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The large, balding old man leapt out of his wheelchair. He made a break for the door. The cast on his leg was a mere facade.Oh no you don’t! Shinichi thought, but there was an excited fluttering in his gut. Every time a criminal made a feeble attempt to escape it filled him with a joyful thrill.The globe that Shinichi had just thrown at the man to prove his guilt now lay innocently his feet. Without a second thought, the teen detective wound up for a game-winning kick, preparing to strike again.A blur of blue and green hurled towards the fleeing culprit and hit him in the head with a loud “SMACK.” The force sent the man sliding face down across the floor and into a defeated heap.“GOAAAL!” Shinichi cheered, pumping a fist. This was the most exhilarating part of solving the case. Shinichi was now the winner and the culprit the loser. The party guests watching the scene all gasped as the winner put on a show A group of blue-uniformed officers restrained the prone old man. Meanwhile, Inspector Megure shuffled over to Shinichi with glee. Megure was an experienced member of the force and had to admit— Shinichi Kudo was a valuable asset.“You’ve done it again, Shinichi-kun!” The overweight man boomed, patting Shinichi on the back with unintentional force. “Though…” Megure stroked his thick, black mustache in thought, “The culprit’s just an old man, wasn’t going to go anywhere fast. No need to start chucking things at him.”Shinichi challenged the inspector with a piercing, blue gaze. “You know it’s far better than what he deserves. I don’t show any sympathy for murderers, Inspector,” the detective smirked as he watched an officer cuff the culprit.Before Megure could offer a rebuttal the reporters engulfed Shinichi like a pack of hungry wolves. And, as always, Shinichi gladly let them eat their fill in a flash of shutters and lights. Shinichi continued to reminisce about the case he had just solved as he walked up the path to his enormous, western-style mansion. Crickets chirped hesitantly into the night air and the overgrown foliage in his yard looked more like oddly shaped black silhouettes.Shinichi reached into the pocket of his dress pants for his key and stuck it into the keyhole with a jab. He still found himself grinning about his recent victory.The door opened with a long and guttural creak.Cold and foreboding, the scent of dust, dirty dishes, and old books greeted the teen detective. The house was still and dark, the only light came from small, twinkling reflections cast by the streetlights outside. The polished wood accents of the home reflected the light especially well.Though the mansion was magnificent in size, Shinichi had no need to use every room. His interaction with the mansion was limited to his bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen, and the library at best.“I’m home,” he called out to nobody in particular. His voice echoed around the large, hollow space. Shinichi’s parents had long since left for America, entrusting their grand home to their only son. Shinichi knew it was because he was mature and could take care of himself.Flicking on the lights in the hall, the detective shucked off his frumpy blazer and tossed it on the coatrack. It was his father’s, and while it was still a little too large, he felt the formal dress made him appear more adult when solving cases.Shinichi sighed. He had suggested going out to eat with some of the officers after the case, but none of them seemed too keen to start chowing down after witnessing a bloody corpse. Well, fair enough. Shinichi would enjoy a nice cup noodle dinner by himself at home. Cooking was for girls, obviously, so Shinichi didn’t ever bother trying.Opening a shiny, oak cabinet with a creak, Shinichi grabbed his last chicken flavor ramen cup. Guess he’d have to go to the convenience store and pick up more later. With practiced ease, Shinichi dumped in the powder, filled the cup with water, and stuck it in the microwave. Newspapers featuring himself were scattered across the counter. As he sat down on one of the barstools, listening to the hum of his cup noodles cooking, Shinichi traced his handsome and intelligent smirking face with his index finger. Bold headlines dominated the covers, demanding attention. MODERN SHERLOCK HOLMES SOLVES IT AGAIN. TEEN PRODIGY KUDO SHINICHI BRINGS JUSTICE. KIDNAPPER CAUGHT BY TEEN DETECTIVE IN 300 MIL YEN RANSOM CASE. GREAT DETECTIVE OF THE EAST, KUDO SHINICHI. All of his achievements, splayed before him and sealed in ink for everyone to read.Shinichi felt giddy seeing the articles sing his praises. He couldn’t wait until today’s case was published. Would he make the front page again?
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
Shinichi fetched his cup noodles from the microwave. He replayed the night’s case in his head again, every clue in order as he had pieced them together. The gunshot. The veranda. The suspects, one by one. The motive. The window. The alibi. The medical record.Shinichi drank the leftover broth and set the empty cup down with a thin, hollow thunk. Did he want to brush his teeth tonight? Or just jump straight into bed? A large clock splayed flat on the kitchen wall read 1:42 am. It was still early, he could still pull off a nightly routine.A shower, tooth brushing, and an okay-smelling set of pajamas later, Shinichi crawled under the covers and sighed. He couldn’t wait to tell Ran all about the case. Ran… why did thinking about her make Shinichi feel like he was forgetting something? Oh well.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Shinichi slammed shut the door to his mansion and bolted through the tall, spindly gate. The handle to his school bag was gripped tightly in his sweaty hands. Only one of his arms was shoved inside his school blazer. The dusty blue suit jacket hung on for dear life as the teen made his mad dash to school.
Shit, shit, shit! I overslept! Shinichi thought frantically as he galloped down the street like a schoolgirl on steroids.
The sky was a vibrant shade of blue and fluffy, white clouds hung lazily in the air. Birds chirped happily as everyone made their peaceful morning commutes. Except for Shinichi. He was tearing through the streets like a bullet train.
Shinichi cartoonishly skid around a corner to reveal his first destination, a rinky-dink 7/11. A nearby tree tickled the dingy sign with its branches.
A few feet away, facing opposite his direction, stood Ran Mouri, and Shinichi’s heart did a little flip in his chest. Just a little one.
As the girl whirled around to face him, Shinichi swore the moment played in slow motion. Her hair fanned around her and the morning rays of light hit the strands just right to create a glittering caramel color. He noticed a small bandaid stuck on one of her rosy cheeks. Bright violet eyes widened in swift recognition. Pretty… Shinichi thought unintentionally.
And then she opened her mouth.
“You’re late, you know!” The girl raised an eyebrow. Ran’s face was always twisted into a mean scowl, like a crumpled up napkin, and this morning was no exception.
Ran hailed from a completely different neighborhood than Shinichi and so they decided to meet up at a 7/11 nearby Teitan Highschool to make the rest of the journey together. The two had always walked to school together and Ran moving away after her parents’ divorce wasn’t going to change that. Shinichi had to go a little out of his way to meet her but never once complained. She was his best and oldest friend, after all.
Though always a sweet and considerate girl, Ran was infamous for… well, the opposite of that disposition. With her calf-length pleated skirt, martial arts prowess, and tendency to cut class, teachers gossiped that she was some sort of delinquent. Shinichi had to admit, even he was a little scared of her at times.
But Ran wasn’t always so outwardly aggressive. In fact, Shinichi was usually the one to defend her back in elementary school. She was always such a sensitive crybaby! It was in middle school when Ran began to change, and for the life of him, Shinichi couldn’t figure out why.
Was it her parents’ divorce? Nah, that couldn’t be it, right? Anybody with half a brain could’ve seen it coming from a mile away. That couldn’t be the reason. Was it her dad’s failing business? She never talked much about it, though. Maybe that wasn’t it either? Maybe it was because she and her dad had to move across town? But she still got to attend Teitan by taking the bus, it’s not like she was completely alienated from everyone. Was it because she was hanging around the wrong crowd? Shinichi never saw Ran associating with any yankees.
Just thinking about it made his brain hurt. Ran seemed to be the only mystery Shinichi couldn’t solve. Everyone else’s motives were always so clear to him, it was only when Ran was involved that he constantly second-guessed himself.
“Oi, It’s not my fault I’m running low on sleep!” Shinichi replied, “I was up all night on another case. Inspector Megure needed my help.”
“Wow, my faith in the cops just hit an all time low,” Ran deadpanned. “If they need help from you of all people.” She walked briskly past him and began the trek to school. “My dad left the force because of how incompetent they are, it’s way better to work without them.”
Shinichi rolled his eyes as he quickly trotted after his friend, sliding his other arm into the sleeve of his blazer, “Your dad left the force because he’s a hack! And look where that got him.”
THUNK! Like a gunshot, Ran’s fist whizzed past Shinichi’s head and left a sizable crater in the lamp post beside him.
