Chapter Eight: The Lost Bride (The Investigation Continues)

Third Person's POV

"Hey. You're here, Shin-chan," Yukiko greeted when she saw Shinichi came in the kitchen. She smiled at him.

But Shinichi didn't looked back at her. He was still preoccupied by the video clip that was from the casette tape. Many questions are bothering him.

Why does the casette tape adressed to their house? What does the casette tape resembled the scene? Why was it left in the crime scene? What does Ran meant? Where the cherry blossoms bloom... It is always being repeated to Shinichi's mind.

"Oh, I think Shin-chan was preoccupied," Yukiko informed bubbly to their visitor in English language. She looked at the visitor and smiled. "I think you should greet him, Hayley-chan."

Meet Hayley Ford, twenty-nine years old. A full time professional medical doctor and a master in Science Technology. She is a student from the same university with Shinichi in America and became his special someone of some sort.

Hayley stood up from her seat and walked towards Shinichi. She wrapped her arms around Shinichi's neck making he snapped his head to her.

"Hi, Jimmy," she said in English, leaning close to Shinichi and touching their foreheads together. She is half-Japanese with a blood of an American, but she lives in America for a long time so she was more fluent in English.

Shinichi's mind slowly goes back to him. He smiled at Hayley but never leaned back his face towards her. "Hi," he said back using the same language as she was.

Hayley brushed her lips into his. "Thinking something?" she asked.

Shinichi knew for an instant that Hayley is manipulating him to say to her what's he thinking right now. Every time, he keeps falling himself to that manipulation of hers, but as if there's magic, he pulled Hayley's arms down his neck and just smiled at her.

Hayley looked at him unbelievably. Did my manipulation not work?

Shinichi's eyes averted to look at his mother. "Mom, can we talk for a moment?" he asked as he nodded to his mother.

Yukiko felt that Shinichi would talk to her in an important matter so she nodded and smiled at her son. "Sure," she said and stood up from her seat.

Hayley wrapped her arms around Shinichi's neck again. "What are you two going to talk about?" she asked, sounding desperate for answers.

Again, Shinichi just smiled at her and looked at his mother. He nodded to his mom and looked at Hayley. "Can I talk with Mom for a moment, Hayley?" he asked, asking for permission.

Hayley sighed. "As if I have a choice, aren't I?" She forced a smile. "Go. I'll be fine here, Jimmy. Go talk to Auntie."

