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Relative Truth
by Becky Tailweaver
File 6: Double Checkmate
*Flashback*
Kaito immediately cornered Jii and demanded to know about Yuusaku Kudo--and his connection to Shinichi. Who were they, and how was it that they could defeat even the matchless Kid? It couldn't be a coincidence--not with Shinichi's uncanny mind and the way Kaito's father described Yuusaku's skills.
Jii was, again, saddened and disturbed. But when Kaito pressed him, he relented, taking a deep quiet breath to tell his tale.
"I don't know how you'll take this, young Master," the old man began, "but all I can tell you is what I know of the truth. It started many years ago, when your father was still a young man, not yet famous as the Great Magician Toichi Kuroba. As you know, your grandfather was a bandit magician as well, and he trained his sons in the art of the phantom thief--"
"Hold on a sec," Kaito interrupted, puzzled. "Did you just say 'sons'...?"
"Yes, young Master, you heard me correctly," Jii replied. "Your father had a younger brother, who trained alongside him under your grandfather, the old Master. The brothers were in their late teens...that's when I first became privileged to serve the Kuroba family as manservant and assistant. It was at about that time that your father and his brother had finished their training, and were finally allowed to operate on their own."
Kaito leaned back, eyebrows high. "I've got an uncle somewhere? Che, why didn't Mom tell me anything about this...?"
Jii looked down sadly. "Because she had promised not to. It was long ago, young Master...you were only a tiny child then. You wouldn't remember him."
"So who is he? Is he still alive? Where does he live?" Kaito's questions were quick and curious.
"This information must never leave this room, young Master," Jii responded, surprisingly direct. "It's a secret your father kept to his grave, and I was not to speak of it either, but..." He took another breath. "Your uncle is still alive; his name is Yuusaku Kuroba, although when he and your father had their quarrel and parted ways, he changed his name to--"
"Yuusaku Kudo?" Kaito jerked upright, his quick wits having already jumped ahead of the old man. Jii nodded, and Kaito's jaw dropped. "Holy cow, that renowned mystery novelist? Geez, he's as famous as Dad in some places! It's him? He's my uncle? And that would make Shinichi Kudo my...my...!" His voice ran out as his eyes went wide, his mind running wild. He gaped for a moment, gulping...and then began to laugh.
Jii blinked. "Ah...young Master, are you...?"
Kaito held his sides, trying to speak between chuckles. "Oh, this is too rich! I'm related to the little twerp!" He broke out in another gale of laughter. "Ah, the irony! No wonder--brains must run in the family! I should have seen it--damn, he's the only one who ever cornered me!"
After a while, Kaito was finally able to breathe normally; he wiped his eys, chuckling, and looked to Jii once more. "So...here's a good question--just why did Ojisan change his name and take off like that? Did he blow his cover or something?"
Jii shook his head sadly. "No, young Master. Your uncle was every bit as good as your father; they made a powerful team, each with his own strengths and talents. However...Master Yuusaku was always the quieter of the two. Where your father loved to lead the police on a merry chase, loved to perform puzzling tricks and feats of deviltry in the spotlight, Master Yuusaku preferred to work from the shadows, stealthy and quick--he was a silent ghost where your father was a boisterous poltergeist. The most delicate, secret operations were his greatest performances."
"Hn...so Ojisan wasn't a showoff, huh? Bet he never made a good standup magician."
Jii smiled a little, wryly. "No, he didn't; he was more suited to quiet table shows and private exhibitions. But he was good--make no mistake, young Master, he was very good. Were he still in the business today, I doubt you'd find him an easy opponent."
"Why isn't he still in the business?" Kaito asked curiously, eager eyes hiding his concern.
"Your father and your uncle were phantom thieves by heritage and by trade," Jii explained. "However, in the daylight they each had their own hobbies and jobs. Your father, as you know, loved sleight-of-hand and illusion just as you do; over time, he became the famous magician, Toichi Kuroba."
"And Ojisan?"
"Master Yuusaku, being the quiet person that he was...had a love of books. Oddly enough, it was detectives and mysteries that enchanted him the most. As a youngster he loved reading about murder mysteries and famous detectives like Sherlock Holmes. Since he became quite an expert on investigation and deduction, he became the strategist for many of the heists he and your father planned; he could think ahead and accurately predict how the police would react. His reasoning saved them both many times."
Kaito listened with rapt attention, absorbed in the tale.
"When he was about your age," Jii continued, "Master Yuusaku started writing books, and called himself 'Kudo.' He took on the pen name to protect his privacy, since it wouldn't be safe if his growing fame revealed his shadow life as a phantom thief. He loved writing detective stories--so much, in fact, that he even began to live the life by day. He was nearby when a murder was committed, and although he was a thief, both he and your father abhorred the thought of taking a human life. Master Yuusaku used his strong deduction skills to assist the police investigator with finding the real culprit. After that, he continued solving murder cases whenever the police called upon him--and even to them, he was known only as Yuusaku Kudo, novelist and deduction expert. They never knew his real name."
"That must be where Shinichi got it from," Kaito murmured thoughtfully. "The guy can't help but jump on any murder case that comes his way."
"I haven't seen Master Yuusaku's son since he was a baby," Jii said, almost wistfully. "If he has even half of his father's wits and charisma...he must be a worthy opponent for you indeed."
Kaito scowled a bit, somewhat petulantly. "Hell yeah...he's annoying. Remember the 'bad feeling' you got about the Clock Tower job? Well, that was him."
Jii hid his chuckle. "I expect that was a harrowing experience, from what you've told me."
The youth just snorted. "Feh...anyway, what happened to make Ojisan leave the family?"