The girl grinned and spoke through clenched teeth, her fist still embedded in the post by his head, “Maybe if some jerk stopped stealing all the cases he’d have a chance.” Ran was so close he could taste the overpowering scent of cigarettes that drenched her clothes.“Uh- haha, yeah… exactly!” Shinichi stammered, mouth suddenly dry. He did not want to be on the receiving end of that punch. What a scary woman…
“Just kidding!” Ran said and dislodged her brass knuckles from the lamp post. She let out a demure giggle, “Ohohohoho!” Shinichi didn’t think she was just kidding. And since when did she have on a pair of brass knuckles?!
The duo’s violent banter continued as they walked through the busy streets of Beika Town. The city was teeming with life . There’s a salaryman on the way to work, looks tired and in his early thirties. Shinichi made a mental note of all the companies in the area and tried to pinpoint the exact one the man worked. A trio of elementary school children walked the same direction, but on the opposite side of the street. Definitely heading to Teitan Elementary. A city bus zoomed by. It’s ahead of schedule today. A young business woman briskly walked, a clear destination in mind. She has on heels, she must not plan on walking far. There’s toothpaste in the corner of her mouth, must’ve been in a rush this morning. A constant analysis hummed in the back of Shinichi’s brain, hoping to scratch the constant itch that yearned for a mystery. Maybe if Ran quit walking like she was about to bite into someone’s head like a grape more people would come near them. Shinichi was trying to practice his sleuthing skills.
The two strolled side by side in a comforting domestic routine. Passing by an electronics store, Shinichi faintly heard his own voice. Glancing to the side, a small army of his own face peered back at him through the TV window display.
They’re playing my interview! Shinichi’s heart raced and he tried to his best to nonchalantly stroll by. But he couldn’t help sneaking glances back at the screens. Ran quirked an eyebrow and said nothing. However, she still kept her karate bag firm in her dominant hand, ready to swing it at Shinichi’s head if he decided to make any undue comments.
“We’re gonna be late if you keep gawking at yourself,” Ran said irritably, “And if I get another tardy they’re gonna kick me out of the karate club, you know!”
“What’s the point of showing up on time if you just cut class, anyway?” Shinichi joked.
Ran swung her karate bag and it thudded into Shinichi’s cranium with a clang. It definitely didn’t feel like there was only karate her uniform there.
“ACK!” Shinichi groaned and rubbed his throbbing head, “What was that for?”
Ran stuck her tongue out and strode ahead. Her long, shiny hair swayed in tandem with her long skirt. Together, they walked towards another day at Teitan High.
The school day buzzed by slowly but surely. While Shinichi already knew just about everything under the sun, going to school was beneficial for other reasons. Social skills and peer interaction are both important tools for a detective, after all.
His favorite thing to do was purposely not pay attention during the most difficult lessons. So that way when the teacher called on him hoping to catch him slacking, he could effortlessly answer correct. This never failed to impress his peers. And it wasn’t like joking with his soccer friends was completely unbearable, either. So, yeah. Maybe school had a few other entertaining benefits.
During break period Ran slunk out of the classroom like an alley cat. This was not for the first time today. Meanwhile, Shinichi’s desk was swarmed by his friends and fans.
“Shinichi! You’re just soooo smart!” a female classmate chirped. She was cute, but not Shinichi’s type. He could tell she was pitching up her voice when she talked to him. It was a flattering sign of attraction, but also extremely grating. “I don’t know why you bother with that yankee girl, anyway. She never shows up to class,” the girl complained.
“Excuse me?” Shinichi said incredulously, furrowing his brow, “Ran’s not a yankee!”
“Well, she’s obviously some sort of criminal.” Another girl retorted, applying lip tint with a hand mirror. “And you wanna be a detective, right? Why would you put up with someone like that?”
“Shinichi’s into it!” Yelled Aizawa from the soccer team. That earned him a couple scattered chuckles.
“Man, I wish I had a girlfriend who would hit me, too…” Nakamichi mused.
“We’re not even dating! We’ve just been friends since we were kids!” Shinichi flushed.
“… like just absolutely demolish me. Like, I need a girl that would just kill me.”
“Nakamichi what the fuck.”
The school day went by in the blink of an eye. Another Friday to add to Shinichi’s growing list of uneventful days. As the bell chimed, signaling school’s end, students streamed out from the front doors. Some went to their clubs and some were still changing their shoes at their lockers.
“Oi, Ran!” Shinichi waved to his friend across the school yard. He could pick out her wavy mop from a football field away.
Ran glanced over her shoulder and noticed him. As she walked through the crowd of students they all leapt out of her way. She looked just like Moses parting the Red Sea.
Shinichi glanced down at her feet she she came close, noticing purple on the edge of his vision. She had a pretty nasty bruise on her calf. It wasn’t uncommon for Ran to show up with mystery injuries, but this one looked pretty nasty.
“What happened to your leg?” He asked. Shinichi analyzed the bruise. It had come from a long, hard object. On the right side of her right calf, closer to the ankle. That wasn’t a shape that could come naturally from a trip or fall. And in karate they don’t use any weapons or bokken. She didn’t have the bruise this morning, it looked too recent to be that old anyway. Ran left during break period to go somewhere. But, Shinichi had also seen Ran slip out the classroom door during third period. When the teacher had questioned her she growled about seeing the nurse as an excuse to leave. Did she have the bruise then? If he had to narrow it down to an exact time… wait, no. The culprits were more important in this case. The time didn’t matter. Who in the world had done such a thing? It’s not like Ran went around picking fights, right? So then why-
“I guess that’s what I get for blocking a metal bat with my leg,” Ran rolled her eyes, “But I still look pretty good by comparison.”
“Haha, yeah…” Shinichi agreed. That made sense. That’s what she gets for blocking a metal bat with her leg, after all! …Hold on, what did she just say? Metal bat?! And by comparison to WHOM?
“Anyway, Shinichi, are you excited for tomorrow?” Ran happily asked, derailing his train of thought in a way only she could do. She smiled up at him with a twinkle in her eyes. Shinichi’s brain nearly did a hard reset at seeing such a rare sight.
He knitted his brows. “Huh? Why? What’s tomorrow?”
“Ha ha. Very funny.” Ran replied, her smiling disappearing as soon as it came, “Seriously, though.”
“Seriously, what?” Shinichi wracked his brain to try and figure out what she was talking about.
Ran’s face crumpled back into her trademark scowl, like it had spent a second or two under a hydraulic press. “Don’t tell me you forgot.”
“Um… well… you know how busy I get!” Shinichi chuckled nervously, “Last night’s case was a serious ordeal! Turns out it was the owner of the house who knew the layout best, and that’s what first made me suspicious of his-“
“Shut up, mystery freak! You said if I won last week’s karate tournament you would take me to Tropical Land!”
“Huh? Why would I promise to waste money on a thing like that?”
“You SWORE!” Ran barked, sending a flurry of kicks his way.
Shinichi vaguely remembered as he narrowly dodged her kicks of wrath. “O-Okay! Jeez, we’ll go. I can pick you up from your house around noon-“
“Let’s just meet there.” Ran suggested quickly and fidgeted with the band aid on her cheek.
Shinichi was expecting that response. Ran never let him come over to her place for whatever reason. “Fine, fine! Whatever. I’ll see you at Tropical Land tomorrow,” Shinichi waved a hand and began his walk home, leaving Ran to attend karate club or whatever she did after school.
He snuck a quick peek behind his shoulder and spied Ran’s beaming face. Maybe Tropical Land wasn’t such a waste of money after all.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The sun sat high in the sky as Shinichi approached Tropical Land. The whole park seemed to be buzzing with excitement and joy. A giant Ferris wheel dominated the sky, surrounded by several other cheerful attractions. Shinichi spotted Ran in the crowd of families and couples milling about the gates.
“Kept me waiting long enough,” Ran grumbled with a scowl. She was dressed in a cropped jean jacket, a long, wrinkly pleated skirt, and scuffed up combat boots. More bandaids adorned her smooth skin. Ran looked Shinichi up and down. “Why the hell are you wearing every primary color?” she asked, thoroughly unimpressed.
“Excuse me?” Shinichi scoffed. He liked dressing in layers, it was practical for sudden changes in temperature. So what if the colors clashed a little? “I’m not the one who looks like they just rolled out of a dumpster!” That earned him a painful stomp on the foot.
“Come on, these tickets won’t pay for themselves!” Ran smiled through clenched teeth and cheerfully skipped to the ticket booth. Shinichi limped after her, grumbling about how his outfit was a “casual, layered look.”
