Case Closed Fan Fiction ❯ Going Down ❯ The Act ( Chapter 8 )

Going Down

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

OMG. I have over 200 reviews. I’ve never had that many reviews for such a short story before. I guess it must because I nearly killed of the main character, ne? You people really know how to make someone feel welcome in the DC fanfic section. :D You are all too kind.

I must commend you all for being so patient. I haven’t gotten a single harassing email and I know I must have been driving you all insane with my cliffhanger. :sweatdrop: I’m terribly sorry for that.

So let’s see if I have any fans left. On with the next chapter!

LAST TIME ON GOING DOWN

“I did not kill them! I didn’t! I did not!!”

“The elevator left without me. The kid tried to keep the door open for me but...”

And I can have that son of a bitch right where I want him.

“He said he’d always be here. They both did.”

“But I found something!”

“Ever played Pachinko, Meguire?”

“What about Conan?!”

Meguire held his breath.

And the camera shorted out.

“Timon is my older brother.”

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Chapter 8:

The Act

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“Ideas pull the trigger, but instinct loads the gun.”

-Don Marquis

xxx

The silence passed over and through the room like a traveling tumbleweed. It was momentary but yet lasted eternity at the same time.

And the occupants stayed this way for a moment longer. Mr. Jirashii bent over his own disgusting stomach acid- Meguire with one hand supporting Jirashii and the other left limp in bewilderment at his side- and of course, Richard standing alone, in the center of the room, with the fizzing speckled security camera screen as the perfect backdrop to his shock.

“Timon Amou... was you...your older brother?” Richard finally managed to choke out.

Jirashii nodded, and rubbed his mouth on his sleeve. He rose his head, a new determined look in his eyes, and frowned at the detective courageously.

“I know you must think it strange,” Jirashii muttered darkly. “That the two of us would keep it secret. But the truth of the matter was- I am the bastard son of Amou’s father, Drek Amou. Timon is- was at least twenty years my elder. I was cast away as a disgrace from both my mother’s and my father’s family... but Amou, Timon Amou, He always cared for me. Despite the great burden I must have been for him, he became my only family.”

Jirashii turned and looked at Meguire who was still clutching the man’s shoulder. The sudden movement cause the Inspector to realize this and he quickly removed himself.

“You know,” Meguire smiled, stroking his hand nervously. “Now that I know about you two, I can definitely see a resemblance.”

Jirashii smiled and nodded in response.

“Meguire,” He wagged a finger in the Inspector’s general direction, “You asked me why I wanted to work for Kasei so much. Why I kept coming back?”

“Uh. Yes.” Meguire blinked, caught slightly off guard.

“Have you ever had a brother, Meguire? Or at father that you cared about deeply?” Jirashii paused and then continued without really needing Meguire’s response. “If you did, then there would be no reason to ask me that question. I had neither a brother or a father- so Amou was ev-everything to me.”

Jirashii’s shoulders began to shake. He was trembling by a pain that Richard was only too in common with.

“He was everything to me.” Jirashii inhaled, tears splashing down his face. “Everything! I wouldn’t, you can’t accuse me of ever wanting to- of ever thinking of harming Amou.”

And Jirashii crashed, onto the floor. His heart torn open for everyone to see and know. And there he crumbled, face pressing into the floor like some broken little doll. The Inspector and Detective watched with condolence.

Richard studied the man’s tears. They appeared perfectly genuine. And Richard could feel, without a doubt, the horrible sorrow that had over taken this man. To this Richard smiled.

He tapped the Inspector gently and the two took leave out of the room without another word.

Mr. Jirashii remained on the floor, finally able to morn openly for his dead brother. The quiet glow of the small tv set wrapped the room and Jirashii in its dead flashing light...

xxx

“You sure you can handle this on your own?” Richard inquired politely as the two took their decent from Kasei’s building.

Meguire just waved it off.

“Me and my boys will take care of it. We will review the tapes some more. Question Kasei and Jirashii. You don’t have to worry any about it tonight,” Meguire then patted his friend on the shoulder. “Go spend some time with the family. Relax. I’ll have the lip-reader here first thing tomorrow morning- and we’ll see what we can pull up.”

“That’s kind of you, Inspector,” Richard smiled. He actually smiled. It was becoming a habit again. “I think I’ll check on Conan in the hospital first though.”

“Hm,” Meguire gave Richard a curious look. “To check on the wound again, right?”

“Perhaps. But that’s not the only reason.”

Meguire gave Richard a deep bow of farewell. “I wish you the best of luck, Moore.”

“Thank you,” Richard responded unable to bow as deep. “Good luck to you too.” 

And with that, Richard walked off down the long sidewalks of Tokyo. The sun was sinking behind the shortest of buildings in the distance. In the glowing light, Richard almost looked hopeful.