"I'm not quite sure about that," Jii replied sadly. "There are obvious reasons for what he did...but no one knows for certain exactly what was said the night he left, except your father and Master Yuusaku themselves. I believe that things began to change when Master Yuusaku met Miss Yukiko, and he began to realize that his life in the shadows might be a danger to her. You see, by then your father and uncle had made some enemies in the underworld--"
Kaito sat up immediately. "The guys who killed Dad?"
Jii nodded. "Yes, and others like them. You know it as a rule, young Master--a phantom thief doesn't always keep what he steals. In truth, he should give back nearly everything he takes--the art of the return--"
"'--is as worthy an art as the theft itself,'" Kaito quoted for him. "I know, I know..."
"Yes, young Master. And because they often found out about these darker syndicates' planned robberies due to their underworld contacts, they would usually steal the items in a flamboyant manner before the other organizations got to them--and when the stolen items were returned, they would be guarded that much more carefully. In a way, it is a phantom thief's duty to protect the beautiful and valuable things of this world..."
"Hey, don't get sappy on me now, old man," Kaito prodded, seeing the wistful look in Jii's eyes. "Keep going with the story!"
"Ah...yes..." Jii cleared his throat. "As you know, this greatly angered these shadowy organizations, and eventually led to the Master's murder...but Master Yuusaku had left long before then." The older man looked sad, and somehow more elderly than he usually did. "At first, Miss Yukiko dated Master Yuusaku knowing him only as the famous writer, Kudo. As far as I know, he told her the truth about himself just prior to their engagement, and she kept his secret when they were married."
"Mom and Dad were married by then, weren't they?" Kaito asked.
"Yes...a couple of years before that, actually. Those were some happy times; both your father and your uncle had someone to love, and for a while everything went well. Phantom thieves by night, magician and novelist by day, they were content even though there was constant danger of discovery by one of their enemies." Jii smiled, eyes full of memory. "All of them were very close; your mothers became the best of friends, and even shared a little of the Masters' secret lives, learning some skills in disguise. Because their marriages were several years apart, it came as a great surprise that their sons were born at nearly the same time. It was thought that you and the other young Master, Shinichi, would be raised and trained together as phantom thieves just as your fathers before you."
Kaito's brows went up at that. "Hm...come to think of it, Kudo would make one hell of a thief if he put his mind to it. He's sneaky enough as it is, with the little problem he's got right now..."
"But it was not to be, young Master," Jii went on, face darkening. "You and Master Shinichi weren't even a year old when it happened..."
"When what happened?"
"There was an attack--somehow, someone from one of the organizations had followed the Masters, and found one of their safehouses. It was extremely unlucky...horrible...I wasn't there but I wish I had been--I might've been able to do something..."
"Hey, tell me!" Kaito insisted. "What did those bastards do?"
"Miss Yukiko and your mother were there at the safehouse, waiting for the Masters' return--it was a dangerous mission that time, something of such importance that even Master Toichi never told me what they had been going after. When the attack came, the Masters were forced to stand and face their enemies, to protect their wives and sons...Master Yuusaku managed to get you and your mother to safety, but Miss Yukiko was badly wounded by an assassin's bullet, and young Shinichi was almost taken hostage--if not for your father's intervention, he would have been killed."
Kaito's eyes were wide, transfixed. "Dad...saved Kudo...?"
Jii's gaze didn't waver. "He could not let his brother's child become prey for those wolves. He risked his life for his nephew, just as he would have done for you."
The youth sat in silence, thinking, his face unusually pensive.
"It was after that incident that Master Yuusaku left," Jii continued softly. "He had nearly lost both his wife and his son in a single blow, and I believe that frightened him badly--so badly that he felt he could not continue the life of a phantom thief in the darkness. Even I don't know what happened the night your father and uncle had words, but...from what I've gleaned, Master Yuusaku tried to persuade your father to quit as well, but Master Toichi wouldn't hear of it--the incident had only strengthened his resolve to bring those organizations down. After that, Master Yuusaku changed his identity completely, moving away from the family home, falsifying his credentials, and slipping completely into the role of Yuusaku Kudo, mystery novelist. He severed all ties with the Kuroba family, to keep their enemies from ever finding them again."
"He knew, didn't he?" Kaito asked breathlessly. "He knew they'd track down Kaitou Kid's true identity eventually..."
"Yes...and he was right. Years later--"
"--Dad was murdered," Kaito finished, his face hardened with a shadow of anger and sorrow. "Ojisan tried to stop him from being Kid because..."
"Master Yuusaku always had a way of knowing these things," Jii said quietly. "After he became Yuusaku Kudo, the writer, he also tried to stop Kaitou Kid by force--by assisting the police in his capture. I suppose he thought alive in jail was better than murdured in the dark..."
Kaito's head jerked up. "That's why Dad was so upset? In his notes he talked about Ojisan betraying him--"
"The separation hurt both of them deeply--I could tell that Master Toichi was very depressed after his brother left us." Jii sighed, shaking his head. "I never saw Master Yuusaku after that night, not until your father died. He came to see your mother after the funeral, and we talked for only a while. He was grief-stricken at the Master's death, and felt that it was his fault for not being there to help, for not stopping Master Toichi from being Kid. Master Yuusaku had your mother promise that she would keep you away from the life of a phantom thief, to spare you the same fate your father suffered--and in her sorrow, she agreed. He was very concerned about you, young Master, and even saw to you and your mother's care from that day on."
"What?" Kaito blinked. "You mean Ojisan didn't just--?"
