Case Closed Fan Fiction ❯ The Same; Yet Different ❯ "Cocky Bastard!" "Harlot!" ( Chapter 1 )

A girl. One just like Shinichi. Smart, inquisitive, intuitive. She does not fear death, and will touch a body without a moment's hesitation. She's tied with the smartest kid in school on the matter of grades, and, even when she looks like she's not paying attention can answer the teacher's question with pinpoint accuracy. The catch? She's a eight-year-old girl in Conan's class.

Ayumi= Amy

Genta= George

Mitsuhiko= Mitch

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She hummed a random tune walking to school on Monday morning, as was expected of her. But the tune in itself was strange. It was the tune to a song no one had ever heard, or heard of before. The girl did not realize what tune she was humming until a minute later.

She laughed out loud. "Who would have thought," She said, "that after six months I would choose to hum that song?"

"Maemi-chan!" Ayumi shouted waving to her from the street corner. Four other kids stood around her, all part of her group.

"Hi Ayumi-chan, Mitsuhiko-kun, Genta-kun, Ai-chan! Hello, Conan-chan!" The girl with cheerful green eyes and wavy brown hair that reached just past her shoulders, also known as Maemi, said with a smile.

"Hey!" Conan shouted as they started crossing the street. "I'm not that short!"

"No, you're just vertically challenged." Maemi said as her smile turned into a grin. In truth she had no reason to be calling him little. She was only an inch or two taller than he was.

"That's the same thing!" Conan insisted.

"OK, OK, I'm sorry." Maemi said with a playful grin as they reached the sidewalk. "Hello, Conan-kun,"

Conan gave a short `humph' while crossing his arms.

Soon, Maemi's smile diminished and she sighed. `I can't believe I'm actually friends with these people.' She thought.

"Is something wrong, Maemi-chan?" Mitsuhiko asked at her sigh.

"No, nothing at all," She said.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

`Looks like he's given up on Ayumi.' Conan thought, eavesdropping on the twos conversation.

"Really, Mitsuhiko-kun, I'm fine!" Maemi insisted.

"OK…." Mitsuhiko said not sounding completely convinced.

`More like he just wants a reason to talk to Maemi,' Conan thought with a snicker.

Maemi glared down at Conan. "Something you find amusing, Conan?" She asked dropping all formalities.

"No," Conan said, but his following snickers gave him away.

Maemi's eyes flashed. "Lair."

"No"-snicker, snicker-"Really!"

"Conan, you better run, because when I get through with you there won't be much left!"

Conan squeaked and ran as she started chasing him.

All too soon, for Maemi at least, they reached the school and Conan was safe in the classroom. Maemi pouted when she entered the classroom and saw Conan sitting in his desk, face a little flushed and panting from having run most of the way to school.

`You suck,' she thought, slipping into the desk to the right of him.

The day was boring, Maemi and Conan answering all the questions until lunch.

"Hey guys!" Maemi said sliding into the seat next to Mitsuhiko and Genta and across from Conan. She glanced about the table. "Anyone know where Ayumi and Ai are?"

"Talking about girl stuff." Genta said through a mouthful of his chicken sandwich.

"Oh… hahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha! Girl stuff!"

Mitsuhiko blinked. "Why are you laughing? You're a girl too, Y'know."

"I know, but knowing Ayumi she's probably asking Ai a whole bunch of questions that are making her nervous." Maemi answered.

"Why would she be nervous?" Genta asked.

"Because she knows that-never mind." Maemi said brushing it off.

"Tell us Maemi!" Mitsuhiko and Genta shouted.

"No, really, it's noting."

Conan sighed. "Ai's probably nervous because she knows that Ayumi likes me, but she also knows that I don't like Ayumi-at least not like that."

Maemi sighed.

"WHAT?!"

"Conan-chan, this is exactly what I was trying to prevent."

"Well SOR-RY! They were gonna find out sooner or later. And I often prefer it to be sooner."

"Well I prefer later!"

"Which is why you're a procrastinator!"

"At least I'm not bored with my work!"

"Because you have the branial capacity of a two-year-old!"

"At least I'm not a malapert bastard who acts like he's every ones superincumbent!"

"At least I'm not a harlot who'll sell myself for a dime!"

Tears came to Maemi's eyes and threatened to spill over, but she held them at bay. "Oh, real cute. That's really something an eight-year-old would say."

"What's a harlot?" Genta asked.

"I dunno," Mitsuhiko said dazedly.

"What did you just say, Genta?" A teacher asked walking over.

Maemi tilted her head down, bangs covering her eyes.

"I asked what a harlot is." Genta repeated calmly.

"A whore." Maemi answered picking her head up showing that tears had spilled down her face and more and more were doing so. "Conan called me a whore."

The teachers all gasped. "Edogawa-san!"

"She called me a bastard!" Conan said trying to come up with a defense.

"That still does not justify what you called her! Do you even understand what that word means?"

"Do you understand what the word `pedagogues' means?" He asked vituperatively.

"Of course I do!"

"You've just answered your own question. And, quiet frankly, this is the most exciting thing that's ever happened at this school."