And Meguire smiled, slowly falling out of the sunlight’s warm glow. “Best of luck.”

xxx

The hospital stretched before him. Richard stopped when he saw a person racing in his direction. His heart began to pound harder against his ribs.

“Dad!”

Rachel scrambled across the white paved front of the hospital, almost chasing the dying sunlight to her father’s arms. She flung herself around him, burying her face deep into his shirt. Tears caused wet dark circles to blossom on the detective’s white flannel shirt.

Richard embraced her, expecting the worse. He held her tightly against him, unable to do more than just being an anchor. His arms turned to jelly, numb and disbelieving. He was sore in the space between his lungs. Like something had been ripped from them.

The silence between them caused the pain to dig deeper. The sweet anesthetic of disbelief was quickly fading. Richard was more willing to accept- more willing to accept the truth.

“Dad... I’m so sorry,” Rachel sobbed, rubbing her face weakly with her free hand. “I didn’t mean to- I feel so bad about calling them.”

Hope rushed back to him. Richard pulled his daughter off him by her shoulders. She hung there, still rubbing her eyes.

“What? Conan’s alright?”

“Ah,” Rachel blinked. “Yes. Of course.”

Richard felt a great relief finally hitting him. His shoulders sagged as he let out a giant exhale of alleviation. “Damn. You really scared me.”

He couldn’t help but smile again when turning his eyes back upon his distressed teenager, “So then, what’s the matter?”

“I called Jimmy.”

“You did what?” Richard muttered. He wasn’t truly upset- although his tone might have come out differently than his thoughts. He was feeling more shock than disgust.

“At least I tried to call Jimmy. I called his parents,” Rachel broke into tears once again. “Dad. I think I really upset them.”

“Well, they are related- I suppose.” Richard frowned thumbing his chin thoughtfully.

“They are coming out soon. Their plane lands in an hour. Oh Dad,” Rachel sputtered. “I can’t face them.”

Her eyes suddenly lit up- as if she suddenly realized something- and just as quickly darkened. “I forgot to tell them what hospital Conan was in. My God...”

Rachel wept in her hands some more and Richard was left unable to voice his speculation. It seemed awfully nice of the Kudo Family to visit such a distant cousin, even if he is coma stricken. It seemed bizarrely nice. Inane even.

Night had fallen now. Richard felt it was about time for a good drink.

xxx

Richard was sitting next to Conan’s bed when Doctor Agasa came bursting into the room. Rachel stood up so fast at his entry that the chair she had been sitting in nearly tipped over. Richard caught it with an almost graceful movement of his hand. The detective had the chair up-righted before Agasa had even caught his breath.

The man looked rattled. His white lab coat was askew from his shoulders and the chest was covered with large dark spots- as if from tears. He clutched his chest, his heart, just before speaking.

“They are here. They’re asking the Doctor some more about Conan’s condition at the moment,” The old man gave Rachel a meaningful stare, “Mrs. Kudo is in slight hysterics. Perhaps you should go comfort her, Rachel.”

Rachel hesitated for just a moment- as if hoping the old man was not referring to her. She nodded curtly and then scuttled off, holding her arms peculiarly. Richard’s dark eyes followed her out.

Agasa took a seat in the opposite corner, slumping deep into the cushion. Richard’s gaze only lingered on him fleetingly. Then they moved back to Conan’s balled fist. The bandage was now only a white handkerchief- a nurse’s generous means to hid the ugly scar beneath.

The only sound in the room came the clicking of a distant clock and the consistent bleeps from the heart monitor. The clicks followed the bleeps in a strangely amusing sort of beat.

Beep beep. Click. Beep beep. Click.

Agasa shifted uncomfortably in his chair. His eyes lifted to Richard who still stared down on the boy sleeping unknowingly.

“There’s something I should probably tell you.”

Richard looked over to Agasa. The old man’s eyes were down, concentrating intently on his knees.

“What is it?” Richard pried after realizing the man had gone silent with indecision.

“I should... probably...”

Doctor Agasa’s eyes wandered. He was looking at Conan now, a deep sadness filled them.

“He’s extraordinary, isn’t he?” smiled the old man. “Even when he’s sleeping- he looks so... confident. Like- like he knows everything will turn out alright.” 

“Does he?” Richard murmured, glancing back at the bedridden child.

“I suppose- I suppose he knows all the things going on around him. Perhaps he’s trapped there, between sleep and wake, knowing all that around him.”

“Perhaps.” Richard grumbled feeling incredibly similar to a parrot.

“In that case,” Agasa’s voice dropped to just barely a whisper. “It’s best I not- do what I want to do... or say anything. Best I leave.”

