Case Closed Fan Fiction ❯ Going Down ❯ Tsu Desu Ka? ( Chapter 6 )

Going Down

Disclaimers: I do not own Case Closed/ Detective Conan. Whoo boy. Never thought I would say that, did ya?

Now this is not the last chapter. We still have a bit of a ways left, folks. I haven't yet reached the climax. And I don't mean to disappoint but a lot of you assumed too much from the last chapter. You read too much or too little into Richard's last phrase. I only read a couple of reviews where people got it.

I'd appreciated as well if people would stop reviewing with things like "UPDATE SOON!" or "WHY HASN'T THIS BEEN UPDATED YET?" or "ARE YOU DEAD?" It's extremely annoying. I'm a Senior in High School people. I apply to colleges and doing scholarships and such. I can't write every second of every day. I'm sorry if that bothers you.

And I'd really like it if people would stop saying that the fact that I use the dubbed names brings the quality of the story down. That gets on my nerves almost as much as the "ARE YOU DEAD?" reviews. The names I chose to use is my own choice. It shouldn't bring down any quality of the story. I shouldn't be pressured by people to change names halfway through a story just to suit the Japanese accustomed audience. But then again- the names probably shouldn't have been dubbed in the first place. ::sweatdrop:: I hate that it divides readers like this. It shouldn't matter all that much! Why are people judging a stories worth by whether they use sub or dub names? It drives me nuts!

Enough of my rants and on to the next chapter!

LAST TIME ON GOING DOWN

"Two more days. Two more days."

"We do have a loop hole."

"When was the last time Jimmy-kun called you?"

"You are not putting Conan on display, you sick bastard!"

"You can't possibly still want to sleep."

"How did Conan injure his hand?"

"The case is closed, huh?"

"We have a witness."

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Chapter 6:

Tsu desu ka?

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Patience makes lighter

What sorrow may not heal."

-Horace

xxx

The room was still white and still hopelessly bleak in all its glory. It had been nearly a week since Richard had last stepped into a hospital. He wasn't quite so thrilled to return.

But the prospect of what was in this room was so much greater. So wonderful. It was hope. A chance to survive the crashing elevator. A chance to survive. One step into this room, and his blood began rushing again. His heart was elated. The room's forked tongues of artificial sunlight healed the drunk and lonely hours that came before in this man. It was a second roll of the dice. The climax of everything had come. Now all Richard had do to do was hold his breath.

He wasn't ever very good at that.

Meguire was at his side; all red faced and puffy. He panted and glanced around the room as if the person who had been chasing him was in it. In truth- the person who had chased him was in this room. The person who had chased their tails to the hospital, made them all think the end had come, worried everyone he loved- was wired to a computer and laying comatose on the bed at the center of the room.

"Richard," A tall brunette gasped- quickly taking it back with a frown and toss of her head. Eva had beat him to the scene; holding Rachel in her comforting arms.

"Dad, you made it," Rachel smiled getting up to greet both of them, "Inspector."

Both men nodded their heads in return. Meguire was still scouring around the room like a hawk with his trained eye. Richard had nearly forgotten that they had run the whole way here- without him giving the Inspector any information at all of the situation.

"Who's the witness?" Meguire questioned right on cue.

 "Rachel-san," Richard urged. "You tell him what you told me."

Rachel looked down. There was a child at her knee. Amy, Richard believed her name was, one of the rugrats that hung out with Conan all the time. Amy looked up at Rachel- with sort of pathetic look on her face. Apparently the girl had something to do with the discovery.

"Conan- left a note...so to speak. I believe he wrote it- intending to tell us who the murderer was." said Rachel in the same monotone voice she had used with her father earlier.

"A note?" Meguire snorted, "From a eight year old. That will hardly stand up in court- or anywhere else, I'm afraid."

"Ah. Not that kind of note." Eva's eyebrows were raised in most peculiar way. She seemed half repulsed and half awed. Richard had never seen her look that way before.

It's funny what changes people.

"W-what kind of note was it then?" Richard asked, perplexed.

Rachel's cheeks flushed. Amy, or whatever her name was, looked at the ground once more. And Eva looked at Richard. Her eyes bore into his. So calm and serene. Richard tensed and understood.

"Oh damn. That kind?"

"What kind?" inquired the dumbfounded Inspector.

Richard drew closer to Conan's bedside. The boy slept on- didn't even twitch. His left hand was clenched into a taut fist. It bandaged very sloppily.