Shinichi nodded and invited Yukiko to go outside. As the two walk out the kitchen, Hayley looked at Shinichi's back, clenching her fist so tight and she gritted her teeth.

~~~

"Mom, could you tell me who is Mouri Ran in my life?" Shinichi asked as they stopped outside the front door.

Yukiko stilled but soon, smiled as she looked to her son. "So, you did finish watching the video tape?"

Shinichi nodded and looked up at the skies. It was now dark. Stars are like mini white gems on the night sky. "She said that she is my childhood friend. Is she?"

Yukiko smiled. "Yes, she is. Actually, she is also your lover."

Shinichi frowned. "Lover?"

"You confessed to her in London, Shinichi."

Shinichi nodded, remembering all the details that his mother said about Ran. "How about when we first met?"

"Hmm... Let's see. As I remember, you and Ran-chan first met in a kindergarden. I heard that you also helped her a lot in your childhood days," she answered. "Since then, Ran-chan and you are always together until you both turned seventeen."

"Yeah. I can see that."

"Oh. Also, she is a 2nd degree in Karate, which means she could beat you up whenever you are too..." Yukiko looked at him teasingly. "...cold, too persistent, and too eager."

Shinichi scoffed and rolled his eyes. "What does it got to do with me? I could now avoid her attacks. I learned martial arts, Mom."

"But, Ran-chan is still a strong girl, Shin-chan. Don't unnderestimate her. Once you know how much strength she got on her sleeves, I think you should be careful. You couldn't remember her, remember? You also forgot what she likes to do in life so be cautious. That's your chuldhood friend, Shin-chan. She's a girl but you'll shed tears once you accept her attacks on your body. It was really painful, believe me."

Shinichi shook his head. He didn't know if he would believe his mother or not. But there's something in his mind that was saying all what his mother told him was true.

Suddenly, a picture in his mind popped up. He looked at his mother, whose back is almost turned at him.

"Mom," he called. Yukiko turned her head to look at him. "I want to show you something," he said and took out his phone. He search for the pictures and clicked it. Then, he walk towards his mother and put the screen in front of his mother's eyes. "I feel kind of weird to this pictures so I took two of them. It feels familiar. Do you have anything in mind that looks like those pictures."

Yukiko immediately smiled as she looked at him. "Of course." Her smile widened even more. She tapped his shoulder twice. "I'll show you later after Hayley go out, hmm?" Shinichi nodded and watched his mother walked in the house.

Shinichi followed through. As he walked in the kitchen, he saw Hayley staring at the dishes while sitting straight in front of the wooden rectangular modern dining table.

His mother, Yukiko, tapped Hayley's nape twice before siiting to her own seat. Shinichi saw it even it is was a move for Hayley's mind go back to her.

He saw her eyes batted thrice before looking at him. Her lips gape in awe and her eyes widened as she saw Shinichi in front of her. She smiled afterwards and invited him to sit across her. They started eating afterwards.

"So, what did you two talk about?" Hayley asked again, hoping that she could reached out what the two talked-about outisde.

Yukiko and Shinichi glanced to each other before Yukiko smiled and answered, "Just important matters, Hayley-chan. No need to worry about it." Then, she continued eating.

Hayley felt something weird so she asked again, "Is there a case going in again?"

Shinichi cintinued eating like he didn't hear what Hayley asked but the truth is, he was shocked. How did she know that?

"You two are silent," Hayley said as her eyes turned into slits. "Maybe, you ywo are hiding something from--"

Suddenly, they heard the main door opened. They looked at the entrance as they stopped eating their meal, wondering who's the new arrival.

Yukiko smiled as the new arrival came in ti the kitchen. His polo was drenched in water, umbrella was being held in one hand, a trench coat in one arm, and car keys clenched on his hand.

"Oh. It's you, dear," Yukiko greeted as she rose from her seat and walked towards her husband. "Yusaku-chan, welcome home."

Kudo Yusaku, father of Kudo Shinichi. He doesn't seem old even the years had passed. He's still the old man of Shinichi we knew.

He smiled and leaned in to kiss Yukiko. On the other hand, Hayley is staring at them while she talks to Shinichi. "You know what, Jimmy? I wanted us to be like your parents. Look, they're so sweet. If we made kids, I would like to make one smart little boy like you and one little girl like me. Would you like--"

Hayley stilled as she saw Shinichi staring at his plate. His chin is between his fingerd while his arms are corssed. His eyebrows were knitted together as his eyes held curiosity.

Hayley felt a sudden boiling anger through her. She felt that he is doing it intentionally so that he would drive himself off Hayley's manipulation. She could feel that—the ignorance of one person to her, and she is seeing it now to Shinichi.

She snapped her fingers in front of Shinichi making him flinched. She glared at him when he looked up to her. "Are you even listening to me?"

"E-Eh?" Shinichi answered. Hayley sighed heavily. She was mad. Completely mad.

"You aren't listening to me, are you?" She is still glaring at him, making Shinichi nervous. "Geez. And I thought you love me," she said in sarcasm and stood up from her seat.

Shinichi stood up too. "Hayley, I'm so sorry. I was just preoccupied and--"

"Preoccupied, my ass." She scoffed and crossed her arms. She also raised an eyebrow to him. Yes, she's being a bitch right now. "You should listen to me even once, Jimmy but look at what you are doing to me. I was just completely ignored by you!" She pointed at him, half-whispering. "Geez. And I thought here that I'll caught your attention once I came here."

"Hay--"

Shinichi's words cut off when Hayley walked out him. He just sighed and shook his head. It wasn't painful for him, to be honest. And that's the most weirdest part of him. He can't feel what he should feel in a relationship with Hayley. And it's giving him a headache. For some unknown reasons, his heart don't beat fast whenever he is with Hayley. He is asking himself over and over again.

Hayley walked towards Yukiko and Yusaku and hugged Yukiko so suddenly that made the couple frowned.

"Oh. Hayley. Why are you leaving?" Yusaku asked in English language.

"I should've been shocked that you knew I was leaving, Uncle, but I think I am not in the mood to be surprise. I think I should leave. I'll be going back in a few weeks."

"Hayley-chan, what's wrong?" Yukiko asked, playing with Hayley's act. "Come. Sit again and eat before you leave."

"I'm really, really sorry, Auntie, but I should go. I have lost my appetite," Hayley said with sarcasm as she glanced back at Shinichi in a second. She smiled afterwards. "I should go now. Bye." She kissed Yukiko and Yusaku in the cheeks before leaving the main door.

Yusaku looked at his son. Thinking that Shinichi is the problem, he asked, "What did you do, Shinichi?"

Shinichi shrugged his shoulders. "I'm just preoccupied for a minute then she acted like that."

Yusaku's curiosity became suddenly on an 'on mode'. "What were you thinking?"