He stood up, Richard’s eyebrows raising with him. But before Agasa could take his leave, the Kudos entered.

Vivian Kudo, true to Agasa’s word, was completely distraught. She raced into the room and would have collapsed over top of the tiny boy had Rachel not intervened. Her face was red and wet with a thick layer of tears. Her body shook in Rachel’s embrace- as if she had lost all will but the one to hold Conan to her.

Booker, on the other hand, seemed almost embarrassed by his wife’s behavior. He held back in the door frame, bowing politely to Agasa and Mr. Moore as he entered.

It had been quite a long time since Richard had seen them both. The last time had to have been only a few years into Eva and his separation. It was weird seeing the couple now, still perfectly functional- save for Vivian’s obvious depression.

Booker smiled lightly at Richard, ignoring the struggle between Vivian and Rachel. He bowed once more to the detective and muttered a deep apology. Richard bowed his head in response. Curiosity ate Richard’s insides at Booker’s indifference- especially when his wife was so much the opposite.

“I apologize for Vivian,” Booker smiled pleasantly.

Vivian collapsed by the bed, finally giving up to Rachel. Instead of totally overtaking the slumbering child, she merely stroked his cheek. Richard could barely hear her quiet voice sobbing and trying to sooth the trapped boy within.

Booker caught Richard’s attention again by saying, “You must excuse my wife. She was terribly close to the boy. We used to sit for his parents when they left on trips. I was far too busy... to know him well.”

Richard nodded, noticing Booker’s fists were trembling. Although he claimed indifference, the man’s eyes seemed to say something else.

He wouldn’t look at Conan. Richard suddenly realized that the man couldn’t look at Conan.

Booker was still smiling, but now that Richard’s detective intuition was kicking in and he could see its falsehood. The smile was strained at the corners of Booker’s lips. It was a fake smile- Booker was an excellent actor indeed. His wife must have rubbed off on him...

But then, why hide it? Why hide your obvious grief?

“We’ll take him,” Vivian smiled weakly wiping her tears on her sleeve. “We talked to Conan’s parents. We are very close to them, you see. We’ll take over the custody of Conan Edogawa. We will see he gets the very best medical attention and-“

“No!”

The room’s occupancy turned their bewildered attention to Rachel, who at the moment was standing in the direct center of the room. Her face was bright red, wet with sweat and tears. “I can’t let you take Conan away.”

“Rachel-...” Richard began. “It would be better for him if-”

“You can’t take him away!” Tears rolled down Rachel’s cheeks as she yelled fitfully, “Conan doesn’t want to leave. He wants to wake up with us. He chose us. He wouldn’t want to leave!”

Her legs buckled beneath her and her knees slammed hard against the marble floor. The room was rocked into silence by the teenager’s rebuttal.

And then finally, someone drew up the courage to speak...

“Vivian. We’ve seen him. It’s better that we leave now,” Booker said loudly.

Vivian lifted her head, clutching the boy’s hand tight. Her eyes were filled with incredible hurt.

Rachel wouldn’t look at her.

Booker remained firm. “We must leave, Vivian.”

She stood up, her head bowed- and quickly took leave of the room. Booker followed with one last bow for those left. The door slammed shut. Doctor Agasa closed his eyes and sucked in lung-full of air at their exit.

“My God,” gasped Rachel closing her eyes as well, soon after dropping her face into her hands again.

Richard was left staring at the door. Questions chased each other in his head. It all just seemed too strange to him. What great secret could the Kudos be hiding? What would keep them from relaying their true relationship with Conan?

“Doctor. Have you contacted Conan’s parents? Do they know about him?”

Agasa frowned and nodded. “Yes. They know about him.”

“Why didn’t they come?”

Agasa bowed his head. “They couldn’t get away. But they were extremely upset I assure you. They said they would pay the remainder of the hospital bills on Conan- and repay you for your kindness.”

“Those sick bastards.” 

“Excuse me?” Agasa’s frown deepened.

“I’m sick of the way this world treats their kids. Flinging them around like they can’t lose them,” Richard’s face darkened.

He slammed his fist into the wall, causing it to cave around his sharp knuckles. The impact gave him no pain, but the initial pain remained in his heart.

“It didn’t use to bother me- but now...” Richard squeezed his eyes shut tight. “They are so stupid. Such stupid foolish fools.”

“Mister Moore...” Doctor Agasa began, moving toward the detective. “Please don’t think ill of the Edogawa-“

“What if Conan doesn’t wake up?! Will they pay me for having to watch him die?!” Richard shrieked thrusting his hand into the wall again. His knuckles cracked at impact.

Rachel gasped, holding her mouth to her face. She rose, wavered somewhat unbalanced in place, and raced out the door, tears pouring down her face.

