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Post by ssjbowser on Oct 21, 2011 2:01:48 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 61 Widespread Heist
Moments past as everything began to slowly register, reaching out to meet his. The grip was strong and firm, doing his best to match his. It was faint, but he learned just that much more about him with that one handshake.
"I'm glad to have the opportunity to meet you as well, Mr. Wayne."
"Call me Bruce, I prefer it," Bruce said in response. "I've heard a little about your situation, so that raises the question."
"The question?"
"How would you like to be addressed," Bruce asked. "By your true name, or your alias so to speak?"
"I'm fine with either one," Conan replied. "I'll leave that up to you to decide."
"Alright then Shinichi," Bruce said turning for the door. "Right this way."
He removed the bag from his shoulders, tossing it next to the door before following him out. They made their way down the hall he had come, opening the door which lead them back to the front room.
"Where are we going?" Conan asked as they headed down the stairs.
"Starting from the ground up."
He wasn't too sure what that meant, deciding not to give it much thought as they continued on. They reached the bottom of the stairs soon after.
"The kitchen is to the left from here," Bruce pointed. "I'd take you there now, but I'm certain you'd prefer to see everything else first."
"Works for me," Conan said. "I can always check out the kitchen later."
"Then it's settled."
They headed toward the right, coming to a stop after reaching the first of three doors in the area. He stepped aside as he opened the door. Conan was the first to walk in, his eyes widening at what he saw. There were books everywhere, piled across the many shelves throughout the room.
"So what do you think?" Bruce asked coming to his side.
"I don't even know where to begin," Conan said looking from one side of the room to the other. "This is like a mini library, how many books are in here in all?"
"Can't give you an exact number, but I can assure you there's more than enough to keep you occupied," Bruce replied. "Everything is organized alphabetically, so finding a book of choice shouldn't be hard to pin point."
"Thanks for the heads up."
"You can come in here anytime, we usually always keep this room unlocked." Bruce said turning back for the door.
He did the same in response, catching sight of a desk in the far corner on his way out. He followed him to the next room, hearing a soft circulating sound coming from the other side of the door.
"I wonder what that noise is."
He stood aside as Bruce unlocked the door, watching as he lightly pushed it to the side after doing so.
"Right after you."
He headed in from there, taking a few steps forward before coming to find what he had heard from the other side of the door. There stretched out across the center of the room sat a swimming pool.
"There's also a steam room over to the left there," Bruce informed after stopping at his side. "I don't know if you're much of a swimmer, but I thought you might want to see this."
"First a library, and now an inside pool," Conan said looking up at him. "Is there anything you don't have stashed up in this place of yours?"
"That's for you to find out." Bruce said heading back for the door. "Right this way, we still have a few key areas to cover."
He followed from behind as the two made their way out.
"For me to find out," Conan questioned. "What's that supposed to mean?"
They arrived back to the front room shortly after. He walked at his side as they made their way toward the third door near the far corner.
"Now for door number three, what will it be this time," Conan thought to himself. "Wouldn't be surprised if it was a space station of some kind."
Bruce was the first to head in this time with Conan following from close behind. It was not what he was expecting upon entering, looking around to see a well spaced out room. There was a desk in the right corner, with a fireplace being directly across from where he stood. He then turned to the left to see a single chair sitting beneath a large portrait upon the wall.
"What do you use this room for?" Conan asked.
"I come here to think," Bruce replied. "I enjoy having a place where I can go to collect my thoughts."
"So basically this is your study room?"
"You could call it that." Bruce said hearing the buzz of his phone from inside his jacket.
"This one's important," Bruce said checking to see who it was. "I have to take this, I'll be back momentarily."
With that he exited the study. Conan took this time to make his way over to the lone chair at the left. He stood there for the next few moments, resting his hands into his pocket at the sudden coolness. He then looked up at the portrait, not recognizing the man or woman in it.
"This is the only thing pinned on the wall in this room," Conan thought checking the other walls. "This Portrait must signify some kind of importance."
He then clutched the insides of his pocket after feeling the cool air again he had felt seconds prior.
"Where is that coming from?"
He took a step back to search the rest of the room. It didn't take long for him to catch sight of a window in the upper corner of the wall.
"That's the only window in here, and from what I can tell it's locked," Conan said. "So if it's not coming from the window, then where?"
A sudden sound could be heard from behind. He wasn't sure what it was, looking across the room at the desk to see something moving. He removed his hands from his pocket on the way over, coming to find the propellor on a model plane slightly pivoting from side to side. He then felt the cool air brush past the side of his face.
"I felt it even more so that time," Conan said with a turn. "I must be getting close."
He followed the cool drift of air throughout the room, finding himself heading toward the fire place. He took to a knee, reaching his hand in to check for any circulating of air.
"It's not coming from here," Conan said standing back to his feet. "But it must be right around here."
Then he saw, taking notice of a grandfather clock a few feet away from where he stood. He took a couple steps to the right, stopping after arriving in front of it.
"Could this be it?"
He could faintly see his reflection, carefully feeling around the edges of the clock. It didn't take long for him to come to a conclusion, taking a step back after accomplishing his task.
"So this is where all that cold air is coming from." Conan said as the sound of the door sliding open from behind could be heard.
"Hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long." Bruce said rejoining him.
"Not at all," Conan said. "I found a way to keep myself entertained."
"I'm sure you've seen enough of this room by now," Bruce said. "Why don't I give you a tour of the garage?"
"Sounds good, but I have one question," Conan said. "What do you keep behind this clock here?"
"Excuse me?"
"Out of all the rooms we've visited, this one had a noticeable difference in temperature," Conan said. "It wasn't until I took note of that propeller on your desk that prompted me to look around."
"And you believe it's coming from the clock?"
"I know it is," Conan said. "I've checked every square inch of this room, why don't you give it a feel yourself?"
He did as he said, walking over to feel the sides of the clock.
"You're right," Bruce said stepping back. "I'll have to get this fixed up, especially with the colder months up ahead."
"Glad I was able to point it out."
"So what do you say we finish that tour?"
"Sounds good to me."
"Right this way." Bruce said leading the way once again.
It took roughly thirty minutes for him to get through the rest of the tour, heading back up the stairs after returning from the outside garden. He made his way back to the room, grabbing his bag from where it laid before having a seat at the side of the bed. He pulled out his phone moments later, finding he had forgotten to turn it off.
"It's almost juiced out, I better charge it before it shuts down on me."
He reached for his bag, zipping the side pocket open to pull out his phone charger. It didn't take long for him to find an outlet, taking a seat on the edge of the bed as he let his phone charge.
"It shouldn't take too long," Conan said laying back. "Nothing but a few minutes."
He looked to the ceiling, listening to the sound of the birds chirping outside the window. Without further thought, he closed his eyes, falling into a brief nap.
Everything had been prepared just as he had timed, standing in front of the sink to rinse off his hands after a job well done. He turned at the sound of the kitchen door swinging open from behind.
"So how did the tour go?" Alfred asked drying his hands with a rag aside the counter.
"Better than I'd hoped," Bruce said with a smile. "The kid's as remarkable as stated."
"So we've heard."
"I had to see it for myself," Bruce said leaning to the wall. "When Tim told me his identity had been deduced by some high school detective, my first thought was that he had gotten careless."
"And now?"
"He hasn't even been in this house for a day, and has already discovered the west entrance to the cave," Bruce informed. "He's passed half of my test, but failed to figure the other."
"I had no idea you planned on testing him," Alfred admitted. "If that was the first part of this test of yours, what was the other part?"
"For him to notice I was studying him," Bruce replied. "But I'm impressed none the less."
"Where is he now?"
"Up in the room," Bruce replied. "With the time differential between here and Japan, I wouldn't be surprised if he's asleep."
"Then we'll let him rest," Alfred said. "I'll check on him in the next hour or so."
"In the mean time I'll be down stairs," Bruce said pushing up from the wall. "I have something I need to go over, if you need me you know where to find me."
"Of course."
The sound of the phone beeping from the end of the bed alerted him. He pushed up from where he laid before reaching over to grab it.
"Looks like it's fully charged." Conan said removing the cord.
He brought the phone to his ear after dialing the number, listening to it ring for the first few seconds. It wasn't long after that he heard her knackered voice coming from the other end of the line.
"Isn't it too early for this?"
"What do you mean," Conan asked. "It's well past mid day."
"Six in the morning is considered past mid day to you?"
"Oops, I completely forgot about the time difference between here and there," Conan laughingly said. "Sorry for waking you Haibara."
"Time difference," Ai questioned. "Where are you exactly?"
"In Gotham," Conan replied. "It's a long story."
"How long do you plan on being there for?"
"For only about a week," Conan answered. "But we'll dicuss that later, what about those names I had you run a search on?"
"I was up until two, and didn't get to sleep until after three," Ai said with her voice slightly raising. "I think I'm entitled to some rest."
"But what about the names?"
The only response he received was that of the phone clicking off from the other end of the line.
"That must mean we'll talk later," Conan said with the shake of his head. "Ah, women."
He closed his phone from there, listening to the sound of someone approaching from the other side of the door. He dropped down from the bed just as the sound of a knock from the other side could be heard.
"Come right on in."
"Master Grayson is on his way back," Alfred said after entering. "Would you like to join us down stairs?"
"But I thought he wasn't planning on returning until tonight."
"It seems he's already finished whatever was on his agenda," Alfred said. "And before I forget, I was wrong about the time earlier."
"You were?"
"The battery on my watch had given out," Alfred informed. "I didn't really think about it afterward, but you actually arrived here some time after three."
"So what time is it now?"
"Nearly five thirty."
"Didn't realize I was out for that long, it might take awhile for my body to get used to the time switch."
"Indeed," Alfred said turning back for the hall. "I'll see you down stairs."
"Wait up," Conan said heading after him. "I'll come with you."
He followed him through the upper part of the house, dropping his hands into his pockets as they made their way down the stairs.
"It was around six when I called Haibara, and it's five something here," Conan thought as they continued on. "That must make it around a thirteen hour difference in time."
They came to a stop after reaching the bottom of the stairs.
"You're free to head into the TV room if you'd like," Alfred said. "I have a few things to wrap up in the kitchen in the mean time."
"Where's Bruce?"
"Last I checked he was out back looking over the plants," Alfred replied. "That was over thirty minutes ago, if you wish to speak with him you could try checking the study."
"I take it he spends a lot of time in there?"
"Very true."
The sound of the front door cracking open caused the two of them to look over. He raised a brow at who entered, surprised to see it wasn't Dick who had arrived. He stood in place as a young boy approached the two of them, removing the hood that sat atop his head after coming to a stop in front of them.
"Wherever did you run off to," Alfred asked taking a step forward. "I've been looking for you all day."
"Who's the kid with the glasses?"
Conan's eyes narrowed at this, feeling a sense of distance in his tone.
"Damian, this is Conan," Alfred replied. "He's that bright detective from Tokyo we heard so much about."
"So, you're Kudo." Damian said crossing his arms.
"That's right," Conan said with a nod. "It's strange though, out of everyone Tim spoke to me about he never mentioned a Damian."
"Doesn't surprise me."
"So what's your relation with Bruce?" Conan asked out of curiosity.
"I'm his son." Damian replied uncrossing his arms.
"I see, so that makes you Tim's little brother."
"What a family it is." Alfred side commented.
"Well, it's nice to meet you Damian." Conan said holding out his hand with a smile.
"How long is he staying for?" Damian asked after turning away from him.
"That has yet to be determined." Alfred replied.
"I'll be up in my room if I'm needed."
With that Damian made his way for the stairs, pushing past Conan with his arm knocking his shoulder.
"Why don't you give our guest a look in your room." Alfred suggested.
He came to a stop about half way up, turning back to face him.
"I have no interest in accompanying myself with any of Drake's riff raff associates," Damian stated. "Now if it's not too much to ask, I'd like to get a little rest before tonight."
The two of them looked on as he made his way up, watching as he pushed through the door.
"So, that's Damian."
"Don't let him discourage you," Alfred said coming to his side. "He's usually like that towards those he's not familiar with."
"You think he'll lighten up to me eventually?"
"Most certainly."
"I sure hope you're right," Conan said. "The last thing I'd want is to create any kind of feud."
"I don't think any of us would want that to occur," Alfred said turning to the left. "I'll be in the kitchen if you need me for anything."
"Gotcha."
From there the two of them headed their separate ways. It didn't take long for him to reach the door, giving it a few knocks before hearing the sound of his voice from the other side of the door.
"It's unlocked."
He slowly pushed the door aside, walking in to see him sitting at the desk to the right.
"I thought I might find you in here."
"How may I help you Shinichi?" Bruce asked looking up from the pile of papers that lay stacked across the desk.
"I was just wondering where Tim is," Conan replied. "Does he live here as well?"
"He used to, but has his own place now," Bruce informed. "He's actually out in Dakota assisting a friend, he should be back as early as tomorrow."
"Thanks for the notification," Conan said heading over to the side of the desk. "What are you doing in here anyway?"
"Going over a state wide problem."
"What kind of problem?" Conan asked.
"High level weaponry has been getting passed around from city to city, most of it stolen," Bruce informed. "It wasn't until last week that it came into affect here in Gotham."
"How long has this been going on for?"
"For at least two months." Bruce replied while sitting up from the chair.
He grabbed his jacket that hung from the back of the chair, tossing it on before heading for the door.
"Where are you going?" Conan asked.
"For a little drive," Bruce replied. "I don't plan on being gone for long if you'd like to come along."
"Thanks for offering, but I'll have to pass," Conan said. "Still feeling a tad tired."
He followed him out of the office all the way to the front door before making his way toward the stairs.
"No shame in getting some rest," Bruce said as he reached for the knob. "You'll get used to the time change in the next few days."
He could hear the sound of the door closing from behind after taking a couple steps up, pulling himself along as he felt the urge to close his eyes.
"Let's hope it's sooner rather than later."
To Be Continued
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Post by ssjbowser on Oct 26, 2011 2:17:41 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 62 A Steel Encounter
All was rested to the mind as he slept through the night. It wasn't until well after mid night that something awoke him. It wasn't a sound, but rather something looming over the lower portion of the room. His eyes slid open at the sight, finding a small portion of light shinning in from the window.
"That light's too bright to be the moon, I wonder what's going on out there."
He pressed his hands down to his side, casually pushing up as his eyes slowly adjusted to the half dark room. He came to a dead stop after sitting up, feeling the slick frigid blade across his neck. Regardless of how dark it was, there was still enough light to make out who was at his side.
"Damian, what are you doing in here?"
"You and I are due for a little talk." Damian replied leisurely lowering the blade.
"It's two in the morning," Conan said looking to the clock at the bedside. "What's so important that it can't wait until tomorrow morning?"
Damian didn't reply, simply stepping back from where he stood. He steadily raised the sword, keeping his eyes fixated to his before launching forward with a daring swing. He cringed back in fear, closing his eyes in the process. He reopened them after a long a long pause, finding a small strand of his hair laying at his side.
"You're about as fragile minded as they come," Damian said lowering the sword to his side. "Let's hope this trip of yours is a short one, because you won't last very long around here."
He turned away seconds later, taking each step at a time as he made his way through the dark room. He came to a stop after pushing the door aside, glimpsing back at him for a final time.
"One last thing," Damian said resting the blade upon his shoulder. "Don't ever call me Drake's little brother again, it's insulting."
He left the room from there, softly closing the door on his way out. Everything seemed to have become darker, looking to find the light that had awoken him was nowhere to be seen. He took a deep breath, dropping back down to the comfort of the soft pillow. He stared into the dark space of the room before closing his eyes.
"This is going to be one long trip."
He laid there for minutes to come, slowly drifting off with each tick. All remained steady throughout the rest of the night. The next morning brought the sound of a loud roaring engine, gashing its way through the window side. It didn't take long for him to awake, sitting up from where he laid.
"I wonder what that was."
He wiped the sleep from his eyes before crawling out of bed, heading toward the dresser on the far side of the room. He left the room once dressed, glimpsing at the door across from his as he made his way down the hall. The sound of the TV running from the left side could be heard as he made his way down the stairs, looking up at the sound of someone entering in through the front door.
"I see you're finally awake," Alfred said stopping once reaching the bottom of the steps. "How did you sleep?"
"Couldn't have been any better."
"That's good to hear."
"There aren't many roads in this particular area," Conan said stepping down from the stairs. "Do you know what all that racket was about a couple minutes ago?"
"Nothing to be concerned, it was just a group of uptown bikers racing along the side of the road," Alfred informed. "That's what promoted me to go outside in the first place."
"Where's everyone else?" Conan asked looking around.
"Master Bruce left for an important meeting over an hour ago," Alfred replied. "And as far as I know, Damian has yet to come from his room."
He looked down at his watch to check the time, surprised at what he saw.
"It's almost two O'clock," Conan said looking back up. "Can't believe I was asleep that long."
"I predicted that much."
"What about last night," Conan asked. "Did Dick ever show up?"
"As a matter a fact he did," Alfred confirmed with a nod. "He arrived shortly after you had taken off to your room."
"That means I must have fallen asleep by the time he arrived."
"No worriers," Alfred said. "He's on his way here now."
"That's good to know," Conan said. "There's something we're supposed to discuss as it is."
"Well you won't have to wait long," Alfred assured. "He called over twenty minutes ago, so he should be here anytime now."
"In that case I'll just wait it out here." Conan said having a seat at the third step from the bottom.
The sound of something ringing from inside the kitchen instantly caused the two of them to look that way.
"What was that?"
"Duty calls I'm afraid," Alfred replied before heading toward the sound of the ring. "If you need me, I'll be in the kitchen."
He pulled his phone out as he sat in wait, coming to find a couple missed calls from his friends.
"It's two in the morning back in Tokyo," Conan said dropping the phone to his side. "I'll have to wait until tonight some time to call them back."
The sound of the gate could be heard sliding to the side after minutes of waiting. He stood up from where he sat, looking over just in time to see him head in through the front door.
"Glad to see you're up and going," Dick said closing the door from behind. "When I called awhile ago you were still asleep."
"Sorry I missed you last night."
"Don't sweat it," Dick said. "I had a lot to do as it was, heard you got a tour of the house."
"Sure did."
"How'd that go?"
"About as good as it can get," Conan replied. "So what brings you here, did you come to discuss that case you told me about?"
"That, and I also came here to let you know Tim has returned from his trip to Dakota," Dick replied. "He flew in some time this morning."
"Does he know I'm here?" Conan asked.
"I figured you'd want to let him know yourself."
"Where is he now?"
"Getting ready to speak at a public event," Dick replied. "He's helping to sponsor a youth fitness program they have set to begin in the next few weeks."
"Sounds like fun," Conan said. "Not to flip gears or anything, but you never did tell me the full extend of what caused the deaths of those victims you mentioned."
"You mean the heart attacks?"
He nodded in response.
"So what is it you think triggered the heart attacks," Conan asked. "Did any of them happen to have any similar health issues?"
"That's defiantly a possibility, but something I haven't looked into," Dick replied. "It's not what was discovered in the heart that caught my attention, but rather what was found in each of their brains."
"And what is it you came across?"
"Plumbism," Dick replied. "It was very apparent after taking a look at their prefrontal cortexes."
"How low were the volumes levels?"
"Low enough for sufficient damage."
"So what's the catch, do you think their heart attacks were triggered from lead poisoning?"
"It's a possibility, but I have yet to find out how they got the lead into their system."
"Not an easy task, considering the amount of possibilities," Conan said. "There's plenty of facilities that present a high risk, such as working with auto mechanics or painting."
"That's not what I had in mind," Dick said. "We have over fifty people who have died with these same results, and that's just counting this last week."
"So what are you suggesting?"
"It's too much of a coincidence, there has to be more to it than that."
"Let me guess, you think someone is triggering all of this?"
"The how is what I haven't been able pin point as of yet," Dick stated. "Or the why for that matter."
"That just means we have a lot of work to do," Conan said. "If what you think holds true of course."
He reached into his pocket, pulling out a small device after feeling it vibrate from within his pocket.
"What is that," Conan asked. "Some kind of pager?"
"Sort of, it's linked to a security system I've been using to keep tabs on a few things," Dick replied before turning for the door. "I'm heading into the city, you're free to come along if you'd like."
"Where are you going?"
"I plan on meeting with a friend, but I can drop you off in front of the construction site on my way there."
"A construction site?"
"Yea, the one Tim will be holding his speech at," Dick informed. "It's only about a twenty minute drive from here."
"You can count me in," Conan said walking up to his side. "The sooner I talk with him, the better."
"I figured that much," Dick said reaching into his pocket. "This is for you, you'll need it for clearance."
"Clearance for what?" Conan asked taking the key card into his hand.
"Everything requires a form of insurance these days, it will enable you to get past the security they have set up."
"Gotcha."
They headed out the front door from there, walking down the long fleet of stairs before getting into the car. He rolled down the windows as they drove, allowing for the air to flow in. Conan tapped his finger to the side of the seat as they drove, thinking of all the possibilities that it could be.
"You said there were over fifty deaths in the past week in regards to this case you've been working."
"That's correct."
"So tell me," Conan said looking his way. "Where did these heart attacks occur?"
"All around the world," Dick replied. "There is no specific place, that's what has made it so difficult to pin point the source of the problem."
"That just makes things a lot more complex."
"I wouldn't worry too much about it, it's only a matter of time before we make a break."
"That's one thing to think about, but then there's also the why," Conan said. "If someone is in fact responsible, they must have a motive."
"And we probably won't find out what it is until we find the person responsible," Dick said. "That is if what I believe holds true."
Things fell silent for the next few minutes. He turned on the radio as they drove on, listening to the weather broadcast for the day up until the end of the week. He could tell they were getting close, looking out the window to see a large construction site in the near distance.
"Any idea what they plan on building?" Conan asked.
"I know for a fact they're building an inside gym along with an outside track," Dick replied. "They also plan on setting up two smaller facilities out back, what they'll be used for is beyond me at this point."
"Guess we'll have to wait and see."
He casually lost speed as they paved the way, finding a spot near the end of the block before coming to a stop.
"We're here, this is as far as I go," Dick said. "If you need me to pick you up in the next hour or so be sure to call."
"Will do," Conan said pushing the door open. "You're positive he'll be here?"
"He's been planning this for the past two weeks, he'll be here." Dick assuringly replied.
With that he exited the car, waving as he watched him head off back into the direction they had come.
"Now to get some things cleared up."
He headed over to a group of people who stood in a long line, making his way to the back before looking up at the sky. He took notice of an officer near the gate door after facing forward. The weather was mild, making for a manageable wait. He reached into his pocket as the line progressed forward, pulling out the key card that was given to him. Just as it was his turn to enter past the gate he felt someone grab hold of his left hand, looking up to find a woman dressed in a light sweater with a hood laying over her head at his side.
"Not to be too fast pressing, but I'm going to need to see your entry card," The officer said from the side of the gate door. "We have a lot of spectators coming in, so I'd like to keep this as fast moving as we can."
Her grip tightened, glimpsing down at him with an softening grin.
"Alright honey, give the gentleman the card."
He became lost within the moment, captivated by her alluring eyes. He could feel the card slide out of his grasp, turning just in time to see the security guard slide the card which caused the door to slide open.
"You two are cleared to head in." The guard said before handing her the card.
"Thanks officer." She said with a nod.
She pulled him along as the two walked in, making their way past a group of people before coming to a stop. She kneeled down in front of him, brushing a red streak of her hair to the side as she slowly moved in closer.
"Appreciate the help handsome." She thanked before giving him a small peck on the cheek.
Everything fell stiff, feeling her slide the card into his pocket before watching her disappear amongst the crowd.
"Did I just let her use me to get past security?"
It took a few moments for everything to ease in to the mind, looking into the direction she had headed into.
"What could be so important that she used me to get in here," Conan said following after her. "Only one way to find out."
He carefully made his way past those standing around, taking notice of a fleet of chairs to the left lined up in front of a small stage.
"That must be where he'll be speaking at."
He faced forward once again only to unintentionally bump into someone which caused his glasses to fall from his eyes. Not wanting to lose any extra ground, he decided to leave them there for the time being. He finally caught sight of her after a few extra steps, taking cover behind a light pole.
"I knew she couldn't have gotten far, not with those boots she's wearing," Conan said. "But how did she know I came alone, was she watching me?"
He watched her from the tree she stood under, taking notice of the gloves on her hand he had failed to notice earlier.
"I wonder what's with the gloves."
He continued to look on from his position. It wasn't until another minute passed that a man dressed in a suit of black approached her.
"Looks like we're finally getting somewhere."
He did his best to get a look at his face, catching sight of an eye patch over his left eye. The hat atop his head made it hard for him to get a clearer view. The two engaged in conversation shortly after.
"Can't hear a word they're saying," Conan thought to himself. "But it's not like I can move in any closer, they'll most certainly see me."
He continued to look on, watching as the mystery man pulled a mini remote from within his jacket. The two exchanged a few additional words before he pressed down to the remote. She seemed delighted by this, smiling in response. Something dashed past his eyes. It was brief, but he had seen it.
"What was that flash of light." Conan said looking around.
He looked to all sides, unable to find where the light had come from. It then happened for a second time. He shot his head into the direction it had come from, looking up to a building overlooking the site to see someone holding a sniper in hand.
"That's not good," Conan said pushing away from the pole. "Looks like I'll have to put my little operation on hold."
He quickly raced over to a group of people, tugging at the end of a woman's dress to get her attention.
"How may I help you?" She asked looking down at him.
"There's a man with a gun on the roof," Conan pointed. "Someone needs to call the police."
"You have quite the imagination little boy." She said before turning away.
He then walked over to the left, tapping a man from behind who instantly glared down at him.
"Not now kid, can't you see I'm busy?"
He tried informing a few others, only to receive similar results.
"What's wrong with theses people," Conan said looking back to the roof to see the sniper still in position. "No one seems to want to listen to me."
There was only one thing left that came to mind, checking his watch to find he only had one stunner left.
"Only got one shot," Conan said taking aim. "Gotta make this count."
He quickly scoured the area, coming across a young man wearing a pair of glasses with a fine dress suit on.
"He looks well to do," Conan said locking down to the back of his neck. "I don't think anyone will have a problem listening to him."
Without hesitation he fired away, stepping back in anticipation of his fall. Surprisingly nothing happened.
"It didn't work!"
He walked forward, coming to a stop after finding his launched stunner laying on the ground. He reached for it, his eyes widening after finding it had snapped in half.
"There's just no way," Conan thought with the shake of his head. "I've never had a stunner have no affect, let alone break on me."
He then narrowed his eyes up at the man who stood over him,
"Was something wrong with the stunner, or did it have something to do with him?"
Just as he stood back to his feet a freighting scream glided past his ears. It caused everyone who heard it to look into that direction.
"And here I thought things couldn't get any worse."
To Be Continued
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Post by ssjbowser on Oct 30, 2011 2:10:21 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 63 Search Begins
He decided to stay put, watching as those who stood around him took off into the direction of where the scream had come. As he waited he looked over his shoulder to see the young man he had tried using his stun gun on was now gone.
"I wonder where he ran off to," Conan thought. "I didn't see him follow any of the others."
He carefully made his way through the crowd, not wanting to bump into anyone like he had just a few minutes ago. While walking he glimpsed up toward the rooftop to see the sniper had taken off from where he had been.
"Figures," Conan remarked before facing forward. "Now to find out what all this commotion is all about."
It didn't take long for him to slide his way past those in his way, coming to the center of it all a short time later. He looked down to the ground to see him laying there with his left hand clutched to his chest.
"That's the man with the eye patch." Conan said racing forward.
He came to a stop once reaching the body, immediately checking for a pulse with the feel of his wrist.
"No good," Conan said with the shake of his head. "I didn't hear any shots fired, so that must mean the sniper didn't make a move."
He then checked for any kind wounds, which was quickly ruled out after a fast examination of the body. He then focused his attention to his eyes, noticing a darkening tint in his right eye in comparison to the left.
"I wonder what that's supposed to mean," Conan thought moving in for a closer look. "Could he have been poisoned?"
Someone whistled out from behind which caused him to turn around, watching as a security guard made his way toward him.
"What happened?"
"I'm not quite sure to tell you the truth." Conan replied.
"Did anyone see what happened to this man?"
Everyone shook their head in response to his question. He then looked back down at Conan who did the same in return.
"Alright kid, I'll take over from here."
"Of course." Conan said before stepping aside.
He looked toward the roof for a final time as he made his way back toward the light pole where he had been minutes prior.
"The gunman is probably long gone by now, but what was he doing up there," Conan said before finding a spot to lean. "And what about that woman who used me to get in here, I wonder if she had anything to do with."
He took a couple moments to scour the area from where he stood. There was no sign of her. He then looked toward the small stage, catching sight of someone heading his way. He couldn't tell who it was at first, pushing away from the pole as they neared.
"That's the guy with the glasses I encountered," Conan thought. "But why is he heading toward me?"
The sun reflected bright from the sides of his glasses as he approached. Conan kept a straight face as he closed in with each step, looking up at him after he came to a stop.
"Hey there little guy, you dropped something."
"I did?" Conan questioned.
"Here you go."
He reached into his pocket, pulling out the glasses he had lost earlier.
"Thanks," Conan said taking them into his hand. "How did you find them, let alone know they were mine?"
"I try keep a watchful eye out," He replied. "I know how important glasses can be, in more ways than many may think."
"I defiantly know what you mean." Conan said sliding them back into place.
