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File 3: Method to the Madness

Saturday.

Normally a day of blessed relief from grade school, Saturdays usually comprised Conan's "mental vacation" time, when he could hang out at Professor Agasa's and, if luck was with him and the Young Detectives weren't, be himself for a change.

But this Saturday was just as frustrating as the Friday before it. Shinichi woke up feeling just as sour as he had the day before--and upset about the fact that he couldn't shake off his depression with a good night's sleep like usual. Maybe it was the gray clouds that threatened to rain, maybe it was the fact that even Ran could tell that "Conan" wasn't quite his usual happy self; either way, he wanted out of the house. Every time he thought of Ran, he thought of those wonderful gifts--and how very screwed up his life was because of that blasted Black Organization...

He had to get out. He would have to go to Professor Agasa's anyway; his only safe haven, the Professor's was the only place besides school that Conan was supposed to go alone. Thank God he'd persuaded Ran that he could make the walk to the Professor's home all by himself.

Funny; Ran let him go all sorts of places when he and the other three Young Detectives were in a group--and she didn't seem to understand that they got him into more trouble when they were around than when he was on his own. Young children had no common sense whatsoever.

Conan turned in the gate to Agasa's house, heading inside without a knock--the Professor's door was always open. He was surprised to find Ai Haibara in the living room, parked on the couch with a Bio-Science Monthly magazine.

"Hey, where were you yesterday?" he wondered aloud, half to himself. Rather rude for a greeting, but he was in a dull enough mood that he didn't particularly care.

"I heard your little tantrum and decided that self-preservation mattered more than seeing to your insecurities," she replied without missing a beat--or changing the slightly bored tone of her voice. "If you must know, I was in the chemicals lab staying hard at work on our...mutual interest."

"Oh... Is the Prof around?"

"He's been in his study since this morning. Something about his computer." Not once had Ai even looked up from her reading.

"Thanks." He'd barely turned back to the hall when Agasa's voice rang out.

"Shinichi? Ai, is that Shinichi?"

"I'm here, Professor Agasa!" Shinichi responded, trotting down the back hall toward the computer room.

"Thank goodness! Hurry up, Shinichi! You'll want to see this!"

His trot became a jog, and the boy was at the Professor's side in the study in a couple of seconds. "What's up? I--whoops, I left the computer on, didn't I...?"

"That's not it." Agasa stepped away from the screen. "I got an email from...someone you know. You should read this."

Shinichi had to clamber up into the desk chair to see the screen properly, his eyes passing quickly over the email window and what it contained. He began to gape as he read.

"What on Earth...?" Shinichi muttered, puzzled. "What is he talking about? 'Our secret?' What secret do we have?"

Agasa cleared his throat. "Well, he does know who you are--both Conan and Shinichi. That alone puts you at risk, if that's the sort of secret he's talking about."

"No..." Shinichi's eyes narrowed. "He's never been the sort of guy who uses blackmail...and he's talking about both of us. What secret do both of us share...?"

"You both have secret identities of a sort...though we don't know his," the Professor observed.

"Maybe that's it..." The small boy sat back in the desk chair, staring at the message, eyes hard. His expression didn't belong on a child's face, as usual--it never did, in times like these. "And why is he glad I'm trying to track him?" he wondered aloud to himself.

"That's another mystery in itself," Agasa replied. "I'll go get on the phone with Inspector Megure, and let him know Kid has contacted us."

"Wait!" Shinichi abruptly hopped out of the chair, facing the Professor. "Wait, Professor...I know this doesn't sound like me but...just this once...I want to try and catch him on my own."

"What?" Agasa stared at him. "There's no way...! Shinichi, listen to me. This isn't just a game, you know. Kid plays for keeps--this is a matter for the police."

"I know," Shinichi replied, hanging his head. "And if I can't do it this time, I won't ask again."

"Shinichi..."