The two high schoolers came upon one of the many ticket booths positioned next to an army of turnstiles. “Two adults, please,” Shinichi said, whipping out his wallet. His parents kept him sufficiently loaded, if nothing else. The worker nodded and tore two brightly colored wristbands from a large roll behind the counter.
“Wrist, please,” said the man and Shinichi obliged, resting his arm on the counter. The wristband was promptly fastened in place, a bit too tightly, actually. Shinichi bent his wrist back and forth and the band pinched his skin.
Awesome
, he thought.
Ran, meanwhile, had been scowling at the poor guy instead of letting him fasten her wristband. The amusement park worker waited anxiously for her to copy Shinichi but it seemed she didn’t care too much for social cues.
The worker sighed. “Wrist please, ma’am.”
“Tch.” Ran thunked her hand on the counter and made direct eye contact with the worker. She glared as he held her wrist like she expected him to one-handedly body slam her into the concrete. Finally the wristband was appropriately fastened.
The worker asked nervously, “A-Anything else for you?”
Shinichi gave him an award-winning smile and ushered Ran along. “Nope, all good. Thanks!” Ran’s hair smelled strongly, like she had used cigarette-and-bleach-scented shampoo. As they crossed through the turnstiles her expression immediately brightened. Ran looked around the inside of the park in astonishment. What a simple girl, Shinichi thought, rolling his eyes.
“I haven’t been here in forever,” Shinichi said nostalgically. “I wonder if they added any new rides. Which one was your favorite? Wait, let me guess…” he tried to picture Ran on every ride, “…was it the rollercoaster?”
“This… this is my first time here.” Ran marveled breathlessly, looking around to soak in every merry detail.
“What?” Shinichi blanched, “Your dad never took you?”
Well, actually, from what I know about him, that doesn’t really surprise me…
Ran shrugged. “He and mom always said they were gonna take me but just never found the time.”
Shinichi had gone to Tropical Land more times than he could count as a kid. Though, once he hit middle school his mom didn’t really care to take him anymore. He was no longer her “cute little Shin-chan,” after all. And when he started to hit puberty his parents took it as a sign he was no longer a child. That meant their work was done. So, the two of them took off to America to continue living in fame and glamour. After all, they had much more important things to do than babysit Shinichi in Japan.
“Well let me show you around, then.” Shinichi winked, “I know all this place’s secrets,”
Winking’s cool, right?
He hoped she thought he was cool for doing that. Everyone else knew he was cool but it seemed like Ran always needed constant convincing.
Ran scowled at him but didn’t decline his offer. She placed her hands in her skirt pockets and raised an eyebrow. “Well?”
“Ah, right!” Shinichi said, not realizing he had been staring at her. He glanced up at a nearby post clock.
I think we’ll have enough time to get there if it happens like I remember.
“It’s this way,” Shinichi said and grabbed onto Ran’s wrist like it was second nature.
He pulled her along to their destination. Ran hid her blushing face from him as he dragged her through crowds of people and to the middle of a large, empty square.
Still holding onto Ran, Shinichi pulled out his phone and checked the time. “Any second now.”
Multiple seconds passed.
Ran tore her wrist out of Shinichi’s grip, “What’s supposed to happen anyway?” She huffed, “There’s nothing here! Wh-“
Jets of water shot up all around them. First, shooting up around the edge of the square. Then, another layer shot up encapsulated by the first. Then another and another until the two were closed in their own little private circle surrounded by tall streams of water.
Ran’s delighted laugh was was like music to Shinichi’s ears. She spun around to take in the clear geysers that surrounded them. Soft, cool mist floated in the air and created faint rainbows with the sun’s rays.
Ran grinned mischievously and stuck her hand into one of the clear liquid jets. The disruption in the flow sprayed water onto them both, though mostly onto Ran herself. Shinichi then found himself laughing too. Ran gave him the middle finger but there was no malice in her eyes. In fact, Shinichi saw his same fond expression reflected in her visage.
He wished this moment would last forever.
After going on a couple rides, Shinichi and Ran relegated themselves to a bench under a tree to relax for a bit.
Shinichi held a can of cola with one hand and scrolled through the news on his phone with the other. Social media was way more quick to cover his achievements than the newspaper.
Ran was plopped down next to him, manspreading in her maxi skirt. She sat hunched over with one elbow on her knee while she sipped her own soda like a suspicious outlaw at a saloon.
A chubby mascot character milled about the area, entertaining guests, posing, and taking pictures. Shinichi tore his eyes up from his phone screen and glanced up at it. Nearby, the wind blew up a young woman’s skirt. She yelped and quickly put down her hands to preserve her modesty. Like a laser-sighted sniper, Shinichi’s gaze locked on the woman’s exposed thighs. It was a brief showing, but he couldn’t complain, she was about a 7/10. He had to dock some points for the unsightly horizontal bruise across her thighs.
Suddenly, Shinichi heard a loud, metallic clank beside him. He nearly jumped out of his skin like someone could read his thoughts and was gonna hit him over the head for it. Ran had just chucked her soda can into the trash can beside them. Her eyes practically lit up and she stifled a chuckle as she gazed at the rodent mascot. “That things hilarious! It’s so cute!” Ran laughed out loud in the way only a Mouri could. Shinichi breathed out a sigh of relief. The person in the costume noticed her enthusiasm and lumbered over to the two.
With blank eyes and a frozen smile, it made a gesture with its paws, mimicking clicking a camera. Shinichi looked back over his shoulder to see the grand Ferris wheel glowing behind them. They were already sitting in front of the perfect backdrop. He handed over his phone to the mascot, “Thank you, just take a few of them,” he said.
The two teens stood up in front of the bench and posed for their photo. Shinichi gazed into the comfortingly familiar lens of a camera.
“C’mon, smile!” Ran moved to kick Shinichi in the foot but paused. He was already looking at the camera with a relaxed grin and sporting a double peace sign. Looking at Shinichi’s dorky smile, Ran couldn’t help but smirk in amusement. The rodent pressed the button on the side of Shinichi’s mobile phone a few times. Then, it gave a thumbs up with a fat mascot paw and handed the phone back to him.
“Thanks,” said Shinichi and studied the picture. He looked good in this one. Well, he looked good in every photo so that wasn’t a surprise.
Ran glanced at the picture from over his shoulder. “Send that one to me,” she said as the mascot wandered off to entertain a group of children. “You gotta email it, though. My text isn’t working right now.”
Shinichi raised his eyebrows but didn’t pry. “Alright then,” he said and opened his email.
“Data sucks. I’ve got a shitty provider. I can only use wifi.” Ran reached into her skirt pocket and fumbled for her phone which slipped her grasp and hit the brick pathway. The battery and back fell out and clattered nearby like a skeleton collapsing into a pile of bones. “Motherfucker.”
“It sent.” Shinichi informed her.
“Nice,” Ran squatted down, picked up the pieces, and reassembled her phone, “Hey, let’s do the Mystery Coaster next. That was the one you said I’d like, right?”
“Yeah! Speaking of mysteries…”
“-and for that reason I could tell right away that something was off!” Shinichi declared, prattling on with the voice of a proud radio announcer.
Ran groaned as he droned on and on about his case from the other day. But because her friend had so thoughtfully paid for this outing, she figured she could silently bear through it. Trying to tune Shinichi out, Ran started pulling on the loose threads from the hem of her denim jacket. It wasn’t like she could escape the situation. After all, the two were trapped in the long line for the Mystery Coaster. The queue started outside and snaked into an indoor area designed to look like a dark, spooky cave. Even the temperature seemed cooler and the air more damp than outside. Screams of delight faintly echoed around the area like ghostly wails. The rollercoaster roared in and out of focus as the ride thundered around the track outside.
Shinichi continued his rant, ignoring Ran’s scowl, “Because, number one, he was in that wheelchair WAY too long.” They both moved up a bit with the line. “Number two, he didn’t have any callouses on his hands from turning the wheels….”
Ran ignored him and tried to keep her cool. She swore she wouldn’t snap. Even if he was being way too loud for this indoor space. And was talking about stupid detective crap. And couldn’t take a hint.
“…which is really interesting because you can tell just by studying someone’s hands a ton of things about them!” Shinichi effused, wildly gesturing to support his point. “That’s how Holmes could tell Watson was a surgeon right away with just a handshake. Kind of…” he glanced around, “Kind of like this.” Shinichi took the hand of the girl standing in line in front of them, forcing her into a handshake.
Ran mentally facepalmed.