"So what's your name kid?"
"Conan."
"Conan huh, that's not one you hear very often," He said with a smile. "So what are you doing here all alone, I haven't seen you with anyone since you arrived."
"That's because my mom dropped me off," Conan came up with. "I'm here to meet a family friend."
"Funny that you say, I'm here to meet with a friend as well."
The steps were calm and set, just loud enough for the two of them to hear. They quickly turned at the sound of someone coming to a stop to the side of them.
"Hopefully this whole incident hasn't ruined the day for either of you."
"Tim." Conan said looking up.
"Long time no see, Shinichi," Tim said removing his hands from his jacket. "I see you've met one of my friends, my best one at that."
"Your best friend?" Conan said turning back to the man next to him.
"That's right." He said with the tip of his glasses.
"So what's your name?"
"Conner," He replied. "Conner Kent."
The next moment they were joined by the security guard who had previously been monitoring the front gate.
"Did any of you happen to see what that man was doing before he collapsed," The officer asked. "We're trying to clear things up as much as we can."
"I might be able to help," Conan said with the raise of his hand. "I saw him a little before he fell over."
"Right this way," The officer instructed. "I'm going to need you to write down everything you saw."
He nodded in compliance.
"Be right back guys."
With that he and the security guard made their way over to a small table a few feet away from the stage.
"He told me his name was Conan," Conner said. "But I heard you call him Shinichi, isn't that the name of that detective you met in Japan?"
"Yep."
"So, is this him?"
"Yep."
"But I thought you said you were cutting rope between you."
"I had no idea he would be here, let alone he was in Gotham," Tim said cutting him off. "I've been watching him ever since he walked in past that gate."
"Well if it wasn't you who brought him here, then who?"
"Only one way to find out, and that's to ask him."
"Before I forget," Conner said reaching into his pocket. "I brought the disk, all the files you requested were imported just as promised."
"Thanks," Tim said placing the disk into his pocket. "I'll get started on it tonight."
"I have somewhere I need to be in the next three hours," Conner said turning to walk. "But I'll try and stop by tomorrow some time."
"Leaving so soon?"
"I would stay awhile longer, but I'm sure the two of you have a lot of catching up to do."
"Fair point."
He took a few steps forward before coming to a stop, turning back to face him for a second time.
"One last thing," Conner said. "Did you ever tell him about me?"
"Come again?"
"You know what I mean," Conner said slightly lowering his glasses. "Does he know?"
"Of course not," Tim replied. "You know I'd never tell anyone without coming to you first."
"I see."
"Did you want me to tell him?"
"I'd rather you didn't." Conner replied with a smirk coming upon his face.
"Why not."
"Let's see just how good he is," Conner remarked. "I don't see any harm in putting him to the test."
"Your call." Tim said smiling in response.
"Lets keep this between you and I," Conner said before turning to walk once again. "See you soon."
He left from there, heading back toward the gate. Over a minute past as he stood there, waiting for him to return. It wasn't for another two minutes that he finally made his way back over.
"Where'd your friend go?"
"He had somewhere to be, but you'll see him around," Tim replied. "So how'd things go over there?"
"The usual 'a' to 'b' type thing," Conan answered after coming to a stop. "But other than that, everything went smooth."
"I saw you watching someone from this spot earlier, care to tell me who it was?"
"There was a man on that roof there," Conan pointed. "He was watching over everyone with a rifle in hand, not sure what his intent was since he never opened fire."
"Did you write that in your report as well?"
"No, it would have complicated things even further," Conan replied. "And since I knew you would be here, I thought we could go check it out ourselves."
"So tell me, what exactly did you see?"
"The last time I saw him alive he was talking with the woman who posed as my mother to get in here." Conan informed.
"Someone posed as your mother," Tim questioned. "How'd you let that happen?"
"What can I say, she caught me off guard," Conan replied. "I couldn't hear what either of them were saying, but I did see him pull out a small remote."
"What kind of remote?"
"Can't really tell you," Conan replied. "I didn't get a very good look at it."
"Did he happen to still have it on him when you searched the body?"
"Not that I could tell," Conan replied. "I was to busy looking for a cause of death to really notice."
"Now the question becomes if that man on the roof had anything to do with it."
"Or woman," Conan stated. "I couldn't really tell with the full body suit they were wearing."
"I stand corrected," Tim said. "What do you say we go give that roof a look?"
"Don't you have a speech to conduct?"
"It's been pushed up until tomorrow, for obvious reasons," Tim said turning for the gate. "With any luck we'll gain some headway on what that person was doing there."
"And if we don't, there's also the police report," Conan added. "Once the cause of death is diagnosed we'll have more to go off of."
The two of them left from there, making their way past those who stood by. He searched the crowd as they walked, checking to see if he could catch sight of the hooded woman who seemed to have vanished after the whole thing erupted. They made their way past the gate, heading down the street toward the small building nearby. He looked up at him as they continued, taking a deep breath before speaking out.
"You're obviously trying to ignore it," Conan said. "I just want to know, how come you didn't let me know you would be leaving when you did?"
He took a few more steps before responding.
"Something came up, I didn't have time to explain."
"Not even enough time to say goodbye?"
"Look I'm sorry," Tim apologized. "I just thought things would be better this way."
"What do you mean by that?"
He didn't answer back for the first couple seconds, looking forward as they continued to walk.
"How about we discuss this later, I'd rather we focus on the task at hand."
Neither said a word as they came to the end of the street, crossing over to the other side after all was cleared. He lead them to the left side of the building instead of walking in through the front door which caused for question.
"Where are we going," Conan asked. "We already passed the entrance."
"We're taking the side door," Tim replied. "The elevator won't take us all the way up to the roof, but the stairs will."
"How do you know that," Conan asked. "Have you been here before?"
"Twice to be exact," Tim confirmed. "I was actually here when they finished construction."
"How long ago was that?"
"About three weeks now."
They made their way around the building a short time after, coming to find a door which lead to a set of stairs just like he had said. The lights along the walls lit their path as they made their way up the stairwell. He felt a slight burnes in his left leg after passing the first three floors, looking up to see they didn't have much further to go.
"Don't see why we couldn't have used the elevator for part of the way up."
They arrived to the top a short time later, pushing the door to the side to be greeted by a flash of light from the sun above. They walked out onto the roof, closing the door behind them.
"Now that we're here, do you think you can pin point where the snipers position was?"
"Somewhere in that general area." Conan pointed.
He lead him over to the right side, coming to a stop after reaching the railing which surrounded the whole roof. Tim looked down at the site from where he stood, getting a good view of most everything across the way.
"Not a bad spot," Tim commented. "Ideal for targeting anyone who was there for the pre opening of the gym."
"What about the tree," Conan questioned. "Can you see past the tree limbs."
He took a look himself, coming to find there was no clear view of the grounds beyond the leafs upon the tree.
"You can't see anyone who may be standing under that tree from here."
"I see where you're going with this," Tim said looking down at him. "You think the shooter was aiming for the guy who collapsed."
"The shooter went missing as soon as he was found dead," Conan stated. "I think that calls for more than coincidence."
"No shots were heard, nor did we find any bullets at the scene," Tim said. "That leaves us with just that mystery woman you ran into."
"And I don't think we're going to gain any extra ground unless we find her, or until we find out the cause of death of our eye patched friend."
They stood there for awhile longer, continuing to look over the site across the roadway. Just as he lowered his hands from the railing he caught sight of something, causing him to move in closer.
"You said they finished construction three weeks ago right?"
"That's right."
"What about this railing," Conan asked. "How long ago was this painted?"
"That was one of the last things they completed," Tim said. "I'd say the paint was added to the railing roughly a week ago, why do you ask?"
"Look here," Conan pointed out. "I came across a small print here, it almost looks as if something was resting here for a period of time."
"Like a rifle perhaps?"
"That's what I had in mind," Conan said giving the mark a harder look. "There's not much to make out, but I think there's a small sequence of numbers here."
"Don't stop there," Tim said coming to his side. "What order are they in?"
"Let's see here," Conan said focusing in on the faint lettering. "We have a 3 followed by a 4 and a 5, finished with a hyphen and a 6."
"Great find." Tim complimented.
"Thanks," Conan said rubbing the back of his head. "But what exactly did I find?"
"If it's what I think it is, we might have just gained the serial number to the rifle used," Tim replied. "Or part of it for that matter."
"That means we can track the shooter down," Conan said. "But what if it is only part of the serial number, how do you plan on finding out the rest of it?"
"Process of elimination my friend," Tim said in response. "I have several ways of narrowing down the field."
"Then I'll leave that to you."
"What do you say we get going," Tim asked. "We're not goanna find out anything standing around here."
"Couldn't agree more."
With that the two of them made their way toward the door, heading down the stairwell they had come. They stood along the sidewalk after making it back to the streets, watching as several cars sped past from where they stood.
"So how long have you been here in Gotham?" Tim asked looking down at him.
"This is my second day here believe it or not," Conan replied. "And before you ask, I'm staying at Wayne Manor."
"How's that been?"
"Pretty good for the most part," Conan replied. "Though it would have been nice to have known about Damian ahead of time."
"What happened," Tim smilingly asked. "You two not getting along?"
"I don't think he likes me very much."
"Give it some time, he'll come around."
"The kid even put a sword to my neck," Conan exclaimed. "How am I supposed to react to that?"
"How did you greet him," Tim asked. "If there's one thing you should know, Damian hates being treated like a child."
"I was kind enough," Conan said. "But I think I pushed a nerve when I called him your little brother."
Tim laughed at this while reaching for his phone.
"Yep, that was your mistake."
"Do you two not get along or something?"
"That's an understatement."
"Has he ever tried coming at you with a weapon of any kind?" Conan asked removing his hands from his pocket.
"If only you knew." Tim said bringing the phone to his ear.
"Who are you calling?" Conan asked out of curiosity.
"You said you're staying at the manor, so I thought I'd call Alfred to come and give you a lift."
"Gotcha."
He stood in wait from there, listening to him talk on the phone which lasted for under a minute. He dropped his phone back into his pocket once finished.
"We won't have long to wait, he's on his way," Tim said turning to face him. "In the meantime why don't you tell me about that woman you met."
"That's the thing," Conan said. "I really don't know anything, all she did was thank me before kissing me on the cheek."
"What about her face," Tim asked. "Did you get a good look at her?"
He took a few moments to rehash all the events leading up until now, looking up at him after doing so.
"She had red hair," Conan began. "And green eyes if I'm not mistaken, but she had a hood over her head so it made it hard to really tell."
"How tall would you say she was?"
He stood there for the next few seconds, giving it some thought before responding.
"5' 7", 5' 9" at most," Conan replied. "Not sure if that helps much."
"It's a start," Tim said. "And that's all we need."
The two of became quiet from there, remaining that way for the next five minutes. He knew it was his move to make, watching as a few more cars glided by before looking down to face him.
"So, how's everyone been back home?"
"Not bad I guess," Conan replied. "Everything's been pretty normal if you want to call it that."
"That's good to know," Tim said. "On another note... how'd everyone else take my departure?"
"Do you really want to know?" Conan asked giving him a look.
"Probably not."
"Let's just say I took it fairly well in comparison to most of the others."
"I guess I do owe you an explanation."
"That's all I've been waiting to hear," Conan said. "So tell me, what happened when you confronted Deadshot that night?"
He looked to the sky after taking a deep breath, releasing just as smoothly before looking down to face him once more.
"There's a reason why Katina didn't show up at Space Inc," Tim informed. "That's because she had already fled Japan."
"Why's that," Conan asked. "Did Katina know she was being targeted?"
"That's right," Tim nodded. "Still don't know how she found out."
"Do you know where she is now?"
"That's the million dollar question," Tim replied. "We're still working on that."
"So what happened when you confronted Deadshot, did he know she had already left?"
"I don't know for sue, by the time I reached him he used a pair of smoke bombs to escape," Tim said. "Unknown to him he unintentionally dropped a slip of paper."
"What was on this paper?"
"A list of names, the names of his next targets," Tim informed. "Turns out I was on the higher end of that list."
"So that's why you left?"
"I couldn't put you or anyone else at risk."
"I don't understand," Conan said. "If that's the reason, then why didn't you just tell me?"
He looked into his eyes after not receiving an answer, crossing his arms as he took a step forward.
"You're hiding something, I can already see it," Conan said. "It's like you gave me half of the truth and twisted up the rest of the story to fit your platform."
"That's not true."
"Then how come you never called," Conan asked. "You must have had a reason."
"I.."
The sound of a car coming to a stop along the street from where they stood could be heard, causing them both to turn around. The door swung open a couple seconds later, the two of them surprised to see who it was.
"Bruce," Tim questioned. "I thought Alfred was the one who would be on his way here."
"I received a call from him after the meeting at Wayne Enterprises," Bruce informed. "And since I was driving down this way I decided I'd make the pickup myself."
He opened the passenger door, allowing for Conan to step in.
"Are you coming with us?" Conan asked strapping the seat belt into place.
"I would, but I have some things I need to attend to in the next hour or so," Tim replied. "But I'll try and be over as soon as I can."
"Sit tight, we'll be leaving momentarily." Bruce said.
He closed the door to the car from there, turning back to Tim who still stood there.
"You and I need to have a talk."
"About what?" Tim asked.
"I've got the name of the man who's been handling the shipments of the weapons that have been being imported in," Bruce informed. "Turns out this guy has some outside help."
"How big are we talking?"
"Internationally."
"No surprise there, that would explain the rate their group is operating at," Tim said. "So what's this guy's name."
"They're calling him Alfrez Tulak," Bruce replied. "The good news is he's currently here in Gotham."
"Which means we need to find him," Tim said. "Any current leads."
"Not much, but I'll give you the full scoop when me meet tonight."
"Sounds good," Tim said before glimpsing over at the car door. "So, what do you think of him?"
"Nothing short of expected," Bruce said turning for the driver side. "But we'll see."
He made his way around the car from there.
"We'll see," Tim thought. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He sat in silence, pulling his phone out of his pocket. He sat back after turning it on, checking the time in the process.
"It's ten after five here," Conan thought. "Still much too early to call Haibara about those names I had her run a search on."
He looked up at the sound of the driver side door opening, watching as Bruce took a seat aside him.
"How's your day been thus far?"
"Not as expected," Conan admitted. "But entertaining none the less."
"That's good," Bruce said turning the key into the ignition. "There's something important I'd like to discuss with you."
He sat up straight, giving him his full attention.
"Ok, I'm listening."
To Be Continued
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Post by ssjbowser on Nov 3, 2011 2:36:08 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 64 Two Sided
They drove along side the walkway, coming to a stop after reaching a street light at the end of the block.
"I've been keeping tabs on that episode that occurred in Japan a couple months ago, the one that involved those murdered officers," Bruce began. "I haven't seen anything related to the matter in the recent police reports."
"And you're wondering if I've heard anything since then, right?"
"Have you?"
"Sorry, but no," Conan replied with the shake of his head. "After that last incident that occurred at the warehouse, there have been no more deaths in relation to that note leaving killer."
"Which raises the question why," Bruce said. "Why did they choose to end their spree when they did?"
"Now that you mention it, it does seem rather strange," Conan said. "What prompted them to stop, it's not like the police were closing in on them."
"What about the blade that was used to cut the bodies," Bruce asked. "Do you know exactly what was used?"
"It's been documented as a sword."
"What kind of sword?"
"Don't know to tell you the truth," Conan replied. "Does it really matter?"
"In a case like this, everything matters," Bruce stated. "Finding out the type of the sword used might point to a deeper meaning."
"You mean like a hidden clue?"
"Potentially," Bruce said as the light turned green. "I'll try and have the answer by tomorrow morning."
They moved on from there, taking a right at the intersection. He looked out the window as they drove by, not recognizing anything in the surrounding area.
"Where are we going?" Conan asked while turning in his seat.
"Short cut."
They drove through a dark tunnel, which took under a minute for them to make it out to the other side. Minutes passed as they continued on, making their way to the road leading up the hill side. They arrived at Wayne Manor after several minutes, bringing the car to a halt after passing by the gate. The two of them stepped, heading up the fleet of stairs toward the front door.
"So tell me," Bruce said as they walked. "Would you be interested in a tour of the city tonight?"
"How can I say no to that," Conan replied. "What time are we talking?"
"Anytime after six I suppose," Bruce said giving it some thought. "I'll give Dick a call, he shouldn't be too busy tonight."
"What about you," Conan asked. "Aren't you going to come along?"
"I would, but I have enough on my agenda as it is."
They walked past the front door, closing it once in.
"It's quiet in here," Conan said looking around. "Where is everyone?"
"They're around somewhere," Bruce said walking forward. "Things are usually like this around mid day from time to time."
"Where are you going?"
"To the study," Bruce replied. "If you need me, I'll be in there."
"Thanks for the heads up."
He watched him walk through the door to the study, looking down at his watch to check the time.
"Have awhile until six, and it's still too early to call her," Conan thought. "That just leaves some extra time in between."
He headed to the left as well, making his way into the large book room. Where to begin became the question. He made his way down the first row, not finding something of interest until reaching the far side.
"A book on the cities architectural features," Conan said bringing it into hand. "Maybe I could learn a thing or two."
He made his way toward the large desk to the right side of the room. Once there he stepped around the desk, taking a seat into the soft cushioned chair before opening the book. He sat there for a time to come, flipping through one page to the next. This lasted for a time to come. It wasn't until the sound of someone entering the room that he finally looked up from the book.
"He said I might find you in here," Damian said from the side of the door. "So is this what you do during your spare time?"
"Sometimes," Conan answered. "I try to get in a good read every so often."
"Why am I not surprised."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
He brushed off his remark, sitting up from where he leaned.
"Why are you here anyway?"
"My father wishes to speak with you."
"About what?" Conan asked setting the book aside.
"To let you know Grayson will be here soon," Damian replied. "Supposedly he's taking you out on a tour of the city."
"That's right," Conan said dropping down from the chair. "Is he already on his way?"
"Don't know, but I'd get ready," Damian replied before reopening the door. "He should be here any minute now."
"Where's Bruce?" Conan asked stepping forward.
"In the study."
With that he made his way out, letting the door slide shut from behind. He checked the time on his watch to find that it was nearly six thirty, feeling a little surprised that he had been in the book room for that long. He left the room as well, heading straight for the study once out. He gave the door a few knocks, not receiving a response in return.
"I thought Damian said he was in here."
He knocked two additional times only to receive the same results. He quietly pushed the door aside from there, walking in in to find no one in sight.
"Looks like I may have just missed him," Conan said turning back for the door. "Maybe he's up stairs."
He made his way out, coming to a stop after reaching the bottom of the stairs. The sound of a car parking from outside could be heard, immediately grabbing his attention. He walked up to the front door, pulling it to the side to see him step out of the car.
"I see they notified you I'd be coming," Dick said heading his way. "You about ready to go?"
"Of course," Conan said in response. "Since that ride earlier I've been easing it back here for most of the day."
"Then I guess this makes for perfect timing," Dick said. "But before we go I'd like to talk to you about something."
"It's about earlier isn't it, Tim told you what happened didn't he?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about," Dick said. "Is it something I should know, if so fill free to share."
"You first."
"Have it your way," Dick said stepping past him. "Why don't we head inside, this will only take a minute."
He followed him back into the house, the two of them walking past the door to the right of the kitchen which lead into the dinning room. Conan was the first to take a seat around the large table, watching as Dick placed a folder in front of him.
"What's this?"
"Some much needed headway," Dick informed. "Why don't you take a look inside."
He did as suggested, pushing the top of the folder to the side to lay his eyes upon several different test results.
"What's all this?"
"That's what was gained after running tests on several of the victims who died from those heart attacks," Dick informed. "High amounts of zinc, copper, ore, and galena were found in each of their bodies."
"All components consistent within metallic lead," Conan said. "Is that what you were getting at?"
"You catch on fast," Dick commented having a seat in the chair next to him. "I'm impressed."
"That's one step taken, but we still need to find out what caused their conditions."
"Don't have a straight answer as of now," Dick said. "But what I can say is that it didn't have anything to do with inhaling."
"Their lungs were checked?"
"That's right," Dick replied with a nod. "All their lungs checked out clean for the most part, except for those few smokers of course."
"That just makes things that much more complex," Conan said stacking the sheets of paper back into place. "Besides inhaling, there's not too many other ways you can get lead poisoning of this magnitude into your body."
"True, but we still don't know if that's the main cause of death," Dick stated. "We have yet to discover what ultimately triggered those heart attacks."
"True."
"So what is it that happened earlier," Dick asked. "I'm curious to know."
"Where to begin," Conan said sorting everything through his mind. "It started after you drove off after dropping me at the corner."
"Did someone try attacking you?"
"Not exactly," Conan replied. "Some woman actually used me to get past security, with the use of that card you gave me of course."
"How did she know you had one?"
"Your guess is as good as the next, I still don't know the answer to that."
"So why did she follow you in?"
"Turns out she was there to meet someone," Conan informed. "Some weird guy who was wearing an eye patch over the side of his eye."
"Do you have any idea what they were meeting about?"
He shook his head in response.
"Couldn't get in close enough without looking suspicious," Conan replied. "But that's not even the top of the story."
"Can't wait to hear this." Dick said sitting up.
"That same man she was talking with ended up dead just minutes later after encountering her," Conan informed. "And to twist things up even further, there was a sniper on a building nearby."
"Was the sniper the one who killed him?"
"No, but the gunman could no longer be seen after our eye patched friend fell over," Conan replied. "The cause of death is still unknown at this point."
"What about the woman who was with him?"
"She took off sometime after I went to go alert others about the gunman," Conan replied. "Whether she had anything to do with his death is still a mystery at this point."
"Does Bruce know about this?" Dick asked.
"No, but Tim's already looking into a potential lead."
"That's a start." Dick said as his phone rang from inside his pocket.
He stood up from the chair as he pulled out the phone to see who it was, turning for the door.
"I'll be just a minute," Dick said walking forward. "Gotta take this call."
He left from there, letting the door slide shut from behind. Conan sat there for the next few minutes, tapping his finger to the top of the table. A dragging five minutes soon turned into ten. He wasn't sure if he should be concerned or not, dropping down from the chair in the seconds that passed.
"I wonder what the hold up is."
He made his way toward the door, the sound of his voice echoing through the wall, becoming more and more clear with each step. He pulled the door aside once reaching it, walking out to hear the last words of his conversation.
"I'm glad I was able to get ahold of you, if there are any problems remember to have have your mother call me," Dick said. "I'll make sure everything is cleared by tonight, hope to see you soon."
He hung up from there, looking down at Conan who stood at his side.
"Who was that?" Conan asked
"A good friend," Dick smilingly replied before dropping the phone into his pocket. "How about holding off on that tour until tomorrow some time, I have to go check on a couple flight times."
"I'm ok with that."
"That's good to hear," Dick said pushing away from the wall. "Then I'll see you then."
He followed him all the way to the front door, watching as he made his way out to the car.
"Hey, can I ask you something?"
"What's up?" Dick said turning back to face him after taking a few steps down the stairs.
"What made you make up your mind," Conan asked. "About bringing me here?"
"That was something I had already intended to do, it was only a matter of time," Dick replied. "It was actually a couple pictures that were taken of you and Tim that were laying across the table the other day that promoted me to do it now."
"Pictures," Conan thought. "I don't recall taking any pictures."
"Well I better get going," Dick said heading down the stairs once again. "See you tomorrow."
He waited for him to get into the car, watching as he drove off before walking back into the house. He headed to the book room from there, taking a seat behind the desk like he previously had. He stayed there for the next few hours, looking down at his watch as it ticked just past ten thirty.
"Not too much longer until eleven, which would make it around noon in Tokyo," Conan said pulling out his phone. "No better time than now."
He hit the speed dial button before laying back, listening to the sound of the ring as he waited.
"I was expecting you'd call sooner."
"Glad to hear you're in a better mood this time around Haibara," Conan teasingly said. "How has everyone else been doing?"
"I haven't seen any of them since the last time you were over," Ai replied. "But they're supposed to be over here in the next hour or so, would you like me to call back when they arrive?"
"I'll probably be asleep by then, but be sure to tell them I said hi," Conan said in response. "So what about the names, did anything out of the ordinary show up after running the search?"
"All were clean but one," Ai informed. "That one person being Frank Bennet, he was charged with robbery with the possession of a gun a few years back."
"Is he the man we saw at Space Inc?"
"They look nothing alike," Ai replied. "Whoever that guy was must have some how gotten in without having his name on the guest list."
"That puts us back at square one."
"What do you want me to do now?"
"There's not much we can do at this point, but if you happen to learn anything new be sure to let me know."
"When should I expect to hear from you again?"
"It really depends, but if you need to talk to me you're free to call me," Conan said. "Even if you don't think I'm awake."
"I see you've become flexible with your hours."
"You could say that, but only for this special occasion," Conan said. "I'm goanna let you go, but I'll talk to you later."
"I'll be here."
With that he hung up, lowering the phone from his ear before shutting it off.
"Now to get some rest."
He headed toward the door, switching off the light on his way out. The rest of the house was nearly pitch dark by this time, only the moon from outside the left window providing a clear path to the stairs.
"Has everyone already gone to bed," Conan thought. "It almost feels like I'm the only one here."
He made his way up the stairs after reaching them, heading straight to his after making it to the top.
Things remained relatively quiet throughout the night. The next morning was an early start for him, heading out of the room after getting dressed. He came across Alfred who just happened to be passing by.
"I didn't get the chance to see you before you went to bed last night," Alfred said stopping in his path. "Where were you for most of the night?"
"In the book room," Conan replied. "I guess I got caught up in what I was doing."
"That's fine, I'll just be sure to check there the next time I'm looking for you."
"Do you know where Bruce is by any chance," Conan asked. "There's something I wanted to talk to him about."
"Down in the study," Alfred informed. "He and Damian were looking over something last I checked."
"Thanks for letting me know," Conan said before walking that way. "If you need me that's where I'll be."
He checked the time on his watch after making his way past the first door.
"Ten forty eight," Conan thought. "Looks like I'm finally adjusting to the time change."
He made his way to the bottom of the stairs a short time later, heading straight into the study to find the two of them looking over something on the computer that sat upon the desk.
"Well look who it is." Damian said being the first to see him enter. "Did you have a nice sleep?"
"Not a single twitch," Conan replied before looking elsewhere. "Bruce, there's something I'd like to talk to you about."
"If it's about what happened yesterday then there's no need," Bruce said. "Tim told me all about it last night."
"Guess he beat me to the punch," Conan said moving in. "So what is it the two of you of are looking over?"
"Something you wouldn't begin to be able to apprehend."
"That will be enough Damian," Bruce said shooting in. "That's no way to talk to our guests."
He muttered something before stepping off to the side.
"You can have a look if you'd like," Bruce said. "We were just going over some photos that were taken by a surveillance camera I had set up."
"What were you taking pictures of?" Conan asked stepping around the desk.
"Like I told you before," Bruce began. "I've been trying to track down the person whose been hosting the upbringing of this current weapons transport."
"Let me guess," Conan said. "You have a lead."
"Not just that, but a face to go with it."
"So who's the lucky guy?"
"It's actually a woman," Bruce said turning the screen his way. "Why don't you have a look."
He pushed up from where he stood, leaning up against the side of the desk to get a better view of the three pictures across the screen. It didn't take long for him to notice after giving the night club pictures a look, almost immediately recognizing who it was.
"You can't really see her face with that hood over her head, but that's defiantly her," Conan said. "That's the same woman who I encountered yesterday."
"Are you positive?" Bruce asked.
"Certain."
"Looks like we'll get some answers from both ends."
"What do you mean?" Conan asked.
"She's helping with the weapons import and she was also there when that man dropped dead yesterday," Bruce said. "If all goes right, we'll have some answers from both sides."
"But how," Conan questioned. "We don't even know where she is."
"Don't get so far ahead of yourself Shinichi," Bruce said standing up from the chair. "There's always that chance that I know where she'll be tonight."
To Be Continued
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Post by ssjbowser on Nov 9, 2011 3:36:55 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 65 City Hall
He shut down the power to the laptop computer, closing the top after doing so. He then made his way around the desk before heading toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Damian asked.
"To spread the word that I'll be attending tonight's annual meeting at the City Hall." Bruce replied.
"Is that where she's going to be?" Conan asked.
"Based on the audio from the camera I set up, that seems to be the case," Bruce confirmed. "We also were able pick up who she plans to meet, though we don't have their name at this time."
"I guess that doesn't really matter," Conan said. "As long as we have her, we'll have them."
"Exactly."
"If it's not too much to ask, do you think it would be ok if I came along?"
"I'd rather you stay here, there's no telling what we're in for," Bruce said. "Especially if things happen to go south."
"Come on," Conan stated after coming to his side. "I promise I won't get in the way, I'll contribute more than anything."
"I said no," Bruce repeated while turning for the door. "This is something that won't require you, no need to take any unnecessary risks."
"So much for that." Conan muttered.
Bruce headed out of the room from there. He felt a hand touch down to his left shoulder in the passing moments, turning to see the grin across his face.
"That's strike one," Damian remarked. "Rarely do you get a second warning, I wouldn't try pushing it if I were you."
He removed his hand from his shoulder, dropping the smile from his face as he too left the room.
"This kid is too much."
He walked out soon after, heading up the stairs to his room. Once there he took a seat at the end of the bed, bringing his bag to his side.