The boy risked a peek up through his bangs, sharp blue eyes pleading. "Think of it this way--Kid's not like any other thief; he likes mobs of people, he loves noise and commotion, and he thrives on pandemonium. Without cops, without crowds, without distractions, I can corner him so he can't escape into a throng, fool me with misdirections, or change his identity. He's always gotten away from me before because of some idiot's interference! Professor...I can do this!"

"Shinichi..."

"Just this once. Please. Just me and him."

Agasa rubbed the bridge of his nose. "For goodness' sake... Alright...but if this doesn't work, you might be in a lot of trouble."

"I'm willing to take that chance."

The older man sighed. "Suit yourself."

"Thank you, Professor!" Shinichi grinned. "I won't let you down--you'll see!" He had to climb up into the chair again to print out a copy of the email, taking it with him as he headed for the kitchen table and fetched a pad of paper. Agasa only shook his head and tried to get back to his usual work, tried to ignore the worry that had sprung up.

Meanwhile, Shinichi set himself up at the table with his paper and the email hardcopy. Time to lay out the facts.

Okay, we all know Kid's big into secrets and misdirections, he thought. But why is he being so blatant this time? He's practically throwing down the gauntlet--in my direction this time, instead of just the entire police force.

And why is he glad to know I'm on to him? He ought to hate my guts for busting up so many of his heists. Sure, I saved his bird before, but we're even for that...aren't we? What does he want to see me for? What secret is he talking about? The only secret I keep is my identity as Shinichi Kudo...and he knows that.

He chewed absently on the eraser of his pencil, gaze going distant. It can't be he wants to trap me into something, or use me somehow...no, Kid works solo--and as far as I've seen, he's all about the whole "Honor of Thieves" thing. He plays crafty and he plays for keeps, but he plays fair. He's never hurt anyone, not really. Just certain people's bankrolls...

"Argh...I will never understand the minds of criminals," he muttered to himself. "Okay, Kudo, back to the program."

The idea is not to figure him out--just catch him and stop the robbery, Shinichi told himself firmly, reading over the blatant clue in the email copy. Okay. Elephants, African plums, and ivory. Odd, he's never gone after ivory before... No, baka--symbolism! You know better than to take this at face value. Think!

He deliberated over the clues for some thirty minutes, occasionally scratching down notes and ideas--more often than not just scratching his head. This riddle seemed a lot more simple than Kid's usual convoluted messages, but it was equally nonsensical.

And that was the problem. It just made no sense. He had no references for it--it contained no relevant landmarks, poetic clues, word plays, or significant characters. It was just...a simple statement.

"Gah," Shinichi grunted, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Either he's just toying with me, or he's really come up with a doozy this time..." Frustrated, he wondered if banging his head on the tabletop again would produce some results; at the very least, he'd gotten iced tea out of the deal yesterday.

"This is getting me nowhere..." He took a deep breath and sat up, stretching his arms above his head with a yawn. At times like these, the best thing to do is stand back and look over the whole situation again. Unfortunately, the whole situation is a sum total of eighty-nine words.

Whole situation... Finished stretching, he stopped and blinked at the clean printed copy of the email. Wait a second... he thought, coming to a sudden revelation. Maybe the whole message is a clue!

That idea seemed to set loose the floodgates in his mind. He leaned over the email, reading over the whole message with new eyes, seeking hidden messages behind the words that weren't the obvious clues.

"I'm glad you're beginning to take more than a passing interest..."

Now how the hell did he know I was "interested?" He was busy in Yokohama while I was watching his heist yesterday; unless he's psychic I don't think he'd know that. But he knew I was on Professor Agasa's computer...

His gaze moved down, reading further--when he hit a sentence that made all the lightbulbs turn on.

"See if you can trace my methods as well as you can trace my targets."

"So that's it!" Grinning, Shinichi immediately scribbled down "methods!" as his first important note. He wants me to get how he did it, too--not just what he's after! That might be part of finding the clues behind his "big hint!" But...how did he figure I was looking for him...and what method is he...?

"...trace my targets."

