A Park Somewhere, 9:30 a.m. -- Thirteen days to live
I felt a rough shove, and then I was falling onto the hard cement ground. I opened my eyes and tried to wake up a little more to see who had pushed me.
The large face of a teenager loomed in front of me.
"Hey, kid," he sneered. "Didn't your momma ever teach you that it's rude to be sleeping where people need to sit?" He grinned nastily. "Or are you just a homeless brat?"
I gritted my teeth in anger, and then stood up to my full height in front of the boy. Unfortunately, I was still a few inches shorter than the teenager, but that didn't matter. I knew soccer.
I kicked the jerk only once and he ran away like a dog with his his tail between his legs. That'll teach you not to pick on kids that look a few years younger than you. I thought after him.
I sat back down on the bench I had been sleeping on, and grimaced. I was definitely not in a safe area yet; any man in black could just see me in this park. But I couldn't think of who or where to go to yet.
My parents? No, they were still in America, and they didn't even know about my situation yet. It would take too long for them to come over and get situated. I could be dead already, shrunken into a nothing by then.
I tried to continue my mental list, but I couldn't think of anyone else. Ran, Agasa, and even Ran's dad (though I doubted that that guy could ever help me) were out of the question. Eri –and the men in black- would see me right away if I ever sought them out.
Who then? I didn't want to tell anyone from my school; I couldn't think of a teacher or student that I could trust with this. Why did it have to end up like this? I had to worry about growing a year younger every day, I had to catch the men in black before I grew too young, I had to find their poison (if it even still existed), I had to somehow get Agasa so that he could make the antidote, and I had to do it all in thirteen days. I definitely needed some help.
I put my head down on my hands and groaned. I was the detective of the east and I couldn't even think of someone to help me!
Suddenly that gave me an idea. I lifted my head and thought hard. I remembered hearing of a detective of the west, who was another high school detective. But what was his name…? I thought maybe it stared with an H, but I wasn't sure.
Either way, the detective of the west was probably my best bet. I just had to find some way to get to Osaka, where I heard he was from. I stood and felt in my pocket. There was enough change to get me on a train most of the way there. I smiled a little. That was why I never emptied my pockets every night; for a detective, you never knew what could come in handy. I sighed as I put the money back in my pocket. To bad I didn't have more money. I needed a belt badly; my pants were slipping.
Osaka Station, 12:15 p.m. -- Twelve and a half days to live
As I stood in the Osaka train station I felt the nervousness of being unprepared. I didn't have enough money to go back to Tokyo, and how did I even know the detective of the west would be a friendly guy? Oh well, I thought. Maybe I could solve a case and earn some money that way.
I shivered a little. It sure was cold for springtime. Probably sleeping outside on that bench hadn't done any good for my condition. I suddenly gave a sneeze without warning.
A woman passing by with a stroller looked at me with a wrinkled nose. Oops, maybe I had accidentally sneezed on her baby.
"Sorry!" I called after her. Strangely, she looked at me and started walking back towards me. Oh great, I thought. I didn't want this lady getting on to me now. I had stuff to do.
"Young man," the lady said as she caught up to me. "You don't look like you're from here. Are you alone?"
I definitely wasn't expecting that. "Uh, well, I… yeah." I stuttered.
The woman looked surprised. "Are you lost?" she asked. Then she peered at me closer. She must have been looking at my mussed up hair and wrinkled, too-big clothes, because then she added, "Or running away?" She said the last part in a tone that I did not like.
"No!" I said quickly. "No, no. I'm actually, uh, visiting someone I know here in Osaka. My parents are fine with it."
I hoped that that story would make her go away, but she was unrelenting. Her baby cooed as she looked at me with narrowed eyes. "I don't believe you," she declared.
I groaned.
"You are too young to be on your own," she added, and grasped my arm. I gave another groan. Seriously, I looked twelve and a half now; that wasn't too young!
"You've got to believe me!" I said as the lady dragged me to who knows where. "I really don't have a lot of time, and…" I trailed off when I saw where she was taking me. It was the train station's police station.
Oh no, I thought to myself. Even though Osaka was not my hometown, there were sure to be police officers that recognize the face of Kudo Shinichi. And it would be horrible if word got out where I was; the men in black would know my location. I was sure that they heard from Eri already and now knew I was still alive and that the drug didn't kill me. But getting my location would just be the cherry on top for them.
Luckily, I had a baseball cap that I had thrown on yesterday afternoon. I had worn it in hopes that if anyone saw me (especially the men in black), they would not think of a young Kudo Shinichi, or of Shinichi at all. They would just think I was a random passing kid. Now I prayed that the hat would trick the police as well.
"Officer," the woman called out to a bored looking man behind the counter at the small police station. "I think I've found a runaway." I scowled at her, making sure my face was down. "Either that or he's lost his parents," she said stiffly.
Her baby in cried and waved his hands. I feel for you, kiddo, I thought to him. You've got one tough mom.
"Well, kid," the policeman drawled. "I suppose we should look ya up to see you ya are. What's yur name?"
I silently snorted. I would never give my real name, of course, and I was sure the man would have a hard time looking up a fake name, even though I hadn't made one yet. Let me put that on my to-do list, I thought sarcastically.
"Well, young man?" the lady said, a bit impatiently. "I have other things to do today, I might add."
I glared at her. "As do I!" I said, wrenching my arm out of her grasp and running quickly away.
I heard both the police officer and the lady yelling after me as I took off down the crowded sidewalk next to the train tracks. The baby was screaming his desires as well. Hope I never see you all again too, I thought cheerfully back. Then I sobered. Why do I always find myself running? I asked myself.
Suddenly, I had to swerve to the right to avoid a lady with multiple bags and I smacked right into somebody. We both fell down.