"No better time than now to fill up the stunners," Conan said zipping the top pocket open. "Don't want to find myself in any situations similar to yesterday."
He laid the bag onto the ground once finished, connecting his phone to the charger before dropping down from the bed.
"Now, what to do for the rest of the day."
He paced throughout the room for the next few minutes, occasionally hearing the sound of the birds flapping past the window side. The gate sliding open from outside could be heard not long after.
"I wonder who that is," Conan said. "Unless of course someone is leaving."
He exited the room moments later, casually making his way down the hall. He arrived to the top of the stairs just in time to see him enter through the front door.
"Just the guy I was hoping to see," Tim said closing the door before stepping forward. "Where's everyone else?"
"We were all just in the study not too long ago," Conan replied while heading down the stairs. "So they couldn't have gone far, so what brings you here?"
"It's actually Bruce who called to see me," Tim replied. "Apparently there's something he needs my help with in regards with tonight."
"No doubt it has to do with that woman from the surveillance footage."
"Seems you know more about what's going on," Tim said. "So who's this woman you just mentioned?"
"He says she's involved with some weapons transport," Conan replied. "It just so happens to be that she's the same woman who I met at your canceled speech event yesterday."
"What a small world it is," Tim remarked. "And you're sure about this?"
"I saw the images for myself," Conan stated. "There's no mistaking, it's defiantly her."
"That raises her as our main person of interest in the death of that man."
"What about the number sequence we came across upon the railing," Conan asked. "Were you able to trace the code back to the rifle?"
"Afraid not, it's just as I thought," Tim said. "The numbers we came across were only part of the serial number."
"Can't say I'm surprised."
"Wouldn't worry about it too much, from what we know I was able to narrow it down to eleven rifles that were purchased here in Gotham in the past two months," Tim informed. "There's also the chance it was brought in from somewhere else, I plan on looking into that possibility as soon I'm finished here."
"What about the cause of death, has it been revealed yet?"
"A needle injection to the back of his neck," Tim informed. "Some kind of Opioid drug was used."
"That almost wipes our sniper friend clean from the list of suspects."
"True, but I'd still like to know what he was doing there none the less."
"That leaves us with the hooded woman," Conan said. "It's looking more and more likely she was the one responsible, of course we can't be one hundred percent sure until we gather some evidence."
"Very true."
"You say he was killed by an Opioid drug," Conan stated. "If that's the case, then how long did it take for it to drift throughout his body before shutting down his system?"
"They don't have an exact time line as of yet, I'll let you know as soon as they do."
"Thanks, that's one of the most important details we need to find out," Conan said. "There was something else, when I looked at him."
"What do you mean?"
"His eye," Conan replied. "From the time I came upon the body up until the time I left, the tint in his right eye seemed to be drastically darkening."
"Anything else?"
"Besides some swelling to the upper lid, that's about it."
"Not exactly the side affects you would expect from Opioid poisoning." Tim thought to himself.
The two of them turned at the sound of the kitchen door sliding open, watching as he headed their way.
"Well look who it is," Damian said as he approached. "Heard about last night, you feeling better now?"
"Good to see you too."
They moved aside once he reached the stairs, allowing for him to make his way up. He waited until he was no longer in sight before turning back to face him.
"What happened last night?"
"Let's just say it was a rough one," Tim replied. "But enough about that, where's Bruce?"
"Last time I saw him he was in his study, which wasn't too long ago," Conan answered. "He left to go prepare for tonight's event at the city hall."
"Are you going as well?"
"He said it'd be better if I stayed here."
"I see, in any case I'll keep you posted with this whole rifle deal."
"What about you," Conan asked. "Are you going to the city hall as well?"
"That's the plan," Tim replied. "I've been awarded the look out duties, if you know I mean."
"Best of luck."
"Thanks, but what do you plan to do while you're here?"
"No need to worry about me," Conan assured. "The book room has more than enough to keep me occupied."
"Glad you've found a hanging spot," Tim said before turning for the kitchen. "I'll try and catch you before I leave, and if I don't I'll see you tomorrow some time."
"Either way works, just be sure you let me know what happens tonight," Conan said. "I'm interested to find out who this woman is."
"I think we all are."
With that he walked toward the kitchen, pushing the door aside after reaching it. Conan on the other hand turned for the stairs, resting his hands into his pocket as he made his way back up.
"So I'm sidelined for a night, how bad could it be?"
He took a seat upon the bed after reaching the room. His hands fell behind his head as he laid back, keeping his sights set to the ceiling. It was only a matter of minutes before his eyes began to flicker, feeling an easing calmness soar through his body.
"Why do I feel so drained all of a sudden," Conan thought to himself. "Hopefully I'm not coming down with something, the last thing I'd want is to become sick."
He laid there for a measurable time to come before finally wafting off into a light sleep. It wasn't until later that evening that he was finally awakened, feeling his body slightly shaked. He opened his eyes to see him standing over him, sitting up as he wiped some sweat from the side of his forehead.
"Are you feeling alright," Alfred asked. "I tried knocking, but you didn't respond."
"How long was I out?" Conan asked as he looked toward the window to see the sun was nearly out of view.
"You've been asleep for several hours," Alfred replied. "I find it a little unusual since you slept through all of yesterday night, but maybe it's the fact you're body hasn't fully adjusted to the time change."
He looked down at his watch to check the time.
"No kidding," Conan thought before looking back at him. "It just passed five O'clock a couple minutes ago."
"Will you be ok if I leave the house for a bit?"
"Of course, there's nothing to worry about," Conan replied. "Where are you going?"
"I have the luxury of dropping Master Wayne off at the city hall event."
"What time does he have to be there?"
"The brochure read six thirty, but he always trys arrive before any scheduled time," Alfred answered as he made his way toward the door. "I should be gone no longer than an hour."
Conan grabbed his phone before jumping down from the bed, following Alfred out of the room before the door could fully slide shut. They made their way to the stairs a short time later, looking down to the bottom see Bruce adjusting the tie around his neck.
"I see you've finally awoken," Bruce said finishing up the last loop. "Are you feeling ok?"
"I asked him the same thing." Alfred said as they headed down.
"No need for concern," Conan assured. "I'm feeling just fine."
"Good," Bruce said as he attended to his sleeves. "If anything goes wrong, just give me a call."
"But I don't know your number."
"It's written on a piece of paper," Bruce informed. "I laid it on top of the dresser in your room while you were asleep."
"I'll keep that in mind."
"Now that we've got that cleared, I think it's time we headed out," Bruce said turning to Alfred. "It's about a forty minute drive from here, we'll have plenty of time to spare if we go now."
"The car should be warmed up by now, it's been sitting out there for the past two minutes."
"What about Tim," Conan asked. "He said he was going as well."
"We plan to pick him up elsewhere, and knowing him he's probably ready by now." Bruce said before turning for the door.
"Are you hungry?" Alfred asked.
"I guess I could use a little something to eat."
"Do you think you can hold off for awhile," Alfred asked. "I plan to whip up a little something when I get back."
"Sounds like a done deal to me."
"Then it's settled," Alfred said before heading for the door as well. "Remember, if you experience any problems be sure to call."
"Will do Alfred."
He watched him walk out from there, leaving him standing alone at the center of the room. He remained there for the next few moments, listening to the sound of the car take off seconds later.
"Now, what to do in the mean time," Conan said looking around the room. "I could catch the nightly news, there's a chance they'll have more information on what exactly killed that man yesterday."
Nothing could be heard throughout the house as he walked from where he stood, the only sound coming from the wind brushing past the upper window. Before heading for the TV room he decided to walk into the book room. Once in he switched on the light, glimpsing over to the desk to find the book he had been flipping through earlier still in place.
"There it is," Conan said walking over to grab it. "This should keep me occupied, especially since there's not much I can do at this point."
He shut off the light on his way out, making his way clear across the dark house to the other side. He came to a stop once reaching the dinning room, closing the door after entering. It didn't take long to walk past the table, heading to the right where the TV room was located. He had a seat to the couch after reaching it, clicking the power button on the remote as he watched the TV flash on.
"What do you know, it's already on the channel seven news," Conan said setting the remote aside. "Now to see what's gone on throughout the day."
He sat back, removing the glasses from his eyes before laying it next to the remote. He sat there for a time to come, half listening to what was said as he flipped through the book. It traveled through the walls, the sound of something crashing to the ground.
"What was that?"
Conan set the volume to mute, listening in hopes of hearing the sound for a second time. He didn't have to wait long, hearing it just as clear as it had been the first time around.
"What is that noise," Conan thought. "Is there someone in here besides me?"
He dropped down to the ground from there, shutting off the TV before hearing the sound for a third time.
"Are they back already," Conan said making his way toward the door. "Only one way to find out."
Traffic became more and more backed up as they neared, taking another right after reaching the next intersection. He checked the time on his watch as they drove on, lowering his hand after doing so.
"No need to rush," Bruce said easing up in his seat. "We still have another twenty minutes before six thirty."
"Are you sure you want to go inside," Tim asked. "I thought you'd want to be the one looking for any outside activity."
"Many are already expecting my attendance tonight, that's why we're doing it this way," Bruce said. "Did you set up those surveillance cameras like we discussed?"
"Through the main hall, as well as all five exits," Tim confirmed. "I already checked for a working connection, everything's a go."
"Good."
"What about Dick," Tim asked. "Isn't he supposed to help monitor inside as well?"
"That's the plan," Bruce replied. "I spoke with him over an hour ago, he said he might be a little late."
"Any idea why?"
"Didn't ask, but we should be able to manage without him for the time being."
They continued down the roadside, traffic continuing to clutter as they came upon a small crash sight in the middle of the street.
"Just what we need," Bruce said reaching for the door. "We'll walk the rest of the way from here, at most it should take us ten minutes to get there."
"Are you sure," Alfred questioned while turning away from the wheel to face him. "Don't you think they'll find it rather strange if you arrive on foot?"
"I'm already contemplating on what my story will be." Bruce smilingly said as he exited.
Tim grabbed the bag that sat next to him before following him, locking the door before closing it. The two of them watched as he drove off, heading to the left side of the street as soon as he did.
"Now that we're almost there, what side did you want me to operate from?"
"The south west end," Bruce replied. "There's a window which will allow you to see into the foyer where most of the guests will be."
"Gotcha."
"There's an old electronics building on that side, so it should make for a good observing spot," Bruce informed. "By the way, what's in the bag?"
"Everything I'll need, including my suit," Tim replied. "Once I'm all set I'll try contacting you through the codec earpiece to test our connectivity."
"I'll be waiting."
They continued on from there, looking forward as the city hall slowly came into view.
It got clearer as he made his way down the stairs, the sound of something quietly slinging from one side to the other. It was dark, giving some thought on whether to use his wrist watch's light to help guide his way. He made it to the bottom soon after, peaking around the corner into the dark room to see him standing near the far wall.
"That's Damian," Conan thought. "But what's he doing here, I thought for sure he left for the city hall as well."
He kept his position for awhile longer, simply watching him. It didn't take long for him to notice, catching sight of a shining object at his side. But what was it? He didn't know what to do next, freezing as he watched him look his way.
"What do you want Kudo?"
"How'd you know I was here?" Conan asked stepping out from where he hid.
He didn't receive response.
"What are you doing down here anyway, and in the dark for that matter?" Conan asked as felt around for a switch.
It didn't take long for him to find one, turning on the light in the next second to look on in surprise. There were several weapons throughout the room, stacked around in an orderly matter. He then took notice of the few suits of armor, admiring the condition they were in.
"What is this place?"
"And here I thought you were some kind of detective," Damian said flipping the sword in his right hand to his left. "This is the armory."
"You seem to have a thing for swords," Conan said. "Didn't your mother ever teach you about the dangers of sharp objects?"
"Quite the opposite."
"Some how I doubt that," Conan said. "Where is your mother anyway, do you ever see her around?"
"Do you always ask so many questions?"
"Just trying to keep conversation."
"Feels more like you're trying to interrogate me."
"That wasn't my intent," Conan said looking around the room once again. "What are you doing down here anyway?"
"I was actually just finishing up." Damian said before walking over to the right side.
He placed the sword back into its case which was clamped to the wall. He then headed back for the stairs, walking past Conan who turned as he did.
"Where are you going?"
"-TT-."
He watched as he made his way up the long fleet of stairs, not sure what to make of his gesture.
"Was that code for something," Conan thought. "Because I have no idea what that was supposed to mean."
After crossing another street and walking down a few blocks, he finally arrived to find a relatively small line leading to the front entrance.
"Made it just in time, no telling how many people will show up tonight."
He scoured the area as he waited in line, looking for anyone who resembled the woman seen in the video.
"No sign of her yet, there's also the chance she's already made her way in."
It wasn't much longer that he found himself at the front of the line, pulling out his invitation slip to show to the security guard.
"Head right down that hall, and take a left once you reach the end," The guard informed. "I hope you enjoy your time Mr. Wayne."
"Thanks, I'm sure I will."
He slid the piece of paper back into his jacket after walking past the door. The walls were filled with many decorative portraits on both sides, grabbing his attention as he made his way down the long hall. He took a left once reaching the end as instructed, following the sound of the many voices coming from behind a door.
"Very stylish." Bruce said taking notice of the unique door knob before heading in.
There were many standing around throughout the large room as expected, keeping his focus as he slowly advanced forward.
"Now to see if I can locate our guest of the hour."
He walked to a secluded area in the room over to the right side, leaning up against the wall as he set his sights to those walking in through the door he had come. This lasted for the next minute or so. It wasn't until the sound of someone coming to a stop at his side that he looked away from the door, turning to find a young woman standing before him.
"You're Bruce Wayne, aren't you?"
"That is correct," Bruce confirmed. "How may I help you?"
"My father wishes to meet with you, and since you're here now there's something I'd like to show you." She said pulling her purse up to her side.
"Your father?"
"Sorry about that, where are my manners," She said looking back up to face him. "I'm Bernadea Fournier, daughter of Lonard Fournier."
"I've heard that name before."
"And you should have, he's been one of the major contributors with the recent construction that's been going on around the city."
"So what is it your father wishes to speak to me about?"
Their conversation was cut short by the sound of her name being called from behind.
"Friends of yours?" Bruce asked taking notice of a group of people waving over at her.
"Could you excuse me, this will only take a moment."
"Take your time." Bruce said as she resulted to walking toward them.
He then turned his attention back to the entryway. There was still no sign of her, taking the time to scour the room once again. After a brief sweep of the room he took notice of someone, looking to the wall opposite of where he stood to see a man in a cap with his sights locked to the ground. He continued to watch him for the minutes that passed, coming to find he had no interest in interacting with those that surrounded him.
"This may call for more than suspicion," Bruce thought keeping his eyes fixated to him. "But who is he, and what is he doing here?"
To Be Continued
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Post by ssjbowser on Nov 14, 2011 4:19:43 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 66 Deceptive Trick
He had followed him back up the stairs, all the way to the last floor of the house before he finally came to a stop. This was one of the cooler rooms he had been in.
"Why did you come up here?" Conan asked.
"You didn't have to follow me you know."
With that he headed toward the far corner of the room where a small window could be seen. Once there he nudged it upward to force it open.
"You obviously have nothing better to do," Damian said glimpsing back at him. "You're free to come along if you so choose to."
He hopped out of the window before disappearing in the seconds that past. After a moments hesitation he made his way toward the window as well, slowly dropping down to the roof below.
"Now where did he go?"
He didn't see him at first glance, carefully making his way further up the side of the roof in attempt not to slip. After pulling himself to the higher level of the roof he looked to his right to see him standing a couple feet away.
"What took you so long?" Damian asked.
"Roof climbing has never been one of my things," Conan replied after regaining his balance. "Though apparently that's not the case for you."
"It comes with the territory."
"Territory?"
"Don't tell me you're going to go on another one of your questioning frenzies."
"You really don't like talking with others do you, or is it just because you don't know me very well?"
Not surprisingly he received nothing in response. He looked toward the sky, gazing into the far distance. It was a captivating view,being able to see down into the city from where they stood.
Ten minutes from the time he had begun watching him approached, keeping his position as he continued to wait. He turned at the sudden sound of the door swinging open once more to see three other guests joined the room along with everyone else.
"Still no sign of her."
An alarming ring came to his ear in the passing moments, resting back to the wall as he pressed down to the codec piece.
"Bruce, can you hear me?"
"Loud and clear."
"How are things inside," Tim asked. "Has she shown?"
"Negative," Bruce replied. "Our red haired friend has yet to arrive."
"Can't be too much longer, six thirty is only eighteen minutes away."
"She might not be here, but I may know who she plans to meet with."
"Are they close?"
"He's across the way, opposite from where I'm standing," Bruce informed. "I've been watching him for several minutes now, I'd say he's waiting for someone."
"Don't have a visual from that side, so I'll leave that up to you."
"I'll keep you posted."
Their transmission came to an end from there. The room gradually continued to fill up with each passing minute. He looked around as six thirty quickly closed in, only nine minutes remaining until then.
"I wonder where Ms. Fournier ran off to," Bruce said continuing his search of the room. "I was expecting she'd be back by now."
The lights in the room slightly dimmed a short time later. He didn't know what to think at first, watching as a man walked in through the door while pulling along a wheeled table. He couldn't see what was on the table, being the fact the contents were covered up with a blanket.
"I wonder what's going on here?"
The table was taken all the way to the right side of the room. He stood in front of the table for the next minute or so after stopping in his tracks, keeping a watchful eye over it.
"He looks like a security guard of some kind, I wonder what's behind those sheets," Bruce said. "But whatever it is, it must have some importance."
Another man dressed in similar attire joined him shortly after, standing at the other end of the table. He then turned back to the opposite wall, noticing the man with the cap leveled over his eyes had slightly reposited his stance from where he stood. In the process of watching him he searched the room for the woman who he was expecting would arrive anytime now.
"She's running late, too close to the borderline if you ask me," Bruce said leaning back to the wall once again. "Either there's been a change in plan, or she's already here."
He gave those throughout the room a harder look, checking for anything out of the ordinary.
"Better keep my eyes peeled."
It was now a change in strategy. He pushed away from the wall, heading into the heart of the crowd where most everyone else was. He gave anyone he came into contact with an in depth look, checking for any contradicting features around the body as well as any potential latex masks. About halfway into the process a ring from the codec piece could be heard, putting his task on hold for the time being.
"How are things coming along in there?"
"She hasn't shown yet, to my knowledge that is," Bruce stated. "But there's also a chance she's in disguise, I'm looking into that possibility as we speak."
"Do you really think she'd go that far to hide her identity," Tim asked. "I mean, it's not like she knows we're on to her."
"It may have more to do with a business stand point," Bruce said. "With the high level on what's taking place, there's no telling who might be watching."
"Fair point, what about Dick," Tim asked. "Has he made it yet, I haven't seen him from up here."
"No, he has yet to show up." Bruce answered.
"What about that guy you were watching," Tim questioned. "Have you ruled him out of the fold?"
"Not yet," Bruce replied. "There's still a chance he's the one who plans to meet with her, that is if she even decides to show."
"What are you implying?"
"Maybe there's more to this trade than I thought."
"A trade," Tim questioned. "Does this still have to do with that woman?"
"Are you suited up?"
"Of course."
"Good, now stay on the look out," Bruce instructed. "I think we might be in for something unexpected."
"Care to elaborate, I'm feeling a little more on the dark side of things."
"Don't have time, but I'll give you the rest of the details later," Bruce replied. "But right now I need to find the two accomplices, contact me if you see anything."
"Sure thing."
They ended their discussion from there, resulting in him directing his attention back to the guests. He looked to the wall where the man with the cap had once been, coming to find he was no longer there.
"Should have kept an eye on him," Bruce thought while looking around. "There's no telling where he ran off to now."
It wasn't long after that another man headed to the far side of the room, joining the two security guards who were still standing in front of the table which had been brought in.
"Now there's three people standing guard in front of that table, makes you wonder what they plan to do," Bruce said. "Maybe it has something to do with tonights main event."
He then focused back to the case at hand, continuing to make his way around the room as he looked over those around him. It took a little over three minutes for him to skim the whole crowd of people, having no luck in what he was hoping to find.
"Time to round it back," Bruce thought. "That man who was wearing the cap may be my only lead, I've got to find him."
Relocating him was the tough part, backtracking from to where he had previously searched. The sound of his phone ringing in the passing moment could be heard from within his pocket, ignoring this as he continued to search for the man that had been awarded his attention.
"There's three minutes left until six thirty," Bruce said after glimpsing down at his watch. "She should have been here by now."
He turned off his phone after the ring could no longer be heard, not wanting to be disturbed by anything from the outside until all was accomplished. It became more and more difficult to see who was present throughout the room as more guests continued to pile in.
"I need to find that hatted man," Bruce thought to himself. "If he is in fact the one meeting with that woman seen in the video, there's no telling how long or brief their meet will be."
He looked to the left to search the other portion of the room, feeling as someone pushed past him from behind. This caused him to turn around, watching as two women and a man made their way toward the covered table as well. He found his interest level growing, following the three of them while at the same time keeping a look out to those around him.
The temperature steadily dropped as the minutes past. Neither had said a word to the other since their last exchange. He looked over at him, several thoughts running through his mind. He took a step toward him, alerting him of his presence.
"You're awfully quiet, I almost forgot you were up here to be honest."
"I'll take that as a compliment," Conan said giving into his sarcasm. "If you don't mind, there's one thing I'd like to ask you."
"Go ahead."
"When I walked in earlier, when the two of you were in the study." Conan began.
"This is about my fathers secret, isn't it," Damian stated. "I already know everything, if that's what you were wondering."
"How did you know what I was going to ask?"
"Your expression," Damian replied. "This morning when you walked into the study when we were going over the video footage, you looked surprised to see I was involved with the investigation."
"I guess it was a little unexpected."
"I'm going back inside," Damian said walking forward. "You're free to stay up here if you so choose."
He stood there for the next few seconds before deciding to follow after him.
"Hey, wait up," Conan said. "I'll come with you."
He moved forward from there, nearly slipping forward after taking a couple steps. Hearing the sound of the slight commotion, he turned back to face him.
"Is something wrong?"
"Just tumbled a little, it's nothing to worry about." Conan assured.
He was still skeptical, taking the time to look into his eyes.
"Are you sure you're ok?" Damian asked.
"I guess I do feel a tad bit drained," Conan admitted. "I could use something to drink."
"Follow me."
They made their way back into the house through the window they had come. Many things flowed throughout his his mind as they walked through the dark house, keeping pace with him from a few feet behind.
"It's one thing that he knows everything, but where does he fit into it all?"
He lead them to the kitchen upon reaching the main floor, turning on the light after walking in. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust, looking over to see him slide the fridge door open.
"What would you like?"
"Anything will do."
He pulled out the closest jug of juice near his hand before walking over to grab a glass cup. After filling up the cup he placed it to the side of the counter.
"Drink up." Damian said before heading back over to the fridge.
"Thanks."
He walked up to the counter to grab the cup, bringing it into his hand after reaching it. He took a small sip, holding out the cup in front of him as he felt himself shaking from within. It was a calm and weakening coldness, something he had never felt before. Damian immediately took notice of him after reclosing the fridge door.
"Hey Kudo, you don't look so hot."
It was no secret he was losing control, feeling the cup slide from out of his grasp down to the ground with a shattering exchange. It wasn't until then that he felt himself falling forward, everything darkening to the mind as he dropped head first. Damian walked up to his body, staring down at him for the next few moments.
"You have got to be kidding me."
The five of them looked on as he approached, more than delighted to have him join their little group.
"Just the person I was hoping to see," The woman standing directly across said. "I was hoping to get the chance to meet you while I was in town."
"Guess that doesn't require an introduction on my behalf," Bruce stated. "You clearly already know who I am, that just leaves you."
"Catheron, Catheron Edelman," She replied while shaking his hand. "And this is my assistant of two years."
She turned to the woman who stood next to her who smiled in the process.
"And you are?" Bruce asked.
"Aileen," She replied almost instantly. "Pleasure to meet you Mr. Wayne, I've heard much."
"So what's with this whole set up?" Bruce asked out of curiosity.
"A bidding," Catheron replied. "Half the money collected will be given to charity, our company has sponsored several monthly events such as this for the past three years."
"Bidding huh," Bruce said directing his attention to the covered table. "What exactly is up for auction?"
"That's as much as I'm going to say," Catheron smilingly said. "I don't want to spoil the whole surprise."
"Understood."
"I hope you decide to participate, I'm sure you'll find something to your liking."
Before another word could be spoken they were joined by two men who just finished setting up a couple chairs around the table.
"Who's is this?" One of them asked.
"His names Bruce Wayne." Aileen replied.
"Sorry about that," Catheron apologized. "He's new in town, he just arrived two weeks ago."
"Don't worry about it," Bruce said. "It doesn't bother me one bit."
"Nice to meet you Mr. Wayne," He said with the tip of his hat. "I'm Aldon Boomer."
"I guess that just leaves me," The other man said stepping forward. "My names Matthew Thompson, but you can call me Matt."
"I take it that's what most people call you?"
"That's right," Matt said with a nod. "I had no idea you would be here, your name wasn't listed amongst the others on the guest list."
"It was somewhat of a last minute thing."
"We've got about a minute until we're scheduled to begin." Matt said checking his watch.
"Why don't you let me relieve you of your hand bag," Aldon said coming to Aileen's side. "You've had that over your shoulder since the time we got here."
"Thanks, I wasn't really thinking about that." Aileen said as he pulled the bag from over her head.
"I'll set it next to your chair at the last chair on the left."
"That will do."
He left the group from there, walking around the table toward the other side.
"I guess that's my cue," Bruce said taking a step back. "I'd hate to put anything on hold, I'll let the four of you get situated with whatever it is you've got going."
"I appreciate the that," Matt said. "Perhaps we can talk once things are finished, there's something I'd like your opinion on."
"I'll see you then."
With that he turned toward the other side of the room, heading back to the wall he had occupied for most of the night thus far. Unsurprisingly there was still no sign of her. He searched the room for the man that had come to his attention as well, having no luck sighting him throughout the large group.
"Don't have time to sit around and wait for either of them to show,"Bruce said. "I need to start looking for any potential meeting spots, somewhere discreet."
He took everything into account, even the other rooms throughout the facility he had not yet checked. The lights began to dim as he made his way toward the exit, watching as a security guard took his place in front of the door.
"Just what I needed."
The room continued to darken, turning around just in time to see a bright light shine down upon the covered. Matthew was the first out of his peers to step forward, smiling as he readied himself to address the crowd.
"They've blocked off both exits, looks like I have no choice but to stay put."
That didn't stop him from pushing forward with the task at hand, finding himself a lone spot in the room before pressing down to the ear piece.
"I just saw most of the lights go off, what's going on in there?"
"They're getting ready to hold some bidding event," Bruce informed. "How are things looking from outside there?"
"Nothing really to report."
"What about the cameras we set up in the other rooms," Bruce asked "Is anyone currently occupying any of them?"
"Besides the lobby, no," Tim answered. "And the only people in there are the ones who have been checking off those on the guest list."
"Let me know if you see anything."
"I'm assuming you haven't found our mystery woman yet, but what about Dick," Tim asked. "Have you seen him?"
"He still hasn't shown up, which means it's up to you and me," Bruce said. "Stay sharp, I'm counting on you."
Their transmission came to an end from there. He looked back to the front of the room to see Catheron had taken center stage, heading in closer to get a better view.
"As dark as this room may be, this is what they may have been anticipating all along," Bruce thought to himself. "For an opportunity to do business without others noticing, can't afford to drop my guard."
He looked back to the front for a brief moment to see the bright smile across her face.
"And without further ado," Catheron said reaching for the sheet. "Let the bidding begin."
She whipped the blanket aside as many looked on in amazement, laying their eyes onto several different jewels which were inclosed behind a large glass case which was laid out atop the table.
"Very delicate pieces," Bruce said. "Some of these gems are hard to get your hands on, rare to find even."
Out of all the jewels that came to his eyes only one captivated him, moving in at its unique sparkle.
"What kind of diamond is that, I don't believe I've seen one quite like it."
Within that instance the lights that remained in the room completely shut down, leaving it nearly pitch dark. No one panicked at first, believing it was part of the set up.
"I wonder what this is all about."
It wasn't until the sound of the window at the left wall shattering apart could be heard that sparked an uneasy reaction. He was one of the few to keep his poise, listening to all that went on around him. Before he could fully assess the situation the sound of more glass being dislodged apart caused him to turn into that direction.
"That came from the glass case."
He decided not to move forward, not wanting to take the risk of bumping into anyone. Before he could decide on what to do next the lights surprisingly flashed back on, causing the uproar in commotion to come to an end. It all became clear within that one moment, looking to the glass case to see the diamond he had locked eyes on was now gone.
"What a night this is turning out to be."
He then turned his attention to the window that had been broken to find a rope hanging down into the room.
"Is everyone ok?" One of the security guards asked making his way to the center of the room.
"What just happened?" A woman from behind asked.
"Clearly someone was after one of those diamonds," The guard answered. "And it looks like they were successful in taking it."
"Well if that's the case, aren't you going to go after them?" Matthew asked coming to his side.
"My comrade is calling for a search as we speak, they'll be on it in no time," The security guard said facing him. "What happened to your cheek, you've been cut."
"It happened when the lights went out," Matt replied. "I must have got nicked by a piece of glass when the window was shattered."
"As dark as it was I'm sure none of you saw anything, but did any of you happen to hear anything before the glass case was broken?"