"Even your father's considerable savings could not last forever," Jii explained. "The reason you have been living so comfortably these last few years is because Master Yuusaku has been sending your mother a fair sum of money on a regular basis. That's why she hasn't had to work all this time, and you can afford to pay for your nightly activities of late..." He caught Kaito's boggled look and raised an eyebrow. "Come now, young Master...you didn't think all that money came out of thin air, did you?"
"Uh...well..." The youth gulped. "I guess I just never really thought about it before. I thought it was all Dad's money..." He cleared his throat. "So Ojisan didn't really abandon his family, did he?"
"No...he told me he was always following Kaitou Kid's exploits, getting more and more worried about the risks your father was taking," Jii replied. "That day after the funeral was the last day we spoke--and the same day I left your family's formal service. Your mother asked me to go--she felt I had too much connection to your father's past, and obviously she never told you anything, until you discovered it for yourself..."
"Whoa...Mom took Ojisan seriously, didn't she?" Kaito mused, almost sadly.
Jii nodded. "Yes...and I imagine Master Yuusaku has already guessed what's been going on, ever since Kaitou Kid 'reappeared.' He probably knows everything by now--he was always very quick in his observations. I'm sure he hasn't said anything because of his secrets, but...without a doubt, he's been watching after you very closely."
"It's nice to know he cares, at least," Kaito remarked. "But I've never met him--he's never come to visit, even on a pretense..."
"He still keeps his secrets," Jii explained somewhat sadly. "Even to this day, he fears what will happen if someone realizes that the brother of Toichi Kuroba still lives."
And Shinichi's gone and gotten himself into deep shit with some of the same bastards that caused all this, Kaito reflected. I wonder how Ojisan's handling that. Not well, I'd guess...he must have one hell of a Poker Face... "So...you think Shinichi probably doesn't know anything about this?"
Jii frowned. "I would imagine he doesn't. That day after the funeral, Master Yuusaku said that ignorance is sometimes a child's best defense--the very reason your mother kept the secret of Kaitou Kid from you. And I know that Master Yuusaku is quite determined to protect his family. Young Master Shinichi probably knows nothing of you or his uncle; it's doubtful he even knows his true name."
"Heh..." Kaito leaned back once more, grinning a bit ironically. "Wouldn't that arrogant little meddler blow a gasket if he knew he's related to the infamous Kid...!" He chuckled shortly to himself. "Hell, I'd love to tell him myself, just to see the look on his face!"
"Young Master..." Jii said warningly.
Kaito rolled his eyes. "I know, I know...it's all a big secret, blah blah blah....I get it already. Besides, if I told him anything, I'd get arrested in a cold second. 'The Great Detective Kudo' takes no prisoners--and he's especially annoyed with me, since I keep giving him the slip." That last sentence was accompanied by a completely unrepentant grin.
Jii looked relieved. "I'm glad you undersand, young Master."
Kaito shrugged nonchalantly. "Ojisan can keep his secrets, and Kudo can stay ignorant--all I need to do is keep on being Kaitou Kid, until I uncover the bastards who killed my father and see that they pay for what they've done." His grin returned as he rose from his place, turning to leave. After a pause, he glanced back. "Thanks a lot for telling me the truth, Jii. I know to be extra careful around Kudo from now on--after all...same blood, same brains!"
With that, Kaito Kuroba walked out, bearing with him the newfound knowledge of his own past--and his true link to Shinichi Kudo.
*End Flashback*
The two boys sat on the stairs with a sleepy dove and a pack of cards for a long time while Kaito related his tale of secrets and discovery in a quiet, even voice. Silent, Shinichi petted the bird in his lap and honestly listened, taking in the youth's words without rebuttal or interruption. Kaito fixed his eyes on middle distance as he spoke, his hands fiddling absently with the pack of cards, shuffling them to and fro with careless, unthinking precision.
When the narrative was finished, Kaito wound to a halt, and for a few moments there was uneasy silence between the two. Kaito licked his lips and waited--for what, he wasn't sure. Disbelief, anger, a sharp retort--the sort of response he'd been expecting from the small boy beside him.
Shinichi took a deep breath, at last looking up from Shiro's drowsy form to meet the youth's questioning eyes. "So...Kaito...you're my cousin."
It was a statement of fact, only partially a question, spoken in a soft uncertain tone as if Shinichi were trying to confirm it in his own mind. Kaito managed a half-smile in response, shrugging lightly. "Yeah. Kinda funny, isn't it? Talk about ironic..."
Shinichi's snort of reply was almost inaudible. "You can pick your friends..."
"...but you can't choose your relatives," Kaito finished for him, his half-smile becoming full. "You actually believe me?"
"Why not?" Shinichi replied quietly with a fatalistic chuckle, his eyes dropping again. "I talked to my father already, and what little he said...seems to confirm your story. And there's that..." He gestured vaguely in the direction of the forgotten birth certificate, not really wanting to look at it. "You were right--there is only one truth...and my father's been hiding it all this time..."
Kaito eyed him for a moment. "You're really upset about this, aren't you?" he observed keenly, voice hesitant.
There was a catch in Shinichi's next breath, and his words were heavy with sarcasm that sounded alarming when spoken with the voice of a small boy. "No, not at all. I just found out my father's been lying to me my whole life, and Mom's been in on it...and everything I knew to be true is all a pack of lies he fed to me and the rest of the world...just to keep his damn secrets..." The catch in his breath became a roughness in his voice as he went on. "No, I'm not upset at all. I'm just fine..."
The next breath he took was shaky, and he ran trembling fingers through his bangs with a frustrated murmur of "Dammit..." as he tried to hide his emotions. Kaito caught the glimmer of tears in the boy's eyes when Shinichi glanced at him.