Shinichi has some fucking nerve to grab a random girl like that.
The cheeks of the girl in front of them flushed pink, her face framed by mouse brown bangs. Shinichi was more focused on her hand than her face, however. He mentally ran through all the clues he could gather about her.
It’s the 7/10 from earlier. Tough callouses. That horizontal bruise on her thighs. Young woman. Body seemingly physically fit.
“Shinichi,” said Ran with exasperation, resting her hands on her hips, “You can’t tell just by touching someone’s-“
“You’re a gymnast, right?”
“Um… yes, actually…” The girl knit her thin brows, trying to an ascertain the meaning of the detective’s intrusion. “Do I know you?”
“No, but I could tell right away based on the callouses on your hands that you must hold onto metal bars,” Shinichi turned to Ran and grinned, looking for approval, “Based off of… some other clues I can tell you can’t be anything other than a gymnast!”
“R-Right…” the girl tore her hand out of Shinichi’s grasp and fidgeted with her pearl necklace.
“HEY, CREEP!” Boomed a voice from behind the gymnast girl. “Stop harassing my friend, would you?”
A man in red with his arms wrapped around a woman glared daggers at Shinichi (who could already tell from a distance the woman was wearing way too much makeup and the man was wearing way too much cologne).
“I-I well…” Shinichi grinned, sweating nervously.
“Don’t let me see it again, asshole,” the man spat.
Ran rolled her eyes and tried to take a nonchalant stance. However, her muscles tensed, expecting a fight.
“Right,” Shinichi anxiously chuckled.
The man then turned to the woman in his arms and caressed her face. The woman gazed up at him lovingly. “Darling, no need to get so worked up now.” He ended her sentence with a passionate kiss.
Ran sighed and continued shuffling forward with the line, glad nothing had escalated. The last thing anyone wanted to see at an amusement park was violence.
“Ah… anyways, as I was saying!” Shinichi couldn’t stop himself from rambling. As soon as he told his friend one thing it split off into a billion other pieces of information he wanted to share. He didn’t notice that throughout his entire Sherlock-infused rant, Ran hadn’t changed her sour expression.
The line moved further forwards until they reached the boarding area. With clunky footsteps the guests shuffled onto the coaster.
Shonichi continued his rambling all the while. “But, anyway, because the books are told from Watson’s point of view, he’s a pretty unreliable narrator.” He pulled the safety bar over his head, “Holmes was constantly filtering through details and noticing things that-“
Ran snapped.
“SHUT THE FUCK UP!!” She shrieked, gripping the sides of her seat, “I don’t wanna hear ANY MORE of your detective crap!”
The gymnast girl from earlier, seated in front of them, whirled around to face Ran in concern and disapproval. Shinichi couldn’t help but notice the way her pearl necklace glimmered.
“What are you lookin at?” Ran growled, matching the gymnast girl’s gaze and then some. She crossed her arms and leaned forward into the girl’s face, “The ride faces that way, jackass.” Ran jabbed a finger forwards.
The girl huffed, “Rude!” and then turned back around, giving those behind her a view of her wall of hair.
Shinichi wanted to call Ran on her aggressive behavior but the ride jerked to a start.
As the coaster climbed up the tracks and into the sky, Ran broke the anticipatory silence. “Thanks, by the way,” she said. She stared dead ahead.
“For what?” Shinichi asked lamely, unsure of what his friend meant. He was more focused on the panoramic view of the city below.
Looking up at him underneath her long eyelashes, Ran said softly, “For taking me out on a date like this.” The cars jerked to a stop at the zenith of the track. Shinichi felt the only thing he could hear was Ran’s voice. Her lips curved into a small smile, “I appreciate it.”
Shinichi tried to form a coherent sentence but his tongue got stuck in his throat. Taking a deep breath he tried again. “Ran, I-“ The cars flung downwards. He was met with a face full of Ran’s streaming hair.
Ran screamed with joy. Even Shinichi let out a little gasp as his stomach dropped.
The ride jostled them around the track and then flew down a dark tunnel.
A drop of something splatted on Shinichi’s forehead.
Did it start raining? Was there a problem with the ride? Shinichi had to know. He did what any good detective would do and wiped it off his forehead and stuck the unknown substance in his mouth. It’s salty.
Barreling out of the tunnel the coaster thrust them upwards where they were met with a burst of light. The coaster continued streaming down the track.
Whoops of delight suddenly evolved into shrieks of horror. Shinichi struggled to look behind him to see what had caused this. The seats of the rollercoaster and safety bar made looking back over his shoulder a hassle.
Out of the corner of his eye he could barely decipher the gruesome sight. It was just…
…Wet. Red. Everywhere.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The coaster’s cars squealed to a halt back in the boarding area. There was a stunned silence as everyone tried to decipher what had just transpired.
Following the trail of red splattered on the back of the ride, the eyes of those waiting in line were led up to the limp, decapitated man slumped over in his seat.
Those within viewing distance exploded into wails of horror.
Shinichi flung his safety bar up as soon as it unlocked and leapt out of the car. “STOP THE RIDE! CALL THE POLICE!” He demanded urgently. He sprinted to the operator booth nearby, running so fast he nearly slammed into it and had to catch himself with his hands.
Ran sat motionless in the rollercoaster car. She slowly brought up a hand to her cheek and felt the sticky, warm liquid beginning to dry on her face. Oh. That’s blood. She didn’t look behind her.
After sitting around and waiting for an agonizing while, an army of police and forensic officers stormed into the artificial cave of the Mystery Coaster. Ran was glad when they carried the headless body away. It didn’t feel so great to hang out with a corpse.
Shinichi decided to sit around and look pretty as the police organized the scene. He waited for the inspector to notice him with concealed anticipation.
The large, beige mass that was Inspector Megure in his iconic trench coat mingled about his officers. After reviewing sufficient information, he ducked under the police tape and descended onto the scene. Looking up, the inspector’s eyes met Shinichi’s. It seemed Kudo was ready to play— and when Kudo was ready that usually meant Megure would be home in time for dinner.
“Ah, Shinichi-kun, why am I not surprised you’re here?” Megure sighed and looked the teen detective up and down, “And why are you wearing every primary color?”
Ran would’ve laughed if somebody hadn’t just been decapitated.
“These are my casual clothes!” Shinichi spluttered. “I’m here on leisure. I’m a witness this time!”
Megure looked at Ran from where she lurked nearby and squinted. “And you’re here with…” his eyes sparked in recognition, “you’re Mouri’s daughter, aren’t you?” His bushy eyebrows raised so high they were hidden by his hat.
Ran narrowed her eyes in suspicion, “Who wants to know?” It was never good when an officer recognized you.
“You don’t remember me?” The large, mustached man bellowed. “I babysat you more than a few times! How’s your father? I haven’t seen him in ages!”
Ran didn’t recognize the inspector but decided to humor him anyway. Her father had dozens of former coworkers she didn’t know about. Well, besides that, her father just seemed to know a lot of people in general. “We’re thriving. Has his own P.I. agency,” she responded coldly.
“I’m glad he’s doing well.” Megure said, “And I’m glad to see you’re…” he looked Ran’s outfit up and down. “…is that what the youth of today wear?” His tone was more accusatory than inquisitive.
“Sometimes,” Ran replied.
“What a fashion critic…” Shinichi grumbled under his breath. To be fair, the smeared bloodstain on Ran’s cheek wasn’t doing her sukeban-inspired outfit any favors on the side of innocence.
Ran could tell Inspector Megure wanted to say something else about her clothing. She honestly wished he would. Ran always felt she could breathe easier around honest people.
After a few moments the investigation began in full swing. Ran stepped to the side and leaned against a wall while Shinichi dove into the midst of it. In fact, the entire operation practically orbited around him. The police department should really put him on payroll, Ran thought, feeling like a galaxy light years away from Shinichi’s solar system.She desperately wanted to escape this absolute nightmare of a situation, but didn’t want to leave Shinichi alone.
Several feet away from her, the victim’s three female friends huddled together in shock. It seemed one of them was his girlfriend, but she wasn’t the one who was crying the hardest. Beyond the trio of girls stood two large men who had also been on the coaster.
From the other side of the yellow police tape gathered a crowd of curious onlookers. They were not unlike a horde of zombies pushing against a boarded up window. “Hey, isn’t that Shinichi Kudo?” One of them piped up. That really got the entire horde buzzing with excitement. Ran groaned. It was only a matter of time until the news station showed up.
“You mean that famous detective?”