The detective didn't even wait for conformation from the rest of group. He just acted. This usually bit him harshly in the butt later. He didn't really care- he had a pretty good hunch this time.

"Hm."

The bandages fell limply apart in his hands. The hand which was once tightly clenched loosened- and all the secrets came out of pandora's box.

Richard frowned at the symbol carved so unceremoniously into the soft baby flesh of this eight year old's palm. It cured one way in a sort of hook. An ended road of sorts. The curved and the drop off. The snapped wire of a damned elevator.

"Tsu," Meguire read. "That's Hiragana for 'tsu'. What the hell did he mean by that?"

"Maybe he meant to write Tsuki?" Amy murmured, "Maybe he was referring to the moon."

"Oh that does little good." Meguire grumbled. "The kid goes senile and tries to give himself a tattoo."

"Now you know that's not true, Inspector," Eva snapped. "You know as well as anyone that Conan wouldn't lead us on. He was trying to tell us something. I'm not sure if it was murder," Eva eyed that of her husband and daughter. "But Conan was definitely trying to tell us something... the... best way he knew how."

Meguire slumped himself down into a nearby chair and rose his arms helplessly, "Tell me then how he cut himself. Tell how you can prove Conan didn't just get that cut by falling crooked."

The silence was slightly perturbing as the doubts began to strangle the excessive sunlight. Meguire frowned at their response- disappointed.

"See. I didn't think so-..."

"Glasses."

"Huh?" Meguire looked up into some rather dark blue eyes.

Rachel was staring down at him. Her face was resolute. Most of the pink had gone now.

"Conan's glasses," Rachel repeated. "Dad came out with Conan- without glasses. He didn't see them anywhere near Conan's body. The frames were shattered and warped by the fire. I'm sure most of the proof is gone- but I'm sure that what Conan used to cut himself."

Her eyes began to well up with tears as she forced herself to continue, "He broke his glasses and used the sh-shards to cut in his hand... the name of his murderer... He wanted to give us a clue- Conan probably didn't think... didn't think he'd- that he'd- make it..."

Rachel collapsed, burying herself into the waiting arms of her mother. Her sobs were silent ones. But they easily wrapped the whole room into a sort of stupor.

Amy began to hiccup. Fat tears began to roll down her cheeks, as she struggled to wipe them back. Eva saw the distress in the two girls and guided them towards the exit.

Rachel didn't let her mother take her all the way. She broke free and sat down in a corner- watching Conan's chest rise and fall as if it were her civic duty.

She blames herself far too much.

Eva did manage to get Amy out, though. Richard suspected she'd attempt to call the girl's parents- have them take care of her the rest of the night. It would be a rough one.

"So he cut himself up," Meguire grumbled solemnly from his perch, eyes on Conan's peaceful form. "I'd say that's a definite possibility. He could have been trying to commit suicide. But his cut was too far from the wrist to suggest that he missed- that and far too precise...

"Knowing Conan personally... I'd say- yeah. I think he was trying to tell us something- but... I don't quite... If he didn't finish that leaves thousand of other Hiragana symbols to go through. Not including Katakana and Kanji that it may resemble."

"But," Richard began. "It doesn't matter. The case is open again, isn't it, Inspector?"

Meguire smiled a subtle smile. He knew that even if he said "n" they'd find a way to make it possible. Before Conan, they would have all but given up by now. The boy did seem to bring something spiritual to their lives.

"Yeah. You win, Richard."

Richard could have sworn he saw Conan's lips twitch in and out of a smile, if he weren't so preoccupied with smiling himself.

xxx

Conan cut himself to give us a hint. He cut his own flesh. That scar- it won't ever heal.

Rachel remained when everyone else took for home. She did her part by going to school. Tonight she just wanted to be alone with Conan.

She pulled her chair, beneath her, forward. Conan slept peacefully through the scraping shrieks of an uncarpeted floor. Rachel felt her heart breaking.

"My sweet Conan..." She whispered stroking his cheek softly.

He didn't blush, flinch, or cower away. His cheek was warm and he was unmoving. Rachel longed for just one eyelid to part. For his lips to form words. For him to live again.

Tears parted from her eyes. And his hand never moved to catch them. He was dead. He was dead.

"Oh gawd, Conan. My sweet angel- Conan...C-conan,"

Rachel pulled the limp hand to her. Kissed the scar and willed it to heal. Then she held the hand to her cheek- to her face- and cried. She sank her face into bedspread beside Conan- tears pouring without her consent. And in seconds, she had fallen asleep.