"Hey, um..." Kaito carefully set a hand on one thin shoulder in an attempt to comfort, pulling back quickly when Shinichi jerked at his touch. "For what it's worth...I'm sorry. Maybe I should've kept my stupid big mouth shut..."
"No," Shinichi interrupted, wiping his eyes. "I'm glad I know. I'm always searching for the truth, so I'm glad. It's just...knowledge itself can sometimes hurt as much as lies. But it's a clean sort of hurting, like when you have to wash a wound. Getting a wound hurts, and sometimes cleansing it hurts worse than the wound did...but it'll heal better in the end..."
"'Zat so? Feh, then it's some job I did with the wound cream, huh?" Kaito snorted at himself, at his own coarseness. Before seeing how Shinichi reacted to the revelation, he hadn't really thought about how he'd handled it. "I didn't make it very easy on you."
Shinichi glanced away. "There is no easy way to hear something like this." He frowned, looking down at the dove once more, his voice still hoarse. "So now what? Where do we go from here?"
Kaito shrugged, hiding his sudden touch of nervousness, gazing at the boy. "I dunno. I guess that all depends on you. You've got me by the tail, Shinichi--you've got my name and my identity, and you could have the cops knocking on my door in a second. It's up to you."
Shinichi glanced up at him quickly, surprised; that thought actually hadn't crossed his mind since the conversation began. "But...you've also got me," he observed suddenly, almost thoughtfully. "You could blow my identity too, and give me away to the Black Organization if you wanted..."
"Huh, I hadn't thought of that," Kaito mused, unconsciously echoing Shinichi's thoughts. "I guess you're right. But the operative phrase here is 'if I wanted.'"
Their eyes met, identical gazes of dark blue. Shinichi saw honest hope, a tentative earnestness, behind the impish playfulness of the Kid; Kaito saw wariness, fear, and the first hesitant glimmers of acceptance, maybe trust.
In the end, it was Kaito who spoke first. "I've got a good idea," he announced. "We should take some time to think about this, both of us. Let's say...'til the weekend? I cut class to come talk to you, so Aoko's gonna ream me out for sure..." He shook his head. "I think it'd be best if we meet again at a time when we don't have to worry about school or our companions."
"School?" Shinichi blinked. "Crap, what time is it...? Ran's gonna come and I can't meet her like this." He didn't even have to gesture to indicate his sweat-tousled hair, tear and grime-streaked face, and the dust and dried perspiration that covered his small body.
"Whoa, slow down..." Kaito checked his watch. "You've got time yet."
"I can't stay here...she can't find me here...!" Gently lifting the dove from his lap, Shinichi stood up from the stairs, his eyes brightening as if he were just waking up. Roused from his nap, Shiro fluttered; Shinichi released him to fly back to Kaito's shoulder.
"Relax, you've got at least an hour," Kaito said, stroking the dove's feathered breast. He stood as well, towering over Shinichi, who took an involuntary step back. "Guess I should get going, too. Places to go, people to see..."
"Kaito..." Shinichi's voice was low, almost warning.
"Hm?" The youth glanced at him. "Oh, don't be concerned with Kid, Shinichi. There won't be any more heists until you and I work this out. Okay? You can sleep soundly--I won't pull anything."
Shinichi frowned at him for a moment, measuring the honesty in his expression, before looking away again. "Alright. But...this weekend...?"
"How about Friday afternoon? Don't worry, I'll find you. And I won't blow your cover--you have my word on that." Kaito's pack of cards went into a pocket; Shiro the dove just seemed to vanish somewhere along the line as the youth turned toward the hall and the door, waving as he went. "Take care, Shinichi. I'll see you around."
Shinichi stood still, watching him leave. When the teenage thief was gone, out of his sight and out of his house, he took another deep, shaky breath. Alone with his own thoughts now, he struggled to assimilate everything he'd heard, everything he'd learned.
His eyes fell to the birth certificate, still lying innocently on the floor. It hadn't been a dream, or a hallucination--the paper was real, smooth against his fingertips as he picked it up. The document still displayed the same incriminating kanji in stark black ink.
Shinichi Kuroba--his name, his real name; his true heritage, the secret that his father had been keeping all these years...
His gaze turned to the stairway, his mind's eye focusing on the attic--on the trunk and its little secret chamber in the lid. He had to hide this certificate, never let anyone see it...at least until he decided what to do about Kid--his cousin, Kaito Kuroba--his parents, and his whole situation.
He had two days to think about it.
Right after school that day, Ran said goodbye to Sonoko and hurried toward home, swerving off course to take the slight detour that would lead her by Professor Agasa's house. And Shinichi's, too; strange...this route had been her usual way to and from school, before Shinichi had become so scarce.
Shinichi was on her mind, as usual--more so now because of the gift she had given him and their recent conversation over the phone. That day occupied her thoughts constantly; it was the first time he'd called in so long, and she'd missed his voice so much. She missed his face too, but he so rarely ever appeared. He was becoming a ghost...
A ghost whose image she saw so often in the little boy that lived at her house--a little boy who always made her wonder, no matter how many times he or Shinichi denied it...
Conan and Shinichi were just barely relatives, right? Distant cousins only through Shinichi's mother and Professor Agasa. One of those genetic flukes that cropped up amongst cousins, that made them so alike not only in features but in manner, personality, intelligence...in their blue eyes that would sometimes just look at her like that... Even with the word of Agasa and the Kudos, even through all she'd seen and heard, little Conan still just made her wonder.
Last Friday night was on her mind for more than one reason.
That evening, she'd been too excited to notice; she'd just heard from Shinichi, and she was overjoyed that he'd received his gift and liked it so much. Then there was her little half-joking demand of him--the stuttering promise he'd made...she hadn't even thought about it, because after that, Conan had come home and she'd had a wonderful present for him, too. And Conan had seen Shinichi--he'd been with Shinichi at Agasa's and could tell her how he was doing.