“There’s no case he hasn’t been able to solve!”
“Get a picture! Quick!”
“Isn’t he handsome?!”
“Dude, I think I might be bisexual…”
“Is that actually him?
“Yeah! He’s still only in high school!”
“He’s the Modern Sherlock Holmes!”
Shinichi pretended not to notice the adoring crowd’s comments. Though, secretly, he basked in the attention. The young sleuth could feel himself recharging. Now, he wanted to solve this case faster. With more flair and personality. He wanted everyone to scream his name louder. He wanted to bring every criminal to justice— to become a real life Sherlock Holmes.
“Well, It seems like some sort of sharp debris hit the victim, causing his head to become… er, unattached.” Megure pondered, pulling Shinichi’s thoughts back down to Earth, “Do we declare this an accident?”
Shinichi smirked and lazily sketched something down on a notepad. “No. There’s no way this was an accident.” The teen refuted with certainty. “The victim was sitting in the middle of the ride. As the person sitting in front of him I also would’ve felt something if there was an obstacle in the way. That, and the man sitting behind the victim was similarly unharmed.”
The male officer standing beside Megure frantically scribbled in his own notepad and informed the two, “So that would mean our suspects include anybody that was riding the coaster with the victim.”
Shinichi nodded in agreement and tore out the page from his notebook. He slapped it down on the ground for the others to inspect. It was a simple map of who was seated on the coaster and where. “Two of the victim’s female friends rode in the front.” Shinichi said, pointing to where he had them labeled, “Ran and I sat behind them. The victim and his girlfriend sat behind us. And behind them were these two men in black.”
The two men in black…
The duo stood out among your average amusement park goers. Shinichi scanned them for any useful information. Both large, male. One with long, platinum blonde locks. Other one has a buzz cut and sunglasses. Despite their conspicuous appearance, their body language didn’t give up single clue. The way their hands, feet, and heads were positioned made it so Shinichi wasn’t anything able to be discern anything about them beyond looks. While that made the detective extremely uncomfortable, the clues he had gathered surrounding the case so far didn’t point in their direction. Thus, he shoved the odd pair to the back of his mental investigation. (Though he would have to look into them later).
At the same time, Ran also shifted her gaze in the direction of the two men in black. That is, before quickly tearing it away. Their seemingly confident demeanor at a murder scene and fancy black outfits said it all. The duo reminded her of the people in her neighborhood who carry heavy briefcases and slink in and out of innocuous office buildings. Guys like that were in a league of their own. The best thing to do was stay far away and draw as little attention to yourself as possible. So basically, like, the opposite of what Shinichi was doing.
Ran approached her detective friend from where he crouched hunched over the paper. She tapped him on the back. “Hey, Shinichi, let the police deal with this,” she said softly, frowning and motioning to the exit, “Let’s go, it’s not our business.”
“Neither of us can leave,” replied Shinichi, “We’re both suspects and witnesses.” His eyes were cold. It was like all Ran was to him in that moment was a component in the case. “And I’m assisting the investigation.” he added.
Ran’s heart sunk and her frown intensified. “You’re a dick!” she seethed. Silence ensued as her insult reverberated around the cavern. Perhaps Ran had said that a bit louder than she had meant to.
From nearby, one of the victim’s friends decided she’d had enough of Ran’s attitude. She exited the confines of her mourning friend group and stormed straight over to Inspector Megure. It was the gymnast girl.
“Hitomi, wait!” One of her companions called after her.
The gymnast girl, Hitomi, remained unperturbed. “OFFICER! That girl is suspicious!” She spluttered and jabbed a finger in Ran’s direction, “She- she was screaming at her boyfriend earlier and called me a.. a jackass !” Shinichi figured the gymnast girl would be clutching her pearls if she were wearing some…
Megure thought to himself for a minute. Well, now was as good a time as any to get the ball rolling. He mustered a calm smile for the frazzled Hitomi and turned to Ran. Ran gave him an icy stare from where she hovered above her detective friend. “Hm, well, Ran-kun, I hope you don’t mind if we conduct a lawful search of your belongings,” Megure said casually.
“Actually, I-“ Ran started, but a pair of female officers practically dove onto her and began patting her down before she could get out another word. One of them swiped something from her skirt pocket.
“Hey!” Ran fumed. She clenched her fists in an attempt to hold herself back. Ran knew if you wanted to do anything stupid the worst place to do it was with the cops.
“Calm down, Ran, they’re just girl officers,” Shinichi reassured her.
One of the “girl officers” in question presented Megure with the object she scored from Ran’s pocket. “Inspector, take a look at this!” She insisted and thrust object upon the large man. Megure turned it over with a gloved hand. With a few clicks the blade rose from its sheath.
Shinichi blanched. “Ran why did you bring a BOXCUTTER to an amusement park?”
“Hah?” Ran cast him a threatening glare, “What if there’s a box I need to open?”
The audience of bystanders recoiled. They began to chatter amongst themselves from where they watched behind the yellow tape.
“How suspicious…”
“She seems like the type…”
“Why would she do such a thing?”
“Isn’t she Kudo’s girlfriend?”
“No way, they don’t even look like friends to me…”
“Kudo would never.”
Shinichi really didn’t want this to fester, “Hold on just a second, Inspector!” He pulled Ran to the side so they could talk semi-privately. “A box cutter?” The teen detective hissed incredulously, “Ran, why do you even need that? That makes you a walking target for police investigations!”
“Nuh uh,” she corrected, “it makes everybody else a walking target for me.”
“Ran-!” Shinichi groaned and face palmed.
Megure overhead their conversation and sighed. “Ran-kun, don’t make this harder for yourself than it needs to be. If you’re innocent then there’s nothing to worry about. We’re just gonna take you in for some questioning.”
Hitomi covered her face with her hands. She sobbed some more.
One of the nearby officers smiled as the authorities invaded Ran’s personal space for the second time.
“Get the hell off me!” Ran cried, instinctively pulling away.
The audience that had accumulated around the scene gasped. It looked like the delinquent girl got what was coming to her. She had guts to do something so terrible, and in front of famous detective Kudo Shinichi no less!
“Well if this case is closed we’re going to take our leave.” One of the men in black mumbled. The two slowly retreated to a nearby exit.
Now seems like the perfect time to end this, Shinichi thought. The suspense had built up long enough. That, and the police seemed to have a good enough grasp on the case to understand his deduction. Now, if only forensics can find that thing…
“Wait! The boxcutter wasn’t the murder weapon!” Shinichi announced, “Think realistically, Inspector. It’d be way too difficult to climb backwards diagonally and saw off someone’s head with such a tiny blade.” Several people in the audience began to murmur in agreement. “I guarantee if you run a luminol test you won’t find a trace of blood on it.” In a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment, he swiftly gave the box cutter back to Ran.
Ran slipped the box cutter into her skirt pocket. “Haha… yeah… not a trace…” she said very normally and also innocently in a non-suspicious way.
“Hm… you have a good point.” Megure mused. “Forgive me, Ran-kun,” he said and rubbed the back of his thick neck nervously. The officers took this as a sign to release the rowdy girl and divert their energy elsewhere. All at Shinichi’s unspoken behest.
Ran brushed off her jean jacket like she‘d just had dirt thrown at her. Forgiveness was probably the furthest thing from her mind in that moment.
“But if the murder weapon wasn’t this blade, then what else could’ve chopped the guy’s head clean off?” Megure asked, scratching his head over his tawny fedora. A muffled sob from the victim’s girlfriend rang out at the inspector’s blunt wording.
A member of the forensics team suddenly appeared from down the tracks. “We found that thing you asked for,” they said and passed on a plastic bag to Shinichi. The teen took it eagerly.
Right on time, Shinichi thought to himself.
“Don’t worry, Inspector. I’ve figured it all out.” The Modern Sherlock Holmes said with a smug but elegant cadence. Everyone’s heads snapped to face his direction.
Shinichi tilted his head down so his eyes were obscured by shadow. It never hurt to include a little dramatic pause, after all.
He took a deep breath in. “The killer is… you! The friend of the victim!”
I win!
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
“W-what?!” Megure blanched, slack jawed.
“Th-that’s not true!” Hitomi cried, tear stains smeared across her face. Her friends glared at Shinichi for such an accusation.
“Oh, is that so? Then answer me this:” Shinichi smirked, “Where is your pearl necklace?” He paced around the area like a hawk circling its prey. “You were wearing one before you got on the ride.”
