He hacked out a laugh. “Ya think there’s a difference?” Crossed arms, eyes fixed with a hot challenge. “Ya’re blind jus’ th’ same!”
It took an inordinate amount of self-control for Hakuba to keep the words he wanted to say from spilling out in a furious torrent. Breaths deliberate and careful, body tensed, fists tightening.
“Take. That. Back.”
Each word came coldly through clenched teeth, seething.
“I ain’ talkin’ jus’ ‘bout work!” Hardly his business? That had never stopped the Brit before—wasn’t it only just he should return the favor back? “…Hah. Does that mean ya don’ let it affect ya anywhere else? What a sorry excuse of a follower ya’re…”
Fists clenching, Hakuba lowered his hands, arms tight against his sides. He didn’t dare look at the Osakan, not while he was so close to losing his temper entirely. That kind of behavior didn’t become him. The foreign detective let out a slow breath.
“So which is it, Hattori-san? Blinded by faith or not blind enough? Just which would you prefer, if those are – apparently – my only options?”
“It’s plenty relevant! Or at least, it should be.”
Heiji slid his hands into his pockets, still damp. It would explain a lot of things Hakuba did, in a matter of speaking. There were stories of the rather devout worshippers, newsclippings and video feeds of their rather outlandish manners of practice… If this half-Brit detective was one of them, Hakuba’s somewhat unorthodox mannerisms made a whole lot of sense to this dark-skinned detective.
“How many times has yer faith blinded ya from th’ truth?”
He had meant it in simple curiosity. Heiji knew that sometimes he could get carried away in cases putting his heart before the mind, and this seemed hardly any different for him.
It hardly seemed possible that things were unfolding the way that they were. Hakuba, jaw tight, dropped his gaze to the dusty floor and hesitated before replying tensely.
“It hasn’t. I don’t let it interfere with my work. And, frankly, this is none of your business, Hattori-san.”
… Really. In a time like this, the idiot was going to try and play dumb? Still, it seemed like he’d hit the mark… So the halfer was a Catholic, eh? “Ya know damn well what I mean. ‘sides, ain’ ya a detective?”
Oh, Heiji would joke around. Why not? For all the times the smug bastard cut him with that silver tongue… “Figure it out fer yerself. Doin’ that on top’f a case shouldn’ be too hard fer ya, right?”
Of course.
Hakuba closed his eyes briefly, turning back around to grind his teeth, finding his reasons to stay composed.
Of all the people to find out, it had to be Hattori Heiji. He should have been more careful. What was this going to cost him? It was fairly easy to assume that of the possible meanings the Osakan’s statement held, he’d meant the worst and most insulting.
He pulled the covering from an overturned chair on one of the tables, dropping it on the floor afterward.
“It’s not. However, I don’t see how my being a detective is relevant.”
Only a snort was offered in response to the ‘same boat’ remark. “Th’ only luck I’ll be gettin’ fer it is’f this damn storm decides ta end right here an’ now.”
Heiji shuffled himself away from what little light did peek in from the boarded windows. His gaze was careful and meticulous as Hakuba strode past him, and he hoped he could catch the detail he needed to figure out whatever this mystery item was. A flash of lightning urged the clap of thunder and illuminated the raised area briefly… was that a cross?
“…Hah. No wonder,” began the Osakan condescendingly. “Carryin’ a cross in yer heart instead’f yer shoulders…”
Hakuba had managed a half-genuine smile by the time he reached the chairs, amused at the fact that he wasn’t the only one stranded. But the last thing that Heiji said jerked the reins right out of his hands. Had he seen…?
The detective stiffened, blinking once, before turning to look coolly over his shoulder.
“What do you mean by that, exactly?"
“Th’ hell did ya hear that from? I jus’ didn’ know it was goin’ ta rain. Was runnin’ ‘round all day lookin’ fer thin’s fer a case—ain’ concern ya,” he responded, interest piqued at Hakuba’s odd motion to rebutton his damp clothing. Heiji remembered the odd glint of silver his eyes spotted earlier and wondered if that had to do with it.
As the night (and the storm)continued, their surroundings only darkened. He’d be hard-pressed now to look for details that would reveal whatever it was the halfer was hiding under the wet shirt. Why was that so important to find out, though? “An’ what ‘bout ya? Figured ya might’ve been more prepared fer this sort’f weather—ain’ it always cloudy back in yer home country?”
“It’s often cloudy, yes, but more fog than anything. Regardless, the rain doesn’t bother me… and, honestly, I thought I’d be done with my work by now and back home. It sounds as though we’re approximately in the same boat, as it were.”
The blond detective, satisfied that he was sorted a gain, stepped past Hattori toward a pile of chairs to search for one that might be stable enough to sit on.
“Did you have any luck with your case?”