"There was too much noise throughout the room as it was," Aileen said. "We wouldn't have known if someone was near."
"Is there anything else we can help with?" Catheron asked.
"Yes, I'm going to need all the details on what exactly was stolen."
Bruce watched on from the side as the questioning process began, looking over to where the rope still hung. He stood there for the next few minutes, watching as it swayed from one side to the other. He wanted to examine it further, deciding to head in for a closer look. There were multiple shards of glass on the ground upon reaching the rope.
"There's no way the thief could have escaped out through that window without being spotted," Bruce said. "The lighting from the moon would have given them away."
He thought about it for a moments longer, looking back and forth between the rope and window.
"Was this whole set up a decoy?"
He could hear the sound of someone approaching from behind, turning just in time to be joined by the officer who had been guarding the door.
"How may I help you."
"I'm going to tell you the same thing I told the other guy who was searching around here," He began. "We don't want anyone near any of the evidence, after all this is now a crime scene."
"Understood officer," Bruce said taking a step back. "On another note, would you happen to know which room the fuse box is in for this building?"
"Are the two of you working together or something," He questioned. "That other guy asked me the same exact thing."
"And who is that?" Bruce asked.
He took the next few moments to skim the room, catching sight of him examining the glass case where the diamond had been taken from.
"There he is, but what is he doing over there," The officer said. "I thought I made it clear we had this under control.
Bruce looked over as well, coming to find it was none other than the hatted man he had lost sight of earlier in the night.
"I've got him back on radar," Bruce thought with delight. "But who is he, and why is he interested in knowing where the fuse box is?"
To Be continued
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Post by ssjbowser on Nov 18, 2011 4:01:14 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 67 Assist from the Hatted Man
That was the question that lingered on his mind as he watched him from a distance, taking note on every move he made.
"What exactly is he doing over there?"
"I better go have another word with him, he obviously didn't get the message the first time around." The security guard said.
Just as he began to walk forward the sound of the door from behind swinging open caused him to stop, turning to see a number of police officers enter the room along with the head man himself. Bruce stepped aside as they approached, not wanting to be in the midst of it all.
"Commissioner James Gordon," The security guard said as they stopped before him. "I wasn't expecting you'd be coming as well."
"It's not every night an incident like this occurs at the city hall," James said in response. "Something like this calls for my attention."
"Can't argue that."
"Has anyone been released?"
"Not at this point in time."
"Good, I want written statements from everyone on what they were doing leading up to the black out," James said. "Once that is taken care of then, and only then will anyone be allowed to leave, is that understood?"
"Loud and clear Commissioner," He said with the nod of his head. "If there's any place to start, I'd start with that man over there."
"Who is he?" James asked after spotting him examining the broken glass case.
"Don't know to tell you the truth," The security guard replied. "But ever since things started, he seems to be trying to run his own little investigation."
"I'll have a word with him, in the mean time I want you to go retrieve the surveillance camera from the roof," James instructed. "If the thief in fact used that as their escape route we should have a visual on them."
"I'll get on it right away."
Without further question he took off.
"You two with me," James said to to two officers at his side. "I want the rest of you to begin collecting written statements."
They nodded before heading off as well. Commissioner Gordon along with the two police officers made their way toward the glass case. Bruce followed from a few feet away, wanting to find out who this man was just as much as they wanted.
"This is it."
They didn't get far before being engaged by Aileen who was standing directly in front of the glass case.
"Are you here to help find out what happened?"
"That's the plan," James replied. "Are you the one who was hosting this bidding event?"
"Me and three others." Aileen confirmed.
"What about him," James asked pointing to the man looking over the broken glass case. "Was he helping to host this whole thing?"
"No, he's actually here to help find out what happened," Aileen said. "I thought he was with your unit, he claims he's a detective."
"Thanks for the heads up."
"I just don't understand how someone was able to break the glass case."
"What makes you say that?"
"It's made out of tempered glass," Aileen informed. "Much stronger than anything you normally come across."
"I'll see what I can find out."
She stepped to the side from there, allowing for the three of them to step around the table to the other side. He was kneeled down with his sights set to the broken glass upon the ground as they approached. James raised his hand which signaled for the two of them to come to a stop. It didn't take long for him to notice their presence, smiling as he continued his examination of the glass.
"Eight minutes and thirty two seconds," The hatted man stated. "You guys move quickly, I wasn't anticipating your arrival for at least another six minutes."
"Would you mind standing to your feet?"
"Not at all." He said with full cooperation.
"So tell me," James asked looking directly into his eyes. "Who are you?"
He continued to listen on from a few feet away, moving in closer to hear what was being said between the two.
"I'm a detective."
"So I've heard," James said not one bit sold. "Do you have a name, I'm going to need it if I'm going to clarify what you've just claimed."
"Now for the moment of truth." Bruce anxiously thought to himself.
He reached for the tip of his cap, slightly tilting it upward as a grin became visible across his face.
"Hattori," He replied. "Heiji Hattori."
"Hattori huh, I don't believe I've ever heard of you."
"No big surprise, I'm not exactly from around here," Heiji informed. "In fact, I just arrived a little over two hours ago."
"So you say," James said taking a step forward. "How about we drop the shenanigans and jump straight the point, who are you really?"
"I've already told you."
"So I see you're sticking with the whole detective bit," James said becoming impatient. "You said you're not from around here, so tell me.. where are you from?"
"Osaka Japan." Someone said from behind.
It caused the four of them to spin around, watching as he came to a stop before them.
"Mr. Wayne," James said in surprise. "What are you doing here, I didn't see your name on the guest list."
"It was a last minute thing."
"You just said he was from Japan, is that true?"
"That is correct."
"He also claims to be a detective."
"That is also true," Bruce confirmed dropping a hand to Heiji's right shoulder. "I've read up on some of the cases he's handled, you'd be wise to let him help you solve this one as well."
"I'll have to get word from the Osaka police department first," James stated. "If they clear what you've said, I might just consider it."
"Would you like me to go retrieve the number for you?" The officer to the left of him asked.
"That will be just fine," James said before turning back to Heiji. "I won't be gone long, I want you to stay here until I return, got it?"
"I won't move an inch." Heiji assured.
"You two," James said looking to the officers next to him. "Come with me."
The three of them headed back to the other side of the room, leaving the two of them alone for the first time.
"So you're Bruce Wayne, it's good to finally meet you," Heiji said looking up at him. "Oh, and nice save by the way."
"Don't mention it," Bruce said in response. "So tell me, what brings you here?"
"What do you mean?"
"What are you doing here in Gotham?"
"Grayson didn't tell you?"
"Never mind that," Bruce said. "Where is he now?"
"He was supposed to go park the car, been waiting for him ever since."
"We might not see him for awhile, at least not until this whole thing is cleared."
"You're right, no one's allowed to leave and I doubt they'll let anyone else in unless they're here to help with the investigation," Heiji stated. "You said that you didn't know I'd be here, so how'd you know who I was?"
"I recognized your name when you were speaking with Gordon, not to mention your accent," Bruce replied. "It shouldn't take very long for them to come back, in the mean time you stay here."
"What about you," Heiji questioned. "Where are you going?"
"To find where the fuse box is located," Bruce answered. "There's always a chance something from inside that room triggered the lights to go off."
"My thoughts exactly."
"I won't be gone long." Bruce said as he turned to walk.
"Hold on," Heiji said. "Do you think they'll actually let you leave this room?"
"As long as I have a police escort with me, I don't see why not."
"Makes sense," Heiji said. "Tell me what you're able to find, I'll keep an eye on things here."
"I trust that you will."
He wondered off from there, heading over to the right side of the room where a police officer could be seen gaining information from of few bystanders who surrounded him.
"Excuse me," Bruce said walking up to his side while glimpsing down at his name tag. "Officer Celek, there's something the Commissioner asks of you."
He turned away from those jotting down their written statements, giving Bruce his full attention.
"What is it Gordon needs me to do?"
"He wanted me to tell you to go check out the room where the fuse box is," Bruce replied. "The lights went out before the glass shattered, he wants to know if it had anything to do with the fuse box."
"But I thought that was Earl's assignment," Officer Celek said looking down at his watch. "He should be here any minute now."
"That's just the thing," Bruce said stepping forward. "He's run into somewhat of a traffic jam, which resulted in Gordon appointing you to the task in his place."
"I see," Officer Celek said before tuning back to the others in front of him. "I want you all to continue with your statements, I'll be back to collect them shortly."
With that he turned for the right side of the room, heading straight for the door on the opposite side. Bruce followed him once again.
"Would you mind if I came along?"
"I don't think Commissioner Gordon would approve of that."
"I could help you," Bruce stated. "I'm relatively good when it comes to Electronic Mechanics."
"And it's not exactly my strong suite," Officer Celek said giving it some thought. "I'll tell you what, you can come along, but we keep this between you and me."
"Fair enough."
It didn't take long to make their way across the room, coming to a stop after reaching the side door. Officer Celek was the first to make his way past the door, entering a long hallway that spanned from one side to the other.
"Which way do we go from here?" Bruce asked after quietly closing the door from behind.
"To the right," Officer Celek said leading the way. "It's just at the end of this hall."
He took no time in following him, making sure he kept pace the whole way through. There were noticeable portraits along the wall as they walked, just like there had been in the main hall. The lights that filled the room were rather dim in comparison with the ones that occupied the foyer.
"We're here." Officer Celek said as they came upon a large door.
He reached for the knob, forcing the stiff door to the side with minimal effort. It was dark, making it hard to see anything in the room. He reached to the side, flipping up the light switch only to have nothing happen in the process.
"Looks like the light burned out on us." Officer Celek said reaching for the belt strapped around his waist.
"Just our luck."
"Not to worry," Officer Celek assured. "I've got my handy flash light here, never leave home with out it."
"I'm glad to see you've come prepared."
"I try to anyway," Officer Celek said before handing him the flash light. "You can hold onto while I look over the fuse box."
The two of them stepped into the room from there, listening to the door clamp shut from behind. He flashed the light from side to side as they searched the spaced out room. It didn't take long for them to catch sight of the fuse box on the wall directly in front of them.
"Here we are," Officer Celek said walking forward. "Make sure you keep a steady grip, I need that light shining nice and bright."
"That won't be a problem." Bruce said taking aim.
The sound of his phone buzzing from the side of his belt put everything on hold, taking the time to see an incoming call from the station.
"I have to take this," Officer Celek said walking back toward the door. "This won't take long."
He headed out from there, letting the door close on his way out.
"Nows my chance to find out what happened."
He moved forward, inching closer to the fuse box with each step taken. He dropped to a knee once reaching it, taking the time to give it an in depth examination.
"Doesn't look like anything has been tampered with."
He placed his hand onto the cold concrete wall, trailing his hand downward. About halfway down his hand came into contact with something, flashing the light into place.
"Looks like a piece of ripped tape, but what's it doing here?"
He then took his attention to the upper wall, paticularly right over the lever next to the fuse box. It didn't take long for him to discover yet another small ripped piece of tape hanging a few inches up.
"I'd say this is more than just a coincidence."
He left both pieces of tape in position, pending further investigation. From there he rested the side of his hand atop the lever, feeling a sleek wetness.
"I wonder how that got there." Bruce said standing back to his feet.
He then took the time to search the rest of the room, finding a faint trail of foot prints leading out the door.
"I'd say someone was in here before Officer Celek and I arrived, and recently," Bruce thought to himself. "The lever is still wet, and now these visible foot prints, something must have been spilled in here."
Everything was slowly beginning to come together. He continued his search of the room, keeping his sights set to the ground as he came upon a small piece of glass. He stuck it into his jacket after taking a few moments to look it over. There was still one place he had not looked, focusing his attention to the ceiling.
"Looks like there wasn't a light bulb in place to begin with," Bruce said. "If someone did indeed come in here to shut off the lights, they would have needed some kind of light to create a clear path to the fuse box."
It was then that he heard the ring of the codec piece in his ear, which prompted him to press down on it.
"What's going on in there, I've been trying to contact you for the past couple minutes."
"Sorry, something has come up."
"I'd say so, I kinda figured that much when the lights went out for that brief period of time."
"The window that was shattered on the left side of the building, did you see anyone come out?"
"Not at all," Tim replied. "The window fell to pieces, and that was it."
"That's what I thought."
"What about the woman," Tim asked. "Were you able to ever find her?"
"That's been put on hold for the time being."
"What about the man with the cap you mentioned," Tim asked. "Have you been keeping tabs on him?"
"More than that," Bruce stated. "Turns out he's a detective all the way from Osaka Japan, I'm sure you know him well enough."
"What," Tim exclaimed in surprise. "What's Heiji doing here?!"
"I didn't have the time to discuss that with him," Bruce replied. "Maybe you can have a word with him when we're all finished here."
"Do I ever know anything?"
"This came as a surprise to me as much as it did to you," Bruce said. "I have some critical thinking to do, so I'm going to have to let you go."
"What's going on in there anyway?"
"Don't worry, we've got it covered," Bruce assuringly said. "You just keep on the look out, there's no telling what else might happen out there."
"All covered."
"Good, I'll talk to you soon."
He turned at the sound of someone approaching from the other side of the wall, watching as the door slowly slid open.
"Sorry, I didn't know it'd take that long," Officer Celek said rejoining him. "Did you find anything note worthy?"
"I think it would be better if you took a look yourself officer."
"And I will, but right now they've asked for my assistance back in the main room," Officer Celek said. "That means you'll have to come with me, I'd hate for anyone to becoming suspicious upon finding you alone in here."
"I don't think either of us would want that," Bruce said making his way out. "You lead the way."
They headed back into the direction they had come, coming to a stop after reaching the door near the other end of the hall.
"Before I forget," Bruce said holding out the flash light. "I better return this, I appreciate you letting me use it."
"Any time."
They made their way back in, coming to find most of the commotion that had been going on earlier had settled in for the most part. He took the time to skim the room, catching sight of Heiji who stood across the room with a notepad in hand. He maneuvered around a few people who stood around, walking up to Heiji who looked up just in time to see him come to a stop before him.
"How'd things go with the fuse box?"
"Something defiantly went on in there," Bruce replied. "To what extent is a mystery, there was a minimal of light in the room so it made it hard to really see what was set up, if anything."
"Enlighten me," Heiji said becoming interested. "Tell me exactly what you saw."
"You first," Bruce stated. "I'd like to know what you've been jotting down in that book of yours."
Before another word could be spoken between the two, the sound of someone whistling out from the side of them instantly caused them to spin around.
"Why are you slacking off," Commissioner Gordon asked as he approached along with two other police officers at his side. "We've got a case to solve."
"So does that mean?"
"That's right kid, you've been cleared to help with this investigation," James confirmed. "We caught your father over the phone at a perfect time, he just awoke not too long ago."
"What did he say?" Heiji asked.
"We didn't talk very long, but he spoke very highly of you," James said. "And with that in mind, I've set a high standard for you in accordance with his wishes."
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
"Good, now what do you say we start with interviewing each of the promoters of tonights event."
"Already taken care of," Heiji said holding up the notepad in his hand. "I took the liberty of getting written statements from each of them during your brief absence."
"A quick worker I see, great trait to have," James commented. "So what were you able to find out?"
"We'll start with Mr. Boomer," Heiji began. "He claims to have moved here from San Francisco a couple months ago."
"That's a long way from the west coast." Officer Celek stated.
"According to him, he helps with a lot of promotions," Heiji informed. "Particularly with theater and magic shows."
"I see," James said. "What about the others?"
"Then you have Catheron Edelman, the CMO for the company she's currently working at."
"CMO?" Officer Celek questioned.
"Chief Marketing Officer," Heiji clarified. "Aileen simply works as her assistant in that department."
"And how long has that been for?" James asked.
"A little over two years now," Heiji said before looking down to the notepad for reference. "Last you have Matthew Thompson, the CCO, or chief creative officer of the company."
"What about their statements," James asked. "Do any of them recall seeing, or hearing anything before or after the lights went out?"
"Sorry, but no," Heiji replied. "They all said the same thing, once the window was shattered it caused the four of them to jump from their seats."
"Leaving the glass case open for the thief to make his move."
"About that," Heiji said dropping the notepad into his pocket. "There was no clear path for someone to get to and take the diamond, so how were they able to make their way through the dark room without bumping into anyone?"
"You're sure that's not the case?"
"Positive," Heiji nodded. "I already asked several of the guests if they came into contact with anyone rushing by in the dark."
"That's a good question you pose." James said giving it some thought.
He then turned to walk, letting them absorb in what they had just learned. No one knew where he was going, but decided to follow him none the less. They didn't come to a stop until reaching the glass case where the diamond had been taken from.
"What are we doing here," James asked. "We've already got down everything we need to know."
"Are you sure?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why don't you take a closer look Commissioner," Heiji said. "Particularly around the area where the glass was shattered."
He stepped back from there, allowing both Gordon and Celek the chance to get a closer look. At first he wasn't sure what he should be looking for, then he felt it. Around the edges of where a margin of glass used to be, he felt a certain stickiness. It took a few moments for him to realize what it was.
"Is that... glue?" James questioned.
"That's right Commissioner," Heiji confirmed. "I found traces of it on some of the shards of glass on the ground as well."
"But what does it mean?" Officer Celek questioned.
"It means someone glued a different type of glass into place, that would explain why they were able to shatter it in the first place."
"What do you mean?" Officer Celek asked.
"I overheard what Aileen said about the glass," Heiji stated. "Tempered glass, that's what type of glass the case is made of."
"Tempered glass?"
"Nearly five times stronger than normal glass," Heiji replied. "You'd probably know it better by its more common name, safety glass."
James's immediately looked to the ground, his eyes widening after laying his eyes on the glass across the ground.
"What's wrong?" Officer Celek asked coming to his side.
"It's the pieces of glass," Heiji answered. "If you have something strong enough to break tempered glass, it typically doesn't shatter into bits like you see here, maybe small pebbles but never shards."
"So what does this all mean?" Officer Celek questioned.
"I think it's self explanatory at this point," James said looking over at him. "The part of the case that was shattered is of a different kind of glass, that would explain the small amounts of Loctite we found around the edges."
"So you're saying someone intentionally glued in a weaker type of glass?"
"Exactly."
"Not only that," Heiji said jumping back into the fray. "They knew exactly where the diamond would be, right where they wanted it."
"So what are you saying?" Officer Celek asked.
"It's quite simple, this whole thing was set up before any of us even arrived tonight," Heiji stated. "Which means our thief is one of four people, it can only be one of the hosters of tonights bidding event."
"Are you sure," Officer Celek asked. "Do you really think they would steal from their own company?"
"It happens all the time with many other large companies," Heiji said. "It's defiantly one of them, all the evidence points in that direction."
"Do you have a good idea who it is?" James asked.
"As a matter a fact I do," Heiji replied. "I can't be one hundred percent sure, but if we check their belongings we should find the missing diamond."
"You think they would actually hide it in such an easy place where it could be discovered?" Another police officer asked.
"Let's remember they weren't expecting we would include them as suspects," Heiji said. "The one responsible was probably anticipating we would release them before we had a chance to suspect them."
"Well what are we waiting for," James stated. "Bring them all on over, I want to have a full search of their belongings."
"Right away sir." Officer Celek said before running off to go and retrieve the four of them.
He found himself taken in with all that he had heard, more than impressed with what was unfolding.
"He's showing flashes of excellence, it's rare to find someone this disciplined and precise with each and every one of their deductions," Bruce thought to himself. "... He might just be as good as the other one."
Everything had fallen into a complete darkness, yet part of his mind seemed to have remained conscious through it all. With little circulating through the mind his eyes peaked open, not aware of where he was. He sat up from where he laid, turning his head from one side of the room to the other. It was nearly pitch dark, making it nearly impossible to figure out where he was. It wasn't until the door to the left of him cracked open that he remembered where he was.
"I see you've finally awoken."
"Alfred," Conan said repositioning himself. "What happened."
"That's what I've been trying to figure out," Alfred replied. "When I first arrived you were unconscious, with a body temperature roughly around 115."
"Really?"
"Strangely enough after I went to go and get a wet rag to place over your head, things shifted by the time I returned," Alfred informed. "Your temperature as well as your heart rate dropped back down to normal standards."
"It doesn't get any weider than that."
"Indeed," Alfred said. "I want you to stay in bed for the rest of the night, no use in taking the chance of any kind of relapse."
"What about Bruce," Conan asked. "Did he come back with you?"
"He's actually still at the city hall," Alfred replied. "I'm sure he's doing just fine."
"Better than being stuck here, I hate missing out on all the action."
"I think you've had enough to last you for the rest of the night," Alfred said. "Now, get some sleep."
"You won't hear a peep out of me." Conan said before laying back.
"I'll see you tomorrow then."
He closed the door from there, leaving him to the darkness of the room yet again. He rested his hands to the back of his head as he laid there, rehashing what had happened leading up to this point.
"I feel fine now, great even," Conan thought. "But what happened, what caused me to become so drained earlier?"
To Be Continued
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Post by ssjbowser on Nov 22, 2011 13:58:21 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 68 Uncertain Results
The clock continued to tick from the wall above. What was expected to be a short wait turned into minutes. He kept his eyes on all of the guests who were standing on the other side of the room, watching as Officer Celek made his way back along with the other four at his side.
"What's this all about," Aldon asked upon reaching them. "Did you find out who stole the diamond?"
"We have a good idea who did," James said in response. "But first we'd like to have a look through all of your accessories."
"You mean our belongings," Matthew questioned. "Do you think one of us is the one who took it?"
"The evidence seems to be pointing into that direction," James replied. "The sooner we get through this process the better, I'm sure most everyone would like to leave at this point in time."
"Truly spoken," Catheron said stepping forward. "Here, you can start by checking my bag."
"Officer Herman, would you take the honor of getting us started?" James asked looking to his side.
"Of course." Herman agreed before sliding on a pair of plastic gloves.
He took the purse from her hand before walking it over to the table to examine all of the contents inside. Everyone patiently waited as the process began. He took this time to watch her, not seeing any hesitation or concern in her posture.
"None of this seems to be bothering her, not even a bit," Heiji thought to himself. "It gives you a solid vibe she didn't do it."
Officer Herman returned a short while later, handing her the purse back before zipping it shut.
"She's all cleared," Officer Herman said. "I found nothing suspicious from within her bag."
"That's one down," James said. "Who would like to go next?"
"You can check mine next," Matthew said pulling up a large blue back from down at his side. "I have a lot that I carry around, so you might as well get mine out of the way."
"Good idea." Officer Herman said reaching down to grab it.
"Here, let me help you," Heiji said lifting it up from the other end. "We'll get done a lot faster if we search his bag together."
Herman then turned to Gordon who gave him the go ahead nod.
"You heard the man, we'll get through this much sooner if the two of you work together."
"Understood sir."
The two of them took the bag over to the table, placing it beside the glass case before zipping the top pocket open. The first thing they laid their eyes upon was a long cloth, removing it to come across several jars. Each were filled with a different type of metal. Neither knew what to think, carefully taking them out one by one before laying them out across the table.
"What do you think is the meaning behind this small collection he's got here?"
"Don't know," Heiji replied. "That's something we'll have to address with Mr. Thompson once we're done here."
After emptying out the jars from the bag he turned his attention to the side pocket, pulling it open to find a couple more items.
"What do we have now?" Officer Herman asked watching from across the way.
"Things I was expecting we'd find." Heiji replied.
He pulled out a set of head phones along with a music device, followed up with an empty spray can. He continued to feel his way around, pulling out a compass and a half used pack of gum.
"Is that it?" Officer Herman asked.
"Still looking."
There was one last thing in the far corner of the bag, bringing it into his hand to find a hankerchief wrapped around something. The two of them shared quick glance, wondering what could be wrapped away inside.
"Could this be it?"
He slowly removed the hankerchief, unraveling what was hidden from beneath.
"What is it?" Officer Herman asked coming to his side.
"Most certainly not a diamond," Heiji said. "It's some kind of rock, and from its condition I'd say Mr. Thompson has taken good care of it."
"You wait here, I'll go and get him," Officer Herman said. "I think we both would like an explanation for his jar collection he's got going."
"Take your time."
He rechecked all the pockets, wanting to be sure there was nothing he missed.
"Looks like he's cleared as well." Heiji said before focusing his attention back to the items upon the table.
It was the empty spray can in particular that caught his eye, leaning in closer to see exactly what was inside.
"Oven cleaner," Heiji thought. "Who carries around oven cleaner, or any empty spray can for that matter?"
He then checked the tops of each of the jars, discovering just how tight the lids were locked down. Officer Herman returned moments later with Matthew at his side.
"You wanted to speak with me?"
"We've searched your entire bag," Heiji said. "We didn't uncover the diamond, so that means you're all cleared."
"But we have a few simple questions." Officer Herman added.
"Go right on ahead, I'm listening."
"Alright then, how about we start with the jars," Heiji began. "What's with the collection of metal's you've got stored away?"
"I actually plan on running a small experiment," Matt replied. "That is once I get all of this stuff back to the lab."
"A lab?"
"We also found this empty bottle amongst your belongings," Officer Herman pointed out. "Is that something you do often?"
He couldn't help but laugh at this.
"I didn't even realize that was in there," Matt said. "Where did you find it?"
"In the side pocket along with your head phones, compass, and a pack of gum." Heiji replied.
"So you had no reason for keeping the empty spray bottle?"
"Not at all officer."
"I guess that means you wouldn't mind if I take it?"
"Be my guest," Matt responded. "I have no further use for it."
"You're free to go back and rejoin the others," Officer Herman said. "We'll get your bag back to you as soon as we repack everything."
"Thanks, I'll be waiting."
With that he headed back to where the others awaited. They took no time in setting everything back in place before zipping the bag shut once again.
"So what do you think?"
"He was cooperative enough, regardless of some of the questionable continents in his bag," Heiji said. "That means our thief is one of the other two."
"Earlier you said you had an idea who it was, has anything changed since then?"
He didn't get the chance to respond, looking over his shoulder to see Gordon heading over with Aileen at his side.
"She has volunteered to go next." James said resting her purse atop the table.
"I'll let the two of you handle this one," Officer Herman said. "I'm going to go ahead and return Mr. Thompson's bag to him."
"And while you're at it, go and see if they've collected all surveillance camera's just like I asked." James added.
"Will do Commissioner."
He lifted the heavy bag from there, steadily positioning over his shoulder before making his way to the other side of the room. James then turned to Heiji who did the same in return.
"What do you say we get this over with?"
"I helped with the last one, would you like to handle this one yourself Commissioner?"
"You've done a good job up till this point, I think you're entitled to finishing it."
"Loud and clear," Heiji said before turning to Aileen. "And you're ok with me searching your bag?"
"I didn't know I had a choice."
"You always have a choice."
"Permission granted, I have nothing to hide from you or anyone for that matter."
"That's all I needed to hear."
He tightened the gloves around his hands before reaching down to grab the zipper. As expected there was much to be found inside, taking his time to carefully maneuver his way through. The first thing he came across was a crumpled receipt and and a bottle of perfume. He placed both items aside after removing them from the bag, followed by billfold and a container of chapstick. He froze at what he saw next, not expecting to see what came to his eye.
"What's wrong," James asked taking notice of the hesitation. "Is that all she had in her purse?"
It took a few moments for him to recollect himself, looking toward Gordon as he lifted the eye grabbing gem from inside the bag.
"This is it," Heiji informed. "This is the diamond that went missing after the lights blacked out."
"Are you sure?" James asked.
".. Positive."
He then turned to Aileen who still stood at his side, coming to find a surprised look on her face. Not only surprised, but just as shocked as he seemed to be.
"I swear I had nothing to do with this," Aileen said. "I didn't even know it was in there."
"I'm sorry to say, but I'm going to have to ask you to come on a little ride with me," James said. "One which will take us down to the police station, unfortunately."
"You have to belive me," Aileen plead. "Why would I want to take something I have no use for?"
"There's not much I can do at this point, especially since the diamond was discovered within your belongings," James stated. "We'll discuss this further once we get to the station, but right now I'm going to have Officer Celek escort you out to the car."
"You don't believe me, do you?"
"You're innocent until proven guilty," James replied. "And that's where I stand on the matter."
He called for Officer Celek who almost immediately responded.
"What's going on Gordon," Officer Celek asked upon reaching him. "Have you retrieved the missing diamond yet?"
"As a matter a fact we did," James said holding it up. "Turns out it was hidden at the bottom of Ms. Aileen's purse."
"I see," Officer Celek said. "What do you want me to do?"
"I want you to take her down to the station," James replied. "We'll begin further procedure from there."
"How long should I expect until your arrival?"
"No longer than an hour," James replied. "I'd like to make sure everyone is cleared out of here before I leave."
"Understood, then I'll see you then."
The others watched on from where they stood, speechless at the sight of her hands being cuffed together. She kept her head down the whole way out, too embarrassed to face any of her comrades. He shook his head as he looked on, feeling a strong hand touch down to his shoulder from behind. He turned, not surprised to find him standing before him.
"What's wrong, you don't look too satisfied with the results."
"That's because she wasn't the one who did it, someone must be setting her up," Heiji said. "Though the diamond was found amongst her belongings, I there's not much evidence that supports she was the one who put it there."
"Then tell me," Bruce said taking a step back. "Out of the four, who do you think put it there?"
"I thought for sure I would find it in Mr. Thompson's bag."
"What lead you to believe that?"