Subject: FabuGem

No way...he actually hacked the search server and found out I had logged requests! Clever, Kid...real clever--also happens to be breaking a few rules... His "methods," huh? So Kaitou Kid does use the Internet to scope his targets. Interesting...

Shinichi jotted his last few notes, taking down every conclusion he came up with. All the evidence in the email seemed to point to FabuGem's website--or more specifically, the computer behind it. The only clues to unlock the puzzle in the key sentence would probably be found there.

Still grinning in elation that he'd uncovered a crucial point, Shinichi let his feet carry him to Professor Agasa's study--and the waiting computer. He was already logging in and heading for the FabuGem site when he realized that to get the information he needed, he'd have to use some slightly unacceptable methods--he'd be breaking into the FabuGem server just like Kid had.

He frowned, watching the site load, considering his options. He could back down, let this slide, do some legwork and figure it out the roundabout way--but that might take longer than he had time to spend. What if Kid's planned heist was sooner than he expected, and he missed it because he was mucking around and not using the tools he had before him?

Well...I guess some things just have to be done, he reasoned as his fingers began to fly across the keyboard. Undercover cops sometimes have to do unpleasant things in the line of duty. If I can catch Kaitou Kid, this'll all be worth it.

Kaito Kuroba was boredly working on some math homework as he sat at his desk, occasionally sipping the soda perched beside his book as he studied. Kaitou Kid or not, he still had a life, and the life of a high school student did have the usual requirements. Such as being at school on time--which his night job sometimes hampered--and getting his homework done by the due date. That part he had no trouble with--he had nigh-perfect memory of anything he put his mind to, and memorizing trigonometry for tests was little trouble at all. Just boring.

As he worked, he checked his computer screen occasionally, wondering if his little plan was going to succeed or not. If the police got involved, the whole thing would go up in smoke; he had to count on Kudo's pride and inherent curiosity for this little "man to man" contest.

Kudo was no slouch, and certainly no idiot; this was likely to be the most touch-and-go operation Kid had ever conducted--as well as the most risky, and not just for himself. He was roaming into uncharted territory now, by choosing to involve someone else in the world of the phantom thief--but then, if his reasoning held true, it shouldn't be very hard at all. Just a little nudge...

An eagle always learns to fly, he thought, recalling an old saying. Even if he was raised among turkeys.

His eyes flicked to the computer one more time--and there it was! He dropped his pencil and immediately scooted over to the keyboard, grinning widely, having spotted a familiar log number come up in the server. Data moved, showing that the other computer was reaching into FabuGem's files.

"Hello, Shinichi," he greeted quietly. There's a fine line between the "good" and the "bad," my friend--and you just stuck your toe over it. Now we'll see if you can follow my trail... He quickly logged out--he didn't want Shinichi to catch any trace of him there, especially since he was using his own PC to do this.

With luck, Kudo would have the heist pinned down in a matter of hours--then the plan could get moving in earnest. Still grinning, he picked up his pencil and went back to his homework.

Shinichi marched down the hall toward the living room, grinning fit to split his face. He was immeasurably proud of himself, mixed with a bit of guilty glee at his little bout of computer piracy. It had taken a good two hours, but he had it--by God, he had it! Kaitou Kid's riddle was an open book to him now.

"The elephant plucks the African plum, but his ivory is worth more than the fruit."

Chuckling to himself at the unbearable simplicity of it, he flopped down on the couch to review his notes. Professor Agasa stuck his head in the door, having heard his laughter and become curious.

"What is it, Shinichi? Did you figure it out?" the old man asked, stepping over to his easy chair to sit. "You've been busy for quite a while in there...did you come up with something?"

Smiling, Shinichi held up his note paper. "Oh, did I ever!" he announced smugly. "Once I cracked the riddle, it was as easy as falling out of a chair."

"Well? What's it mean?"

Shinichi sat up, still smirking as he began. "Elementary, my dear Agasa. The 'African plum' gave me my first clue--most plums are purple, are they not? And what jewel is most commonly associated with purple?"

Agasa got that in a flash--that was easy. "An amethyst!"