"Taji-san," One of the nicer teachers asked. "Would you like to go home?"

Maemi nodded. "But, Kuroba-dono can't get off of work. Kaitou might've skipped today, though."

She nodded too worried about the child than to worry about someone she lived with not being in school. "Leeds-san, please take Edogawa-san to the Principals office while I escort Taji-san to my room to call home."

A strict looking teacher nodded, hoisting Conan up by the arm and leading him away.

"Come on, Taji-san," Balton-sensei said and led her to her room.

"What's the number?" She asked once she picked up the phone in her classroom.

Maemi answered, tears still running down her face, and took the receiver from Balton-sensei.

"Moshi, Moshi," Kaitou's voice came over the phone.

"Kaitou?"

"Maemi? What's wrong? Why do you sound like you've been crying?"

"Because I have been. Kaitou, can you come get me from school?"

"Why?"

"I'll explain everything when you get here."

"OK, Maemi," Kaitou said "I'll be there soon. Ja."

"Ja," Maemi said and hung up the phone. "He'll be here soon."

"You should go wait in the office." Balton-sensei said.

She nodded and left.

Maemi plopped down in a chair, her tears slowly stopping as she waited for Kaitou to pick her up.

"Now you wait outside until Ran gets here to pick you up, young man!" The principal said directing Conan out into the office.

Conan sighed. `Why did I do that?' He wondered. `Something about her just sets me off. She's so annoying!'

`Oh great,' Maemi thought `more verbal abuse.'

But Conan did nothing. In fact he seemed not to notice her at all, taking the seat right next to her.

A moment later Kaitou and a less than happy Ran walked into the office and over to them.

"WHATS THE BIG IDEA, HUH?!?" Ran yelled, smacking Conan upside the head.

"Are you OK, Maemi?" Kaitou asked.

"OW! Ran! What was that for?!"

"Physically, yes emotionally, no."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN `WHAT WAS THAT FOR'?! YOU CALLED A LITTLE GIRL A WHORE, CONAN!"

"What happened?"

"I did not! I called her a harlot!"

"Well, if you've been paying any attention to what Ran's yelling you know."

"WHATS THE DIFFERENCE?! IT MEANS THE SAME THING!"

"What..?"

"So!? She deserved it!"

"Yeah, Conan called me a harlot."

"DESERVED IT, DID SHE?! WHAT DID SHE SAY OR DO TO DESERVE BEING CALLED WHAT YOU CALLED HER?!"

"WHAT?!"

"She- She… She just disserved it!"

"You heard right, Kaitou."

"CONAN! WHAT YOU DID WAS DISPICABLE! WHERE DID YOU LEARN LANGUAGE LIKE THAT, ANYWAY?!"

"HOW DARE THAT LITTLE BRAT!"

"You'd be amazed at what words some of the kindergartners know, Ran."

"Kaitou-"

"KINDERGARTNERS?! YOU'RE BLAMING THE KINDERGARTNERS?!"

"LET ME SEE HIM!"

"Ran-"

"Kaitou-"

"I JUST WANNA GO HOME!!!" Maemi and Conan shouted together.

Kaitou blinked. "I'm sorry, Maemi. Guess I kind of went all big brother on you, huh?"

"Yeah, you did. I could've sworn you wanted to kill Conan."

"You're the girl he yelled at?" Ran asked.

Maemi nodded. "But the yelling was because we were in an argument. It was fun, until he called me a harlot."

"Conan-" Ran started.

"I know, I know," Conan said. "Maemi, I'm sorry I called you a harlot."

"Oh, no, that's not good enough! You're going to write a ten page letter apologizing for what you said!" Ran shouted pulling him outside by his ear.

Maemi smiled. "You would think that he'd get tired of her chewing his ear off all the time." She muttered following them out.

Once outside the school gates the four heard a scream.

"It came from the construction site!" Maemi and Conan shouted, running toward the site not far from the school.

"Maemi!"

"Conan!"

"Ahhhhhhh!!!!!!!" Someone screamed again. "Joe! Joe's dead!"

"Stay back!" Conan shouted.

"Someone call the police!" Maemi shouted. She moved forward to examine the body, pulling rubber gloves out of her overalls and putting them on.

"Why'd you have gloves?" Conan asked.

"I'm always prepared." She said handing him a pair of gloves from her other pocket. He blinked and put them on.

"He's been dead for at least two hours." Conan commented bending the victim's arm, never realizing that people were staring or that Maemi was eight years old.

"Look at this…" She said examining the body's neck. "It looks like post-mortem strangulation…."

"You're right,"

"So it couldn't have been the fall," Maemi said noting the harness and broken limbs. "I smell foul-play."

"So do I, but how did he die?"

"Not from suffocation, that's for sure. And I don't see any obvious older blows to the head, bullet wounds, or unusual cuts. My guess is poison."

"But what I don't get is how he fell. These harnesses are designed to hold weight well over 400 pounds. He only looks like he weighs 170 at the most."

"Acid." Maemi answered holding up the rope. "It doesn't look like it's been cut, does it. Or like it snapped."

"But why the trouble of strangling the body after it was already dead?"