"A series of things, but most in particular the cut on his cheek," Heiji replied. "He claimed he received it after the glass case was broken in the dark, but the angle of his cut tells another story."
"What do you mean?"
"The cut on Matthew's cheek is slanted downward, so wouldn't that imply that shards of glass fell down at him instead of upward like he's claiming?"
"You make a good point," Bruce said. "After all Matthew did say he stood up from his seat after hearing the window shatter, so I don't see how the glass case being busted could have got his cheek cut if he was standing."
"Which means he could have only gotten the cut while standing under the window after using the rope hook to shatter it."
"But that still doesn't explain how or why the diamond wound up in Aileen's hand bag."
"I see, you're not sold on it are you," Heiji asked. "You think that she's the one who actually set this all up."
"No, there's just one small detail you've neglected to pay any mind to up til this point."
"One small detail?"
"Their foot attire," Bruce said. "Out of the four of them Aileen was the only one wearing high heels, I doubt she would have been able to shatter the glass window and then run all the way back to the glass case to do the same in such a short time."
"You're right," Heiji said. "It was only a matter of seconds in between each incident."
"That's not the only thing," Bruce said. "I came across a few foot prints on the ground when I went to go check out the fuse box, they belonged to someone wearing a pair of shoes, not high heels."
"In other words, you think our thief visited that room before you did?"
"Exactly," Bruce said before reaching into his jacket. "I found this on the ground after running a search of the room."
"A piece of glass?"
"That's what I first thought as well," Bruce said. "But after giving it a closer look I've come to find it's actually part of a light bulb, whoever was in that room before Officer Celek and I arrived must have knocked it down."
"Why would someone want to do that?"
"To hide the trick they had set in place," Bruce replied. "I don't know the full extent of how they got the lights to go off for that brief amount of time, but I know it all begins and ends with that room."
"Besides the foot prints and light bulb piece you found, was there anything else eye grabbing?"
"I did come across some tape on the wall, not to mention the lever to the fuse box was wet."
"I'm guessing the floor was wet as well, considering you were able to make out the shoe prints," Heiji said. "But what do you think caused the floor to become wet?"
"I didn't have enough time to figure that one out," Bruce replied. "My search was cut short after Officer Celek returned from his phone conversation."
"You knew from the beginning didn't you," Heiji asked. "You knew she wasn't the one who took the diamond, so how come you didn't say anything before they took her away?"
"The same reason you didn't, the lack of conclusive evidence," Bruce replied. "But don't worry, I'll have her out as soon as we can."
"Which means the true thief is either Aldon, Matt, or Catheron," Heiji thought to himself. "But if that's the case, why hide the diamond in Aileen's bag where it could easily be discovered?"
"I have no idea what that means, but that was most incredible to watch." Someone said from behind.
The two of them turned at the sound of her voice, looking to see who had joined them at the center of the room.
"Ms. Fournier," Bruce said. "I was wondering when I'd see you again."
"Sorry about that, I got caught up in something."
"Who's this with you?" Bruce asked taking notice of the man next to her.
"Nathan Bennet," Bernadea replied. "My fiance."
"Nice to meet you Wayne."
"To you as well," Bruce said shaking his hand. "How long have the two of you been engaged?"
"Next Monday makes a month," Bernadea replied. "But enough about that, who's your detective friend?"
"His names Heiji, he's actually here on a little trip from Japan."
"Long way from home I see," Nathan said. "Though I must say it was more than entertaining to watch you handle that case."
"You were watching?" Heiji asked.
"Weren't we all?" Bernadea remarked.
"Wasn't there something you wanted me to see Ms. Fournier?"
"Bernadea, call me Bernadea."
"Of course."
She reached down to her side from there, pulling out a small card which she handed to him.
"What's this?"
"My fathers business card," Bernadea replied. "I would love to further elaborate, but we're running late as it is."
"Where to?"
"We agreed to meet with some friends at at a theater across town," Bernadea replied. "But you'll be hearing from me soon, as early as tomorrow even."
"I look forward to it."
"See you guys around." Nathan said.
The both of them headed toward the exit from there, waving back to the two of them before walking out.
"They seemed like a nice bunch," Heiji said looking over at him. "Any idea what she plans to call you about?"
"Your guess is as good as mine."
"So where's Kudo," Heiji asked. "I thought for sure he'd be here tonight, at least that's what Grayson said."
"I didn't think we'd need his assistance, so I had him stay behind at the manor," Bruce informed. "But you'll see him when we get there."
"But I thought I was staying with Drake?"
"Did Dick tell you that as well?"
"Why, does Drake not know I'm here?"
He did his best to hold back a smile as he turned to walk.
"What do you say we go and find Dick," Bruce suggested. "I'm sure he's found a parking space by now."
"You lead the way."
"Of course."
To Be Continued
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Post by ssjbowser on Nov 26, 2011 13:32:20 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 69 Mini Lon
He had been up for the previous hour, thinking of what the day might have in store for him. There was something off, something he couldn't quite wrap his finger around. He headed for the door after tossing on a shirt, arriving out to find Alfred roaming the hall.
"I see you're up early today."
"Not to worry, I'm feeling much better now."
"I'm glad to hear that's the case, what about your temperature," Alfred asked. "Has it stayed mellowed down?"
"As normal as it's going to get." Conan replied.
"That's nice to know," Alfred said before stepping aside. "Why don't you head down to the study, Master Wayne told me to let you know to meet him there when you awoke."
"Any idea what it's about?"
"He said he had something to give you," Alfred replied. "That's all I was told on the matter."
"Thanks for letting me know, I'll head down there right away."
He walked past him from there, wondering just it was he had to give him. He took his time as he made his way down the stairs, heading straight to the right after reaching the bottom. He stopped once reaching the door, raising his hand to give it a knock.
"You're up fairly early." Bruce said walking up from behind.
"Oh," Conan said turning to face him. "I thought you were in there already."
"I was, there was just a little something I had to attend to." Bruce said reaching for the door knob.
The two of them stepped into the room from there.
"Alfred said you had something to give me."
"Oh yes." Bruce said heading to the right of the room.
He stopped once reaching the desk, grabbing something that rested atop a pile of papers he had laid out on the left side.
"Your glasses," Bruce said returning them to him. "You left them in the TV room last night."
"Thanks, there's no telling when I might need these," Conan said sliding them into place. "So, how did things turn out at the city hall last night?"
The sound of the phone ringing buzzed loud to their ears, putting their conversation on hold for the time being.
"Give me a moment," Bruce said heading back toward the desk. "There's an important call I'm expecting."
He waited from where he stood, watching as he answered the phone. The conversation was brief, lasting only a few seconds. He placed the phone back onto the hook once finished, grabbing his jacket from the hook before heading for the door.
"Where are you rushing off to in such a hurry?" Conan asked before stepping off to the side.
"There's someone I'm supposed to meet with at Wayne enterprises," Bruce replied. "There's a position that recently opened up they're interested in applying for."
"I see."
"You're free to come along if you'd like," Bruce said. "If nothing else, it will get you out of the house for a little while."
"You know, I think I'll take you up on that," Conan said. "You can count me in."
"Right this way," Bruce said taking lead. "We have less than forty minutes before our scheduled meeting is set to begin."
The two of them left the room from there. They didn't get very far, stopped upon reaching the front door.
"Where are the two of you heading off to?" Alfred asked on his way down from the upper floor.
"To Wayne Enterprises," Bruce answered. "I'm on my way to meet with Mr. Barron for the first time."
"I hope that turns out well as you've been anticipating," Alfred said after finally making his way down. "Will you be needing a ride?"
"Not this time, I've got it covered," Bruce replied. "There's no telling how long this meet will take."
"You also received a call from Mrs. Elotte while you were out on your jog earlier."
"I'll get back to her some time tonight, if anyone else calls while I'm away just have them leave a message," Bruce said. "I should be gone no longer than two hours tops."
"Understood."
The two of them headed out past the door from there, walking down the long set of stairs toward the awaiting car. The first ten minutes was a quiet one as they cruised along the road, keeping a firm grip to the steering wheel as he looked over to see him change the radio station for a second time within the past minute.
"Is there something in particular you were looking for?"
"Not as much as becoming familiar with each station," Conan replied. "But since you asked, which are the stations that broadcast the news?"
"Three, four, nine, sixteen, twenty two, and thirty six," Bruce replied. "Though two of those stations deal with predominantly the weather."
"That's good to know, now I won't have to search around," Conan said before leaning back in his seat. "So, how did things go last night?"
"Not as expected."
This caused him to turn in his seat, not sure what to take from the straight forward expression across his face.
"Care to enlighten me?"
"She never showed."
"Oh, guess it can't get any simpler than that," Conan said. "Any idea why she didn't come?"
"Tim's looking into that as we speak." Bruce informed.
"And how do you think he plans to do that?"
"By starting with what we have in front of us," Bruce replied. "Which means finding out the names of those who were scheduled to be there last night who didn't show up."
"Good plan," Conan said. "There's always a chance she was there to meet with someone in particular, someone we might be able to single out."
"That's one option, but there's also the back up plan."
"Back up plan?"
"We'll only result to it if need be." Bruce said looking back to the road as the street light turned green.
He found his attention drawn to several sites they passed while continuing to drive, lost in thought as the minutes passed. Before he knew it they had arrived. He sat up in his seat as they came upon a large gate, watching as he swiped a card along a the top of a security panel which then allowed them access to a private parking lot. The two of them stepped out of the car after finding a spot, which didn't take very long.
"Right this way, we're almost there."
He did as he instructed, following him along the sidewalk as they made their way toward the entrance just up ahead. He gazed up at the massive structure as they approached, admiring its many features. Most eye catching of all was the set up of the layout itself. The doors slid aside upon reaching them, allowing for the two of them to head straight in.
"Well, this is it," Bruce said looking down at him. "Welcome to Wayne Enterprises, this is where almost all my business decisions are made on a daily basis."
He was a little lost for words, not sure how to respond as he continued to follow him through the building. He found himself fascinated by the floor of marble as they walked, taking a small time to look it over. They finally came to a stop after taking a right at the end of the hall which brought them in front a large service desk.
"You're early." A young woman said from where she sat behind the desk.
"I always try to be."
"Who's this with you?" She smilingly asked taking notice of him.
"Renae, meet Conan." Bruce introduced.
"Hi?" Conan greeted with a friendly wave.
"Hello to you as well," Renae waved back before facing Bruce once again. "If you don't mind me asking, is he family of yours?"
"Not quite," Bruce replied. "I'm actually watching him for a good friend for the next week or so."
"Oh, how nice of you."
"I actually don't mind it," Bruce said leaning forward. "The kid's been problem free thus far."
"I've got to hand it to him, he's good on the fly."
"I just received a call from Mr. Barron roughly three minutes ago, he should be here any minute now."
"You can send him up to the art room on the sixth floor when he arrives, I'll meet him there as soon as I can." Bruce said before turning to walk.
"Will do, but before I forget there's someone who wishes to speak with you," Renae informed. "I told him to set up an appointment, but he insisted he would only take up a moment of your time so I let him through."
"Where is he now?" Bruce asked turning back to face her once again.
"I directed him to the lobby," Renae replied. "That was no longer than two minutes ago, he should still be there waiting for you."
He turned to the right with Conan keeping pace with him as they began walking once more. They made their way down a short hall which lead them to a larger room than the one they had previously been in. The wall to the left side was made of glass, allowing for a perfect view of the neighboring buildings. On the right side of the room is where all the chairs were located, lined up from across the solid wall. The two of them headed over as they watched someone stand up from the nearest chair to them.
"James Gordon, what a surprise this is." Bruce said after coming to a stop.
"I hope this isn't a bad time, but there's something I'd like to ask of you."
"Is this about what happened last night?"
"As a matter a fact it is," James confirmed. "By now I'm sure you've heard the updates on the case, it was all over the news through this morning."
"What case?"
"I did happen to catch a little of it," Bruce said. "But what does any of that have to do with me, I already gave my written statement before I left last night."
"That's not exactly what I wanted to speak with you about."
"It's not?"
"It's about that kid," James clarafied. "You seem to know more about him than I."
"A little."
"Then perhaps there's a chance you know where he's currently staying, if so would you be kind enough to give this to him," James asked reaching into his jacket. "Here's my card, have him call me whenever he gets the chance."
"Just curious," Bruce said after accepting the card. "What is it you want to talk to him about?"
"With this case far from closed I thought he might be interested in helping lock it up," James replied. "After all, he was there to witness the whole thing unfold."
"I'll let him know," Bruce said. "You should hear from him within the next day."
"Thanks for the talk Wayne," James nodded before stepping in between the two of them. "I won't take up any more of your time."
"Nonsense, you're always free to stop by Gordon."
"I'll keep that in mind," James said before turning to walk. "Give detective Hattori my best, and I hope to hear from him soon."
The both of them watched as he made his way toward the exit through the hall they had come. After he was no longer in sight he looked up at Bruce who had a pretty good idea of what was on his mind.
"Who was that man?"
"Gordon, commissioner of the Gotham police force."
"That would explain," Conan said. "I heard him mention a Hattori, it wouldn't happen to be."
"The same detective Hattori from Osaka Japan," Bruce finished. "That'd be the one."
He couldn't help but roll his eyes at the thought of being left behind only to find out he had been there in his his place.
"What else don't I know?"
"And before you ask, no I didn't know he'd be there," Bruce said. "It came as a surprise to me as well."
"I heard Commissioner Gordon mention a case to you," Conan stated. "You said that woman never showed up, so what exactly happened yesterday night?"
"A high priced diamond was stolen," Bruce replied. "It was amongst other jewels concealed behind a glass case which all awaited to be auctioned off."
"A bidding?"
"That was the plan."
"So what happened?"
"With the use of the fuse box in one of the other rooms someone was able to shut off the electricity for a brief period," Bruce replied. "Within that short time they stole a diamond from the large collection."
"Was that it," Conan asked. "Are you positive nothing else was taken?"
"If so, it wasn't reported."
"Any idea who may have taken it?"
Within that instant the two of them turned at the sound of someone entering the room, looking just in time to see a smiling man heading their way.
"Hope you don't mind me meeting you here, the kind woman at the front desk said I would find you in here."
"You must be Antonio Barron," Bruce said stepping forward to shake his hand. "Pleasure to finally meet you."
"Tony, call me Tony," Antonio said in response. "I brought in all the required paperwork you'll need to see."
He held up a folder that rested down at his side.
"Don't bother, I've already looked into everything I need to know about you," Bruce said. "And with you being here before the scheduled time and prepared, I must say I'm more than excited to have you aboard."
"I see he's not one for small talk." Conan thought.
"So that's it," Antonio questioned. "I'm hired?"
"I made up my mind long before you arrived," Bruce informed. "I've already talked with several of those you jotted down as references, they all had good things to say."
"So where do we begin?"
"They're making space for your office as we speak, it should be ready anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour," Bruce replied. "But I wouldn't return until this evening."
"Why's that?"
"Mr. Fox is currently out at the moment but should be back anytime after five," Bruce informed. "He has a few things he needs to go over with you, after that's taken care of you're free to get situated."
"Sounds like a plan," Antonio said before turning back the way he had come. "Hope to see you soon."
"Come to me if you have any questions or concerns."
"Loud and clear."
He walked down the hall from there, leaving them as the only two in the room for the second time.
"He seemed nice enough, what position did you hire him for?" Conan asked out of curiosity.
"As our new CCO, Chief Compliance Officer," Bruce replied. "Now what do you say we head back to the manor?"
"Sounds good to me, but I do have one question," Conan began as they walked forward. "Where's Heiji staying?"
"Not quite sure, he did leave with Dick last night," Bruce replied. "But I do have a good idea of where he might be."
They made their way out from there, finding themselves back on the road a short time later. He decided not to switch on the radio this time around, sitting back in silence as they continued to drive. He then looked over at him after passing by another street corner.
"You never did get the chance to answer my question."
"About what?"
"About the person who stole the diamond," Conan replied. "Did you ever round up any suspects?"
"We did, they even arrested someone," Bruce informed. "Turns out she wasn't the thief."
"What do you mean?"
"Upon further investigation the police came to find the diamond found in Ms. Aileen's hand bag was nothing but a decoy," Bruce replied. "It was nothing but a fake replica of the real diamond stolen, and a good one at that."
"It must have been if it was able to fool you both."
"Something that won't happen again."
"That would explain why the Commissioner came to you about contacting Heiji," Conan said. "Any idea's on who the real thief might be?"
"We've got our suspects lined up."
"What's so special about this diamond anyway that they would only take it and not anything else?"
"I don't know about special, but it was most certainly rare," Bruce replied. "Turns out that diamond was a type IIb, which happens to make up only 0.1% of all natural diamonds worldwide."
"Bet it's worth a high price too."
They paved the way down the roadside, arriving to their destination after several minutes of driving. He caught sight of a familiar car parked a few feet away from where he stood after stepping out. He looked over his shoulder to see Bruce already heading up the stairs toward the front door, wasting no time in following after him. They entered to find him sitting at the bottom of the staircase.
"How'd things go at Wayne Enterprises?"
"Dick," Conan said walking toward him. "I knew I recognized your car out there."
"Things went well," Bruce said replying to his question. "I'd say Mr. Barron is as advertised."
"Where's Heiji," Conan asked. "I thought he'd be with you."
"So I see you've heard," Dick said sitting up from where he sat. "He's actually staying with Tim."
"I'm surprised to see you, I thought you had business across town today." Bruce said.
"I do, but there was something important I thought the two of you would like to know," Dick said. "And I think it would be best if I told you in person."
"Is this about what happened last night?"
"Not exactly," Dick replied looking down at Conan. "It's actually about that man you saw just moments before he died."
"You mean the guy who wore the eye patch?"
He nodded in response.
"What did you find out?"
"Some interesting information, very interesting at that," Dick replied. "After running an autopsy they found out that he had over fifteen face surgeries while he was alive, and that's just the beginning."
"Can't wait to hear this."
"When the authorities searched his apartment they found over seventy two different ID's he had gone under," Dick informed. "Not to mention several latex fabrics hidden beneath the kitchen sink which he probably used to change up his facial features from time to time."
"Sounds like this guy was hard on disguises," Conan said before lowering his hands into his pocket. "A whole new twist has just been added to this already complex puzzle."
"But that still doesn't explain why that woman didn't show up at the city hall last night," Dick said resting a hand under his chin. "She's our only real link to this guy at this point."
"Wouldn't worry, we might not have to wait too much longer to find out why."
Both Conan and Dick immediately turned to Bruce who stood with a reassuring look on his face.
"I talked with Tim earlier this morning, he came upon a source which might lead us right to her."
"What kind of source?" Dick asked.
"It's called the Mini Lon," Bruce replied. "I'm sure Tim will be more than willing to elaborate further when he gets here, which shouldn't be too long from now."
"A Mini Lon... what's a Mini Lon?"
To Be Continued
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Post by ssjbowser on Dec 2, 2011 12:51:38 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 70 One Lead to Another
"A Mini Lon huh, sounds intriguing," Dick said before checking the time on his watch. "How soon did he say he would be here?"
"Around twelve O'clock."
"Which is only fifteen minutes from now," Dick said rechecking the time. "I guess I can wait it out for a little longer."
"Better make that twenty five," Conan said after removing his hands from his pocket. "We all know how forgetful he can be when it comes to time."
At that very moment a booming sound could be heard from outside. They weren't sure what it was at first, taking the time to have a look out the window to see him slowly trailing in past the gate on a motor cycle. He removed the helmet after parking aside the lawn, hanging it upon the handle before pushing up.
"Ok, I stand corrected." Conan said as he headed their way.
Dick opened the door on his way up the stairs, stepping off to the side to leave a clear path.
"Nice bike." Conan commented.
"Thanks, I've only had it for about a month now." Tim said as the door closed from behind.
"What do you say we dive right into it," Dick said. "I don't have much time as it is."
"Why, do you have somewhere to be?"
"Business down town," Dick replied. "I have another hour before I need to be there."
"So tell us," Conan said. "What is it you were able to find out?"
"I actually started off by going over the guest list, there were only five people on there who didn't show," Tim informed. "Of the five, only two of them sparked my interest."
"Please do continue." Dick said.
"Herman Richardson and a Wes Barnett," Tim replied. "Wes is the CEO of a major constructions company, in fact they've been doing a lot of work here in Gotham for the past few months."
"I think I've seen of few of the sites while we were driving around," Conan said. "What about Herman Richardson?"
"An up and coming politician, he actually plans to run for senator at the next election."
"So which one's the odd man out?" Dick asked.
"Herman," Tim replied. "He was virtually unknown to the public eye a few months ago, but has surged at a vast rate in just these past few weeks."
"And what's the problem in that?" Conan questioned.
"That's not what bothers me, but rather where the money's been coming from," Tim replied. "I wasn't able to find who's been funding all these events he been hosting, and that's something that shouldn't be to hard to find."
"Did you check his bank records?" Bruce asked.
"Only to find small sums of money going in and out, most certainly not enough to account for what he's currently got going," Tim replied. "That must mean whatever money he's collecting must mostly be through cash."
"That would explain the lack of records," Dick said. "Whoever's been funding him must have a good deal of money."
"That's all good and said, but what does any of that have to do with the woman we've been searching for?" Conan asked.
"I'm glad that you asked," Tim said looking his way. "Beileve it or not as popular as he's become, he still has his very straight forward non supporters."
"Any threats?" Dick asked.
"That's exactly what lead me to my latest find," Tim replied. "After filtering Herman's name through my search function I came across a private lan network, well something like it."
"Were you able to gain access to this network?" Bruce asked.
"Not until overriding the security fire walls," Tim replied. "It was no walk in the park."
"What did you see once you got through?"
"More than what I was expecting to find," Tim answered. "It was a network full of names, with a list of assignments directly in the column across."
"Names and assignments," Conan questioned. "What exactly were they set up for?"
"Hits, several hits at that."
"So let me guess," Conan said. "Herman Richardson was one of the targets listed?"
"That's not all , I even found out who was assigned the task," Tim informed. "Screen named SLNoir."
"And you think this SLNoir person is the woman you've been searching for."
"I don't think, I know it's her," Tim said turning toward Dick. "I checked a folder which read 'completions', once inside I was able to find information on former assignments along with the outcomes of each."
"Kind of like a time table?" Conan asked
"Exactly," Tim confirmed. "Once inside I searched for the screen name 'SLNoir', and sure enough it lead straight back to our eye patched friend."
"Was the location of the hit listed?"
He nodded in response.
"They even had the cause of death recorded," Tim informed. "Exactly the same as what the police reported."
"So SLNoir was hired to kill him at that public event, which means we've got her locked in," Conan said stepping forward. "All we have to do is keep an eye on Mr. Richardson, it's only a matter of time before she'll find another opportunity to make her move."
"What about this Mini Lon Bruce told us about," Dick asked. "Does this have anything to do with what you discovered as well?"
"It's actually the name of the main storage area," Tim replied. "Which just so happens to link several other running networks through a data link layer."
"Like a network bridge?" Bruce asked.
"Perfectly put," Tim said. "There were approximately twenty other networks bridged to the Mini Lon, how many users who were connected to those is unknown at this time."
"What about the other targets," Bruce asked. "If you still have access to this list, I'd like to account for every planned hit of theirs."
"As dumb as this may sound, I was kind of limited on time frame," Tim smilingly said. "Not even two minutes in the computer sensors picked up a circulating virus, which I'm assuming came from one of the other linked networks."
"And what was the problem in that, weren't your safety walls active?"
"Didn't want to take the risk," Tim said. "If my computer became even remotely affected it could have exposed my location."
"Don't you have a VPN system set up?" Bruce asked.
"I do, but some of these viruses can be very elastic as you already know."
"Ok, now they're completely talking in another language."
"I'm doing the best I can to find out what kind of virus it is, and once I do I'm going to set up a counter wall."
"Why don't you give me the information to the Mini Lon as well," Bruce said. "I'll try and set up an anti virus of my own, that way we can gain a solution to this set back much sooner."
"Sure thing," Tim said before looking back toward Dick. "I guess I better link you to the Mini Lon as well, with the three of us working at it we'll have this taken care of in no time."
He immediately shook his head in decline.
"You know I'm not a computer guy, if you need any additional help why don't you try contacting Barbara," Dick suggested. "She'll be back in town in the next few days."
"I'll keep that option in mind."
"Regardless, The two of you should be able to handle this," Dick said before looking down at his watch. "I better get going, keep me updated on last nights case."
"The video footage from the camera's I set up are processing back at the house as we speak," Tim informed. "I'll let you know what turns up."
"Until then."
He walked toward the door from there, calmly closing it on his way out.
"I have a phone call to make to Mrs. Ellote about a small dispute that took place earlier in the week," Bruce said before turning for the kitchen. "I won't be long."
He watched as he made his way past the kitchen door, feeling a tug at his pant leg in the following moments.
"You were so quiet I almost forgot you were there for a second."
"Could you rehash what the Mini Lon is exactly?"
"Weren't you listening?"
"It's not my fault I couldn't keep up with half of what you were saying." Conan admitted.
"I'm disappointed," Tim grinningly said. "With both Haibara and the good doctor at your disposal I thought you would have picked up with a lot of this stuff by now."
"I really don't have interest in computers to that kind of level."
"Obviously," Tim said removing his hands from within his jacket. "So how about I give you the basic layout of how the system runs down?"
"That will work."
"It's all kind of like a spiderweb used for plotting out ideas, I'm sure you've created one for a class project before," Tim began. "Think of the Mini Lon as the main heading or system, then you have all the other computer networks branched off of it."
"That clears it up a bit, but why is everything linked through several separate networks," Conan asked. "Why don't they all just connect straight to the Mini Lon itself?"
"I would be lying if I told I knew the answer to that, but I may I have a good idea why," Tim replied. "I'm thinking each network is set for a certain group of individuals, making it easier for preparation."
"By certain groups, you mean the guys setting up the hit lists right?"
"Correct."
"Now I get it," Conan said. "You believe each person running a given network constructs their part of the plan before uploading it up on the Mini Lon for the others to see, which then allows for the next group of guys to set up the next step."
"This can range from who's handling the locations and dates, to those providing weaponry if necessary," Tim added. "Glad to see you caught on."
"If your hunch turns out to be true, that still doesn't answer the other half of the question," Conan said. "We still don't know why they chose to plot everything out through separate systems, especially since everything ends up at the same location."
"And we might not know for some time, gaining the information for that might actually require an inside guy."
"Easier said than done," Conan stated. "Fact is we don't even know who's running the tables, let alone who their accomplices are."
"I never said they would be a willing participant."
He looked toward him for a third time, pausing at his comment for the next few moments.
"I'm not even going to ask what that's supposed to mean," Conan said deciding to switch gears. "So where's Heiji, how come he didn't come with you."
"I see you've heard, was wondering when you'd ask."
"So what's the deal," Conan asked. "Was this whole thing supposed to be some kind of big surprise?"
"If it was, mission accomplished," Tim said. "I didn't find out he was here until last night, it wasn't long after that I was informed that he would be staying with me."
"I guess that'd be the second time for you this week," Conan said finding some humor in the situation. "So where is he now?"
"He was still asleep when I left," Tim replied. "Last I saw him was at mid night, that's around where he headed to bed."
"No telling when he'll be up."
"You could try giving him a call," Tim suggested. "If he doesn't answer I could bring him over once he awakes."
"We'll let him have his sleep," Conan said after giving it some thought. "The last thing I'd want is for him to explode over the phone."
"You really think he would?"
"Believe me, it's best this way."
"I'll take your word for it."
The kitchen door reopened soon after with both Bruce and Alfred making their way out toward the front door.
"That was relatively quick, how'd your call with Mrs. Ellote go?"
"She wasn't able to make it to the phone at the time, so I left a message," Bruce replied. "I'm going out for a little drive, do you think you can have the Mini Lon attached to the main computer by the time I return?"
"Won't be a problem," Tim replied stepping back as he made his way by. "Where are the two of you headed off to anyway?"
"There's actually a couple stops I need to make, starting with a visit to Nano High."
"Sounds like your kind of place." Conan said looking up at Tim.
"Never heard of it."
"It's the name of the company owned by Lonard Fournier," Bruce informed. "Father of Bernadea, the woman I met last night while at the city hall."
"What business do you have there?"
"Won't know until I get there," Bruce replied. "It's Mr. Fournier who called for this little arrangement, but I'm sure he has an expansion in mind."
"What makes you think that?" Tim asked.
"I did some research on the company, most signs would indicate this," Bruce replied. "Not only on a business stand point, but for more depth as well."
"I'll set everything up for you while you're away," Tim said. "How long until I should expect your return?"
"Some time after one," Bruce replied before heading for the door. "There's something I need to check on in the garage Alfred, I'll meet you out at the car as soon as I'm finished."
"I'll see you there."
He pushed past the door from there. The three of them then turned at the sound of someone heading up the stairs from the other side of the room, watching as he wiped the sweat from the back of his neck with the use of a cloth.
"That would explain all the racket." Damian said looking toward Tim who did the same in return.
"Damian, we're taking a drive up to a place called Nano High," Alfred informed. "From what I've heard you might be interested."
"I'll pass, I still have a couple sessions to burn as it is."
"Where were you anyway," Conan asked as he neared. "Back down in the armory?"
"So, I see you're still alive." Damian said walking past him toward the stairs.
The three of them watched as he headed up, watching as he walked past the first door at the top of the stairs. Silence ensued in the moments that followed.
"Why do I even try?"
