Chapter Eighteen

Chapter 18

Ice

Shinichi's POV

*It feels so long since I've written from Shinichi's POV. What happened to Heiji and Kazuha? Revealed in this chapter!*

"Shiho-chan!" Ran called out to the small girl, who was now walking away. "Do you need anything? I know you just came from imprisonment."

"Some clothes that fit would be nice." She gestured to her sleeves, two feet too long, and her pants which could hardly go around her waist, even with the makeshift belt she used.

"I'll look for my childhood clothes. Wait right here, Shiho-chan." Ran rushed up the staircase into her room.

Now where did my mom put them? I hope she didn't throw them away… she thought.

So Ran, what are your opinions on that little girl down there? I asked, curious.

I trust her. I think she's definitely telling the truth. Besides, she lost someone important, just like me. Except, her sister's not there for her. Not like you. Ah, here they are!

She pulled a short sleeved shirt and jeans. I can remember you wearing those in elementary school, Ran. It's been such a long time since I've seen them.

Well, they didn't fit, you know. Besides, I just about never let you into my room. Too embarrassing.

"Who are you talking to, Ran?" Shiho opened the door, and walked in. "There's nobody in here, who are you talking to?"

Had Ran been talking aloud, if that had been the case, then we had to come up with a pretty good explanation for this…

"I'm talking to myself, of course!" Ran improvised, giggling weakly. "Who else would I be talking to?"

"Well then. Why would it be too embarrassing for you to go into your own room?" The girl's eyes threatened to pierce through our lies, and straight to the truth. Then, I realized she probably deserved the truth.

Ran, tell her. I think she has a right to know. Like you said, she's a victim as well.

"Shiho-chan, this is going to sound really, really weird. You're probably going to think I'm crazy." Ran bent down so she was eye level with the girl. "I can hear Shinichi in my head. He talks to me, and he's inside of me. That's until I solve his murder."

Shiho's eyes were guarded, hiding her disbelief. Then, she clenched her fists, and shook. "Shiho-chan," Ran said, trying to calm her down."

"Then why isn't Akemi with me? Why can't she talk to me?" she screamed, crying. "I want to talk to my sister too!"

"I don't know why, Shiho-chan. Shinichi says he's down here to bring justice. Because his murder needs to be solved."

"So my sister doesn't need justice? So she's unimportant compared to Kudo? How's that fair? Akemi was just as important to me as Kudo was to you." Her words shook me. All that she was saying was true. But even I had no idea why I was chosen over others. Countless must have been killed by the Black Organization, but as far as we knew, I was the only one to come back. Was it that I was the only one with the ability to solve it?

"Look, Shiho-chan." Ran tried to hold her still, but she refused to be touched, and backed away. "I don't know why, it just is. Just please don't tell anybody, you're the only other one who knows."

"Why haven't you told anybody else?" she asked.

"Because Shinichi thought they shouldn't know. But you're a victim like me, so he thought it would be okay-"

"Ran, I'm home!" Mouri Kogerou's voice rang through the hall.

"Shoot, dad's back from Mahjong. What do we do?"

Just introduce her, I guess. Say her parents were just injured in a car crash, and that she's staying with you for the time being.

"Shiho-chan. This is what we're playing by. Your parents just got hurt in a car crash, and they were my friends, no Shinichi's parent's friends, and they sent you over to my house for the time being. That'll explain your crying. Do you want to add anything else?"

"How funny," she commented. "My parents were actually killed in a car accident over ten years ago. Just don't tell him my real name. Tell him my name is Ai Haibara, first name I thought of." Ran nodded, and went to approach her dad.

"Dad," she said, taking Shiho, no Ai, and putting her into his field of view. "This girl's parents were just injured in a car accident and they wanted her to stay with us for the time being. Would that be okay?"

"It's fine, but she's your responsibility." His face was red, he was obviously drunk. That made this a lot easier. "What's her name?"

"Haibara Ai."

It was past dinnertime already, and Hattori and Tooyama still hadn't come back. Ran, do you think something happened to those two?

I'm worried too, I'll call Kazuha-chan. She picked up her cell phone. It rang once, twice, thrice, and then a mechanical voice answered her call. "Tooyama Kazuha is busy right now, please leave a message after the beep."

What if the bomb went off? Ran, turn on the TV. She followed my orders, and the news flashed on.

"I'm here, where a bomb has just been set off at this pharmaceutical factory. We are still searching for survivors."A female reporter notioned to the chaos behind her. Flames, smoke, rescuers frantically digging through the rubble in hopes of finding somebody. "The only two survivors found so far were not actually in the building at the time of the explosion. They were standing a couple of yards away, and they have been taken to the Beika Central Hospital. The names are Hattori Heiji, and Tooyama Kazuha."

Ran let out the breath she had been holding. But it wasn't over yet. Both were injured enough to have been taken to the hospital. Hurry up you stupid reporter! Ran thought.

"Both are recovering, and the doctors say they should be able to walk by tomorrow. This is the only ray of light in this dark event so far."

"Dad, I'm going to the hospital right now!" Ran grabbed her coat, and ran out of her room.

"Ah, Ran! Why-" It didn't matter what he thought. He was too drunk to think right anyways.

"I'm coming with you." Haibara was standing at the doorway. "Told you he was invincible, didn't I?" She let out a smirk.

"Not funny, Ai-chan. Both of them are hurt," Ran scolded her.

"You haven't seen what hurt really is. Trust me." The girl's smile faded, and she closed her eyes, obviously remembering some hideous memory.

Did Hattori actually find anything? Or had his recklessness gained him nothing? There was only one way to find out, and we were on our way.