Death's Vigilance

[Nakamori Aoko]

"That's true! Dad will definitely catch that stupid thief for good!" Aoko reflected when Eri-san pointed out that the police should be responsible for catching Kaitou Kid. The police was much better than some idiotic thief! Kaitou Kid would be in jail for good very soon!

Ran-chan nodded when Eri-san spoke. Aoko watched with awe--Ran-chan must be close to her mother. They got along so well and always seem to know what each other were doing.
Aoko really admired that. It was too bad that Dad was too busy with work thanks to that stupid thief, or it would have been the same for Aoko.

"Aoko-chan, let's go." Ran-chan smiled at her warmly, gently taking Aoko's hand. Ran-chan looked so calm, so Aoko was sure that she must be used to cases like this. But as long as the police were here, everything would turn out well!

Downstairs though, Ran-chan seemed surprised. "Excuse me, are you from the police?"

"Yes, we are," the officer responded.

"Please come with us. We also need your help to look for another man in his forties, wearing a striped tie. He asked to come downstairs to make a phone call. He was at the table where a lady collapsed."

While the officers followed, Aoko could hear Ran-chan softly murmur, "I guess Inspector Megure and Detective Satou couldn't make it today."

[Kudo Yukiko]

When Ran and Aoko left to fetch the police, Eri turned to Yukiko and asked, "Who is that girl, Yukiko? I know she's Ran's friend, but…"

"Oh, Aoko-chan?" Yukiko responded. "She's a friend of Kuroba Toichi-sensei's son Kaito-kun, and apparently, the daughter of that eccentric Kaitou Kid Taskforce inspector. They're staying with me for the time being since Yuusaku needed a magician's help on some upcoming book."

"Wasn't he your disguising teacher?" Eri asked, surprised by the name.

"Yeah," Yukiko nodded, "apparently Yuusaku's been keeping in touch with them. But what did you find out from Kondo-san, Eri?"

"I didn't find out a lot," Eri responded. "All three of them were here for a business meeting, and the deceased Ito Kyouko-san and Kondo-san are Koga-san's clients. Kondo-san wouldn't go into depth about what the meeting was about, but the police might be able to obtain that information from Koga-san."

[Mouri Ran]

Ran led the police officer to the right direction. She couldn't help but feel weird when it wasn't the familiar faces of Megure-keibu along with Takagi and Sato-keiji that greeted her. Most of the time, if not all, they would be the ones to handle the cases she had ever been into. And that was often considering how dead bodies seemed to be appearing every other day in her life. She let out a sigh.

What was it with her and cases? She understood how it would have come and go so often in her life especially when she had a detective for a father, but still. Most girls her age worried about the latest fashion and going shopping with friends, or how the latest television show had a wonderful and handsome male lead actor that was to die for, or how there was a concert coming up and tickets are getting sold out in an hour, or how they spent hours on the phone with another female friend talking about their boyfriends and dates.

Before she could stop the image, Shinichi's face appeared in her mind and even when she shook it away the next second, it was already too late.

Shinichi, why did you bring me here in the first place? She wondered.

The conversation earlier with her mother and Yukiko came to her mind and it brought a blush to her cheeks. It had been embarrassing for Ran, that's for sure, having her mother there while the other person talked about potential proposals and whatnot. It was a wonderful thought how Yukiko seemed to be so welcoming with the thought of having her a daughter-in-law someday (not that she will ever be, there is no way Ran's marrying that Deduction Freak in her lifetime). But when the idea was so freely spoken in front of her mother, it made her want to disappear on the spot.

But why would Shinichi bring me to the restaurant where his parents had gotten engaged for marriage. And at the very same table, too? What did he want to tell me that night before a stupid case got in the way again?

What was it, Shinichi?

And they finally arrived. The two women were still there, along with the people involved with the case and a few nosy customers and staff. Ran approached her mother without looking her in the eye, the conversation earlier still very much alive in her thoughts, when she spoke.

"Okaa-san, the police officers are here."