"`Now this is the point. You fancy me mad. Madmen know nothing. You should have seen me. You should have seen how wisely I proceeded-with what caution-with what foresight-with what dissimulation I went to work!'" Maemi quoted.

Conan's brow furrowed. "Edgar Allan Poe, "A Tell-Tale Heart". But what's that got to do with this?"

"The main character of the story takes extra precautions, does he not, to make sure that the old man is dead?"

"So you think the killer strangled him after he was already dead to make sure he was dead? That's utter lunacy."

"Full moon tonight." I commented.

"So, he grew scared or something after killing him and set up it to look like an accident?"

"I'm not satisfied with that. You snoop around some more. I'm going to ask some questions."

Conan nodded.

"Hey there lady!" Maemi said playing to the innocent little kid act. "Did you know that dead guy?"

"His name is Joe, you insolate little brat!" She yelled at Maemi.

"Sorry, lady!" She said running away.

"Maemi!" Conan shouted. She turned and ran over to him.

"Yeah?"

"Its weird. I was looking at the body and then I noticed something. His head's been drilled into."

"Cause of death: drill to the brain."

"Yeah… only I'm still not satisfied!"

"Hold on," She said fishing a small flashlight out of her pocket. She kneeled down and opened his eye flashing the light in it.

"What are you doing that for? We know he's dead."

"His pupils are huge."

"Fear? You think he died out of fear?"

"Or immense pleasure."

"Ewwww…"

"Idiot," Maemi muttered.

"Hey!"

"And just what do you two think you're doing?!" Ran asked picking them up by the backs of their shirts and walking away.

"Ran!" Conan whined. "You wouldn't be doing this if I were Shinichi!!!!"

"Shinichi's seventeen, and he's allowed to do this kind of stuff!"

"Kaitou~~~!!!!!!" Maemi whined when she saw him.

"I agree with Ran. You shouldn't be poking around were you don't belong."

"Kind of like how Kid shouldn't be stealing gems?" Maemi asked slyly.

"Maemi, that's besides the point" Kaitou said.

Coming up with an idea Maemi shouted, "DOES ANYONE KNOW WHO THE DEAD GUY IS?!"

Most people shook their head but the same lady from last time yelled, "HIS NAME WAS JOE YOU LITTLE BRAT!"

"THANKS LADY!"

"Maemi!" Ran said, as they were let down. "What was that all about?"

"Noting, nothing at all." Maemi said pulling Conan away.

"What's the big idea?" Conan asked once they were several feet away from Ran and Kaitou.

"Don't you think it's a bit odd that out of all the people here only one knows the victim's name?"

"So what, you think that old bat did it?"

"It's highly plausible."

"But how do we prove it?"

"I don't know. She could very well be like the main character of "The Tell-Tale Heart"."

"So we've got to get her nervous."

"`True! -nervous-very, very dreadfully nervous I had been and am; but why will you say that I am mad?'"

Conan snorted. "Can't you get over that?"

"Either the killer was an Edgar Allan Poe junkie, or was like the madman."

"I'd go with madman-"

"Or in this case, madwoman."

"Exactly. But how do we do it?"

"First off, we take off our gloves and throw them away." Maemi said, already taking hers off.

"Right," Conan said doing the same. They deposited their gloves in a waist basket.

"Maemi," Conan said as he was throwing away his gloves. "You're eight. How do you know this stuff?"

"Conan, you're eight. How do you know this stuff?" That silenced him.

"Hey lady!" Conan said walking up to her. "Did you know this guy?"

"Go away!" She snapped.

"Joe." Maemi said. "Did you know Joe?"

"Know? Why do you say it in past tense? He's alive. I can still hear the beating of his heart." She said absentmindedly.

"Do you hear the happenings in Heaven?" Conan asked.

Maemi and the lady glared at him.

"Did you try to kill Joe?" Maemi asked.

"What? N-no of course not!"

She was getting nervous.

"My companion here suspects foul play with the happenings of Joe." Conan said pulling on "The Tell-Tale Heart".

"Why?"

"Besides his head being drilled into, there's post-mortem strangulation, and his pupils are wide signifying either fear or pleasure when he was killed." Maemi said.

"But I think it was an accident." Conan said. "Clearly, an accident."

"But he still lives on!" The lady shrieked.

"Why do you say that?"

"I can hear the beating of his heart! I tried to kill him, but still his heart beats! Faster and faster it does!"

Conan shook his head at the insane woman's yelling. "The beating of his heart has stopped. You only hear your own."

"NO! NO! YOU LIE!" She shrieked.

Moments later the police arrived and took her away.

"The poor, poor woman." Maemi said.

"Come on, Conan," Ran said dragging him away. "You've got two days to write your 10 page letter."

"I STILL HAVE TO DO THAT?!!?!?!?!!?" Conan yelled as he was led away.

Kaitou shuddered. "C'mon, lets go. Dead guys creep me out."

"OK," Maemi said following him home.

End Chapter One

Did you like it? ^.^ I liked writing it! It was fun! Hey, can you see that this is being written in small caps and that its written hollow like? Word's telling me to make my faces like this: ^. ^ LATER!

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