"Owww!" groaned the person, rubbing his head. I looked up to see that it was a dark-skinned teenager, wearing a hat. "Watch where your goin', kid!"
"Sorry," I muttered. Then I peered closer. I almost recognized the guy… Oh well, I'd probably think who it was later.
The teenager got up, rolled his eyes at me, and started to walk off.
Then I thought of something. Since I couldn't go to the police station again and ask for directions to the detective of the west, I needed to stop someone and ask them. The teenager I had run into looked like he knew his way around; I quickly got up and ran after him.
As soon as I caught up with him, the boy whirled around and looked at me hard. "What're you doin', followin' me?" he questioned.
"Well, I sort of need directions," I said, making sure he didn't get a good look at my face. "Do you know where I can find the detective of the west?"
The boy snorted and started to walk off. "Ha, ha. Veeery funny," he called over his shoulder.
I was confused. "No wait!" I called after him, running to catch up to his fast steps.
"I really do need to find the detective!" I panted.
The teenager stopped, exasperated, and said, "Why?"
I nearly bumped into him. "Well, that's for him to know. It's a little important."
The guy blinked. "Look kid," he said. "I don't do cases that are only a little important. I solve crimes and mysteries that are for the police and that are really important. I ain't gonna find your lost dog or anythin'!"
Ah, now I understood. "Oh, so you're the detective of the west!" I exclaimed.
"Yeah, so 'bye," the detective muttered. He turned around.
"Then I have no problem telling you what some criminals did," I said to his back.
The teenage detective kept his back to me, but I could tell by the cock of his head that he was interested.
"Not only were they involved in a gun smuggling," I said quietly, "but they also murder people with poison."
Now I had the detective's full attention. "How do you know all this, kid?" he asked, turning to look at me again.
"I would prefer if we could talk somewhere private," I said coolly, not answering his question. The detective looked a little annoyed at first, but then he nodded his head.
Hattori Residence, 1:00 p.m. -- Twelve and a (little less than) half days to live
We sat down across from each other at a table in the detective's house. I had learned that his name was Hattori Heiji (I knew it had started with an H) and after we had entered his house he had flipped my cap off and been shocked.
Heiji had regained his composure and was about to open his mouth to ask something. He must've guessed I was just a look-alike, but I had quickly said, "No, I really am Kudo Shinichi."
His face became stunned again. "H-how…?"
"This," I had gestured at myself, "was the reason I came to get your help." We sat down at the table.
So here we were, staring at each other. "Are you going to say anything?" I asked the gaping Heiji.
"Ah… y-yeah!" He broke out of his trance, got two sodas out of the refrigerator, and then sat down, wide-eyed. "So how in the world did this happen?" he asked.
I opened my drink and told him the whole story.
Half an hour later, we both sat deep in thought. We didn't talk, but occasionally we would sip our drinks.
"Wow," said Heiji finally. "So if you want me to help you on this case, lemme ask: do you have any leads?"
I looked down, a bit ashamed. "Well, I tried to think of some, but it's nearly impossible to find any information on these guys. It's like the men in black almost don't exist." I sighed. "The only proof that they're out there is me," I said bitterly.
Heiji must have seen my depressed look, because he quickly patted my shoulder. "Ah, don't worry, buddy," he said cheerfully. "We'll get these men in black before you shrink into a nothing!"
I looked at him and rolled my eyes. "Thanks, Hattori," I said dryly.
Suddenly, we both heard a noise at the front door. Someone was yelling, and thumping on the front door. Heiji had locked it after I had asked him to, but the person must've broken it open or something, because soon there was a great crash of the door coming open and running footsteps came down the hallway.
"Shoot!" Heiji muttered under his breath. "We're found out!"
"What?!" I asked, panicked.
"Here!" Heiji said frantically, pushing me into a nearby room and then shoving me into a narrow closet. "Lock the door, hurry!" he shouted through the wood, and then he was running away.
I did as he said, and then I felt foolish. I was the great detective of the east. I bet I could beat some criminal up! I was about to unlock the closet door and then run back and help Hattori, when suddenly I heard the yelling in the kitchen.
"Where…s…he?" the yelling voice said. I could barely hear the voice through the wood of the closet, even though they were shouting. The voice sounded feminine, though I wasn't surprised. Now that I knew Eri was in league with the men in black, anyone was a suspect.
"You…bet…ow…e…where…he…s!" I heard her yell menacingly. Heiji yelled something too, and then there where sounds like someone kicking someone else. I hoped Heiji was the person winning.
That must not of been the case, though, because soon there were footsteps right outside the room I was in, and I could hear Heiji groaning in the kitchen.
I swallowed hard. At least Heiji was still alive. If I just stayed quiet, maybe we could both get away alive. I moved back a little deeper in the closet.
BIG mistake. Something clattered to the floor as I moved and I heard the person looking for me run into the room I was in and come in front of the closet.
The person pried open the door, and I squinted my eyes from the sudden burst of light to see my attacker.
Authors Note: Hey again! I sort of wanted to make this one a "dun dun dun" moment... you can guess who the mysterious person is, and find out on the next chapter! Heh heh. But school is almost done, whoo! :) As soon as the summer comes (which is only in FOUR weeks) I'll be free to type every day... which means more chapters faster... yay! But I do still have school and violin things to focus on right now. T-T /good mood ruined/
Oh yeah, I wanted to mention that I made a few changes to the layout of the story. Well, only one, actually. I put where, what time, and how many more days Shinichi has to live at the start of each, uh, section thing. Please tell me what you think about this!! I will decide whether to keep it or take it off based on comments...
Anyway, please review, and thank you for reading!!!
~Alea