"Right. I found some sale records and sifted through them for amethysts being bought and sold. There are four amethysts being purchased out of Africa this month, surprisingly...so at first I was a little confused."

"How did you figure that out?" Agasa asked.

Shinichi pointed out a circled scribble on one corner of his note pad. "Because the 'plum' I want really was plucked by an 'elephant!' See?"

The Professor leaned close, adjusting his glasses to read the name aloud. "'Kyozou?'"

Shinichi nodded, grinning again. "That's the name of the man who purchased this particular amethyst--it's set in a woman's brooch, probably a gift to his wife or something. The funny thing is...Kyozou-san's name means 'great elephant.'"

"So it does!" Agasa sat back, surprised. "What did you get out of that?"

"Well, Kyozou's purchase is going to be delivered to his house in three days, at nine PM on Tuesday night. When the 'elephant' plucks the 'plum'--that's the time of the heist."

"So Kaitou Kid's going to steal--!"

"No--the amethyst brooch isn't his target." Shinichi pointed to the word "ivory" scrawled below some unreadable notes. "It's just the distraction. The delivery of a precious gem, heavily guarded, the whole household turned out to watch and help--while Kid sneaks in the back and takes the real prize."

"Cunning, indeed," Agasa commented. "So what is the target?"

"Something much older--and much more valuable," the young detective replied, his smug smile returning. "That's the thing about ivory, Professor--elephants are born with it, and it grows in value as time passes. What kind of treasure is a man endowed with, that he doesn't just buy, and increases in worth over time?"

Agasa's brows went up. "An heirloom?"

"Bingo!" Shinichi crowed. "My guess is that our friend Kyozou-san has some old, valuable heirloom stored away, and it must be a pretty hefty jewel if Kid's after it. The amethyst brooch is a stone about the size of your thumbnail--pretty darn impressive, but Kid likes his gems a lot bigger."

Agasa leaned back in his chair, applauding briefly. "Well done! Genius as always, Shinichi. I couldn't have done better if I tried."

The teen-turned-boy grinned even wider, soaking up the praise. Solving an "impossible" mystery always put him into a good mood, and after his two-day-long funk it felt better than ever--a strange sort of high, almost; he was smart, and he knew it. And he was quite proud of it.

"So," the Professor continued. "What are you going to do about this, now?"

"Um..." Shinichi's grin froze, tilted, then fell. His face turned serious and slightly thoughtful. "That's what I'm not so sure about. With this information, I could have the cops on his tail in a snap, but..."

"But you said you wanted to do this yourself," Agasa added quietly.

"That's right. And that means things might get touchy. Depending on what sort of place Kyozou has, and the circumstances of the delivery...even the location of Kid's target...I'm not sure what I'd have to do to catch him without the police there."

"You'd be breaking and entering, at the very least," said a new voice from the doorway. Both turned to see Ai standing there, hands on hips and looking slightly scolding. Only slightly, of course.

"I know." Shinichi scowled and turned away from her as she came in to make herself comfortable. "That's why this is so difficult. Because if I had to chase Kid into Kyozou's house, I'd be there without a warrant or the police to make the arrest..."

"You'd be no better than Kid, Kudo," Ai responded, her eyes set and blank as usual...but almost curious. "You're willing do to that, just to catch a thief?"

"Come now, Ai-kun..." the Professor began placatingly, only to be cut off by Shinichi.

"A criminal is a criminal!" the boy spat. "Whether he's a thief or a murderer--they're all breaking the law."

"So that makes it okay for you to do the same thing just to catch them." Ai frowned and leaned closer. "Tell me, Kudo--if you could stoop to breaking into a house to catch a thief...would you kill someone to stop a murderer?"

Agasa was struck dumb; Shinichi gulped and gaped at her, his mouth working as he fought for a rational answer. "I...I...but...it's not like that!" he protested. "I'm not there to steal anything, and they wouldn't even know I'd been there. I just have to do what an undercover cop does--it's not the greatest, but I'll get the job done. I'll catch Kaitou Kid!" He frowned again, glaring at her. "And who are you to lecture me about ethics and morality anyway?"