Hitomi clasped her hands together over her heart and looked away. Seeing the vulnerable state of the woman made the crowd question the prodigy before them.
“What are you talking about?” Megure accused, standing between Hitomi and Shinichi, “What would this woman’s necklace have to do with the incident?”
“Allow me to explain, Inspector.” Shinichi held up the plastic evidence bag and winked at the officer. It was clear he already had this case in the bag. Literally. Haha.
Megure sighed and relented despite his head telling him not to. He took a step back to give Shinichi the floor with the reverence of releasing an endangered species back into its natural habitat. The teenage detective had never failed him before.
“Firstly, upon entering the coaster, the culprit placed a small purse behind her before lowering the restraints…” Shinichi explained.
Everyone looked to Hitomi to confirm. She was indeed carrying a small purse.
“Oh, that’s a purse alright,” Megure mumbled.
“It’s actually more of a clutch,” someone in the crowd unhelpfully added.
Shinichi continued his deduction with unwavering confidence. “…this would create a gap, allowing her to easily slip out of the restraints at any given time. The suspect is a gymnast, so she’d have the strength to be able to maneuver over the rollercoaster cars while they’re moving.”
Hitomi looked white as a sheet.
Shinichi noticed her complexion. “Have I been clear so far? Is there anything I missed?” He asked, leaning so close to her face he took up her entire view. Shinichi knew full well he’d hit the nail right on the head.
“N-no… you’re good,” Megure said. The man was stunned at how quickly the teen had formed his deduction. Not even the greatest minds on the force could hold a candle to the kid.
“I see.” Shinichi grinned, wondering how afraid Hitomi felt in this moment. This fear was just a small fraction of the pain she inflicted not only on the victim, but on the living who knew him. Shinichi swore he would make her feel the same torment. “From there, she draped a loop of some sort of heavy string, such as piano wire, over the victim’s head. Then, all she had to do was toss the hook onto the tracks and let the speed of the rollercoaster do the rest. That’s how we got such a swift decapitation. The hook could easily fit in her purse and…” Shinichi gestured to Hitomi, “…the wire was concealed as her pearl necklace. Which is now missing.”
Hitomi held her clutch close to her chest. Tears fell down her cheeks. “That’s ridiculous!” She cried, “My necklace must’ve just flew off on the ride! You don’t have any proof I did it!”
“I think once we examine the fingerprints on this hook we will,” Shinichi said, holding up the evidence bag he’s just been handed. “And one other thing. Look at your face in the mirror. You have horizontal tear streaks. Tears don’t flow sideways.”
Hitomi touched the side of her face, hand trembling in panic.
“You were crying before you killed him.” Shinichi accused darkly. “You didn’t want to do this.”
“He’s lying! He’s lying!” Hitomi wailed. She pulled at her hair. More tears slid down her cheeks.
Shinichi took a wild guess. “You didn’t want to do it because you love him.”
Hitomi shrieked and fell to her knees.
“That’s enough, Kudo-kun!” Megure barked, jabbing an accusing finger at the boy.
Hitomi’s back shuddered with sobs. “No…” she choked out, causing the Inspector to freeze. “It’s true. I killed him.”
Her two friends stepped backwards in shock. “Hitomi…”
“He and I were dating.” Hitomi cried, “And that pearl necklace. He bought it for me.”
“You two dated?” Her friend asked in shock, holding the victim’s girlfriend close.
“But out of nowhere he dumps me for Aiko!” Hitomi was nearly screaming now, “Every day I’m forced to watch him act like what we had never existed! I did you a favor Aiko! I did the right thing! I did the right thing!” Snot and tears ran down her puffy red face as two officers escorted her away.
Ran flinched at the woman’s wailing.
After the area was cleared, Hitomi the gymnast girl was loaded into a squad car and taken away. Detectives and officers crowded around Shinichi to offer their gratitude yet again. Though, if Shinichi was being honest, maybe he had a little bit of an advantage with this one. He’d been unknowingly collecting clues about this case since he saw Hitomi’s skirt flip up earlier that day. But still, a win is a win.
He felt a familiar slap on the back from Inspector Megure, “Thanks for all your help today, Shinichi-kun!” The man bellowed. “Sometimes I feel like death follows you wherever you go.” His voice got low, “Don’t let it catch up to you.”
Before Shinichi could respond an influx of reporters flooded his vision. He gave them his trademark smile.
By the time case was successfully closed it was already dark outside. Shinichi and Ran exited the Mystery Coaster and headed back out into the rest of the park. The colorful, flashing lights and merry decorations made Ran feel sick. The atmosphere felt more mocking than anything else. She crossed her arms and frowned deeply.
This didn’t go unnoticed by Shinichi. “What’s wrong?” he asked innocently from beside her.
This didn’t seem soothe her in the slightest. “What’s wrong?
What’s wrong?!
” Ran cried, “Are you literally a sociopath? We just saw the most fucked up shit EVER and you’ve still gotta ask me what’s wrong?!”
Shinichi shrugged. “I mean, I’m a detective. I see this sort of stuff all the time. It’s no big deal for me.” A movement of dark shapes caught the corner of his eye.
“You need to seek some serious help or something if you’re at the point where you don’t care when people literally die. I swear, you detectives!” Huffed Ran.
The dark shapes wore large fedoras. Shinichi instantly clocked them as the two men from the case earlier. They slipped behind a game booth and into the shadows.
Ran noticed the detective’s gaze was elsewhere. “Hello? Shinichi are you even listening to me?”
“Yeah, yeah, sure.” The two men were suspicious, alright.
Ran and Shinichi could only take a few more steps forward until a pair of two older teenagers blocked their path. One of them sported a very 90s looking middle part and stood impressively tall. The other was quite a bit shorter and gave Ran a scowl. His hair was dyed blonde but had instead came out to a stark shade of orange. Their girlfriends clung onto them like sloths.
Ran didn’t recognize them but from the shorter guy’s expression she could tell they had met before.
Shinichi’s eyes, however, were still following the duo in all black. “I’ll catch you later, Ran! Don’t wait up for me!” He sprinted off in a seemingly random direction.
“W-what?” Ran squeaked and watched him disappear, slipping behind a game booth and into the shadows like a ghost. She wanted to chase after him but he had taken off so fast. Was Shinichi afraid of the two guys in front of her? Was he some sort of coward? She breathed in, ready to shout after him when-
“Oh look who it is. It’s been a while, Mouri-chan.” The orange-haired guy greeted, though his tone dripped with malice. One of his front teeth were missing and Ran could see into the black abyss of his mouth.
“You know this bitch?” His girlfriend scowled, gripping her boyfriend’s jacket.
“She’s the one I was telling you about,” the guy said nonchalantly, “Goes to some fancy ladder school and plays princess, then comes back to Toriya and acts like she owns the place.”
Ah, so they were from Toriya Town. Ran’s Town. It bordered the well-to-do Beika Town despite its… well… rambunctiousness, to put it nicely.
“Wait… This is the girl that knocked your tooth out!?” Asked middle-part guy, making no attempt to hide his amusement.
“Oh, damn, is she one of those sukeban chicks?” The other girlfriend asked, half mockingly half seriously. Her eyes were glued down to her phone, however.
“I’m not in a gang,” Ran growled. Her feet pointed away from the conversation. She had better things to do than chat it up with some rude characters from her neighborhood.
“Oh, great! Now we know there won’t be anyone coming to help you.” The orange-haired guy grinned, eager to seek revenge for his missing incisor. The taller guy assumed a stance that told Ran he was ready to back up his friend.
The girls detached themselves from their boyfriends. “Poor girl. Don’t tell anyone about this and he’ll leave you alone afterwards, mkay?” The first said sweetly like her sympathy would resolve her of her guilt.
Ran felt her stomach drop as she thought back to Shinichi’s abrupt exit. Did he even care that he’d left her alone with these guys? Did he even care about her? Ran’s blood started to boil just thinking about the stupid detective. He was driving her fucking nuts.
The two young men slowly approached her, but they didn’t end up being the ones who threw the first punch.
Crickets chirped and faint carnival music lingered in the air. The high school detective followed the sounds of muffled voices.
Shinichi pressed himself around the edge of a building and slowly peeked around the corner.
One of the men in black and a short, plump man stood face to face.
“Sorry to keep you waiting, Mr. CEO.” The man in black casually teased.
“I-I came by myself! Just like you said! Come on, just give me it!” The short CEO spluttered, trying to keep his voice quiet.