–♥ Her father announced that Kaito Kid have another manifesto again . So she and Kaito decided to go . But before they both see the appearance of Kaito Kid , Kaito vanished without saying a word. ” Mou~.” She said then she pouted . But luckily she saw another familiar face . It was Hakuba . So she decided to go with him . “Oh . Hakuba-kun . ” She waved as she walked towards him .—
“Ah, Nakamori-san! What a pleasure to see you. Are you looking forward to this evening’s festivities? I see that Kuroba-san is no where to be found… Did he leave you alone and stranded again?”
“Well more fer ya, then. Ain’ ya jus’ so delighted ‘bout gettin’ more money?”
Heiji returned the pen back to the drawer and slipped his hands back into his pockets. “Whatever. Ya came what ya got fer, an’ I was done here ‘bout thirty minutes ago. Would’ve been on my way back’f ya didn’ come here.” Made it seem like there really wasn’t a big deal about this whole thing to him, though that was far from the truth on some matter… “Yeah it does, but ya can keep it. Got more where that came from. Do whatever ya like once that mug’f yers’s healed up.”
Carrying small ice packs like that was more of a habit nowadays, wasn’t it? What with all the knee pains he’d get sometimes, or whenever that shark of his old man decided that the daily blab out of his mouth deserved a good punch to him and it carried on the following day.
“More money? I only mentioned that to – oh, never mind."
Hakuba couldn’t help the compulsion to roll his eyes as he got to his feet. The very idea that he was in it for the money bothered him, and he was frustrated that it bothered him. That Hattori could so easily get under his skin, and that he hadn’t managed to keep that irritation out of his voice. So much for an almost decent interaction with the Osakan brute.
He straightened out his suit jacket, then turned with a sniff toward the door and started walking, pace brisk and steps deliberate. There was so much that he could say, wanted to say. But no, leaving was the best option at this juncture. So instead, he called over his shoulder with as much calm neutrality as he could muster.
"Thank you for the ice pack, Hattori-san. I hope you have a pleasant evening.”
Heiji only responded with a huff as he grabbed for the envelope and opened it without much verbal fuss. The irritated reluctance upon his expression slowly turned into warm surprise as he read through the contents of the slightly smudged message.
Yet as quick as it appeared, that surprise fell back behind a neutral gaze. He allowed his eyes to dart to the nearby nightstand and fished out a pen from the drawer, immediately writing on the other side of the copy paper. Despite the brutish nature Hakuba associated with the Osakan, the way he wrote was almost silent, and penmanship smoothly legible—not that the British detective would know of the latter.
As soon as he finished scribbling his message, his fingers swiftly worked to refold the paper around the picture before sliding it back into its container. Heiji wet his thumb and slid it across the open lip of the envelope to seal it. “Wipe that smirk’ff yer face. This matter ain’ hardly intriguin’.”
The Osakan detective offered the sealed envelope back to Hakuba. “Fer some guy with a big vocabulary, are ya sure ya know how ta use it?”
“My client seemed to think that it was important enough to send me out here. She pays quite the retainer for my services.”
Hakuba knew fully well what his client had requested, but decided to allow Heiji his moment of false victory. The foreign detective retrieved the envelope from the Osakan’s hands and restored it to its place in his suit jacket, shifting then to adjust the ice pack on his cheek.
“I appreciate your cooperation and timeliness in this matter, Hattori-san, and I am pleased to hear that your case went so well tonight. That said, I suppose I should take my leave. Does this ice pack belong to you?”
“What business?”
He huddled himself over to the mini-fridge and opened the freezer to look for an ice pack. “In case ya haven’ noticed, I already solved th’ case. Woman, 26, cheated on by th’ victim, so she drove over here an’ stabbed th’ both’f them in th’ back. Wouldn’ve gotten caught’f she’d remembered not ta leave cigarette ashes all over th’ bathroom floor while she was tryin’ ta fix her makeup.”
When he’d located the item in question, he grabbed for it with a nearby dampened towel and walked back to Hakuba, offering it plainly. “Pretty open an’ shut case if ya ask me. I don’ see what sort’f business we have left here.”
“Oh, it has nothing to do with your deduction…”
Hakuba took the offered ice pack and towel, wrapped it, and pressed the compress against his face. This step completed, he crossed one leg over the other and leaned forward, smirking in amusement.
“Honestly, I’ve been far too busy with my own work to go around criticizing your every move. No, the business I refer to is right here in this envelope. I only used this case to find out where you might be."
The blonde detective held the envelope up between two fingertips, waved it, then held it out to the Osakan.
"It’s from one of my clients. I think you might find it… intriguing.”
The letter inside of the envelope was not more than a magazine clipping of Heiji and a simple piece of copy paper, folded in threes, and scrawled upon with sticky, purple ink.
Meitantei Hattori-san,
Enclosed is the only photograph that I could find of you. My daughter is your biggest fan and would love to have it autographed. If there is a fee, please let Hakuba-kun know so that I may be billed for it. Miki-chan will be thirteen years old soon, I hope to give it to her for her birthday.
Thank you!
Sei