Conan had been so cute and shy, giving her that kiss on Shinichi's behalf just to cheer her up. The curious little scamp was such a lovable dear when he wanted to be; whenever her heart was broken by Shinichi, Conan was there trying in his sweet childish way to make her feel better.
There was a discrepancy in that evening's events that she hadn't realized until the next day. She'd been so elated at hearing Shinichi's voice, and so touched by Conan's thoughtfulness. It took some extremely boring math homework and a long stare out an empty window to make the facts fall into place for her; she'd been concentrating on things other than algebraic equations, running over the previous evening's events in her head--when realization had struck.
How did Conan know that Shinichi had promised her a kiss?
The question still turned over and over in her head, even now. According to Shinichi, Conan had left Agasa's house before Shinichi had made his call, so there was no way Conan could have overheard--and even if he did, hearing only half the phone conversation wouldn't let him know that Ran had demanded that "payment" from Shinichi. And Conan wouldn't have heard her on the phone, either--she'd hung up the telephone and had been salvaging dinner long before he'd ever showed up, and even if he had heard, he still wouldn't have known about the kiss because he wouldn't have heard what payment Ran was talking about. On top of that, Shinichi couldn't have told him because he hadn't walked Conan home--and Shinichi didn't talk about such embarassing things anyway.
Those long-familiar old suspicions were back again, full force since last Saturday. She hated the uncertainty; even through all the things she'd been told, she still couldn't quite believe...because there was always something.
And Conan had been acting different the last few days as well. Ever since that evening and the books, the boy had been withdrawn and moody when she watched him in secret, though whenever he noticed her presence he would immediately brighten into innocent cuteness, pick himself up, and start off on a chatter with "Ran-neechan!" and from there on be the perfectly sweet little boy she'd always known--until he thought she'd left. But he'd spent so much time at Professor Agasa's this week...and why had it not been a surprise when Agasa called her to say that Conan wasn't going to school this morning?
She'd almost been expecting that...as if she knew in her heart that something other than a fun new experiment had happened last night...
Her speculations had distracted her all day at school, and she was still pensive about it. Now she had to pick Conan up...and the state he was in when she did would determine her pattern of thought for her next set of theories. If he was a happy, bouncing little boy with a sniffle, she would be reassured that it had indeed been a fun project and he had been brought out of his moodiness by Agasa's invention, and had just caught a cold from the excitement--he did seem prone to respiratory infections, after all--and she could shove all her crazy Ran-musing back into the closet in her mind. But if Conan was depressed and not all that ill, if he was just being silent and hiding something, she would know that something else had happened. But what...?
Ran was not stupid; she lived with a private investigator and participated in cases, and had spent nearly all her life in fairly close proximity to police, mysteries, and detectives. She was no stranger to clues and deductions--years of hanging around with Shinichi had taught her some critical thinking and logic skills.
And from that, she was coming to some suspicious conclusions once more. Something was coming to a head--she could feel it. Another confrontation--another demand for the truth that would be answered by a rock-solid alibi or excuse--another reason why she shouldn't suspect...but she still did.
She put on her happy Ran-neechan face as she turned in Agasa's gate; if it was all just her wild ideas acting up again, she didn't want to upset Conan after he'd had a fun evening and spent the morning with a sniffle. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door.
Ai answered it, quiet as usual, and led Ran into the living room to wait for Conan. Ran greeted the Professor warmly; Agasa responded but seemed somewhat distracted, while Ai disappeared into the back without a word.
Ran frowned, sitting on the couch. Is it just me or are those two a bit...preoccupied? she asked herself. Something must have happened--more than the usual "Agasa-blew-up-his-lab-again" stuff. If Conan's involved...
The object of her current musings came into the room rather abruptly, looking rumpled and missing his glasses, pausing to blink at her in surprise as if she'd just appeared out of thin air in front of him.
"Hello, Conan-kun!" Ran greeted brightly. "I came to get you on my way home from school. Professor Agasa said you caught a bit of a cold--are you feeling okay?"
The odd look turned into a bright Conan-smile. "Yeah, I'm a lot better this afternoon," the boy replied. He seemed a bit tense despite his smile as he came over to her, snatching his glasses from the coffee table and slipping them on.
Ran smiled, reaching out to run her fingers through his oddly disheveled--and slightly damp--brown hair. "Did you just take a bath?"
Blushing faintly, Conan moved to sit on the couch beside her, unobtrusively--but noticeably--just beyond her arm's reach. "Yeah, but I couldn't find my comb, so my hair's messy."
"That's strange," Ran contemplated aloud. "I could've sworn I packed your comb yesterday..."
"Uh, I must've shuffled it around and dropped it when I was getting out my pajamas last night," Conan offered quickly, smiling. "It's okay."
"Are you ready to go home?"
Conan nodded. "Yeah!"
"Alright then, go get your stuff and let's get going."
The little boy pattered off, leaving Ran to watch him go. Her pleasant expression had shifted to thoughtfulness; Conan was her familiar happy little boy...but some of the sparkle was gone from his smile. He was still depressed--just skillfully hiding it; she knew him well enough to know that. He also didn't sound like he had a cold.
And with her thoughts lately, she had to wonder...
In short order they were walking home, both carrying their bags. Conan trotted obediently at her side, his small hand clutching hers as they quietly followed the familiar sidewalk that would lead them to the Mouri Detective Agency. She watched him out of the corner of her eye, worried and curious; his face was downcast beneath his tangled bangs and all he did was watch the concrete go by, not paying any attention to her.
