Dining in Silver

[Kudo Yukiko]

Yukiko couldn't help but laugh at Heiji's reaction to her story. Perhaps it was a bit much to mention the breast story right off the bat, but Yukiko was an open book at this point and more than willing to throw anything on the table, even embarrassing childhood photos.

Granted, Shinichi wasn't the typical child, having been enamored with mysteries since he was a baby. Even back then, Yukiko recalled a memory when Shinichi was just a child and ready to help her solve a case—it was just too cute!

"Okay, okay, I promise I won't mention something like that again," Yukiko laughed again, taking a sip of her sparkling water. Sometime later during the conversation, their meals arrived, and Yukiko just dived right in.

"But I'm telling you, if you want embarrassing stories that Shinichi'll never be able to live down you've come to the right place!" She nudged and winked at him. "Ran-chan might have known him since he was a boy, but she doesn't know what a mother sees."

Placing her index finger against her chin, Yukiko frowned. "You know, there could have been a whole lot that I could have shown you, but I don't know if it was Shinichi or Okiya-san, but a lot of the stuff we left at the mansion wasn't there when I arrived. I had some photos that I could have shown you when we got back that I kept forgetting to bring back with me to America!"

[Hattori Heiji]

Heiji blinked owlishly for a few seconds before finally coming back to himself. He shook his head to clear it more before digging into his own meal. Although his curiosity grew even more when she mentioned Okiya again.

"It seems a bit weird for a stranger to mess with things in your house." Heiji said. "Any reason on why you think Okiya would do remove things?"

This guy was getting interesting to be honest. Staying at the Kudo manor and gaining his trust easily. Heiji might have to do some investigation on this guy to see what he can dig up.

[Kudo Yukiko]

"Doesn't it?" Yukiko responded with a frown. "I haven't had the opportunity to ask Shinichi on it, but everyone I've asked about him aside from Shinichi insisted that he isn't a good guy. Even my first instinct on him told me that he might have been part of that organization. I don't know what motive Okiya-san might have had if he did do it, but then that's just my assumption!"

Namely, the only person she even asked about him was that Haibara child next-door. While her family might have owed the seemingly small girl a whole lot for her services to Shinichi, Yukiko couldn't help but trust her judgment more than her son's when it concerned the possibility of an organization member within their midst.

"I don't know honestly," continued to eat her meal. "I don't even know if he knows about Shinichi's condition. Haibara-san insisted that he shouldn't have been trusted and to remove him right away. That was partially why I was so upset at Shinichi, because he didn't inform me if he was trustworthy or not and I had invited Kaito-kun and Aoko-chan over!"

[Hattori Heiji]

Heiji listened carefully as he ate his meal. It was odd, especially for Kudo, to trust someone when so many around him distrusted. There had to be a reason behind it. Something was up and the Osaka born was not determined to get to the bottom of it.

"I can look into this for you Yukiko-han. Kudo might tell me a bit more if I start bothering him enough." Heiji suggested as he set down his eating utensil. He had been hungrier then he thought since his plate was pretty much empty. As he looked back up to Yukiko, a scream broke out. Getting up quickly Heiji looked towards the source and made a break for it. The waiters and waitresses seemed to be gathering around the kitchen.

"What happened?" Heiji asked as he drew near.

[Kudo Yukiko]

"Would you?" Yukiko asked, inwardly relieved at Heiji's offer. She wouldn't express it, but Yukiko was really glad to have Heiji around—someone else who was familiar with Shinichi's condition and close to him, at that. Someone she could talk to and understood where she was coming from. For a while, she felt like she was alone in that aspect, as Yuusaku seemed more than willing to allow Shinichi to go off and face the dangers on his own. She did not like that, not one little bit.

"If you stay at my place, you might be able to see what I mean for yourself!" Yukiko began, frowning disappointingly. "I've already tried to ask Shinichi myself, but I've had no luck. If you've been able to get information out of him before, even discovering what happened to him you might have a better time!"

That was another thing that really made Yukiko furious. Just why didn't Shinichi inform his parents right away—why did they have to find out from Professor Agasa? Yukiko just wouldn't accept the excuse that he gave her.

When Yukiko saw Heiji dash for the direction of the scream, Yukiko quickly got up, grabbed her purse and followed not too far behind. The female figure in the fridge had her hand clasped on her mouth, pointing towards the direction of a corpse stashed in a large trash bag.

"I-I was getting something from the f-freezer and I found F-Fujiwara-san!"