~~~

"What?!" Yusaku shouted at his son. "A case?! You're solving a case again?! Son, this isn't the time to mendle around your business as a detective."

"I know but... The bride... Damn. The bride, Dad... She... She..."

"She what?" Yusaku stood up in anger. "You know that you and Hayley are both in a relationship and what? Going to get another woman?"

Shinichi raked his fingers on his hair in frustration. "It's not that, Dad." Shinichi's patience is lessening.

"Then, what?! Don't say anything and just say it!"

"It is Ran-chan, dear," Yukiko suddenly blurted out making Yusaky stilled from his position and looked to his wife.

"What?!"

"The bride is Ran-chan, dear," Yukiko repeated and sighed. "So, please calm down and let your son explain all what he knows."

Yusaku did what Yukiko said and looked at Shinichi seriously. "Tell me."

Shinichi puffed a breath. "A police officer named Miwaki Sato came in to our house a while ago. She gave me a video tape from... Ran," he explained. "The video contained all about what she is doing when she is without me. That's what she said in the video."

"Can you do it?"

"What?" Shinichi was shocked by what his father said.

"Can you do this case alone?" his father asked. "I mean, you can't remember Ran and all so how could you know where is she?"

Shinichi frowned. "How did you--"

"She went missing. There's two choices. One, she was kidnapped or two, she escaped and fled somewhere. If someone escaped and fled a place, someone would be missing right? And the casette tape. She wouldn't left something there so important if she didn't plant a plan."

"That's what she said in her last video. And also..." Shinichi sighed. "... I think she gave me an idea of where she could be, but I can't remember where it is."

"She gives you a clue in the video?"

Shinichi nodded. "It was a sentence. She said, 'Let's meet to the first place we met where the cherry blossoms bloom'."

Yusaku repeated the sentence in his heas before looking at Shinichi again. "I'll help you find the place where she is. I think I know where the place is."

Shinichi nodded and sighed. "And about Hayley..." He sighed again. "... I think I should make a cool off."

"What? You want a break-up, Shin-chan?"

"I think she doesn't fit right to me. After all, I think she is just a pain in the ass," he said then he stood up. "I'll be going on my room now. I think I should call Sato-keibu and talked about the case before I sleep. Goodnight."

He leaves the living room and go back to his room. He then locked himself inside his bedroom and plopped down the bed. Grabbing his phone from the bedside table, he picked Sato's number and called her.

Sato immediately picked it up as what she said. "Hello? Who is this?"

"Sato-keibu. It's me, Shinichi," Shinichi said. "I watched the whole video tape and I found something weird. Can you find a place where cherry blossoms bloom?"

~~~

Kring... Kring...

The vibration of Shinichi's phone greeted him in an early morning. Shinichi groaned as he throw a pillow to his ear to block the sound of the vibration and tried to make himself fall in a deep sleep again.

Kring... Kring...

It was no use. The vibration of the phone was being heard even there's a pillow blocking in Shinichi's ear.

Frustrated, Shinichi's hand picked up the phone and put it in his ear once he clicked the answer button.

"Kudo-kun, there's a white car parked in front of the Mouri Kogorou's agency," the person in the other line greeted him in an unusual way.

Shinichi immediately knew who is the caller. It was Detective Sato.

Shinichi sat to his bed to continue the conversation. He is wearing a matching pajama. "Send me the address."