Ai rolled her eyes and shrugged. "Whatever. I know I've never been an innocent angel, but at least I don't make excuses for what I've done. And there's a major problem with your excuse, Kudo."

"What?" he demanded shortly.

"You're not an undercover cop. You're not even a licensed private investigator. It's not your job." Ai frowned, getting up from her seat. "At best, you're a well-meaning young man who happens to be good at helping Inspector Megure out on tough cases. At worst, you're a little kid who should be more concerned about his own problems, instead of trying to solve everyone else's."

Shinichi sat up, glaring. "You--you don't--!"

"Do what you want, Kudo," Ai interrupted, striding out. "I don't want anything to do with it. When it hits the fan, I'm not going to get involved. It's your funeral."

When she was gone, Shinichi folded his arms and scowled. "Sheesh. What's her problem? You'd think I was going to turn into an international criminal or something."

Agasa cleared his throat, rather uncomfortably. "I believe she's just concerned that your activities could have an adverse affect on your situation. If by some chance things went wrong, and you were exposed--Shinichi, have you stopped to think that the Black Organization might discover you somehow?"

"Of course I have! I'm not stupid!"

"And I have to say...I do agree with Ai-kun," the Professor confessed. "By appearances, you'd be a little boy caught burglarizing a house--and that's anything but normal. Someone might get suspicious. This isn't like any other case you've ever worked on, Shinichi...I think you should reconsider calling the police."

"Sure. And have Kid get away again?" Shinichi turned to the older man, his gaze earnest. "Professor, you know I won't let anything happen. And I told you--if I can't do it this time, I won't ever ask again. If I fail, you can call the police and tell them anything you want."

Agasa found himself strangely ill at ease from the eager gleam in the boy's eyes--as if Shinichi was craving, yearning to face Kaitou Kid one on one. "I did say I'd let you," the older man sighed. "I'll keep my word."

Shinichi smiled once more, eyes lighting up. "Thanks, Professor! Now, we've got until Tuesday to get ready for this--I'm gonna need your help to cover for me that night."

"Of course. The usual excuse?"

"That'll do, I guess--simple is best. And if you don't mind, I'll need to get some equipment ready, too..."

Unbeknownst to Shinichi, Kaito was preparing himself for Tuesday night's heist as well. Tucked away in his father's secret room, surrounded by the tools of his trade, the teenage thief laid out both his costume and his gear, checking each piece over, making any necessary repairs, ensuring that every item was in full working order and ready for use.

His movements were practiced, methodical, his hands quick and precise. But his eyes were slightly distant and his face was set in a strange, uncharacteristic frown, lines of worry furrowing between his brows. He too looked forward to the heist with eager anticipation--and unusual trepidation--though his reasons were slightly different from Kudo's. This operation--it was one of the most important things he'd ever planned; he couldn't let anything go awry...

You've got to come, Kudo, he thought, readjusting his glider's fittings under his suit's cape. You've just got to. I hope you didn't call the cops...you better not have, or they'll screw everything up. If you don't involve the police, everything will go smoothly, and you'll earn the secret. You don't even have to catch me, just succeed at this. You will--I know you will, you can't resist. I know you can do it!

Once it's done, I can tell you. Once you know the truth, then you'll understand. You'll understand what this whole game has been about. Then we can help each other.

That way, we'll both get what we want most...

To be continued...

AN: Well, chapter 3 has been un-teaser-ized. I hope you all enjoyed it! I've never written a mystery before, and it's fun! Forgive any mistakes--and be aware I'm a constant fixer-upper, so some chapters may get revised if I discover a blooper. And I'm sorta new to Conan, so I might just trip over my own feet on this... Anyway, back to work! The grand heist is coming next, in File 4: Crossing the Line!

By the way, fanart is very welcome...I do have a website to post it on...(which shall be updated as soon as I fix my FTP settings.)