It was the same ritual every night. She cried for someone deaf to her words- numb to her tears- and unable to answer. But then again- how was that different than any day in the Moore household?

xxx

"The doctors say that Conan is looking better. They say he may wake up soon."

"Hm," Richard frowned- leaning back into his usual office chair.

The house was unusually clean, seeing how that half of it's occupants no longer resided there. Eva was actually able to take a seat in the client's chair for once.

The husband and wife sat across from each other in uneasy silence. It had been years since they had even seen one another.

It's funny what brings people together.

Eva stared calmly at the ceiling. She didn't even seem worried at all. Perhaps that's why she made such a good lawyer. Her eerie coldness still bothered Richard to no end.

Even when she found out what happened, the only hint to her worry was the fact that she showed up. Never once did her face break that grim resolution. Even when she saw Conan buried under the webbing of hospital equipment, she appeared more angry than upset.

Maybe elevators should fall more often.

"Eva," Richard frowned. "Do you believe in ghosts?"

His wife blinked uncertainly and looked to him. His face was very stern. It was a sincere question. Eva decided that it was safe enough to answer.

"I believe in a very psychological view of spirits."

"How's that?"

"It's all in a person's head."

"Ah. I see," Richard nodded, looking a bit ousted. "Well then..."

Eva waited for him to continue. When it was evident that he wasn't going to, Eva spoke up again, "Are you alright, Richard?"

"Yes." replied Richard curtly. "Just tired."

The detective rose up from his chair and excused himself. Eva watched him out. He was walking much slower than usual.

She figured she'd risk it.

"Do you see... Conan, Richard?" Eva muttered, not expecting him to hear.

His footsteps stopped and changed direction. Eva turned just as Richard reached the open kitchen. He pulled something off the fridge and walked back over to Eva.

She assumed it was something he was working on and was somewhat puzzled when he handed the paper to her.

It was a drawing. A remarkably good drawing of two animals. A cat and a dog. It was signed in big block letters- Conan.

Eva looked up at her husband for explanation but he offered none. Instead he pointed at the curved C. It had once been a J, erased, and then rewritten as a C. This intrigued Eva, and made her scrutinize the picture more carefully.

It looked better than something normally done by an eight year old. And why do a cat and a dog? How chummy the two seemed. There was something about their closeness that bothered her. That and the dog's tie on collar.

"What's this about?" Eva asked, officially stumped. "Why are you showing me this?"

"It's Jimmy and Rachel," Richard smiled awkwardly. "Can't you tell?"

Eva looked again. She could tell now. A smile almost fell on her lips- but she pushed it back.

"How cute." Eva stated, tonelessly- handing the paper back to Richard. He accepted it, but did not yet tuck it away.

"Yeah." Richard smiled. "Especially on how he misspelled his name."

Eva blinked and stole the paper back. She eyed the hidden J and then glanced back to her husband.

"No," She muttered, "That's absurd."

"It is." Richard smirked, leaning back in his chair. "So are ghosts."

xxx

             And Rachel dreamt of a ringing phone, an answering voice, and an apology. She felt his arms and heard him speak. She cried all her apologies and he accepted everyone with grace. He pulled her close- and whispered his love. And when at last, he kissed her she felt the harsh touch of fabric to her lips. She wept to know she was dreaming. But he continued to hold her until she fell asleep again.

To Be Continued...

Please R & R!

Okay. For those of you waiting so patiently, I am incredibly sorry for the long wait. The full explanation for the wait is on my live journal. My user name is sayianchild86. I beg you guys to go look at it once in awhile instead of emailing me. I say on it what's up with me- if you want to bug me to update do it on there. I don't like getting emails that only say update this story because I want you to.

If any of it was confusing- let me know. That I wouldn't mind getting a email about. If you need clarification of any kind, I'll be glad to give it. My AIM name is DiehardGohanFan.

I know the last paragraph was a bit eiffy but I'm rather just trying to get this up for you guys rather then make sure it makes sense. (I probably shouldn't do that...)

I've reread it a couple of times and can't find anything I want to change. So if it's crappy I sincerely apologize. I just wanted to get through it.

This wasn't the climax, people. And although it is coming to a close soon- it's not THAT soon. The mystery isn't really that complicated- it's just proving it that's complicated.

I love doing that.

Anyway- I hope you all enjoyed this file of Going Down. And until next time,

With a keen eye for detail, one truth prevails!

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