“Not so fast, pal.” The man grinned. “The money comes first.”
“It’s all here, it’s all here, see!” The CEO held up the black briefcase he had been carrying at his side and opened it up with a click.
Shinichi leaned in to get a better view. Wow, that’s a lot of cash. There’s got to be at least 100 million yen in there!
The man in black snatched up the case, “Oh ho! The deal’s complete, then.”
“Come on, now give me the drive!” The CEO pleaded.
“Here ya go.” The man in black tossed a small object to the CEO who fumbled to snatch it, “Evidence of your company’s gun smuggling. You really shouldn’t be so naughty!” Shinichi’s mind whirred to try and figure out what company the man was the CEO of.
The CEO glared at the man in black, “Compared to the shit that you guys pull we’re-”
“For your sake I wouldn’t finish that sentence.” The man stated.
A third voice rang out. From behind Shinichi. “Your detective games…” He saw a flash of silver from over his shoulder, “are over!”
CLANG.
Pain thundered and shocked his entire body from the head down. Shinichi barely registered hitting the ground below him until he got a mouthful of grass and dirt. All eyes turned to him.
“This boy was following us. Vodka,” the perpetrator said. His voice was smooth and laced with venom. Shinichi could feel his presence looming over him, “you are getting sloppy. Learn to watch your back.”
The CEO fled without so much as a farewell. Shinichi wanted desperately to do the same but the pain kept him pinned to the ground. Those bastards. Those bastards! They’re not getting away with this on my watch!
“No offense, Gin, but if you didn’t wanna ride the rollercoaster this detective kid wouldn’t be followin’ us in the first place.” The now dubbed “Vodka” mumbled. Shinichi fought to stay conscious.
The long silver-haired man, Gin, sneered, “Talk to me again like that and I promise I will kill you. Know your place.”
“Was just a joke. Sorry, Aniki.” Vodka mumbled. There was shuffling as he pulled something out of his pocket. Click. Shinichi’s thoughts froze and panic seared through his veins. “Should I shoot this guy, then?” Vodka asked casually.
Gin shut him down. “No. No guns. This place is still swarming with cops. We will use the poison the organization has been testing.” Gin pulled a small container from his trench coat pocket. “You can’t find a trace of it in the body. We have yet to use it on humans so this boy will be our little Guinea pig.”
A large, pale hand grabbed Shinichi’s cheeks and thrust his head upward, straining his neck and making his head spin.
Something small was shoved into his mouth. Shinichi tried to use his tongue to force it out but his jaw was clamped shut. The grip on his face was so tight.
“Swallow.” Gin commanded. Shinichi tried to make out Gin’s face but all he could see were black spots dancing over a blur of silver. He was slipping away. Gin plugged his nose. There were hands on his face. He couldn’t get air. “Good boy,” Gin smirked and released Shinichi’s head, letting it hit the ground with a thump.
“Farewell, ‘detective,’” He heard one of them say. The men’s voices faded away into the night.
They got away. Shinichi was still writhing in the ground in pain, blood dripping from his head wound and into his vision. They got away. He failed. Failed? Shinichi Kudo has NEVER failed. But they subdued him like it was nothing.
When he closed his eyes he could still see the dripping. When he closed his eyes he could still feel the marching in his head.
Every pore was screaming. His whole body was searing with unbearable heat. He tried to scream but his throat wasn’t there. His voice wasn’t there.
What’s happening to me?
His skin was frying on a hot stove and bubbling and bursting. When he closed his eyes he could still taste the sickly bile in his mouth. That’s when the realization sunk down into his chest like a harrowing, horrible loss.
I am going to die.
It felt like a billion cameras flashing in his head at once. Different voices faded in and out, calling his name.
Shinichi
. Kudo-kun!
Shinichi
. Kudo-san?
Shinichi
. Detective.
Shinichi!
He tried so, so hard but couldn’t recognize any of them. He tried to think of anything. Analyze. Clues. Shapes. Steps.
Anything
! He couldn’t grasp a single thought and that scared him. It hurt so bad. He thought he saw Ran’s smiling face.
His whole body seized. The audience boomed into applause.
Clap clap clap clap!
His bones snapped.
Clap clap clap clap!
When he closed his eyes he could still feel the throbbing pain as every nerve burned and cried out for mercy.
He floundered in a sea of boiling water. It soaked his clothes and turned his skin red and raw. He drowned in the tears of the culprit, floundering under the waves of every single sorrow and lonely wail.
The reporter leaned the microphone towards him and smiled a white, toothy grin, “So, Great Detective,” he asked. The audience squealed in anticipation. Every eye was a lens. Shinichi choked on his own organs. “How do you solve these cases so fast? Is it because you know death is running faster? Or is it because you know death is running faster? Is it because you know death is running faster?”
The lights went out.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Ran went home beyond pissed. It had been her first time at Tropical Land and she was already indefinitely banned. The whole fight had been in self defense, even. With nobody to back her up (since Shinichi had bailed) Ran had no choice but to accept her fate when the park staff didn’t believe her story. She made a note-to-self: knocking a tooth out of someone’s mouth makes them liable for revenge. Do not knock out a second one when they seek said revenge. You will get kicked out of a theme park.Amidst her thoughtful gait, Ran kicked a pebble and sent it sliding down the sidewalk, far away. The delinquent girl wondered if Shinichi was thinking of her. Of course he’s not, she angrily thought, muttering curses under her breath, if he gave a shit he wouldn’t have taken off the moment there was trouble.
An older woman gave Ran a glare as she passed. Ran attempted to smooth out her skirt a little and continued down the street.
The sun had now completely dipped below the horizon; street lamps and flashing signs lit up the night in its stead. The black pavement reflected the lights like a dark ocean.
As Ran walked the buildings got shittier and shittier and the garbage on the ground began to increase. That was a clear sign one was exiting Beika Town and entering Toriya Town. The only reason Ran still maintained any connection to Beika was because of the bill her mom footed for Teitan. That and one Shinichi Kudo.
A salaryman swayed in front of her path, his face flushed and clearly more than a little drunk. Ran didn’t back down and the man threw himself out of the way as if scared to touch her.
Ran wasn’t blind. She knew she dressed the part of a delinquent. Most of her clothes were thrifted, weird pieces she found interesting. Long skirts made it easier to hide things if she needed them. Her jackets were subtly styled to make people just uncomfortable enough to stay the hell away. To any unsavory characters looking to pick on a teenage girl walking alone, Ran’s outfit looked like a giant ‘fuck around and find out’ sign on her back.
Ran turned a corner into Toriya’s business district. Rows of various establishments lined the streets, most with darkened windows this late at night.
CRASH! Glass shattered nearby. Muffled laughter ensued. CRASH!
Ran groaned and peered down the alley to her left. A group of middle schoolers were chucking glass bottles at the wall and chortling amongst themselves when they shattered. They weren’t causing any harm, really. But Ran knew the business’ owner would be upset.
She stepped into the alleyway, cloaked in shadow. “Hey. It’s late. Are you kids lost?” Ran asked sweetly, making her presence known.
“Hah!?” The biggest one challenged and whipped around to face her. His bangs were greasy and he still had on the black pants to his gakuran. “Don’t talk like you’re my mom, you old hag!”
Oh, that does it! “Old hag?” Ran seethed and marched toward the boy, towering over him with rage.“Oh…” one of the boy’s friends came to a realization, “Dude, let’s go. That’s Mouri.” Her reputation preceded her among the delinquents in the area. “Mouri?!” The greasy kid laughed in disbelief, “But that’s… there’s no way Mouri’s a girl!”
Ran twisted his arm, not enough to seriously hurt him but enough to make him regret the statement.
“
Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!
” the middle schooler whined.
“Next time, try talking a little more respectfully,” Ran scolded, tightening her grip. His friends snickered at how easily their friend had been overpowered. Ran rolled her eyes.
“Go home. You guys’ll catch a cold out here.” She commanded, releasing the boy with a shove.
“Y-yes ma’am!” They chorused.
Ran waved, smiling, “Get home safely now!” It wouldn’t be good to actually hurt them. That made enemies, apparently. But still, to cement her authority Ran added, “I’m on this street all night, I’ll know if you do!” She giggled to herself as they ran a little faster.
In the heart of the business district, nestled above a cafe, sat the Mouri Detective Agency. The white lettering on the windows was beginning to chip off. Ran ascended the stairs, heading for the third floor where her apartment was.