[Hattori Heiji]

Heiji listened to the young woman for a moment before looking up towards the apparent body on the floor of the freezer. Carefully he stepped over some boxes and knelt down to look at the body before him. The body of course was cold, it was in the freezer and because of this Heiji couldn't get an estimated time of death.

"Can someone call the police?" He called out before looking back towards the body. The victim had spilled out of the bag making it easier to see. the victim was easily identified as male due to the stubble on his chin. His age had to be late thirties. There was a massive stab wound in his chest which was most likely the cause of death.

It looked odd, near the wound was a vertical line that stretched from one end to the other. Also something glinted inside of the wound but currently Heiji had no tools to get whatever it was out of it. Bringing his hand up to his chin he went into deep thought and without thinking he spoke.

"What do you think Kudo?"

[Kudo Yukiko]

"Y-Yes!" The kitchenmaid said, rushing out of the room to use the restaurant's phone to call the police.

Yukiko was nonetheless stunned by all of this. Just a few days ago, she had taken Eri, Ran and Aoko out to the Beika Center Building's Observatory restaurant—the very place where Yuusaku proposed to her and a murder had occurred there too. Once again she was reminded of the dangers of Beika City, and what had continued to fuel her husband's and son's love for murder mysteries.

It was just then that she heard the name Kudo, and Yukiko's attention was redirected back to Heiji. She was surprised at the use of her surname without an honorific, but she briefly wondered if it was because of how used he was to solving cases with her son.

"E-Eh?" Yukiko asked, completely caught off-guard after having examined the body from a distance. "What do I think of this?" Yukiko wasn't sure what to think of it and couldn't provide an immediate answer, not when no data had been collected. She loved it when she was able to play detective, and the fact that Heiji had put her in the spotlight made him that much more likable!

Just then, the kitchenmaid had rushed back into the freezer room and said, "I called them! They're on their way."

Turning towards the kitchenmaid, Yukiko asked, "You mentioned this man's name. What is his full name, and what's your relationship with him?"

"His name is Fujiwara Hisao-san," the kitchenmaid began, "he works here as a waiter. I'm a kitchenmaid, and my name is Hidaka Kyoko."

[Hattori Heiji]

Heiji stood up from his examination of the body and walked over to Yukiko and the kitchenmaid. His hands in his pockets to warm them up from the cold freezer.

"Kyoko-chan right?" Heiji said looking at the young woman in front of him. "Do ya mind tellin me what ya were doin in the freezer?"

He analyzed the first suspect in front of him, after all the one who finds the body is most likely the killer trying to establish a good alibi. Although there were know blood on her clothes and her hands were indeed clean. He couldn't see them clearly enough to see if there was a mark from the knife being held in an ice pick hold. With a hold like that a woman could drive a knife deep if she needed to into the victim's chest.

Heiji came to the conclusion of a knife because of the wound and the shiny piece in the victim's body. Also it seemed like a good logical weapon for something in a restaurant.

[Kudo Yukiko]

"It's Hidaka-san!" Kyoko huffed, refusing to be called by her first name by a complete stranger. "And why should I tell you? You're not an officer. But fine, I suppose," she sighed. "I was getting some meat for the food! Our chef Romano Auditore-san asked me too! We're about to cook a new batch, we just ran out!"

As Yukiko stood close to Heiji, she turned to him, surprised by the uncouth decorum. Yukiko would then whisper into his ear, "Say Heiji-kun, I've had my share of luxurious restaurants, but she seems very hostile for an employee! Most places—even in America—try to choose their staff very carefully to maintain quality!"

"Do you want me to get him for proof?" Kyoko asked, crossing her arms over one another as she began to rub them. "We also have some spare jackets lying around if you want me to get them for you."

[Hattori Heiji]

Heiji was taken aback but how quickly the kitchenmaid's sudden change in attitude. Narrowing his eyes, it was unusual. Most people when finding a body would go into shock of finding someone dead. But this woman got defensive quickly. Very suspicious.

"Well then Hikada, would ya please fetch the cook for us? He will need ta be here when the police arrive. Ta confirm what ya said is true or not." Heiji said in a cold tone. He wasn't going to be bullied but the kitchenmaid's rude behavior. He then turned to look at Yukiko her information spiking more of Heiji's suspicion of the kitchenmaid.

"Is that so?" he asked before another question appeared in his mind. "Oi Yukiko-han, do ya know how competitive this kind of work is?"