Richard was ashamed at causing her more sorrow but he wouldn’t take it back. What parents could do this to their own son?

Agasa remained mute. He bowed his head and for a moment, waited. Then, after what seemed like ages, he too left.

Richard was alone, just him and the wall. Suddenly, the wall just didn’t seem so threatening anymore. The detective rubbed his sore hand and reclaimed his chair.

Conan’s face was impassive. Richard smiled at it, and whispered as so only the boy’s deaf ears could hear.

“If you can hear me, I’m sorry.”

xxx

“Sir. Visiting hours are over.”

Richard looked up at the nurse sleepily. She was fairly pretty. He might have been quite taken with the young woman had he not been so preoccupied with other things.

Conan was dragging a certain someone down with him it seemed.

“Yes. Yes,” Richard yawned, shooing the nurse off, “I’ll be going in a minute.”

The nurse didn’t leave. She waited at the door way- making sure that Richard left the room before she did.

Richard took one final look at Conan. He had examined the boy’s hand several times but it still said nothing new. He never lost consciousness and the answer never came to him. Conan’s clue seemed nothing more than an extra piece to impossible jig-zaw puzzle.

It had to be Kasei. And he knew Conan’s hint was the arrow’s point. But without the boy being conscious, it was left unproved.

They still couldn’t explain why Kasei would kill his own son.

There was just too many exceptions to Mister Kasei. He hadn’t hated his son- the boy was his obvious heir and there seemed no point in killing him.

Unless it had been an accident that he’d been there... But still that was left unproved.

“What were you trying to tell us, Conan?” Richard frowned.

The nurse ‘ahem-ed’ loudly as cue to Richard’s exit. The detective walked out the door, and stared at Conan’s blank face until the lights flickered out. No answer came.

xxx

It was raining heavily when Richard walked outside. Umbrella-less, Richard assumed it would be a long and horrible walk home. He readied himself for a miserable time, when a figure emerged out of the darkness. It appeared to be a woman, but her face was concealed by a large dark blue umbrella. Richard recognized it immediately for being the cheap one he purchased last month when Rachel demanded her broken one be replaced. It was still bent awkwardly on one side.

“Rachel,” Richard sighed, moving toward the figure.

The rain pounded down on his back and pushed his wet hair in his eyes. He brushed the bangs back from his forehead and moved closer still. The figure had stopped moving now. Richard was just in front of it when the umbrella lifted.

Richard’s eyes widened in shock.

“Hello Richard.” Eva smirked.

“What are you doing here?” Richard snapped, regaining his ground.

She waved her hand slightly through the curtain of falling rain. “It was raining. I decided to come take you home. Can’t have you coming down with something when you need to finish Conan’s case.”

Richard’s frown remained, eyeing Eva’s umbrella suspiciously. “You wouldn’t have happened to bring two umbrellas, would you?”

“No, Richard. If you owned two umbrellas I might have. But you are too damn cheap to even buy your daughter a decent one.” Eva retorted.

Richard sighed deeply and drew up beside his former wife uncomfortably. Beneath the shelter of Eva’s umbrella, Richard certainly felt warmer.

“Rachel told me the Kudos came to see Conan at the hospital.”

“Yeah. What about it?” Richard grumbled, trying to ignore the identity to which he had to share the umbrella with.

“They came to your detective agency first.” said Eva rather darkly.

“Is that so?”

“Vivian was very upset. I haven’t seen her that bothered since Jimmy fell into the pond at Rachel’s birthday party and got pneumonia...”

“Yes. Well, she was very close to Conan apparently.”

“Apparently...” Eva trailed off.

The rain pattered around them, filling the would be silence with a calm and peaceful noise. Cars rarely passed at this hour of night. The two were practically alone on the streets.

“Booker didn’t seem so upset, did he?” Richard muttered, trying to start up the conversation again. “Quite the opposite from his wife. He said he didn’t know the boy very well to be too bothered by the whole events.”

“Really? Is that what he said?” Eva paused, looking up at the top of the umbrella. “That’s funny.”

Richard couldn’t help himself. “What’s so funny?”

Eva shrugged and smiled up the detective. “He was very upset when I saw him at the agency. Angry even, when he found out that Vivian hadn’t gotten the hospital that Conan was staying in. If anything, he seemed more upset than his wife.”

She looked up at the top of her umbrella again. “Must have been jet lag then.”

“Or...” Richard frowned, thumbing his chin thoughtfully. “The Kudos aren’t as good of actors as they claim to be.”  
To Be Continued... Please R&R!

It’s kind of strange. This story has become more personal to me of late since I recently had a relation of mine go into a coma after a car accident. It just find writing it strange now. Just real weird...

Ah well. I hope you all are still hanging in there.

Please review and remember-

With a keen eye for detail, one truth prevails.