Just as he was to turn a hand touched down to the side of his shoulder.
"Try not to take in everything he says, a lot of his comments have no true meaning behind them." Alfred said.
"Not to worry," Conan said in response. "I think I've realized that by now."
"I'm going to go start up the car," Alfred said turning for the door. "You're welcome to come along if you so choose."
"I'd take him up on that offer if I were you," Tim said. "Nine out ten says you'd be more interested in what Nano High has to showcase rather than watching me get the Mini Lon loaded up onto the server."
He took a few seconds to weigh both options, looking up at him after coming to a decision.
"Do you still think you'll be here once we return?"
"Most likely not," Tim replied. "But I'll try and drop by some time later, our sleeping friend should be awake by then."
"So does that mean you're coming?" Alfred asked after reopening the front door.
"Right behind you." Conan said before following after him.
They closed the door on their way out, heading straight for the car which sat parked at the side of the gate. Once there he found himself a seat in the back like most other times, strapping in as he leaned back in wait. They sat for approximately two minutes before he made his way out of the garage toward them.
"What exactly was he doing in there?" Conan asked.
"Just the daily check up."
"A daily check up?"
He joined them soon after, having a seat to the passenger side before buckling in himself. It wasn't until the car started up that he took notice of him from behind.
"I see you've decided to come along."
"It wasn't a hard decision to make."
"I've been meaning to ask," Bruce said after facing forward. "Have you contacted anyone to let them know how you're doing?"
"Not since the first day I arrived," Conan replied. "Why do you ask, did someone try to call?"
"No, just checking to see if you were touching base with them."
"Now that you mention it, I probably am due for another check up," Conan said before looking down at his watch. "It's one something in the morning there, so I'll have to wait until tonight to call."
He eased back once again, resting his head to the top of his hands as they made their way past the gate.
"How far is this place from here?"
"I don't know the exact distance," Alfred replied. "But since traffic shouldn't be to backed up at this time of day it should take us no longer than twenty minutes to get there."
They took off from there. The roads were steady as anticipated, making for a clear path for the most part. After several minutes of driving down the roadside they reached their destination, looking up at the large structure which towered over all other buildings that surrounded it. He found an empty spot at the side of the street before coming to a stop.
"I'll let the both of you out from here, I shouldn't be parked too far away when you return."
"I'll call you once we're on our way back out." Bruce said before stepping out of the car.
Conan did the same, closing the door to the car before following him toward the entrance to the building which was only a few yards away. He caught sight of a large emblem on the side of the building, getting mixed emotions about its look.
"What is that supposed to be," Conan thought keeping his focus on the crammed together figures. "Perhaps it's a form of scattered electrolytes."
A few people exited out through the doors as they neared, causing the two of them to take a step off to the side. They continued on once all was cleared, entering to be welcomed by a cool breeze from the vents above.
"Love the fixtures they've got laid out in here."
"I'm inclined to agree." Bruce said in response.
"Any idea where you're supposed to meet with Mr. Fournier?"
"I wasn't told over the phone," Bruce replied. "But I'm sure we can get that all sorted out at the front desk."
Without further ado the two of them headed toward the large desk which was clear across the room from where they stood. He continued to observe the room as they walked, taking notice of a set of elevators to the right of the room. He then looked to the left to see what appeared to be a waiting area, filled with several comforting chairs which all surrounded sat around a small table. Upon looking away he took note of a fish tank at the far corner of that side.
"Not too shabby."
Before he knew it they were in front of the desk.
"There's no one here," Conan said. "Any idea where they might be?"
"I saw someone head through that back door there when we first walked in," Bruce pointed. "I'm sure they'll be back momentarily."
"That would explain." Conan said before hearing the buzz from his phone.
Without thought he pulled it from out of his pocket, surprised at the incoming call.
"It's Mitsuhiko, but it's only about to be two in the morning in Tokyo," Conan thought to himself. "Why would he be calling at a time like this, unless... unless something is wrong."
Most everything had been quiet throughout the house as he worked, leaving him too almost forget he was not alone. The sound of the door sliding aside alerted him of his presence, looking away from the computer to see him approaching.
"Damian, what are you doing in here?"
"I overheard your conversation with the others a bit ago," Damian said. "About that... Mini Lon?"
"And?"
"You said there was a virus that could potentially expose your location," Damian continued. "If that's the case, why not work from anther computer that's not connected to your system?"
"Believe me, that's something that crossed my mind," Tim said. "The only problem is is would still present the problem of them knowing someone was trying to hack hack into their network."
"Triggering them to become suspicious," Damian finished. "Looks like that route won't work after all."
He sat back in the chair as he watched him think for the next few seconds.
"Why are you really in here," Tim asked. "I know you didn't come here to flip notes back and forth with me about the Mini Lon."
"Didn't know it was that obvious." Damian said before placing a picture onto the table.
Tim glimpsed down at it, looking back toward Damian in confusion.
"What's this?"
"A lead," Damian replied before rotating the photo. "Tell me, do you recognize either of these two men?"
He took the time to give the image a harder look, bringing it into his hand as he sat up.
"The man on the right, that's Herman Richardson," Tim realized almost instantly. "Where did you get this photo?"
"I've been doing a little digging of my own." Damian replied.
"Who's the guy next to him?" Tim asked after looking back at the photo.
"His names Jefferson Eldelmon," Damian replied. "A business partner and well trusted friend of Mr. Richardson."
"That's nice to know and all, but why are you telling this?"
"Always so impatient." Damian said before pushing his way to the computer.
"What are you doing?"
"Sit still," Damian said. "This will only take a moment."
He opened up a new window, navigating to the folder set up for all video files. It was only a matter of seconds before he found what he was looking for, clicking down to the play button.
"This is the recorded footage from the night club where that woman was last seen," Tim said. "Why do I need to see this again?"
Damian didn't reply, simply pausing the video after twenty seconds in.
"There," Damian pointed. "Look at who our mystery hooded woman is talking with."
Tim did as he said, blowing up the imagery to get an even better look. It took a few seconds for everything to connect, looking back down at the photo then back to the screen.
"The man she was meeting with was."
"Jefferson Eldelmon," Damian completed. "It can't be coincidence, he's got to be the one who's hired that woman to assassinate Herman."
"Now I see, that's why you brought all this to me" Tim said. "You heard me mention Herman to these others, but why me?"
"Pardon?"
"Out of all people, why tell me," Tim asked. "I thought Bruce would have been your first choice, or Dick for that matter."
"It's simple," Damian said. "He told me he doesn't want me involved in this one, for whatever reason it may be."
"I wonder why that is," Tim thought. "Is there something about this that I don't know..?"
"And if I had gone to Grayson, he'd have told my father even if I had asked him not to," Damian continued. "That just leaves you.... I want in Drake."
"Now just hold on a second," Tim said sitting up from where he sat. "Before we discuss any of that, I want to know how you found out Jefferson's name."
"My father asked me to run a search with the image we had of him from the night club footage," Damian replied. "To see if we could find a match."
"Let me guess," Tim said fixating his eyes to his. "You lied to him about the results you found."
"I refuse to be sidelined, especially with a light task as this one."
"You know he'll probably look into it himself at some point," Tim said. "Regardless of that, is there anything else you know?"
"I might know when and where Mr. Eldelmon plans to be on Monday night, I just need your word," Damian said. "So what's it going to be, Drake?"
He took a few moments to think it through, give him a nod before turning his back to him.
"Let's make one thing clear," Tim said. "We do things my way, got it?"
"Fine by me," Damian said in acceptance. "Here's the deal, Jefferson plans to attend the birthday party of his friends wife at a bowling alley."
"Where at?"
"The one located at the east end of Gotham," Damian replied. "They just finished construction a month ago, you can't miss it."
"So if he's going to be at this party, then that means we're going to be there," Tim said. "It's our one opportunity to milk some information out of him."
"You don't mean inside the bowling alley do you?"
"Of course," Tim replied. "How else are we going supposed to get in close?"
"You're too high profile," Damian said in disagreement. "You'll draw in way too much unwanted attention, which is what we don't need."
"Who said I was going to be the one attending the party," Tim questioned while turning back to face him. "I just happen to know a certain visiting friend who fits the bill perfectly."
"Don't tell me you're referring to Kudo," Damian said. "I'm still amazed how you let that simpering wimp find out your secret, the guy can't even keep his footing."
"Perhaps you'll change your mind about him over time," Tim said. "And to answer your question, no that's not who I referring to."
"This better be good Drake."
To Be Continued
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Post by ssjbowser on Dec 8, 2011 3:04:32 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 71 Nano High
It was only a matter of seconds after the call was received that he brought the phone to his ear, listening to the sound of a faded beep from the other line. He tried speaking out his name, gaining no one response in return.
"Did he hang up?"
He placed his phone back into his pocket from there, looking up just in time to see someone arrive at the front of the desk.
"Sorry to keep you waiting," A young man greeted after appearing. "I hope you haven't been waiting here too long."
"Not at all Mr. Hamilton," Bruce said after glimpsing down at his name tag. "We just arrived under a minute ago."
"So what is it I can help you with today?"
"I'm actually here to meet with Mr. Fournier," Bruce replied. "Would you happen to know which floor I might find him on?"
"Wait a minute," Mr. Hamilton said giving him a closer look. "You're Bruce Wayne aren't you, Lonard said I should be expecting you."
"Any idea where he might be at this given time?"
"The eighth floor," Hamilton replied. "First door on the left, no way you can miss him."
"Thank you for your time Mr. Hamilton." Bruce said before turning for the elevators.
"Anthony," He stated. "Call me Anthony."
"Alright then Anthony," Bruce said looking at him for a last time. "Until next time."
With that the two of them made their way to where the elevators were located. They didn't have to wait very long after pressing down to the button. The elevator door to the right slid open after only a couple seconds, allowing for them to step in. The first few moments up was filled with nothing but silence.
"Who was it that tried to calling you back there?"
"Say again." Conan replied looking up at him.
"When we were back in the lobby someone tried calling you," Bruce replied. "I didn't hear you engage in any kind of conversation, is everything ok?"
"It was just a friend of mine, he didn't respond when I said his name," Conan replied. "It's nothing to worry about, he might have called by accident."
He nodded before looking forward once again. They arrived to the eighth floor a short time later, taking a left just like they were instructed to do. The door was already opened as they approached, looking inside to see a man in the center of the room directing several others around.
"Do you think that's him?"
"Only one way to find out." Bruce said walking forward.
He turned at the sound of the two of them stopping from behind, a look of confusion coming to his face after doing so.
"Is there something I can assist you with?"
"We're looking for Mr. Fournier," Bruce replied. "Would you happen to know where we can find him?"
"Then you've come to the right place," He said with the extention of his hand. "I am Mr. Mr. Fournier, that must make you Bruce Wayne."
"It's good to finally get the chance to meet with you." Bruce confirmed with the shake of his hand.
"Indeed," Lonard said before looking down at his side. "And who might this young fellow be with you?"
"His names Conan, I'm watching him for a friend for the next week or so," Bruce answered. "I thought I'd give him a tour of the city, I hope you don't mind me bringing him along."
"Not at all," Lonard said brushing a hand past his scruffy mustache. "I have an idea, why don't we continue this in my office?"
"Where's that?" Conan asked.
"On the final floor," Lonard replied looking down at him. "The 50th floor to be exact."
"We're ready when you are."
"No better time than now," Lonard said before turning for the door. "They're busy in here as it is, best to give them some space."
The two of them followed him out, heading straight back for the elevator they had come. On the way up Conan looked over to see him adjusting the tie around his neck, pushing away from the wall before tapping his leg to get his attention.
"Mr. Fournier, can I ask you something?"
"Of course you can kid," Lonard replied looking down to face him. "You can ask anything you want."
"What exactly were those guys doing back in that room we were just in?"
"Just a little rearranging," Lonard replied. "It's something we do once a year, especially when we bring in any new merchandise."
"What kind of merchandise?" Conan asked out of curiosity.
"Upgrades needed for the company video software, windows, furniture, you name it," Lonard replied. "Don't be surprised if you see any high priced paintings around, I have a soft spot for that kind of stuff as well."
"I think we all take delight to art in some fashion or another." Bruce said.
The elevator came to a stop a short time later. One by one the three of them stepped out, entering a well spaced room. It was a hard sight to miss, the wall to the right was made of glass which allowed for a great view of much of the city.
"This is it," Lonard declared. "Welcome to my office."
"It doesn't get much better than this." Conan said marching forward.
He didn't come to a stop until reaching the glass wall, looking from one side to the other as he observed several areas of the city from where he stood. Lonard joined at his side moments later, letting out a smile as he too looked on.
"Magnificat, isn't it?"
"I'd say so," Conan said still looking into the distance. "How often do you find yourself standing here?"
"Believe it or not, almost every night," Lonard replied. "My daughter could even clarify that if you asked her, it helps me to relax my mind after many long days."
"Can't really blame you," Conan said. "With a view like this I might be prompted to do the same."
"I have a little business to discuss with Mr. Wayne, you're free to stay right here if you choose."
With that he turned back for the other side of the room before leaving his side. Conan stood there for minutes to come, looking over his shoulder to see the two of them had taken a seat at a couch nearby where they had engaged in conversation. He focused his attention back to everything beyond the glass wall, finding himself lost within the moment. It was the sound of his phone that leveled him back into reality seconds after dosing of. He quickly reached for it, answering it as soon as he read the number.
"Mitsuhiko, are you there?"
"Well of course," Mitsuhiko replied. "I am the one who called after all."
"Is everything ok?"
"I was just thinking of asking you the same thing," Mitsuhiko said. "I haven't heard from you since you left, most of us didn't find about your trip until after the fact."
"It was kind of a last minute thing," Conan said. "But why are you calling so early, shouldn't you be asleep?"
"I guess you could say I was a little worried about you, I just wanted to make sure everything was ok."
"I'm doing just fine," Conan assured. "You tried calling me a little earlier, when I picked up all I could hear was a ring."
"Sorry about that," Mitsuhiko apologized. "I thought I heard something dash past my window, it gave me a little scare."
"That would explain."
"So when are you coming back?"
"Don't know to tell you the truth," Conan replied. "No longer than three weeks I'd presume."
"That's good to know," Mitsuhiko said. "I'll call you later, don't want to wake up my parents by accident."
"Better yet, I'll call you next time," Conan said in response. "Be sure to tell the others I said hi when you see them."
"Deal."
With that the two of them hung up.
"That went well," Conan thought to himself. "At least that puts my brief concern to rest."
He slid his phone back into his pocket from there, turning away from the glass wall to still see the two of them chatting. wondering excatly what it was they were discussing. It wasn't long after that he heard the sound of a soft voice from his left side.
"Where is it coming from?"
There was no one to be seen upon his first look. He then took notice of a door, deciding to head toward it with little hesitation. The sound of another voice could be heard followed by something slamming as he neared, reaching his hand out to turn the knob. He pulled the door aside to reveal a smaller room, looking inside to see two men sitting at a table at the center of the room. It was difficult to hear what was being, watching as the man with his back turned to him looked to face him.
"Who are you?" He asked.
He was surprised at what he saw, resulting in him pausing for a short period.
"You look exactly like Mr. Fournier." Conan finally replied.
"If you mean Lonard, then of course, he's my twin brother," He laughingly said while sitting up from the chair. "I'm Grahm Fournier, are you looking for my brother?"
"Not at all," Conan replied. "I heard something slam and came to see what it was, I hope I didn't interrupt anything."
"You're fine kid, we were just about done here as it is," Grahm said. "What are you doing here anyway?"
Before he had the chance to respond he felt a hand touch down to the his shoulder, looking up to see Lonard standing at his side.
"I see you've met my brother." Lonard said.
"Lonard, what are you doing here," Grahm asked. "I thought you were down stairs directing the arrangements for next weeks sit down."
"I was, but put it on hold upon the arrival of Mr. Wayne." Lonard said as Bruce walked in from behind.
"You must be Grahm," Bruce said. "Your brother was just telling me about your work here at Nano High, I'm looking forward to seeing some of your stuff first hand."
"So I see you've agreed to terms."
"Just about, though we still have a few details to go over." Bruce said.
"What are you doing in here," Lonard asked. "I thought you would be down in the computer room, don't you still have to calculate the costs for the improvements for building b?"
"I was just about to head down there after my discussion with Mr. Bennet."
He waved to the two of them from where he sat, standing to his feet right after.
"Welcome to Nano High."
Lonard walked over to his side from there, dropping a hand to the back of his neck before letting out a huge smile.
"This is Nathan, the CCO of the company," Lonard said. "And soon to be husband of my daughter."
"As I was told at the city hall," Bruce said stepping forward with the lift of his hand. "It's good to see you again Mr. Bennet."
"I'm glad you decided to come." Nathan said shaking his hand in response. "Bernadea said you would."
"The two of you are practically identical to one another," Conan said looking from one brother to the other. "So how do most people tell the both of you apart?"
"I'm afraid I'm unable to answer that." Lonard replied after giving it some thought.
"I still have a hard time with it myself." Nathan admitted.
"Are there any distinguishing differences between the two of you?" Conan asked.
"Nothing that can be seen at first glance," Lonard replied. "One difference between Grahm and I is that I'm left handed and he's not."
"Not much of a difference at all." Bruce said.
He made his way back toward the door, coughing as he did.
"Did you spray that air freshener again," Lonard asked looking directly to his brother. "You know I'm allergic to that stuff."
"Sorry about that," Grahm apologized. "I spilled a bit of vinegar earlier and sprayed a little something to clear out the smell."
"Just open a window next time," Grahm said tapping him on the shoulder. "I'm going to head back down stairs, I'll leave everything else to you."
He turned for the door, heading out with Bruce at his side. Conan was just about to do the same, catching sight of Grahm clutching a green slip of paper in his left hand.
"Just remember what we discussed," Grahm said. "We only have one shot at this, so don't mess it up."
"..Of course."
Grahm headed out from there, stepping to the side of Conan who was in his path. That left just the two of them. He looked over at Nathan who had made his way to a window near the far corner. He watched him for the next few seconds, deciding to exit out of the room himself soon after.
"I wonder what that was all about."
He made his way across the room, heading straight to the doors where both Bruce and Lonard waited the elevator.
"There you are," Lonard said as he approached. "I knew something was missing."
"I just wanted to have one last look at the city from up here before we left."
"You're free to come back anytime, that is of course if it is alright with Mr. Wayne," Lonard said. "I'm positive you'd find the view past night fall most promising."
The elevator doors slid open from there. The three of them quickly settled in before the doors had a chance to reclose. It was quiet on the way down, each keeping to themselves. He was still thinking about what he had seen, not sure if he should be concerned or not.
"I wonder what that slip of paper in his hand was... It's probably nothing." Conan thought to himself.
They reached the first floor soon after. Conan was the first to walk out closely followed by Bruce just a few steps behind.
"So when would you be interested in meeting for the final touches?"
"How about next Thursday," Bruce suggested. "I should have everything lined up by then."
"That plays perfectly into my schedule," Lonard said. "I'm looking forward to see what materials Wayne Enterprises has to offer."
"I'll give you a time as soon as I can, which will most likely be after noon." Bruce said as they neared the entrance doors.
"Whatever works best for you," Lonard said. "Thursday it is."
He nodded before walking past the entrance doors with Conan at his side. They followed the same path from earlier, leading them back to the roadway. He pulled his phone out to make a call, which didn't last long. Once finished he placed the phone back into the pouch of his jacket.
"I just spoke with Alfred, he should be here within the next minute."
"Where is he now?" Conan asked.
"Just a few blocks down," Bruce replied. "He'd have parked closer if there had been a spot available."
"If you don't mind me asking, what exactly was it you and Mr. Fournier were meeting about?"
"An expansion in resources," Bruce replied. "Particularly in what our science department has to offer."
"What do you have to gain out of all of this?"
"Much more minor in comparison," Bruce replied. "But it's always good to keep good relations, there's always benefits down the line no matter how you look at it."
It wasn't long after that the car pulled up to the side of the street. The two of them got in, buckling up before taking off.
"From the look on your face I'd say all went well."
"As expected," Bruce replied. "I plan to meet with him again next Thursday some time."
"Where to now?"
"We can head back to the manor," Bruce replied. "There's something I put on hold and would like to get on right away."
"The manor it is."
The next few minutes brought a period of silence. He reached forward to turn down the volume on the radio as they continued to drive, sitting back after doing so.
"You seemed uneasy just before we left Mr. Fournier's office," Bruce said still facing forward. "Was something wrong?"
"I'm surprised you noticed."
"Did it have anything to do with Grahm or Mr. Bennet?"
"They shared a noticeable exchange just as I was about to leave," Conan replied. "Not to mention the slam I heard which lured me to the room in the first place."
"What did you make of it?"
"I sensed some disagreement between the two, but I could be wrong," Conan replied. "It's probably nothing to worry about."
"Things can become stressful over time," Bruce said. "Especially when working for a company like Nano High, with all the responsibilities that come with the job it can take its toll."
"I guess you'd know a little something about that."
"We have several great staff members at Wayne Enterprises, so that's not something I worry about too often," Bruce said. "As they say, it's always good to keep good company."
"A very true statement." Alfred said in agreement.
"What about Grahm," Conan asked. "What is his position at Nano High?"
"He was promoted to vice president of the company roughly a month ago, what his former role was is unknown to me," Bruce replied. "But I wouldn't worry too much about what you saw between he and Mr. Bennet."
He rolled the window up from there, feeling the incoming cool breeze from the east side.
"Maybe he's right," Conan thought. "They did seem to be working on a tight schedule, not to mention Grahm being in such a hurry."
He laid it to rest for the time being, tilting his head back as he turned to look out the window. The clouds could be seen in the far distance cluttering together, hinting at a shift in weather. Not much was said the rest of the way there, all three listening to what was being broadcasted over the radio. He sat up as the house came into view after a margin of driving, looking down to his watch.
"We were gone longer than I thought," Conan said. "Only ten minutes until three O'clock."
"What do you plan to do for the rest of the day?" Alfred asked as they entered past the gate.
"Don't know for sure," Conan replied. "But I've got a few ideas in mind."
"Be sure to let me know if there's anything you need."
"I'll keep that in mind."
The two of them got out from there, heading for the house as Alfred continued toward the garage. As they made their way up the stairs to the front door they heard the sound of a loud motor, turning just in time to see a car heading up from down the road. It slowed up as it neared the gate, coming to a complete stop shortly there after. The two of them continued to watch as someone in a white suit capped off with a white hat stepped out from the vehicle, holding a briefcase in hand. Conan then looked to Bruce who was still at his side.
"Do you know who that man?"
"Never met him, nor do I know what he's doing here," Bruce replied. "But I suppose we'll find out soon enough."
To Be Continued
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Post by ssjbowser on Dec 15, 2011 3:03:59 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 72 Off to the Club
He took a step down from the fleet of stairs, looking toward Conan after doing so.
"You stay here," Bruce instructed. "I'll go find out who our guest is."
With that he made his way back down. A couple birds flew overhead as he approached the gate. He reopened the after reaching, walking over to confront the man in the suit of white.
"Can I help you with something?" Bruce asked.
He didn't respond, simply continuing over to the other side of the car. He opened the door to the back seat, handing the briefcase to whoever was seated inside. Bruce took another step forward, wanting to know exactly what was going on. He didn't have long to wait, watching on as a woman in a black sweater stepped out from the car.
"Hello Bruce."
"Leslie," Bruce said removing his hands from within his pockets. "What a surprise this is."
"I need your help with something," Leslie said making her way around the car. "Are you busy?"
"Not at all," Bruce replied. "There's nothing too important that I can't put on hold for the time being."
"Good," Leslie said. "Then you wouldn't mind if we discussed this inside, I promise this won't take long."
"Right this way." Bruce said turning back for the house.
He watched from afar as the two made their way into his direction.
"From their exchange, I'd say he knows her."
It didn't take long for them to reach the stairs, only making it up halfway before she stopped at the sight of him.
"Bruce, who is this?" Leslie asked.
"Oh, this is Conan," Bruce replied. "I'm watching him for a friend for about the next week."
"Is that so," Leslie said before looking down at him once again. "I'm Dr. Leslie Thompkins, a long time friend of Bruce."
"Nice to meet you." Conan said holding out his hand to meet hers.
She smiled, shaking it in return.
"You have really soft hands you know," Leslie commented before turning back to Bruce. "What do you say we head inside?"
"Right after you."
She took him up on his offer, leading the way as they continued up the stairs toward the house.
"So Conan, how have you been enjoying your stay here thus far?"
"There's been plenty to keep me occupied, I especially enjoy hanging in the book room," Conan replied. "No complaints from me."
"So you like to read huh, a very good trait to have."
"What's inside the the briefcase?" Bruce asked after closing the front door.
"Why don't we take this into the kitchen," Leslie suggested. "It will only take a minute for me to explain."
Knowing the situation that it was he decided to make his way toward the staircase.
"I'll be up stairs if you need me." Conan said before walking to the upper floor.
Bruce wasted no time in heading to the kitchen with Leslie right behind. She placed the briefcase atop the table after reaching it.
"It's not like you to drop in unannounced," Bruce said. "I would have at least expected a call before hand."
"That would usually be the case, but I felt the need to get to you about this as soon as possible."
"What seems to be the problem?"
"Danielle Walden, a patient of mine since the beginning of this year has gone missing," Leslie began. "He was scheduled to meet with me at my office two days ago."
"Let me guess, you haven't been able to get a hold of him."
"And if things couldn't get any worse," Leslie continued. "His daughter Mera, she's missing as well."
"How old is she?"
"She turns eleven two weeks from tomorrow."
"Are there any immediate relatives you've tried contacting?"
"It was actually Kalein, the mother of Mera and the ex-wife of Danielle who reported him missing."
"When was the last time she saw either of the two?" Bruce asked.
"Four days ago when she dropped Mera off to stay with him for a couple days."
"Was she the last to see them before they went missing?"
Leslie nodded.
"Which means we've got a time table strapped within a four day period in which the two of them could have gone missing."
She decided now was the time to reveal what was inside the briefcase. He looked on as she pulled out a folder stuffed with a stack of papers.
"What's all this?" Bruce asked.
"Everything you need to know about Danielle," Leslie replied. "I've even got a photo of him in there, I know how important visuals can be."
"I'll get on it right away." Bruce said accepting the folder.
"He might have his problems, but he's been seeking to better himself which always makes the difference," Leslie said. "Please Bruce, try and find he and Mera."
"You know me well enough Leslie," Bruce said. "I will."
She smiled at his response, closing the brief case before taking it back into her possession.
"You're right Bruce," Leslie said with the cross of her arms. "I do know you all too well."
He didn't know what to make of her change in posture, a look of confusion coming to his face. She quickly took notice of this.
"You know you can't hide anything from me."
"Excuse me?"
"That boy, Conan," Leslie said. "You're not one to babysit, so why's he really here?"
"I was wondering when you'd ask," Bruce said. "It's all complex, but if you've got the time I'd be willing to tell you."
"And time isn't something I have, another patient is coming in at four thirty" Leslie said looking down at her watch. "But next time you stop by, I'd love for you to share."
"I'll make it soon," Bruce said. "Here, let me escort you back to the car."
"Thanks, but I think you have enough on your hands as it is," Leslie declined. "I'll see myself out."
"I'll keep you updated."
"And I'll be waiting."
She exited out of the kitchen from there, heading straight for the door. He stood there for awhile longer, looking over the folder of papers she had given to him.
"He lives right outside of Devil's Square, If there's any place to start it would be there."
A damp fog drifted in from the north side as the day progressed, leaving the sky in a gloomy state. He had been up in the room for a measurable time, setting the book aside in his hand before dropping down from the bed.
"I wonder what's going on with everyone down stairs."
He decided he'd head down to go have a look, checking the time on his watch after walking out into the hallway. It was a little past six, less than thirty minutes until the evening news was to begin. The sound of a TV from the left side could be heard as he made his way down. Paying little attention to this, he chose to head straight to the study. Unlike most other times he came to find the door open upon reaching it. He took a peak inside to see him sitting at the desk with all focus on the computer screen.
"I see you've finally decided to come down," Bruce said. "What were you doing up in that room for the past hour?"
"Got a well enjoyed session of reading in," Conan replied. "Would have continued, but I want to see what's on the evening news."
"I see."
"So how are things going in here," Conan asked. "Have you taken a look at this Mini Lon yourself?"
"I've put it on hold for the time being," Bruce replied. "When I accessed the network, the virus Tim spoke of was not detected by my security."
"So I see you're playing it safe."
"Tim's on his way now, and I'm running a scan as we speak," Bruce informed. "All the blanks should be filled in soon enough."
"But don't the both of you operate from the same network," Conan asked. "If he was able to detect this virus, shouldn't you have been able to detect it almost instantly?"
"We have several networks we use, having a variety keeps things flexible," Bruce replied directing his attention back to the computer screen. "And to answer the other part to your question, that's why I'm holding off on any further activity until we've cleared everything."
"Smart move, definitely can't disagree with that." Conan said while looking down at his watch.
Six thirty was fast approaching, every minute seemingly passing by faster than the last. He turned back for the door, taking a couple steps before coming to a stop. He was going to say something, but lost track of what was on his mind. He left the room from there, trailing about halfway across the room before stopping infront of the staircase. He took a seat at the step above the last before looking at his watch yet again.
"Fifteen minutes until six thirty, no need to rush to the TV room just yet."