"Conan-kun, what's the matter?" Ran asked softly. "You're awfully quiet today...are you okay?"
"Hm?" He glanced up at her with a morose expression that only halfway made it to a Conan-smile. "Yeah, I'm fine! I had fun at Professor Agasa's."
"You did, huh?" Ran tried to sound agreeable even though she was unconvinced. With a sigh, she let the matter drop, sadly turning her gaze back to the world in front of her.
They had arrived at the Mouri Detective Agency, climbing the steps to the flat above, when Conan made a sound--a small strange sound, like a gulp mixed with a sigh. His soft quavering voice spoke up, barely audible, as his pace slowed enough that he tugged at her hand.
"Ran-neechan, if...if I did...something bad...would you...still...like me?"
Startled by his question, Ran stopped just outside the door and whirled to him, staring down at him. His eyes were fixed on the floor, though his small hand tightened on hers. Concerned, she knealt down to his level, squeezing his fingers reassuringly. "Oh...Conan-kun...of course I would!" she replied honestly. "Everyone makes mistakes--I couldn't stop liking you just because of that. Whatever made you ask?"
He still wouldn't look at her, so she put two fingers to his chin, drawing his gaze up. His eyes met hers once, then flicked away as though remorseful, guilty. His lips were drawn into a thin taut line that refused to open and answer her question.
"Oh, Conan-kun..." She drew him into a warm, affectionate embrace, startled to note how uptight he was, how he tensed at her touch. She held him close, wanting to protect him from whatever was hurting him. He must've done something wrong, at school or at Agasa's, and was feeling horrible for it--he was usually such a well-behaved little boy, despite his oddities. If he'd gotten into unaccustomed trouble and thought that everyone would abandon him because of it...! "Conan-kun...you know you can tell me anything. If something happened...if it's bothering you...I promise I'll listen no matter what it is. We can work it out, you'll see--you can tell me, I promise I won't hate you. I can't hate you, Conan-kun...you're too special to me."
For an instant her speculations filled her mind--for an instant she wasn't sure who she was talking to, but she meant every word regardless.
She felt his tension melt; his face buried itself in her shoulder and his thin arms came up to wrap around her in return, trembling. His breaths were thick and shaky as if he were about to cry. "Ran-neechan..." he whispered. "Ran-neechan..."
"It's alright, Conan-kun...no matter what happened, I'll understand." She rubbed his back until his trembling ceased and it seemed that he'd relaxed. When his arms finally loosened and she released him, his face was red, but there were no tears on his cheeks. He stepped back from her and straightened his shirt, running one hand through his hair in an embarassed gesture that she found startlingly familiar. Pushing her own thoughts aside once more, she managed a good smile for him. "When you're ready, you can tell me. For now, let's go in and get dinner started, shall we? I bet you'll feel better once you get something to eat."
He nodded mutely as she rose and led him inside.
Ran was right; Conan did feel a little better with a stomach full of her warm, delicious cooking. He didn't think he'd made it all the way back to his usual self, but he was no longer hanging by a thread. He even felt well enough to go start on his almost forgotten--and unbearably easy--grade-school homework.
Scooping up his backpack and duffel from where he'd left them by the door, he headed to the bedroom to get started in private--he didn't like Ran to watch him unless he felt he had to show off his "scholastic aptitudes"...i.e., make her think he really was a dumb little seven-year-old just starting to learn things like math and spelling. But with the way he was feeling tonight, he didn't want to prolong the torture any more than was absolutely necessary. He opened his backpack to fish out his books--and froze in shock, dismayed, coming to a horrified realization.
He'd unloaded his books and papers at Agasa's to stock his pack with the tools he'd needed to break into Kyozou's mansion--and those tools and equipment were still inside.
"Crap--!" he hissed, cutting himself off before someone heard. Oh damn, I gotta hide this stuff! How could I just forget? How many times have I caught a murderer because he still had the weapon on him? Geeze, I must've left my whole brain unplugged today--!
Zipping up his pack and half-hiding it under the blankets of his little futon, he raced back to the living room, not even having to wear a Conan-mask to appear as frantic as he needed to. "Ran-neechan! I left my books at Professor Agasa's house!" he blurted as soon as he was in the door. "Can I go get them? I'll only be a few minutes--" He was already grabbing up his shoes.
"Hold it, hold it!" Ran strode across the room, wiping her hands on a towel--she'd been in the middle of washing the dishes. "It's after dark, Conan-kun. You know the rules about when you can go out alone."
Dammit... He gritted his teeth, quickly hiding his frustration. "But Ran-neechan, I need my books!" he whined, putting on his very best whimpering tone, aided by his irritation. "I can't turn my homework in late! Teacher will be mad!"
Ran smiled. "Don't worry. As soon as I get done with the dishes, I'll go get them for you. Okay?"
But I really need to go myself to take this junk back to Agasa! "Okay..." he sighed. Crap...beggars can't be choosers. But if Ran or Ojisan catch a glimpse of what's in my pack right now, I'm dead.
Immediately, he smiled widely for her benefit. "Thanks, Ran-neechan!"
"You're welcome, Conan-kun. It'll just be a bit."
He was already heading back out, already hard at work on his next problem--how he was going to hide those tools here, and then at school tomorrow, until he could get them back to Agasa's and get rid of them.
True to her word, Ran put on her coat and headed back toward Agasa's as soon as she finished with the dishes and dinner cleanup. It was just after dark so she kept her steps quick and purposeful, her eyes open for trouble just as her parents had always cautioned her. As she walked, her mind drifted back to Shinichi and the previous Friday, just as it had done all week; her thoughts were as confusing as ever and were beginning to frustrate her.
