light headed, but I'm getting there,." Ai said while turning her head to face him. "Well that's good to hear, just keep taking it easy." The two looked over as Dick approached with a cup in his right hand. "Time to ease up," Dick instructed. "Here's a little something for you to drink." "I'm not very thirsty." Ai protested. "Doctors orders." Dick countered. She gave in, sitting up and taking the cup from his hand. Conan looked down at the sound of his phone ringing from within his pocket. "Who's that?" Ai asked before taking a sip. "This won't take long," Conan said before stepping aside. "I think I better take this." He made his way over to the wall where he leaned, answering the call after doing so. "Hey Tim, what's up?" "I'm not sure yet." "What do you mean?" Conan asked. "It's a long story," Tim replied. "But I need you to tell me if you know a Teia Njoo." ".... That name doesn't ring a bell," Conan replied after giving it some thought. "Why do you ask." "She was a substitute for gym class today, claimed she knows you." "Is that so," Conan said becoming interested. "What did she say?" "Teia wants to meet with you come noon of tomorrow." "Why," Conan questioned. "I don't even know her." "Not according to what she said." "This whole thing seems shady, I think you should have a look into her file." Conan said. "Already took the liberty of doing so," Tim informed. "A hard in depth look past the stuff on the surface." "And what were you able to find?" "Nothing, zilch," Tim replied. "There's defiantly something going on, and we need to find out what." "No kidding." "How soon can you be over?" "Ten minutes," Conan replied. "Give me ten minutes." "See you then." Their conversation ended from there, Conan dropping his phone back into his pocket. Dick glimpsed over at him, seeing the slight distress in his face. "Teia Njoo..," Conan thought while placing a hand over his chin. "Who is she?" To Be Continued