He sat there for minutes to come, the events of the past few days circulating throughout his mind. Before he knew it the clock struck twenty two after six, prompting him to push up from where he sat. He took a deep breath to help clear his ravaging thoughts, heading toward the door leading to the dinning room.
"I wonder what this evenings broadcast has to offer," Conan thought to himself. "Here's hoping for a light night on any uproaring activity."
He walked forward, unaware that someone had arrived at the front door. It wasn't until he reached for the knob that he heard the front door swing open, recognizing the sound of the voice that spoke from behind.
"So this is where you've been staying for the past few days, so how goes the alteration in environment Kudo?"
"Heiji." Conan said turning to face him.
"He was finally awake by the time I went back to check on him," Tim said with the close of the door. "I gave him a brief tour of the city before deciding to bring him here."
"This place is a lot bigger than I was expecting," Heiji said beginning to have a look around. "So Kudo, where's your room?"
"Upstairs," Conan pointed. "Right past that door there, second room on the right."
"Where's Bruce?" Tim asked.
"Still in the study," Conan replied. "He was running a scan on the Mini Lon last I checked."
"He told me he would."
"What's the Mini Lon?" Heiji asked looking to the both of them in slight confusion.
"It's a secretive network used by several individuals who have been plotting out hits for multiple targets," Tim replied. "What else they might be trying to accomplish is still under investigation, not to mention we have yet to completely bypass their security walls they have currently running."
"Oh.. kay."
"In short, it's a long story." Conan added.
"Maybe I'd have a better understanding if I saw it for myself."
"That can be arranged," Tim said before turning back to Conan. "You said he was in the study right?"
He nodded in reassurance.
"I'm going to go and speak with him about the server they're working from, in the mean time you're free to show Heiji around if you'd like."
"That can wait," Heiji rejected. "It's not like we're in a complete rush, besides I'd like to find out a little more about that Mini Lon you just mentioned."
"Right this way."
Tim turned to the opposite side of the room, heading straight to the door leading to the study.
"So Kudo, how come you didn't let me know you'd be coming to Gotham before you left Tokyo?" Heiji asked as they followed from behind.
"It was only a matter of minutes between me finding out myself, and then packing to leave shortly there after," Conan replied. "I planned on contacting you as soon as I settled in."
"It's no big deal, at this point it doesn't really matter anyway."
They reached the door in the moments that followed, opening it to find a pitch dark room.
"I thought you said Bruce was in here," Tim said switching on the lights. "You sure he didn't go out for a evening drive?"
"I was sitting at the bottom of the stairs the whole time," Conan stated. "I would have seen if he had left."
"Are you sure he was in here," Heiji questioned giving the room an in depth look. "This is the only door leading out of here."
"I'm positive."
"Maybe he did come out, you probably just missed him."
"And how would I do that?" Conan asked looking up at him with the cross of his arms.
"Not saying that you did, but you do have the tendency to dose off while you're thinking." Heiji smilingly replied.
"Don't we all." Conan thought with the roll of his eyes.
He looked away from there.
"Well since he's not here, how about that tour?" Heiji asked.
"That's fine with me," Tim replied. "Wherever he is I'm sure he'll be back soon, we'll discuss things further when he does."
"Now, where to start." Heiji said giving it a seconds thought.
"Didn't you want to see the room I'm staying in?"
"That works."
"Follow me." Conan said before turning back for the stairs.
"Right behind you."
With that the two of them made their way toward the stairs. He watched on from the side of the entryway to the study as they did, deciding not to follow after them. After standing there for the next few moments, he looked back into the room with one question on his mind.
"So I see he hasn't completely let him in on everything about the manor, I wonder why that is."
Silence ensued in the following moments. He walked into the study, heading straight toward the grandfather clock beside the fireplace before stopping in his tracks.
"And it's not my place to tell him, I'll leave that up to him."
After reaching the top of the staircase he followed him to the right, taking a step to the side as he watched him open a door.
"Come on, we're almost there."
Conan lead him down the dark hall, taking each step at a time as they neared the room. He reached for the knob upon reaching the door, twisting it as he pulled back to force it aside.
"Well, this is it." Conan said flipping up the light switch.
It took all but a few seconds for him to take it all in, stepping further into the room to get an all around look.
"Not bad, it's much more spaced out than I was expecting," Heiji commented. "How much time do you usually spend in here a day?"
"Besides when I'm asleep, up to around two hours," Conan replied. "I've spent a majority of my time in the book room since arriving."
"The book room?"
"We past by it on the way up, I'll show it to you when we go back down."
He looked to his side before looking back to the door.
"What's wrong?" Conan asked taking note of this.
"Where's Drake?"
"Your guess is as good as mine, I thought he was behind you the whole time," Conan replied. "That is of course until we got in here."
"He's probably still down in by the study."
"Wouldn't doubt it," Conan said looking to switch gears. "I heard about that incident that occurred at the city hall."
"Don't remind me, I'm still a little sour with how things unfolded."
"Have you spoken with the Commissioner since then?"
"No, why do you ask?"
"He came looking for you when we were up at Wayne Enterprises earlier," Conan informed. "He wanted to talk to you about further investigating what happened."
"I heard they had released Aileen from custody, but this is my first time hearing about this."
"You can talk to Bruce about it, he might know more about what he expects from you."
"Then what do you say we go and find him?"
"I had a feeling you'd say that."
"Why don't you try calling him?" Heiji suggested.
"I haven't added his number to my contacts yet, and don't remember where I put that slip of paper given to me."
"Don't sweat it, I'll talk to him about it the next time I see him," Heiji said. "So what do you say we head back down stairs?"
"Your call."
With that the two of them exited the room, shutting off the light on the way out. They headed back down the hall they had come, arriving back to the top of the staircase shortly there after.
"So, have you spoken with anyone back home since arriving here?" Heiji asked as they made their way down.
"I've made a call or two," Conan replied. "I plan to check in later tonight some time, everyone should be up by then."
"Good call."
They made it to the bottom within the next couple steps taken, looking just in time to see the door to the study slide open. He raised a brow at who he saw, watching as a young boy headed their way.
"Hey Kudo," Heiji whispered almost instantly after looking down at him. "Who's the kid?"
"Damian." Conan drily answered.
Heiji turned back upon hearing this, smiling as he neared the two of them.
"Hello there," Heiji said holding out his hand to greet him. "I hope you don't mind me."
He stopped in mid sentence, watching as he simply walked past them without even acknowledging their presence. This left him completely speechless, continuing to watch as he made his way up the stairs before disappearing after walking past the first door.
"Oh... kay, was it something I said?"
"Don't see the big deal," Conan said with a smile coming to his face. "You got off easy."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Let's just say he's not exactly a peoples person."
"A fair warning would have been nice."
"I guess my change in tone wasn't enough to alert you."
"I take it you two don't get along?"
"That's an understatement."
It wasn't long after that the door to the study reopened, this time with Tim being the one to walk out.
"Done with the tour already?" Tim asked heading their way.
"We've actually put it on hold for the time being." Heiji replied.
"If you don't mind me asking, what were you and Damian doing in there?" Conan asked out of curiosity.
"Just discussing something we plan to do later," Tim replied before turning for the door. "Speaking of time we better get going, we only have about two hours before he plans to be at the chess club."
"You're right," Heiji said looking down at his watch."How long do you think it will take for us to get there from here?"
"No longer than an hour." Tim replied.
"Hold on a second," Conan said looking from one to the other. "Why are you going to a chess club, and who are you planning on meeting with?"
"Hopefully to gain some headway," Tim replied. "There's a man by the name of Jefferson Eldelmon who's going to be there, an acquaintance of Herman."
"You mean the same Herman who's name was listed on the Mini Lon?"
He nodded in response.
"So you think this Jefferson guy is some how involved?"
"It's no longer a hunch at this point, we know for a fact he was the one who hired someone to have Mr. Richardson exposed of," Tim said. "The why is the only unanswered question as of now."
"How did you find out all of this?"
"I had a little help, but don't have much time to explain," Tim replied. "If you'd like, we can go over the details when we return."
"Would it be ok if I came along with you guys?"
"It would prove to be useless," Heiji stated. "They won't allow anyone under the age of sixteen into the building where the club happens to be."
"Makes you wonder what kind of chest club it is." Conan said in disappointment.
"Guess we'll find out when we get there." Heiji said.
"What do you hope to accomplish by going to this club meet," Conan asked. "Is the plan to confront Jefferson in conversation?"
"Yea, I was wondering that myself." Heiji said.
"This is nothing but a light task," Tim replied. "The key is to learn as much about him as we can without engaging him directly."
"And how do you propose we do that?" Heiji asked.
"By keeping it simple of course," Tim answered before turning for the door. "I'll let you know what we're going to do once we get there."
"Right behind you." Heiji said resulting to follow after him.
"Wait a minute," Conan said gaining their attention for a final time. "I didn't hear you guys park after arriving, so how did you get here?"
"We took a cab," Heiji replied. "The guy left shortly after dropping us."
"Why didn't you just call Alfred to give you a ride?"
"We spent most of the time walking around the city as it was, didn't feel the need to drag him along," Tim replied. "Besides, he's out doing something."
"That would explain why I haven't seen him since this morning."
"He should be back anytime now, you can let him know we stopped by when he does," Tim said before reaching out to open the door. "If we don't return later tonight you can expect to see us some time tomorrow morning."
"Keep your head up Kudo," Heiji teasingly said before patting him on the shoulder on his way out. "Look on the bright side, you've got Damian here to keep you company."
"Don't remind me." Conan muttered as he watched the door close before him.
He stood there for the next couple seconds before looking down at his watch. It was now forty three after six. From there he headed into the TV room like he previously planned to, having a seat at the couch before flipping on the television to see the news was already in full swing. Most of what was being shown was the weather report for the next few days.
"Looks like things are really going to start cooling down in the next couple days, not surprising with October just around the corner."
He rested the remote to the side before laying back, watching on to see what the local news had to offer.
They had spent over an hour driving along, passing by one road block to the next as the traffic continued to heat up. After reaching the already crowded city park he tapped the back of the drives seat which caused him to look back to face him.
"This will be far enough, we can walk the rest of the way from here."
"As you wish."
He maneuvered around a bit, finding an empty space at the side of the road before pulling over. The two of them stepped out of the cab from there, closing the door in the process. He had no idea how much further they had to go, keeping pace with him as they trotted down the sidewalk. He found himself becoming increasingly interested in what was inside the bag that hanging from his shoulder, hearing the sound of several items sliding back and forth from within. They finally came to a stop upon reaching a semi beat down building, looking up to the roof to see someone walking from one side to the other.
"This is it."
"Are you sure," Heiji questioned. "Not exactly your ideal location for a club like this."
"I doubled checked the address before we left, this is defiantly the place," Tim confirmed. "Hope you're up to date on your chess, it's time to play."
To Be Continued
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Post by ssjbowser on Dec 21, 2011 13:08:34 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 73 Gotham's Black Bird
The sky gradually darkened as they waited for his arrival. He continued to watch the figure moving from one side of the roof to the other, almost as if they were on the look out for something. The lack of light made it difficult to see what was happening in the surrounding area.
"We've been out here for the past twenty minutes now," Heiji said turning to see him leaned up against the wall. "He should have been here over five minutes ago, you sure we didn't miss him?"
"He drives a Chevy Camaro, I would have seen if he past by," Tim said. "We'll give it a couple more, in the mean time what do you say we set up?"
He pushed away from the wall, removing the bag from his shoulder before placing it onto the ground.
"I was wondering what you had stored away in there."
"Just a couple props to make sure everything goes through smoothly." Tim said before zipping it open.
He reached inside the bag to pull out a leather jacket out along with a ski cap, placing both items on before reaching back in to pull out two small electronic devices.
"What are those?"
"For communication," Tim replied before standing up and pinning one of them under the collar of his jacket. "This will allow me to hear anything you can once you're inside."
"Looks simple enough," Heiji said glimpsing down at it. "But how do I contact you with this thing, don't exactly see an on or off switch."
"That's not the intended design, this task won't require any communication between us," Tim said. "Don't panic if anything goes wrong, I've already got something set up if that's the case."
"That explains that, but what's with the cap and jacket," Heiji asked. "Not exactly your usual night apparel."
"Just a light shield for disguise, and since I'm watching the lower levels this will have to do," Tim replied. "I'd rather not take the chance of anyone noticing me."
"Where exactly will you be once I'm inside?"
"In this general area, there's no need to move around too much."
"I was expecting you'd be on the look out from up above," Heiji said before turning toward the other side of the street. "Speaking of which, what do you think's going on up on that roof there?"
"I was was wondering that myself, they've been up their since the time we arrived."
"Think they might be associated with those involved with the chess club?"
"Defiantly a possibility," Tim said. "But that would then raise the question why they're out here rather than inside."
A cool breeze glided past his left side resulting in him reaching down, zipping the jacket up to the bottom of his neck. He adjusted the ski cap atop his head as well, making sure it was tightly in place.
"Usually you set up shop on the roof, why the sudden change in tactic?"
"I've got it covered."
"How's that?"
The light shined bright as the car gashed past the side of the road, causing the both of them to turn in that direction.
"Looks like our guy has finally arrived," Tim said catching sight of the car as it slowed up upon reaching the building across the way. "No doubt, that's the same green Chevy Camaro that is registered to Jefferson."
"So what happens from here?"
"We wait," Tim replied. "I don't want you heading in too soon after his arrival."
"You afraid they might become suspicious?"
"No need for us to take the chance."
"Your call."
The car finally came to a stop after reaching the curb, the headlights shutting off in the passing moments that followed. It wasn't long after that the door on the passenger side slid open, the two watching as a man in a suit of white along with a top hat stepped out from the vehicle.
"Is that him?" Heiji asked.
"Undisputedly."
His claim was confirmed as the two watched him head straight for the stairwell on the right side of the building.
"We'll give it a couple minutes," Tim said turning back to Heiji. "I think it's time I let you in on the plan."
"The carpet's all yours."
Though his attention was driven elsewhere the TV continued to run. He slid down from the couch, walking over to the window located at the left side of the room. He stared out at the night sky, frozen at the sight of the fuming stars in the distance. It was at that moment that she came to mind, the sparkle from the stars giving him the same feel he got whenever looking into her eyes.
"Ran..."
It was now fifteen after seven, making it a little past eight in the morning clear across the globe. He pulled out his phone, staring down at her number for the first few moments before hitting dial. He instantly heard her voice, lowering the phone from his ear after being taken directly to the answering machine. He placed it back into his pocket before turning back for the couch.
"She's usually up for her morning jog by now, perhaps she hasn't returned from that event she's participating in," Conan said before retaking a seat. "I'll try again tomorrow some time, that is of course if she doesn't call back first."
The temperature only continued to drop as they continued to let the time pass. He checked his watch for about the fourth time in the past few minutes before giving him the nod.
"This will do, we've waited long enough," Tim said. "Remember what we discussed, keep everything in front of you."
"I think I've got it all down."
"Good, now make sure you hang onto this."
"What's is it?" Heiji asked taking a laminated card into his hand.
He flipped it over to the other side to see an image of himself.
"It's a card that will allow you clearance to get inside."
"That's a lot to enforce, especially for something as little as a chess club," Heiji said placing the card into his jacket. "Makes you wonder what else they might have going on inside."
"They're a private bunch, I don't think there's anything to worry about."
"I would ask how you know all this, but I'm sure you'd rather we get started."
"Remember not to make any eye contact with him once you're in," Tim reminded. "All we need is to hear what is said between he and his comrades."
"And what should I be listening for?"
"You'll know when you hear it, I'll be listening in as well so don't worry about it too much about it," Tim said. "Just make sure you're within ten feet of him, that way we have a clear transition."
"Loud and clear," Heiji said. "Anything else I need to know?"
"That's about it," Tim replied. "Now what do you say we get this thing going?"
"Agreed, I think we've delayed for long enough." Heiji said before turning to walk.
He came to a stop after only taking a few steps, turning back to face him for a final time.
"Almost forgot to ask, any idea what the layout of this place is like inside?"
"Haven't been in myself, but from the photos I looked over this morning I'd say it's pretty spaced out," Tim replied. "You should have plenty of room to operate with."
"Just what I was hoping for," Heiji said while turning away. "I'll see you soon."
"I'll be here."
With that he made his way to the side of the street, looking both ways before carefully making his way across. The figure from above could still be seen as he approached. He payed little mind to this, not wanting to bring any unwanted attention to himself. He stopped on his path soon after, turning to the right to see a stairwell leading down to another door besides the one sitting in front of him.
"Jefferson went down that way, that must be where their chest meet is being held."
Without giving it much thought he headed down the small set of stairs, coming to a stop after reaching the bottom. He could hear the voices bouncing across the room from the other side of the door as he lifted his hand, reaching forward with a hard and impenetrable knock. He took a step back, watching as the door slowly cracked open to reveal an imposing figure. He tilted his head downward, giving him a long hard look.
"And you are?"
"I'm here to meet with someone," Heiji replied. "I promissed a friend I'd play him and a couple of friends in a game of chess tonight."
"Card?"
"Of course," Heiji said with the shake of his head. "How could I forget."
He reached into his jacket from where it was stored, puling it out before handing it to the doorman who took the time to look it over. It wasn't long after that he gave him the nod, handing him the clearance card back.
"You're free to pass."
"Thanks." Heiji said before walking in past him.
Within the first moments of entering a strong scent drifted by, causing him to turn to the left to see someone standing in the far corner with a cigar in hand. He then looked to the other side to see a set of door beads hanging from the ceiling. Several voices could be heard coming from in that direction, prompting him to head that way. He entered another room after pushing past the beads, coming to find multiple tables set up throughout the large room.
"This place is more packed than I was expecting," Heiji said looking into the heart of the pack. "Now, where to find Jefferson."
He dropped his hands back into his pockets before stepping further into the room, keeping his eyes peeled as he began his search of the room. He checked to make sure the device beneath his collar was tightly in place, facing back up after doing so. He continued to look for the man in the suit of white, having a hard time sighting him with all those roaming about. Upon reaching the other end of the room he came to a halt, carefully scouring each side of the room. It wasn't until then that he felt a hand rest down to his right shoulder.
"Well speak of the devil, I was just talking about you."
He turned at the sound of their voice, coming to find an unfamiliar face.
"Have we met?"
"No, but I saw what went down at the city hall the other night," He said holding out a hand. "Allow me to introduce myself, Salomon Green."
"Nice to meet you, Mr. Green." Heiji said shaking his hand in response.
"Like I said, I was just telling the guys about your talents," Salomon said. "It's not every day you get to witness something unfold like that, is it true you're a pro?"
"A pro?"
"Word is you're a top notch detective working for the GCPD."
"GCPD... I wonder what that stands for?"
"In any case, why don't you come have a seat with us," Salomon suggested. "I'll introduce you to the guys."
"Sure," Heiji accepted after giving it some thought. "I don't see why not."
"Now that's what I was hoping to hear, now if you would," Salomon said turning for the other side of the room. "Follow me."
He did as instructed, doing his best to remain at his side as they maneuvered around those standing amongst them.
"So tell me, how long have you been signed up here at the inn house," Salomon asked. "This is my first time seeing you around here."
"I registered three weeks ago, this is only my second time coming here," Heiji came up with after a slight pause. "It's not too often that I come to this side of town."
"Is that right."
Nothing further was said on the matter as they walked on. They came upon a large round table soon after, joining a group of men who were already seated. It took all but a few seconds for him to lock eyes with the man sitting at the left end of the table, freezing within the moment.
"And this is exactly what we didn't want."
"Salomon," The man from the far side of the table spoke. "Who is this with you?"
"He's the guy I was telling you about," Salomon replied before turning to him. "Heiji, right?"
"That'd be me."
"Why don't you have seat, we were just about to get started," He said with the tip of his hat. "Call me Eldelmon, Jefferson Eldelmon."
He took him up on his offer, finding an empty seat next to Salomon who sat next to him.
"Where's Tony," Jefferson asked looking their way once more. "He's been gone for minutes now."
"He went to take a smoke break, he should be here soon enough."
"They must be referring to the guy I came across in the other room."
The others that sat around the table were quiet. This came to his attention almost instantly, being the fact all others in the room were engaged in some kind of conversation. Things remained this way for seconds to come. It wasn't until the sound of his phone ringing from inside his jacket that called for any reaction. The conversation that ensued lasted all but a few moments, stashing the phone back into his pocket once finished.
"Who was that?"
"Norio Hue," Salomon replied. "The straight shot who arrived from Michigan just yesterday."
"What did he say?"
"He's come to terms as anticipated, we agreed we'd meet tomorrow to discuss payment for the extra utilities," Salomon answered. "Of course I'll still have to go over the latest details with our third party friend."
"You still have yet to introduce me." Jefferson said.
"I've been trying to set something up," Salomon stated. "He tends to keep a busy schedule from week to week, so it can make it difficult to get in touch with him."
He reached into his pocket after finishing his last line, pulling something out before sliding it across the table toward him.
"What's this?"
"His card," Salomon replied. "It's even got his number on the back if you wish to call him."
He gave the card an in depth look, flipping it from one side to the other to look over the front and back. He sat in silence, feeling as if they had forgotten about his presence.
"Sounds big," Heiji thought. "But what exactly is going on here?"
Within that moment he felt a ailing pain surge through his chest, feeling the card drop from his hand as he gripped his left side.
"Mr. Eldelmon, are you ok?" The man seated to the left of him asked in concern.
He held up his hand in response, taking a few seconds to collect himself before taking a deep breath.
"I'm fine, just a little chest pain." Jefferson said before sitting up from the table.
"Isn't that your second one this week," Salomon questioned. "I think it would benefit you if you went in for a check up."
"Forget it Green, I'll be fine." Jefferson said before stepping away. "I'll grab Tony on my way out."
Those who sat around the table opted to follow in his tracks.
"Where are you going?" Salomon asked.
"Out for a little ride," Jefferson replied. "The night's still young, I could use a breath of fresh air."
With that he made his way to the exit, with the others right behind. He was just about to do the same, looking down to face him one last time before doing so.
"Sorry about that, looks like there's been a change in plan," Salomon apologized. "Who knows, maybe I'll catch you the next time you're here."
"I'll keep an eye out for you whenever I'm around." Heiji said.
"Perhaps we can get in a game of chess the next time," Salomon said before turning to the other side of the room. "Until then."
He turned in his seat to watch Eldelmon and the group of men with him heading out, catching Jefferson clutching the left side of his chest for a second time. He didn't know what to make of this, leaving him rather mute on the matter. He stood up from where he sat, taking notice of something across the table as he turned to head for the exit himself. It was at that point that he saw the card laying there.
"That's the card Salomon had given to Eldelmon," Heiji said making his way around the table. "He must have forgotten it on his rush out of here."
He reached down to grab it after reaching the other side of the table, slowly reeling it up to his eye level.
"Nothing has made much sense up until this point, let's see if this card can shed some much needed light on this whole ordeal."
He stared down at what was written on the front of the card, finding the name of something written in bold print along with a small image of what appeared to be a black bird in the top corner.
"Iceberg Lounge, interesting name for a business."
He then flipped it to the back to find a number across the bottom. That's not what caught his attention, but rather the name written directly in the center of the card.
"Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot.... he must be the guy Salomon was referring to," Heiji thought. "But who is he, and how does he tie into whatever it is they've got going on?"
He stared down at the card for moments to pass before finally stashing it away.
"I think it's about time to report in, there's a chance Drake might know something about this Iceberg Lounge," Heiji thought looking toward the exit across the room. "But more importantly, Oswald Cobblepot."
To Be Continued
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Post by ssjbowser on Dec 27, 2011 3:04:10 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 74 Phase One Complete
Little could be heard throughout the house, only the buzzing of the furnace rambling above came to his ear. He had been walking from one side of the room to the other for the past few minutes. It wasn't until he heard the door bell echo through the walls that he came to a stop. He paused for the next couple moments, listening as the ring could be heard for a second time.
"Who could that be?"
After hearing it ring for a third time he decided to head that way, walking past the dinning room to the door on the far side.
"I wonder why no one's answered the door yet, am I the only one here?"
He continued to head toward the front door, seeing the shadow of someone standing on the other side. He opened the door with little hesitation to find two men holding up a large box.
"Great, I was hoping I wouldn't have to drop by again some time later." The one to the right said.
They slowly placed the box down at his feet, doing their best not to cause any damage.
"You can take over from here, I'll be in the car."
"No problem," The man on the right said before looking down at him. "Is there anyone else here besides you, I need someone to sign off on this before we can take off."
"Who's it for," Conan asked. "I could go and see if they're here."
"Good question," He said pulling up the clip board strapped at the side of his belt. "Say's here it's for a Pennyworth, would he happen to be around?"
"I have no idea," Conan replied. "It won't take me long if you'd like me to go have a look."
"That would be great, considering the busy schedule we're on."
"Don't mind yourself," Alfred said heading down from upstairs. "I'm right here."
"Perfect timing." Conan said.
He joined the two of them at the front door after reaching the bottom of the stairs.
"All I need is for you to sign here."
He handed him the clipboard along with a pen, taking him all but a few seconds to sign and return both items.
"Is that all that is required of me?"
"That will do," He confirmed with a nod. "Thank you for your brief time, I'll let you get back to whatever it was you were doing before I arrived."
"You're no bother, it's always good to have a visit around here from time to time."
He smiled in response, heading for his car which was sitting on the other side of the gate. Alfred closed the door from there, trying to lift the aquired purchase into his arms.
"Hmm, it's much heavier than I thought it would be."
"What's in the box?" Conan asked coming to his side.
"Why don't you help me carry this to the kitchen and I'll show you."
"Deal." Conan said grabbing hold of one end.
"You ready?"
"You bet."
With that the two of them lifted the heavy box from the ground, immediately heading for the kitchen.
"No kidding, this thing is heavy."
The temperature noticeably dropped upon making his way back out to the stairwell. He sank his hands into the warmth of his pockets before heading up the small set of stairs. The cars parked aside the road drove off just as he made his way to the top, turning his head to see him standing across the way where he said he'd be. He stepped up to the curve, looking both ways before walking across. He could see him observing something from above as he neared, wondering exactly what it was.
"I see you've found something to entertain yourself for the time being."
"Still keeping an eye on that guy on the roof," Tim said before looking down to face him. "How'd things go inside?"
"Not as expected, as you probably already know I had a run in with Jefferson," Heiji said. "I know you asked me to stay out of sight, but."
"Some times it can't be helped, I understand."
"So from what was said, what do you make of it?"
"Hard to tell, we won't know until we do a little digging," Tim replied. "Finding out who this third party friend of theirs is will be our first assignment."
"No need to look any further than this card, it has the name and number of the guy they mentioned," Heiji said reaching into his jacket. "I was able to get ahold of it after Jefferson just happened to drop it."
"Nice going," Tim commented. "So what's it say?"
"Here," Heiji said holding it out. "Why don't you have a look yourself."
He accepted the card, taking the next few moments to give it a look himself. The expression on his face quickly changed.
"Penguin..."
"Say what?"
He stuck the card into his pocket from there, looking back up to face him after doing so.
"What's wrong," Heiji asked. "You heard of this guy?"
"You could say that."
"Mind filling me in?"
"He's not exactly your model citizen, we'll leave it at that for now."
"I'll take that," Heiji said. "On the flipped side, I was wondering if there was one question you could answer for me."
"Go ahead."
"When Salomon was talking with Eldelmon he mentioned a straight shot, referring to someone who works with him," Heiji said. "I wasn't sure what to think, and was wondering what your take on it is."
"Someone dead on, accurate.... percussion," Tim said in response. "I'm guessing the person he spoke of has skilled talents in the field of working with firearms."
"Makes a lot of sense when you put it that way," Heiji said. "If I'm not mistaken, Salomon addressed him by the name of Norio Hue."
"I don't know where, but I feel I've heard that name before." Tim said with a pause.
"How recent would you say?"
Seconds past as he tried rehashing his first time hearing the name.
"I don't know," Tim replied. "I can't remember exactly."
"I'm sure everything we'll come back to you as soon as you run a search of this guy," Heiji said. "In regards to Eldelmon and his pals, what do you propose we do from here?"
"We let them meet with Cobblepot," Someone said from behind. "It's essential we find out what kind of business deal they've got going."
He immediately turned at the sound of the voice, finding it hard to make out who it was through the dark.
"Who's this?"
His eyes gradually adjusted to the darkened area, watching as the figurre moved in closer. He could see the shape of a hood along with what appeared to be a cape hanging from the side of someones shoulder. The clouds from overhead continued to drift toward the west which made way for the bright moon. It was then that he got a clear view of their face.
"Damian... is that you?"
"That's no way to refer to me while in suit," He confirmed with another step forward. "Call me Robin."
A bizarre look came to his face, standing there in surprise.
"Wait, hold on," Heiji said turning to Tim in mid sentence. "How old is he now?"
"Mature enough to know what death is." Robin answered stepping in between them.
"He may be young and a little inexperienced, but he's skilled enough to handle a lot of the light work."
"But he's a kid," Heiji stated. "Shouldn't he be in school with other children?"
"Naturally you would think," Tim replied. "But that's not an option in this case."
"Why don't we drop this debacle of a discussion and focus in on the task at hand?" Robin interrupted.
"Alright then," Tim said in agreement. "You did get a good look at that man on the roof, right?"
"I was watching him the whole time."
"Besides pacing around, I didn't see him do anything out of the ordinary," Tim said. "What about from your angle?"