Her theory about Conan's identity wasn't really what bothered her--it was the uncertainty that hurt the most. Ambiguity upset her more than truth or lies.
Agasa's gate was just ahead; she pulled out of her usual long, meandering reverie and shaking her head in chagrin. She picked up her pace, passing the Kudo residence without a second thought--
Wait a second... She pulled up short several steps past Shinichi's gate, surprised. Eyes wide, she reversed direction and peered in the gate, startled to see... Lights? There's lights on at Shinichi's house? Her mind went wild with unreasoning hope. That means he might be--!
She was through the gate and dashing up the walkway without an ounce of hesitation, face lit with a single solitary wish. Shinichi...!
His porch light wasn't on, although the front door was unlocked. She all but tore the door down, kicking off her shoes as soon as she was across the threshold and darting into the living room. "Shinichi? Shinichi?" she called, her voice echoing shrill through the corridors as she went from room to room, until...
...until she stumbled into the study/library, and found the desk and filing cabinets torn apart, their contents scattered across the floor. Her jaw dropped at the sight; never had she seen such a mess in Shinichi Kudo's home--this clutter was more Professor Agasa's style.
Oh no...could it be...? She gasped aloud, then whirled to go back through the house, checking every room. The study was in ruins, the elder Kudos' bedroom was a shambles, and the contents of the upstairs hall closet were strewn all across the carpet.
It didn't take a detective to figure this out--a detective's daughter could easily see that someone had gone through these rooms like a buzz saw, thorough and hurried, looking for something important. Probably money or valuables, though none of the more obvious things were missing from their places.
The front door unlocked...the rooms torn apart... Ran all but fell down the stairs, rushing outside and turning toward Professor Agasa's. There's been a thief in Shinichi's house!
She banged on Agasa's door, shouting for him to hurry. When the older man appeared in the doorway, he was alarmed to see Ran in such a state of panic.
"Ran-kun? What's happened? Is everything alright?"
"Professor...Shinichi's house...!" She took great gulps of air, trying to speak. "Shinichi's house has been robbed! We need to call the police! Oh, it's all torn apart...!"
"Oh my!" Agasa gestured her in quickly. "Hurry now, but don't panic. Here, why don't you go sit down and catch your breath, and I'll take care of it."
"Thank you, Professor...thank you..." Still panting from her sprint, Ran slumped down on Agasa's couch and explained to him what she'd found, then rested while the scientist hurried to the kitchen phone.
When Agasa got to his kitchen, however, the first place he called was not the police station. The auto-dial button set for the Mouri Detective Agency was quickly stabbed, and Agasa waited nervously through three rings before the other end picked up and a weary-sounding Conan recited, "Hello, Mouri Detective--"
"Shinichi!" Agasa broke in quickly. "Hold on, it's me."
"Professor Agasa?" There was a pause, and the semi-cheerful little boy was replaced by a tired young-man-speaking-with-little-boy-voice. "Ran's on her way to you. Did something--?"
"Yes, something's happened, but I wanted to check with you first. Shinichi, were you aware that your house has been ransacked?"
"Huh? Oh..." Conan's voice cleared its throat. "Sorry, that was me. Thanks for making sure."
"Er...was there any particular reason for that? Ran said she saw lights on and went in to see."
"Aw...crap..." Shinichi sighed loudly. "I'm completely forgetting everything today. I left those tools from last night in my backpack and they're over here now, my kiddy homework is over there with you--Ran's picking it up--and now this. Just great..."
"What should we do? If it was you, then--"
"Gimme a sec and I'll call back with my other voice," Shinichi replied. "Ojisan's snoring drunk on the floor over here, so I think I can get away with it."
"Be careful."
"I will."
Agasa hung up, and waited. A minute later, the phone rang, and he snatched it on the first ring. "Hello, Professor Agasa's residence--"
"Okay," said the smooth tenor of Shinichi Kudo. "I got it. Let Ran talk to me if she wants."
"Alright," Agasa said quietly--then raised his voice for Ran's benefit. "Oh, how are you, Shinichi? Forgot something, did you say? Ah, that's alright, I can take care of it..."
Predictably, Ran was in the kitchen in a matter of seconds, eyes lit up like stars in her pale face. "Is that Shinichi? Did you tell him--?"
Agasa hushed her with a gesture. "Yes, that's Ran--she just got here a few moments ago--put her on? Okay." The older man handed her the phone with a wink. "He wants to talk to you."
Ran snatched the phone with all the desperation of a starving woman reaching for bread. "Shinichi? Where are you? Your house is all messed up--there was someone--!"
"Hey, take it easy, Ran! You don't have to worry about the mess," said Shinichi's voice--music to her ears, so wonderfully even and reassuring. Even if he did sound...tired. "I did all that--bad manners, I know, but I was in an awful rush and I had to find something. I'll clean it up when I get the chance, I promise."
Agasa was already stepping unobtrusively out of the room. Ran's tension eased upon hearing Shinichi's words--what little tension was left after hearing his voice again. "Well, I'm glad it wasn't a robbery! What's the matter with you, leaving such a mess in your own house? What would your parents think?"
"Heh, they'd think I was growing a snout and a curly tail, like my mom used to say," Shinichi chuckled. "Sorry to make you worry, Ran. I'm glad you're looking out for me, even though I've been such a jerk to you all the time."
"Someone has to keep an eye on you, with your parents gone so much," Ran replied. "Shinichi, are you okay? You sound exhausted."
"Oh..." Shinichi sighed. "It's just...some things about this case and...some family problems. I've been under a lot of stress lately, and I guess it's starting to show."