Ran frowned. He left the fucking office lights on. Great. A laugh boomed. Oh, he’s still in there. Now she had this shit to deal with.
“I’m home,” Ran called out, visiting her dad before her bed. The door to the agency creaked open as she pushed it.
Fluorescent lights stung her eyes and the scent of spilled beer and bleach stung her nostrils. A hazy cloud of smoke curled about in the air.
Her dad, private detective Kogoro Mouri was right where she left him, hunched over a pile of empty cans at his desk peering into a small, dusty CRT TV. A laugh track roared on the variety show he was watching.
Ran stormed over to him like an angry boss, “At least drink upstairs, not in the office! I’m sick of cleaning up your shit!” It wasn’t like she wanted to, but his livelihood was her livelihood. “And you forgot to pay the phone bill this month.”
“Nnnnn…” Her father whined, wiping his unshaven face with a wrinkly sleeve, “Ran… I thought you… you said you were gonna cover it.”
Ran slammed her hands down on her father’s desk. “It comes automatically out of your fucking account! I’ve only got cash. Isn’t it time you ask your wife-“
Kogoro cut her off with drunk mumbling, “Ran, watch your fuckin’… your fuckin’… your fuckin’… hm… your goddamn mouth! ”
“Are you proud of yourself for finishing that sentence?” Ran sneered and unplugged the TV with a yank. It felt cathartic to scold him when she knew she was in the right. “I’m just saying! She could pay it and then some!”
“No, shut the hell up! I don’t…” he tossed an empty can into the pile, “…take handouts! It’s not my fault your asshole boyfriend is taking all the good cases!”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Ran flushed red with anger, “Can’t you just swallow your fucking pride for once?!”
Kogoro thrust himself up from his chair like a jack-in-the-box. He stood nose-to-nose with his daughter, maybe to try and intimidate her and gain back some sort of authority. Either way, the frustration in the air was reaching a boiling point and Ran didn’t like seeing her dad’s ugly mug up so close.
“If you touch me I will call the fucking cops.” Ran snarled.
Immediately Kogoro shrunk back like a kicked puppy. “I would never-!” he gasped in horror.
That reassured Ran. She also backed down, but needed some space. “I’m going out.”
Kogoro wasn’t sure what to say to fix anything. His brilliant detective brain was sluggish from alcohol and lack of sleep. He just saw his baby girl back there, upset, angry, and lost. “Ran…” he said, “I love you.”
Now Ran needed a smoke.
Ran quickly mumbled “Love you,” like if she didn’t say it back something would break. She slipped a pack of cigarettes from the table and into her pocket on the way out.
Kogoro Mouri was starting to think maybe he should call it quits for the night and head to bed.
Ran slammed the door behind her and marched down the stairs. She stuck her hands in her pockets. The night air was cold. She felt like shit.
Plucking a cigarette from the box, Ran sighed and held it in her lips. The whoosh of a car flying down the street occasionally interrupted her thoughts and flooded her vision with its bright headlights. Ran fished her lighter out from her skirt pocket and flicked it.
The little flame sparked to life. Ran cupped her hand around it tenderly, protecting it from the wind. Ask anyone when she was little and they would say ‘Ran Mouri was such a nice girl!’ ‘Such a caring girl! Such a selfless, loving girl! What a sweet girl she was!’ Ran inhaled deeply and the end of the cigarette began to glow a deep amber. She took her thumb off the button and slipped the lighter deep into her pocket. She still fucking was a sweet girl. And if nobody remembered then that was just fine with Ran.
She kept a wary eye on Poirot, the cafe below the agency. If there was a break-in on her watch the owner might quit paying her to be unofficial “security.”
After a moment of looking watchful Ran pulled out her phone and connected to Café Poirot’s guest wifi. She opened her email. Taking a drag of her cigarette, she to think of something to message Shinichi. He took off instantly, was he scared? Ran thought, and he hasn’t messaged me at all. She was pissed at Shinichi, sure, but didn’t want to come across like she hated him. After a moment of deliberation she sent a message.
(No subject) Where did you go? >:(
————————-
Shinichi didn’t remember wearing this much red in his primary color ensemble. Dark, crimson spots were stained deep into his green jacket and smeared on his baggy jeans. Fabric pooled around the boy like he was wrapped in a cocoon of blankets.
There was a constant thumping in his brain. Faint carnival music and screams echoed in his ears and then faded away. His stomach churned. He leaned over the cold grass and retched, feeling his throat burn as he threw up everything he had eaten that day. And then some. And then some more. The bitter taste of bile assaulted his mouth. Shinichi spat onto the grass hoping to remove the taste.
Everything was a little too loud. A little too sharp. He felt raw. He wanted to lay in his warm bed. He wanted Ran to come over and sit on the couch next to him. He wanted to go home.
Thunder rumbled as dark clouds rolled in over the inky sky.
The whole world swayed back and forth as Shinichi tried to push himself into a standing position. He could feel the park’s wristband slip down his arm. Finally, wobbling, he stood up on aching legs.
Shinichi frowned vision refused to orient its angle properly. A sinking feeling of dread pooled in his gut. Something was wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong . He needed to think, to analyze , deduce .The detective tried to recall the events of the night. He had followed two men in black trench coats after flawlessly solving a case. Then there was that a deal with a company CEO. For covering up weapons smuggling. How much money was it again? 50 million? 100 million? 200? But then they hit him on the head from behind. They fed me that drug… it was meant to kill but I’m somehow still alive. And whose clothes are these? They’re… min e, right? He held up one of his arms and the end of his sleeve flopped way below his hand. That couldn’t be right. The last time Shinichi checked he didn’t wear a quadruple XL. But… everything was the same.He checked the large pockets to see if he had any of his belongings. Phone’s gone, wallet’s gone. Even his notepad was gone. They probably took them to make this look like a robbery, Shinichi thought, trying to ignore the pounding in his head. Next, he checked the jacket’s pockets and felt the cold metal of his house key brush his skin. They had missed it.
Thunder rumbled overhead and sheets of dark, shiny rain poured down from the sky. Below, Shinichi was doing his best to take steps in his giant shoes. He frowned. It was like walking with his feet inside two squishy buckets— just horrible. Navigating Beika was arguably even more horrible. The streets didn’t look like they should. Buildings rose way too far up into the sky and street signs had Shinichi craning his neck up to read them. He frowned again but continued on his way, clothes heavy and dripping wet.
He had ditched his jeans in a giant dumpster a while back. They kept sliding down and tripping him up. His jacket and shirt were so long they went way down past his knees anyways. Shinichi looked down at the state of his clothes and frowned ever deeper.
There was a realization that was dawning on him. One that, for his own sanity, he really didn’t want to think about. First, he needed to get home.
He trudged on nauseous, aching, and with all the gusto of a drowned rat. The world felt gigantic, like he was looking up at it from the bottom of a hole. He tried to piece together the clues so far. This is just a side effect of the drug messing with my perception and balanc-
Shinichi tripped over his shoes and slammed into the sidewalk, hard.
“Nnnggghh…” he groaned. The wind was knocked straight out of him. His face stung from being scraped into the concrete like parmesan on a cheese grater. “Sh.. shit..” he gasped, watching his blood mix with rainwater on the pavement.
The teenager felt a panic seize his chest but pushed it away. He had to get up. Shinichi rolled up his dripping wet sleeves to have better use of his hands. He froze.
Those weren’t his hands.
They had short, pudgy fingers adorned with tiny little nails. Raindrops slid down baby smooth skin. The detective studied them with morbid fascination.
‘When you have eliminated the impossible…’
He moved the hands. The fingers flexed.
‘…whatever remains…’
He turned the wrists. He saw their palms.
‘… however improbable…’
He tried to make two middle fingers. The fingers didn’t want to bend enough to obey him.
‘… must be the truth.”
Heart pounding and rain pouring down on him, Shinichi looked to the side out of the corner of his eye. A darkened window would allow him to see his reflection. His breath hitched. Blood roared in his ears. He was almost scared to look. Not scared, of course. Just almost scared. He turned to look at his reflection.
Shinichi wasn’t in the glass at all.
There was some little kid there. And god, it looked absolutely pathetic. Wet hair stuck to his forehead and blood dripped down his face. Shinichi’s jacket clung to the boy and it was so long it covered most of his skinny legs. All the shock and confusion on the child’s face mirrored his.
He was genius detective Shinichi Kudo, the pride of the Tokyo Police Department, the modern Sherlock Holmes— and it took him this long to catch on to his own case.
I’m that kid.