"The only thing note worthy was when those guys drove off a minute ago," Robin informed. "I saw him signal something to the driver at the front of the pack just before they took off."
"Did that happen to be to the person driving the green Chevy Camaro?"
"That'd be the one."
"Which means his message was directed toward Eldelmon."
"Any idea what it might have meant?" Heiji asked.
"I could go over there and find out." Robin said looking across the way.
"That won't be necessary," Tim shot down. "We have enough on our plate as it is, we'll leave that to rest for the time being."
"So what now?"
"You should probably report in with Bruce," Tim replied. "After all he's not currently aware of your whereabouts."
"What about me?" Heiji asked.
"I want you to head back to the house, we'll discuss things further when I return," Tim replied. "You do remember the address right?"
He nodded.
"What about you?"
"There's something that I'm going to go check out, I should be no longer than an hour," Tim answered before turning to walk. "I'll see you soon."
The two of them stood there for the next few seconds, watching as he disappeared once turning the corner at the end of the block. He then looked down to see he was still at his side.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Make it quick, I have somewhere to be."
"When you first arrived, you mentioned Cobblepot," Heiji began. "How did you know he was the guy we were talking about?"
"I could see and hear everything said between the two of you from my position on the roof, that shouldn't be hard for you to figure" Robin replied while reaching down for his belt. "Oh, and one last thing before I go."
"What's that?"
"You should worry less about me, and more about yourself," Robin stated. "You'll survive a lot longer around here if you do."
With that he sprung free, using his grappler to take him to the high ends of the roofs. He fell out of sight shortly there after. It was then that he found himself alone for the first time of the night. He looked down at his watch to check the the time, walking along the roadside as he did.
"What a dysfunctional bunch."
The kitchen was pitch dark upon the two of them entering. The first thing he did was switch on the light, taking their time as they maneuvered their way to the table before setting the box down. Alfred headed to the right side of the room after doing so.
"Where are you going?" Conan asked.
"To fetch the box cutter."
He came to a stop after reaching an apron hanging from one of the cabinet doors, digging into the front pocket to pull out the tucked away blade.
"Where were you for most of the day," Conan asked. "I didn't see you around much."
"One thing here, another there," Alfred said in response after reaching the table. "One of those busier days of the week in short."
"I know what you mean."
With as much effort as before they lifted the box for a second time, carefully laying it down to the ground.
"Here," Alfred said holding out the box cutter. "Why don't you give it a go."
"Oh.. ok."
He accepted the box cutter, forcing out the blade before lining it up atop the tape.
"Here goes nothing."
He pushed forward, slicing the tape in the process. He stood back to his feet after doing so, returning the box cutter to him in the process.
"Now, why don't you have a look at what's inside?"
"I thought you might want to have the honor, but if you say so."
He did just that, taking to a knee before lifting up the sides of the box to find several pieces of crumpled pieces of paper stacked around what appeared to be a screen of some kind.
"What is this?"
"A TV of course," Alfred replied. "When I heard we'd be having a guest I took the liberty of ordering an extra for your room."
"How thoughtful of you." Conan smilingly said.
"I have something that requires my immediate attention," Alfred informed. "So if you don't mind, I'll have it up to your room tomorrow."
"That works for me, I was just about to turn in as it is."
"At this time of hour," Alfred thought looking to the clock located above the stove. "It's only five after eight."
"If anyone needs me, I'll be upstairs."
"Of course."
He left the room from there, dragging himself along as he made his way to the stairs. It all had come within the past few moments, feeling the urge to close his eyes on the way up.
"Why, why am I so tired all of a sudden?"
He walked all the way to the room, heading straight for the bed before falling over in exhaustion. He laid there for minutes to come, finding himself slowly drifting off into a deep sleep. He slept through the night, undisturbed by any of the tampering sounds in the surrounding area. The light shined bright that coming morning, waking him from his unsound sleep. He immediately raised his head to see he had forgotten to slide the curtain shut the previous night.
"Rise and shine it is."
He lowered himself to the ground, heading straight to the dresser. He could hear voices coming from the main room as he laid out a pair of clothes for the day.
"I wonder who's all here."
He finished up within the next two minutes, snapping his watch into place before walking out. He made his way down the hall, pushing past the door to see them standing past the end of the staircase.
"Well look who's decided to join us." He said looking up to face him.
"I remember you," Conan said heading down the stairs. "I saw you just the other day, what's your name again?"
"Conner." He reminded.
"He came to hang with us for the day," Tim informed. "I hope you don't mind."
"Of course not," Conan said reaching the final step. "Are we going somewhere?"
"That's the plan." Conner replied.
"Where to?"
"We haven't quite decided on that one." Tim answered.
"In the mean time, why don't we get this up to your room." Conner said reaching down for the box at his feet.
"What's inside?"
"The TV for your room of course," Conner replied before lifting it up onto his left shoulder. "I volunteered to take it up stairs for you."
Conan looked at him in surprise.
"What's wrong," Conner asked. "Is it something I said?"
"... It's nothing."
"Alright then," Conner said. "Now what do you say we get this up to your room?"
"I'll show you the way."
"Right behind you."
He watched as the two of them trotted up the stairs, finding it hard to hold back grin.
"This bout is all but over."
He followed him down the hall after making it to the upper floor, stopping once they reached the second door on the right.
"This is it." Conan said.
He took a step off to the side, allowing for him to open the door. Conan walked in first with Conner right behind.
"So this is it huh, not a bad little space to hang," Conner said giving the room a look. "So where would you like me to set this thing?"
"The bed will do for now," Conan replied. "We can always move it later."
"Your call." Conner said heading for the bed.
He placed the large box onto the bed, turning back for the door once finished.
"So what do you say we get a move on?"
"One thing," Conan said stepping forward. "There's something I'd like to ask you."
"Sure, you can ask me anything."
"It's about your glasses."
"My glasses?"
"They don't look like the ones you were wearing before."
"That's because they're not, the ones I had on the other day were for reading," Conner explained. "These pair are for long distance, it would be difficult to see anything far ahead if I were wearing the others."
"Oh, I see."
"So are you about ready to go?"
"No more questions here."
"I'll take that as a yes."
The two of them left the room with that said, closing the door on their way out. They arrived back to the staircase a short time later, coming to find him waiting near the front door.
"Have you decided on where we're going to go?"
"Me," Tim questioned. "I thought it was your call."
"I might have an idea, but I'm not sure if they're open today," Conner said. "Why don't we head to town and give it a look?"
"And what might this place be?" Tim asked.
"Why ruin the surprise, you'll see when we get there," Conner stated. "Trust me, you guys will love this."
"Ok, we'll take your word for it." Tim said on their way out the door. "But if it's something disinteresting, I might have an idea of my own."
"Don't worry, this is something not many people get the chance to experience."
"Great, another surprise," Conan thought to himself. "This should be fun."
To Be Continued
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Post by ssjbowser on Jan 4, 2012 12:23:55 GMT -5
The Detective Prince Chapter 75 A Look into the Eye of Fate
Over an hour had passed from the time he begun his search. Every route taken leading back to where he started. He leaned back in the chair, going over all the details in his mind for yet another time. The door to the room slid open in the following moments, looking up to see him enter with a sheet of paper in hand.
"You received several calls over the past hour," Alfred informed approaching the desk. "I took the liberty of taking note of the important ones since you chose not to answer."
"I don't have time to put this on hold Alfred," Bruce said. "This case is running on ice as it is."
"And what case might that be?"
"Dr. Leslie dropped by for a little visit yesterday," Bruce informed. "She came to report a patient of her's missing."
"Do the police know about this?"
"They were the first to find out," Bruce replied. "And since they weren't able to come up with any leads she brought it to me."
"How much do you know about this person?"
"What I need to," Bruce answered. "I have a file with all the details covering all that happened leading up to his disappearance."
"By this time I'm sure you've already checked his home."
"That was where my investigation began as of last night," Bruce confirmed. "Nothing seemed out of place on my first visit, but that doesn't mean I won't go back."
"Do you think there's something you might have missed?"
"There's always that chance," Bruce said. "But regardless of that, I wasn't able to find any leads after searching the general neighborhood."
"Do you think he's still here in Gotham?"
"Until something points otherwise, that's where I'll continue my search."
"Is there anything I can do?"
"Yes," Bruce replied. "I want you to go and pick up Heiji here, there's something I need to touch base with him about."
"Where is he now?"
"He wasn't here when Tim stopped by this morning, so I'd assume he still at the house."
"I'll go and retrieve him," Alfred said. "Will that be all, or is there anything else you need of me?"
"That will do for now."
"Then I'll be on my way out."
He laid the sheet of paper with the list of numbers onto the table before turning for the door.
They had finally arrived to the city side after a margin of time, walking down one street to the next. He chose to monitor the time on his watch, glimpsing down every few minutes that passed. Nothing had been spoken between the three for several minutes. He could see him from the side of his eye, looking up at him with the next step taken.
"I wonder what happened last night," Conan thought facing forward. "Can't exactly ask with his friend present."
They reached the end of the block shortly there after, taking yet another left.
"Ok," Tim said looking toward him. "We've been at this for almost twenty minutes now, how much longer until we reach this place you spoke of?"
"We're not even a minute away, it's just past that large building there." Conner pointed.
"Care to drop us a hint on where you're taking us?"
"Asks the guy who walks these streets on a daily basis," Conner stated. "I'm surprised you haven't been able to figure it out."
"Is it some place that was recently built?"
"It's been there since the beginning of last year as far as I know," Conner replied. "I've been there a total of four times since."
They continued in the direction he had pointed, traveling around the side of the building before reaching the other side to find a smaller structure.
"This is it guys," Conner said looking up at the sign. "Sky Limits."
"Sounds intriguing enough," Conan said. "Makes you wonder what's inside."
"What do you say we find out?"
"Right after you." Tim said.
He took the lead from there, walking toward the building as the automatic doors slid off to the side. They followed from close behind, entering to see what they weren't expecting to find. On all sides there were several kinds of plants set up throughout the store, easily identifiable by the labeled tags strapped to each of them. Tim and Conan shared a brief glance, turning toward Conner who could see the lack of enthusiasm in their faces.
"So this is the special place you wanted to show us," Tim questioned. "A flower shop?"
"It's not a flower shop."
The sound of the doors opening from behind caused the three of them to turn to see a man and a woman enter in behind them.
"Conan, is that you?" The man asked.
"Hey Shinichi," Tim whispered. "You know this guy?"
He moved in closer, his claim confirmed after getting a clear look at his face.
"I knew it," He said coming to a stop. "It is you."
"Oh yea," Conan said recognizing him as well. "You're Mr. Bennet from Nano High, who's this with you?"
"Bernadea Fournier," Nathan replied. "And soon to be wife."
"Hi there." Bernadea greeted with a wave.
He then looked up at the two standing at his side.
"Hold on a sec, you're one of Wayne's boys," Nathan stated. "Tim, right?"
"That'd be me," Tim confirmed. "Can't say I'm surprised you noticed."
"Nathan," Bernadea said stepping up to his side. "Where did you meet this boy?"
"Up at the office yesterday afternoon."
"Oh, I see."
"So what brings the two of you here?" Conner asked.
"I actually brought her here to see the Pin of Heights."
"I brought them here for the same reason," Conner said. "Then I guess we can all head in together."
"Pin of Heights," Conan questioned. "What's that?"
"You'll know soon enough," Conner replied. "It's just around back."
"And here I thought we were here to observe a bunch of plants." Conan commented as they began walking.
"You weren't the only one." Tim said.
They made their way toward the back of the store, passing the many different plants that surrounded them. About halfway through the store they came to a stop after reaching an area filled with dozens of trees.
"Wow," Bernadea said gliding her hand across one of them. "It's so smooth."
"Ouch," Nathan grunted after doing the same to the one across it. "Your description of smooth differs from what most would think."
"Are we almost there?" Bernadea asked.
"Yep, the door to the pin is right over there." Conner pointed.
A branch from one of the trees swung past the side of his cheek as they began walking once again.
"Geez," Conan thought to himself. "I feel like I'm taking part in a wild safari."
They came upon the back wall a short time later, approaching a steel door which lead to another room.
"This is it." Nathan said.
"Are you sure we're allowed back there," Tim questioned. "Doesn't exactly look like a place for customers to enter."
"It'll be fine, I do it all the time," Nathan said. "Jay's probably back there as it is."
"Who's Jay?" Conan asked.
"The store owner of course." Conner replied.
With that they stepped up to the door. It was then that the sign hanging from the side of the door came into view.
"What's this here," Bernadea said. "The print's so small, makes it hard to read what it says."
"No kidding." Tim said.
"Just a list of warnings," Nathan stated. "That's all."
"No smoking, camera's, or food beyond these door," Conner read off. "Hope that helps."
"Now what do you say we head in?" Nathan suggested.
"Right after you." Conner said holding the door wide.
They all walked in past him, entering a massive room filled with several more trees spaced out from one another. The ground from beneath was nothing but grass, furthering the forest theme already in place. The ceiling span much further up than the previous room had been. Not a single window was visible, only the lights from the tops of the ceiling provided for any source of light. The walls were thick and wide, leaving for much space.
"So... this is the Pin of Heights." Conan thought.
He closed the door on his way in before joining the rest of the group a few feet away. They stood in silence for seconds to come, observing all features throughout the room.
"So," Bernadea said looking from one end to the other. "What's so special about this place that you brought me all the way here?"
"Why don't you let me have the honor of showing you." Conner said stepping forward.
"What are you going to do?" Conan asked.
"You'll see, this won't take long."
He took a couple steps forward, rolling up the sleeve on his right arm before looking back to face them.
"Are you ready?" Conner asked.
"... Sure," Bernadea replied. "Go for it."
"Am I the only one who doesn't get what's going on?" Conan whispered.
"Nope, you're not the only one." Tim whispered back.
All they could do was stand in wait, watching as he lifted his now exposed arm out in front of him. He took the next few seconds to listen to the clutter in the surrounding area, picking his spot before whistling out into that direction. Nothing but silence stood in the following moments. Just as he was to give it a second go, the sound of something flapping could be heard.
"What is that?"
It got louder as it neared, everyone bracing themselves for what was to come. Then it appeared, darting from the mist of the trees before making a daring landing onto the side of his arm. Bernadea yelped out in fear before rushing to the back.
"What is that thing?!!"
"Relax Bernadea," Nathan said struggling to contain his laughter. "It's only a hawk."
"Her name's Flops," Conner added. "Probably the most friendly of the bunch."
She gripped his shirt as she slowly peaked her head over his left shoulder to see its fully extended wings slowly fall down into place.
"Oh," Bernadea said noticing it wasn't Nathan she was holding onto. "Sorry about that."
"No apology needed." Tim said.
The sound of foot steps approaching from the right side grabbed their attention. As they got louder the hawk took flight once again, finding its way past the many trees it had come. It was then that he appeared, a man in a cowboy hat stepped from behind a set of trees that were stacked up together.
"Well I'll be dammed, if it isn't two of my favorite customers."
"I thought we might find you back here." Conner said reaching forward to shake his hand.
"I had no idea you and Mr. Bennet here were acquainted with one another."
"Actually this is our first time meeting," Nathan said. "We both just happened to be dropping in at the same time."
"Funny how things work out, by the way did you see Tesse on your way in?"
"Didn't see her," Conner replied. "Unless she was working on the other side of the store somewhere."
"Never mind, I'll catch up with her when I return to the front."
"Nathan, what did you say his name was again?" Bernadea asked.
"Jaylob," He answered. "But most who know me usually refer to me as Jay."
"And this is Bernadea, my fiance." Nathan informed.
"So you're getting married, that's great news to hear."
"Love the set up you've got here," Tim said stepping forward. "But what is this place exactly?"
"Isn't it obvious," Nathan said. "It's an inside exhibit, if you want to call it that."
"For that hawk we saw?"
"Hawks," Conner corrected. "There are five of them in all, three females and two males."
"So I see you've all gotten the chance to see one of them," Jaylob said. "What do you say I go and grab the aluminized protective gloves?"
"That would be great," Nathan said in response. "That's even better than I was hoping."
"I thought you might say that, wait here," Jaylob instructed. "I'll be no more than a minute."
"We'll be right here." Nate assured.
He headed back into the direction he had come, walking around a couple trees and plants that laid in his path.
"Nathan," Bernadea said tapping the side of his shoulder. "What did he say he was going to go and get?"
"A pair of aluminized gloves." Nathan replied.
"For what?"
"Why don't you wait and see," Nathan smilingly replied. "The best is just about to come."
"The protective gloves are a giveaway," Conan thought. "It's pretty self explanatory what he's got in mind."
The meter continued to gradually increase as he looked on. After completing seventy two percent of the scan it finally raised past the danger zone like he had been anticipating from the start.
"Alert; Danger Level: Shallow Red_(8)."
The computer repeated this three times more before finally falling mute.
"Tim was right, whatever virus the Mini Lon has found itself plagued with has the potential to cause lethal damage... not only to the main system, but to any of those connected to it."
He sat back in the chair, watching as the computer diagnosed the virus as unknown.
"There's still something that doesn't quite line up... why is it my computer wasn't able to pick up this virus sooner then it did?"
This rested on his mind for minutes to come. It wasn't until the door slid open that he looked up from the desk to see the two of them enter.
"I hope we're not interrupting anything." Alfred said.
"No, I was just doing some thinking." Bruce said turning in his seat.
"You wanted to see me." Heiji said walking forward.
"I'm glad you could make it, I've got something for you." Bruce said before reaching across the desk for a small sheet of paper.
"What is is?" Heiji asked.
"The number to the Commissioners office," Bruce replied. "I'm sure you've been told about his interest in you."
"Yea, I heard about it from the others yesterday," Heiji said accepting the paper. "Do you know exactly what he wishes to talk with me about?"
"I'd assume it has something to do with that mystery that went down at the city hall a few nights ago."
"Wouldn't doubt it," Heiji said looking down at the slip of paper. "So what would you say is a good time to give him a call?"
"Couldn't really tell you," Bruce said sitting up from the chair. "I prefer my transactions in person rather than over the phone."
"You know... I think I'll do just that." Heiji said.
"Did you ever call the office back?"
"About what?" Bruce asked making his way around the desk.
"The minor presentation that's being held in the board room of Wayne Enterprises."
"What time?"
"4 P.M."
"Call Tim and have him sub in for me, I have too much on my plate as it is."
"Will do sir."
He stopped after reaching the door, turning back to Heiji who was still standing near the desk.
"You're free to stick around for awhile if you'd like," Bruce said. "The others should be back anytime."
"Thanks, I'll be here."
He nodded, turning for the door before exiting out.
They could see them gliding from above as they waited. He had been absent for no more than a minute, returning with a bulky pair of gloves in his right hand. In his left hanged a bucket, filled with something no one could see at first glance.
"So, who wants to go first?" Jaylob asked.
"First for what?" Bernadea asked.
"You didn't tell them?"
"I thought it would be best if we kept it a surprise," Nathan said. "But since you're here I'll let you have the honor."
"Wouldn't have it any other way," Jaylob said lowering the bucket to the ground. "But before we can begin, I'll need a volunteer."
"Come on princess, this is your time to shine." Nathan said pushing her forward.
"What is this all about," Bernadea questioned. "Are we trying to summon that bird again?"
"That's the plan." Jaylob said holding out the gloves.
"I'll have to pass," Bernadea kindly declined. "This isn't something I'm interested in doing."
"Come on Bernadea," Nathan plead. "I didn't bring you all the way here to just sit back and watch."
"Maybe I'd feel better about giving it a try if you went first."
"That works for me," Nathan said. "Hand them on over partner."
"With pleasure." Jaylob said giving him the set of gloves.
He slid them on from there, making sure they were tightly fitted into place.
"Alright, I'm all good to go." Nathan said giving him the nod.
Jaylob reached into the bucket, pulling out something wet and slimy.
"What is that?" Tim asked after laying eyes on it.
"A treat if you will, it helps to get their attention,." Jaylob replied. "Now what do you say we get things started?"
"I'm all good to go."
Jaylob walked up to his side, handing him the piece of salmon before stepping back.
"So what happens from here?" Bernadea asked.
"We send out a signal, something simple as a hand gesture or light tune," Jaylob replied. "But since they're not too familiar with most, a whistle usually does the trick."
"Just like this." Nathan said raising his head.
He took no time in whistling for all to hear, holding the salmon out in front of him as he waited for a response. It took all but a few moments for one of them to come soaring down, finding a spot on his arm before accepting the treat hanging from the tips of his finger.
"You see, it's not all that bad." Nathan said handing her the other glove.
"This one looks like the same as the one we saw earlier." Conan said.
"That's because she is," Conner confirmed. "Like I mentioned earlier, Flops is the most forthcoming of the bunch."
"Come on Bernadea, why don't you give it a try ?"
"Do they bite?"
"Given that they don't have teeth, I think you should be pretty safe on that account."
"You know what I mean." Bernadea said narrowing her eyes over at him.
"I can assure you Ms.Fournier, there's nothing to worry about," Jaylob said. "None of the hawks here are aggressive in any way... except for the youngest who has yet to lighten up to me, let alone anyone else."
"The youngest?" Conan asked stepping forward.
"That's right," Jaylob said with the shake of his head. "I've had him for about six months, he should be about two years of age now."
"What's his name?"
"We call him Cyres," Jaylob replied. "A very rare but fitting name."
"Is he really aggressive?"
"Not aggressive per say.. just not much of a socializer."
She finally gave in after giving it some thought, tightening the glove around her left hand before turning back to face them.
"Ok, I'm all ready." Bernadea said.
"Great, I'm glad you decided to give it a try."
He reached into the bucket for a second time, pulling out another piece of fresh dipped salmon.
"Here you are," Jaylob said placing it into the palm of the glove. "Make sure you hold onto this."
"So now all I have to do is call out to one of them?"
"That is correct," Jaylob nodded in confirmation. "Now why don't you give it a shot?"
She looked down at the salmon laying in place, a feeling of hesitation coming over her.
"Could you perhaps do it for me?" Bernadea asked
"What seems to be the problem?"
"It's just, I'm not sure if I'll be able to whistle loud enough."
"Geez," Nathan muttered. "Does she always have to make things so difficult?"
It was at that moment that Flops launched from the side of his arm, taking a full swing before latching down onto the side of her wrist. This caught Bernadea by surprise, resulting in a scream escaping her lips. They looked on as the hawk took the salmon before taking flight to the higher ends of the room.
"Sorry about that," Jaylob laughingly apologized. "I was not expecting that, I don't think any of us were."
"You can say that again." Nathan said removing the glove from his hand.
"Would you be interested in giving it another try Ms. Fournier?"
"I'm afraid I'll have to pass," Bernadea replied. "I think I've had enough excitement to last for the rest of the day."
"Very well," Jaylob said before turning back to face the others."What about the rest of you, would someone else like to give it a try?"
"Hey Conan," Conner said giving him a nudge. "Why don't you give it a go?"
"This isn't exactly my kind of thing."
"Come on, it'll be fun," Conner stated. "Besides, there's no telling when this opportunity may arise again."
He took a few steps toward the center of the room, coming to a quick decision after giving it some thought.
"Ok, but only one time."
"I knew you'd make the right call." Conner said.
"Here," Nathan said removing the glove from his hand. "I think this'll benefit you."
"You're right."
He placed the glove onto his right hand, holding it out in front of him as he looked to the ceiling.
"Here goes nothing."
With the lift of his chest he took a deep breath, releasing with a tuneful whistle that sprouted throughout the room. He felt all through the body fall to a rest, holding firm to the stance taken moments prior.
"Wait a second, I forgot to give you a piece of salmon," Jaylob said before turning back for the bucket. "One moment my boy."
In the flash of time it came gliding downward, locking eyes with him almost instantly. He felt its talons clamp down to the top of his arm, giving the black eyed bird his full attention as it did in return. The others looked on from where they stood, none more engaged than the headman himself.
"I don't believe it, this is the first time." Jaylob softly spoke.
"First time," Tim questioned. "What do you mean?"
"Cyres has never responded to anyone but myself, and that's only when it's feeding time."
"That's Cyres?"
"That's him all right." Nathan said from behind. "The one and only."
He gazed into his eyes, looking into the darkness which gave him a sense of emptiness. But that was only at first. It was almost as if something was whispering to him, giving him a message that was yet to be unlocked... something from within his subconscious. The grip around his arm seemed to tighten with each passing moment, this fostered no response, not even a a blink between the two. Without as little as a warning the hold was released, expanding his wings before finding his way back to where to the higher ends of the room. He stood there for the next few seconds, casually lowering his arm as he removed the glove from his hand.
"So, what did you think?" Jaylob asked resting a hand atop his shoulder.
"It's not what I expected," Conan replied looking up to him. "Seeing their wingspan in person is a lot different than what you see on TV."
"Indeed it is," Jaylob said. "It was something to see when Cyres responded to your call, there must be something special between the two of you."
"That was Cyres?"
He nodded in confirmation.
"Perhaps you could come back some time," Jaylob said. "I could teach you a couple commands if you would like."
"That would be great."
"Good."
"Here, I better return this to you before I forget." Conan said holding out the glove.
"Thank you."
He then turned back to face the others after doing so, walking over to see Tim having a conversation with someone over the phone. It was only a matter of seconds before this came to an end.
"Looks like I better get going."
"Who was that?" Conner asked.
"Bruce, he wants me to attend a meeting at four later today." Tim replied.
"That's not for another couple hours." Conner said after checking the time on his watch.
"There's a lot that needs to be organized before then," Tim said. "Would you mind taking Conan back to the manor?"
"Not at all, I've got it all covered."
"Where is this meeting being held?" Conan asked out of curiosity.
"Wayne Enterprises," Tim replied. "I'll catch up with you as soon as I'm done."
"I''ll be sure to keep my phone on."
"Good, then I'll talk to you soon."
He walked toward the door exiting out of room, closing it on his way out.
"I guess we better be on our way as well," Nathan said checking the time. "The train to the east side of town will be leaving within the next twenty minutes."
"It just so happens we'll be walking past there," Conner said. "Mind if we tag along for part of the way?"
"That would be great, we could use the company." Bernadea said.
"What do you say Conan?" Conner asked looking his way.
"Sounds good to me."
"Hold on," Jaylob said as he approached the two. "When should I expect to see either of you again?"
"Whenever my schedule allows for it I'll try and drop in," Nathan replied. "And from the way things have been as of late, it should be real soon."
"I look forward to it."
"Until next time." Conner waved as they too headed for the door.
He rested his hands into the depths of his pocket after stepping back into the main area of the store, facing forward as they made their way to the front end. It wasn't until they were halfway through that he looked down to his side to see he was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Conan?"
"Not to worry," Bernadea said. "I saw him stop to look at one of those trees on our way up."
"Phew, I thought he might have got lost or something."
"Take your time," Bernadea said. "We'll wait for you out front."
"I won't be long."
With that both Bernadea and Nathan continued toward the exit while Conner headed in the opposite direction. He back tracked all the way to where the trees were located, and there he was, massaging the ends of one of the trees.
"Conan, what are you doing," Conner asked. "We have to go."
"Why don't you try giving it a feel," Conan suggested. "It's so smooth."
".. Ok."
He did just that, stopping in front of the tree directly across before reaching out to touch its limbs. It took all but a few strokes for him to shake his head in agreement.
"You're right, it is quite smooth."
This all but confirmed it, bringing a grin to his face.
"Now, what do you say we head out," Conner said. "Both Nathan and Ms. Fournier are waiting for us out front."
"Sure, but I have one question for you first," Conan said. "When we first entered the exhibit, how come you rolled up your sleeves before signaling for the hawk to come?"
"So my shirt wouldn't have gotten any holes in it from the hawks talons." Conner quickly replied.
It took a few moments for it all to sink in, realizing he had just been had. He didn't know what to say, standing there as he waited for him to make the next call.
"I guess Ms. Fournier was right about this tree," Conan said. "They're so delight to the hand, I found it hard that Mr. Bennet didn't feel the same way."
"Why don't we head up to the front and ask him?"
"That was only at first," Conan continued with his eyes still glued to the tree. "Then I realized they're actually different in a few ways."
"What do you mean?"
"This tree here is a Grand Fir, commonly known as the Christmas Tree," Conan informed. "Their needles are pretty harmless and don't poke you upon touching them, not like some other trees in its family."
He had no idea where he was going with this, deciding not to say anything as he spoke once again.
"The tree Nathan came into contact with isn't a Grand Fir, though it may look like one," Conan stated. "Turns out it's a close cousin, one which will give you a sting if touched."
"That would explain why he was poked when he reached down to touch that tree earlier," Conner said. "Nice little deduction there Conan."
"Thanks, but that still doesn't explain why you didn't feel the affects of touching the tree?"
"What do you mean?"
"That tree you just proclaimed as smooth is the same tree Bennet hurt his hand on after stroking it," Conan informed slightly raising his head. "I wonder why it had no affect on you?"
As expected he received nothing from him in return.
"Then there's the part where you whistled for one of the hawks to come, it amazes me how no one noticed you didn't have on a protective glove," Conan said removing his hands from his jacket. "That's something that isn't easy to apprehend on a normal stand point."
"What are you trying to say?"
He smiled at his response, slowly turning back to face him with the grin heavily in place.
"It's up to you if you'd like to save me the trouble, if not I'll figure it out myself," Conan softly spoke. "Regardless of your choice... only one truth prevails."
To Be Continued
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