"So the Great Detective Kudo really is human," Ran teased gently.
"Yeah...I'm learning that, slowly..." After his faint chuckle, Shinichi was quiet for long moments, as if gathering his thoughts. "Uh, Ran...if I was a total idiot and really screwed up with...um, if I did something pretty bad...what would you think?"
The question struck her, having been asked for the second time on the same day--and by two people who shared so many similarities... "Well, I...I'd probably be upset with you, depending on what it was. But...if you're asking if we'd still be friends...of course we would! That's what friends are for, right? Mistakes are something to learn from, and if you didn't ever make any I'd really start to wonder about you. But I could forgive you for anything, Shinichi--I could never hate you...you're very special to me."
Shinichi's breath caught, just before she realized that she'd said the same thing to Conan. She waited for a small eternity for Shinichi to speak again--while her own mind whirled at the parallel. "Shinichi? Are you...still there?"
"Yeah, Ran...I..." He gulped audibly. "Thanks, Ran. I'm glad you'd still... I really...appreciate... I just..." He stumbled over his own words, as if her honest statement had touched something. "I...I gotta go. This goddamn case is...well..."
Ran smiled faintly. "It's okay, Shinichi. You can tell me when you're ready. I'll be waiting."
"Ran..."
"Goodbye, Shinichi. I'll see you soon."
She hung up without waiting for his response, sighing as she set the phone in the cradle. When she walked out of the kitchen, Agasa stood there in the hall with a small stack of books and papers in his hands.
"Professor?"
The older man smiled at her. "I found these earlier, so I thought Conan-kun might need them. Here you are."
Ran took the books with another sigh. "Thanks. I guess I should get going before it gets any later. Goodbye, Professor."
As Ran walked home, her steps were not so quick, and her mind was full of Shinichi once more--Shinichi and Conan.
Predictably, Conan pounced on her the moment she came in the door. He was in his pajamas and slippers, ready for bed--it was getting rather late, and if he wanted to finish his homework before bedtime he'd have to get through it lickety-split. He took the small books and papers from her with a grateful smile, thanking her brightly as he did.
"You're welcome, Conan-kun," she replied as she removed her coat and hung it up. Her father was still asleep on the floor, sprawled uncaringly with a pillow clutched in his arms like a life preserver. "You'll have to thank Professor Agasa next time you see him," she continued, stepping past Kogoro's sleeping form. "He's the one who found your books and gathered them."
"'Zat so?" Conan responded. "Okay, I will. Thanks again, Ran-neechan--I'm gonna go do my homework now."
She was across the room by now, facing away from him, trying to keep her hands from curling into tense fists. "Conan-kun..."
"Hm?" His small hand was reaching up for the doorknob, and he half-turned at her soft utterance.
"Can I ask you something?"
Curious, he faced her fully, though she didn't turn around. "Sure."
"Conan-kun...the other day--on Friday...when I gave you the book..." She took a deep breath, plunging on. "How did you know that Shinichi had promised me a kiss?"
Oh shit-- In shock, Shinichi froze, eyes going wide behind the concealing Conan-glasses. Startled by her question, he nearly dropped his books, his mouth falling open as he realized what an utter, complete blunder he'd made. Ran still didn't turn to face him, but he could feel her focused attention as if she were standing right over him and glaring down. Every line of her seemed rigid, and there was a certain tension in the way she held her head up, the way her back stayed ramrod-straight.
"Uh...well....actually I just...um....you know..." His mouth automatically produced his Conan-voice, automatically began spouting nonsense. He was shaking all over, realizing there was no way in hell he could talk his way out of this--he'd known it the instant the words had come out of her mouth. She'd obviously put the evidence together--she wasn't stupid, she hadn't forgotten it; he'd been just plain careless to have done that...and his cover was so totally blown...!
His frantic stuttering fumbled to a halt when Ran turned to him at last; she was almost trembling, and her hands tightened into fists--but surprisingly, her expression wasn't irate or stern. She merely smiled cheerfully at him, a forced smile touched with weary resignation and hidden anger--a smile that caught at his heart and wrung it with guilt and shame and longing...
...God, if only I could just say it...
Ran took a deep breath. "It's alright, Conan-kun," she said simply, softly. "You were just being sweet."
Agape, he stared at her, heart pounding in fear and confusion. Hadn't she just--? And she wasn't accusing him--? She still called him Conan-kun, didn't demand he confess--was she being deliberately ignorant or...was she, like Hattori had suggested, just waiting for him to tell the truth? Or was she just letting him off the hook...?
She wasn't behaving like herself at all--she was controlling her temper, she wasn't lashing out with her usual passion, she didn't require the truth from him--and that was more than a little scary.
Without another word, Ran turned and headed for Kogoro's room; he heard the closet door open and assumed she was fetching a blanket for her father. With her attention off of him, he took the opportunity to hoof it before the whole thing split wide open--whirling to dash out the door before he had to look at her smiling, suffering face again...
In the bedroom, tucking a spare blanket under her arm to bring out to her father, Ran heard the door slam. With a rather sad sigh, her smile disappeared as she went about her business, more convinced than ever before that her long-held theory just had to be true.
To be continued...
IMPORTANT NOTICE: http://tailweaver.faithweb.com/dconan.html
This little page is my temporary site for posting fanart and etc related to Relative Truth. Until I fix my FTP and get my website back up to speed, this is all I can do. Sorry for any inconvenience!
Next chapter has some more revelations, a little outing for the "Kuroba boys," and--in answer to all the people who emailed and/or reviewed me to ask--Aoko will make an appearance! (Don't worry, I fully intend to use her as a character! Her stage cue just hasn't come up yet.) Whew, better get back to work...!