~~~

"...Someone just sent me here," he heard the man spoke as soon as he arrived the place. A male police officer is asking the man.

"Did the caller's voice not robotic?"

The man shook his head. "No, it isn't. It was a female. A mature young female. She told me to come pick her up six o'clock sharp in the morning."

"Would you mind if you give us your number and the caller's number? We'll track it out," the male police officer asked politely. The man nodded and gave his number. "Thank you for the cooperation, Sir. Please go back to your work. We'll call you right away if there's any updates."

The man left with the car. Then, Sato suddenly came out of nowhere and walked near towards the male police officer. "Takagi-keibu," she called. "How is it? Can it connect something?"

As soon as he heard the male officer's name, Shinichi walked towards the both of them and greeted. The male police officer flinched so badly that it turned his body to look at him. Shinichi chuckled.

"I knew it. You're a scaredy cat, Takagi-keibu," Shinichi said.

Frowning, Takagi leaned to Sato's ears before asking, "I thought he couldn't remember me? Why did he knew my name?"

"I told him your name yesterday," Sato answered.

Takagi sighed in relief. He thought that there's hope Shinichi would remember him more than Sato. He cleared his throat before introducing, "Hi, Kudo-kun. I'm Wataru Takagi at your service from the Beika Police Department."

"Your I.D.," Sato whispered.

Takagi immediately grab his identification card out of his pocket and put it in front of Shinichi's face. "Evidence that I'm a police," he added and returned the I.D. to its original place.

Shinichi nodded. "I heard half of your conversation with the man," he said as soon as the officer introduction ended. "I would like to hear the rest."

"Sure. Let's go upstairs, shall we?" Sato suggested. The two man both followed Sato upstairs.

She opened the first door upstairs and Shinichi and Takagi walked in. Shinichi's eyes averted to an old man sitting across a desk with his legs crossed on top of it while looking at them with those slurry eyes, holding one bottle of beer in hand, and a woman with a golden hair.

"Uncle! Ran would not like if you continue drinking beer once a day! Geez," the blonde girl said and took the bottle in the old man's hand.

The man hiccuped and looked at the young woman with slurred eyes. "Leave me alone. I have my fun time here," the old man said slurry.

"Oh. Suzuki-san," Sato called, making both heads of the two turned to them. The old man's eyes widened, so as the young woman with the golden hair. They both stared at him.

"Shinichi?" the golden haired girl said. Shinichi recognized her. Her name is Sonoko. Ran mentioned her in one of her videos. "You're back?"

"I just arrived in Tokyo two days ago, Sonoko," he answered, not realizing that he just said that so naturally.

"You still know me?"

"No, I don't know you. Ran just called you by your name in one of her clips in video tape," Shinichi honestly answered.

"Video tape?" Sonoko frowned but her eyes brightened as she relaized what Shinichi meant. "Ah! You mean the videotape with Ran's memories. I found it missing in the apartment. Did you have it?"

"Sorry, Suzuki-san, but one of your fellow friends found it and they told me that give it to Kudo-kun as possible," Sato apologized.

Sonoko shrugged. "It was really for Shinichi anyways. Know wonder the videotape is missing. The husband really just got it from the police officer," Sonoko teased, but Shinichi frowned as he doesn't catch up with Sonoko's joke. Sonoko cleared her throat once she felt that her joke hadn't beeb bought by the detrctive friend. "Anyways..." She looked at the three arrivald seriously. "...any new updates about my best friend?"

"Not yet," Shinichi said and looked at the old man. He repeated the old man's voice in his head. "Hey, Uncle," he called the old man. "You stink. Go and change clothes. You didn't look decent."

"Oi, detective boy! I'm much older than you so don't order me around!" Kogoro shouted.

"I might call Ran if you don't keep yourself well without her," Shinichi threatened.

Kogoro glared at him but he stood up and left the agency's main office. Sonoko followed the old man through.

Sato invited them to sit down the couch. Shinichi sat down to one of the couches and Sato and Takagi on the other couch.

Shinichi crossed his arms and legs as he looked to the two police officers seriously.

"So, shall we continue the conversation?"